Operational and Vital Records, 1958-1977

The records pertaining to the meetings of the Hinton Rural Life Center Board of Directors and the committees associated with the Board comprise the greater part of the extant operation and vital records. The remainder of the file consists of some financial statements from the earliest years of the Center (1958-1959); a copy of the certificate of incorporation establishing HRLC as a non-profit corporation (1961); copies of the revised by-laws (1961-1981); and a file on the 20th anniversary celebration in 1977.

The files of the Board of Directors meetings and extend from 1968 through 1977. During those years, the Board of Directors was a large group composed of members from many Methodist Conferences in the Southeast. The meetings were somewhat formal and lengthy, touching upon nearly every aspect of the HRLC program. Therefore this record is a detailed source of information regarding the activities and the development of Hinton Rural Life Center during those years. The business brought to the Board included reports from committees (executive, program, finance, management, and nomination committees) as well as reports from the director and other staff members on their work with youth and volunteer groups, program development, development of education materials, and their involvement in religious, ecumenical, and socioeconomic ministries. Since the center was an official mission project of the Methodist Church, a portion of the Board meetings were also devoted to description and approval of budgetary and program needs.

For a number of years, it was the practice of Center staff to forward reports to the Board for review prior to their meetings. Several volumes of the minutes include this type of material as well as copies of reports made during the course of the meeting.