Latest FORUM Issue Out: Pinterest & genealogy, ethics & standards and more!

It's starting to cool down in many places in North America now that fall is almost here. Before the big holiday rush, take some time to put your feet up and relax with this latest issue of FORUM. Jam packed with creative research ideas, tech tips for genealogy, and copyright help (from The Legal Genealogist, no less), you will not want to stop reading it!

Pin it!

Pinterest is a visual bookmarking site with a social media component. Learn how individuals and societies can use it for genealogy in Lisa Lisson's "Pinterest & Genealogy, A Great Combination!"

Apply for it!

Contributor Heather Wilkinson Rojo takes you through the application process for joining "The General Society of Mayflower Descendants."

Get it right!

FORUM welcomes Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL, and her new column Ethics and Standards. In this issue, she explains "Copyright and Ethical Violations Concerning Lectures" for societies, speakers, and everyone attending genealogy presentations.

And that's not all. Take a peek inside:

Table of Contents

3 ......  From the Editors

6 ......  President's Message: 'Above All, Try Something' by D. Joshua Taylor

8 ......  Pinterest and Genealogy, A Great Combination: 4 Unique Methods for Using Pinterest in Your Genealogy Research by Lisa Lisson

14 ...... The General Society of Mayflower Descendants by Heather Wilkinson Rojo

20 ...... 2015 FGS Award Recipients by Caroline M. Pointer

25 ...... Run a Matching Campaign & Help Preserve the Pensions by David E. Rencher, AG, CG, FIGRS, FUGA

28 ...... Spotlight on Member Projects: Preservation Projects, Special Interest Groups, New Websites, & More by Caroline M. Pointer

33 ...... Ethics & Standards: Copyright and Ethical Violations Concerning Lectures by Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL

26 ...... Next Generation: Networking Tips by Shannon Combs-Bennett

38 ...... Records Preservation & Access: Connecticut Land Records Available Online, Fires Destroy Historical Records & More by Linda McCleary, MLS

How to access FORUM:

Current FGS Member Societies: Sign-in now to start reading immediately or download it to read on your desktop or mobile device. (After signing in, click on FGS FORUM – Latest Issue in the sidebar.) Don't forget to renew your membership in order for your society's leadership to continue to access FORUM and its archives.

Current FGS FORUM subscribers (individuals): sign-in now to start reading immediately or download it to read on your desktop or mobile device. (After signing in, scroll down and click on Vol. 27, No. 2, to read.)

Who can subscribe to FORUM? Anyone. You don't have to be a member of a genealogical society in order to subscribe.

Not already a subscriber? You can subscribe today to the FGS FORUM and start reading immediately or download it to read on your desktop or mobile device.

Genealogical Societies: If you are not a member society of the Federation of Genealogical Societies, become one today and let your society's leadership begin accessing FORUM and its 25+ year archives which is just one of the many benefits of FGS membership. Read more about how else FGS empowers Member Society Leaders to manage successful societies.

FGS Awards Presented at the New York State Family History Conference

The Federation of Genealogical Societies presents awards to deserving individuals and organizations in the fields of family history and history in general.

These awards serves multiple purposes:

• To recognize the society or individual that has made a significant contribution benefiting the genealogical community.
• To thank the society or individual for the time and effort they have given.
• To illustrate and serve as examples of the types of projects and activities which are being done.

FGS especially likes to recognize:

Member society exceptional projects that demonstrate longevity and advancements
Member society volunteer accomplishments
Current and past FGS Officers and the Board of Directors
And the fantastic FGS Conference Committees

This past weekend in Syracuse, New York at the New York State Family History Conference, four awards were presented. FGS President, D. Joshua Taylor made the presentations:

Western New York Genealogical Society
The FGS Award of Merit is presented to this FGS Member Society in recognition of meritorious service to the genealogical community with its 30 years of publishing the WNYGS Journal including many unpublished records covering Western New York and bringing county level records to light.

The Genealogy Guys
The FGS Award of Merit is presented to The Genealogy Guys, George G. Morgan and Drew Smith, in recognition of meritorious service to the genealogical community upon the 10th Anniversary of their podcast , "The Genealogy Guys."

