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Midwest Computer Genealogists
newsletter for July 2002

Volume 9 Number 7


The Midwest Computer Genealogy group usually meets the 3rd Saturday of each month in the Community room at Bannister Mall but for the months of July and August of 2002 there will be no meetings to allow the new program group time to get organized and set up programs.  Also our attendance in these two months is usually a lot lower than other months that have been running 20 to 30 per meeting.  This is down a lot from the past.


The Family Origins users group meetings times and places can be found by going directly to the FOG page by using this URL: http://chezjacq.com/MCG.htm#FOG Or you can contact Rowena at snowtop@juno.com for more information.

To check on MCG use: http://chezjacq.com/MCG.htm this site should contain the list of future MCG meetings as well as the newsletter.


Combination Secretary and President’s Comments for the month.

I need to get this going as of now but have not been in the mood as just back from a couple of weeks in Minnesota and got in the second of two floods they had in two weeks in the Norman county area.  Roads under water in places and many washed out as well as bridges gone.  Miles and miles of farm fields all black and crops gone.  Then I got back and had 1065 email waiting for me on the server along with some attachments that made up a download of about 9 Meg.  Looks like one big server bucket.

The June meeting had 24 present with no old business and for new business it was the election of officers for the coming year.  The nominating committee had no candidates to put forward except for the office of treasurer.  William Hawkins was elected.

There was must discussion about the group and I will try to list some of it.  My note taking is not as good as it used to be so bare with me.

There was talk that maybe our group has outlived it usefulness as computers are getting more commonplace and the software programs are getting more user friendly.  It is hard to come up with programs.  Also should we pay the speaker a fee and would it get better programs?  What topics do the people want to see?  Some one brought forward the idea of how do you use a computer for family reunions.  There was also talk of disbanding the group as no officers to lead.  Could we combine with some other genealogy group?

Your editor finally volunteered to step forward as president to lead the meetings and such but would need a lot of help with programs set up and such.  This will maybe buy some time for all to think of what the groups can offer and how.

No one offered to be newsletter editor and we have no secretary at the moment so it is a three-fold opportunity for me at the moment.

Rowena suggested that maybe we could meet at Fox Wood in Raymore but that adds miles for some to come.  Rowena has informed me Fox wood is available except for the month of September and they have reserved the room for future months if we wish to use it.  The Bannister Mall location is sort of questionable as to how long we can use as the plans of Bass World are not completed so far. The treasurer was asked to not pay room rent for July and August.  As of now I don't know if it would be available for September which was to be the next meeting date that was approved by the members present at the June meeting.  Does any one have any other thoughts on meeting places?


We had the following individuals volunteer for the program committee.
(James E. Stout) jimstout@earthlink.net
(George Wiszneauckas) geowis@aol.com
(Rowena J. Shaffer) snowtop@juno.com
(Ruth MaGill) armagill@worldnet.att.net

(Judy Revare) judy@revare.com volunteered to be vice president to help the group and keep it going.

The group has quite of bit of investment in equipment that has to be accounted for if the group goes away so fellow members like us hear for you as to what we should do.

What do you wish for programs as to topics and how often should we meet and where?  It is your group so get back to the program committee or your editor and we will see what we can do.

Should we disband?  Was a few who thought we should at the June meeting.

How often should we meet?

Also could use help as editor to put the newsletter out or could use articles of things you do or ideas that may help others.

The Family Tree Maker users do you have questions or helpful tips to add in here?

I think I have asked this before but does anyone have a problem they would like to submit to the newsletter for publishing to get an answer or help?

There well probably be no newsletter in August but there will be one in be early September.  I need a rest.  Will be going to the AFRA conference next weekend and see what they have to offer.  Maybe pick up some ideas there.

Again remember it is your group so let us know what you want the group to do and maybe we can get it back up to its old size again.  Maybe the newsletter needs improvements also.  By the way I found out I had the wrong name on it when I looked at some old issues.  I had been calling it Midwest Computer Genealogy and it should have been genealogist.

Here is helpful hint form group Member J. Suman.  I talked about this URL at the last meeting and a number of people were interested in having it.  They thought it should be in the newsletter.


I found I had better luck putting in the first and last name in the first search box.  I also printed out their instructions, you need an acrobat adobe, which most computers have or you can download.  This was part of what it says: PRO-Online is the Public Record Office's on-line system for downloading digital images of public records. At present we have images for Probate records (Wills) from 1820-1829 and 1840-1858 and also Cabinet and Chiefs of Staff papers from 1971. For information on Wills after 1858 we will continue to expand our collection of digitized records.

Downloading an image of a will or a map costs £3.  Downloading other images is FREE.  Try out the system by downloading Shakespeare's Will.

