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 Friday, October 16, 2009
Genealogy News Corral: October 12-16
Posted by Diane
Here are some of the news items we've rounded up this week:
- I read an interesting post on the Archives Next blog about NARA’s record digitization agreements with firms such as Footnote and Ancestry.com. The blogger outlines possible good, bad and ugly outcomes when NARA is finally legally able to post online the record images obtained through contracts with third parties.
- Pedigree database subscription site OneGreatFamily ($59.95 per year) plans to improve its search function by installing the Perfect Search Database Search Appliance from Perfect Search Corp.
Each week, OneGreatFamily makes more than 18.8 trillion comparisons of
names, dates and other details in members’ family trees, says CEO Alan
Eaton. The new search tool should increase searching capability,
improve indexing, and to deliver results faster.
- The New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) has added several genealogical journals to its online subscription ($75 per year): Besides its own New England Historical and Genealogical Register, they are The American Genealogist, The Connecticut Nutmegger, New Netherland Connections and The Virginia Genealogist.
- Also from NEHGS: Fellow actors, Boston natives, best buddies and People magazine sexiest men alive Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are 10th cousins once removed. Their common ancestor is William Knowlton of Ipswich, Mass., a bricklayer who died in 1655. Read the full story in the Boston Herald.
Family Tree Magazine Plus members can read our article about Matt Damon’s roots—including his link to Ralph Waldo Emerson—here.
Celebrity Roots | Genealogy societies | Genealogy Web Sites | Libraries and Archives
Friday, October 16, 2009 7:49:28 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00) 
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Wednesday, October 07, 2009
First International Black Genealogy Summit Coming this Month
Posted by Grace
October brings an exciting first in African-American genealogical history. The International Black Genealogy Summit (IBGS) Oct. 29-31 at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Ind., will be the first mass gathering of all black historical and genealogical societies in the US, Canada and the Caribbean.
"Pulling all the black genealogy societies together has never been done," says conference co-chair Algurie Wilson. "We've all met in our own backyards, but not together. But I've got people coming from everywhere."
IBGS kicks off with a free Thursday pre-conference with workshops, a movie, and extended research hours. Friday and Saturday will be packed with lectures, exhibitors, vendors, and social time (download the schedule here).
"In the workshops, we'll be talking about all the genealogical resources we have," says Wilson. "But besides the workshops, there's great camaraderie. I'm especially looking forward to the banquet and luncheon. We're encouraging African attire. There will be so many beautiful colors. The atmosphere in the room will just be bubbling. I'm also getting an African dance troupe—nobody knows about that yet! I can't wait to hear the keynote speakers, too."
Friday evening's speaker will be Dorothy Spruill Redford, author and nationally recognized interpreter of the African family experience in the South. Hana Stith, curator of the African/African-American Historical Museum in Fort Wayne, will speak at a Saturday luncheon.
Wilson has been encouraged by enthusiastic response despite the difficult economy. "When I talk to someone on the phone and hear their excitement, I realize this is why we're doing it. I've got someone coming on the bus for 17 hours. I'm going to buy that person a drink! That tells you how important it is for us to put this event on."
To Wilson, this event is all about people—both past and present. "I tell new researchers, 'You want to talk to the person next to you. You might find someone looking for the same family tree. You never know what you can discover and more importantly, who you can discover.'"
If you're interested in attending IBGS, visit the conference registration page for more information.
African-American roots | Genealogy Events | Genealogy societies
Wednesday, October 07, 2009 7:35:08 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, September 11, 2009
Genealogy News Corral: September 7-11
Posted by Diane
After skipping last week's news corral due to the Federation of Genealogical Societies conference, I'm back in the saddle and rounding up genealogy news items:
- The National Genealogical Society (NGS) has launched a blog called UpFront With NGS, which will complement the society’s monthly e-mail newsletter of the same name. News will be posted regularly on the blog, so you don’t have to wait for the e-mail, and you can leave comments on the blog posts.
- Ancestry.com is hosting a free webinar to demo its recently released Family Tree Maker 2010 genealogy software. The webinar is Sept. 30 at 8pm EDT. Learn more about the webinar and link to the registration on Ancestry.com’s blog.
- The McMullen Museum of Art at Boston College has a Web site companion to its special exhibit of the Becker Collection: Drawings of the Civil War Era. The drawings by Joseph Becker and others from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Weekly depict the Civil War, construction of railroads, Chinese in the West, Indian wars, the Chicago fire and more. You can browse drawings by date, place, subject, artist or reference number.
