Catching up....

Well, the last two months have certainly been busy. In addition to being an integral part of my two local county chapters, I was honored to be a part of the conference committee for the Ohio Genealogical Society's annual conference recently held in Cleveland, OH. My duties were to be the Banquet Chair. This meant that I had to be in touch with the hotel about a year in advance to plan the meals that would be served. While it is difficult to please everyone, I think that overall everyone enjoyed the meals at conference. 

As the chair of Century Families of Ohio, I also had to prepare the program for our induction ceremonies. I had asked the applicant's to send me pictures of their ancestors that were being honored. I wanted to do something special. I was able to produce a wonderful slide show of all the ancestors with the Glenn Miller band playing "Beautiful Ohio" in the background. 

Our speaker was Sunny Morton who talked to us about "The Challenge of Channeling Their Stories". It is the little stories that can be so meaningful about our ancestors. Thank you, Sunny, for giving us so much food for thought. 

Conferences are such a wonderful venue for renewing friendships made at these events. My cousin from Michigan was there, distant genealogy friends were there, and of course local genealogy friends as well.

How fun it was to sit at the computers at the FamilySearch booth in the vendor's hall and learn how to index the 1940 Census. Being the state administrator for the Ohio Genealogical Society, I was also learning lots of other little tricks and things to do. Is there ever enough time to do everything you'd like to do at a conference?

Of course, no conference can take place without an army of volunteers. I would like to personally thank all of those that volunteered as room monitors and ticket takers. The coordinators did a fabulous job of pulling it all together.

At the conference, I was also installed as the 1st Vice President of Administration for the Ohio Genealogical Society. What an honor. I am so proud to serve in this capacity. My wish is that I CAN help to make a difference.

I was also elevated to the chair and head judge for First Families of Ohio.  It hardly seems possible that in 2005 I became a member of First Families of Ohio and Settlers & Builders of Ohio.  I have learned so much and am so grateful to all who have helped show me the way.

I am still traveling a path of what I call genealogy wonders.  I wonder where it will take me next.  I have been asked to be a part of a committee for a well known organization and did not hesitate to say yes, I'll try it.  I am so looking forward to being a part of that community.

My next grand adventure will be traveling to Cincinnati for the NGS conference.  I have volunteered to be a room monitor and introduce a couple of speakers. I am looking forward to making yet more new friends.

What new genealogy path will present itself?

Are My Ancestors Better than Yours?

OK, you missed the deadline for the 2011 Lineage Society applications for the Ohio Genealogical Society.  Now, you have all year to procrastinate again.  Start now and you can submit your application for the 2012 deadline of December 31.  The 2013 OGS Conference will be held in Cincinnati, OH.

Let me ask a question.  How do you perceive the concept of a Lineage Society?
Do you see a lineage society as a "my ancestor is better than yours" society?  Or, do you see a lineage society as an "honoring my ancestor" society?  I would like your feedback on your concept of a lineage society.

Any time you apply to a lineage society, of any kind, you must first understand the principle and intent behind that organization.  You have some societies that are extremely difficult to be accepted to, and you have some societies that are very easy to be accepted to.

Does joining a  lineage society make you a different person? No, I don't think it makes you any different.  If anything, it should make you appreciate the sacrifices and hardships your ancestors endured in order for you to even become a member of a lineage society.

Does the fact that you may receive physical recognition of your research efforts make you a different person?  It is tangible evidence that you have researched and documented and spent hours of time putting together your lineage application in the first place. 

The Ohio Genealogical Society has four different lineage groups to honor your ancestors.  We have First Families of Ohio (your ancestor had to have lived in Ohio prior to the end of 1820); Settlers and Builders of Ohio (your ancestor had to have lived in Ohio between 1821 and the end of 1860); Century Families of Ohio (your ancestor had to have lived in Ohio between 1861 and 100 years prior to the current year); and the Society of Civil War Families of Ohio (SCWFO).  SCWFO is one of the few lineage societies that allows you to submit a collateral relative.  Upon application and acceptance to these groups you receive a certificate and a medal.  If your ancestor lived in Ohio prior to 1803 when Ohio became a state, you receive another special pin.