I got fifty hits on one name. It included land records, court cases, wills, etc. If you click on one you are interested in, it will give a short summary with a time frame and what is included. The ones I checked gave the name and addresses as well as dates. Some of the land records and court cases gave the spouse's name also. It is much cheaper than sending for a record, and you get it instantly.  They give you six days in which you may make as many copies as you want.  You can put it on your credit card, as it is a secure site and handled by the Bank of Scotland.


For you URL lookers here is one that will lead you to a lot of sites to date old photographs.

Here is an article from Ivan Waite (I should be doing more of this also)
COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY ASSISTS IN PERSONAL WEIGHT-LOSS
Computer technology, particularly the use of e-mail, has found a new use in assisting persons enrolled in a personal weight-loss program with TOPS, Inc. TOPS which stands for Take Off Pounds Sensibly, is an international not-for-profit personal weight-loss program which began in mid-1950s over cups of coffee at a kitchen table in the city of Milwaukee, WI.  TOPS, Inc. now has numerous local chapters serving thousands of adults and teens that are seeking help with personal weight loss and weight maintenance. There are many TOPS chapters located across the states of Missouri and Kansas which pro-vide an opportunity weekly to weight for record at a chapters central location on the same calibrated scales, from week to week.

Each Chapter selects two members in good standing who volunteer to serve as Official Weight Recorders.  These Recorders not only weight each member on weekly basis, but they must keep very accurate records of each member’s attendance and recorded weight.  Other positions of chapter responsibility include that of Secretary, Treasurer, Educational and Informational Program Chair, Co-Leader and Leader. Weekly 30-40 minute programs focus on various aspects of behavioral habits related to personal consumption of food and beverages, diet, nutrition, exercise, and personal fitness and health.  The use of e-mail & interactive computer technology is relatively new to many of our TOPS chapters across the U.S. In MO, we have the MO LOOP, which is a weight-loss support group of volunteer communicators via e-mail.  Also, the volunteers of MO LOOP provide, primarily in text form, electronic messages and attachments, which are articles, prepared by well-qualified professional researchers and practitioners in the various fields of behavioral psychology, diet, nutrition, exercise, fitness, and related subjects.

Since this network of TOPS member volunteers is in the public domain of e-mail, any interested adult or teen can request to be placed in the electronic address book for daily/weekly e-mail correspondence from about 30 to 40 currently registered adults and teens residing in Missouri.

Men, Women, and Teens wishing to become a registered participant of MO LOOP may contact JEANNE TAYLOR, Springfield, MO, @rutsgal._(not complete as of now)__.___  Participants of the MO LOOP should expect to receive several messages daily dispatched by LOOP participants to all other registered LOOP participants.

The reader of this expository epistle may ask. How is personal weight loss related to genealogy??  It is not directly genealogically oriented.  Yet, we know that as Genealogists we are very interested in our genetic history and that or our ancestors, etc.

As Genealogists, we are also very interested and should be more aware of our genetic propensities and weaknesses, so that we might be better able to recognize and to constructively cope with our propensities as related to our own habits of diet, nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle. Why should Genealogists care about healthful personal weight loss and or maintenance?  For one thing, as a Genealogists we should want to identify our genetic and other weaknesses which develop out of our own choices of intake of Calories, Fats, and Sodium, and substances such as Caffeine, Carbons, Nicotine, etc. This identification and intentional constructive changes in our lifestyle can generally lead to a healthier genetic legacy for future generations, IF we make our modification in our lifestyle an intentional act.

TOPS, Inc.  provides the motivational support and the know-how. Local chapters provide the one-on-one emotional support and motivation. TOPS members provide the desire, the will, and the perseverance to reach our official weight-loss goal, which is established, upon membership, in TOPS, Inc., in consultation with our own family physician.

In the next MCG Newsletter, at the discretion of the Newsletter Editor, I will share the newly developed TOPS INTERACTIVE electronic weight-loss and weight maintenance program, an e-mail and web site informational service provided by TOPS, Inc. professionals and member volunteers for a very low annual membership fee.

Member and non-members of TOPS wishing to locate a TOPS Chapter in your community may log on to TOPS, Inc. web-site, www.tops.org .  *submitted by Ivan Waite, long-time member of MCG, H.A.G.S., Inc., and current Leader of TOPS, MO #1091, Raymore (Cass Co.).


Contact members of the group are as follows:
President---------- Donald Bjuland      816-461-4948   dbjuland@worldnet.att.net
Vice President---- Judy Revare           913-491-1768   judy@revare.com
Secretary------------Open---need help on note taking
Program chair----- Have group but no chairman named as of yet.
Treasurer----------- William Hawkins---913-631-6294   bihawk@earthlink.net

Group dues are still $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.

Dues are due and you may send your dues payment to
William Hawkins
5436 Flint
Shawnee, KS  66203

Don Bjuland (editor)  dbjuland@worldnet.att.net

Remember lets us hear from you on the direction the group should go and what is needed to go that way.  Again it is your group and we need to know what is needed.