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? 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. 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. 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

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 > > > > > > > >