Dear GIG Friends,
I wanted to share with those of you who weren’t able to attend the June 3, 2016 GIG Meeting that I will be stepping down as the leader of the GIG. I’m sorry to say that I just don’t have the time to commit to it and I can’t make all the meetings, due to working full time. My goal in taking on the leadership this past year was to keep the GIG from folding after Ann Passe stepped down (after leading it for over 8 years!), to have some new and/or professional genealogists as speakers, and to start having local field trips again. I hope your expectations were met this past year.
Leadership of the GIG will continue in the capable hands of Dorothy Pretare, who assisted me with programming this past year. Dorothy has two new Programs co-chairs who will assist her with programming and speakers. I’m looking forward to hearing what topics and who our speakers will be for the last part of 2016 and 2017!
In order to help the Programs co-chairs and Dorothy, please take the survey, contained in this email, below, and also attached as a word document. You can either reply to this email by including your comments in the survey below or you could print out the attached survey, fill it out, and mail it to Dorothy at: Dorothy Pretare, 2344 SE 8th Place, Renton, WA 980554
I’d like to thank the following who have greatly helped the GIG this past 2015/2016 year:
—Melanie, for updating the Website/URL lists and creating the GIG’s temporary website, which we are using until the GIG website is finalized on the Eastside Genealogical Society’s website:
http://www.enyedy00.com/mmGIG/GIG%20Resource%20Lists.html
—Jim, for arranging to have our Annual Christmas Potluck at his beautiful condo complex in Kirkland!
—Ron, for arranging for us to be able to meet at the LDS Church, for setting up the rooms, and for working the great SMART TV for our programs!
—Dorothy, for doing more than just chairing programs – for keeping me on track and helping the GIG to run smoothly! And
—every single one of you–I’ve learned so much from all of you, you’ve been terrifically supportive of my leadership, and I appreciate your friendship!
I’ll try to make as many meetings as I can, starting up again in September, depending on my work schedule, and I also wish all of you a safe, healthy, fun, and genealogically productive summer!
Fondly,
Karen Campbell
Here’s the survey–and please volunteer to help the GIG:
June 2016 Survey for German Interest Group
Please return your survey either via e-mail to GermanInterestGroup@outlook.com or mail your completed survey to Dorothy Pretare at 2344 SE 8th Pl., Renton, WA 98055. Thank you!
- What would you like the GIG to provide you and its members?
- What topics would you like to see presented at our meetings? (Think in terms of an hour to an hour and a half presentation.)
- Can you help us in one (or more) of the following areas:
___ A) setting up chairs, etc., shortly after 12:30 pm on our meeting day,
___ B) updating ancestral locations on our large German trifold maps,
___ C updating the Surname/Location lists,
___ D) helping at our GIG table at the LDS November Family History Fair in Bellevue or Redmond,
___ E) helping with our Annual Christmas Potluck luncheon,
___ F) being a co-chair for GIG programs,
___ G) doing a presentation at one of our meetings,
___ H) applying your talents to help GIG leaders–My talent(s) is/are:
____________________________________________________________
___ I) I can help in another way: ________________________________________
- Each of you has genealogy knowledge/experiences and/or want to learn more about a genealogical subject. Can you recommend any speakers, who won’t charge us a fee? Or, maybe you could to do a presentation to our group? (GIG leaders can help you prepare a presentation.)
- What are your feelings about field trips to such venues as:
- A)the University of Washington’s Suzzallo Library’s specialty collections—a tour and maybe a talk,
- B)the Seattle Genealogical Society for a talk by a genealogy expert and time to use their library for research,
- C)The National Archives at Sand Point in Seattle, including a talk by experts and time to do some of your own research,
- D)The LDS Family Discovery Center in Bellevue
Do you have any other suggestions for field trips?
Did you attend the field trip to The Fiske Library and Gary Zimmerman’s talk, specially tailored for our group? If you didn’t attend, would you mind telling us why you didn’t?
- As we plan for the 2016-2017 year, we would appreciate your input about this past year – both positive & negative. Also, any tips for improvements would be greatly appreciated!
___________________________________________________________________
Your name/email address (optional, but needed for Part C or/& D so we can contact you)
For your use in considering your input on the survey:
This past year’s programs & events were:
Sept: “How to Contract ARchives and Churches in Germany to Obtain Information”, by Karen Campbell
Oct: “Links/URLs to Websites pertaining to German Genealogy”
Nov: “Google Tools Beyond Basic Search” by Janet Camarata
Dec: Christmas Potluck at Jim’s condo complex in Kirkland
Jan: “Sources & How to Cite Them” by Mary Kathryn Kozy
Feb: “Beginning Genealogy – Research in US & Germany” by Dorothy Pretare
March: “X-DNA Basics – An Overview of X-DNA Inheritance Patterns & How to Find X-
Chromosome Matches” by Melanie Matway
March Field Trip: Fiske Genealogical Library in Seattle
April: “Research Trips – Preparation for trip, tips while there & tasks after returning” by
Dorothy Pretare, with great sharing of experiences by members
May: “Small Group Sharing – Divided into specific German Empire Regions” – great
sharing between members
June: “What Are Your Summer Genealogy Plans & How Might We Help You” – great sharing and discussion between members