THE SUN

Next Meeting: August 1: Census Analysis - Using pre-1850

2009-07-22T20:14:00.018-04:00

We will be meeting at the Indian River County Main Library at 1600 21st Street, Vero Beach, FL 32960.

Following the business meeting, Debra S. Fleming, of the Pasco County genealogical research firm Ancestry Detective, LLC, will speak on "Census Analysis - Using pre-1850 Census Reports."

Debra S. Fleming has been a practicing genealogist for nine years. She is the Genealogy Instructor for the University of South Florida OSHER Lifelong Learning Center where she has been teaching Genealogy Courses since early 2007. She is a graduate of Florida State University, where she majored in Creative Writing and minored in her passion, Religion and has attended the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR). She is currently a member of the Genealogical Speakers Guild (GSG), The Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) and the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors (ISFHWE). You can learn more about Debra S. Fleming at http://www.theancestrydetective.com/.

May 2009 Meeting

2009-07-22T16:59:00.031-04:00

The May meeting was held at the Alachua County Library District Headquarters in Gainseville. Anywhere else, this would probably be called the "main" library in the county library system. Alachua County, however, provides its library services through an independent special taxing district.

The library recognizes its growing genealogy clientele and strives to support with a developing genealogy collection. The primary focus of the library’s genealogical collection is information relating to the State of Florida, especially information pertaining to local families and history. Material dealing with the Southeastern area of the United States (Alabama, Georgia, Virginia, South Carolina, and North Carolina) is also considered a priority for collection development.

The business meeting (see meeting minutes below) was held in one of the library's conference rooms. Following the meeting, we had a guided tour of the library and its genealogical collections .

APG FLORIDA CHAPTER MEETING MINUTES
May 2, 2009

The meeting began at 9:30 a.m. in the conference room of the Alachua County Library in Gainesville, Florida. President Alvie Davidson presided.

The following members were present: Jack Butler, Juanita Friedenberg, Amy Giroux, Bonnie Kohler, Patricia Rand, and Ann Staley.

Minutes of the previous meeting on February 7, 2009, were reviewed and accepted.
Amy Giroux, treasurer, reported a current balance of $1,055.58.

Alvie spoke about efforts by the Records Preservation Access Committee (RPAC) in regard to New York City's current restriction of access to its contemporary death index. In addition, he encouraged members to write to their state representative in support of Preserving the American Historical Record (PAHR) bill HR2171. The bill would provide funds to archivists.
Juanita suggested making the information about dues and where to mail the check for dues more prominent on the APG Florida Chapter Web site.

Jack reported on his efforts to post the newsletter/blog on the Web.

Amy inquired about the status of the APG Florida Chapter banner. Alvie will follow up on getting a new banner made.

A motion was passed to spend $500 to partially fund a Friday luncheon at the November 2009 FSGS conference at the Hilton Melbourne Rialto Place hotel. Jack Butler agreed to speak at the luncheon. He will need a projector and screen.

Jack also agreed to be in charge of the Ancestors Road Show at the 2009 FSGS conference. Other members offered to assist him.

The next meeting will be in Vero Beach on August 1, 2009.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:56 a.m.

Bonnie Dunphy Kohler
Secretary

NEXT MEETING: Electronic Genealogy

2008-04-14T00:35:00.012-04:00

We will hear all about electronic genealogy in Tallahassee on Saturday, May 3. Deanna Ramsey, vice president of programs for the Tallahassee Genealogical Society, will give the presentation, "Gadgets for the Family [and Professional] Genealogist," at 10 a.m. in the Arts Learning Gallery (1st flooor) at the Florida State Library and Archives building.

Chapter Vice President Jack V. Butler, who will lead the meeting, says that this is the Chapter's first meeting in Tallahassee and hopes distant members will car pool to the event.

Jack will encourage Chapter members to join the Florida State Genealogical Society for its publications and annual meeting registration discount as well as interesting FSGS members in APG. If you would like to tour the Florida State Library and Archives, please let Jack know in advance so he can arrange a tour.

If you need more details about the meeting, contact Jack. He encourages meeting attendees to research at the facility and visit the Museum of Florida History on the ground floor. The state library and archives are open from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and the museum from 10 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. on Saturdays.

Who's got a program and site idea for the next meeting?

2008-04-13T22:00:00.005-04:00

President Alvie L. Davidson, CG, is taking ideas for a program and site for the next meeting, usually held the first Saturday in August.

Here are the 2008 meeting locations and dates: Bartow (central Florida), Feb. 2; Tallahassee (north Florida), May 3; open, possible Aug. 2; and the Chapter annual meeting during the Florida State Genealogical Society annual conference in Maitland (north of Orlando), Nov. 14-15.

At the last meeting on Feb. 2 at the Polk County Historical and Genealogical Library in Bartow, our Jack Butler reprised his FSGS Annual Conference presentation, "Read All About It! Finding Kin in Early Newspapers." He told us what information we can find in early newspapers and where we can find the newspapers, including a growing number of digitized newspapers on websites. He provided a handout listing resources and sites.

Chapter's shining project debuts: A national position paper on records access and ID theft

2008-04-13T21:00:00.005-04:00

After months of work and review, the Florida Chapter's showcase position paper, "The Case for Open Public Records," was released on March 21. APG headquarters issued a press release, "Genealogists Push for Open Records," and the complete text of the paper. APG asserted, "There is no proof that open records significantly contribute to ID theft or terrorism."

The document was covered by major genealogical media, approved by the Records Preservation and Access Committee (of the National Genealogical Society and Federation of Genealogical Societies), and praised by APG President Jake Gehring.

Writing in the March issue of the APG Quarterly, Gehring said, "... let me congratulate and thank the members of the 'Keep Genealogical Records Open Workgroup' (KGROW) and the Florida Chapter of APG for their significant and speedy work this last year to draft a position paper on open public records. Their work has really improved our ability to respond effectively to legislative issues as they arise." The position paper was posted on the APG website and RPAC website.

The position paper was prepared by KGROW, made up of three Florida Chapter members and two other experts. They are: Jean Foster Kelley, CG, co-chair; Richard F. Robinson, co-chair; Alvie L. Davidson, CG, information officer; Melinde Lutz Sanborn, FASG, Greater Boston Area Chapter; and Fred E. Moss, JD, LL.M., a legal advisor to FGS. KGROW disbanded when its position paper was made publicly available.

About our members....

2008-04-13T20:00:00.005-04:00

Alvie Davidson, CG, and Ann Staley, CG, and others will attend the 30th NGS Conference in the States and Family History Fair in Kansas City, Missouri on May 14-17. Who else is going? Please post on the Chapter mailing list....

