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,

Selected FGS Focus On Societies Day Recordings Available Now

New Resource for FGS Member Societies!

To help society leaders improve their society management skills, FGS offers a whole day at national conferences every year devoted to societies for all society leaders (FGS members or not) and their members followed by three days of excellent genealogy and family history sessions and workshops — open to anyone and for all skill levels. 

In an effort to expand some of the society management learning opportunities to more of our FGS Member Societies and thanks to the generosity of our speakers, FGS is now able to provide access to selected "Focus on Societies" Day audio recordings of selected past national conferences to FGS Member Society leaders! 

The first series of selected FGS "Focus on Societies" Day audio recording sessions that are available in the Members-only Area of the FGS website come from our FGS 2014 National Conference, "Gone to Texas" in San Antonio, Texas. Take a look at the lineup:

• Plenary Session and Strong Business Strategy = Sound Society Strategy, David E. Rencher and Ed Donakey — Run your society as successfully as a business. For all society delegates, members-at-large, and other interested parties.
• Strategic Planning for Society Leaders, Jordan Jones — The National Genealogical Society recently completed a strategic planning process. Come hear the President of NGS discuss strategic planning and how your society might benefit from it.
• Preparing for Change: Transition Planning and Your Society, D. Joshua Talyor — As new officers and committee members come into your society, it is essential that information is easily passed from one to the other. Learn ideas for planning transitions within your society (both the expected and unexpected).
• Embracing Technology: Tools You Can Use Today to Move Your Society Into Virtual Space, Jen Baldwin and D. Joshua Taylor — Learn about a variety of tools available to create a more efficient and organized collaborative online presence for your society.
• Is WordPress Right For My Society?, Randy W. Whited — It's not just for blogs anymore. The popular Content Management System (CMS), WordPress, powers about 20 percent of all websites. Learn more about the basics and extended capabilities of this tool and decide if it is right for you and your organization.
• Innovative Programs: The How-To, Cindy Foreman — Society programs can become stale and repetitive. Identifying topics and finding speakers can be challenging. Come learn a system that will help you develop fresh, interesting resources and programs.
• FGS Supports Member Societies (Sponsored by Dell), Ed Donakey — Learn how FGS supports societies and individuals by cooperating with for-profit and non-profit organizations to deliver tools and services for genealogists.
• It Sometimes Takes Two: Partnering with Other Societies or Organizations, Sandra J. Crowley — Learn how your society or organization can identify potential projects and organizations to partner with to help you both achieve your goals.
• Virtual Presentations for Genealogy Societies, Thomas MacEntee — Learn how you can expand your genealogy speaking opportunities to include virtual presentations from the comfort of your home or office.
• Creating a Community Indexing Project, Thomas MacEntee — Learn the available options for taking a set of genealogy records, creating an index, and sharing it with the genealogy community.
• The Dotted Line: Sign Before Other Steps, Paula Stuart-Warren — Handshake? Text message? Email? Available on__? Does this protect organizations, speakers, or researchers? Nope. No way. No how. Details need to be clear and agreed to by all parties. Leave this session prepared for the next event.
• Volunteering from a Distance, Paula Stuart-Warren — Learn how you can expand your genealogy speaking opportunities to include virtual presentations from the comfort of your home or office.
• Effective Advocacy, Teri E. Flack — Records are the lifeblood of genealogical research; however, their preservation and access continues to be threatened. Advocacy by the genealogical community, and your society in particular, can help mitigate the threats, but only if we act effectively.
• Electronic Publishing Fundamentals for Society Leaders, Jordan Jones — Your society may publish books, journals, and newsletters on paper, as PDFs, or in e-book format. Whether your society already publishes electronically, or you?re only considering it, learn ways to do it successfully.

To start listening to and learning from the experts, FGS Member Society leaders just have to log-in now to the Members-only Area of the FGS Website and click on "Focus on Societies" in the menu! 

Is your society not a member of FGS? Join FGS to start taking advantage of the suite of tools and services FGS provides its Member Societies!

