Institutions (Draft)

How to Write an Institutional Entry

Elements to be Considered 
Structure of the Entry 
Example 
Editorial Board

A good institutional entry provides basic factual information, with highlights of major events in the institution’s life. For GAMEO the style of writing should be direct, factual and succinct. For questions on style contact an editor or see the GAMEO Style Sheet for Authors.

The length for an institutional entry should normally not exceed 1000 words.

Elements to be considered for a congregational entry

1. Name:
   1. Current name
   2. Previous names
   3. Popular names
2. Chronology:
   1. Year of organization
   2. Year operations commenced
   3. Any disruptions in operations
   4. Last year if operations have ceased
3. Governance and ownership:
   1. Founding context and organizers, both institutional and individual
   2. Founding mission statement
   3. Changes in governance or ownership
   4. Changes in mission
   5. Sources of funding, fund-raising history, financial history
   6. Budget developments (5 – 10 year pictures)
4. Delivery of programs/products (these elements vary by type):
   1. Educational Institutions:
      1. Type of educational institution
      2. Curriculum
      3. Degrees, certificates
      4. Language of instruction
      5. Definition of academic year
      6. Academic load for students and instructors
      7. Residential component
      8. Cachement area and student demographics
      9. Enrolment numbers
      10. Numbers of graduates
      11. Vocation of graduates
      12. Alumni activities
      13. Contributions of graduates to church, etc.
      14. Contributions of faculty
   2. Health & Social Care Institutions (Hospitals, Seniors Homes, Special Needs Care Facilities):
      1. Type of institution
      2. Nature of care provided
      3. Nature of clientele or patients
   3. Missions and Ministry (Denominational Conferences, Missions & Services Organizations, Camps, Media):
      1. Type of institution
      2. Description of activities and programs
   4. Businesses (Private enterprises, financial institutions, cooperatives, insurance companies, trusts and foundations, utilities):
      1. Benchmarks – financial, revenue, sales, disbursements, assets,
   5. Societies (Benevolent, Music, Literary, Historical, Burial)
      1. Type of institution
      2. Composition of membership
      3. Activities
5. Personalities:
   1. Names of administrators
   2. Key employees
      1. Names should be full names on first use, with years of birth and death if applicable.
      2. Option: table of all administrators and/or employees with years of service and position.
6. Location and physical plants:
   1. History of location
   2. Significant building projects/ reconstruction
   3. Description of property
7. Institutional Publications
   1. Title of publication(s)
   2. Editorial personnel
8. Significant institutional developments
9. Objective analysis of controversies
10. Interesting anecdotes
11. Role of the Institution Within the larger Mennonite Church/Constituency/ Community
12. Role of the Institution beyond the Mennonite Community
13. Pictures: one of buildings, one of significant individual(s)
14. Current contact information / website
15. Location/s (if known) where institutional documents are held

Structure of the Entry

The institution's name should be used in most paragraphs.

The paragraphs should generally follow the sequence of 1-12, though this can be altered as seems best. Section 4 will vary considerably depending on the nature of the institution.

The last paragraph contains current basic factual information on address and phone number and leadership.

Pictures should be submitted as separate files and not included in the body of the document.

Elements 14-15 should be in a separate section titled "Bibliography" and placed after the last paragraph.

If you have questions, please contact any member of the Encyclopedia's Editorial Board.

All submissions are subject to the editorial process of the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online Editorial Board

Example

To be added

Editorial Committees

The Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online (GAMEO). is published by the Mennonite Historical Society of Canada, Mennonite Brethren Historical Commission, Mennonite Church USA Historical Committee, and Mennonite Central Committee, and it is mounted on a server at Conrad Grebel University College, Waterloo, Ontario.

• Sam Steiner, Managing Editor: gameo@uwaterloo.ca
• Richard Thiessen, Assistant Managing Editor: richard.thiessen@columbiabc.edu

Canadian Committee

• Bert Friesen, (Chair, Winnipeg, MB)
• David Giesbrecht (Abbotsford, BC)
• Linda Huebert Hecht (Waterloo, ON)
• Lucille Marr (Montreal, QC)
  
• Peter Penner (Calgary, AB)
• Alf Redekopp (Winnipeg, MB)
• Ted Regehr (Calgary, AB)
• Richard Thiessen (Abbotsford, BC)
• Victor G. Wiebe (Saskatoon, SK)

U.S. Committee

• Kevin Enns-Rempel (Center for Mennonite Brethren Studies, Fresno, CA)
• Peggy Goertzen (Center for Mennonite Brethren Studies, Hillsboro, KS)
• Beth Graybill (Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society, Lancaster, PA)
• Rich Preheim (Chair, Elkhart, IN)
• David Rempel Smucker (Lancaster, PA)
• John D. Thiesen (Mennonite Library and Archives, North Newton, KS)

Created January 2007
Revised