Classes and Research Trips in the September webinar!

The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) is pleased to announce the September 2018 webinar, "Using Classes and Research Trips to Expand Your Membership," presented by Pat Stamm.

Societies are always looking for ways to expand their membership. One of the best ways is to offer benefits. Two potential added values are educational classes and research trips. Learn how to establish these types of programs.

This webinar will be held on Thursday, September 20, 2018, at 7:00 p.m. Central Time, and will be recorded for viewing on the FGS website shortly after its conclusion. Please register in advance.

About the Speaker

Pat Stamm is a professional researcher with over 30 years of experience. Besides lecturing across the country, she is a course coordinator at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) and teaches at St. Louis Community College. She specializes in Missouri, Catholic Church records, government documents, problem-solving, and computer research topics. She is currently serving as NGS Research Trip Coordinator.

In the past, Pat served as the Education Manager for St. Louis Genealogical and the National Genealogical Society.

Coming Up Next Month

Our October webinar will feature Amy Johnson Crow who will present “Finding and Creating Images for Your Blog and Social Media.” Register in advance for this highly requested and popular topic from one of our community's best online marketers! 

About the Webinar Series

Each month, the FGS Webinar Series features a new and interesting topic, ranging from recruitment and volunteer management to technology, publications, and working with your local tourism board.

Webinars are held on the 3rd Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. Central Time. The webinars are free to watch live, but advance registration is required. Regular updates will be shared via the FGS Voice blog, FGS Voice Newsletter, and social media.

Are you looking for a rewarding and beneficial way to volunteer? The Education Committee at FGS could use your expertise! Please contact Jen Baldwin at education@fgs.org,

August webinar to discuss the Nominating Committee

In the August, 2017 FGS webinar, we will invite David Rencher, CG, CGL, to present on "The Nominating Committee."

In order to maintain a healthy organization, we must all put great value in this piece of the society puzzle. David Rencher will provide an in-depth look at the role of this important committee in your genealogy society, and its impact on the organization’s longevity.

All of the issues and challenges facing your society may be solved with a successful nominating committee. This program will help you to learn to assess your own needs and find qualified candidates to grow your society – you need more than warm bodies!

The webinar will be conducted on August 17, 2017 at 7:00pm Central time. Please register in advance. The webinar will be recorded and will be available for viewing on the FGS website shortly after its conclusion. September's topic will be Borrowing Corporate Strategy Techniques for Your Society - this is a must-see presentation! 

Each month, the FGS Webinar Series will feature a new and interesting topic, ranging from recruitment and volunteer management to technology, publications, and working with your local tourism board. 

Registration will be necessary, and regular updates will be shared via the FGS Voice blog, FGS Voice Newsletter, and social media. Webinars will occur every 3^rd Thursday of the month.

Speakers interested in presenting topics should contact Jen Baldwin, Education Chair, at education@fgs.org.

Are you looking for a rewarding and beneficial way to volunteer? The Education Committee at FGS could use your expertise. Please contact Jen Baldwin at education@fgs.org

Update: Did you miss the live webinar?  You can watch the recording here.

FGS 2017: Focus on Societies Day

FGS national conferences kick off with a day devoted to genealogical societies. Focus on Societies Day features tracks geared to society leaders, society members, and those interested in learning more about societies. Attendees will learn:

• innovative ways to manage and grow societies
• how to adapt changing technology to meet society needs
• about becoming more involved with societies

Focus on Societies Day at FGS 2017 begins with “Creating, Packaging, and Sharing Your Society to Non-Genealogists.” In this opening session, D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS, focuses on ways to package genealogical societies for non-genealogical partners, including local media, donors, charitable organizations, and politicians.

The rest of the day features 35 sessions in seven tracks. A few of those are highlighted below, but you can find the complete program on the FGS 2017 Conference website.

Members & Volunteers

How to Find Volunteers and Keep Them!
by Cari A. Taplin, CG

Volunteers are the lifeblood of any society. This lecture gives societies tips and ideas for ways to locate volunteers, motivate them, and keep them engaged.

Putting the Customer Back in Customer Service—Strategies for 21st Century Organizations
by Curt B. Witcher, MLS, FUGA, IGSF

This presentation will explore how a focus on good customer service will bring organizations in the genealogy space more members, and move them from surviving to thriving.

Programs & Events

Dynamic Programming for Societies
by Teri E. Flack, MA, MBA, FTxSGS

Educational programs are central to the mission of genealogical societies. Learn innovative and creative ways to develop dynamic education programs that can revitalize your society.

