CARMA / NJ

            The first meeting of the NJ County Records Managers/Archivists group was held on November 29, 1988 at the SRC in Trenton. Seven counties participated with 16 representatives attending. The counties were: Burlington, Cape May, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Morris, Ocean and Somerset. The meeting gave an opportunity for all of these representatives to finally meet as a group, discuss issues in their respective counties and discuss how they addressed their own problems. DARM provided a basic records management overview and I presented the group with the suggestion of forming an official association. This was eagerly received and the Records Managers group started to "get the show on the road". They met again on March 9, 1989 to discuss their goals, election of officers, dues, frequency of meetings and hosts. Knute Seebohm of Morris County investigated the procedures for getting formally established as an association and drafted By-Laws for review by this group.

 

            A meeting was held on June 5, 1989, to review these items and to adopt a name. Sixteen names with their acronyms were reviewed until it was finally narrowed and agreed to be CARMA/NJ. The first acting officers elected were Knute Seebohm, President, Pete Dalina, Vice-President, and Anthony Mento, Secretary/Treasurer. The By-Laws were reviewed and corrections made. The letterhead was adopted and annual dues were determined at $30.00 per county per year. Membership was limited to the 21 counties with DARM being a non-voting member. At the September 8, 1989 meeting, the By-Laws were adopted. Meetings in these initial days consisted of getting CARMA/NJ established, discussing problems county by county, and seeking contacts in other counties. DARM compiled contact information from the county departments seeking information or simply desiring to destroy records. These contacts were referred to CARMA/NJ members as possible records contacts/members for their counties. Many counties did not have designated records managers but had contact people either representing the county or individual departments.

 

            Meetings were also held on December 15, 1989 and March 1990. By the June 11, 1990 meeting, 13 counties responded as members. The first elected officers of CARMA/NJ were: Knute Seebohm, President; Thomas Murphy, Vice-President; Rita Marie Fulginiti, Secretary; Joseph Myers, Treasurer with members At Large, Phyllis D'Autrechy and Alice Buck.

 

            Attendance at meetings was, as it is today, dependent upon location and schedules of members. The group met at various offices, conference rooms and occasionally a restaurant.  Food was always a part of the meeting.  The group was very enthusiastic and this resulted in other counties desiring to join. It also generated compliance and acceptance of the records management program within all offices of each county. New representatives from counties benefitted immensely since getting administrative support for new programs was the toughest challenge. The success of other CARMA/NJ members’ programs demonstrated these benefits.