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Midwest Computer Genealogy Volume 9 Number 6
The Midwest Computer Genealogy group meets the 3rd Saturday of each
month in the Community room at Bannister Mall. The meetings
start at 9 AM. Enter the mall the south main mall entrance on
the east side of the building. The community room entrance is to
the left once inside the mall entrance doors.
The June progaram will be open discussion on the future of MCG and
questions and answers to fill up the balance of the meeting time.
To volunteer or make suggestions for programs please contact Judy
Revare at Judy@revare.com or Jack Revare at Jack@revare.com. Judy is
the group program chairperson.
The Family Origins users group meets monthly but by the time I get
notice of the monthly meeting and get the newsletter out the meeting
has come and gone so to keep up on the FOG meeting please visit the
web sites listed as follows.
To go directly to the FOG page use this URL: http://chezjacq.com/MCG.htm#FOG.
Check the web site for the July 13 from 09:00 am to 11:00 AM at the
Blue Valley Library, 151st and Antioch. Or you can contact Rowena at
snowtop@juno.com for more information.
To check on MCG use: http://chezjacq.com/MCG.htm
this site contains the list of future MCG meetings as well as the
newsletter.
President's Comments for June.
Well I guess this will be my last article for the Midwest Computer
Genealogist's Newsletter. Now before you all start cheering, let me
tell you this, I am wearing my extra heavy-duty winter earmuffs just
so I can't hear all the loud cheering. In a way I guess you could call
this my "Swan Song", so I guess I will --- this is my
"Swan Song". I have enjoyed being a member and being an
officer of this organization for all these years. I have learned a lot
and hope some of you have learned something too. In my case, starting
at the bottom, as far as knowledge about genealogy and computers go, I
really had no way to go but up. Any way it has been fun, entertaining,
educational for me.
Here are some of the things that have been accomplished since you
elected me as president. We have had two revisions of our by-laws. We
have obtained some rather nice equipment to enhance our program
presentations. We have been meeting at Bannister Mall, a more central
location, for all of our meetings for nearly a five-year period of
time. We have had three official special interest groups meeting on a
monthly basis. I think those are all pluses for our organization. I
want to let you know that I am not claiming any part of the credit for
any of these accomplishments, I consider these accomplishments to be a
result of an up and coming organization with lots of fine members. You
elected me as president at our September meeting 1997, and I have held
the easiest job in this organization ever since. I very much
appreciate all of the hard work of all of the other officers and our
newsletter editor during that time, they are the ones that have made
this organization function, as it should. I believe we have
accomplished our stated purpose, which is, (from our by-laws Article
II -- PURPOSE) "to provide a social organization where
individuals with common interest may meet to foster study, evaluate,
test and exchange ideas relating to genealogy and the dissemination of
information to interested parties concerning computers, software and
other information relating to genealogy".
Now let me tell you what I have accomplished as president. When you
elected me as president, we had about 120 members with as average of
70 to 80 members attending each meeting; sometimes we had close to a
hundred present. Now we have about 35 members and 20 to 30 members
present for meetings. We had three official special interest groups
meeting at various times on a monthly basis. Now we have one official
special interest group meeting monthly. We are about to be kicked out
of our meeting place.
Maybe I did not really make all of that happen to our group, but
that is what has happened. Do you wonder why? I have wondered for some
time, I have written about this problem on previous occasions. I have
discussed it at meetings. No one seems to have the answer to what our
problem is. Unfortunately it is difficult to correct a problem when
you do not know what the problem is. It is my opinion that this
organization has out lived its usefulness and therefore has fewer and
fewer people who need help in learning to use a computer, or software
or other high tech gadgets to do their genealogy. Computers have
become much easier to use and software is so friendly that it almost
does your work for you. I think we will have fewer and fewer members
in the future, but I think we will always have some. I doubt that our
membership, at our present dues rate, will be able to afford to pay
for a meeting place and certainly will not have enough money to pay
for speakers if that need becomes necessary.
I believe that it is time to regroup, and re-evaluate what it is we
are doing or want to be doing. Let's see if any of the things we are
doing are actually fulfilling any needs that our members think they
have. If we find that the organization still has a reason to exist,
then so be it. Lets get on with it in some fashion that we can afford
for a much smaller group. Maybe it is time to re-consider the offer
that Mid-Continent Library made to us a few years back. At that time
they really did not have adequate room for our large group, that is
not the case now, and the location would still be fairly central, and
the price was right. If we find that our group really does not meet
any needs of our members, maybe we can change what it is we have been
doing to better meet our member needs. I think it might be
enlightening to have members state what he or she believes their needs
to be. Then, again, maybe it is time to disband. Our by-laws tell us
how we are to accomplish that deed if it becomes necessary. Maybe what
we need to do is continue on as one or more special interest groups.
Maybe that is where the needs can better be fulfilled.
See you Saturday June 15, 2002
Wayne
Member Comments
Dear MCG member,
As you know, Midwest Computer Genealogists (MCG) membership has
steadily declined in recent years. This decline is apparently due to
our becoming more comfortable with computer technology and less
dependent on others to help resolve our computer issues. In any case,
the future of MCG is very much in question. This, in turn, places in
jeopardy the right of the two user groups (Family Origins and The
Master Genealogist) to use the audio-visual equipment owned by MCG.
