Hi! Just wanted to respond to Sharon's question since it is a good one. I recently joined the Harrodsburg (KY) Historical Society, even though I live in Seattle and it will probably be several years before I can actually afford a trip to Kentucky. I did so because one of my main lines played a big role in the development of central KY (particularly Mercer Co.) and lived there for well over 200 years - still have distant cousins there. Their newsletters alone are worth the price - they always contain transcriptions of original records (Bible, cemetery, deeds, deaths, births, marriages, etc) that have helped in my research. Also, as a member I can have brief questions researched in their library holdings by mail. And when I do eventually get to KY, access to the musuem and library will be free. Finally, through their membership list (which they send to new members) I have found and contacted others researching my line (most of whom do not have internet access) so I have learned valuable information that way. Part of my dues also goes into their historic homes preservation fund - this is important to me because the home my 5th-great grandfather's brother built, and the home my 4th-great grandfather was born in are among the preserved homes. I pay $15/year for this, and feel the money is definitely well-spent. I think before joining any society, though, it is always a good idea to get in touch with current members and find out what benefits they receive - direct benefits, fringe benefits, and otherwise, then weigh the costs of joining. In most cases, society membership is one of the best deals around. Best wishes, Jenny Tenlen jennyrt@halcyon.com >X-Message: #1 >Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1999 16:18:49 -0600 >From: Sharon Lee Anderson <sla23@email.byu.edu> >To: WALEWIS-L@rootsweb.com >Message-id: <37EBF8C9.69A4@email.byu.edu> >Subject: Re: [WALEWIS-L] Fw: Lewis Co. Genealogical Society >Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii >Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit > >I have never joined a genealogical society. What are the reasons to do >so---especially if you live outside of the area? I know others do that >in the counties their families are from. Why? Thanks for answering. >Sharon in Provo