Don't forget! If you like these topics, you'll love the lineup of our "Focus on Societies" Day at the FGS 2016 National Conference, "Time Travel: Centuries of Memories" this year in Springfield, Illinois, August 31 — September 3, 2016, with plentiful built-in networking opportunities for all society leaders (FGS members or not) followed by three days of excellent genealogy and family history sessions, workshops, luncheons, and special events open to anyone with an inkling of finding more about their family history. Take a look at the program now. Registration opens soon!

Reserve your exclusive space in FGS Society Showcase at Rootstech

Reserve your exclusive spot now!

At Rootstech 2016, the FGS booth will be enhanced giving FGS Member Organizations an opportunity to have exclusive space to meet with the thousands of attendees at this very popular conference for a very affordable price.

Last year, when FGS 2015 Annual Conference was combined with Rootstech, we encouraged Member Societies to send us flyers about their societies to give your society incredible exposure to thousands of attendees for free.

And since it was very popular, we are going to do that again for Rootstech 2016.

But in addition to that, we are now going to provide additional space for your society to meet and greet attendees within the FGS Booth in the Expo Hall for only $25 per Member Society. This will be space for your organization's representatives to have a chance to meet with attendees and talk about how your society can benefit them and their research.

If your society is interested in having exclusive space in the FGS Society Showcase booth in the Rootstech 2016 Expo Hall, please contact Membership@fgs.org to reserve your spot. Don't hesitate as these exclusive spaces will go quickly. 

If your society's leadership or representatives will not be at Rootstech for 2016, we will be providing space for your organization's flyers for free again. If you missed this opportunity last time, do not hesitate to send them now to give attendees an opportunity to see what your society has to offer them. To participate and for more information, please email Membership@fgs.org.

FGS Members and delegates should look for an email this week with all the details for participating. You don't want to miss this incredible opportunity to reach thousands of potential new members.

If your organization is not a FGS Member, join now to take advantage of this great publicity opportunity as well as to start accessing the suite of benefits an FGS Membership offers today's society.

Membership Renewal Time Is a Great Opportunity to Support the Preserve the Pensions Project

Societies typically have Membership Renewals distributed to their current members during the last quarter of the year. The renewal time is a perfect opportunity to support the preservation of the War of 1812 pension files. 

Simply add a separate line to your society's renewal form and when the donations start rolling in, forward them on to the Preserve the Pensions project at www.preservethepensions.org. 

Societies can create their own text, or pick from the ideas we have created for societies to use on their membership renewal forms:

• Donate to the War of 1812 Preserve the Pensions Project: ($25, $35, $45, or any amount of your choice) $_______________
• Contribution to Preserve the Pension ($25, $35, $45) $________________ 
• I am adding a contribution to help Preserve the War of 1812 Pension Files $_______________

Any amount helps!

Fran Jensen

FGS Preserve the Pensions Committee

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.

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

FGS 2015 Delegate of the Conference

We are very pleased to announce the FGS 2015 Delegate of the Conference is Tom Hobbs of the Member Society Dade County (MO) Genealogical Society!

Friday FGS 2015 Delegate of the Day

Congratulations to Donna Hartwig from Member Society Peoria County (IL) Genealogical Society for being selected as FGS 2015 Delegate of the Day for Friday, 13 Feb 2015!

Thursday FGS 2015 Delegate of the Day

Congratulations to Elizabeth Demmon FGS Delegate from Member Society Puget Sound (WA) Genealogical Society for being selected as the FGS 2015 Delegate of the Day for Thursday, 12 Feb 2015!

Wednesday FGS 2015 Delegate of the Day

Kim Cotton, FGS Delegate of the Day

Congratulations to Kim Cotton the FGS Delegate from the Member Society California Genealogical Society and Library for being selected as the FGS 2015 Delegate of the Day for Wednesday, 11 Feb 2015.

If Your Society Folded Today, Would Anyone Care?

What does success look like?

The new year is fast approaching, and we're asking the hard questions here at FGS.

What does success mean to your genealogical society?  Membership numbers? Meeting attendance? Quantity (or quality) of historic document archives?  Have you set measurable goals?  Are you actually tracking the numbers?  How active is your board, and your society as a whole, when it comes to working toward reaching those goals?

