John, You said: "Why else would one join?" My response is Then I should "unjoin". My Surname is already spoken for. Russ On Tue, Dec 16, 2014 at 7:13 AM, Julie Goucher via <goons@rootsweb.com> wrote: > On 16 December 2014 at 09:32, John P Laws > <registrar@lawsfamilyregister.org.uk> wrote: >> Oh Julie I'm rather like Elizabeth Bennett, "My feelings are quite the opposite" >> >> "The facility to join and not register a name has always been the case", I seem to remember when I joined in 1984 it was the norm to register a name. >> >> Why else would one join? > > Because there maybe an interest in a specific surname - effectively > toe dipping to see how others research and conduct a study. Or perhaps > it is rather an a specific surname a much broader look at surnames. > >> As to being elitist isn't that a good thing, aren't we all trying to be the best we can be, I don't believe in dumbing down to be popular. > > Of course we all striving to be the best we can be, that is perfectly > natural, What we don't want to do is give others an impression that we > are better than they. We want to be inclusive and welcoming. > Collaborating and learning together and sharing that knowledge. >> >> Is it a fact that many professional groups allow membership in a similar way? >> >> If I join the Bar Association I need to be a practicing barrister, or the BMA I need to be a medical doctor. > > You are correct. Those two organisations are specific to those > professions and are regulatory. The example I provided was in fact the > original professional body for those acting as Apothecaries within the > City of London. You can join the the Worshipful Company of > Apothecaries as a member if you have an interest in the profession > without the need to practice. Being a member does not make you a > member of the Worshipful Company though - it is a two step process. If > you are a professional practising then there is a professional > leadership body and a regulator. Very different. > > The point I was making is that it is,in my opinion a good thing that > we interest and welcome others interested in the field of Surname & > One Name Studies whether that is one name such as Orlando, Laws and or > Quested, or a more general broader study - such as surnames in the far > of Scotland and their links to Norway for example. Clearly you can, as > we did register our names, but you could not register a more general > study but you can become a member of the Guild because you are > interested in the methodology. I can not recall who said she was > interested in the name of Quested but it was already registered, quite > rightly so we should be welcoming (an perhaps even remember there name > and apologies for not doing so), and inclusive of all with an > interest. > > That is the end of the thread for me - some details on the day job > need to be worked on! > > Regards > > Julie Goucher > Guild 3925 > >> >> Why join the SOG unless you are a genealogist or GOONS unless you are undertaking a One-Name study. >> >> >> John P Laws >> GOONS 674 >> >> Registrar >> Laws Family Register >> Putting Flesh on the Bones of History >> >> wwww.lawsfamilyregisterr.tribalpages.com >> >> www.lawsandlawes.blogspot.com >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > _____________________________________________ > > RootsWeb lists - surnames, regions, software, etc http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/ > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to GOONS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message -- hrworth@gmail.com