Member profiles will resume in the newsletter's next issue... Chapter members agreed at the Feb. 2 meeting to write a letter of support on behalf of the Polk County Historical Genealogical Society Library to Polk County commissioners. Librarian Joe Spann, a new member of the Chapter, reported that the library is in serious financial trouble. It is one of the largest regional research libraries on the East coast and has hosted several Chapter meetings.

NEXT MEETING: Hear all about it

2008-01-07T23:06:00.000-05:00

Jack Butler

You won’t “read all about it” here. Instead, you’ll have to come to our next meeting in Bartow on Feb. 2 to “hear all about it.” Vice President Jack Butler's presentation is “Read All About It! Finding Kin in Early Newspapers.”

The Saturday will start with our board meeting at 9 a.m., Jack’s talk at the general meeting at 10, followed by an option lunch with colleagues at a nearby restaurant. Members and guests are welcome to attend all three events. President Alvie Davidson asks members to bring ideas for programs and other chapter activities to the general meeting.

The board meeting and program will be held at the Polk County Historical and Genealogical Library, 100 East Main Street, Bartow (Phone: 863- 534-4380). The Library promotes its genealogical and historical collections as one of the largest in the Southeast U.S. After lunch, you may want to do some research or looking around in the library. It is open until 5 p.m.

One of the little used sources in genealogy research is early American newspapers. "They not only tell us where our ancestors were born, married, and died, but also how they lived," said Butler.

Jack will tell us what we can find in the early newspapers and where to find the newspapers. As more old newspapers are digitized, they are much easier to search. He was selected to deliver a similar talk at the Florida State Genealogical Society annual conference in Orlando last November.

A former college instructor, Jack is publications coordinator and board member of the Tallahassee Genealogical Society and editor of its quarterly magazine, The Tallahassee Genealogist.

Our president says: 'I want everyone to feel that our meetings are worthwhile'

2008-01-07T21:27:00.000-05:00

By Alvie L. Davidson, CG

I first want to say that I deeply appreciate the membership electing me president of APG Florida. I promise I will do my very best to maintain the chapter as one of the best in APG and provide members with valuable networking and learning opportunities.

Everyone should try to attend our first meeting of the year on Feb. 2 at the Polk County Historical and Genealogical Library, 100 East Main Street, Bartow. Our new vice president, Jack Butler, will reprise his FSGS conference talk, “Read All About It.” This will give our members an opportunity to hear a very fine talk that they may have missed and to get to know Jack better. Bring any ideas you have for meetings or to improve our Chapter. Please see a previous article in this edition for more details on this meeting.

Secondly, I want to keep our meetings interesting so everyone will feel they were very worthwhile. I would also like to vary the locales of our meetings more. We have not had a meeting in Tallahassee, so I would like to have one there at the Florida State Library, possibly on 3 May. This might seem a bit far for some to travel, but we can arrange car pooling. What better way is there to network with colleagues, attend an informative meeting, and maybe do some research?

Members hold annual meeting, Road Show consultations at FSGS conference in Orlando

2008-01-07T20:07:00.000-05:00

Amy Giroux and Donna Moughty run our vendor booth while Dick Robinson and Yolanda Campbell Lifter (distant cousins) operate the desk at the Road Show
[Photos by Melody K. Porter (booth) and Ken Macomber (Road Show)]

You could find Chapter members everywhere at the Florida State Genealogical Society conference in Orlando last November. They were organizers, officers, speakers, attendees -- and even door prize donors. The Chapter also held its annual meeting during the conference and ran its APG Florida information booth.

But one of the most appreciated events was the Chapter's second annual Road Show, where 11 members helped attendees one-on-one with genealogical problems for free.

The four-hour show was another great success, according to its chairman, Ken Macomber, CG. He said the feedback was "extremely positive." All participants who completed feedback forms indicated they would like to attend the event again in the future. One person commented, "...this is a great thing to offer." Members who provided advice were: Jack Butler; Pam Cooper; Alvie Davidson, CG; Sherril Erfurth; Amy Giroux, CG, CGL; Debbe Hagner, AG; Yolanda Campbell Lifter; Ken Macomber, CG; Donna M. Moughty; Gladys Friedman Paulin, CG; and Richard Robinson.

Persistence pays

2008-01-07T18:11:00.000-05:00

(Every researcher should read this story. It is a detailed account of how one of our members solved a brick-wall problem. Don't let its length intimidate you. Reading it will be well worth your time. – Editor’s Note)

By Gladys Friedman Paulin, CG, Winter Springs

My client’s family immigrated to Canada from Romania about 1912. In 1920, they moved to the United States, entering at Portal, North Dakota in November 1920, and continuing on to Jacksonville, Florida, where they had family.

In 1927, the parents divorced. The husband remarried and moved to Brooklyn, New York. The U.S. census for 1930 lists the mother as divorced and living with her seven children in Jacksonville; all were listed as aliens. Part of my charge was to obtain naturalization records for the family. The papers for the father in Brooklyn were indexed online and easy to locate on LDS microfilm. The search began for those who lived in Jacksonville. First stop, the National Archives. There was no microfilm publication covering Jacksonville federal court naturalization records. Publication M1547 which covers much of Florida did not include Jacksonville or Duval County. A search of the Family History Library Catalog for Duval County provided only a record for military naturalization in World War I. U.S. court listings for Florida showed a federal district courthouse in Jacksonville in the Middle Florida District.

At this point, I enlisted local help and contacted C. Ann Staley, CG, who lives and works in that area. Ann checked the Duval County courthouse and found no records or index listings for my client’s family. She then visited the federal courthouse and was advised by the naturalization clerk that copies of those files could only be released to the naturalized person. And no, Ann could not check the index and neither would the clerk.

Several days later, I called the courthouse and ended up speaking with the same clerk, who wanted to send me to the local office of the Department of Homeland Security. [Explanation: the current U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service—USCIS—is an agency in the Department of Homeland Security.] I politely explained that I did not want current USCIS records, but U.S. court records from the 1930’s for individuals who were deceased. She said that she could only release copies to the person naturalized. I again explained that these people were no longer living and asked if I could obtain copies by sending the court a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. She quickly said yes, of course, and agreed that would solve the problem. I completed a form G-639 for the two individuals for whom I had death certificates, attached copies of the certificates to the forms, and mailed them to the address she gave me. Of course, the envelope was returned as not deliverable without a room or suite number. I called the courthouse again, obtained that information from the operator, and remailed my request.

