NGS honored
excellence in the categories of newsletter editorship and service to the
Society with the presentation of several awards at the Opening Session of the
NGS 2013 Family History Conference in Las Vegas,
Nevada,
on 8 May 2013. The Opening Session keynote speaker was historian Marian Smith,
Chief, Historical Research Branch, US Citizenship and Immigration Services who
spoke on the topic “People, Policy, and Records: The Importance of Historical
Background” after which NGS President Jordan Jones presented the following
awards.
Each year, the NGS Newsletter
Competition recognizes the hard work, long hours, and creativity that editors
devote to their newsletters. A panel of three judges reviews each newsletter on
material interest, variety, organization, quality of writing and editing,
readability, and attractiveness. This year’s categories and winners are:
Family Association Newsletter:
Winner: The Andreas Killian
Descendants Historical Association Newsletter, edited by Charles D. Killian
of Ellenwood, Georgia.
Honorable Mention: The Seeley
Genealogical Society Newsletter, edited by Paul Taylor of Alexandria, Virginia.
County/Local
Genealogical and/or Historical Society, for societies with less than 500
members:
Winner: The Newsletter
of the Irish Family History Forum, edited by Patricia Mansfield Phelan of
Freeport, New York.
Honorable Mention: The Quarterly
Newsletter of the South Bend Area Genealogical Society, edited by Eric
Craig of South Bend, Indiana.
Major Genealogical
and/or Historical Society, for societies with more than 500 members:
Winner: PastFinder,
the monthly newsletter of the Silicon Valley Computer Genealogy Group, edited
by Janet Brigham of Mountain View, California.
The President's
Citation is given in recognition of outstanding, continuing, or unusual
contributions to the field of genealogy or the society. The National
Genealogical Society President selects the recipient and this year Jan Meisels Allen has been selected.
Jan has been a key leader of the Records
Preservation and Access Committee (RPAC), a joint committee of NGS, the
Federation of Genealogical Societies, and the International Association of
Jewish Genealogical Societies. Over the last few years she has tracked
legislation that may impact genealogists’ access to the Social Security Death
Index in the US Congress and access to vital records in many states. She is
relentless in writing statements as appropriate to House and Senate committee chairs
as well as governors and state representatives advocating open records access. She
is a dynamo on RPAC as the voting member representing the International
Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS). She doggedly finds bills
being proposed that affect records access and brings them to the attention of
RPAC, and thus the genealogical community. She has served in many roles,
including vice president, IAJGS; president, Jewish Genealogical Society of
Conejo Valley and Ventura
County; and board member,
Friends of the Agoura Hills Library. Jan receives the President's Citation for
her vigilance in support of records preservation and in defense of public
access to public records.
NGS also recognized
several individuals for their dedicated efforts in support of the NGS 2013
Family History Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada:
The Award of Honor
was presented in recognition of dedication and sustained service in support of
the conference. Recipients of the award were Michael Brenner, Chair, Local Host
Societies; and local host societies Centennial Las Vegas Genealogy Society,
Clark County Nevada Genealogical Society, Jewish Genealogy Society of Southern
Nevada, Las Vegas FamilySearch Library, Nevada African American Genealogy
Society, and Nevada State Society Daughters of the American Revolution.
Certificates of
Appreciation were given to recognize the
committee chairs who spent countless hours preparing for the conference. NGS is
aware that there could be no conference if it were not for the volunteers’
efforts and commitment. So honored were Lynne Bogner and R. Wayne Stoker,
Co-Chairs of Volunteers; Patricia Dell’aira and Rebecca Eisenman, Co-Chairs of
Hospitality; Betteann Meyers, Publicity Chair; Carole Montello, Registration
Chair; Leo Myers, Exhibits Chair; and Bill White, Local Events and Tours Chair.
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Marian Smith talked about her Mortan Allan research.
Mariachi Los Bravos led attendees to the Exhibit Hall. The
kids were only in junior high and so talented.
Records Preservation and Access Strategy Session
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