TNWG Historian

The Role of the Wing Historian

History is a narrative dependent on available evidence. The collection, preservation, and management of records and artifacts provide us with evidence of the past. By saving significant documents and objects in repositories, keeping track of them, and documenting their relevant characteristics, individuals and organizations can ensure that historical evidence will be available to the researchers and decision-makers of the future. Accurate knowledge of the past offers many organizational benefits. It details past successes, explains the evolution of organizational changes and policies, provides important information about long-term problems and helps to shape an organization’s identity. However, due to the imperfect memories of humans and institutions, reliable historical information is not always easily obtained. 

It is the job of the Wing Historian to identify, collect and catalog as much relevant information as possible, preferably in a timely manner!  That said, every CAP member can be a "Historian" in the field.  We each have a responsibility to be particularly alert for artifacts, documents, photographs, etc., to ensure their collection or copying and to notify the Wing Historian in a timely manner.  Such items include can include, but are not limited to, news-letters, calendars and published reports, including newspapers, web-sites and social media.  Please contact the Wing Historian immediately at historian@tnwgcap.us if you think that you have something that may be of interest.

Additional information can be found in CAPP 110-2, Managing Historical Repositories and CAPP 110-1, Civil Air Patrol Written History Guide.