- Irish-ancestored people, take note: As posted by Dick Eastman, all counties have been added to the National Archives of Ireland's 1911 census Web site. Later this year, you’ll start seeing 1901 census records. The 1901 and 1911 censuses are the only surviving full Irish censuses open for research. Read what’s special about Irish censuses on Dick’s blog.
- Last, I wanted to point out this fun post by Randy Seaver (a re-post of his earlier post, which I missed the first time around) with links to lists of funny/strange place names.
Ancestry.com | Genealogy fun | Genealogy societies | Social History | UK and Irish roots
Friday, September 11, 2009 4:16:06 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, September 04, 2009
Search Arkansas Marriages Free on FamilySearch
Posted by Diane
To coincide with the ongoing Federation of Genealogical Societies conference in
Little Rock, Ark., FamilySearch released the first installment of a collection
of Arkansas marriage records on its free Record Search Pilot
site.
Volunteer indexers from the Arkansas
Genealogical Society have completed a quarter of the project so far--that’s 442,058
records linked to 199,431 digital images of original marriage certificates from
the counties of Ashley, Baxter, Boone, Chicot, Clay, Crittenden,Desha,
Drew, Fulton, Jackson, Johnson, Lee, Logan, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery,
Nevada, Perry and Pike.
FamilySearch | Genealogy societies | Vital Records
Friday, September 04, 2009 6:01:08 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, June 26, 2009
Genealogy News Corral: June 22-26
Posted by Diane
Here are some of the news items we rounded up this week:
The conference is Sept. 2-5 in Little Rock, Ark.
- The New England Historic and Genealogical Society is organizing a few genealogy research trips, led by expert genealogists. Groups are headed to St. John’s, Newfoundland, July 12-19; the NEHGS Library in Boston Aug. 10-15; Edinburgh, Scotland, Sept. 20-27; and Salt Lake City Oct. 25-Nov. 1.
Find more details and prices on NEHGS’ events calendar.
- Keep an eye on Miriam Midkiff's city directories portal Online City, County and Rural Directories. This week, she's added links to directories from more than a dozen US states and several Canadian provinces.
Genealogy Events | Genealogy societies | Genealogy Web Sites | Social Networking
Friday, June 26, 2009 8:13:56 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, June 08, 2009
The Mystery of the Stray Headstone
Posted by Diane
About a year ago, a headstone appeared on the side of a road in the city of Weed, Calif.
Jennifer Bryan, a member of the Siskiyou County Genealogical Society in Yreka, Calif., is trying to find out where it belongs. The stone has never been set into concrete, she says, but it is engraved:
William C. Vann
Dec., 7, 1910 - May 5, 1972
“We’ve checked with all the local cemeteries, monument stone carvers and funeral homes, and haven’t been able to local where this headstone belongs,” Jennifer writes. “We realize this may be a ‘rejected’ headstone, or perhaps it was lost in shipping and the engraver has created a new one for the family by now.”
But in case William C. Vann’s family (or maybe a delivery truck driver who got in a bit of hot water) is wondering what became of his headstone, Jennifer and her fellow society members are asking for your help.
Anyone researching a Vann family, possibly in California, that William may have belonged to? Got a theory how the stone came to be on the roadside? Click Comments (below) to post here.
Here’s a photo of the stone:
Cemeteries | Genealogy societies | Vital Records
Monday, June 08, 2009 5:17:52 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, May 21, 2009
Money-Saving Deals on IAJGS and FGS Genealogy Conferences
Posted by Diane
Two upcoming genealogy conferences are offering ways to save on registration fees, plus some opportunities for extra edification and fun:
Among the IAJGS' special workshops are a document- and
photo-preservation session ($10) and the delicious-sounding Tasting
World Jewish Cuisines: Turkish, Syrian, and Ashkenazi-Italkeni Recipes,
with cookbook authors Sheilah Kaufman and Aliza Green ($20). Click here to register.
Bonus for early arrivals in Little Rock: A free Ice Cream Social Tuesday, Sept. 1, 3-5 pm for registered conference-goers.
The Federation of Genealogical Societies is an umbrella organization for genealogical societies. Its conference, planned in conjunction with the Arkansas Genealogical Society, features classes, an exhibit hall, genealogy field trips and banquets.
