Helpful hints for District/County Historians
Some departments use the district and county structures, and historians at both levels must make a team effort to accomplish their respective responsibilities to posts in their jurisdiction. If you have been elected or appointed district/county historian, your primary duty is to coordinate the records of post activities within your district/county to ensure the preservation and accessibility of such records at all times.
Some departments conduct comprehensive spring and fall district meetings. If this is the case in your department, make every effort to be allotted time on the program. Travel to posts within your district with the district commander and his or her staff whenever possible, and speak at post meetings. Use the spring meetings as your vantage point for administering a final "morale booster" to the work-shy in your district. Emphasize the importance of adequate records and of giving all possible help and encouragement to post historians.
Many district historians have had no experience in this type of work. In addition, many posts have never tried to keep a history of any kind. You will have to begin by researching and compiling as much information as possible from past records, then focus on keeping your own records current.
Be sure that every post in your district has a post historian and that they are kept informed of the latest developments and material. It is your duty to give all possible aid to post historians within your district. If your department conducts an annual post narrative history or yearbook contest, encourage the historians to enter.
Outline for a One-Year District/County Narrative History or Yearbook
Your department may conduct an annual district/county narrative history or yearbook contest in addition to those sponsored at the post level. Use the outlines for the one-year post narrative history and yearbook to compile district or county narrative histories or yearbooks. When using the post outlines as a guide, change the cover title, title page and text references to read "district" or "county." Naturally, some material suggested for the post entries would not be appropriate for district or county books.