November 2017 FGS Webinar: Building Bridges Between Societies

The November 2017 FGS Society Management webinar will feature Kim Ashford, who will present “Building Bridges Between Societies.” Learn how the German-American Genealogical Partnership was created, the lessons learned, and how working with other societies can strengthen and excite your membership.

Kim Ashford enjoys membership in multiple genealogical societies. She is one of the founders of the International German Genealogy Partnership (IGGP) which is bringing together societies from around the world that have an interest in German genealogy. She currently serves on the board of the Germanic Genealogy Society in Minnesota as Past President.

The webinar will be held on November 16, 2017, 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.

NEXT TIME: The topic for the December webinar is “Creative Programming Options for Small Societies,” to be presented by FGS President Rorey Cathcart. 

About the Webinar Series

Each month, the FGS Society Management 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.

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

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

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!

FGS and #GenChat: Focus on Societies

Do you #genchat? FGS does and we are proud to join host Jen Baldwin for her “Focus on Societies” series of chats beginning this month. As our member societies continue to expand their social media efforts to reach an increasingly tech savvy audience, collaborative events like #genchat offer high visibility opportunities for community engagement. Baldwin herself says it best:

“#genchat really is an ideal concept for societies to gain attention and followers on Twitter. The conversational tone of the chats allows for free-flowing input and gives organizations a chance to showcase their collections and member benefits.”

Reach a dedicated group of highly engaged genealogists as they discuss what their home societies do well or where they need to improve. Topics are specifically designed to give societies a chance to share their success, inspire others and learn from the community:

July 31st: Society Focus: Creative Programming

Is your society offering unique programming with great response? Want to learn from societies that are?

August 14th: Need research details? Get local!

Let the genealogy community know how your society can support their research goals. And maybe discover a need for services you could be offering.

September 11th: Society Focus: Technology

Share with the community how your society is successfully using tech to improve society management and support your members.

New to #genchat? Everything you need to know to join in can be found at http://www.genealogygenchat.com/how-it-works.html

Are you an FGS member society doing great thing but not on Twitter? Let us know at education@fgs.org and we’ll make sure to give your society a shout out while we are there.

EasyNetSites: Websites for Genealogy Societies

EasyNetSites for your Society Website

Does your society have an online presence? Maybe your website is stagnant because no one knows how to update it? Are you still using a static site that's stuck in the 1990s?

Join guest Tom Ryder, founder of EasyNetSites, who explains how societies can use this platform to create and maintain a welcoming website for their organization. The company provides direct training for up to 3 people, so your society won't get stuck when the one person who knows how to maintain the website is no longer available to handle it.

With several "prefab" database modules, shopping cart (with PayPal integration), discussion forums, and built-in members only section, your website can be up and running in no time.

Listen to the archived broadcast of "EasyNetSites: Websites for Genealogy Societies" 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:

• Society Web Sites: Plain and Simple
• Get the Word Out! Hints for Publicity Chairs
• Put Your Best Foot Forward: How Small Societies Get Noticed

SWAT: Analyzing Your Society from the Inside Out

Is your society stuck in a rut? Do your programs make watching paint dry seem exciting? Learn how can you analyze your society, taking into account its strengths and weaknesses, in order to improve member benefits and programs.

And what about after your brainstorming session? How do you overcome the "lull" in between board meetings to keep the momentum going?

Make this new year THE ONE for your society! From a board "retreat" to a simple whiteboard and pizza, guest Janet Hovorka and impromptu guest Paula Stuart-Warren discuss the different ways your society can put their heads together and come up with unique ideas to improve and/or expand the benefits and programs for your members.

Listen to the archived broadcast of "SWAT: Analyzing Your Society from the Inside Out" 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
• A Lakeside Retreat
• The Society in Crisis!