Genealogy Events | Genealogy societies | Jewish roots
Thursday, May 21, 2009 10:33:42 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, May 11, 2009
Helpful Links for NGS Conference in Raleigh
Posted by Diane
Like some of you, we’re headed this week to the National Genealogical Society (NGS) conference in Raleigh. Aside from our booth banner, handouts, door prizes and other supplies, here’s what we’ll be packing for the conference:
If you’re going to NGS, stop by and see us at Booth 319 in the exhibit hall. Admission to just the hall is free, and NGS lists a few other free events on its Web site.
To attend classes, you must be registered—see rates and information for registration at the door.
Also, if you want to research North Carolina ancestors while you’re there, the state archives and the genealogical services branch of the state library are about a mile from the Raleigh Convention Center. (Here’s an introduction to research in the Tar Heel state.)
Got a Web site helpful for those attending the NGS conference? Click comments and post the URL.
Genealogy Events | Genealogy societies
Monday, May 11, 2009 3:06:18 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Saturday, April 04, 2009
Talking Genealogy in Northern Ohio
Posted by Diane
I had a chance to interview Ian Frazier,
author of the book Family (Picador, $16) Thursday evening before the Ohio Genealogical Society
Conference started up in Huron (on Lake Erie midway between Cleveland and Toledo).
Frazier was the speaker at the society’s golden anniversary
banquet. The book—one of my favorites—is about Frazier’s family, from the time his ancestors settled
small towns in the Western Reserve to his own childhood in the northern Ohio
town of Hudson. His incredibly detailed research comes across in the book, so I
asked him how he organized it all and decided what to keep and what to leave
out. You’ll see his answers in an upcoming Family Tree Magazine.
I snapped a picture of the banquet: 
And here's Frazier signing books afterward:
Genealogy Events | Genealogy societies
Saturday, April 04, 2009 2:34:59 AM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, March 09, 2009
Tips From Genealogy Geniuses
Posted by Diane
Shout out to the Green County (Ohio) Genealogical Society, which hosted us at Saturday’s meeting. We administered a light-hearted genealogy IQ test and had a great conversation about preserving photos, reading gravestones and putting family information online. The tips flowed in both directions. A couple from this enthusiastic group: - Newsletter editor Diana Nelson suggests checking what’s behind old framed photos (not to be confused with encased photos such as daguerreotypes, which shouldn’t be taken apart). Someone might’ve enclosed a written identification or more photos inside the frame.
- A person whose name I didn’t catch (I’m sorry!) uses aluminum foil to safely capture impressions of gravestone transcriptions. After making sure the stone is sturdy and secure in the ground, she’ll mold a sheet of foil onto the stone. You can reuse the foil, or save and frame the impression the same way you can a wax rubbing.
Here’s the group pondering our quiz (there were some smart cookies in the room!).  I vigilantly made sure all kept their eyes on their own papers. 
Genealogy fun | Genealogy societies
Monday, March 09, 2009 4:24:55 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, February 13, 2009
Looking for a Genealogy Learning Opportunity?
Posted by Grace
A few genealogy events are coming down the pike, including: Family History Expos—St. George: Family Tree Magazine is a sponsor of this laid-back conference in sunny St. George, Utah, Feb. 27 and 28. Registration costs $60 until Feb. 14 (get a move on!) and $65 after. Ohio Genealogical Society: This large state society confabs April 2-5 in Huron, Ohio. (If you love roller coasters, Cedar Point isn’t far away.) March 15 is the early registration deadline; download the conference brochure for prices. National Genealogical Society (NGS): We hope to see you at this conference in Raleigh, NC, May 13-16. Register before March 31 for the early-bird discount (check out the new NGS Web site while you’re at it). Jamboree: This energetic Southern California Genealogical Society event is June 26-28 in Burbank. I didn’t see registration information yet, but you can book your hotel and sign up to get updates. International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies: Online registration http://www.philly2009.org/ just opened for this conference in Philadelphia Aug. 2-7. (The program schedule listing classes is still to come.) Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS): FGS is headed to Little Rock, Ark., Sept. 2-5. You can register online—it’s $175 until June 2. ( Download the printable registration form to see at-the-door registration fees.) See more genealogy events and post your group’s events in our online calendar. Posting instructions are in the FAQs and Updates Forum.
Genealogy Events | Genealogy societies
Friday, February 13, 2009 2:12:09 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, January 23, 2009
News from NewEnglandAncestors.org
Posted by Diane
We’ve gotten a few news items from the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), whose Web site is NewEnglandAncestors.org: The Nutmegger database will be released in stages, starting this week with issues from 1968 to 1973. Members of both organizations’ Web sites can search them.