As I understand the MCG bylaws, if that group were to disband then the
audio-visual equipment is to be sold and the proceeds distributed
equally among the remaining MCG members. Without the video projector,
the user groups cannot function effectively. There are
alternatives. One alternative is to keep MCG going. This will require
the active participation of all members and especially those who will
volunteer to serve as officers. As it stands now, Treasurer is the
only office filled for the year beginning July 2002. It may also
become necessary to increase membership dues to enable the payment of
speaker fees to expert/professional genealogists. Other
alternatives include (1) the purchase of the audio-visual equipment by
one or both user groups, or (2) the assimilation of one or both user
groups into another local genealogical organization. The purpose of
this email is to encourage you to consider the stated alternatives and
to propose other alternatives.
Please plan to attend the MCG meeting -- third Saturday in June -- to
express your opinions on these issues and to vote. And please consider
serving in an official capacity with MCG during the next twelve
months.
If you will consider serving as an officer of MCG, please email me at
<jimstout@earthlink.net>.
Thank you! Jim Stout
Old Geezers
"Geezers" are easy to spot: At sporting events, during the
playing of the National Anthem, Old Geezers hold their caps over their
hearts and sing without embarrassment. They know the words and believe
in them. Old Geezers remember World War I, the Depression, World War
II, Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, Normandy and Hitler. They remember the
Atomic Age, the Korean War, The Cold War, the Jet Age and the Moon
Landing, not to mention Vietnam.
If you bump into an Old Geezer on the sidewalk, he will apologize. If
you pass an Old Geezer on the street, he will nod or tip his cap to a
lady. Old Geezers trust strangers and are courtly to women. Old
Geezers hold the door for the next person and always, when walking,
make certain the lady is on the inside for protection.
Old Geezers get embarrassed if someone curses in front of women and
children and they don't like and filth on TV or in movies. Old Geezers
have moral courage. They seldom brag unless it's about their
grandchildren.
It's the Old Geezers who know that our great country is protected not
by politicians or police, but by the young men and women in the
military serving their country.
This country needs Old Geezers with their decent values. We need them
now more than ever. Thank God for Old Geezers!
The following was sent in by J. Suman and is from the March 29th
GenHhumor column.
ONLY THE MEN HAD BABIES
My ancestor William had children
All named, & with birth dates & places.
But his wife is not even mentioned;
Of her there are not even traces.
Surely she must have existed,
Was born, was a child, & had dreams.
Grew up & learned how to keep house,
Was a person---but nameless, it seems.
She had parents, & someplace, a home.
Her brothers are listed no doubt.
But she was only a girl
So not really worth telling about.
She was half my ancestor's heritage;
Without her he wouldn't have life.
His genes are half hers,
but I find She was only his father's wife.
Once a girl was first "dau", then was "wife."
She belonged to her father, till married,
And then she belonged to her husband,
And beside him, unnamed, she was buried.
How awful to think MY descendants
Might search for a name for me,
Be unable to find my identity,
And wonder just who I might be.
Author~ Dr. Dorothy Branson
Some URL listing to look at if they are new to you.
Here's a line for the INS and there's a link on this page for the
"history of naturalization." http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/services/natz/
Here's a line for the INS and there's a link on this page for the
"history of naturalization."
Since source citations are always important, listers might want to
look at this site: http://catalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&PAGE=bbSearch
Listings give you the LOC call number, ISBN, and enough detail for
anyone. The search filters also recognize letters unique to
non-English alphabets.
Here are some maps for WI, MN and IL.
It looks like by changing the state abbreviation to whatever state you
want to look at it will work.
Virus protection:
You can download a free version (English only) of AVG antivirus
software from http://www.grisoft.com/html/us_downl.htm
To check on virus hoaxes you may go to the following site. http://www.datafellows.fi/hoaxes/jdbgmgr.shtml
TMG has a new version 5 out now and for more information check out
their web site at www.whollygenes.com.
It has been supposedly reengineered with many new features in
it. I got an offer via email from them and so have an order
placed on 5-28 with them that had a good price break on it for UFT
promotion. Now when it ships is a question I am waiting on. For
a comparison or "Report Card" on all genealogy programs try http://www.mumford.ab.ca/reportcard/index.htm
it will tell you what programs are out there and what they will do.
All of the above URLs are off of email lists that I subscribe to and
many I have not looked as of yet.
Contact members of the group are as follows:
President----------Wayne Boydston 816-230-3140
odessssadoc@juno.com
Vice President----Ralph Stirlen ------816-532-0229
rstirlen@swbell.net
Co-sec--------------Ivan Waite --------816-318-0892
ilwait@earthlink.net
Co-sec--------------Mary Robison-----913-384-3339
MHRobinson@aol.com
Program chair-----Judy Revare-------913-491-1768 judy@revare.com
Treasurer----------William Hawkins---913-631-6294 bihawk@earthlink.net
Group dues are $12 a year and the year runs from June 30th to July 1st
of the following year. New member dues are prorated at a dollar
a month for balance of club year remaining.
Don Bjuland (editor) dbjuland@worldnet.att.net
I want to thank those that sent me articles and I do have some others
but will cut it off at 4 pages for now and save them for a later
issue.
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