The following Monday, I received a call from the same clerk stating that I could not have the information since I was not the individual who was naturalized. [BACK TO SQUARE ONE!] I then requested a written letter denying my request; she said she couldn’t do that; I explained that under federal law, a written FOIA request required a written response. She then said I would need to speak with her supervisor. [Hooray, I thought.] So she transferred the call and I left a message for a person whose voicemail message gave her name and title as Director of Court Operations. That director returned my call the following day stating that she had checked the court indexes and the surname I was seeking did not appear in their records. She then informed me that the period I was interested in was not handled by the current Middle District of Florida, but that Jacksonville had been part of the Southern District in that time period. When the new district was established, earlier naturalization records had been sent to the National Archives in College Park, Maryland! [Note: National Archives policy calls for court records to be held in the pertinent regional archive, not at the national level.] The director agreed to send me a letter and advise when the district had been changed, which she did. [1962]

At this point, I went back through my research log and papers. I rechecked NARA’s Southeast Region (Morrow, Georgia) Web site and did not find Jacksonville or any of its counties listed under those locations for which the region held naturalization records. I reread the report from Ann Staley and noted an LDS film number for World War I period naturalizations held at the Duval County courthouse. I went back to the Family History Library catalog and did a film number search. Lo and behold, up comes a list of all the items on that film including two covering naturalization records for several Florida counties; clicking on the one which included Duval County brought up a large record which included many films from 1920 to the 1950’s. It so happened that this was only days before a scheduled trip to Salt Lake City. There, in the Family History Library, I started going through those rolls of film starting in 1929 and continuing to 1948. Each film was labeled “Jacksonville Naturalization Records” and contained several volumes of records, all from the U.S. Southern district court for Florida in Jacksonville, each volume with its own index. I was able to locate the complete naturalization files for the mother and six of her children.

Lessons learned:

Don’t take no for an answer.

Go back and review everything in the file when it looks like you reached the proverbial brick wall.

Always be polite.

Always ask for replies, especially negative ones, in writing.

To cut this saga short, I have contacted NARA in Morrow, Georgia, who have confirmed they have the original files; when asked why they are not listed in NARA's online catalog, the reply was that now you know they are there! I have also sent a copy of the LDS catalog pages to the federal courthouse in Jacksonville and advised them that the records are in Morrow, NOT in College Park.

For all: The LDS catalog title is: “Declarations of intentions 1920-1967 and Naturalization Petitions, indexes 1892-1932 Duval, Hillsborough, Monroe and Marion Counties, Florida, and the first film number is 2110001. When searching the LDS catalog it will be found under the location Jacksonville, but not under Duval County or just Florida. I guess I forgot one of the basic rules for searching the LDS catalog: search under every possible applicable jurisdiction, not just the one where it is supposed to be!

New administration brings new ideas

2008-01-07T16:37:00.000-05:00

Bringing fresh ideas to the table, the Chapter's 2008 board will gather for its first board meeting on Feb. 2. The meeting is open to members and guests.

The board meeting will be held at 9 a.m. at the Polk County Historical and Genealogical Library, 100 E. Main St., Barlow. The general meeting will follow at 10 pm.

Here is a list of 2008 board members, past president, and committee chairs:

2008 OFFICERS

President - Alvie L. Davidson, CG, Lakeland
Vice President – Jack Butler, Woodville
Secretary - Ann Mohr Osisek, Maitland
Treasurer - Amy Larner Giroux, CG, CGL, Orlando
Chapter Representative – Ann Staley, CG, Jacksonville

PAST PRESIDENT

Past President – Jean Foster Kelley, CG, Tampa

2008 COMMITTEE CHAIRS

FSGS Vender Booth - Alvie L. Davidson, CG, Lakeland
Membership - Debbe A. Hagner, AG, New Port Richey
Nominating - Open
Newsletter - Richard F. Robinson, Boynton Beach
Programs - Open
Publicity - Open
Webmaster - Amy Larner Giroux, CG, CGL, Orlando

Meet new member Eileen Taft

2008-01-07T15:20:00.000-05:00

[Editor’s Note: This is the first of a regular series on new and current members of the Chapter. Today we feature Eileen Taft, a new member. Another new member, Jacqueline Reiss of Inverness will be the subject of a future story.]

Eileen Taft is a person who knows where she’s going. She walked up to Chapter booth at the FSGS conference last November, and joined with enthusiasm.

Taft, of New Smyrna Beach in Volusia County, is one of the Chapter’s newest members. She has researched families for more than a quarter century. She has a passion for genealogy. She tells prospective clients on her website, “It’s (family research) a lot of fun for me!... I would be thrilled to help you find your family’s ancestors… I love solving a mystery!”

With a BBA in finance, Eileen specializes in immigration, naturalization, Jewish, German, American and Italian American research in the 19th and 20th centuries. She specializes in research in Florida, Georgia, and the South, and her related services are editing and teaching.

Welcome, Eileen, to the Florida Chapter!

Year's finale at FSGS conference

2007-10-30T22:27:00.000-04:00

The last official gathering of the Chapter this year will be at the Florida State Genealogical Society (FSGS) conference in Orlando on 9-10 November.

We will hold our annual meeting, run our Ancestor Road Show consultation service, host a vendor booth, and champion four members who are conference speakers. Chapter Secretary Ann Mohr Osisek is president of FSGS and Chapter member C. Ann Staley, CG is the "retiring" conference chair. This is the biggest learning and networking Florida genealogical event of the year

The FSGS 31st Annual Genealogy Conference will be held at the Sheraton Orlando Downtown Hotel on beautiful Lake Ivanhoe (see links for details). Featured speakers are nationally-recognized experts Thomas H. Shawker, MD, who will speak on DNA in genealogy, and Patricia O'Brien Shawker, CG, who will talk on NARA records. Seven other speakers will present, including four Chapter members:

• Osisek: "Out of the Census Into the Bookstacks: Using Library Resources Including State Archives" and "'Local Logic' -- Using Local and County Histories"

• Alvie L. Davidson, CG: "Little Known Sources in the 20th Century" and "FLORIDA - The Original South"

• Jack Butler: "Read All About It! Finding Kin in Early Newspapers" and "Finding Kin in the Territorial Records"

• Donna M. Moughty: "Jumping the Pond: Finding the Origins of Your Immigrant Ancestor" and "Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are! Hide and Seek on the Internet"

The Florida Chapter's annual meeting will be held at noon, Friday, 9 November. The agenda includes introductions, a short business meeting, and a few words from outgoing president Jean Kelley, CG. Visitors are welcome to attend. Pre-ordered lunches will be delivered to the meeting room. Details on the location of the meeting and ordering lunches will be posted/announced later.