Central New York Genealogical Society
The FGS Award of Merit is presented to this society for service to the genealogical community by publishing its journal, Tree Talks, since 1961. This journal is mostly transcriptions of original documents that are obscure or hard to locate. These records are arranged by county in each issue CNYGS now offers “County Packets” which include all previously published materials arranged by the county of your choice

New York Genealogical & Biographical Society
An Award of Merit is presented to this FGS Member Society in recognition of distinguished work in family history for the 2015 publication of the 856 page New York Family History Research Guide and Gazetteer in which more than 100 experts reviewed and contributed content about local and regional resources and key topics in New York family history. The New York Times said of this publication “This volume doubles as an overdue handbook for serious researchers (and an 840-page doorstop), but it also provides an enlightening and eclectic chronological tour of four centuries of New York benchmarks and record-keeping.”

Congratulations to these recipients. Do you know a deserving individual or organization? Please nominate deserving organizations and volunteers at www.fgs.org. Share your organization’s successes widely as FGS publicizes information on award winners. Recognize your outstanding volunteers.

The FGS Awards Committee is chaired by Paula Stuart-Warren of Minnesota and committee members are Amy Coffin of Texas and Cyndi Ingle of Washington.

Awards are surprises unless you want recipients notified ahead of time. Award categories and the online nomination form are found at www.fgs.org.

2015 Webinar Series: Lisa Louise Cooke and the Power of Video

As part of our new partnership with Genealogy Gems, September's webinar will presented by Lisa Louise Cooke. Video is an incredibly powerful marketing tool societies can incorporate into their website, social channels and even as a presentation tool. Join Lisa for this one time only public event. After September 22nd, the webinar will be available in the Members Only section of the website. Not yet an FGS member? Why not join now!

Please register for the Utilize the Power of Video for Your Society's Programming and Marketing Efforts on September 22, 2015 at 8:00 PM EDT at

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7962007169056417026

Lisa Louise Cooke, producer of Genealogy Gems, shares her tips and tricks on using video to enhance your society marketing strategy.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Brought to you by GoToWebinar®
Webinars Made Easy®

FGS and Genealogy Gems Team Up to Bring New FGS Membership Benefit

FGS Members Will Gain Access to an Affordable Solution for Programming Directors: Genealogy Gems for Societies

NEW Member Benefit!

Today we are proud to announce our partnership with Genealogy Gems which will bring a convenient solution to society programming directors — Genealogy Gems for Societies — a national-level programming package that provides an even more affordable benefit to FGS Members.

Watch an example of just one of the types of videos available with the Genealogy Gems for Societies subscription:

This exciting new benefit provides a 25% discount on a complete 1-year package of Genealogy Gems for Societies subscription as well as a 10% discount for each FGS Member Society's member on Lisa’s best-selling book, The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox, Second Edition. FGS Members can access this exciting new benefit by logging in to the Members-only Area on FGS.org for their exclusive 25% off discount code.

"FGS is excited to be partnering with Genealogy Gems,” says D. Joshua Taylor, FGS President. “The opportunity to provide educational benefits for our member societies enriches the entire genealogical community as societies adapt and grow to meet the needs of today's members. This partnership offers FGS members access to a wide range of resources for their members and we look forward to working with Lisa Louise Cooke."

Providing societies a cost-effective way to deliver quality family history video presentations at regular meetings by internationally renowned speaker Lisa Louise Cooke takes the headache out of programming.

Lisa Louise Cooke

"Having served on the program committee of my local genealogy society in the past, I completely understand the challenges they face,” says Lisa Louise Cooke, founder and owner of Genealogy Gems. “There are a limited number of quality speakers in any given geographical area, and it can be expensive to bring in speakers from out of town. We created Genealogy Gems for Societies to help solve that challenge. We're excited to partner with FGS because they see the value in this service and we share the same commitment to supporting local societies. This is a new concept in genealogy programming, and we are here to help you every step of the way."

