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MSOG, Inc.
PO Box 215
Ashland, MA 01721-0215 |
Blog Entries: 1 to 10 of 12
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Early Bird Registration is now Open
Early Bird Pricing
Save $30 if you order a
Full Conference Registration by February 15
Register at NERGC.org
As a charter member of NERGC, we are happy to highlight
MSOG’s Sponsored Speaker – Seema-Jayne Kenney
“Understanding Different Library Systems and Protocols”
Thursday, 6 May 2023, at 3:00 pm
Visit us at our Booth in the Exhibit Hall.
We are proud of the many MSOG members presenting at NERGC 2023:
Diane Boumenot, Sara Campbell, Justin Cascio, Denise Cross,
Beth Finch McCarthy, Margaret Fortier, Pamela Guye Holland, Kathleen Kaldis, Dave Robison, Claire Smith, Maureen Taylor
Consult your program for times and locations of these presentations and other MSOG, Inc. sponsored activities:
Thursday 8:00 am – Workshop: Getting into Genealogy
Friday and Saturday Noon to 1:00 Break – Activity: Family History Trivia
Saturday Banquet – Dr. Michael Lacopo, presenting “Top Ten Things I Have Learned in Four Decades of Genealogical Research”
Thank you to our members who volunteer hours to NERGC year-round.
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Holiday Greetings
The Merrimack Valley Chapter wishes all of you Seasons Greetings, and a Happy and Healthy New Year.! |
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MV CHAPTER Membership Reminder
Our membership renewal date has passed as of Aug 31st. However because you are able to
view this, you are a Renewed Member, or a New Member. I want to Welcome YOU!
Let me remind you of a few member benefits, You have access to all four
chapter meetings via zoom which some are recorded and are accessible to
members only, right here on the website. A month to catch up if you missed them
and watch at your leisure the past recorded meetings. We continue on with
the monthly book club, hosted by Carol Gafford. The reading selections are
varied and if you love to share your thoughts about the reading material and
love of books this is the venue to get involved in. The discussion zoom
meeting is a great way to socialize and share with fellow members. Our
website has been newly updated and you can now meet new cousins and
share your family interests through our new Surname project. Besure to add your Surname to
the list. We still are producing each month your Pasttimes Newsletter, I would love to give
a great shout out to Anne Swingle Borg, our program Editor. She is always coming up with
great articles for it. If you have any stories send them on to her to ger published in the next editon. We can't forget the MASSOG pamphlet three times a year comes to you by email or mail.The dedication of our Editor George D. Martin, and his entrourage of volunteers are just astounding. You can view all the past articles on the website here. These are great to research for your own relatives, as many past reaserchers have placed lineage lines or stories of their relatives and have documented them in this MASSOG Publications. I warn you though, you will be down a rabbit hole and will later ask yourself where has the time gone.
And I am happy to report we are contining on with our DNA SIG meetings every other month. Check here on the DNA dedicated page for dates and times. Check out the valuable source on the Forms page at the bottom, you will see "Leagacy Quick Guide", click on the link, you will find valuable free meetings on all topics of Genealogy.
Just a last note:
If you have a friend or relative whom you think would love to be a member, please share our website address, and share our MSOG Merrimack Valley Chapter news and meeting dates with them.
We hope to see you soon at our first meeting at the Peabody Library in Georgewtown MA, Sept 24th at 10AM. Its been much too long!
Till then,
Carol Katsulis Vice President |
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Meet Your 2023-2024 State Candidates
Candidate for President: Terence Dugan
My involvement with MSOG began in 2013 when I assumed the position of the MSOG Bristol Chapter Secretary shortly after becoming a member. I have been witness to the growth of MSOG since 2013 and credit the commitment of numerous State and Bristol Chapter officers for shaping the organization into what it is today.
I became interested in genealogy over thirty five years ago after the birth of my first daughter. I began asking my parents about the origins of their own parents, all of whom had passed away by the time I was only six years of age. I wanted to hear their stories so I could someday share them with my own children and grandchildren.
I am married with three adult children and blessed with an equal number of grandchildren. I still work for a major commercial insurance brokerage firm as an insurance broker but hope to retire in the near future so I can spend more time on genealogical research.
Why am running for the office of President of MSOG? I’ve been encouraged by other members to run for this office and share their view that having a fully constituted MSOG Board will ensure that the organization will continue to thrive in the future.
