Giving Back to Your Genealogical Society - George G. Morgan Genealogical societies are a great value for the money. If you belong to a local society, you already know how much fun it is to get together with other members. After all, your family probably isn't as receptive to your chattering away about Aunt Penelope, Cousin Elmer, and all the cemeteries that you've visited. Your friends and acquaintances at the local society are all open to listening to you and helping bring down your brick walls. Distant genealogy societies are valuable too. If you're researching ancestors in other states or countries, it's rewarding to receive their journals and newsletters, visit their websites, learn about their publications, and maybe even ask for some look-up assistance. It takes time and money to run a genealogy society, as well as the talents of people who are willing to give of themselves to take on some tasks. Your society dues are minimal when you consider all you get for your money. You can help your society by volunteering a little time and energy to help give back some of what you receive. I stay pretty busy myself, but I make time to volunteer to serve as president of the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors (ISFHWE), as a director on the board of the Genealogical Speakers Guild (GSG), and on the board of the Florida Genealogical Society (which is local to the Tampa area). It takes a little time, but the rewards are priceless! And so, in "Along Those Lines..." this week, I'd like to make some suggestions for how YOU can give back to your own society or societies to which you belong. Volunteer at Meetings While it would be great if you offered to serve as an officer or as a member of the board of a society, you don't have to make that kind of commitment in order to help. I attend scores of society meetings each year and see individuals doing specific tasks, all of which add to the camaraderie and the functionality of the group. These include: - Setting up and taking down chairs and tables for the meeting - Bringing cookies, chips, snacks, soft drinks, and other refreshments - Staffing the welcome table at the door, asking people to sign in, and distributing name badges - Distributing agendas and handout copies - Helping a presenter get set up - Setting out free literature and books or gift items for sale, and acting as a cashier - Organizing the society's library materials and other holdings - Doing look-ups for out-of-town members - Applying mailing labels and postage to envelopes and newsletters - Making copies at the local office supply store - Taking mailings to the post office and picking up mail- Taking copies of materials distributed at meetings to people who are ill or shut-in and cannot attend - Spreading the word about the society and what it has to offer Volunteering on Projects Being a genealogist often means being an archivist and preservationist. There are plenty of projects that cannot be done without the help of volunteers, and even a few hours' help can be very beneficial. Here are some projects you might consider. - Canvassing a cemetery and transcribing tombstones - Typing and/or indexing results of a cemetery canvass - Proofing someone else's typing - Making photocopies or doing some binding - Clipping obituaries and helping maintain a file for the society or the library - Organize the society's library, create an index, and label the materials - Volunteer at the local public library to help organize genealogical or historical materials in the vertical file cabinets - Offer to photocopy newsprint materials and other non-archival safe records - Transcribe records at a courthouse or produce a much-needed index to them - Offer to speak to civic groups about the society - Offer to carpool for a group trip to a library in another town with a genealogical collection Presenting a Program You are probably an expert in some aspect of genealogy by now. That may include how to effectively organize your genealogical materials, how to work with a particular type of record, or how to use a particular genealogy database program. Everyone has something to share. You can contribute to your society and to the members' knowledge by offering to present some short program at a meeting. At one society to which I belong, one member always talks about a different library in the state and the types of materials it holds. She also talks about her own research experiences in these places, such as a recent talk she gave about using Revolutionary War pension file microfilm. You don't need slides or a PowerPoint presentation. All you need is a few notes, a few minutes, and the desire to share something that others may not know. Donating Materials Few genealogical societies that I know about are endowed with the financial means to expand their library and collections of other materials. Membership dues also don't provide a great deal of funding. You can help your own genealogical society by donating any number of items. - Bookshelves and filing cabinets - Tables and chairs - Microfilm and microfiche reader/printer units - Microfilm and microfiche - Older computer equipment and printers may be upgradeable - Copies of genealogical magazines, journals, and newsletters - Maps, atlases, gazetteers, and almanacs - Previous editions of reference books you have replaced - Foreign language dictionaries - New books donated in memory of a deceased member - Magnifiers - Empty binders - Office supplies such as printer paper, envelopes, stapler and staples, paper clips, mailing labels, and postage stamps Summary We all have a vested interest in the success and continued operation of our genealogical and historical societies. You don't have to commit to being elected to a long-term position on the board of directors. An occasional stint as a volunteer will make you feel good about being involved and may inspire others to join in too. It can be an enjoyable experience unequalled anywhere else. In this season of giving, I hope you will consider volunteering some time, energy, and materials to YOUR society or societies in the coming year. Happy Volunteering! George ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- George is president and a proud member of the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors. Visit the ISFHWE Web site at www.rootsweb.com/~cgc/. Visit George's Web site at www.ahaseminars.com/atl for information about speaking engagements. Copyright 2004, MyFamily.com. All rights reserved. Sally Rolls Pavia sallypavia2001@yahoo.com "Peace begins when all the hungry are fed." List Owner: GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES-L-request@rootsweb.com Archives: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES "All incoming and outgoing email checked by Norton Anti-Virus"

