Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

NGS Research Trip to Salt Lake City, Sunday 24 January – Sunday 31 January 2010

The following announcement was written by the National Genealogical Society:

The National Genealogical Society is sponsoring a research trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City for the last week of January 2010. This is the eleventh year for this educational event and it will be co-led by Shirley Langdon Wilcox, CG, FNGS, and Marie Varrelman Melchiori, CG, CGL. Both trip leaders have been active in the genealogical community for a number of years and both are former board members of the Board for Certification of Genealogists and the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG). Each has also received APG’s Graham T. Smallwood, Jr. Award of Merit – Shirley in 1995 and Marie in 1999.

Join Me in Southborough This Thursday

If you live in or near Southborough, Massachusetts, you might be interested in attending a meeting of the Genealogy Club this Thursday evening, November 19. I will be the guest speaker at this month's meeting and will be talking about "Google for Genealogists." I hope to show a few tricks for using everyone's favorite search engine.

Laura G. Prescott Elected APG President

The following announcement was written by the Association of Professional Genealogists:

WESTMINSTER, Colo., November 13 – Laura G. Prescott of Brookline, New Hampshire, has been elected president of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), the world’s leading professional organization of family history and related professionals. Prescott is genealogist for the Nickerson Family Association and a consultant for Footnote.com. She will succeed Jake Gehring of Salt Lake City, Utah.

Prescott, reflecting on her upcoming tenure, said “I’m very excited about the next two years. We have a diverse and enthusiastic group of people on the board. This enthusiasm, coupled with the momentum from the current administration, will surely bring benefits to our members. Chapters will continue to play a vital role in reaching members and genealogists on a local level, while we try innovative ways, nationally and internationally, to educate and inform the membership, as well as aspiring genealogists. As professionals, we have a responsibility to set an example and support each other in making positive contributions to the entire genealogical community and to the profession.”

Guild of One-Name Studies Opens On-line Store

The following announcement was written by the Guild of One-Name Studies:

The Guild of One-Name Studies has today opened its on-line store.  The Guild bookstall sells a wide range of genealogical and one-name study books, genealogical software and various well illustrated books about places (typically UK towns) and their history.  These items are currently only available to members of the Guild or can be purchased from the Guild’s bookstall.

However from today there is now an online facility for ordering vouchers www.one-name.org/cgi-bin/vouchers/sales.cgi via PayPal, credit card, or (by post) by cheque. Eventually the range of items available on-line will increase but at present only vouchers can be purchased on-line.

American Ancestors Journal

The New England Historic Genealogical Society is introducing a new journal that is described as a "supplement to the Register." I am especially pleased to note that it is available both in print as well as electronically as a PDF file. I'll take my copy electronically, thank you. The following announcement was written by the New England Historic Genealogical Society:

This is to introduce American Ancestors Journal, the first annual supplement to the Register. The creation of this new vehicle for communicating valuable scholarship beyond New England will serve our geographically diverse audience with first rate content and, at the same time, broaden our institutional reach. American Ancestors Journal is automatically included with NEHGS membership, and is available in both print and paperless PDF formats.

National Genealogical Society Seeks Nominations for the 2010 Genealogy Hall of Fame

The following announcement was written by the (U.S.) National Genealogical Society:

Would your society like to honor a genealogist whose exemplary work lives on today? Perhaps there was a notable genealogist in your state or county whose name should be memorialized in the NGS Hall of Fame.

If so, the National Genealogical Society would like to hear from you. NGS is seeking nominations from the entire genealogical community for persons whose achievements or contributions have made an impact on the field. This educational program increases appreciation of the high standards advocated and achieved by committed genealogists whose work paved the way for researchers today.

Pelham Historical Society Web Site Wins Research and Documentation Award

The Pelham (New Hampshire) Historical Society has earned special recognition for having the most modernized and informational historical Web site in the state. At a ceremony held recently at the New London, N.H., Historical Society complex, the Hayes-Genoter History and Genealogy Library, founded by Pelham historian William Hayes, and Web site designer Karen Genoter, received "The 2009 Research and Documentation Award" from the Association of Historical Societies of New Hampshire, Inc.

Information Sought on Williamsburg, Mississippi Area

The Covington County Genealogical and Historical Society is trying to locate old photographs of the Williamsburg area, including pictures of families, stores, the courthouse and homes of Williamsburg in the 1800s.

The society also is seeking information on a W. Morgan buried in the Old Williamsburg Cemetery. This Morgan information was copied from a tomb for the Covington County Cemetery Book of 1976. All other information must have broken off the tomb.