Helping solve "brickwall" problems

2007-10-30T22:01:00.000-04:00

For the second year, Chapter members will help FSGS conference attendees solve their "brickwall" or other tough research problems.

The event, Ancestors Road Show, was very popular last year, serving 53 attendees. Ken Macomber, CG, Road Show chair and Chapter vice president, says he could use more volunteers.

Consultants will assist three people an hour, each for 15 minutes. Macomber says the time was expanded to 15 minutes this year to allow for deeper consultations. Registration for the event will be Friday, Nov. 9 from 1:15-5 p.m. The consultations will be Saturday, Nov. 10 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Chapter will also host a vendor booth at the conference. Contact Chair Alvie L. Davidson, CG, if you would like to help staff the booth.

Election closes Oct. 31

2007-10-30T21:24:00.000-04:00

Our officers standout from the crowd

Chapter members are now voting for a new president and vice president for the Chapter for 2008-2009. Ballots, mailed to all members, must be returned by Oct. 31 to Linda Perdue, elections co-chair with Jean Foster Kelley, CG.

Members running unopposed are Alvie L. Davidson, CG, Lakeland, for president; Jack Butler, Woodville, for vice president; and incumbent Amy Larner Giroux, CG, CGL, Orlando, for treasurer. A new Chapter representative to the parent organization will be appointed for the remaining year on the term of Davidson. Ann Mohr Osisek, Maitland, will complete her two-year term as secretary in 2008.

Biographical statements provided by the candidates follow:

President: Alvie L. Davidson, CG, Lakeland, Florida

Alvie L. Davidson, CG, retired from Naval Intelligence in the U.S. Naval Reserve after 22 years of service. Since then he has been a Florida state licensed private investigator, specializing in missing persons and genealogical applications of investigations. Alvie is a Certified Genealogist by the Board for Certification of Genealogists, Washington, DC. He is an alumni of the National Institute on Genealogical Research, Washington, DC (1998 & 2007); and the Institute of Genealogy & Historical Research, Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama (1999 and 2000). He is the founder (1981) and President Emeritus of the Imperial Polk Genealogical Society, Lakeland, Florida. Alvie currently serves as Chairman of the Polk County (FL) Historical Commission. Alvie is currently on the teaching alumni of Samford University’s IGHR classes each year. Alvie is author of “Florida Land - Records of the Tallahassee and Newnansville Federal Land Office 1826-1892” (Heritage Books, Bowie, MD 1988) and has published articles in The Genealogical Helper. He has lived most of his adult life in Central Florida, currently residing at 4825 North Galloway Road, Lakeland, Florida. Additional information can be found at http://www.floridadetective.net/. Alvie is currently serving his third elected term on the Board of Directors of the Association of Professional Genealogists.

Vice President: Jack Butler, Woodville, Florida

Jack Butler is a former college instructor who is now a professional genealogist, lecturer, and writer. He is a member of APG, FSGS, ISFHWE, NGS, and NEHGS. He is a board member of his local Tallahassee Genealogical Society and is editor of its quarterly magazine. A frequent contributor to The Florida Genealogist, Jack is preparing his portfolio to submit to the Board for Certification of Genealogists.

Treasurer: Amy Larner Giroux, CG, CGL

Amy Larner Giroux, CG, CGL, is a professional genealogical researcher, lecturer and writer, specializing in New York City and the Lower Hudson Valley. She is an award-winning author with articles published in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society Record, the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly and other publications. Amy is a Trustee for BCG, faculty member of the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research, and treasurer of the Florida Chapter of APG. She is webmaster for BCG, APG, and the International Society for British Genealogy and Family History.

President's Column: My last…Already!

2007-10-30T20:37:00.000-04:00

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Jean's two-year term as Chapter president comes to an end Dec. 31, 2007. On behalf of all Chapter members, thank you for your admirable service. She kept us organized and informed and initiated the KGROW project on identity theft and genealogy (see related article).]

Our chapter is gearing up for the second annual Ancestor Road Show. Last year was the premier, and it was very well received. We helped over 50 conference attendees discuss their “brick wall” problems with a professional. To make this year’s Road Show equally successful, we need more members to volunteer as consultants. Please contact Ken (ken.macomber@comcast.net) to volunteer.

In August I sent out emails asking for chapter members’ opinions on the new green logo design the national group was proposing. At the Board meeting in August, Ann Staley reported the response was resoundingly negative to the green design. Currently the issue is still under review, with no new information .

Our annual meeting will be Friday, November 9 at the FSGS conference in Orlando. Details are still pending. Watch the mailing list for updates.

Lastly, the chapter is holding elections for president, vice-president and treasurer through Oct. 31. I wish much success to the new board, a very accomplished group of professionals.

This will be my last President’s column. Thank you to all Chapter members for your support and help over the past two years. Best wishes to the new board.

Sincerely,

What's in it for me?

2007-10-30T19:49:00.003-04:00

Our Chapter can help you...

achieve,
prosper, and
grow in family history

Imagine yourself working as a professional genealogist... researching your own family or taking on clients for pay... getting paid for what you love to do... networking with colleagues... achieving your dreams!

Now, with the support of the Florida Chapter of APG, you can:

Grow and become more successful in genealogy researching, lecturing, writing or a related field

Advance your professional standing

Learn and develop skills

Achieve personal satisfaction

Get more job referrals and leads.

Chapter members enjoy:

Local and statewide meetings and programs

A quarterly online newsletter, The Sun

Online and printed membership directories

An e-mail list for news and networking.

Florida has some of the outstanding genealogists in the nation -- and they are members of the Florida Chapter. Envision yourself learning and sharing ideas with the masters....

Dues are a bargain

2007-10-30T18:21:00.000-04:00

Chapter Treasurer Amy Larner Giroux, CG, CGL, and Membership Chair Debbe A. Hagner, AG, are now collecting dues for 2008.

Member renewals are just $10. New members pay $20 for the first year only. Members who attend the FSGS conference in November started a tradition in 2005. They brought a check to pay the next year's dues. Be sure to bring one if you'll be at the conference in Orlando on Nov. 9-10 and give it to either Amy or Debbe. Don’t miss out associating with colleagues in the Sunshine State. Make out your check (payable to Florida Chapter of APG) right now.

Genealogy groups applaud our position paper on identity theft

2007-10-30T17:24:00.000-04:00

A Chapter-sponsored position paper (see THE SUN, JULY 2007) to gather support to keep genealogical records open is getting favorable comments from genealogical organizations that have informally reviewed it.

The paper, prepared by Keep Genealogical Records Open Workgroup (KGROW), has been reviewed by the major genealogical organizations. Based on suggestions, KGROW will revise the document and ask the organizations to formally support it.

