Board Meeting March, 2014

Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Trustees

of the

Nevada Judicial Historical Society

March 14, 2014

Carson City, Nevada

    The meeting was called to order by Chairman Michael Fondi at 12:15. Present were Vice-Chairman Jeff Kintop, Susan Southwick, Secretary and trustees Tom Perkins, Karen Baggett, Don Klasic, Dennis Myers, Jim Smith, Clint Case and Peter Smith.  Also present were member Christine Timko and guest Don Southwick.

    The minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Board, September 20, 2013, were approved as mailed. (Myers/P. Smith)

     Susan Southwick delivered the Treasurer’s report. Janette Bloom had prepared an end-of-fiscal-year report, giving a balance of $6,190.50.  With two large membership renewals in 2014, the current balance is $6,390.50.

     Peter Smith reported on the plaque presentation ceremony which accompanied the Supreme Court’s Northern Panel oral arguments on November 14, 2013.  The plaque honored Horatio McClean Jones, who served as Lyon County’s first district court judge. Trustee Patricia Cafferata also delivered a brief history of the old Lyon County Courthouse. The arguments and presentations were well-attended by local high school classes and government dignitaries.  Mr. Smith noted that there were currently no plaques contemplated for the near future.

     Mr. Smith then reported on the status of the Joint Oral History Project, stating that 12 histories were completed and that a decision should be made on the expenditure of the balance of the Jon Ben Snow Foundation grant, which is about $17,000.  Susan Southwick said she had identified public, special and higher education libraries which might use the histories and that printing and binding about 61 copies of each history would be the largest expenditure.  She said that could be pared down by printing several copies for just a few large libraries to distribute by interlibrary loan. Each copy would cost about $12.         Christine Timko pointed out that interlibrary loan was a standard service among all Nevada libraries.  There was discussion about the on-line availability of all the histories, which might meet the requirement for widespread distribution; these can be downloaded at no charge from the UNR Special Collections Library’s web-site.  

     Mr. Smith then asked the group for suggestions for new interviews, and Ms. Timko emphasized the importance of using the funding to capture members of the bench and bar while they were still able to contribute.  Chief Justice Gibbons offered Miriam Shearing and Robert Rose.  Susan Southwick suggested Michael Fondi.  Others mentioned were Al Pagni, Robert List, Tom Russell, Robert Miller, Harry Reid, Richard Bryan and Andy McKenzie.

     Discussion then turned to the difficulties of getting transcriptions of the interviews, a task which had originally been the Oral History Project’s contribution.  Transcription software was mentioned, as was contacting the UNLV Oral History program to see who they used.  Videotaping the interviews was also discussed.

     Eventually, a motion was made by Tom Perkins, seconded by Gibbons, to print and bind 7 copies each of the 12 completed histories, to be distributed as follows: University of Nevada System, 2 copies, State Library and Archives, 2, Washoe and Clark County Library Systems, 1 each, and 1 to the Supreme Court Library.  The motion passed unopposed.

     Peter Smith provided a draft of a letter to serve as a status report to the Jon Ben Snow Foundation, which was approved by the Chairman.

    Jeff Kintop reported that he hasn’t had much input from the State Museum director and so has moved on his own to update the “Ten Cases” exhibit.  The company proposed to create the new CDs has an 8 program limit, while we have 10 narratives, but they have agreed to see if they can adapt the format.  Doug Southerland will be approached to create a new photo montage for the display.  The sound system might also be adapted to accommodate two controllers, rather than the one now in use.

Jim Smith said he hadn’t been able to find out who could approve adding the Society to the State Bar’s “check-off” donations.  Chief Justice Gibbons asked Jim to prepare the request and that he would see it got delivered.

     Under new business, Christine Timko reported that a list of investitures and memorials of Nevada judges and justices had been added to the Society’s web-site.  She hopes to have the texts scanned in soon, as well.

    Ms. Southwick said she was going to review N.R.S. Chapter 82 to determine whether the Articles of Incorporation and By-laws remain fully in compliance.  She will report at the Annual Meeting.

    Chairman Fondi noted that the annual meeting will be held September 19, 2014.

    The meeting was adjourned at 1:15.

Respectfully submitted:

____________________unsigned draft______________

Susan Southwick, Secretary