- Last, NEHGS did some math and announced it added 5 million names to the site last year, including a million Massachusetts records and more than 3 million Social Security Death Index records.
In 2009, Web site database development coordinator Sam Sturgis is shooting for one or two databases every week.
Genealogy societies | Genealogy Web Sites
Friday, January 23, 2009 5:24:36 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, December 02, 2008
"Finest State Genealogy Library" Planned for Ohio
Posted by Diane
Ohio genealogists will soon get a new research destination. “We have achieved full funding for our new building project,” reports E. Paul Morehouse, president of the Ohio Genealogical Society (OGS). Construction starts early next year on "the finest state genealogical library in the country," says OGS spokesperson Wally Huskonen in an announcement. The 18,000-square-foot library near Mansfield, Ohio, will have climate-controlled space for archives, a reading room, a preservation and digitization lab, meeting space, classrooms and offices. In mid-November, a $350,000 grant from the Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission brought the total to $2,564,889—just past OGS' $2.5 million goal. Fundraising continues, though, to pay a loan from the Department of Agriculture and build a maintenance fund for the facility. OGS is the country's largest state genealogical society, with more than 6,000 members in 95 chapters.
Genealogy societies | Libraries and Archives
Tuesday, December 02, 2008 1:47:30 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Genealogical Society Fundraising Idea
Posted by Diane
Genealogy societies
Tuesday, August 05, 2008 6:16:27 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Mark Your Calendar: Upcoming Genealogy Classes
Posted by Diane
What some people call "spring" and "summer," genealogists refer to as "conference season." Po-tay-to, po-tah-to. Head over to our self-serve events calendar and add your society’s annual meeting, your library's workshop, your family history cruise or other genealogy-related event. (If you need 'em, posting instructions are on the Forum.) Whether your family history travels take you across town or across the country, use our online research trip packing list to make sure you don’t forget anything. Here are just a few of the upcoming genealogical goings-on: - Besides going to classes at the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree, June 27-29 in Burbank, Calif., you can attend a genealogy blogger summit, sit in on ethnic research roundtables or access several genealogy databases free in the TechZone. If you’re a Southern California Genealogical Society member, you can register for $65; nonmembers pay $80. Day rates also are available.
- Swing down to Philadelphia Sept. 3-6 for the Federation of Genealogical Societies conference. Hear about regional topics such as Colonial and Mennonite research, as well as broader subjects including tracing women and finding wills. Register for the whole shebang for $175, or a day for $95.
Genealogy Events | Genealogy societies
Wednesday, April 09, 2008 3:35:43 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Web Updates on Geni, NEHGS
Posted by Diane
We got some updates on a couple of genealogy Web sites this week: - The free family networking site Geni has added two features for members. Now you can create a visual history of events in your life by setting up a timeline. Each timeline event, in turn, has its own page, where you can add more information, photos, attendees’ names and comments.
And a new family news page lets you track the latest goings-on in your family—additions to the family tree, birthdays, photos, discussions and more. All your family members’ new events are automatically included on the news page unless the member opts to keep something private. Or, relatives can post directly to the news page.
You can see what these features look like by visiting Geni’s blog.
- The New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) ended 2007 with another 3.2 million-plus names in its online databases, thanks in part to more than 100 volunteers who help scan and digitize the paper collections in the society's Boston library.
New databases include Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850 (and a project to add record images is halfway complete), early New York probate records, Connecticut vital records, Massachusetts census records (1855-1865), and New York calendar of wills (1636-1826).
NEHGS marketing director Tom Champoux says in 2008 you can look for significantly more records from Connecticut, New York, New Hampshire and Maine.
Genealogy societies | Genealogy Web Sites
Tuesday, January 08, 2008 1:14:30 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, December 10, 2007
A Happy Holiday Field Trip
Posted by Allison
Few aspects of our Family Tree Magazine editor jobs are as enjoyable as getting out into the genealogical community and meeting the readers of the magazine—particularly our friends at the Anderson (Ohio) Senior Center Genealogy Group. The group’s fearless leader, Bill Warden, invited our staff to speak to the group at Christmastime in 2004. Thus began our now-traditional “Editors and Cookies” visit each December, wherein the group members bring their favorite cookies to share, including some from heirloom recipes. (Yum!) So we were delighted to learn that Bill brought take-out boxes to today’s session so we could bring some back to the office! Check out the spread:
 But the cookies weren’t the best part of our visit. Far better is the opportunity to interact with people who are passionate about family history—and in many cases, Family Tree Magazine. It’s truly gratifying to hear how the work we do every day helps people, and to know that we make their hobby more enjoyable. I think everyone had fun today taking the genealogy personality quiz that will appear in our March 2008 issue. Here is everyone concentrating on selecting their answers…
Although we can’t visit every genealogy group personally, of course, we’d love to hear what you like (or don’t like) about Family Tree Magazine. Post your feedback in our Talk to Us Forum.