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

5 Reads Friday: Skeletons, German research resources, & more!

Here is our quick roundup of interesting tidbits from the genealogy community that trended this week on social media — a smattering of this and a smattering of that. Get in the know for the weekend with these 5 reads from FGS: 

1. Apparently, when one case closes, another one opens and another "skeleton" emerges. At least it did for Richard III and his DNA results. The Legal Genealogist  explains it all in Case Closed ... and Another Opened.
2. If you are researching your Irish Roman Catholic roots, the National Library of Ireland confirmed it will be digitizing and making available Irish Roman Catholic registers online. Get all the details from Claire Santry on Irish Genealogy News.
3. If you have German roots, you'll want to check out the German Genealogy Group's website which is full of all sorts of research resources and tips for the family historian. Not only did our tweet about them this week do very well on Twitter, we highlighted them on our Facebook Page today for #FollowFriday.
4. Planning to do some research at the Family History Library when you attend FGS 2015 in Salt Lake City in February? Tonia gives you her tips for visiting the library which holds the largest collection of genealogy materials in the world.
5. On Facebook this week, we shared a very helpful guide that is perfect for societies with members who are reluctant to use technology. It's definitely a common problem and this guide gives some great ideas to help society leaders overcome it. (WildApricot.com)

Access untapped resources for finding your ancestors. Find a society in FGS Society Hall today.

Strategic Planning for Genealogy Societies

Learn tools & tactics to develop a strategic plan.

With the new year approaching, short- and long-range goals are at the forefront of many society board meetings. Let's face it: everyone has an opinion and some are louder than others. Sometimes it's enough to put the entire board at each other's throats or bring board members to tears.

From member surveys to hiring an outside consultant, guest Kenyatta D. Berry, past President of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), explains some of the tools and tactics societies can utilize to get past all the personal feelings and the "we've always done it that way" attitude in order to develop a realistic strategic plan that board members can agree upon.

Listen to the archived broadcast of "Strategic Planning for Genealogy Societies" 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
Growing Your Society: An Outline of Ideas

New Year, New Board Members

Many local genealogical and historical societies are electing (or re-electing) board members this month. Sitting on a society board is a lot of work. It's hard enough to get volunteers to step up, so how can we make the transition easier for them so they don't run away screaming before the beginning of the year?

Need ideas for for making the transition from one board to the next less painful for everyone involved?  Guest Polly Fitzgerald Kimmitt, CG provides some ideas for that — like writing a mission statement and a brief history of the organization for the new people to review or creating standing rules for day-to-day operations. Also included are ideas for smoothing the interaction between new and pre-existing board members.

Listen to the archived broadcast of "New Year, New Board Members" 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

Want to know more?  Check out these topics from our Society Strategy Series:

How to Run an Election
Installation of Officers
Boardsmanship! Nine Principles

Also, check out one of our latest blog posts on the ins and outs of a well-crafted Mission Statement from FGS Director Cherie Bush:

Genealogy Societies: A Case for Creating a Mission Statement

Dear Santa: What I Want This Year for My Genealogy Society

The second week in November is Dear Santa Letter Week, and is typically reserved to encourage children to write their letters to Santa - mainly so grown-ups can harvest those ideas for gifts, but more importantly to exercise writing skills and creativity, while making family traditions.

We've taken a somewhat different approach.  In this episode of FGS Radio - My Society, fellow genealogists from all over the country call in and tell us what they want for their societies from "Santa."  Maybe you can get some ideas to start the brainstorming process and start making goals and objectives for your own society for the coming year!

Listen to the archived broadcast of "Dear Santa: What I Want This Year for My Genealogy Society" 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

Need additional resources for planning your society's future?  Check out these links to our Society Strategy Series:

Long Range Planning
Five Steps to Organizing a Society
Growing Your Society: An Outline of Ideas

Copyright and Your Society

Copyright and Your Society

November is National Family Stories Month, and today is also Common Sense Day.  What better way to celebrate both than by putting our common sense to work and learn about copyright before we start collecting and/or writing those family stories?

Copyright law is confusing, even on a good day.  Sometimes it feels like you need to keep a tiny lawyer in your pocket just to help keep you from using copyrighted materials!  Fortunately, Thomas MacEntee helps us out by explaining different ways to determine whether materials are still protected by copyright, and - even if they are - whether you are still allowed to use them and when.  He also provides places to find creative commons images for use in newsletters and on websites.

