Based on the postings of the last few weeks and comments regarding the Sauk County Historical Society and its research opportunities, I would like to make a few observations from my perspective: 1. Time involved in research. Genealogy, for the most part, is not instant gratification. Good research takes time and patience and since the Historical Society is dependent on volunteer help for a good part of their research, it's amazing that they get as much done as they do. 2. Their charges are very modest compared to other so called "professionals', many of whom are not very reputable. In some cases they do only generic things that you could easily do yourself and charge big bucks. They also in many cases don't deliver on their time promises, or don't deliver at all. 3. My personal experience with Kathy Waddell and the volunteers at the Sauk County Historical Society has been 100% positive and I have noting but praise for the quality and cost of their work. If anything, they err on undercharging. My suggestion to anyone who is looking to do research through the Historical Society is to be specific on the the data you are searching; join the Historical Society (the cost is reasonable) to get the benefit of the Member's rates; break your requests into reasonable segments so as not to overwhelm them; be patient! Thanks again to the Historical Society and the entire staff for the good work that they do and the services they provide. Ross Gaetzke Walker Milwaukee