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Archiver > CAGEN > 2002-06 > 1024718647


From: "Jana Black" <>
Subject: RE: USGW rejected at FGS.....
Date: Fri, 21 Jun 2002 21:04:07 -0700
In-Reply-To: <001901c2197f$9020b9c0$14fec43f@pacbell.net>


Yes Ray,

It is folks like us who belong to societies that pay to belong to FGS
that make it run.... You hit the nail on the head regarding my
frustration.... I have not entirely given up, but I sure feel
frustrated... Marin County GenSoc is also the primary contributor of
data to the Marin GenWeb site....

Jana

-----Original Message-----
From: Ray Ensing [mailto:]
Sent: Friday, June 21, 2002 4:59 PM
To: Jana Black
Cc: cagenweb
Subject: Re: USGW rejected at FGS.....


Not surprising since money does generate most activity but they sure
were short sighted. Ventura County is a good example of working together
as the local Ventura Genealogical Society and the CC of the GenWeb for
Ventura County have been working TOGETHER FOR THE GOOD OF ALL
RESEARCHERS.

I guess we are the "tail" that is suppose to wag the dog.

Ray Ensing
Ventura GenWeb Project
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jana Black" <>
To: <>
Sent: Friday, June 21, 2002 4:39 PM
Subject: USGW rejected at FGS.....


> Hello all,
>
> I hate to be the harbinger of bad news, but I have received a message
> from the head office at FGS via Wendy Elliott, California State
> Genealogical Alliance liaison for the FGS 2002 Conference informing me

> that after discussion with Dean Hunter, the FGS person who is
> coordinating the Vendor Hall:
>
> "FGS cannot give a free booth to any group, regardless of their
> volunteer status. The USGenWeb project does not qualify under
> conditions established for the Society Hall requirements for member
> societies. Since the project directly supports Ancestry, we suggest
> that you elicit Ancestry or RootWeb's support for booth space."
>
> I have written back to correct the notion that USGW "directly
> supports" Ancestry and to remind them that the USGW Project is not a
> member of FGS or *any* Society as we have no money, no bank account,
> no funds, whatsoever. The reply was:
>
> "... we cannot offer free booths to any organization regardless of its

> purpose, contribution to genealogy, or financial situation. "
>
> So, sad to say, we will not be represented at FGS 2002. I am posting
> this because I think it demonstrates a bit of a "wake-up" call to us
> as a Project in terms of how we are seen and what our status is as an
> organization as a result. In essence, the message in this
> correspondence is that they do not care how we function, or what we
> offer, if we do not have money we are not legitimate.
>
> I pointed out that most of us are active in local genealogical
> societies that do belong to FGS and that I think their decision is
> short-sighted. I do not expect it to make a difference.
>
> The only thing I can think to do is to ask those of you who are active

> to bring the information to the attention of your local genealogical
> societies and see if they are willing to write FGS in objection so
> that perhaps for next year we can change the situation. In the end, it

> is the researchers who suffer by not knowing what we offer.
>
> The email for the FGS office is:
>
> Jana Black
> SW/SC CC Rep USGW Project
>

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