Thanks for sending all this information Sally. I belong to my county society but have never done anything to hemp them. Seeing what all is involved I will get more involved..... I do enjoy being with the genealogists at the meetings.... Bunny Giving Back to Your Genealogical Society - George G. Morgan Genealogical societies are a great value for the money. If you belong to a local society, you already know how much fun it is to get together with other members. After all, your family probably isn't as receptive to your chattering away about Aunt Penelope, Cousin Elmer, and all the cemeteries that you've visited. Your friends and acquaintances at the local society are all open to listening to you and helping bring down your brick walls. Distant genealogy societies are valuable too. If you're researching ancestors in other states or countries, it's rewarding to receive their journals and newsletters, visit their websites, learn about their publications, and maybe even ask for some look-up assistance. It takes time and money to run a genealogy society, as well as the talents of people who are willing to give of themselves to take on some tasks. Your society dues are minimal when you consider all you get for your money. You can help your society by volunteering a little time and energy to help give back some of what you receive. I stay pretty busy myself, but I make time to volunteer to serve as president of the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors (ISFHWE), as a director on the board of the Genealogical Speakers Guild (GSG), and on the board of the Florida Genealogical Society (which is local to the Tampa area). It takes a little time, but the rewards are priceless! And so, in "Along Those Lines..." this week, I'd like to make some suggestions for how YOU can give back to your own society or societies to which you belong. Volunteer at Meetings While it would be great if you offered to serve as an officer or as a member of the board of a society, you don't have to make that kind of commitment in order to help. I attend scores of society meetings each year and see individuals doing specific tasks, all of which add to the camaraderie and the functionality of the group. These include: - Setting up and taking down chairs and tables for the meeting - Bringing cookies, chips, snacks, soft drinks, and other refreshments - Staffing the welcome table at the door, asking people to sign in, and distributing name badges - Distributing agendas and handout copies - Helping a presenter get set up - Setting out free literature and books or gift items for sale, and acting as a cashier - Organizing the society's library materials and other holdings - Doing look-ups for out-of-town members - Applying mailing labels and postage to envelopes and newsletters - Making copies at the local office supply store - Taking mailings to the post office and picking up mail- Taking copies of materials distributed at meetings to people who are ill or shut-in and cannot attend - Spreading the word about the society and what it has to offer Volunteering on Projects Being a genealogist often means being an archivist and preservationist. There are plenty of projects that cannot be done without the help of volunteers, and even a few hours' help can be very beneficial. Here are some projects you might consider. - Canvassing a cemetery and transcribing tombstones - Typing and/or indexing results of a cemetery canvass - Proofing someone else's typing - Making photocopies or doing some binding - Clipping obituaries and helping maintain a file for the society or the library - Organize the society's library, create an index, and label the materials - Volunteer at the local public library to help organize genealogical or historical materials in the vertical file cabinets - Offer to photocopy newsprint materials and other non-archival safe records - Transcribe records at a courthouse or produce a much-needed index to them - Offer to speak to civic groups about the society - Offer to carpool for a group trip to a library in another town with a genealogical collection Presenting a Program You are probably an expert in some aspect of genealogy by now. That may include how to effectively organize your genealogical materials, how to work with a particular type of record, or how to use a particular genealogy database program. Everyone has something to share. You can contribute to your society and to the members' knowledge by offering to present some short program at a meeting. At one society to which I belong, one member always talks about a different library in the state and the types of materials it holds. She also talks about her own research experiences in these places, such as a recent talk she gave about using Revolutionary War pension file microfilm. You don't need slides or a PowerPoint presentation. All you need is a few notes, a few minutes, and the desire to share something that others may not know. Donating Materials Few genealogical societies that I know about are endowed with the financial means to expand their library and collections of other materials. Membership dues also don't provide a great deal of funding. You can help your own genealogical society by donating any number of items. - Bookshelves and filing cabinets - Tables and chairs - Microfilm and microfiche reader/printer units - Microfilm and microfiche - Older computer equipment and printers may be upgradeable - Copies of genealogical magazines, journals, and newsletters - Maps, atlases, gazetteers, and almanacs - Previous editions of reference books you have replaced - Foreign language dictionaries - New books donated in memory of a deceased member - Magnifiers - Empty binders - Office supplies such as printer paper, envelopes, stapler and staples, paper clips, mailing labels, and postage stamps Summary We all have a vested interest in the success and continued operation of our genealogical and historical societies. You don't have to commit to being elected to a long-term position on the board of directors. An occasional stint as a volunteer will make you feel good about being involved and may inspire others to join in too. It can be an enjoyable experience unequalled anywhere else. In this season of giving, I hope you will consider volunteering some time, energy, and materials to YOUR society or societies in the coming year. Happy Volunteering! George ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- George is president and a proud member of the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors. Visit the ISFHWE Web site at www.rootsweb.com/~cgc/. Visit George's Web site at www.ahaseminars.com/atl for information about speaking engagements. Copyright 2004, MyFamily.com. All rights reserved. Sally Rolls Pavia sallypavia2001@yahoo.com "Peace begins when all the hungry are fed." List Owner: GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES-L-request@rootsweb.com Archives: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES "All incoming and outgoing email checked by Norton Anti-Virus" ============================== Search the US Census Collection. 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