Family Tree Magazine articles | Genealogy societies
Monday, December 10, 2007 11:19:15 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, October 22, 2007 Wednesday, August 22, 2007
More New Stuff Spotted at FGS
Posted by Diane
We’ve blogged about Federation of Genealogical Societies conference news from FamilySearch, The Generations Network, RootsTelevision and us here at Family Tree Magazine. We also found these new products and services meant to make your genealogical life easier: - World Vital Records has partnered with the National Genealogical Society to provide society management services including member benefits (in the form of World Vital Records subscription discounts), membership renewal processing, online data hosting and a Web platform (on FamilyLink) for member communication.
- Genlighten.com is a not-yet-available service that matches people who have well-defined research tasks that need doing (such as getting an obituary from library microfilm) with experienced—but not necessarily professional—researchers who'll complete them for a fee. Expect a launch by March 2008.
- FacTree from The Genealogy Shop is a Windows utility for entering data into your genealogy software. The theory is, you type data into an online form that approximates the source document, and facTree puts the data in the right format and place in your software. You can try it free with the 1880 census; other facTree forms cost $3.50.
- Ages-Online is a Web-based genealogy program you can access from any Internet-connected computer. It has features similar to traditional software and backs up your data nightly, though not all packages support multimedia files. Subscriptions range from $39.95 (Economy) to $109.95 (Deluxe) per year.
- Several Web sites, such as Geni, Footnote, WeRelate and FamilyLink, have enhanced or added free social networking features that let you upload photos, post research information, build trees and collaborate with other researchers. Watch upcoming issues of Family Tree Magazine for more information on genealogy social networking.
Genealogy Events | Genealogy Industry | Genealogy societies | Genealogy Software | Genealogy Web Sites
Wednesday, August 22, 2007 9:07:03 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, August 16, 2007
New Genealogy Society Fundraiser Announced
Posted by Allison
As the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) conference kicked off yesterday, the society announced partnerships with several genealogy companies, including our own Family Tree Magazine.
These partnerships are designed to help FGS and its 500-plus member societies earn much-needed funds for programs, volunteer projects and other efforts to benefit and grow the genealogical community. When individual members of FGS societies purchase the partners’ products, those companies will donate a portion of the sales back to the societies.
Family Tree Magazine initiated the partnership program with FGS, and we’ve launched a Web site that makes it easy for member groups to participate in our fundraiser. Societies can go to HelpFGS.org and download a button to put on their Web sites. Then individual members can visit to society’s site to sign up for a $24 new subscription, and we’ll donate $6 of the proceeds to that member society and $6 to FGS.
Further information and FAQs are on the HelpFGS.org Web site.
Other partners include genealogy records Web sites Footnote and Ancestry.com, and Legacy Family Tree software.
Genealogy Events | Genealogy societies
Thursday, August 16, 2007 5:06:00 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Live from the FGS Conference
Posted by Allison
Family Tree Magazine staffers are at the Federation of Genealogical Societies conference in Fort Wayne, Ind., this week. During the conference, we’ll have the opportunity to tour the new Allen County Public Library facilities—featuring the largest public-library genealogy collection in the country—and catch up on the latest products, services and resources for genealogists. We’ll be sharing that news with you throughout the conference, so stay tuned to the Genealogy Insider blog for updates.
Genealogy Events | Genealogy Industry | Genealogy societies
Wednesday, August 15, 2007 1:57:39 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, July 23, 2007
NYG&B Update: Member Voting Eliminated
Posted by Diane
At the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society’s (NYG&B) July 19 meeting, a proposal to change the bylaws to eliminate member voting passed. The tally was 1,401 in favor to 227 opposed. Decision-making authority now rests with the nonprofit’s 15-member board of trustees. Read our coverage of the controversial proposal and NYG&B chairman Waddell Stillman’s comments. We’ve heard (but haven’t confirmed) that several members may file a class action lawsuit and/or ask the New York attorney general to investigate the vote, based on member assertions they didn’t receive proxy ballots in the mail. The contentious meeting (read an eyewitness account from attendee and proposal opponent Dick Hillenbrand) shed no light on the board’s plans for the society’s library and other assets. A synogogue recently purchased the NYG&B headquarters and will lease space to the society for two years.