Founding members of KGROW are Co-Chairs, Jean Foster Kelley, CG, Tampa, Florida, Richard F. Robinson, CG, Boynton Beach, Florida; and Information Officer Alvie L. Davison, CG, Lakeland, Florida; Melinde Lutz Sanborn, FASG, Derry, New Hampshire; and Frederick E. Moss, JD, LL.M., Plano, Texas.

Big annual networking roundtable 4 August

2007-07-04T01:00:00.000-04:00

Genealogists love to network. Why? You can only learn so much from printed materials. So they grow and develop new skills by listening to tips and techniques from colleagues. Recognizing the value of sharing with others, the Chapter is again holding its Big Annual Networking Roundtable in Bartow, Florida on Saturday, 4 August.

The meeting promises to be chock full of ideas you can use to be a more effective researcher or break down brick wall problems, according to program chair Yolanda Campbell Lifter. She suggests that each member bring at least one item to tell the group.

The meeting will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, 4 August 2007 at the Polk County Historical and Genealogical Library, 100 E. Main St., Bartow. It will be preceded by a Chapter board meeting at 8:30 a.m. and followed by an optional lunch at a nearby restaurant. Members and guests are welcome to attend all events. The library has one of the largest genealogical and historical collections in the Southeast, so you might want to fit in some research after lunch. The library normally closes at 5 p.m. But call ahead for any schedule changes at (863) 534-4380.

"Our roundtable discussions of professional issues, websites, resources, and other topics have been some of our most lively meetings with everyone participating," says Chapter president Jean Kelley, CG. Some of the tips given have been worth hours of driving to the meeting, other members have said.

Lifter suggest that you talk about tips, successes, and problems in areas such as conferences, classes, articles, books, databases, websites, research, organization, business, organizations, or goals. Or, she says tell us "How have you grown as a genealogist over the past year?"

Chapter members fight for open public records

2007-07-03T23:13:00.000-04:00

Three Chapter members--Jean Kelley, Dick Robinson, and Alvie Davidson--have helped create the Keep Genealogical Records Open Workgroup (KGROW) to prepare a position paper on why public vital records should be kept open and access unrestricted. The press release below announces the formation of the group.

MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 16, 2007

For more information, contact:
Alvie L. Davidson, information officer
KEEPING GENEALOGICAL RECORDS OPEN WORKGROUP (KGROW)
4825 N. Galloway Rd
Lakeland, FL 33810-6722
Day phone: (863) 858-6745
Email: mailto:floridasearch@tampabay.rr.com

Genealogists fight closing of public records
as guise in war against ID theft and terrorism

A group of genealogists announced today that they have begun a project to educate governmental leaders and the public that closing or restricting access to many public records will have little impact on preventing an enormous identity theft problem or terrorism attacks in the United States.

“Federal and state governments have been closing or trying to close many public records or limiting the public’s access to them, especially vital records--birth, marriages, and deaths,” explains Jean Foster Kelley, CG (Certified Genealogist) of Tampa, Florida. “They want to protect people’s privacy, prevent identity theft, and prevent terrorism,” she says. “But we find there’s no evidence that open public records contribute to identity theft or terrorism to any measurable degree."

Instead, she says, restrictions actually prevent many genealogists, news people, and others who have legitimate reasons to see the records from freely viewing them.

She says she and four other genealogists formed the Keep Genealogical Records Open Workgroup (KGROW) to prepare a position paper to combat the “war on public records” movement that has swept the country since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The group plans to solicit support for its paper from the Association of Professional Genealogists, the news media, and other organizations later this summer and fall.

Kelley is co-chair of KGROW along with Dick Robinson, CG (Certified Genealogist), of Boynton Beach, Florida. Other members are: Alvie L. Davidson, CG (Certified Genealogist), Lakeland, Florida; Melinde Lutz Sanborn, FASG (Fellow, American Society of Genealogists), Derry, New Hampshire; and Frederick E. Moss, JD, LLM, Plano, Texas. KGROW is a project of the Florida Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG). APG is the world’s leading professional genealogical organization of some 1,700 family history and related professionals.

Since 2001, most states have tightened public record laws, and more records are threatened every year. A 2006 Associated Press survey showed that states passed 616 new laws restricting access to public information, including vital records, and approved 284 laws that loosened public records access.

Identity thieves aren't stealing public genealogy records

2007-07-03T22:20:00.000-04:00

Dick Robinson takes an extensive look at how and why lawmakers are closing and restricting the basic tools of genealogists--vital records, especially birth certificates. He concludes that new laws are just hampering genealogical researchers and not actually preventing identity theft or terrorism. This article originally appeared in the May/June 2007 issue of Digital Genealogist, available online by subscription.

Identity thieves aren’t stealing public genealogy records
Why are government officials trying to limit access to those records on and offline?

By Dick Robinson, CG
Copyright © 2007 by Dick Robinson. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Genealogical records are our lifeblood. Take them away or limit them, then we can’t research online or in person without difficulties. Restricted access to records is caused by poor funding, increased fees, missing or damaged records, or what some call just a knee-jerk reaction to protect privacy and help prevent terrorism.

Take a look at some headlines on http://genealogyblog.com/under “Public Records in Crisis” during the past year:

Massachusetts Vital Records May Be Closed
There Goes Your Privacy - One Byte at a Time
Access to Public Records Closes at a Frightening Rate
More on the “Ludicrous” Closure of South Dakota Public Records
Colorado Moves to Close Access to Public records

Restricting access to vitals

Many government officials around the country have been trying to restrict access to vital records. That includes birth, marriage, and death data online and in governmental offices. An Associated Press 50-state survey last year showed that 616 new laws restricting access to government records, databases, meetings, and other public information had been passed since Sept. 11, 2001. Only 284 laws had loosened access.

Closing or restricting access to records hampers genealogists. It creates a “widespread fear” of losing public records. Why? Many legislators and public officials believe that closing or limiting access to records will reduce identity theft and help prevent terrorism.

Big problem

ID theft is a big, serious problem. It claims more than 10 million victims a year, costing consumers and businesses $50 billion a year, according to the FBI, in time and money to repair credit records and restore peoples’good names. “Identity theft occurs when your personal information is stolen and used without your knowledge to commit fraud or other crimes,” says the Federal Trade Commission. That information includes credit card, Social Security and driver’s license numbers and other personal information. Many people commonly label vital record misuse as identity theft; others like to use a more specific term, such as birth certificate fraud.

Gen data the problem?

