Thanks, Mary! I had misread the previous mail. I have no excuse for such a hurried reading. I was thinking it meant that some of the Pioneers were not accepted anymore. Now don't ask me where I heard that. <grin> I had to take an allergy pill this afternoon, and it has fuzzied my brain. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mary P. Parker" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, July 31, 2002 5:34 PM Subject: Re: [FLORIDA] Florida Pioneers - Update > Sydney and All -- > > There is no "criteria" to be an FSGS Member and there are many benefits. > One does not need to be researching Florida as we also provide a lot of > information on general genealogy in addition to Florida information. We > publish a calendar of events that covers activities across the state. We > also send a e-letter to all of the Florida Society FSGS Liasions. Please > check with your own society to see who is receiving this information. The > e-letter and Florida Lines often contain information that is of importance > to all genealogists - such as the current attempts of governmental offices > to close various records to the public. > > FSGS Members also receive a discount on our FSGS Conference registration. > The conference will be in St Pete this year and the sessions cover beginning > to advanced topics. This is a wonderful place to network and meet people! > > Currently, 52% of our FSGS membership are involved in the Florida Pioneer > Program. > > While many of our Pioneer Applicants remain FSGS Members, there are always > some who will join only while they are working on their pioneer application. > In some cases, there is one "serious" genealogist in the family who puts the > applications together for their children or grandchildren - or siblings or > even cousins -- and it is this "serious" family member who remains active > with FSGS. There are many others who join FSGS because of the Pioneer > Program and remain active members. > > Sometimes, Individuals and Libraries do not renew their dues, I am sure for > various reasons. (Societies are honorary members and are not charged dues). > Each year, if a member becomes "past due", we do mail a postcard reminder. > However, we are not always notified if a member moves or if a member is > deceased. We wish we were! Sometimes an obituary is posted to this FL List > and I generally check to see if the deceased is a FSGS member - if so, they > are listed as "deceased" in our records. > > As Leslie mentioned in an earlier posting, it has only been in the last > couple of years that our FSGS Membership records have been converted to a > computer program that can track email addresses. We do use these emails to > attempt to track down members who forget to renew their memberships. While > a street address may change, sometimes the email address does not. > > I am finding this year that we are receiving dues from individuals who say > "I was a member a long time ago..." and we are most happy to have them back! > Another thing I have noticed this year - we keep getting new and renewed > members! Generally we receive the bulk of the dues payments during the > beginning of the year, then we get another "rush" of memberships around the > deadline for pioneer applications. This year, a week does not go by that > there is not a membership application (or 2 or more) in my mail box - still! > This thrills us to no end!! > > FSGS has enjoyed an increase in memberships - in the past few years since we > have used our new computer program and can track such things - this year > shows the largest number of active members enrolled in FSGS. > > Again, - whether you have Florida ancestors or not - and whether you live in > Florida or not - you can join FSGS by sending in a membership application: > http://www.rootsweb.com/~flsgs/membrshp.htm > > Sydney, I would like to invite you and everyone on the List to become a > members of FSGS! Thank you for inquiring! > > Best Regards, > Mary P Parker > FSGS Pioneer Committee > FSGS Membership Chair > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Sydney Cardner" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, July 31, 2002 3:55 PM > Subject: Re: [FLORIDA] Florida Pioneers - Update > > > > I had heard that before, that some members may not be in membership now. > I > > never heard why it was? Was incorrect info given or are the criteria > > different? > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Mary P. Parker" <[email protected]> > > To: <[email protected]> > > Sent: Wednesday, July 31, 2002 2:29 PM > > Subject: Re: [FLORIDA] Florida Pioneers - Update > > > > > > > Dear Liz and All: > > > > > > The Pioneer Program spans over 20 years and many of the descendants who > > > received certificates in the early years may no longer be FSGS