Genealogy societies
Monday, July 23, 2007 2:31:24 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, July 16, 2007
NYG&B Chairman Comments on Controversy
Posted by Diane
After speaking with New York Genealogical & Biographical Society (NYG&B) board chairman Waddell Stillman, I’m updating Friday’s coverage of the controversial proposal to eliminate member voting. The proposal is a response to members’ attempts to stop the sale of the society’s headquarters building (finalized in March), but Stillman says it’s not retaliation. “We’re updating our form of governance so the society isn’t exposed to a repeat of the loss of funds. If we stood by and ignored the six-figure loss we incurred, we’d be shirking our duties as fiduciaries.” NYG&B trustees say “a handful” of members delayed the sale, causing a loss of investment income based on the $24 million sale price. If passed, the proposal will do away with proxy voting system, which Stillman says New York State laws require. (The society must mail ballots to members, who can send back their votes, cast votes at a meeting, or designate meeting attendees to vote on their behalf.) If the proposal passes, the board would appoint new officers rather than hold elections. Before issuing the proposal, NYGB’s board surveyed other non-profit organizations and consulted with the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), whose members passed a similar measure—after a similar debate—several years ago. NEHGS has an advisory board in addition to its board of directors. “I wouldn’t know what our board would say about adopting that structure, because we didn’t fully consider it,” says Stillman. He says NYG&B members will still have access to the group’s services and online resources, though he doesn’t yet know what the society will do with its research collections and financial assets. (The board has two years from the building sale date to move.) “After we take care of housekeeping matters and governance … we will face those huge questions and we’ll benefit from all the debate.” That debate won’t lead to reduced membership, he predicts. “I think people will act in their self-interest and then continue to enjoy the benefits of membership.” Stillman also posted to Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter blog—visit to read his and others' comments.
Genealogy Industry | Genealogy societies
Monday, July 16, 2007 9:09:11 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, July 13, 2007
NYG&B Controversy: Members Decry Voting Proposal
Posted by Diane
A simmering dispute within the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society (NYG&B) has risen to a boil as the society’s 5,000 members consider a proposal from the Board of Directors to divest themselves of voting privileges. The dispute began in September 2006, when the board voted to sell the society’s 58th Street headquarters in New York City. In a letter to members, chairman Henry C.B. Lindh cited a shortage of funds for crucial building upgrades, and said that a sale would let the organization focus on the "research and education that are the core of [its] mission." Members voted to approve the sale at an Oct. 12 meeting, and beforehand by proxy. The society hasn’t announced its new home, but is permitted to remain in the building for two years In January, at least one member suggested, in a note on Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter blog, that a mail merge glitch may have prevented some members from receiving proxy vote letters. President William C. Johns sent a response denying a problem occurred and calling the e-mail “a fishing expedition attempting to identify any reason to delay or thwart the approved transaction.” (Johns hasn’t yet responded to voice mail messages left today.) Members launched an e-mail campaign to protest the sale before the New York Supreme Court approval hearing, but the Hampton Synagogue's $24 million purchase of the building was finalized. In June, the NYG&B sent members and proxy voting materials and a letter about the proposal to remove their voting privileges and leave decision-making power with the 15-member board of directors. (The New England Historic Genealogical Society operates in a similar way, but it has both a board of directors and a larger advisory board.) In the letter, board chairman Waddell W. Stillman said passing the proposal would streamline the society’s operations and allow faster response to challenges and opportunities. About the NYG&B building sale, he added, “A handful of members, acting to thwart the unanimous vote of the board of trustees and overwhelming vote of the membership, delayed the sale for months. The NY State Supreme Court felt obligated to hear these few dissenters out, long after the NY State Attorney General had endorsed the sale, because our governance system gives each individual member legal standing to object to a proposed action.” The full proposal was available by request and on the NYG&B Web site members-only section. That’s when members’ e-mails and message board postings really began to fly, all encouraging members to vote down the proposal. (Supporters of the measure have been quiet.) Some examples we found: Their messages express concern over the directors’ intentions for the society’s assets, which now include $24 million in addition to the library, online resources, and publications and education programs. In-person voting on the proposal will take place at a July 19 meeting at the NYG&B headquarters. We’ll keep you updated.
Genealogy Industry | Genealogy societies
Friday, July 13, 2007 9:46:12 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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