Does genealogical information really contribute to identity theft? Proponents of restricting records say studies show that easy access to vital records significantly contributes to identity theft that may lead to terrorism. But a number of genealogists say that’s not true. There’s no evidence that criminals are stealing data from public records. For the past 20 years, genealogist Richard Pence, former newsletter editor of NGS’ Computer Interest Group, has been challenging anyone to give him a documented case of genealogical data fraud. He says they may involve vital records or genealogies. The documentation may be police or court records or a verifiable news article. Over the years, he’s received “occasional nibbles” that didn’t meet his criteria.

Public officials are just jumping on a runaway band wagon. It started rolling after the terrorists’ 9/11 attack in New York City in 2001. The Millennium Plot terrorists obtained credit cards and drivers’ licenses with stolen data. Where are the facts connecting public vital records that genealogists use to identity theft? genealogists ask. Experienced genealogists never come to a conclusion without proper analysis of all the facts!

No evidence

Michael John Neill, a nationally-known genealogy researcher, speaker, and author says there’s no studies that show easy access to vital records significantly contributes to the identity theft problem.

Several reasons may be responsible for the belief that limiting access to public vital records may help prevent identity theft or even terrorism. Many legislators, even those sponsoring bills limiting access to vital records, don’t know all that’s in the bill and how it will affect genealogists. Sometimes when bills are passed, many governmental workers may misinterpret or not evenly apply law restricting public records.

A number of state legislators push for limiting access to vital records when they don’t really understand the situation, critics say. When an Indiana bill was filed last year to limit access to death information, Leland Meitzler wrote, “Another do-gooder congressman [legislator] has it figured that limiting access to death data is in some way going to protect folks from identity theft. It’s too bad that these legislators don’t take time to study the facts….before they try to show that they’re actually doing something in the statehouse.”

“Sadly,” says Pence, a former journalist, “it is the media. The media accepts at face value the cries of alarm from those who are making a living by scaring the bejabbers out of the public.” He cites what he believes is a flawed 2003 survey by the Federal Trade Commission that showed 27 million identity theft victims in the past five years.

Connecticut professional genealogist Dr. Robert L. Rafford blames a national association of state vital records offices for spreading misleading information about birth certificate fraud. He says the National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems does not document its statement that implies that studies of the federal Inspector General “encourages change in access to birth certificates….” The 2000 study of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Offices of Inspector General reviewed previous federal reports on birth certificate fraud since 1976, with no mention of limiting access to them.

Standard documents recommended

In the absence of studies linking public vital records and fraud, let’s also take a look at the classic example of identity theft and terrorism. The 9/11 commission extensively studied what could be done to prevent another terrorists’ attack. In its 585-page report, the main recommendation of the commission on identify theft was that birth certificates and drivers license formats be the same in every state. These documents are the bread and butter tools of identity thefts. Authorities often do not recognize fakes because there are so many formats used. What was not said is important for genealogists. They did not suggest that access to public birth certificates or other vitals records be restricted.

Doesn’t make sense

Further, genealogists complain that vital record restrictions just don’t make sense. Identity thieves typically steal credit card, driver’s license, and social security numbers of many people at once. They don’t try to get individual records like birth certificates through vital records departments, according to Neill. They don’t diligently search for vital records on microfilm like genealogists do. For thieves, it’s just not practical to spend hours getting copies of public vital records of their victims, says Neill.

Hackers, employees to blame

Instead, you often hear about computer hackers or some unscrupulous employee stealing valuable personal data. Rafford says he concludes from his research that “a tremendous percentage of identity thefts” are done by governmental, banking, and data processing employees who don’t need vital certificates. For example, the media reported in late March of this year that hackers stole 45.7 million credit card numbers from shoppers at T.J. Maxx and Marshalls stores. They also got numbers for drivers’ licenses and military identification cards of another 455,000 people.

ID theft stories foster warnings

Neill says that such stories foster warnings about protecting personal data. You may be advised to shred discarded personal information or never give personal data to unsolicited e-mail from financial institutions. “Rarely is one told to go to the courthouse and shred your birth certificate so someone cannot make a copy of it,” jests Neill. In fact, you likely won’t see any terrorists or identity thieves there either. They rarely, if ever, go to any of the 10,000 different agencies here that can issue birth certificates.

Causes of ID theft

It’s just easier to get doctored birth certificates or other fake documents at a host of websites. Thieves do not search your garbage for personal data as much anymore or steal wallets or purses as often. They can just get about anything they need online cheap. In secret chat rooms, they openly trade stolen data worldwide as it crawls by on stock-like tickers, reports MSNBC’.com’s “Red Tape Chronicles.” A related NBC Dateline investigation quoted an expert who said thieves pay as little as $5 to buy someone’s name, address, Social Security number, credit card number, and pin number.

Where do they get that data? Much of it comes from stolen laptop computers and from hackers who break into systems of large and small companies, says the expert. Identity theft today with computers appears to be much easier than ever before. So why would thieves resort to combing public vital records? Genealogists know how hard it is sometimes for them to confirm that they have found a certain person’s vital record. Imagine, says Pence, how hard it would be for a crook who knows nothing about genealogy to coordinate data from vital records to commit a crime. Should online genealogists fear having their identity or personal data compromised? Pence answers, “It never hurts to be careful, but the danger of having one’s identity stolen is almost nonexistent.”

Stealing from the dead

Other ID thieves steal information about the dead. They can get names and addresses from obituaries. Then they buy their Social Security numbers and other personal data on the Internet for only $15 or so. With this information, they can get credit cards or open checking accounts or buy merchandise in the names of deceased people, according to scam expert Sid Kircheimer. Experts advise that you should not give the deceased’s day and month of birth (provide just the year) in obituaries and to notify credit agencies and credit card companies right after someone dies. Send them their death certificate, he advises.

Some people believe that genealogy websites contribute to identity theft. A couple of years ago the Utah attorney general claimed that family history websites were feeding ID thieves with social security numbers (SSN). But Pence says that that if someone used a SSN in the Social Security Death Index they would likely be caught by financial institutions who routinely check the same database.

What can be done

In today’s world, it is not clear what information is private. In genealogy, though, for people born since the last public U.S. Census in 1930, all data is usually considered private except the surname and gender. Pence advises never post online or give information to others about living people, including the importing and exporting of GEDCOM files.

Instead of restricting public records, Rafford recommends that government and private companies do a better job of policing its employees. He notes that many states have taken some action. States generally restrict birth records. Florida, for example, allows the child on the certificate or the child’s parent, guardian or legal representative to obtain birth certificates. All birth certificates become public record 100 years following birth.

