I am just back from Rootstech 2013. No I did not attend in person, but rather am taking advantage of their marvelous commitment to sharing some of the presentations in live streams and then archived videos at their web site at www.rootstech.org for no charge. Love them for their updates, education and entertainment. This is the conference that has gone onto my bucket list and is now in only its third year the largest genealogy conference in the USA. It is where genealogy meets technology or in other words where traditional genealogy conference meets trade show. With teenagers invited for a special session on Saturday, the 3 day conference had almost 9000 people go through the gates and more watching online. At last report representatives of 49 US states attended, and 17 foreign countries! Wow.
Learning experiences and not just database searches make you a better researcher which in turn improves the data you can obtain about your family tree. This is why I believe that family historians need to improve their skills. Better questions lead to better answers. There is one aspect of genealogy that I have not, as yet, seen advocated at the conference. They have a call out for encouraging more people to be working on their family trees, and more people telling their stories. The conference advocates for search skills, organization skills and preservation activities. Great. But, who is on the Front Line in these efforts? Who is the Entry Point for new/beginning genealogists ? Who holds their hand through brick walls, use of technology both old and new? Who identifies local records, and then can seek to preserve them?
It is my belief that the local genealogical societies, those that people can attend regularly are that Front Line. And, to date, I have seen little dedicated effort to supporting or promoting their missions from anyone on the large stage, except for FGS. As a president for our local society, I have given introductions to our society, to a local Kiwanis, Rotary, Fortnightly, public libraries, museum events, and Leadership groups in the county in the past 11 years. We begin each spring with a Brochure Blast, getting our brochures out in the libraries, Senior Citizen Centers, Museums, local FHC and County offices. This year we will have a booth at the 50+ Challenge to Live Well, The 2013 Farm Technology Days, and our Pioneer Village Heritage Days. Our research room is open and free to the general pubic, for about 27 hours each month and our Monthly Programs (with speakers or other events) are also free and open to the public. (Our Annual Banquet and General Membership Business Meetings are for members only.) Our Free coaching classes for Beginners, or those applying for Society Ancestor Certificates, or use of genealogy software, and beginning bloggers, are all open to the general public. We advertise our events and programs in our society bi-monthly newsletter, on our society web site, Facebook pages, and monthly in local print media and radio stations. So, it seems to me that our small society is doing pretty much all that it can to get our "face" out to the public. What we need in the genealogical community is a re-dedication to an old concept. We need to encourage membership in genealogical societies. Rather than a relationship with ones computer, we need to advocate for recreating genealogical communities through the small local societies and then supporting their missions.
So what is it I would like to see? Actually something very small. I want everyone who is active in doing their family history or who is involved in preserving local records to belong to their local society. Historical Societies are great, and ours maintains our local museum. But they collect, preserve, and present artifacts. They do not do family history research nor are they open as many months of the year as we are. But if your Historical Society has a Genealogy committee, get involved with them. I would like to see each of my members (now numbering just under 100) to invite guests to our programs and to membership. Generally, family historians know others who share their passion. And, whenever someone is asked, how do I begin? Direct them to their local society.
And what can those societies do? Meet your members needs. No one wants to belong to a group that is not inviting or knowledgeable and excited about their subject! Attracting new members is an obligation of the society. You know...."if you aren't growing...your dying." I certainly would not want to attend an event, where I felt left out of it, and not welcomed....and it was simply a "kaffee klatch" for a clique of friends. Activity is a critical ingredient to attracting, keeping, and involving your members. You gotta be DOING something!
Are you a member of your local society? Get involved!
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