Membership

The cost of membership is $15 per calendar year ($10 concession) with an additional cost of $5 for mailing of the monthly Newsletters.

Please complete and submit our online Membership Form or download the Application for Membership PDF to print out and fill in then drop in or mail in.

The funds collected from membership fees go toward our insurance, which covers all members and visitors while they are on our premises, as well as contributing to the upkeep of our buildings, grounds and collection.

Membership Entitlement

As a member you are entitled to vote at our Annual General Meeting as well as at our monthly General Meeting. This means you can have a say in how we spend money, what projects we are involved with and through the AGM, who takes on the roles responsible for running BVHS Inc etc.

There are research facilities available for the use of members. If you do not require supervision you can use PC at the front of the Museum on Tuesday or Friday by making a booking in the diary located near the sign-on book. There are also three Mac computers available on Fridays in the Reading Room. If you do need help you can make a booking for Tuesday or Friday but please give some notice and leave a phone number and short message so we can try to ensure you get the assistance you require.

The PC and the Macs include photo, object & family databases, 1872 & 1875 Greville’s Post Office Directories, 1872 & 1878 Clarence Electoral rolls & 1903 Commonwealth electoral roll for Mullumbimby & Upper Pocket.  The PC also runs the program – Family Tree Maker.

If you wish to borrow any of our books from the library you can do so by filling out your details in the register located on the library shelves.

There is also recording equipment available for those who are undertaking oral history projects. You can arrange to borrow this by speaking with the Museum Supervisor on Tuesdays or Fridays.

We aim to provide training opportunities in the area of Museum practices based on access to professional trainers and available funding. If you have a particular interest in learning skills in a certain area please speak with a supervisor or ask at a General Meeting as there may be others with similar interests.

Membership Responsibilities

It is understood that by accepting membership of the BVHS Inc that you agree to treat with respect, all members of the BVHS Inc, paid workers and clients of the Society. Every member has the right to their own opinion and expressions of criticism should be done in a responsible way through appropriate channels including the internal grievance procedure.

For insurance purposes we are required to keep a record of members who are in the building at all times. In case of fire or other serious emergencies we need to know that nobody is trapped so please sign in and out. The book is located on the Back Verandah.

Also please ensure that you follow all Covid-19 protocols.  Go to the Covid-19 protocols page.

Please try to give responsible notification if you are unable to meet a commitment you have made at the Museum. It is understood that we all have other commitments and that unforeseen circumstances arise, so we would appreciate if you could ring and leave a message, giving as much notice as possible so that other arrangements can be made. As we are only able to check the phone once or twice a week, this is especially important in the case of Custodial and Supervisory commitments.

All documents concerning BVHS Inc and the Mullumbimby Museum, created for distribution to the general public need to be approved by a quorum of the committee, preferably at a General Meeting.

Internal Grievance Procedure

These are the steps recommended to follow when a dispute arises between members:

  1. Try to resolve it directly with the party involved by the following suggestions:
  • Slow down, step back, and try to figure out what is going on
  1. What are you arguing about? Is that the real problem?
  2. Are strong emotions a big part of the conflict?
  • Is there some way to solve this that will meet both people’s interests and needs?
  • When you come back together, even if you think you have the answer, focus on listening
  • When you do talk, try to do so in the least confrontational way possible
  • Instead of arguing, negotiate
  1. If this doesn’t resolve the issue approach a supervisor for assistance to help figure out a solution
  2. If still unresolved, put the issue in writing to the committee
  3. If not resolved, then mediation through an independent person is to be organised.
Participation

Volunteers are an integral part of managing the Museum and there are many ways a person can help:

  • Custodian
  • Museum Guide
  • Displays/Exhibitions
  • Research
  • Conservation
  • Fund raising
  • Education
  • Advertising & Marketing
  • Building Maintenance
  • Grounds Maintenance
  • Newsletter
  • Scanning Photographs
  • Cataloguing
  • Technology
  • Accessioning
  • Website Maintenance
  • Conducting Oral Interviews
  • Databasing
  • Committee member
  • Publishing
  • Events