Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

OGS Publications to go Digital in 2013

One genealogy society is moving bravely into the world of all digital publication. The following is an extract from the Ohio Genealogical Society's web site:

For the first time, in 2013, OGS Members will have the ability to receive Ohio Genealogical News and/or Ohio Genealogical Society Quarterly digitally on the OGS Website at http://www.ogs.org.  For those who still want paper, both will still be available through the mail.

The National Genealogical Society Announces New Director: Robert Raymond

The following announcement was written by the National Genealogical Society

The National Genealogical Society (NGS) announces the appointment of Robert Raymond to the Board of Directors. Robert, a resident of Utah, was selected to serve as an NGS Director at Large by President Ann Christnacht Hilke. Ms. Hilke stated, “We are pleased that Robert Raymond has agreed to join the board of NGS as he adds to the breadth of excellent business, technology, and genealogical skills our organization has set as goals for our future board development.”

Robert Raymond is a deputy to FamilySearch Chief Genealogical Officer, David Rencher, helping to increase genealogical soundness of FamilySearch products and improving relationships with the genealogical community. Additionally, Robert helps set the record acquisition and publication strategy.

My Presentations in Bend, Oregon

I had a fun time Saturday, making four presentations at the annual Bend Genealogical Society Spring Seminar in Bend, Oregon. It was a good-sized crowd, which surprised me since it was a beautiful spring day. I would have thought everyone would have been enjoying the weather outdoors. This group was very receptive to the presentations I offered on a variety of technical topics.

Wrap-Up: Alberta Genealogical Society Conference

The Red Deer Branch of the Alberta Genealogical Society and the Alberta Family Histories Society hosted a conference this weekend in Red Deer, Alberta. I had an opportunity to attend and also to make several presentations. I was joined by presentations by Gena Philibert Ortega, Thomas MacEntee (presenting remotely via webinar), Penny Allen, Jim Benedict, Ronna Byam, Shannon Cherkowski, Janice Cushman, Peter Darby, Elise Friedman, Nancy Millar, Wayne Shepheard, Lois Sparling and Jean Tilbert.

With a title of Find Your Tree in the Forest, about 250 genealogists headed to the Holiday Inn in Red Deer. We flooded the place! Proof could be found in the two hotel restaurants, both of which were totally unprepared for the crowd! Despite the long lines and poor service in the restaurants, most everything else worked perfectly. The sessions went well and most everyone I saw was smiling, with the exception of those waiting in the restaurants.

Youth Program at the National Genealogical Society 2012 Family History Conference

The following announcement was written by the National Genealogical Society:

The Ohio River: Gateway to the Western Frontier

(Arlington, VA)–The National Genealogical Society's thirty-fourth annual Family History Conference, The Ohio River: Gateway to the Western Frontier, will be held 9–12 May 2012 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

A highlight of the NGS 2012 Family History Conference will be the Genealogy Youth Kamp on Saturday, 12 May 2012, at the Duke Energy Convention Center from 8:30 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. The Kamp, designed to develop an understanding of family history, is intended for youth 8 to 16 years old. Scouts and 4-H groups are encouraged to participate in the event with their leaders. The morning will be composed of a variety of hands-on activities including a workshop focusing on genealogical merit badges. A special program is planned for interested parents, grandparents, and adults who are welcome to attend.

APG is Now Accepting Applications for APG Young Professional Award

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

APG to Honor Student with Strong Interest in Developing a Career in Genealogy

WESTMINSTER, Colo., 11 April 2012—The Association of Professional Genealogists (APG®) is now accepting applications for the APG Young Professional Award. The award goes to a student with a significant interest in genealogy and with a strong interest in developing a professional career in genealogy. The award includes a scholarship registration for the APG Professional Management Conference (PMC) and a stipend of up to $500 towards travel and lodging at the conference. The winner will be announced in August 2012 for attendance at the APG PMC 2013, which will take place in Salt Lake City on 20 March 2013.

ISFHWE:Annual Excellence-in-Writing Competition

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

The International Society of Family History Writers and Editors (ISFHWE) annual Excellence-in-Writing competition is now accepting entries.

ISFHWE's primary goal is to encourage excellence in writing and editorial standards in genealogical publishing. This embraces all media, including newspapers, magazines, newsletters, professional journals, books (including compiled family histories), online columns, society and personal Web sites, Web logs (blogs), and broadcast journalism of all sorts.

A Great Day in Euless, Texas

My thanks to the Mid-Cities Genealogical Society in Euless, Texas for hosting me at a day-long workshop on Saturday. This is an enthusiastic group! I gave several talks that were interspersed with questions-and-answers. We talked a lot about search engines, the future of genealogy societies, and about DNA.

I enjoyed the visit, despite the fact that I had to give the presentations with a broken tooth implant. (I spent much of Friday in two different dentists' offices.) I think those in the audience also enjoyed themselves.

To learn more about the Mid-Cities Genealogical Society, go to http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txmcgs.

 

Items from Ohio Genealogical Society For Sale on eBay and Amazon

The Ohio Genealogical Society is selling some of its surplus books. This is an excellent opportunity to pick up some materials that are not frequently available. The following are available as auctions on eBay:

Youngstown, Ohio City Directory 1973 – 140721826871
Youngstown, Ohio City Directory 71-2 – 140721828549
Youngstown, Ohio City Directory 67-8 – 140721829953
Dayton, Ohio City Directory 1975 – 140721831523
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio City Directory 1976 – 140721842197
Akron, Ohio City Directory 1989 – 140721852589
Akron, Ohio City Directory 1960-61 – 140721853548
Akron University yearbook 1939 – 140721859460
Akron, Ohio City Directory 1988 – 140722457473
Canton, Ohio City Directory 1987 - 88 – 140722460845
Canton, Ohio City Directory 1989 – 140722462330
Youngstown, Ohio City Directory 1969 - 70 – 140722464250
Youngstown, Ohio City Directory 1981 – 140722465500

Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society Moves into new Home

The Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society has moved into a new location at 215 French Avenue South in Arlington, Washington. The new facility is in a historic home built in 1904 next to the old high school.

