Message from the Chair of the Board of Trustees:

Greetings!  I am pleased to share progress and achievements over the past year.

Co-Executive Directors, Laura Martin and Barbara Rimkunas continue to work their magic in running the Historical Society.  Laura leads the Development and Program Committees, while developing and coordinating all communications, both written and posted to social media.  Barbara maintains our collections, shares our history through community outreach and education, and oversees our research and collections volunteers. 

Financials continue to be within budget, thanks to the generosity of our donors and members.  The Finance Committee developed an Investment Policy Statement and collaborated with our Financial Advisor to ensure growth with a focus on capital preservation.  We scheduled an internal review of the books and the independent reviewer found all was in good order.  We continue to recommend a budget that allows for investing in the Society while working on sustainability for the future.

Events have expanded this year to include a stop at the Historical Society for ornament making and a warmup with cocoa and cookies during the Exeter Holiday Block Party.  We implemented rotating exhibits with extended visiting hours and evening receptions for convenient access to members and visitors.  We partnered with Seabreeze Quilt Guild and local artists to create our  “A Stitch in Time” Exhibit.  We solicited photo submissions from members and the community to help round out the “Window to the Past” exhibit.  Our current exhibit is the Seacoast NH LGBT History Project.  Up next is a Brass Band exhibit in time for the Monday Night Band Concerts in July.

Over the past year, we set aside time to look at the Society through a strategic planning lens. Last autumn, members of the Board of Trustees met to prioritize the needs of the Society.  With the help of a fantastic volunteer facilitator, we held a more comprehensive strategic planning meeting in March to discuss how best to meet those needs and set goals for acting toward those ends. As a Board, we have been fortunate to have a combination of both new and veteran members who pitch in to get this work done. As some of our longer-term Board members move on to other pursuits, we will be actively looking for new Board members who share our commitment to local history and interest in serving the community.

We are privileged to have worked closely with Ann Schieber for the last eleven years and Jim Mills for the past five years.  Both have made the decision to resign from the Board but thankfully will remain active in supporting events and projects.  Ann led the Society Board for many years with an energy and vitality that developed a powerful sense of team among the members.  We will miss her exuberance and can-do spirit.  Jim has lent his design skills to help arrange exhibits and the museum room.  He instituted our annual Ornament Collection and will continue to oversee the selection and order process.  Jim is valued for his thoughtful input and sound counsel.

Each year we have to say goodbye (for now) to the two Senior Student Trustees.  Maggie Young and Alex Pelletier have been active contributors on the Board for the past two years.  They organized and hosted Youth Night and this year, along with the Junior Trustees, and they have rallied several school clubs to participate as volunteers.  We wish them well as they head off to college and hope to see them back in town for the Holidays.

We are grateful to volunteers who have collectively given their time and talent of well over 1200 hours to increase the impact of preserving and sharing our history. Please see the list below.

We are incredibly thankful to you, our members, who make much of the work we do possible through your generosity and interest.  We invite you to spend more time with us by visiting the Society or find us at Trivia Night at Sea Dog Brewing Co., Otto’s Pizza Fundraiser, Fort Rock Farm Holiday Sale, Exeter Holiday Block Party, Independence Festival, UFO Festival, SST Small Business event, Exeter Chamber Morning Mixers, Black Heritage Pocket Park Dedication, Memorial Day Parade, or walking through town giving tours,  as well as many outreach events at schools, The Grange, and Riverwoods and always on our website, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Vicki Geis
Chair, Exeter Historical Society Board of Trustees

Treasurer’s Report
January 1 - December 31, 2023

Exeter Historical Society financial statements as of December 31, 2023, report cash and cash equivalents of $86,066, accounts receivable of $500, prepaid expense of $100, net fixed assets of $627 and investments of $414,357 for total assets of $501,650.  Liabilities and net assets include a note payable of $1,445 and net assets of $500,205 for total liabilities and net assets of $501,650.  The change in net assets for 2023 is $28,504, consisting of $130,343 of revenue and $101,839 of total operating expenses.

View 2023 financial report here.

Submitted by Julie Avant, Treasurer

Secretary’s Report
Annual Meeting, May 2, 2023

View the 2023 Annual Meeting minutes here.

Submitted by Jillian Price, Secretary

Thanks to our 2023-24 Volunteers:

A note about the timeframe of our reports:

The Society observes the calendar year as our fiscal year,
but we hold our annual meeting in May, at the end of our program year.

Based on our Program Year (May 2023-April 2024):
our Chair’s message, 2023 Annual Meeting minutes, and list of volunteers

Based on our Fiscal Year (January - December 2023):
our Treasurer’s and Co-Executive Directors’ reports, as well as our list of $100+ members and donors

We apologize for any confusion caused by this distinction.

Thank you to our 2023 Members and Donors:

Donors $100-$249 (Cont.)