Should I be fortunate enough to win this election, I believe MSOG should focus on understanding why members have joined the society, what content/programs they want to see and how we can improve the experience of membership for all members, regardless of their experience level in genealogy.
Candidate for Vice President: Brenda Anderson
Hello, my name is Brenda Anderson. I am so excited to have an opportunity to be the Vice President for the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists. I am a member of the Middlesex Chapter. I made the decision 9 years ago to leave my Assistant Underwriting position in Boston to be a stay-at-home mom and raise our beautiful twin girls along with my husband who also has a love for genealogy.
My heart and soul are discovering my ancestors and helping others with their journey. I enjoy creating my families and friend’s family trees which I work on daily. I also take photographs of gravestones for Find-A-Grave which I find so thrilling.
My proudest moment in my genealogical research was when I verified my first American Revolutionary War Patriot though the Daughters of the American Revolution organization. Since then I have discovered I have 15 more Patriots to verify.
I look forward to bringing my goal-oriented, self-starter and interpersonal skills to the leadership team, which I believe will be an added value. I feel that all of my qualifications will help me in the position of Vice President, to be able to assist the President, Leadership Team, and others. Thank you.
Candidate for Treasurer: Diane Laferriere
I was the Society Treasurer of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists, Inc. from 2015 to 2017. I was elected again in 2019 and currently hold this position. In my professional life I work full time as a Business Analyst. Prior to that, I was an accountant at Very Fine Products for 16 years.
I enjoy being a volunteer Officer for MSOG. I get to meet members from all of the Chapters and learn so much more about Genealogy than if I just attended a monthly meeting. I also volunteer my time to NERGC and the MSOG Annual Meeting.
I challenge all members to think about what you can do for MSOG. Here are some ideas: write an article for MASSOG, be a greeter at a chapter meeting, volunteer a few hours to one of the many committees of the Society. You will see that many of the Chapter and Society Officers take on more than one role, not because we have more time than you, but because we know it does not take much time to lend a helping hand. What can you do for MSOG?
I look forward to serving as your Society Treasurer for the next 2 years.
Candidate for Recording Secretary: Carol Lerch
My name is Carol Lerch and I would like to become a more active member of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists as Recording Secretary. My professional background is in education, professor from 1991 to 2011, and administrator from 2011 to 2016. After retiring in 2016, I dove back into genealogy and found a whole new world of organizations and societies.
I joined MSOG through the Bristol Chapter in the fall of 2019, which didn’t allow for much time to make connections with the members. I was grateful when MSOG and Bristol went on Zoom during the COVID emergency, since we could continue to meet. I would like to support the growth of the organization by getting involved where my skills may prove useful.
My secretarial experience began as a member or chairperson of various committees in my professional and personal life. Most recently, I became a founding member of the board of directors for my Home Owners Association, taking the position of secretary. My philosophy was, and is, to ensure open communications with the board and membership.
After stepping down as secretary for my HOA, I now serve on the Rules and Bylaws committee. I am a member of two other boards of directors, the Norton Institute for Continuing Education (NICE) as a member of the board, and as secretary of the Plainville Council on Aging. I haven’t been a member of MSOG very long, but I would like to become more involved and give back where I can.
Candidate for Corresponding Secretary: Kelly A. Fox
After 4 years as Vice President, I have chosen to run for the Corresponding Secretary position. I can use my organizational skills to ensure that all the society communications are timely and accurate.
As an amateur genealogist, for over 35 years, I have expanded my research skills and explored my DNA results with the guidance and education of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists. I have attended other genealogy conferences, including Society Day at NERGC. The support, advice, and encouragement from MSOG members has led me to want to share this experience with other genealogists.
As Vice President, for the past four years, I have served the society board and planned the annual meetings. In the past, as the VP of the Merrimack Valley Chapter, I have scheduled speakers, organized a museum field trip and developed a scout merit badge program. I have also organized the society booth at NERGC.
Candidate for Membership Director: Marc H. Leuenberger
My name is Marc H. Leuenberger, I am a member of the Worcester Chapter, and I am pursuing the Membership Director position for MSOG. Born and raised in Switzerland, I am bilingual in French and English. I recently relocated from Grafton, Massachusetts to Tampa, Florida to further my career in the hospitality field with Marriott International. I am passionate about genealogy and am familiar with working in countries such as Switzerland, France, and Italy. I am currently finishing the American Genealogical Studies courses with NGS. I more specifically love to research in the New England states primarily because of my spouse's origin, as she was born and raised in Grafton, Massachusetts, and has roots in deep New England.
I decided to run for the position of Membership Director as a way to give back and use the skills acquired from my professional path as a Food and Beverage manager in full services hotels. These qualifications are flexibility, dedication, completion of administrative tasks, financial knowledge, team management, product expertise, and attention to small details. I wish members to review my qualifications and allow me to serve the Society as the next Membership Director. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Candidate for Historian/Archivist: Wendy Rawson Sheppard
 In my first term as Historian/Archivist, I worked with the MSOG Board to select a Cloud-based application (GoogleDrive) in which to store MSOG's archives, to create a Document Retention Schedule, and to begin scanning and uploading 18 file boxes' worth of the Society's archives.
During my second term as Historian/Archivist, I continued scanning and uploading, weeding out duplicate content, and providing quarterly updates to the MSOG Board about my progress. I have succeeded in scanning and uploading approximately half of the archives and whittled the file box number from 18 to 12. The MSOG Board officers have access to the Archives on GoogleDrive and can readily use them for projects, and for sharing with MSOG members upon request.
Having thoroughly enjoyed this process, I have become even more enthusiastic about MSOG's history and more in awe of those who have supported the Society over the years with their volunteerism. If I am re-elected, not only do I intend to complete the scanning and uploading of the MSOG archives over the next term (2 years), but also I would create a recurring article in the Past Times to share with members what we have in our Archives, articles that would include significant pieces of our MSOG History, and I would create a presentation about our Archives to share with all Chapters, so that they can begin a discussion about how they want to protect and store their Chapter archives.
Please consider me for re-election.
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2022 Society Election
Dear MSOG, Inc. Members,
The Nominating Committee is delighted to present the 2023-2024 slate of nominees for the upcoming Massachusetts Society of Genealogists, Inc.'s October 2022 election. We will be accepting additional candidates through September 20, 2022.
The candidates are:
President - Terrance Dugan
Vice President - Brenda Anderson
Treasurer - Diane Laferriere
Corresponding Secretary – Kelly A. Fox
Recording Secretary - Carol Lerch
Membership Director - Marc H. Leuenberger
Historian/Archivist - Wendy Rawson Sheppard
The officers will serve two-year terms beginning January 1, 2023, and ending December 31, 2024. Candidates for each of the elected board positions have submitted their qualifications, which are published on the following pages. Please take time to read their profiles and cast your ballot when voting opens in October.
Election Process: Each MSOG, Inc. eligible member will receive an electronic or paper ballot identified as “MSOG Vote,” prior to the voting period. Paper ballots will be mailed to members without email addresses on October 1, 2022 and must be returned in the provided envelopes to ensure confidentiality. Electronic ballots will be emailed to members on October 4, 2022.
Eligibility to Vote: All members in good standing with the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists, Inc. are eligible to take part in the election. Member renewals must be received before October 1, 2022, to be eligible to vote.
Voting Period: Polls will open for voting on Tuesday, October 4, 2022, and close on Tuesday, October 11, 2022. All paper ballots must be postmarked by October 13, 2022.
Election Results: The Tellers Committee will report the election results to the State Board. The president will announce the election results at the annual meeting on Saturday, November 5th. The results will also be posted on the MSOG, Inc. website and published in Past Times.
If you would like more information about any of these offices or procedures, please see the Bylaws, and Policies and Procedures Manual, which are both available on the MSOG, Inc. website, www.msoginc.org under the “About” section.
The Nominating Committee:
Kathleen Rubano, Bristol Chapter
Carol Katsulis, Merrimack Valley Chapter
Deborah Cardoni, Worcester Chapter
The Tellers Committee is a vital part of the election process. This is the committee that collects, reviews, and tallies the electronic and mailed ballots, and reports the election results to the State Board. It should be less than a 4-hour commitment. If you would like to help with this important task and are available for a few hours between October 18th and October 21st, please send an email to nominating@msoginc.org by October 1st. Thank you! |
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Nominating Committee is looking for you!