Thomas also provides some very helpful tips on how to make sure your own copyrighted material isn't being used without your permission.
Listen to the archived broadcast of "Copyright and Your Society" 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

The FamilySearch Research Wiki and Your Genealogy Society

FamilySearch Research Wiki

This is the last week of Family History Month, so we thought we'd tell you about a valuable tool that not only can be used for your personal research, but also for your society to use. Lise Embley of FamilySearch covers how the FamilySearch Research Wiki works and how it can be used to benefit your genealogy society and its members.

Learn the finer points of what a wiki is, how it works, and how everyone can get involved and help to make the FamilySearch Research Wiki an even more powerful research tool than it already is!

In case you're wondering, here's the FGS wiki page.

Listen to the archived broadcast of "The FamilySearch Research Wiki and Your GenealogySociety" 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

FGS 2015 Conference Publicity Contest

Would your society like to win a free registration to the FGS 2016
Conference? Of course it would.

All you have to do is help publicize the FGS 2015 Conference, submit an entry each time a promotion is published, and cross your fingers that your society is the lucky winner of the random drawing from those entries.

The FGS 2015 Conference will be held February 11–14, 2015, in Salt Lake City, Utah. The contest starts now.

Only FGS member societies are eligible to enter. If your society is not currently an FGS member, it's easy to join. Just visit the FGS website.

Publicize the FGS 2015 conference through your society newsletters, websites, blogs, and other publications. The winning society will receive an individual four-day registration for the FGS 2016 Conference in Springfield, Illinois. That registration may be used by the society's delegate to 2016, given away as a prize at a society event, or awarded in whatever way the society chooses.

It's easy to participate. At the FGS 2015 Media Center, societies can find resources to use in their newsletters and publications, as well as their websites and blogs, including logos, ads, and articles. These items can also be obtained by sending a request to conferences@fgs.org.

Contest Details

• FGS member societies should submit the convenient FGS 2015 Conference Publicity Contest Entry form for each qualifying article about or advertisement for the 2015 FGS conference that appears in the society's electronic and print publications. 
• All contest entries must be submitted by 12:00 am CST on January 25, 2015 to be eligible for the drawing. 
• One winner will be drawn from all eligible entries on February 11, 2015 at the FGS Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, during the Focus on Societies Day Luncheon. 
• The winning society will be announced at the luncheon and on the FGS Voice Blog. FGS will also contacted the society directly. 

FGS 2015 Program Spotlight: Focus on Societies Day

FGS 2015 Program Spotlight: Focus on Societies Day

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

FGS conferences kick-off with a day devoted to societies. While sessions on Thursday through Saturday are geared toward individual genealogists and family historians, Wednesday is the day for society leaders, society members, and those interested in learning more about societies to discover innovative ways to manage and grow societies, adapt changing technology to meet society needs, and become more involved with societies.

Focus on Societies Day at FGS 2015 begins with Successfully Embracing the Future. This opening session features three segments presented by three speakers explaining how your genealogical society can both adjust to and embrace change:

• "...Courage to Change the Things I Can..." Being a Successful Change Agent by Curt Witcher, MLS, FUGA, IGSF 
• Applying TLC to Create New Growth by Deena Coutant
• Being More than "Social" on Social Media by Jen Baldwin.  

The rest of the day features 30 sessions in six tracks. A few of those are highlighted below, but you'll find the entire program on the FGS 2015 Conference website.

Benefits and Projects

• Education is the core of our societies, and a seminar could bring new members, volunteers, and funding for projects. Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, FMGS, FUGA, explains how to be successful financially without much effort in Your Society Can't Afford to Do a Seminar? Here's How!
• A society project can be a daunting task. C. Ann Staley, CG, CGL, explains how to manage a society-wide project from start to completion with Organizing and Carrying Out a Society Project.

Communication for Today

• Jordon Jones explains how to evaluate the plethora of internal and external communication technical solutions available to your society with High Tech Communication Solutions for Societies.
• Learn strategies for making the most of social media for community engagement especially given the limits of volunteer resources from Rorey Cathcart in Social Media for Societies: It's Not a Bandwagon, It's a Freight Train!

Genealogical Society Leaders and Visionaries

• Change is our only constant. Curt Witcher, MLS, FUGA, IGSF, discusses and demonstrates ways to make technology and social changes work for our societies in Connecting, Exploring, Refreshing: Marshaling Change in Your Society.
• In Agents of Change: Genealogy Societies Today, Kris W. Rzepczynski, MLS, MA, looks at the impact genealogical societies can have on records, libraries and archives, and the research community.

Recruiting & Engaging

• We have all been the new kid in our societies at one time. D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS, discusses ways to welcome new officers, committee members, board members, and others to your society in New Kid on the Block: Embracing Your Society's New Volunteers.
• Learn how successful membership organizations increase participation in their societies with 7 Sure Fire Ways to Involve Elroy Jetson (& others) in Your Genealogical Society from J. Mark Lowe, CG, FUGA.

Technology for the Future

• Thomas MacEntee gives an overview of current technology resources available to be leveraged by any genealogical society in an easy-to-understand, non-techie format in Technology Initiatives for Genealogy Societies.
• Make your society website more than just a cookie-cutter version of all the others. Cyndi Ingle shares Tips for Robust Society Web Site, which include unique content and information to boost membership.

The 21st Century Genealogical Society for Today & Tomorrow

• Genealogy societies benefit by attracting new and younger members. Creating a DNA Interest Group is one way your society can do just that. CeCe Moore covers Bringing Your Society Into the 21st Century with a DNA Interest Group.
• Explore a variety of techniques to assist your society in finding stable ground within the fast-paced world of technology with D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS in Tradition and Technology: Finding Your Society's Balance.

Focus on Societies Day will allow you to connect with other society leaders; will allow you to explore those challenges you face today as a society leader; and will refresh and motivate you to help make your society even better.

Register today for FGS 2015.

FGS 2015 Conference Program: Tracks for Researchers and Societies

The Federation of Genealogical Societies 2015 Conference program features a compelling group of tracks for both society leaders and individual researchers presented by many of the best genealogy speakers and educators. Over the next few months, we'll take a close-up look at each track, but today is about the big picture.

FGS 2015, scheduled for February 11–14 in Salt Lake City, Utah, will have a mix of sessions focusing on methodology, records, technology, society issues, and topics specific to the general conference locale. Topics are designed for both the individual researcher and society leaders.

Focus on Societies Day, February 11, offers tracks designed to help society leaders better manage and grow genealogical societies of all sizes and levels.

Society Tracks:

• Benefits & Projects
• Communication for Today
• Genealogical Society Leaders and Visionaries
• Recruiting & Engaging
• Technology for the Future
• The 21st Century Genealogical Society for Today and Tomorrow

Sessions on Thursday, February 12, through Saturday, February 14, are designed for individual researchers of all experience levels from beginners to advanced. Genealogists often talk about brick walls, but learning sound methodology, where and how to find both the usual and unusual records, and information specific to the areas where your ancestors lived will help you tear down those walls.

Research Tracks:

• A Retro Look at Organization and Planning
• Answering Difficult Questions with Leading Questions
• Back to Basics
• Compiling Singular Records into Lively Stories
• Connecting to the Past with Military Commemorations
• DNA
• Ethnic Groups in the West
• Missionaries and Settlers
• Modern Access to Vintage Resources
• Origins
• Record Essentials
• Records and Methods for Your Consideration
• Standards and Practices
• Technology
• The Most Useful Records Hidden in Plain Sight
• Tried and True Methods
• Wagon Trains, Railroads, Migration, & Modern Transportation

The full program, including topics, descriptions, and speakers, is available on the FGS 2015 Conference website. We will spotlight each track over the next few months leading up to the conference in February. 

In the meantime, don't forget that Friday, September 12, 2014 is the last day to register for FGS 2015 for the lowest possible price.