1955 | MBSI purchases a Mimeograph machine for printing “The Bulletin”. |
1956 | Six Bulletins printed since the last meeting. |
1957 | Annual business meeting with 64 attendees is held in a Rahway, NJ auditorium. |
1958 | Nearly 100 attend the Annual Meeting; A Board of Governors appointed by the president is established. |
1959 | Tenth Anniversary Special Bulletin, “Creation and Story of the Musical Box Society International” is given to members; the name “Board of Governors” is changed to “Advisory Board.” |
1960 | First Advisory Board is elected. |
1961 | Bylaws amendments proposed to establish geographical rotation of Annual Meetings. |
1962 | 32 Southern California members meet to establish the first chapter. |
1963 | Dues raised from $3 to $5 with a $3 initiation fee. Foreign memberships remains at $3 |
1964 | First Annual Meeting held in a hotel, Long Beach, CA; first table favor given. |
1965 | East coast members meet to discuss formation of an East Coast Chapter; officers are authorized to incorporate MBSI as a nonprofit, educational organization. |
1966 | December Bulletin is professionally printed and assembled for the first time; Publications Committee formed; Mid-America Chapter formed; first membership incentive program initiated. |
1967 | Membership over 500; Society incorporates under a charter from the New York State Education Department. |
1968 | New membership brochure created; tax exempt status achieved. |
1969 | Smithsonian Institution named as recipient of MBSI property if the Society is dissolved. |
1970 | Golden Gate Chapter formed. |
1971 | Membership over 1000 |
1973 | Membership over 1500; first table favor with a musical movement given at the Annual Meeting banquet. |
1974 | Silver anniversary Annual Meeting with 455 attendees; new “Technical Bulletin” is established; President’s Badge is given by the Musical Box Society of Great Britain; Reuge, S.A. creates Silver Anniversary 144 note Sublime Harmony musical movement |
1975 | First Annual Meeting with an auction; first exhibit of music boxes at Lockwood Matthews Mansion Museum with instruments loaned from MBSI members; Northwest International Chapter receives charter; Trustees Award and Q. David Bowers Literary Award are established with initial funding from Q. David Bowers. MBSI trademark #1021775 is registered. |
1976 | First Mid-Am Band Organ Rally; National Capital Chapter is chartered; |
1977 | Opening of MBSI Sounds of Music exhibit at Western Reserve Historical Society |
1978 | Southeast Chapter receives charter; MBSI membership over 2000; Directory of Members and Museums has first computerized records. |
1979 | Membership over 2500 |
1980 | Over 500 attend the Annual Meeting; 30 instruments donated to the MBSI, several of which are added to the Lockwood Matthews display; KT Special replica unveiled; Chapuis book translated and made available to members. |
1981 | Instruments owned by the East Coast Chapter are transferred to MBSI; first Band Organ festival at the Annual Meeting. |
1982 | Sunbelt and Snowbelt Chapters are chartered |
1985 | Over 600 attend the Annual Meeting with the first Mart open to the public;“Technical Bulletin” is renamed “Technical Journal” and size changed to 8-1/2 x 11. |
1986 | A Membership is defined as a Household Membership allowing votes of two members per household. |
1987 | The book, “Musical Boxes and Other Musical Marvels” is published by MBSI; Audio-visual Committee is established; first joint meeting (with AMICA) is held; “The Ampico Reproducing Piano” is published and offered for sale; President’s award established. |
1988 | MBSI is given original Regina Music Box Co. factory shipping record books;“Technical Journal” is renamed “Mechanical Music”. |
1989 | First New Member Reception at an Annual Meeting; MBSI is bequeathed a fine instrument collection for its museum program. |
1990 | Piedmont Chapter chartered; Music In Time exhibit opens at the National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors with an exhibit catalog printed; first professional video produced and distributed by the Audiovisual Committee |
1991 | Endowment Fund is established. |
1992 | Ellinberger collection bequeathed to MBSI; first outside administrator hired. |
1993 | First budget is established; second MBSI-AMICA joint meeting held |
1995 | Darlene Mirijanian Creativity Award is established; MBSI exhibit opens at the Charlotte Museum of History; |
1996 | Publications Fund is established; first web site is established; largest Annual Meeting with 769 registered; Weber “Maesto” and “Banj-Orchestra” reproductions are introduced |
1997 | The West Coast Chapter is renamed Southern California Chapter; 1000 copies of the book, “Cylinder Music Box Technology” are given to MBSI for sale with proceeds going to the Publications Fund |
1998 | Japanese International Chapter is chartered; new MBSI Traveling Display is unveiled |
1999 | Fiftieth Annual Meeting held in Philadelphia, PA; Endowment Fund now more than $100,000; the “Golden Anniversary” book is produced. |
2001 | Trustees approve production of a professionally made video about mechanical music; MBSI museum exhibit opens at the Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts. First Roehl Ambassador Awards presented. |
2003 | MBSI sponsored museum display opens in Marietta, OH. |
2004 | 55th Annual Meeting Orlando Florida |
2005 | Lake Michigan Chapter Chartered |
2005 | 56th Annual Meeting a Joint Meeting with MBSGB – First Annual meeting outside US |
2006 | The Journal and News Bulletin are combined into one publication, Mechanical Music with the first issue Volume 52, No. 1, January-February 2006 |
2006 | Morris Museum breaks ground for future exhibit space for the Murtogh Guinness Collection |
2006 | 57th Annual Meeting – Seattle Washington |
2007 | 58th Annual Meeting – St Paul Mn – Featured visit to the Crawford Collection – the only collection still intact that belonged to a founding member of the Society |
2007 | Gala Opening of the Murtogh Guinness Collection at the Morris Museum |
2008 | 59th Annual Meeting – Las Vegas NV – with auction with consignments from across the U.S. |
2009 | 60th Annual Meeting – Morristown, NJ |
2010 | 61st Annual Meeting – Dearborn, MI |
2011 | 62nd Annual Meeting – Rockville, MD |
2012 | 63rd Annual Meeting – Redwood City, CA |
2013 | 64th Annual Meeting – Chicago, IL |
2014 | 65th Annual Meeting – Weston, FL |
2015 | 66th Annual Meeting – Torrance, CA |
2016 | 67th Annual Meeting – Minneapolis, MN |
2017 | 68th Annual Meeting – Whippany, NJ |
2018 | 69th Annual Meeting – Detroit, MI |
2019 | 70th Annual Meeting – Rockville, MD |
2020 | CANCELLED – Originally scheduled to be held in San Fransisco, CA, but global pandemic forced organizers to postpone |
2021 | 72nd Annual Meeting – Ft. Myers, FL |
2022 | 73rd Annual Meeting – San Francisco, CA |
2023 | 74th Annual Meeting – St. Paul, MN |