Members. > > > Current members are listed in our newsletter, Florida Lines. There are > 81 > > > Florida Societies currently receiving Florida Lines (and our journal, > The > > > Florida Genealogist) so you might want to start looking in the > collections > > > of your local society. Many of the older Societies have the back issues > > of > > > Florida Lines, and therefore, the old membership directories. (Liz - if > > > GSSB at the Melbourne Library, Fee Ave does not have the back issues, I > > > believe BGS at the Cocoa Library on Forrest Ave does) All members of > FSGS > > > receive these publications - which is one of the values of joining FSGS. > > A > > > Membership Application is on our web site at > > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~flsgs/membrshp.htm > > > > > > The membership directory includes the member's name and address. We are > > > have recently announced (in the last issue) that we can also publish > email > > > addresses for members -- if they choose this option -- in the directory. > > > Since this is a new option, there are very few email addresses listed > > right > > > now. > > > > > > Since there are 4 issues of Florida Lines printed annually, the 1st > issue > > > contains all of the FSGS members who are current as of the date of > > > publication, generally the end of March. This is the largest list for > the > > > year. Successive issues contain those members who have joined/renewed > > since > > > the previous issue was published. > > > > > > Another way to research descendants is through the pioneer files > > themselves. > > > As I mentioned to Dr Hendricks, this would enable you to have access to > > the > > > documents submitted in the file. I personally found copies of 2 > different > > > Bible records for my ancestors in the pioneer files. You may also find > > the > > > address of the descendant - at the time the application was submitted - > in > > > the file. > > > > > > Copies of the Pioneer files are at the Florida Archives and you can > order > > > copies from them - copying fees and postage do apply. Also, the pioneer > > > files up through 1995 have been filmed and can be ordered through your > > local > > > Family History Center. The FHL film numbers for the pioneers are listed > > on > > > our recently updated Index of Pioneers on the FSGS web site at > > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~flsgs/pioneers/2001index.html > > > > > > Unfortunately, at this time, we can not handle requests for copies from > > the > > > FSGS pioneer files located at the Field Library of Florida History in > > Cocoa. > > > We do not have a Library Volunteer and are looking for someone to fill > > this > > > position. At the moment, I am the only person in Brevard County who has > > the > > > keys and access to the FSGS pioneer files. Field Library Volunteers do > > not > > > have access. My duties do not allow the time to handle the Librarian > > > function as well. > > > > > > Therefore - is there anyone in Brevard County who would be interested in > > > joining FSGS as our Librarian??? This is an important position and > would > > be > > > a tremendous benefit to all of us Florida Researchers!! You would be > very > > > much appreciated!!! > > > > > > If you are interested in the Librarian position, please contact me > > > personally at [email protected] or contact Pam Cooper, FSGS > President > > > at [email protected] > > > > > > For those of you interested in applying for a Florida Pioneer > Certificate, > > > please look at our Applicant's Workbook. This contains all of the > > > instructions, forms and other helpful information for researching your > > > Florida ancestors and applying for a certificate. Documenting your > > Florida > > > ancestors is a wonderful way to preserve your family's history for > future > > > generations. You can download the Workbook from the FSGS web site, or > > order > > > a hardcopy from the committee. An order form is on the web site. > > > > > > Please visit our web site at www.rootsweb.com/~flsgs There are many > > > benefits to becoming a member of FSGS! > > > > > > Best Regards, > > > Mary P Parker > > > FSGS Pioneer Committee > > > FSGS Membership Chair > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: <[email protected]> > > > To: <[email protected]> > > > Sent: Wednesday, July 31, 2002 1:24 PM > > > Subject: Re: [FLORIDA] Florida Pioneers - Update > > > > > > > > > > In a message dated 7/31/02 10:53:43 AM Central Daylight Time, > > > > [email protected] writes: > > > > > > > > > > > > > Is there a way to contact the folks on the Pioneer list? > > > > > > > > > > Please post answer to the list as I am curious about this, also. > > > > > > > > > > Thanks! > > > > > Liz > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >