FAMILY TREE FINDERS Monday - 7 February 2000 Getting Involved Genealogists are not islands unto themselves. There are many others out there who are researching their own family trees. And there are many genealogical societies and groups that can be of assistance. While they may not be able to offer answers on your specific ancestors, they will be able to introduce you to and expand your knowledge of the act of genealogy. Through genealogical societies, you can learn about records peculiar to a particular area. You can be spared the pitfalls that some often befall us when we begin to research in a new area. However, as I write this I am thinking about a different aspect of genealogical societies and what you can do for them. Genealogical societies are powered by volunteerism. The officers that guide the society, those that you elect, are volunteers. Often they end up having to set aside the research of their own family history while they donate their time and talents to the furthering of the society that you are relying on. I have just spent time at the board meeting for one of the societies that I belong to. I am on the board of that society right now. When you get involved at that level you begin to realize what is necessary to perpetuate that society so that in years to come genealogists who are seeking will still be able to turn to that society. Even if you do not have ancestors in the area where you now live, it is a good idea to become involved with the local society. Your involvement in your local society where you may end up helping out of state genealogists looking for ancestors in your area, will be returned ten fold by the help you will receive from those societies where your ancestors lived. Local societies are striving to preserve the records for that area. They have volunteers that are abstracting and transcribing the records of the local cemeteries, courthouses and manuscript collections found in older houses, historical societies and other repositories. These efforts require manpower. Even if you do not want to go so far as to be involved in the politics or general operation of the society, volunteering to work with some of the records preservation projects. Help the societies to transcribe the records that will then be published and help to generate revenue to keep the society going, so that they can continue to publish their newsletters and quarterlies and offer the services that they do to their members. The next time you are looking at how you can become involved and help genealogists, think about joining your local society and becoming involved. Rhonda R. McClure rhondam@sodamail.com If you know someone who is interested in genealogy, please forward this entire message to them! _________________________________________________ To subscribe to Family Tree Finders, send a blank e-mail message to: join-family-tree-finders@gt.sodamail.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -- Michelle Tucker ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ukraine WorldGenWeb - Ivano-Frankivs'ka Oblast: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ukrwgw/ivano/index.html OKGenWeb County Coordinator: Cherokee Co.: http://www.rootsweb.com/~okchero2/index.htm OKGenWeb Archives: Adair Co.: http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ok/adair/adair.html Sequoyah Co.: http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ok/sequoyah/sequoyah.html Michelle's Home Page: http://members.home.net/famhist/shell.htm Countiss Connections: http://members.home.net/famhist/countiss.htm Woodbridge, NJ Amateur Radio Club http://members.home.net/famhist/k2odp/