DNA and Your Genealogical Society

by Blaine Bettinger, PhD, JD

DNA is here to stay, and your members are asking about it. It is a unique opportunity to attract new members with much-needed educational programming, yet many genealogical societies are ignoring the valuable opportunity. Let’s review what other genealogical societies are doing to educate members and explore ways you can engage your members.

Projects

Digitizing on a Dime: Digitization Basics for Individuals and Small Genealogical Societies
by Kristin Britanik

This presentation demonstrates the basics of digitization for your collection of historic photographs and documents. Learn best practices for creating and keeping digital files with limited resources.

Creating a County Record Guide

by Tina Lyons

Put your society’s knowledge into a printed or online guide to help members and nonmembers find records in your area.

Reaching Out

Your Society Is on Social Media. Now What?
by Amy Johnson Crow, MLIS, CG

Do you feel like your society isn’t getting all it can from social media? Is your Facebook page lonely? Learn what one society did to increase their performance and reach more people.

Outdated Outreach: Breathing New Life into our Outreach Approach
by Cheri Daniels, MSLS

The challenge of attracting and engaging an ever-changing audience and/or member base has increased over the years and our previous methods can miss the mark. Learn new approaches that engages various groups and connects them through content-based programming.

Society Boards

Plain Spoken: Updating and Simplifying Your Society Bylaws
by Randy Whited

Do the bylaws of your organization guide or hamper its actions? Are they hard to interpret or perhaps ignored altogether? Let’s tackle how to clean up ambiguous language, make use of other guiding documents, and get our bylaws working for us.

Grant Writing Success for Societies
by Tina Beaird, MLS

Grant writing can be a daunting task for small societies and museums. Learn how to find grant opportunities online, define various types of grants, and decode a typical application process. Tina will share strategies on raising your application to the top of the pile and winning that grant!

Websites

Building Your Society’s Digital Library
by Jen Baldwin

Societies are increasingly creating and maintaining digital collections. Learn about best practices, overcoming financial obstacles, choosing your nonprofit or for-profit partners, and the necessary technology to achieving digital success. Sponsored by Findmypast.

Calling All Members: Your Society’s Website Needs Help
by Cyndi Ingle

A society’s website should be as diverse as its offerings and its membership. Is it time for you to give it a critical look and help overhaul your site? What can you do to help?

Discussion Groups

Delegate 101

by FGS Board Members

Join FGS leadership to discuss your role as a society delegate and how to get the most out of your society’s FGS membership.

Publications
by FGS Board Members

Do you have problems finding content for newsletters or journals? Are you considering moving from print to digital? Discuss issues your society has with publications.

In addition to programming that will help you with the challenges of managing a modern society, Focus on Societies Day will allow you to connect with other society leaders and members.

Register today for FGS 2017 in Pittsburgh.

FGS 2017 Tracks: Learning Opportunities for Researchers and Societies

The annual FGS National Conference offers a unique experience for those interested in genealogy with one day dedicated to genealogical societies followed by three days of tracks dedicated to individual researchers of all skill levels – beginner, intermediate, and advanced.

The 2017 conference, scheduled for August 30-September 2, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania will be no exception. Focus on Societies Day features tracks devoted to helping society leaders and members best the challenges of managing a modern society.

If you aren’t a member or leader of a genealogical society, then join us for the genealogy program, which features world-famous speakers covering topics from basic to advanced methodology, ethnic specialties, local history, and family history trends.

The FGS 2017 Conference kicks off on Wednesday, August 30 with Focus on Societies Day and offers seven tracks designed to help society leaders better manage and grow genealogical societies of all sizes and levels.

Focus on Societies Day Tracks:

• Members & Volunteers
• Programs & Events
• Projects
• Reaching Out
• Society Boards
• Websites
• Discussion Groups

The genealogy program runs Thursday, August 31, through Saturday, September 2. With 16 tracks designed for individual researchers of all experience levels from novice to expert, you are sure to discover new ways to help you solve your genealogy research problems.

Genealogy Tracks:

• Methodology
• Records
• Land & Taxes
• Immigrant/Ethnic
• DNA
• Military
• Regional
• Analysis
• Skills
• African American
• Religion
• Understanding Ancestor’s Lives
• Finding Records
• Occupations
• In the Field
• Ancestry

 The full program, including topics, descriptions, and speakers, is available on the FGS 2017 Conference website. You can also download the conference registration brochure in pdf format.

