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Past Times MASSACHUSETTS SOCIETY OF GENEALOGISTS, INC.
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Volume 10, Issue 7, March 2019 www.msoginc.org
The Massachusetts Society of Genealogists, Inc. 1
Seema Kenney
President’s Message
It is easy to think of MSOG as simply the group of ten to forty people whom you see at your monthly chapter meetings. There’s no doubt that the chapter meeting and the familiar faces are where most members start to develop their relationship with the organization. Yet, it’s important to remember that MSOG is more than a single chapter.
MSOG is a statewide organization. Just as you are getting to know others in your chapter, members are doing the same in the other three chapters around the state. Much like a franchised restaurant, there are many similarities between the chapters, but also local differences.
The similarities come from the organization’s governing body – the Board of Directors. We watch the ‘big picture’ and provide guidance to each chapter on how to move forward with programming,
technology, community involve-ment, and much more.
The local differences are brought to the chapter through its officers and members, and by those who get involved and speak up. As we turn the corner from winter to spring (well, I’m hoping we do that soon) the chapters look toward elections.
Each chapter will elect officers in 2019. The positions of President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Membership Chair are very important within a chapter. Perhaps your chapter elects even more officers. At a minimum, every chapter needs a President and a Treasurer. It is true that more hands make the work easier, so we hope each group has at least five officers.
Please consider being a candidate for an office within your chapter. You can review the by-laws, as well as the Policies and Procedures documents for MSOG, Inc. on our website www.msoginc.org to learn the details of the expectations and duties for a chapter officer. You may choose to expand your horizons by contacting and scheduling speakers or to apply your skills by tracking the chapter’s funds.
Participation is a key to enjoyment of your MSOG membership. Although some positions require a presence at
meetings, others do not. Don’t let your location limit your participation. Contact your chapter President to talk about how you can help the group. The warm feeling of being a bigger part of the group and the satisfaction of knowing you are participating are the small rewards for your service to the chapter, and ultimately the society as a whole.
If you’re not a match for an elected position, talk to the officers of your chapter and see what skills you could add as a volunteer. Perhaps additional publicity would bring more participants to meetings and more members to the group. Perhaps a friendly face at the door before or after meetings will make attendees more comfortable and more open to communicate with others. Perhaps your computer or phone skills could help in communications with the members who don’t or can’t attend meetings, but still want to know what’s going on in the genealogical community.
In my nine years as a member of MSOG, I have seen one chapter have to dissolve and another discuss the possibility. Most people don’t realize that MSOG once had almost 15 chapters and over 600 members. Why not be part of the group that reinstates more chapters or brings more members to MSOG in 2019/2020 by taking an active role in your chapter?
Past Times Volume 10, Issue 7, March 2019
Massachusetts Society of Genealogists, Inc. 2
CALENDAR Contents
President’s Message ..................................... 1 March Calendar ............................................ 2 At the Chapters ............................................. 3 Explore Libraries ........................................... 4 Passing of Shirley Barnes .............................. 5 Officers ......................................................... 5 NERGC Reminder .......................................... 6
MIDDLESEX
Saturday, March 9 1:30 PM
“Using Old Maps in Your
Genealogy Research” with Sara Campbell
Goodnow Library
21 Concord Rd.
Sudbury, MA
MERRIMACK VALLEY Saturday, March 16
10:00 AM
“Wild Ireland” with Brian Toohey
Georgetown Peabody Library 2 Maple Street
Georgetown, MA
MASSACHUSETTS SOCIETY OF GENEALOGISTS, INC. MSOGINC.ORG
P.O. Box 215 Ashland, MA 01721-0215
Statement of Purpose
The Society’s mission is to promote and encourage Massachusetts genealogical research at all levels—beginner, amateur, and professional. The Society is a Massachusetts nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. The corporation was formed for the following reasons:
• “To bring together all persons interested in genealogy, beginner, amateur, and professional;
• To set standards of conduct; to insure public access to records; to provide education in genealogical research;
• To act in whatever manner needed to promote genealogy and family history; and
• To bring together families both past and present.” Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 6 June1975
Past Times
Editors: Diane Boumenot and Sara Campbell Past Times is published monthly (except for July & August) by the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists, Inc., and is available free to all at msoginc.org.
Membership Information
Members receive the Past Times newsletter, free issues of MASSOG, free queries, and access to webinars. Membership is from September 1 to August 31, with membership renewals due by July 1.
• INDIVIDUAL dues are $25.00 per year • FAMILY dues are $30.00 per year
Membership applications received July 1st and thereafter will be applied to the following year’s membership. Membership choices are:
• BR/Bristol • MV/Merrimack Valley • MX/Middlesex • WR/Worcester
Chapter affiliation is at the complete discretion of the member, regardless of residence. The membership application is on our website. Join using PayPal online or mail your application and check. Address any questions to [email protected] or to the appropriate officer, committee chair, or delegate; email addresses are listed on page 5.
WORCESTER
Saturday, March 2 9:30 AM
“Hunting for Hippies and Other Elusive Ancestors with
Specialty Newspapers” with Charlene Sokal
Worcester YWCA 1 Salem Street Worcester, MA
BRISTOL
Saturday, March 16
11:00 AM Business Meeting 11:30 AM Member Sharing
12:00 PM Program “From Farms to Mills: 19th
Century Rhode Island Ancestors” with Diane Boumenot
Somerset Public Library 1464 County Street
Somerset, MA
DNA SIG in the Merrimack Valley
Join us at the Georgetown Public Library on Saturday, March 30 at 10 a.m. for a DNA discussion led by Peg
Plummer.
