This post has been inspired by Randy Seaver’s “What Should Genealogical Societies Offer? My 11 Suggestions” post which I read earlier this week, and let me start by saying I couldn’t agree with him more. I realise that societies are small, volunteer-run organisations, but they NEED to adapt with the times to not only cater to current members, but to attract new ones, which will quite likely turn into more volunteers as well. Bringing in new volunteers has so many benefits simply apart from more hands-on people to help out, these new volunteers have skills that they can share or utilise. Some may be good at computers, some at cataloguing, some at one-on-one helping people, or answering research queries from afar, and some at social media. All of which are useful for societies these days. First up here’s a summary of Randy’s 11 suggestions for societies: 1. A regular (monthly?) meeting in a public place that features some sort of educational aspect. 2. Special events to enhance social interaction among attendees. 3. A yearly seminar in a public place, perhaps with a sitdown or buffet meal for a cost with a well-known and respected speaker(s). 4. Regular workshops/user groups (weekly, monthly, quarterly) intended to help attendees learn about specific resources. 5. Genealogy education classes for beginners, intermediates and advanced researchers on a regular basis (e.g., annually). 6. Hands-on, one-on-one or small-group research help by mentors or experienced members in a semi-private environment. 7. Research trips to local repositories, family history fairs or conferences, or local historical sites. 8. A regularly published newsletter with news of upcoming events, highlights from past events, genealogy industry news, member research articles, local repository information, etc. 9. A website that is updated regularly providing...
