1. Administration, 1916-2003

Series 1. Administration documents the formation, development, and closure of BGHH. Events, services, initiatives, and challenges are thoroughly documented in the minutes of the Board of Trustees (boxes 1-2, 9-10); minutes of the annual meetings (boxes 1, 9); annual reports of the board (box 1), committees, and Executive Director (box 3); and BGHH newsletters, the "Bulletin" and "Guilder" (boxes 4-6). Yearly applications to the United Way for funding also detail BGHH activities, particularly between 1980 and 2003 (boxes 6-8, 11).

Specific files on BGHH programs are scattered; however, the collection does include individual folders concerning the "Ears for Education" program, the hearing conservation program for iron workers, and the audiological screening program at mental health hospitals, among others. Publications produced as a result of programs are included in the Publications section, for example, "The Boston Guild's Guide for Industrial Arts Teachers for Prevention of Hearing Loss." Other publications include brochures about Guild services, recommended hearing products, and hearing safety.

Founding documents (box 4), incorporation records (boxes 11, 16), and early by-laws (boxes 2, 10), coupled with early board minutes and annual reports, provide insight into the formal establishment of BGHH. Planning records (box 4) show BGHH redefining its services and programs in response to changing funding environments in the late 1980s through the 1990s. Real estate files (box 6, 11) document the purchase and sale of 339 Commonwealth Ave. and 283 Commonwealth Ave. and renovations to 283 Commonwealth Ave. Financial records cover most of BGHH's history and include tax returns, annual financial statements, budgets, and information about investments and other assets.

Of special interest are numerous histories and timelines found in the "History" folder in box 4. Biographical information about and writings by BGHH founders and members can be found in the Subject Files.