Ann, I am sorry that my comments on the "query" system was upsetting to anyone. One problem may be that the query system post everything to this mailing list, "NCJOHNST-L@rootsweb.com". It's a little confusing to some as to where some of the messages are originally coming from. THIS IS THE PROPER PLACE TO DISCUSS THE REUNION! I am required to keep the query boards specific to queries. I believe that all of the people that are talking about the reunion are members of this mailing list, so you don't have to do go anywhere else but this mailing list to discuss this reunion. If I've confused you more, PLEASE EXCUSE ME AGAIN. Write me privately if you are still confused and I will try to babble a little more. As the owner of the Johnston web site, I will be glad to promote any sort of reunion you plan. I can't really speak for the Heritage Center, but I can give you my observations as to their ability to help and handle with such a large undertaking. My seemingly negative response was just fact. I see family reunions advertised every week in the Smithfield Herald. I see most of the tables and facilities in the Heritage Center being used every day. I see a great shortage of paid help there and another great shortage of volunteers. It seems to me that they have all they can handle to keep the doors open every day. I just cannot see how they can logically help much with such a large undertaking, IMHO! I see a large very unhappy crowd trying to get into the Heritage Center, JC Courthouse and other libraries. As far as myself, I spend several hours per day to keep the Johnston web site running, manage 35 GenConnect Query Boards, and several RootsWeb mailing list. It all sure is hard to keep up with, especially with the disability of MS. In a few weeks, I will have the 1840 census on the net. In less that a year we have put the 1784, 1790, 1800, 1810, 1820 and 1830 census online. Do you have any idea at the "free" time spent to do this work? In another note, you call us "OLD fuddy-duddies". I think not! You obviously have no idea of how much is being done for you by either the Heritage Center or myself and how much we care for your interest in genealogy! OK! Sorry to have to upset you by asking you to move the query system discussion to this mailing list. Sorry you have taken my observations as negative interest. Let's stop the names calling and try to make this the best thing ever for Johnston County ancestors. What do we want to call this thing, "The Johnston County Heritage Day"? What can I do to help you make this work for you? Warren ann massengill wrote: > Posted on: Johnston Co. NC Queries Forum > Reply Here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/NC/Johnston/1820 > > Surname: massengill, robinson, wilson, lee, harrison, wells, nicholls, > ball, donaldson, george, deFiero, garrett > ------------------------- > > Warren, I perfectly understand that this bulletin board is not the appropriate > place to make plans for the Johnston County "invasion" next July. If you > will direct me (and in case I am not the only one so ignorant, the others > who have expressed interest -- Shelby Crocker Smith, John Hobby, Pearl > Weaver, Edward Black, Betty Stancil and Vicki Canipe) to the place you > recommend, I for one will be glad to take the discussion over there. > > I'm not sure how I came to be the ring-leader of this unruly bunch. All > I said was: "Doesn't anybody else ever go to Johnston County?" And there > followed from some quarters a resounding chorus of: "Great idea! When shall > we come?" > > As such plans as we may make progress -- if, in fact, this first effort > does get beyond a plan for those who wish to gather in Johnston County > the week of the 4th of July, 2001 -- I'm sure you could work in an occasional > mention of it in your site/digest. > > Obviously, you are very close to the people at the JCNC history center > and can give us good guidance as to their capacity and level of interest. > If you or they could answer my questions along these lines that were asked > when the conversation first began to gather steam, it would be of great > help in formalizing any such plans. (My main experience in mob leadership > was Woodstock. All I'm interested in, really, is a private porta-john!) > > Otherwise, we shall be there, wandering leaderless throughout the county, > no doubt over-running the Chamber of Commerce (if one exists) and the grounds > of every school and churchyard in search of someone who wants to talk to > us about anything involving our families. And if I know people, someone > (perhaps not the appropriate one or even the truthful one) will make good > money feeding our ancestor-worshipping appetites. > > My mother thinks it would be a good idea to block off the county with old-time > Pullman cars and a couple of dining cars from the ACL Museum so all who > attend may find accommodations there and enjoy an authentic experience > in the real history of the railroad! > > My mother is a 5-foot-tall, 85-pound, 80-year-old, soft-spoken, demure, > white-gloved doyenne of the old school. But she is NOT, repeat NOT, a gentle > Massengill, Wilson, Robinson, etc., born of the sandy earth and gently > rolling rivers of Eastern North Carolina. She is a Virginian of the South > Carolina persuasion whose ancestors slipped entirely through the Old North > State looking for better tobacco land and a decent rest stop, and she thinks > plans for a Johnston County North Carolina Reunion next summer are a wonderful > idea! I sure hope those businesses and industries that depend on the fine > services of AMTRAK, if any still do, can make alternative arrangements > to continue their business during this period. > > We haven't gone up against her too often since she and Daddy found themselves > crossing the Andes on a busful of field-hands who were snorting a suspicious > white powdery susbstance believed to be cocaine! Shortly thereafter, a > kind Brazilian diplomat gave up his entire hotel suite in Rio so they could > enjoy themselves during the World Cup! If we don't stop her soon, she'll > have arranged an entire Elderhostel all around us and invited ALL of her > friends. By then, she will have had the old carousel moved from Pullen > Park in Raleigh to keep the rest of us out of their way! > > Looking forward to hearing from you in regard to a better place! > > Annie > > ==== NCJOHNST Mailing List ==== > Johnston County, North Carolina NCGenWeb > http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncjohnst/index.htm > > ============================== > Everything you need to Discover, Preserve & Celebrate your heritage! > http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog