FGS Society Strategy Series Now Available to the Public

For Immediate Release
February 28, 2011

FGS SOCIETY STRATEGY SERIES NOW AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC

Genealogy Society Management Papers by Well-Known Authors

February 28, 2011 – Austin, TX. The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) announces that a vast collection of its Society Strategy Series papers is now available—free to the public—at the FGS website (http://www.fgs.org/societystrategy/).

The Society Strategy Series is a collection of papers filled with suggestions and instructions for the management of genealogical societies, historical societies, and family associations. These papers have been expertly written by respected authors in the genealogy community to help you and your society grow and prosper.

Timely Topics by Well-Known Authors

Topics covered in the Society Strategy Series papers include:

• Series I: Strategies for Societies
• Series II: Strategies for Presidents
• Series III: Strategies for Vice-Presidents
• Series IV: Strategies for Treasurers
• Series V: Strategies for Secretaries
• Series VI: Strategies for Program Chairpersons
• Series VII: Strategies for Librarians
• Series VIII: Strategies for Editors

Most genealogists and genealogy society members will recognize the authors of the Society Strategy Series papers which include Jana Sloan Broglin, Karen Clifford, Betty Robertson Kaufman, Roberta “Bobbi” King, Gary Mokotoff, David Rencher, Curt Witcher, and the late Sandra H. Luebking and Marsha Hoffman Rising.

Newer Society Strategy Series topics are placed in the Members Only area of the FGS website for a period of one (1) year as a member benefit for FGS member societies. Additional new papers are being written and are planned for the coming year.

Helping Genealogy Societies Grow and Prosper

FGS is proud to make the Society Strategy Series available to the entire genealogical community as a means of helping societies become better at managing and growing their organizations.

FGS Announces Sandra H. Luebking Memorial

For Immediate Release
22 February 2011

FGS ANNOUNCES SANDRA H. LUEBKING MEMORIAL

Now Accepting Contributions to the War of 1812 Digitization Project

22 February 2011 – Austin, TX. The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) announces the establishment of the Sandra H. Luebking Memorial as a way of remembering the work and achievements of an influential leader in the genealogy community, the late Sandra Hargreaves Luebking.

With Sandra’s passing on 17 February 2011, we lost a teacher, a mentor, a colleague and a dear friend who made numerous contributions to the field of genealogy and family history.

Those who wish to remember Sandra and to help improve access to genealogy research records can now contribute to the Sandra H. Luebking Memorial to help make War of 1812 pension files available to researchers. As an active member of the FGS family and as Editor of FORUM from 1990 to 2010, Sandra was a huge supporter of the Preserve the Pensions project (http://www.fgs.org/1812/). This project was one of her personal choices as a memorial should anyone choose to honor her after her passing.

The Preserve the Pensions project is a national fund-raising initiative to raise $3.7 million to digitize of the War of 1812 pension files. The digitization process will enable online access by historians and family researchers to the memories and biographies of those who fought to protect our nation’s independence.

The pension records for the War of 1812 consist of more than 7.2 million documents in 180,000 files. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) receives more than three thousand requests per year for War of 1812 pensions, placing them among the most requested sets of records. Digitizing these valuable records will preserve the originals by removing them from continued heavy use. It will also make the images of the records much more widely available. NARA reports these important historical records already have been conserved and readied for digitization, so scanning could start as soon as funds are received. With the cost for digitizing and saving a single page from a pension file being fifty cents, supporters will see progress from the earliest days of the fund-raising initiative.

To make a contribution as a memorial to Sandra H. Luebking, visit the Preserve the Pensions donation page (https://www.fgs.org/1812/donation.php). The names of donors will appear in FORUM and a notice will be sent to Sandra's family.

Memorial Service for Sandra Hargreaves Luebking

The family of Sandra Hargreaves Luebking, who passed away last Thursday, February 17, 2011, has announced the following plans for a memorial service:

Saturday, April 2, 2011
10:00 am
Chapel Hill Gardens West
Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois

Directions to the service can be found here.

In Memoriam: Sandra Hargreaves Luebking

IN MEMORIAM: SANDRA HARGREAVES LUEBKING

Noted Genealogist and Former FGS FORUM Editor Passes

17 February 2011 – Austin, TX. The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Sandra Hargreaves Luebking, noted genealogist and one of the genealogy community’s best leaders who died on Thursday, 17 February 2011 at Lemont, Illinois, surrounded by her family. Funeral arrangements are still pending at this time.

A nationally known author, editor, instructor, lecturer, and researcher, Sandra was the editor of the FGS FORUM for over 22 years. Known for her radiant smile and helpful ways, almost everyone who was a member of or worked with a genealogical society, or attended a conference knew Sandra. In nearly three decades as a professional genealogist, she presented over one thousand lectures.

Beginning in 1979, Sandra taught annually at Samford University's Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) and twice accompanied their British Research tour. From 1990 to 2007 she was Course I Coordinator for IGHR. From 1994 until its close in 2005, Sandra was Intermediate Studies Coordinator for the Genealogical Institute of Mid-America (at the University of Illinois, sponsored by the Illinois State Genealogical Society). With Loretto Dennis Szucs, Sandra co-edited three award-winning books, including two editions of The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy; and The Archives: A Guide to the National Archives Field Branches. Sandra also wrote two chapters for Professional Genealogy (Elizabeth Shown Mills, editor) titled “Genealogical Education” and “Fee Setting.”

Helping thousands of people to find their Chicago/Cook County roots, Sandra conducted research projects for the Smithsonian Institute, numerous publishers and attorneys, and an international clientele from Australia, England, Finland, Germany and Sweden. She was a past trustee for the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) and a volunteer research assistant at the National Archives—Great Lakes Region.

Sandra’s honors included the Professional Achievement Award from the APG (2008); the Rabbi Malcolm H. Stern Humanitarian Award from FGS (2008); lecturer for the Richard Slatten Lecture Series by the Friends of the Virginia State Archives (2003) and, lecturer for the Willard Heiss Memorial Lecture at the 79th Annual Indiana History Conference (Indiana Historical Society) (1999). She was a Fellow of the Utah Genealogical Association (1996) and was named Outstanding IGHR Alumni by Samford University in 1995.