Rafford’s state of Connecticut only allows members of approved genealogical societies who present photographic identification to see or receive birth records less than 100 years old. California issues birth and death certificates stamped “Informational, Not a Valid Document to Establish Identity.” Several years ago California took down its online index of vital records and prohibited its agencies from selling them. However, they had been widely distributed, and are sold today online by private companies, according to Pence. He says the sales have resulted no reports of fraud.

States are also trying to decide whether to provide public records online 24 hours a day or just when county courthouses are open. Florida temporarily banned court records on the Internet while the pros and cons were studied. States also must now follow the federal Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. It prevents most public access to birth and death certificates for 70 to 100 years. The law allows states to set up its own rules and decide whether to provide an exception for genealogical and historical societies.

“Family historians need to be on the forefront of making it clear to our elected officials that access to vital records is not the real problem,” Neill writes on his website. Other genealogists say why close or limit access to records and punish people who don’t misuse them? It will just hamper genealogical researchers and not stop identity theft.

Dick Robinson is a certified genealogist, personal historian, and author of books and national magazine articles. He is legislative chair of the Florida State Genealogical Society and Florida Liaison to the Records Preservation & Access Committee of the Federation of Genealogical Societies and National Genealogical Society. Robinson, a professional journalist who was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, has written several articles on records preservation and access. He is the founding president of the Florida Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists.

News about members … from our newest to our most active

2007-07-03T21:25:00.000-04:00

Our gang at the 2007 NGS Conference

From left, Kim Davidson, Donna Moughty, Cindy Davis, Alvie Davidson, Gladys Paulin, Jean Kelley and Ann Staley (seated)

We’re happy to print what you’ve been doing. It doesn’t even have to be something about genealogy. Just send it to us. This month you’ll read how our newest member Kim Davidson just pitched right in to our activities and how one of our most experienced, most traveled member spent the past couple months.

11 Chapter people attend NGS Conference

Several APG Florida Chapter members attended the NGS conference in Richmond in May. They were Jean Kelley, Sharon Moody, Ann Staley, Alvie Davidson, Kim Davidson, Mitch and Karen Brown, Laurie Caulk, Donna Moughty, Cindy Davis, Gladys Paulin.

Volunteers wanted

Kim Davidson, our newest member, agreed to serve the Chapter as chair of the nominating committee. Elections will be held this fall. But she is looking for another member to help her. The Chapter is also looking for a parliamentarian. Contact: Jean Kelley.

One of most active members

Ann Staley sent a report on her many activities since mid-May: NGS Conference in RICHMOND (spent a lot of time networking in the vendor hall); then WYTHE COUNTY, VIRGINIA: took her dad to the cemetery where his great-grandfather and 2nd great-grandparents are buried; JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, teaching beginner genealogy; BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA: gave lectures on city directories and search engines at IGHR; AMELIA ISLAND: vital records presentation; FT. WALTON BEACH: another vital records lecture; MOBILE, ALABAMA: researching; FORT WAYNE, INDIANA: giving four lectures at the FGS/ACPL 2007 Conference.

Hitting a big 'brick wall' in China

2007-07-03T20:27:00.000-04:00

Chapter President Jean Kelley recently returned from a trip to China. Did she do any genealogy research there? Nope! Genealogists are allowed to have "a life" too, and here she tells us about a trip of a lifetime. She and her husband Ron celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary there. Happy belated anniversary, Jean and Ron. That's a photo of Jean (at the right>), at the Great (brick) Wall.

By Jean Foster Kelley

I recently returned from the trip of a lifetime—three weeks in China. To celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary, my husband and I participated in a guided tour, along with 34 other people.

The Chinese people are 30-plus years past the Cultural Revolution, and 18 years past Tiananmen Square (an extensive open area in central Beijing, China, the world's largest public square). Both of these events were traumatic and remain crystal clear in their memories. While the government still owns all the land and controls things, business is booming and there is a growing middle class.

The people are wonderful, very polite, and friendly. However, they still sometimes do not completely grasp the concept of queuing up and taking turns. Cars now replace bicycles to a large extent, although there are still a lot of bicycles and motor scooters to be seen. The sun in most cities is obscured by the pollution from the coal burning plants they use for electricity production, as well as from the surging mass of new cars and drivers. Our guide likened China's pollution to that of the United States 40 years ago before the clean air acts. However, many Chinese places use the new CFL light bulbs that are just catching on here.

We visited Beijing, a fast growing, modern city which is in full swing preparing for the Olympics next year. Here we climbed the Great Wall and visited the famous Forbidden City. We went to Xian, where 22 centuries ago the first emperor to unite China made his capital. As a tribute to himself, he commissioned a huge tomb complex which included about 8000 life sized and individually styled terra cotta soldiers. It truly is an amazing display. We visited other large cities, such as Shanghai and Hong Kong and smaller villages, too. China has more than 100 cities with populations of 1 million or more, most of which I'd never heard. One of those places is Chongqing, where 32 million people live. We were there only a few hours, but during that time I got to pet a real, live giant Panda!!

We took in some wonderful scenery and some good food, too. I tried my hand at the Chinese game of Mah Jongg and also at guiding a sampan. All in all, it was both fun and enlightening. For me, among the best parts was learning that the Chinese people we encountered are genuinely welcoming and friendly. That's certainly better than most alternatives I can think of.

FSGS 2007 Conference features Chapter speakers, roadshow, annual meeting, vendor booth

2007-07-03T19:49:00.000-04:00

Four Chapter members will be among 10 featured speakers at the Florida State Genealogical Society (FSGS) 2007 Genealogy Conference on 9-10 November in Orlando. They are Jack Butler, Donna M. Moughty, Alvie L. Davidson, CG, and Ann Mohr Osisek (also FSGS president). Our Ann Staley, CG, is conference chair. We will also hold our Ancestor Roadshow (free genealogy consultations for attendees) and annual Chapter meeting as well as operate a vendor booth. Also coming up is the FGS Conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana on 15-18 August, including the APG Roundtable and Professional Management Conference, run by our Donna Moughty. Here are more details from George Morgan, conference publicity chair:

The Florida State Genealogical Society announces its 31st Annual Genealogy Conference to be held 9-10 November 2007 at the Sheraton Orlando Downtown Hotel on beautiful Lake Ivanhoe in Orlando, Florida. The Central Florida Genealogical Society has graciously agreed to be the local host for this year’s conference. We believe we have put together a truly spectacular program with dynamic speakers!

Our featured guest speakers are nationally-recognized experts Dr. Thomas H. Shawker, M.D., and Patricia O’Brien Shawker, CG SM.