Additionally, Lisa will be presenting a live webinar as part of the 2015 FGS Webinar Series for societies later this month. The webinar — Utilize the Power of Video for Your Society’s Programming and Marketing Efforts — will be recorded and available afterwards to FGS Members only. Stay tuned right here to The Voice blog for further details on how to register for it. 

If your society is not a member, join FGS today to start accessing the suite of benefits an FGS Membership offers today’s society.

Societies, Libraries, Archives, Genealogy Vendors Needed for PBS' Genealogy Roadshow Season 3

This just in from PBS' Genealogy Roadshow, Season 3:

 SEASON 3 OF  GENEALOGY ROADSHOW WILL BE TRAVELING TO THE FOLLOWING CITIES:

 Boston MA,    Providence RI,    Ft. Lauderdale/Miami FL,

Houston TX,     Los Angeles CA  and    Albuquerque, NM

Josh Taylor, Kenyatta Berry, Mary Tedesco, the PBS Network and the show’s producers invite Local & National Genealogy Associations, Vendors and Genealogist to participate in our Genealogy Roadshow.

–       

The Genealogy Roadshow is looking for Local & National Genealogical Associations, Societies, Genealogy Vendors and Local Genealogist to be part of our show by exhibiting your products and services at our events. Come and get your message out to the public! We are offering free tables and space along with immeasurable exposure!

The Genealogy Roadshow tapings provides you a unique opportunity to expand your database and increase your clientele. Bring with you any products for sale or display books, software, online services, or promotional information.

Season 3 of PBS’ GENEALOGY ROADSHOW is underway and will premiere nationally in summer of 2016. GENEALOGY ROADSHOW is part detective story and part emotional journey. After participants are chosen, genealogy, history and DNA experts will use family heirlooms, letters, pictures, historical documents and other clues to hunt down more information. These answers will be revealed on camera before a local audience, in a historic building relevant to each city. 

The dates are as follows: 

Boston MA – Faneuil Hall - Saturday October 3^rd

Providence, RI – Providence Public Library- Sunday October 4^th

Ft. Lauderdale / Miami, FL – Location TBD – Sunday November 1^st

Houston, TX – Location TDB – Sunday November 22nd

Los Angeles, CA – Location TBD – Saturday December 5^th

Albuquerque, NM – Location TBD – Saturday December 12^th

Please note a commitment is required for each day from 8:00 AM to 6:30 PM. The people staffing the tables may work in shifts. Set up is at 8:00 AM and close at 6:30 PM or until taping is finished. Space is limited so reserve your spot now.

For more information please contact Lisa Hope at Lisabhope@yahoo.com.

We look forward to hearing from you.

First of the Month Reminder: Update Your Society's Contact Information

Has your society had a recent change in leadership? Don't miss out on your FGS Member Benefits because of the change in leadership. Sign-on today to make sure all of your society contact information is correct.

At the same time, enhance your society's listing by adding social media links; updates about regular meetings; and any other information a potential society member might need to know about your organization.

Remember, every month thousands of people from around the world access the FGS Membership Network looking for information about their ancestors in a society, library, or archive in the areas their ancestors may have lived.

Here's how to sign-on:

1. Go to: http://fgs.org/members.php
2. Enter your user name and password.
3. Update your society's contact information.
4. Need help with the updating? Download the Guide to Maintaining Your Profile located under the FGS Members-Only Files behind the membership wall.

Forgotten your sign-on information? Here's how to recover that:

Click on the ? (question mark) on the member sign-on page and follow the directions to have your password reset.

OR

Send a quick email to membership@fgs.org.

While you're there behind the wall updating and enhancing your society's contact information, don't forget to have a look at our society management tools and benefits we provide members such as:

• Partner Benefits;
• Expert reviews of a member society's bylaws, website, and/or website; 
• Informative Reach Out Series, downloadable PDFs which provide helpful advice to societies for local/regional outreach;
• Access to all archived FGS webinars;
• And more! Sign-on now to access tools and services to help you manage your society effectively so your society can spend more time on its purpose and goals.

Is your society or organization not a member? We can help with that too. Join today.

Caroline M. Pointer

Vice-President of Membership