I suspect it was "fun" moving the 5,000 books of the society's library!

You can read more at http://goo.gl/fHhoN.

(+) Facing Up to the Long-term Future of Your Genealogy Society

The following is a Plus Edition article written by and copyright by Dick Eastman.

NOTE: This article contains several personal opinions.

I travel a lot and I spend a lot of time with officers and members of many genealogy societies. Most everywhere I go, I hear stories of societies that are shrinking in size and even a few stories of societies that are struggling to maintain their existence. Even amongst all this "doom and gloom," I do hear a few rare stories of genealogy societies that are thriving and growing larger. Not only are they attracting more members, but these few societies are also offering more and more services to their members with each passing year.

Why do the majority of societies flounder while a handful succeed?

NEHGS Co-sponsors The Revels Repertory Company Show: “An American Journey”

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

When: March 4, 2012 3:00PM - 4:30PM

Where: Arsenal Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal St, Watertown, MA

Description: NEHGS is a proud sponsor of An American Journey, produced and performed by the Revels Repertory Company. This original musical theater production brings the story of American immigration to life in partnership with Watertown’s Arsenal Center for the Arts. The 90-minute production finds Italian, Irish, and Eastern European Jewish immigrants on a passenger ship bound for America circa 1907. Sharing their music and songs, their dances and their dreams, the diverse group of travelers become one, as they leave their hardships behind and steam toward America, the land of hope and promise.

The Guild’s 6,000th Member

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

The Guild of One-Name Studies has reached another milestone.  Today the 6,000th member joined the Guild of One-Name Studies.  She is Mrs Sue Fisher-Pascall who lives in Chichester, UK. This milestone follows a very successful year for the Guild of One-Name Studies in 2010-11 when the Guild achieved its highest number of new members ever.

Of the 387 new members joining in 2011, 220 were from the UK, 69 from the US, 33 from New Zealand, 26 from Australia, 17 from Canada and 15 from Ireland. The remainder were from various European countries. 43% of the new members were from non-UK regions, which is a valuable step towards increased worldwide membership to the Guild.

My Presentations at the Central Florida Genealogical Society

I must say that I had fun giving presentations at the Central Florida Genealogical Society in Altamonte Springs yesterday. I thought it was especially nice of the organizers to hold the event only about ten miles from where my motor home is parked! No, I didn't plan that. It just worked out that way.

About 60 or 70 people sat patiently all day long as I gave four presentations. They also asked some tough questions! I take that as a good sign that they were paying attention. I also received an email note this morning from a lady who listened to my talk yesterday about Google for Genealogists, then went home and found an online copy of a family history book that she had been looking for since 1989! It listed her ancestors and provided several new (to her) generations. I'm delighted when these things work.

Thank You Lee County Genealogical Society

I'd like to thank the Lee County Genealogical Society in Fort Myers, Florida, for hosting me at the club's meeting yesterday afternoon. I know that I had fun. I gave a presentation to the society and was delighted to meet everyone.


This is a rather active genealogy spciety and has many projects underway. If you are anywhere near Fort Myers, you might want to drop in at the next meeting. You can learn more on the Lee County Genealogical Society web page at http://www.leecountygenealogy.org/.

Call for Speakers: The Ontario Genealogical Society Conference 2013

The following announcement was written by the Ontario Genealogical Society:

The Ontario Genealogical Society
Conference 2013
Hosted by: The Durham Region Branch
May 31 – June 2, 2013

Irish Genealogical Research Society Launches a Monthly Bulletin of Genealogy News

The following announcement was written by the Irish Genealogical Research Society:

The Irish Genealogical Research Society has launched a monthly e-bulletin packed with bang-up-to-date news on all manner of resources and developments in Irish genealogy.

The five-page launch issue carried an impressive round-up of stories about newly available online collections, forthcoming releases, recent book publications (with specially-arranged discounts), cultural events and lectures in Ireland, England and Scotland, and the latest news and issues concerning a selection of professional institutions, archives and libraries.

The Quebec Family History Society Launches New Website

The following announcement was written by the Quebec Family History Society:

MONTREAL, January 15, 2012 — The Quebec Family History Society (QFHS) is proud to announce the launch of its new website at www.qfhs.ca. Located at the same address as the genealogical society’s original site, the website features several new sections, such as Gary’s Genealogical Picks, research tips, surname interests, and a bulletin board.

Federation of Genealogical Societies Board Appointments for 2012

The following announcement was written by the Federation of Genealogical Societies:

April 22, 2011 – Austin, TX. The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) announces that Lisa Alzo and Sue Tolbert have recently been appointed to its Board of Directors.

Sue Tolbert – Sue Tolbert served on the FGS board in 2011 and, among other accomplishments, did an outstanding job designing the new FGS booth. Recently, she has been assisting with the Membership Committee including answering emails and doing much of the busy work involved in keeping the FGS membership database up-to-date. From 2001 – July 2007 Tolbert worked as a Genealogy Reference Specialist in the local History and Genealogy Department of the Muskogee Public Library assisting researchers, primarily those interested in Creek and Cherokee lineage, and continues to work there as a volunteer. Currently Tolbert is the Executive Director of the Three Rivers Museum, a local history museum and archives in Muskogee, Oklahoma./

Call for Nominations for NGS Board of Directors

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

The election of NGS officers and board members will be held at the annual meeting at the NGS Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Saturday, May 12, 2012.

The following positions are open for election this term: