The Society

The Temecula Valley Historical Society is governed by a Board of Directors who formulate and vote on policies.
The Board of Directors serve a three year term with the membership voting for the Board at an annual meeting.
The Board in turn elects from its members the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. In addition to
the Board of Directors, the society is comprised of several committees all of which serve a specific purpose as
determined by the Board of Directors and the membership at large.

Membership Committee - The Membership Committee is responsible for maintaining a record of all
members, and sending annual dues reminders. They also recruit and welcome new members. As needed
they would send special invitations, thank you's, and maintain copies of the Society's membership
information. From time to time, contact with the membership may be through email or a phone
sub-committee.

Public Relations Committee - This committee functions as publicity and marketing directors for the
Society, establish and maintain a list of contacts for all news releases, creating flyers as needed for special
events, maintaining the website, writing and distributing the monthly newsletter, maintaining and
distributing the Old Town Walking Tour Brochure. Establish and maintain a speaker's bureau as part of its
outreach activities, and prepare presentation materials for Board approval.

Research & Preservation - A watchful eye is kept on area buildings, and historical sites to alert the
Society when they may be in a threatened state. The committee researches and assists the Society in
formulating responses to notices of new construction which may fall under CEQA laws. Always on alert for
possible new information on local history, possible areas needing Society assistance, and overseeing the
on-going maintenance of existing completed projects.

Events & Education - Responsible for planning of periodic Society sponsored educational trips to learn
more about nearby local history. Also does planning for annual Society events such as the Annual Meeting in
November to install new officers for the coming year.

Projects - Identify new projects for the Society to sponsor and support. Organize resources to get cost
estimates to initiate and support to an identified completion. Some projects may be in phases, others small
enough to complete as a single project. Oversee all new projects to completion, including reconciling of any
final reporting required if financial grants are sought for completion.

I hope you all had a joyous and safe Christmas and that the New Year finds you well. It always surprises me how
quickly the old year passes and the new one arrives; and the older I get, the quicker seems the passing.

During our December hiatus, I spent an afternoon visiting Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside. I hadn’t been in a
number of years, maybe even before I knew of its special significance to our area. As in previous visits, I was
struck by how much history those old adobe walls have been privy to over its more than two centuries. A tiny
adobe asistencia of the mission, in what is now Temecula, along Murrieta Creek, served as headquarters of a
mission cattle ranching operation. The handful of acolytes at the asistencia and mission Indians could not have
imagined that the quickly passing years would have brought so many people and such immense change to the
quiet valley.

Not far from the location of that tiny asistencia stands the Temecula Community Center today. On Christmas,
as has become custom, its doors opened to welcome in everyone who wished to enjoy a Christmas
dinner, Christmas music and cheer and, of course, a visit with Santa. Gifts, and pies and welcoming volunteers
abounded. Though the modern incarnation of Saint Nicolas might raise a few eyebrows, this Christmas event is
an expression of community spirit that I think would have made the early mission padres proud.