Wear do you wear these medals?  What do you do with them?  I wear mine to conferences and to special events related to the organizations that I am a member of.  How do I wear them?  Sometimes, I simply pin them on the clothes I am wearing.  For the OGS conference, my pins are on my name badge holder.  I also wear my pins when I am doing a program on lineage societies. The medals and pins could eventually go in to a shadow box for display. 

The certificates are currently in a notebook.  They could be framed and put on a wall.  (I don't have a lot of wall space in my home)

Joining a lineage society is NOT  meant to proclaim "my ancestor is better than yours."  It should be for the simple reason that you are honoring your ancestors and leaving a legacy of their contributions and lives for future generations and researchers.  Your ancestors do not have to be rich and famous to honor them.

This past week I worked tirelessly and furiously to finish up the lineage applications for my husband.  I wanted his family in Settlers and Builders of Ohio and in the Society for Civil War Families of Ohio.  As I mentioned earlier, the relationship documentation for SCWFO is tentative at best.  However, it has been submitted  in the best manner I could present the application.  It will now be up to the judge of that society to approve or disapprove the application. 

For SBO, I only submitted my husband's paternal lines for this initial application.  Since I can add supplemental ancestors in the future at no additional charge, I chose this method so that he would have certificates for his maternal and paternal lines.  Next year I will try to submit his mother's line.  That particular line will take more researching and finding more documentation to get back as far as I'd like to go with that line.

Eventually, I will submit his ancestors that qualify for FFO (First Families of Ohio). 

Most people would start with the hardest application first.  That is what I did for my own lines.  However if you are uncertain of how to begin the process, start with the easiest application you can do first.  In the case of the Ohio Genealogical Society, that would be with Century Families of Ohio as you are proving ancestors that resided in Ohio between 1861 and 100 years prior to the current year.  The proof documents are much easier to find, as a rule, for this time frame.

You still have time to submit your lineage applications for 2011.  They must be postmarked by December 31 to be eligible for induction at the 2012 conference in Cleveland, Ohio.

Your ancestor may not have been rich or famous, but they certainly contributed in some way to the growth and prosperity for the state of Ohio.

I hope to see your application soon!

Why Do I Want to Join a Lineage Society?

This question was brought up at a recent chapter meeting.  Why does a person want to join a lineage society?  What benefit is there?  I think our first thought is that it is a way for a chapter or society to make money.  And, in part that is true.  However, there is a deeper motivation for me, and I would hope for you as well.  You have done your research.  You have the documentation that proves you belong to your ancestors.  You have the birth, death and marriage records.  You may have the obituaries and pictures of tombstones.  You may have a copy of a will or estate that proves descent.  Now, what are you going to do with it?  Are you going to leave it sit in a box in the closet?  Are you going to let those documents languish in your computer?  Are you sharing it with your family?  Are you writing a book about your family?  Why not join a lineage society where your documentation will be preserved forever!  Why not let it be known that you have done your homework and now you want to share your researching skills with the outside world!  My first attempt at a lineage society was with a local chapter.  It was a newly formed lineage society and the rules and guidelines were tough.  I almost did not complete the project!  As a new genealogist at the time, I did not understand source citations, or the importance of a volume and a page number in relation to court documents.  It was an education in itself and it caused me to backtrack to several places in order to find that pertinent information.  (Now it is the first thing I do - source my document).  Whether we are doing genealogy for ourselves or for other people, it is important to remember to source your documents.  It will save you a lot of trouble somewhere along the line.  When I committed to joining the lineage society, I, personally, felt it was the best way that I could honor my ancestors.  Their sacrifices and their lives would not be lost to time.  There would be a lasting legacy of their existence.  Lineage applications are usually filed at a repository where other people researching can find your files and make connections with you as well.  The Ohio Genealogical Society allows researchers to view the packets of previous applicants.  This may be the only place you will find a piece of documentation you need.  There are a multitude of lineage societies available to many of us.  Whether it be a nationally recognized society such as the D.A.R. or the S.A.R, the War of 1812, First Families of Ohio, or a local chapter's lineage society - please take the time to check in to the rules and guidelines to see if you qualify.  You may be surprised at what you will find.  I was surprised to learn that my ancestors were actually in Ohio by 1795.  That was before Ohio even became a state in 1803.  It really isn't that hard to fill out the paperwork if you do a little homework before you even start.  Read the rules and guidelines of the lineage group you want to join.  Read them a second and third time so you completely understand them.  Then start filling out your application!  Good Luck!