Dr. Thomas Shawker is a physician at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and has written over 200 scientific publications, including several articles on genetics, family health history, and medical history in the NGS Newsmagazine, the NGS Quarterly, and New England Ancestors, a publication of NEHGS. He is also the author of the book, Unlocking your Genetic History: A Step-by-Step Guide to Discovering your Family’s Medical and Genetic Heritage, in the National Genealogical Society book series. Dr Shawker will present two exciting lectures that are sure to pique your interest in genetic genealogy: “DNA Testing: The Very, Very Basics” and “Race, Ethnicity, and Ancestry: Genetic Genealogy & DNA Testing.”

Patricia O’Brien Shawker CG SM is a certified genealogist whose interests are Maryland genealogy and research at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). She has lectured at the local, state and national levels, and has served on the boards of both NGS and the National Institute on Genealogical Research (NIGR). Ms. Shawker will present two great lectures: “Passport Applications,” which discusses documents in the possession of both NARA and the U.S. Department of State, and the rich genealogical resources in them; and “NARA Records: A Case Study” which discusses how to reap the riches of NARA using both the major and minor record groups.

The Shawkers will be joined by seven additional excellent speakers who will present lectures about using the Internet and library/archive resources in your research; digital photography; little-known 20th century sources; immigration; research in newspapers and in territorial records; identification and dating of photographs; document preservation; a variety of topics about record types and research methodologies.

This conference program is filled with something for everyone! These speakers and their topics will be published on the FGS Web site .

The annual Gala Awards Banquet will be held on Friday night. It will honor individuals who have documented their Florida pioneers through the Florida Pioneer Descendant Program. In addition, awards will be presented by FSGS to individuals who have exemplified their dedication to genealogy.

A wide variety of vendors and genealogical, historical, lineage, and heritage societies will join the festivities in the FSGS Conference Exhibit Hall. Attendees will also be eligible to win door prizes.

The Sheraton Orlando Downtown Hotel is our conference venue, located just off I-4 at Lake Ivanhoe. It is close to downtown shopping and 25 minutes from the major attractions. The property has recently undergone a $10-million complete renovation and is a smoking-free facility. FSGS has negotiated a very attractive room rate of $109.00 per room per night, plus tax, double or single, for the conference attendees. Parking is free for all registered attendees. High-speed Internet connectivity is available for $9.95 per day. A direct Internet link to our conference rate can be accessed at the following Web site or directly from the FSGS Web site.
<http://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/res?id=0704203983&key=92FF7>

Full details about the 31st Annual Genealogy Conference and a Conference Registration form in PDF format will be found at the FSGS Web site at <http://www.rootsweb.com/~flsgs>.

Mark your calendar today and send in your registration for what promises to be one of the best genealogical conferences anywhere this year! Let’s meet in Orlando for the 31st Annual FSGS Genealogy Conference!

CG is a Registered Service Mark of the Board of Certification of Genealogists.

Click here to view hotel information, speakers' topics, and receive a registration form.

Gathering of the Chapters: Tossing out the APG logo

2007-07-03T17:32:00.000-04:00

Do you know that APG chapters network amongst themselves? It's one way chapters learn first hand what our international leaders are thinking and where they learn what other chapters are doing that works. Here is a report by our own Ann Staley of the last Gathering of the Chapters. One interesting development is the changes ahead for the APG and Chapter logos.

The Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) Gathering of the Chapters took place on Wednesday, 16 May 2007, at the National Genealogical Society 2007 Conference in the States held in Richmond, VA.

The Gathering was well attended and produced much lively discussion.

Sharon Tate Moody, President of the APG, started the meeting with some announcements. Among them were:

Group Exemption Letter - The APG is paying the fee to acquire a "Group Exemption" for all of the Chapters. IRS publication 557 provides more information. Basically, the Chapters will get an ID number and will be tax exempt from the "parent" APG. If a Chapter has an ID number already, they just need to provide the number to APG. One form will need to be filled out annually and provided to the Executive Director.

Chapter Handbook - The Chapter Handbook is in draft format and has made it through an Executive Committee review. It is meant to be a tool (guideline) for effective chapter management; not a "rule" book. It has been divided into 5 parts:
1. About APG - background information; code of ethics; etc.
2. Chapter Organization and Management - Chapter Liaisons; Chapter Representatives; etc.
3. Forming a New Chapter - Bylaws; Meetings; Responsibilities; Committees; Deactivation; etc.
4. Strategies for a Successful Chapter - [could not write fast enough ]
5. Chapter Management Tools - Stationery; Websites; Member Information Letter; etc.

Use of Chapter Logos - The APG is looking at the use of the APG Logo and Chapter Logos and the requirements for their use. They do not want to discourage the use of Chapter creativity and individuality but there needs to be some type of consistency and professionalism. Sharon stated the she thinks the Executive Committee has come up with a solution, but will need to wait for APG Board approval before being able to make full disclosure. As soon as the matter is discussed and voted on, she will let the Chapters know more.

Each Chapter was then asked to provide what they have done since Chicago, projects they are working on, problems with no known solution, and what's on your mind. For the Florida Chapter we provided information on:

a. Our use of four meetings around the state with preplanned dates for the whole year. We also noted that we try to meet at libraries and/or repositories and arrange tours of the same to familiarize ourselves of the many research opportunities in the state.

b. Our teaming with the Florida State Genealogical Society (FSGS) to provide an Ancestor Roadshow for the FSGS Annual Conference.

c. Our problem of getting more members to join and the logistical problems of the state.

d. Our desire to provide the APG with a position paper on "Records Access and Identity Theft."

All-in-all, the meeting was very productive and informative.

Ann Staley

- - - - - - - - - - - -
Addendum to the report:

On 20 May 2007, Sharon Tate Moody, President of APG, sent out the results of the Board meeting in regard to the use of Logos.

She wrote:
"After 17 years of using the same logo (which many do not find attractive and is very difficult to display in a variety of media) the EC voted to scrap the current logo and develop a new one. A graphic designer from Texas has agreed to discuss concepts and need with the EC. She then will develop several concepts and present them to us for selection.

Our intent is to specifically develop a logo which can stand alone as the organization logo and also have a graphically coordinated attachment which shows “member” or “chapter.” Our intent is that the chapter logo will have an overall general appearance with place for chapters to add an individualized identifier. I am attaching a page of examples to better illustrate this to those of you who (like me) have to visualize concepts rather than read about them. [EDITOR'S NOTE: This attachment is not included here. It shows examples where a chapter's name and logo or just a chapter's name, as a separate design, could be placed directly below the APG parent group's logo, which was not previously permittted.] The slate is blank as to how the logo will be designed. We all will await to see what the graphic designer produces for us."

--Prepared by Ann Staley