This message was sent to the list, as Donald Spidell is not a subscribe to this list it came to my mailbox. Bridgett -----Original Message----- From: Fred Smoot <[email protected]> > >The real purpose of our TNGenWeb is to serve our clients – many of these >clients are in the later years of their lives. > >If we "Volunteers" can give our little old ladies and gentlemen clients >some pleasure, then simply, we have done our jobs. > Thank you Fred for your comments. I would like to add, that my main purpose here is to serve my ancestors. If I got no visits to my pages at all, I would still maintain them. The fact that I do get visitors that leave me messages of appreciation, and that help me with my family, as well as allowing me to help them with theirs.....Well, that is just all icing on the cake. >While each of us may have different reasons to participate in our all >volunteer system, I personally participate because it pleases me to do >good work for others. I am sure this is the same reason why most of our >volunteers give so much. > The good feelings come from service, not from making a dynasty, and ruling it with disdain for those under us. I am one of those who recommended that Billie be replaced, because there were repeated complaints that she ignored e-mail messages from county coordinators, and that she kept much of the administration even of counties under her own wing, not allowing others to even update their own county pages in a timely manner. When she was contacted repeatedly about the problem, she, when she did answer, refused to acknowledge any problem at all. She wouldn't even talk about it. I am not indispensable as an assistant state coordinator, a county coordinator (for any of my three counties) or a board member of the USGenWeb. when I get to thinking that I am, I hope that Megan gives ME the cut. We don't need egos in our organization. We need servants. the USGenWeb is a service run by volunteers. When we loose sight of that, we have lost our focus. >The TNGenWeb has certainly worked well as our communication tool to >reach our clients. The USGenWeb works well as the networking agent for >all of our state sites. > I was here when this sort of a flap happened with Kentucky. The state coordinator got out of sorts with Brian, and left the organization. He took a good part of the state with him. Instead of being loyal to the clients, they were loyal to a demagogue with an ego problem. Where are those counties now? When you put the county's name into a search engine, do you come up with USGenWeb pages, or do you come up with USGenWeb dissenters? The USGenWeb is the vehicle for getting the large numbers of visiters to our pages. The fact that the other pages have mostly disappeared is due to lack of interest. The dissenters were more interested in following a demagogue, than serving their clients, so now most of them have just faded away. Their are benefits to belonging to a group, no matter how loosely organized, and the larger the group, the more clout they have. When Megan took over as National Coordinator, there were many problem areas. Complaints were piling up about many states and many counties, and she is putting the attention of the board on each problem spot as they come up. New Mexico recently got an assistant coordinator, because we noticed that Jo's pages were being neglected. It turned out that she has been ill, and is still very ill, so we got her some help. She responded to our call asking her what was the problem, rather than saying there was no problem, and then ignoring us, as Billy did. We are here to serve. Ask yourself, why you are here, as Fred has. >Undoubtedly, neither our state and national bodies were established with >outstanding internal organizational structure. As they mature, the need >for further improvement becomes evident. I propose that we face this >issue and meet its challenge. > The above is true, and we are here to provide the services that are so badly needed by the USGenWeb cc's and sc's. I don't know Billie at all. I do know how she was acting. Sorry, but we don't need people who refuse to respond to gentle direction. We have been asked before, "Well, How would you enforce the use of the USGenWeb logo on another's web site, or make sure they follow any of the other rules which were agreed upon by everyone as they signed on to the USGenWeb?" We only have one response: If they ignore our requests, then we will ignore them. We simply remove our links to someone who does not want to be a member of the USGenWeb. Billie did not respond to Megan when Megan went to her as a friend. Then when we determined to let Billie loose from our so restrictive rules, Billie then responded to Megan with hurtfulness. I'm sorry, but we just DO NOT need that! >As you are already aware, the TNGenWeb has enlarged its scope of >coverage during the last few months. In addition to queries and >genealogical statistics, living history projects are now part of the >TNGenWeb. These projects will continue to expand through the years to >come. > >Lastly, I state here my commitment to our TNGenWeb system. It is a good >system that we volunteers will make better. > Thank you for your commitment. As a member of the board: our commitment is to you! >Happy Holidays. > >May the light of God shine on you and those you love. > And to you and yours, Don Spidell +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ | Don Spidell - [email protected] | | Personal Web Page -- http://www.zekes.com/~dspidell/don.html | | United States Internet Genealogical Society (USIGS) | | Member - Board of Directors, Chairman Publicity Committee | | USIGS Web Page -- http://www.usigs.org | | Frederick Co., MdGenWeb - http://www.zekes.com/~dspidell/fredco.html | | Washington Co., MdGenWeb - http://www.zekes.com/~dspidell/washco.html | | Graham Co., AzGenWeb - http://www.zekes.com/~dspidell/graham.html | | Assistant State Coordinator for AzGenWeb - AzGenWeb Archives Manager | +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+