Joan Allen, president of Chapter E, Omaha, Nebraska, recently had the chapter’s 1889 charter restored and, on the advice of a paper archivist, is scanning other important chapter documents. The archivist provided her with several tips to restore, conserve and store important P.E.O. documents. Here Joan poses questions your chapter can use as a checklist to make sure your chapter’s charter and other P.E.O. documents are well preserved.
Did you know that each P.E.O. chapter has a charter which was presented at the time of your chapter’s formation? Where do you keep your chapter’s charter? It should be in the president’s box.
How is your charter protected? Ours was framed in a too-small frame with glass and no mat—I doubt acid-free materials were used.
What condition is your charter in? If your chapter is as old as ours (1889), your original charter may be creased, mended with tape, torn and yellowed with age. The condition of our charter gave the state visitor
fits! If your charter needs cleaning or repairs, contact a paper archivist to
perform any necessary conservation work. I called the Gerald R. Ford Conservation Center in Omaha and they referred me to an experienced
conservationist. Our cost was $190 to remove tape residue and repair
tear lines where our charter was folded. She also gave great, free
do-it-yourself advice!
Are your signature pages protected in archival quality sheet protectors?
The only way to be sure they are of archival quality is if you personally
select the sheet protectors.
Have you scanned and safely stored back-up copies of your chapter’s
charter and signature pages? If so, are they stored in an officer’s safety
deposit box in case the original is destroyed in a flood, fire, earthquake
or other natural disaster?
Did you know that your charter can be scanned and cleaned up to look perfect? My son, an artist with computer experience, scanned the charter as a large file, digitally removed the remaining tape residue and crease lines using photo editing software. We now have a flawless, high resolution copy for display purposes. The original copy remains preserved as-is in our president’s box.
If you have scanned and printed your chapter’s historical archives, did you use archival paper? After charter and signature pages were copied and reprinted on archival paper, did you date them and note that archival materials were used?
P.E.O. is steeped in history and we value our past. As we embrace the present and look forward to the future, it’s important to preserve our charters and signature pages for generations to come. The suggestions on this page show how relatively simple and inexpensive it can be to protect your chapter’s archives.
