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Archiver > APG > 2008-01 > 1201553921


From: Heather Henderson <>
Subject: Re: [APG] E: Jones APGQ article
Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:58:41 -0700
References: <BAY129-W3083BFC8E3DFDA79CD370CA5340@phx.gbl><!~!AAAAAPVJg++TgcZHiMuUUbhpA2kkMkoA@HeritageBooks.com>
In-Reply-To: <!~!AAAAAPVJg++TgcZHiMuUUbhpA2kkMkoA@HeritageBooks.com>


I wonder if we need to be getting back to basics and incorporating "the manual" (i.e. Professional Genealogy) in our standards of measurement? That is a pretty clear road map to me. ESM and crew did a fantastic job balancing business with genealogy. Perhaps we could have some sort of test you can pass based on "the manual" that would then drive the membership tiers, if that is really what is needed? That way it's not financially based, does not duplicate BCG or ICAPGEN and yet provides a standard of measurement.

Just my two more cents before I glue my fingers together to keep from posting anymore... :)



> From: > To: > Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:53:47 -0500> Subject: [APG] E: Jones APGQ article> > I have held my tongue in regards to the issue of membership levels for some> time. Those of you who know me, know how difficult that might be for me.> > I believe that we need to look at this membership issue from a different> angle. The angle that is based on the concept of continuous improvement of> ourselves as genealogists and of our profession. > > Regardless of what the mission says or what the mission may be defined as,> at a later date I joined APG because I wanted to become a better> genealogist. When I joined I knew that I was deficient in many areas that I> had to get better at doing if I was going to become the genealogist that I> thought I wanted to become. I also joined APG because it looked like a good> group of people that I wanted to get to know better and a professional> organization usually is a good advocate for what you believe in.> > What hampered my journey was the lack of a road map for getting better at> what I was doing. My background in the military and as a member of the> Health Care Information Management Systems Society and other professional> organizations prepared me for something which I was disappointed to learn> did not exist in the Association of Professional Genealogists. A tiered> self-motivated educational inducing road map with various recognition points> demonstrating my personal growth as a professional. When I joined and made> known my desire to participate in the program I was handed a checklist. It> was up to me to accomplish what was on the checklist at my own pace and the> only checking that was involved was that the event I said had occurred> actually had occurred. You received points of specific events in your> journey. When you got so many points you got a certificate recognizing the> completion of that tier and you got another check list.> > I am in favor of anyone joining APG that has the desire to improve as> genealogists and believes in the Code. Our role as an Association should be> to provide an environment that is supportive of improving ourselves as> genealogists.> > There might be four tiers in increasing levels of complexity.> > For fun:> > Member> > Joins, does their own thing, really wants to improve but does not want to> put themselves out in the process. We gladly collect their dues. No sigma> attached to just being along for the ride.> > Junior Genealogist> > Attends local conferences, national conferences for five years, lectures to> local groups, writes articles for local society. Attends a national> institute. Has a list of 150 things to do over five years to get it done.> Each event is worth so many points as a function of its complexity. Write an> article for your local newsletter get five points. Write an article for a> state society journal get ten points. Write an article for TAG get fifteen> points. Attend a local conference get five points. Attend a national> conference get ten points. Work at the APG booth at a conference get fifty> points. Become an officer in your local society. Become a newsletter editor> of your local society. <G> Catch the drift. This is the taker phase.> > Senior Genealogist> > Does the same as above, but does more of the same, but now speaks at> nationals, writes articles for scholarly journals, mentors, etc. Hold> postnomials of an accredited program, certified or accredited. Graduate of> IGHR, NIGHR, etc. Lectures in these programs. Editor of a state or national> journal. Officer of a state or national genealogical organization. Has a> list of 150 things to do over a period of five years to get done. This is> the giver phase.> > Fellow (an elected by the membership impossible to attain position that a> person gets because everyone who is everyone recognizes this person as> worthy) [Please just cause everyone else has a Fellow and there are too many> Fellows out there already does not mean that we can not recognize our "walk> on water" person of the decade.]> > So there would be a ten year road map for improving yourself as a> genealogist where you transition from the taker of genealogical expertise to> the giver of genealogical expertise. > > The only judging is that another member of the organization has to attest> that you were there, or did, or whatever. Keep it simple.> > And by the way, these membership levels only mean something to you and your> sense of where you are in improving yourself. Not to be used (except> possibly the Fellow) in any ads, literature or business cards. Just a nice> certificate to hang on the wall of your den or office, right beside your> Graham T. Smallwood award. <G>> > C.> > Craig R. Scott, CG> President and CEO> Heritage Books, Inc.> 65 East Main Street> Westminster, MD 21157> 800 876-6103> > > 2758 books in print and growing. Visit www.HeritageBooks.com> > > > > > > .> > -------------------------------> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message
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