SCAA MEMBER ENDOWMENT FUND PROGRAM

1. Selection and eligibility: Applicants must be members of SCAA. They must demonstrate a strong commitment to the archival field.

2. Usage: Priority will be given for fees and expenses to attend SCAA conferences or workshops, and/or SAA conferences, workshops, seminars, and annual meeting. Conference, workshops, and meetings of other regional and national archival-related organizations are also acceptable. If the funding is used to attend a regional or national meeting, a short report from the endowment recipient will be published in SCAA's newsletter, the SCAAzette.

3. Application: Individuals may apply for the funds or they may be recommended by a colleague with archival expertise. Persons with an archival, librarianship or history background, and/or those undergoing archival education will be eligible. Applicants must have the approval of their institution or school. The name and contact information of their employer or academic advisor must be supplied as a reference.

4. Deadline: Applications should be submitted to the Endowment Fund Committee before the registration deadline of the event.

5. Recipients of the awards will be announced in the SCAAzette and posted on the SCAA web page.

6. SCAA reserves the right not to award funds during any given year.

COMPOSITION

Standing committees shall be created or abolished as required by vote of the Executive Board. The President shall appoint the members of the standing committees with the appointments to be confirmed by a majority of the Executive Board. [Bylaws of SCAA Committees and Other Appointments, A. 2001]

The Endowment Committee consists of a Chair appointed by the President and other recruited members.

HISTORY

In 2001 a Scholarship Committee was established to study & make recommendations on the myriad of issues involved with implementing and administering a scholarship fund. In that same year proceeds from the Summer Social event were designated as a funding source for the Scholarship Fund (SCAAzette. April 2003.) The recommendations of the Scholarship Committee were presented to the Executive Board in December 2002. The Executive Board concluded that the ‘Scholarship Committee will have an active role in determining how many and the amount of the awards,’ and gave them a responsibility for fundraising. The Executive Board also designated the name of the scholarship fund as the Darrick L. Hart Scholarship Fund. The Scholarship Committee was at that time directed to prepare a draft application for Board approval (Executive Board Retreat Minutes, 18 Dec. 2002). In 2005, scholarship funds were placed in a certificate of deposit separate from SCAA general funds. The Committee was re-appointed in 2006 and revised the scholarship, establishing an endowment. In the same year, the amount of $5000 was moved from general funds to the endowment.

FUNCTION

The South Carolina Archival Association (SCAA) provides funding to promote archival education and professional development among archivists and other interested individuals residing in South Carolina. An endowment fund, named in honor of the late Darrick L. Hart, charter member of SCAA, is established for this purpose. Mr. Hart was active in the association as a Conservation Specialist employed by the University of South Carolina Conservation Laboratory in Columbia, SC. He was dedicated to his profession and helped train many graduate assistants and interns in Public History and Library Science before he passed away in 2002.

The Endowment Committee oversees the recruitment, selection and administration of the awards process. Responsibility for fundraising for the Darrick L. Hart Endowment Fund is shared jointly by the SCAA Executive Board and the Endowment Committee.

The South Carolina Archival Association encourages the education of prospective archivists and the continuing education of archival professionals. Awards are made available to current SCAA members to attend continuing educational training, to be selected through an application and review process. The number of awards granted per year will vary according to available funding. There is a limit of $500.00 for any single award. Examples of acceptable uses of the Endowment are for meetings and workshops including, but not limited to, the annual meeting of the Society of American Archivists (SAA), SAA workshops, workshops and meetings of the Modern Archives Institute, SOLINET, etc.

Funds shall be raised through activities such as the Annual Social, the Light Impressions payment program, cash drawings at meetings, donations, memorials, special interest-earning funds, raffles, endowment fund drives, etc.