Guest Randy Whited provides insight into planning, measuring, and amending goals to see the greatest success.  From the date and time of your society meetings to creating special interest groups and programs, learn how your society can become and continue to be relevant to the community - whether it's a small local society or a regional or state-wide society.

Listen to the archived broadcast of "If Your Society Folded Today, Would Anyone Care?" on the blogtalkradio My Society channel by FGS, or you can listen below:

Check Out History Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with mysociety on BlogTalkRadio

For more information, check out these articles from our Society Strategy Series:

• Long Range Planning

• Now That You've Attracted Those Members, Keep Them!

• Put Your Best Foot Forward: How Small Societies Get Noticed

The Doctor Is In - Solving Your Genealogy Society Problems

The Doctor is In - Solving Your Genealogy Society Problems

Taking a little different approach to the standard radio show, Thomas MacEntee answers listener questions about current issues and problems that genealogy societies face all the time.

Here is a sample of some of the issues that are discussed:

• How do you get new people to run for office (aside from nominating them when they aren't present)?
• How do you get new members?
• How do you know what your members want?
• What needs to be done to start a new society?
• How do you make money other than membership fees?
• Does your mission statement reflect current ideals?

Listen to the archived broadcast of "The Doctor is In -- Solving Your Genealogy Society Problems" on the blogtalkradio My Society channel by FGS, or you can listen below:

Popular History Internet Radio with mysociety on BlogTalkRadio

FGS 2014 Election - Voting is now open

FGS 2014 Election - Voting is now open.

Voting is now open for FGS Delegates & Member Society Representatives

All FGS delegate and FGS member society representatives are eligible and encouraged to vote for the 2014 slate of FGS officers.

The Federation of Genealogical Societies has compiled another outstanding list of candidates for election to the FGS Board and Executive Committee: http://www.fgs.org/cpage.php?pt=118. 

After clicking on "Vote Here," you will be asked to log in with your society's username and password.

If you need any assistance in locating that information, please contact the FGS Membership team at membership@fgs.org.

Voting will remain open until 30 September 2014. 

As always, please feel free to contact FGS with any questions about your login information or your society's FGS membership. Thank you for your interest in and support of FGS and its programs and services.

Sincerely,

Kris W. Rzepczynski

Vice-President - Membership
Federation of Genealogical Societies
membership@fgs.org.

Who Do You Think You Are? Events for Genealogy Societies

Who Do You Think You Are? Events for Genealogy Societies

Well, season 5 of TLC's Who Do You Think You Are? is over. Before your society members start experiencing withdrawals, check out this archived broadcast of the FGS Radio - My Society!

Rebecca Hill, head librarian for the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont, Ohio, shares how to put on a (modified) local version of the show for some folks in the community ... on a small society budget.

Several positive results from the programs include increased attendance at their monthly meetings and an increase in membership! (The fact that, as program chair, Becky didn't have to find a program for those three months didn't hurt either).

You will also learn how they were subsequently able to turn the modified program into a fantastic fundraiser for the society.

Listen to the archived broadcast of "Who Do You Think You Are? Events for Genealogy Societies" on the blogtalkradio My Society channel by FGS, or you can listen below:

 Current History Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with mysociety on BlogTalkRadio

FGS Announces Three-part Webinar Series on Genealogy Society Membership and Communication

The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) welcomes George G. Morgan, President of Aha! Seminars, Inc. and VP of Membership for FGS, as he presents a three-part webinar series on genealogy society membership and communication.

• Tuesday, October 22, 2013, 8:00-9:00 pm EDT
  The Shape of the 21st Century Genealogical Society
  We've come a long way as genealogical and historical societies. New technologies such as blogs, print-on-demand publishing, Facebook, Twitter, mobile phone apps, podcasts, webinars, and others have drastically changed what we can do for our societies. This session discusses how the modern society can provide a rich experience for its members and get its message out to the world.
  Click on the link to register for the webinar:
  https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/409683718

• Monday, November 4, 2013, 8:00-9:00 pm EST
  Harness the Power of Email in Your Society
  Email is a powerful tool that, within your society, can build excitement and encourage member participation. Learn the types of email communications that capture attention. Create a professional presence for your organization. Discover strategies for effectively using and managing email. Uncover ways to publicize who you are and what you offer. Attract and keep members!
  Click on the link to register for the webinar:
  https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/421955302

• Monday, November 18, 2013, 8:00-9:00 pm EST
  How to Develop and Implement Affordable Membership Benefits
  Genealogical and historical societies are struggling to attract and retain members while striving to stay solvent. It is essential to offer tangible benefits year-round. This session discusses best practices that can be put in place to provide affordable benefits to members.
  Click on the link to register for the webinar:
  https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/111785582

George G. Morgan is president of Aha! Seminars, Inc., and an internationally recognized genealogy expert who presents at conferences and on genealogical cruises around the world.

