Below is the text of a message that I sent to several officers of the Ohio Genealogical Society and the Richland County chapter thereof. Except for Ms. Broglin, to whom I sent this separately, I have received exactly NO reponses. Now, we can debate the present value of vital records from the State of Ohio. I really don't think, however, that we can debate the present and future value of the Richland County GenWeb site (or the growing value of the Ashland County site). If OGS can create an award and give it to the Licking County GS Website (simply because the site was created by a Chapter of OGS), and if it can devote the cover of its most recent "OGS News" to a Pennsylvania Website, then I think they can come up with an award or at least some good words to recognize the work that Amy has done here to make Richland County genealogical information freely available to us all. If you agree, pass this along to all the e-mail addresses below. Personally, I think the institutional refusal to acknowledge this site is reprehensible. But, hey, I've been Frenchified! For the record: Amy is also the manager of this list, AND this message will come as new to her as to any of you. I have tried to work quietly to get Amy the recognition she deserves, but that is not working. Maybe if a whole bunch of us so so, she will get it. Maybe she does not care. I really think that she does not. But she deserves it. Jim Boyce Please read on: ----- Original Message ----- From: Jim Boyce To: [email protected] Cc: [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2003 10:12 PM Subject: Richland County GenWeb Site Hi Sunda, Although I have searched my e-mail files to no avail, I am certain that we have communicated on this subject before. In fact, I believe that I had been promised that something would be passed along before the Bicentennial Conference of OGS, but I have heard from no one, so you are the lucky recipient of my follow-up. It is amazing how quickly time passes by at this age! It seems it was just last week that last I contacted someone on this matter, and that was before the Annual OGS Conference! I was suddenly reminded of time passing because I received today my May/June issue of OGS Genealogy News, complete with an article on Mark Miner's "Award Winning Genealogy Website". I have visited, out of curiousity, more than anything else, Mark's Website, and it is pretty cool. It's even cooler if you are a MINERD-MINER-MINOR. I have also, in pursuit of my own, non-MINERD, research visted numerous "county" and "state" genealogy Websites. These all attempt to serve ALL of those who seek their roots in a region, not just a particular surname or surname lineage. Some are great. Some are pathetic. Some don't even exist. And a few are extraordinary. Ohio is home to one of the extraordinary Websites. In fact, Richland County is the home of that Site. Visit it, at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ohrichla; see what it has to offer; compare it to any other "general" genealogy resource Website you know or can find. There may be better ones. I know of none. There are a few that come close and 1 or 2 that may be its equal. Now that Amy has taken on Ashland County's Website as well, who knows. In any case, I would like to make my case again. Unlike me, Amy says that she is not even a member of any Genealogical Society. She certainly appears to have done this monumental work outside the purview of the local Societies, and without any direct support from them. I don't think that that should count in the matter of recognition. Amy has made a contribution to Richland County genealogical research and, with her contributions to and support of other Ohio Websites, Ohio State genealogical research that is remarkable and, I believe, commendable. Ultimately, that is the point of this whole e-mail: commendation. And recognition. I don't think it should matter whether Amy is an OGS Member or not. I think what is important here is the high quality of her contribution to Ohio Genealogical research and her creation and maintenance of an almost unique source of genealogical information. Okay. I have contributed to it, and so have hundreds of others. But that is the point! Amy has created something that is alive, that breathes, that feeds genealogists and calls them to contribute to help others. The Richland County Website has become not just a Website; not just a source of information; but an unstructured, loose community of people with common, but often "unrelated" roots, sharing, contributing and preserving our common past. If OGS won't do it, maybe RCGS should: create its own award for "Internet Genealogy Resource of the Year" or "Best Ohio Genealogy Website" or some such. That's the world we live in and such an award OUGHT to be added to the usual annual awards for publications, etc. And the first of these awards -- and it would have been really wonderful if it could have happened in this Bicentennial Year -- ought to go to Amy E Armstrong ([email protected]) for the remarkable work she has done on the Richland County GenWeb Website and, more recently, on the Ashland County GenWeb site. If you have any doubts about what I am saying, please spend some time at both of the sites. Then compare them with any other comparable resource sites you know or can think of. Ohio has a voice that so far seems to be proof of an old Biblical cliché: "No prophet is accepted in his own country." (Luke 4:24) I really would like to change that. DISCLAIMER: For the record, I am not related, biologically, by adoption or by marriage to Amy Anderson, nor do I have any other personal relationship with her other than a friendship formed by e-mail as a result of our common interest in Ohio genealogical research nor does she have any knowledge that I am making these efforts on her behalf. I would like to be kept informed of any actions and/or decisions that may result from this enquiry. Also, just to be clear, I am copying this to the several persons named above, officers and or trustees of OGS and RCGS + Jana Broglin, by separate e-mail. Best regards, Jim Boyce