You are invited to the Granville Historical Society’s 2025 Annual Meeting, to be held on Nov. 12 at Otterbein Senior Living in Granville.

We will begin with Hors d'oeuvres at 5:30 p.m., then hold the business program (see below) at 6:15 p.m.

Leslie Greene Bowman

Following the business meeting, we are honored to hear from Leslie Greene Bowman as the guest speaker at this year's Annual Meeting. She is President of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the home of Thomas Jefferson. She spearheaded the Foundation’s vision to bring history forward into national and global dialogues with a special emphasis on civic engagement, race, and the legacies of slavery. Leslie has served on the Committee for the Presentation of the White House under five Presidents.

Reservations are required; please RSVP here.

SUMMARY OF BUSINESS MEETING AGENDA

Proposed GHS By-Law Amendment-2025

As a result of last year’s amendments to the Granville Historical Society Constitution, corresponding amendments to the By-laws are now required. Most of the proposed changes align the By-laws with the updated Constitution. Additional modifications serve to clarify language, clean up outdated references, or— in one case—introduce a new provision designed to streamline Board of Trustees voting procedures. General membership can vote on the proposed amendments during the Annual Meeting.

Summary of Proposed Modifications

1. Replace all references to “Board of Managers” with “Board of Trustees” throughout the By-laws to align with the updated Constitution.

2. Remove the phrase “which at this time this document is four officers and nine Members at Large,” because the current Board includes eleven Members at Large.

3. Clarify that a Board of Trustees Member-at-Large may also chair an ad hoc committee, oversee a special project, or serve as an officer.

4. Clarify that the Board of Trustees has the authority to establish standing committees and is required to maintain at least four standing committees: Development, Exhibitions, Programming, and Publications.

5. Clarify the Nominating Committee as responsible for assigning responsibilities to new or reappointed Board Members and that a Board Member’s responsibilities may not be reassigned without their consent or a majority vote of the Board of Trustees.

6. Clarify the process for establishing ad hoc committees, their intended purpose, and their duration.

7. Add a new provision allowing the President to conduct a vote on a single-subject issue via electronic mail when a decision is required before the next regular Board meeting.

8. Clarify the procedures by which a meeting of the Board of Trustees may be called.

You can view a PDF of the Proposed Amendments here.

Board of Trustees

The Nominating Committee is pleased to announce the nominees for the Granville Historical Society Board of Trustees. These individuals are elected by the membership at the annual meeting and will serve a three-year term beginning in January 2026.

Cynthia Cort
Heidi Drake
Jack Wheeler
Janet Procida

Cynthia Cort
Cynthia currently serves as the Collections Committee Chair and previously served as GHS President. Cynthia is nominated to serve as the 2026-2027 Board President following her many years of experience in archives both at GHS and at Denison University.

Heidi Drake
Heidi currently serves as the Old Academy Building Special Project Coordinator and previously served as GHS President. Heidi is nominated to continue her work to complete the successful transition of the Old Academy Building.

Jack Wheeler
Jack currently serves as the Publicity Committee Chair. As this role transitions into a more administrative role, Jack is tasked with responsibilities to support Volunteer Coordination and Community Outreach.

Janet Procida
Janet currently volunteers in the Archives of GHS and previously served on the GHS Board. Janet has been nominated to help GHS with the coordination of youth engagement, special programs, and archives.

Proposed 2026 Officers

The officers of the Granville Historical Society Board of Trustees are nominated for re-election by the membership at the annual meeting, to serve a one-year term beginning in January 2026.

President:  Cynthia Cort, Collections Committee Chair
Vice President:  Chuck Peterson, Publications Committee Chair
Secretary:  Amy Welsh (reappointed), By-Laws Review Committee Chair
Treasurer:  Kim Manley (reappointed), Finance and Budget Committee Chair