George is the prolific author of hundreds of articles for magazines, journals, newsletters, in genealogical publications, and at online sites internationally. The third edition of his bestselling tenth book, How to Do Everything: Genealogy, was published in 2012. He and Drew Smith have co-authored a new book, Advanced Genealogy Research Techniques, that was published by McGraw-Hill in August 2013 and leads the genealogy sales charts at Amazon.com.

He has been the Vice President of Membership for the Federation of Genealogical Societies for the past four years, and has been an officer for many other genealogical and professional organizations. He is a member of the APG, ISBGFH, and other societies in the U.S. and the U.K.

He is co-host with Drew Smith of The Genealogy Guys^SM  Podcast, the longest running genealogical podcast, with thousands of listeners around the globe.

Learn How To Attract New Members Using Affiliate Programs

Flip-Pal Affiliate Program for Genealogy Societies

Click here to register: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/284163806

Sponsored by Flip-Pal® mobile scanner

Tuesday, May 22, 2012
9:00 pm Eastern
8:00 pm Central
7:00 pm Mountain
6:00 pm Pacific

Presenters:

Robin Evans
Business Development Manager
Flip-Pal® mobile scanner

Thomas MacEntee
Ambassador
Flip-Pal® mobile scanner

Genealogical societies and organizations are always looking for ways to attract new members, new income streams as well as new benefits for their existing members.

Participating in the Flip-Pal® mobile scanner Affiliate Program is one way to tackle all these issues. By partnering with Flip-Pal, you’ll create a way that your society can earn commissions of up to 13% on Flip-Pal® mobile scanners and accessories purchased through your affiliate link.

In this fun and informative webinar, you'll learn from Robin Evans and Thomas MacEntee how to get your society's Flip-Pal® mobile scanner Affiliate Program up and running in no time!

Give the Gift of FGS

Hi readers. This is Paula Stuart-Warren, a member of the FGS Board of Directors. I really enjoy listening to the FGS My Society Radio Shows. In the live chat room during a recent show, Doug Williams of Illinois made a terrific suggestion. He gave permission for me to share his idea with readers. Doug suggested we give a gift membership in the Federation of Genealogical Societies to our society if they aren't a member. It's not that expensive! It would make a perfect Hanukkah, Christmas, or society anniversary gift. Memberships run on a calender year basis. Click here for details. It's as low as $35.00 for a society of 50 members or less and only $115.00 for a society of 1000+ members. Memberships may be done online or by regular mail. We will let you know if his society joins with his contribution.

Doug wrote:

Listening to the December 10th FGS radio show, and participating in the chat room conversation, I couldn't help but think that FGS provides great resources and services for genealogical societies. I knew that local Illinois societies are active FGS members, but wasn't sure about my hometown society. Not finding them on the FGS membership list I thought that perhaps gifting a membership to FGS might be a way to encourage them to "give it a try" and see what FGS has to offer them. My hope is that the society leadership would become aware of the excellent resources available to the society as a member of FGS, including subscriptions to the FGS FORUM, conference attendance, and the many FGS resources offered to help with society organization and management; for example, access to the Society Strategy Papers and the Bylaws, Newsletter, and Website Review Committees. After seeing all the benefits available, I wonder if there might be other societies who might benefit from a gift membership to FGS. Even those societies that are already FGS members might appreciate the budgetary assistance received from a contribution earmarked for FGS membership renewal. Seems like a great way to promote FGS and help enrich a society at the same time!