We will take a closer look at individual tracks over the next few months leading up to the conference in August. In the meantime, take a look at the program and start thinking about the skills you want to improve and the areas you want to learn more about!

Latest FORUM Issue Out: Freedmen's Bank Records, genealogy self-education & more!

While temps are dropping in many places before the holiday season begins in earnest, now is the perfect time to delve into this latest issue of FORUM. Stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey, this issue is abundant with genealogy advice, how-tos, and tech tips that will leave you thankful you took a little "me time" to gobble it up.

Adding context to your ancestors' stories

"Freedmen's Bureau & Freedmen's Bank Records" can lend context to your ancestors' lives and narrative to their stories. Ted Bainbridge, PhD, takes an in-depth look at these records.

Worry-free goodies

In "Just 37 Words" Judy Russell, JD, CG, CGL, explains there are wonderful goodies you can use without worrying about copyright.

Continuing your genealogy education

Shannon Combs-Bennett gives Next Generation ways to continue your genealogy education in "Keeping Up with the Ancestors: Self-Education.

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

Table of Contents

3 ...... From the Editors

6 ...... President's Message: Capturing the Energy by D. Joshua Taylor

8 ...... Freedman's Bureau & Freedmen's Bank Records by Ted Bainbridge

18 ...... Build a Digital Library with Scribd by Denise Barrett Olson

24 ...... Join Us for the FGS 2016 Conference by Thomas MacEntee

28 ...... Considerations for Conducting a Family History Writing Contest by Jill Morelli

32 ...... FGS Experiences New Frontiers in Genealogical Cruising to Alaska by Deena Coutant

38 ...... How to Index Genealogical Records at Home by Ted Bainbridge, PhD

41 ...... Spotlight on Member Projects, Surname Project, Webinars, 'Human Scanners' & More by Caroline Pointer

45 ...... Ethics and Standards, Just 37 Words by Judy Russell, JD, CG, CGL

49 ...... Next Generation, Keeping Up With the Ancestors: Self-Education by Shannon Combs-Bennett

52 ...... Records Preservation and Access, New Records Online, Opened Adoption 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 FGS FORUM and start reading immediately or download it to read on your desktop or mobile device. No need to be a member of a genealogical society.

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.

Vision Statements: what are they and why genealogical societies need them

Jack Welch, Chairman of General Electric said, "Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion."

Vision Statements v. Mission Statements

Mission statements and vision statements do different jobs. A mission statement is a short statement of the purpose of an organization. It guides the actions, gives the overall goal and directs decision making. Vision statements also define an organization's purpose, but they focus on the goals and aspirations of the organization. Both mission and vision statements are designed to be educational and inspiring. However, a mission statement changes to reflect current thinking, but the vision may stay the same throughout the life of the organization. Vision statements explain to others what your organization wants to be.

What is a Vision Statement?

A Vision Statement:

• Defines the desired future state of what an organization wants to achieve over time (goal)
• Provides guidance and inspiration as to what an organization is focused on achieving in five, ten, or more years (future)
• Draws people to a common work (unites)
• Inspires others to action (motivates)
• Written succinctly in an inspirational manner that makes it easy for all to remember and repeat
• Provides a basis for developing other aspects of strategies and action plans (direction)

Leaders may change, but a clearly established Vision encourages people to focus on what's important and better understand organization-wide change and alignment of resources.

How to Create a Vision Statement

Step 1: Find the "Human Value" in Your Work

First, identify your organization's mission. Next, find the "human value" in that mission. For example, how does your organization improve people's lives? How does what you do make the world a better place? Keep in mind that human values are the foundation of ethics and guidelines used in daily life.

Step 2: Refine Into Values

Then determine what you and other members value the most about how your organization will achieve this mission. Condense these into values your organization has (or should have). If you have a hard time identifying your organization's values, talk to your members. What values do they think the organization stands for? Some attributes may include: honesty, trustworthiness, diligence, discipline, fairness.

Step 3: Combine Your Mission and Values

Combine your mission and values and polish words until you have an inspiring statement that will energize people — inside and outside your organization. It should be broad and timeless. It should tell others why the people in your organization do what they do.

Key Points

Mission and vision statements are succinct, inspirational statements that clearly communicate the direction and values of an organization. These statements can powerfully explain your intentions and motivate your organization to realize a motivating vision of the future. Not having a clearly defined Vision and Mission limits occasions for the organization's success and is a disservice to members and volunteers. If an organization wants engaged and productive members, it should make sure members and volunteers know how their work contributes to accomplishing the Mission and ultimately how it contributes to the Vision of the organization.