State Historical Society of Missouri Hours and Services Cut

The following announcement was written by the State Historical Society of Missouri:

Due to a 25 percent withholding in its fiscal year 2010 state appropriation, the State Historical Society of Missouri is decreasing its hours open to the public to Mondays through Thursdays, 8:00 a.m.-4:45 p.m., effective immediately.  The Society will no longer be open for research on Fridays or Saturdays.  The withholding ($364,010), caused by the continued downturn in Missouri state revenues, was made public last Wednesday, October 28.  The State Historical Society’s response to the withholding, determined by its board of trustees, was announced at the annual membership meeting in Columbia on Saturday, October 31.

NEHGS Promotes Three

The following announcement was written by the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS):

Boston, MA, October 22, 2009 – The New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) is pleased to announce the appointment of three new staff positions:

BCG Recognizes Retired Trustees

The following announcement was written by the Board for Certification of Genealogists:

Laura DeGrazia, CG, President of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, announced the retirement of two respected trustees, effective on October 12th, 2009.

Volunteers Sought for the Jewish Historical Society of North Jersey

The Jewish Historical Society of North Jersey has completed its move to the Barnert Medical Arts Complex in Paterson and is looking for skilled volunteers, including an archivist, to help sort its vast store of Judaic material.

ISFHWE "Excellence in Writing" Competition

The following announcement was written by the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors:

The International Society of Family History Writers and Editors is sponsoring its annual "Excellence in Writing" competition to recognize excellence in genealogical columns and articles.

The contest is open to all members of ISFHWE, both published and unpublished authors.

Grass Roots Organizing at Its Best

I had a great experience last night. I attended the formative meeting of what will probably become a new genealogy organization. It was an interesting process to watch, and I learned quite a bit.

The meeting was held at the Southborough (Massachusetts) Public Library, where Library Director Jane Cain invited area residents to discuss the possible formation of a genealogy club. I think she was hoping for ten or fifteen attendees. About 65 people walked in, and the meeting room was standing-room only.

One of the first things Jane did was to ask each person to introduce themselves and tell how long they had been researching their family trees and also what ethnic origins they were researching. A very few people reported they had been researching for more than twenty years; most said a few months or years, and one fellow said he had now been involved in genealogy "for about twenty minutes."

As I listened to the introductions, I realized that we "old fogies" who have been involved in genealogy for some time often forget what it's like to be a newcomer. As I listened to each introduction and many stories of families' origins, I was reminded of my own experiences when I started.

APG Honors Five Members

The following announcement was written by the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG):

WESTMINSTER, Colo., September 24 – The Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) honored five members for outstanding contributions and achievements at the 2009 Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) Conference held September 2-5 in Little Rock, Arkansas.

New Genealogy Club in Southborough

Interested in researching your family tree? The Southborough, Massachusetts Public Library is now putting together a Genealogy Club. The club will be for people of all skill levels. The club will invite speakers to teach members about family heritage and the history of different cultures. Meetings will be in an informal, round-table format.

Your Help Is Needed: Save the Library of Michigan

If you have been reading the news in this newsletter and elsewhere, you probably already know of the threats to move, reduce, and/or close the Library of Michigan. Many genealogists have already protested and those protests are growing louder.

In meetings held during the Federation of Genealogical Societies/ Arkansas Genealogical Society Annual Conference in Little Rock this past week, the Records Preservation and Access Committee (a joint committee of the Federation of Genealogical Societies and the National Genealogical Society) has initiated a petition drive in support of the Library of Michigan.

NGS Launches UpFront Blog

The following announcement was written by the (U.S.) National Genealogical Society although I did add my own comment at the end:

The National Genealogical Society is pleased to announce the launch of UpFront with NGS in blog format. “Blog” is short for “web log,” an Internet communications tool that has been growing rapidly in recent years. This format will extend all the conveniences of a blog to UpFront readers. Here are some of the major advantages:

APG to Split Mailing List

The following announcement was written by Jake Gehring, President of the Association of Professional Genealogists:

To all members of the Association of Professional Genealogists,

For several years the APG Board has discussed the possibility of a “members only” APG Mail List. Two years ago we began an experiment with the APG Forums, a web-based discussion feature on the Members Only section of www.apgen.org, but this offering has not been heavily used. Much of our feedback on the forums expresses the value of convenient, e-mail-based communication.

As a result, the APG Board voted to create two mail lists, one for members only and another, which we call the “APG Public Mailing List.”

Ernie Thode Honored With the 2009 Harvey Harsh Award

Ernie Thode, manager of Local History and Genealogy at the Washington County Public Library in Marietta, Ohio, has received the 2009 Harvey Harsh Award, the highest honor in Palatines to America.

"This prestigious award has gone to a man who possesses talent that few of us could ever hope to match," said Anne Rodick of the awards committee, who announced the award.