My personal history of financial contribution to a genealogical society? Many times during the past 10 or so years, when renewing my membership with [my hometown society], I've added an additional amount as a contribution to the society in excess of the $15 annual dues. Sometimes it's been another $10, sometimes more, depending on the state of my personal finances at year's end. I've never stipulated how they use the contribution but I believe they've used it mostly for the society library's needs. Most years I've received a nice note from the society leadership thanking me for the donation. 

This year my contribution will be a little bit more, probably $100, which should more than cover the FGS membership fee for the [society name]. With my contribution check I will include a note repeating much of the above, along with a copy of the FGS Benefits of Membership information from the FGS website, and a blank copy of the FGS Membership Form. (I'll let you know, Paula, if I receive a response from the society.)"

FGS Announces Two New Member Benefits - Website and Newsletter Reviews

Genealogy Society Website and Newsletter Reviews

October 26, 2011 – Austin, TX. The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) is pleased to announce two new member benefits for genealogical societies, historical societies, and family associations.

The first new benefit is a free review of an organization’s website. A member society can request a review of one, several, or all areas of its website. The review may include suggestions for design, layout, format, font use and contrast, ease of navigation and use, effective use of graphics, and inclusion of content.

The second new benefit is a free review of an organization’s newsletter, regardless of whether it is printed or electronic. A member society can submit two consecutive newsletters and request a complete review or ask specific questions. The review may include suggestions concerning design elements and format, including use of specific fonts, placement of graphical elements, and use of white space. It also may include suggestions for additional content. An organization working to “go green” and produce an electronic newsletter can receive feedback on how to format and create a quality newsletter using PDF software.

These two new member benefits along with the free review of a society’s bylaws represent some of the many services that FGS provides to its members to help them become more effective and efficient. Information about each of these services and how to submit materials to FGS for review can be found in the Members Only area of the FGS website at http://fgs.org/membersonly/.

Great Gift Idea for Your Genealogist Friends!

Are you having a tough time figuring out the perfect gift to give your genealogy friends? It isn't so difficult after all. Give them a gift that they will enjoy all year long. Give them a membership in your local genealogy society.

A genealogy society membership gives your friends access to all of the meetings and educational programs throughout the year. If the society produces newsletters or journals, these publications can keep them up-to-date with happenings in the genealogical community. Your friends can also get involved in society projects. But most of all, they will make new friends with others who share the excitement of genealogy.

Don't worry if they already have a society membership. You can give them an year's extension for their membership. Just talk with your local society's treasurer to make it happen and to obtain a gift notification.

You can locate society contact information at FGS Society Hall at http://fgs.org/societyhall/index.php. Simply go to the web address, select a state, and click the Search Society Hall button. A list of societies will be displayed in name order. Societies that are FGS members are denoted with the FGS logo at the left. Click on the society and follow the links to either their website or to email their contact person.

You can't go wrong with a gift of a genealogical society membership! And let your family know that it's a great gift for you too!

FGS Membership Dues Renewals Emailed This Week

Hello!

The Federation of Genealogical Societies emailed its members this week to request dues renewals for 2011. The email was different this year in that it did not include a document requesting updates to our members' information. Instead, we provided a link to a PDF file for the renewal. We are actively inviting our members to send us the most current information about their societies. We will, in turn, update our membership database.

In addition, the information about your organization's address, primary contract address, and website address, will be updated in your Society Hall listing. (Your updates, too, will now update the FGS Membership Database.)

It is imperative that you update your Society Hall listing and/or email FGS at membership@fgs.org so that we have the best possible email contact information for you. We will also update the FGS FORUM database so that we can alert you when a new issue of the magazine is available and alert you to member services benefits.

Please send an email to membership@fgs.org if your primary contact person or your society delegate did not receive a membership renewal notice earlier this week. We'll re-send that to you.

You are very important to us! The Federation of Genealogical Societies is a very proactive organization, active in education, publications, preservation and access, and two-way electronic communications. We need your help too!

The FGS membership year runs from January 1st to December 31st. You don't want to miss out on existing benefits and the new benefits we have planned for 2011. Please get your annual FGS membership dues to FGS by December 31st. I can send you the FGS Membership Form if you would like to join. Please simply email me at membership@fgs.org.

Together we can make a difference!

George G. Morgan
Vice President of Membership Services
Federation of Genealogical Societies