The lack of or poorly written Vision and Mission statements are lost opportunities for:

• Attracting/engaging/retaining talent
• Building organizational culture
• Increasing productivity

Examples of Vision Statements

Examples of effective Vision statements include:

Alzheimer's Association: "Our Vision is a world without Alzheimer's disease."

Microsoft: "Empower people through great software anytime, anyplace, and on any device."

Summary

It's never too late for an organization to define its Vision and Mission. Some even reinvent themselves through the strategic planning process, beginning with these two core elements. Regardless of how an organization creates an effective Vision and Mission statement, it is important that they be entrenched into the culture through clear and consistent communications from the highest levels of an organization. Developing effective vision and mission statements are two of the most important tasks your organization will ever do because almost everything else you do will be affected by these statements.

Cherie Bush

FGS Director

Mobilegeddon and Your Society Website

Google has been changing their search algorithm again. As of April 21^st, Google rolled out new Search Engine Rankings based on whether a website is mobile friendly. Maybe you have received an email warning your society website is not mobile ready. Maybe you have seen one of several articles proclaiming search-ranking DOOM. But a few weeks into the new rules have you even noticed a difference? Read on to see what Mobilegeddon really means for the typical society website.

What it is…and is not

Google has changed its mobile search algorithm to rank mobile friendly sites higher in search returns. This does not affect your search rankings from the desktop browsers most of us use while doing genealogical research. As a consumer, this a great step forward towards a faster, easier search. Let me paint a picture for you:

I’m out at the park walking my dog. He chases a skunk into the woods. Out he comes both stinking to high heaven and covered in mud. I turn to my trusty phone to Google a groomer near me.

In this instance, having Google prioritize sites of local groomers with mobile friendly websites I can actually read and use from my phone would be a great help. But how many scenarios might you imagine where your society website would be accessed in the same way? For most society websites, the answer to that question will be none.

The niche advantage

Genealogical societies are unlikely to find their mobile search engine rankings significantly impacted by the change even if their website is not mobile ready. Our societies tend to be uniquely named. We have few, if any competing websites for the typical search terms that lead users to us. Unless you have the misfortune of a name such as “Oakville Genealogy,” Mobilegeddon will not be a major concern. But that does not mean societies are off the hook.

The user experience

Knowing Mobilegeddon is unlikely to impact your society’s mobile search ranking is not a reason to ignore mobile entirely. Our existing society members are adopting mobile-based devices. The new, younger members societies need to attract to stay viable expect to access websites designed to work on their latest gadgets. The smart phone is not the only mobile device to worry about. Any App-based system such as Tablets and E-Readers count as mobile devices. Is your website easy to use from these devices?

Most society websites will still be largely accessible from mobile devices according to Thomas Ryder of EasyNetSites, a provider of society websites used by many FGS members. While databases often prove difficult to work in on the smallest screens, they are also the items least likely to be accessed that way. However, one area of site design can cause user difficulty: the spacing between navigation items typically found in the side bar of a website. If the spacing is very close, it will be more difficult for mobile users to correctly touch the navigation link they want from smaller screens.

From small adjustment to grand plans

The quickest way to determine how user friendly your website is on mobile devices is to test it out. Engage your society members to explore your existing website on a variety of devices to see how it performs. Determine what changes might be needed to make your existing site function better in a mobile environment. If you’ve been tracking your website’s performance with Google Analytics, you will be able to hone in on the sections of your site accessed by mobile devices in order to focus any changes there first. It may take but a few simple tweaks to make your existing site more robust for mobile users.

However, many societies are in dire need of a website overhaul. Too many have failed to update their site design from the earliest days of site building techniques and technologies. If your society is contemplating a fresh start to your web presence, building for the mobile future should not be overlooked. Many mobile ready site builders are available from Weebly to Wordpress. However site builders like EasyNetSites can be optimized to give the best possible view from a mobile device even though they do not offer mobile site building directly. It just takes a little forethought and planning.

Into the future

Mobile is not going away. In fact, mobile is set to expand even farther with the push towards wear-ables such as the forthcoming Apple Watch. While we may not expect to be doing much genealogical research from our wrists, the days of the desktop as our primary working computer are beginning to fade. Tablets, e-readers and smart phones allow us to work on our genealogical projects at any time, from anywhere. Societies will need to stay abreast of the latest changes in website design technology, search trends and computing tools to give their users the best possible experience with their face on the web.