Your MSOG Nominating Committee is still "looking" for you.
Hello again, give me a moment of your time to say The MSOG Society Nominating Committee is really striving to acquire some wonderful and enthusiastic Candidates for you to vote on to be your new Board members for our upcoming season 2023-24. We are still searching for a President and Vice President Nominee.
If you are a person who believes you can be a leader, then we want to speak with you. At our last nominating committee meeting we mentioned that we believe in the word TEAM. It has no "I" in it. A team is when we all pitch in to make an organization stronger.
The President and Vice President does not work alone. You have mentors who have been in the position before who would help guide you to learn the procedures. You have former board members and your new board members to be available to lend a hand.
As we referred to the board positions as more of a partnership with the MSOG, than a volunteer position.
Some traits you may have within you that perhaps would encourage you to consider a position.
Are you a current long term or short term MSOG Member?
Are you an organizer, can you engage in conversation, arrange meeting calendar dates, be present in person or online with Zoom for four of the year's meetings? (You get to pick the location of the meeting when and if held in person). If you like public speaking? Can you attend the Annual Meeting in November in person or on Zoom and be the meeting organizer/speaker? Do you feel you have some great ideas to present to the Organization? Let your voice be heard!
MSOG, Inc. has been around for over 50 years. We are striving to be here for the next 50.
WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER....
Won't you contact us soon, also you can refer someone whom you know to be a possible candidate. Let's hear from you!
nominating@msoginc.org
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Call for Candidates to Run for Office
The MSOG State Nominating Committee is currently seeking candidates to run for office for the 2023 – 2024 term (2 year term starting 1/1/2023 through 12/31/2024).
Elected positions:
President
Vice President
Corresponding Secretary
Recording Secretary
Treasurer
Historian/Archivist
Membership Director
Please remember that the society is a completely volunteer organization and relies on volunteers like you to continue the work of our organization. Please consider how you can help.
If you are interested in running, would like more information, or would like to nominate someone, please contact the nominating committee at nominating@msoginc.org. Your State Nominating Committee
Carol Katsulis
Kathleen Rubano
Deborah Cardoni
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Thank you for joining the MV Meeting!
Thanks to the lovely ladies who joined the MV Chapter Meeting this morning on a lovely sunny day at the Peabody Library in Georgetown MA. We had a wonderful morning. It was nice to see you all in person.
Until September's meeting, have a great summer.
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Suggestions or Ideas for your Chapter!
Hi Merrimack Valley Member,
I wanted to just give you an update to our Merrimack Valley Chapter news. We are pleased to welcome a new DNA SIG Co-Ordinator to this upcoming season. Chelsea Fernandes has offered to step in as volunteer in this much needed position. We look forward to working with her and keeping the DNA-SIG Meeting alive for all to enjoy.
I am reaching out and asking if you have any suggestions for the upcoming Lectures topics or speakers which you would like us to perhaps arrange for the new season starting this September. I would love to hear from you. Contact me at mvvp@msoginc.org
I hope you are considering joining the Chapters Social gathering next Saturday for 10am, on the18th at the Peabody Georgetown Library. Chapter members only, sorry NO public invite. If you received your invite by email, I urge you to send it back to us, so that we may have a head count.
Thanks
Carol Katsulis
MV Vice-President |
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CALL FOR A DNA VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
UPDATE: We are delighted to welcome Chelsea Fernandes of the Bristol Chapter, to the DNA SIG as our new Volunteer Co-Ordinator!
Chelsea Fernandes is the Technical Services Librarian for the SAILS Library Network and a member of the Bristol Chapter of MSOG. Originally from Denver, CO, she has lived in Massachusetts for the past seven years after moving to Boston to attend Simmons University for school in Archives Management. She just finished the BU Genealogy Certificate program and is excited to get more involved in local genealogical work.
The Merrimack Valley Chapter officers have been keeping the DNA SIG MEETINGS going every other month since Peg Plummer had resigned the position. We have now come to the decision that we need a person to step up and be the VOLUNTEER CO-ORDINATOR. We are hoping to fill this position by the start of this new season in September. If we can not find someone; then we regretfully have no other alternative but to no longer keep it going. If you are interested and would like more information, please contact Diane LaFerriere, mvsecretary@msoginc.org of the MV Chapter. She will be happy to fill you in on the position requirements.
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