Looking for a New Challenge?
MSOG needs you! We are still hoping a few members will step forward to serve as our delegates to the Federation of Genealogical Societies https://fgs.org, Mass. Gen. Council www.massgencouncil.org, and as an alternate to NERGC www.nergc.org. Speak to one of your chapter officers at a meeting to learn more about how you can assist us and represent MSOG in the larger genealogical community.
Past Times Volume 10, Issue 7, March 2019
Massachusetts Society of Genealogists, Inc. 3
At the Chapters Our members are having a great time at monthly meetings, visiting with new and old friends, learning new avenues of potential research, and generally celebrating our hobby (obsession?)
Photo by Sharon Gillis
Friends get together for some genealogical hugs, as Diane Boumenot gave great tips on what can be found in probate and military
records at the Middlesex meeting in Sudbury on 9 February.
What a great day at the Bristol meeting in Somerset, where members shared stories
and ethnic food specialties on 16 February!
Photo by Sara Campbell
Photo by Kathleen Rubano
Photo by Diane Brooks-Sherry
Merrimack Valley members share their brick walls and problem-solve together on 23
February in Georgetown.
Past Times Volume 10, Issue 7, March 2019
Massachusetts Society of Genealogists, Inc. 4
Explore the Beautiful Public Libraries of New England
Snowed in? Try planning some spring trips to the fascinating public libraries of Massachusetts and nearby New England states by perusing the library posts of blogger, photographer and genealogist Barbara Poole. On her blog Life From The Roots, Barbara treats readers to a wide array of local library visits, always with a photographer’s eye for the interesting details of these repositories, and details about the special collections she finds. She also explores some historic homes and estates.
You can see a list of the visits here:
https://lifefromtheroots.blogspot.com/2018/09/list-of-64-library-visits-to-check-out.html
Barbara Poole’s recent pictures of the Louis T. Graves Memorial Public Library, Kennebunkport, Maine. Images by Barbara Poole, used with permission.
Do you love your library? Let us hear from you. In addition to hosting our chapter meetings our libraries are full of genealogy treasure.
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Massachusetts Society of Genealogists, Inc. 5
In Memorium
We are saddened to learn of the death of long-time MSOG member, Shirley Barnes of Wayland, at the age of 95. She was a founding member of MSOG, listed as member #60. Her activities and achievements in the world of genealogy and document preservation are an inspiration by any standard.
In the late 1970s, Shirley was instrumental in the formation of an advocacy group for genealogists with the mission of protecting access to public records for research, and ensuring the preservation of these records. This group began as a committee within MSOG and was subsequently founded as the Massachusetts Genealogical Council (MGC) in 1981. She served as Civil Records Director for MGC from 1982 to 2007. In that capacity, she continued to work tirelessly for the passage of a bill that kept Massachusetts records open and accessible. She mobilized the genealogy community in support of the bill, which passed in 1983. This landmark legislation also provided for the transfer of records to the Massachusetts Archives ensuring their safety from deterioration. Thereafter she continued to visit the Massachusetts State House weekly to monitor the ongoing flow of legislation adverse to the interests of genealogists. Shirley's efforts served to establish a model for other New England states to follow in protecting access to public records for research.
Shirley was a dedicated volunteer at NARA Waltham. She was one of 11 founding members of The Irish Ancestral Research Association (TIARA). In 1984, she received an Award of Merit from the Federation of Genealogical Societies in recognition of distinguished work in genealogy and family history. Shirley is a 1986 alumna of the National Institute of Genealogical Research held at NARA in Washington, DC. In Wayland, Shirley served on the Historic District Commission from 1977-1998, and the Records Management Committee from 1993-1997. MSOG Middlesex chapter is giving a gift in her memory to NEHGS, of which she was also a member.
THE MASSACHUSETTS SOCIETY OF GENEALOGISTS, INC.
STATE OFFICERS & BOARD MEMBERS President Seema-Jayne Kenney [email protected]
Vice President Kelly A. Fox [email protected]
Treasurer Diane Laferriere [email protected]
Corresponding Secretary Patricia Stano-Carpenter [email protected]
Recording Secretary Elizabeth Pyle Handler [email protected]
Membership Director Margaret R. Fortier [email protected]
Historian/Archivist Wendy Rawson Sheppard [email protected]
Bristol Chapter Kathleen Rubano, President [email protected]
Merrimack Valley Chapter Diane Brooks-Sherry, President [email protected]
Middlesex Chapter Deborah Lee Stewart, President [email protected]
Worcester Chapter Charlene Key Sokal, President [email protected]
MASSOG Editor George D. Martin [email protected]
Past Times Editor Diane Boumenot & Sara Campbell [email protected]
Webmaster Hope Tillman [email protected]
COMMITTEES & CHAIRS
Annual Meeting Kelly A. Fox [email protected]
Audit Robert Farmer [email protected]
Research & Education Open [email protected]
Technology Hope Tillman [email protected]
Writing Contest Editorial Board [email protected]
DELEGATES
FGS (Federation of Genealogical Societies) Open [email protected]
MGC (Mass. Genealogical Council) Open/Kelly Fox, Alternate [email protected]
NERGC (N. E. Reg’l Genealogical Consortium) Julie Szczepankiewicz/Open [email protected]
Past Times Volume 10, Issue 7, March 2019
P.O. Box 215 Ashland, MA 01721-0215 http://www.msoginc.org
New England Regional Genealogical Conference (NERGC)
April 3-6, 2019 Doubletree by Hilton
Manchester, New Hampshire
https://www.nergc.org/2019-conference/
Early bird registration ends February 28!