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From: Jonelle Ellis Russell <>
Subject: [SCGS-L] [Fwd: Delegate Digest: FGS Delegate Digest - Volume 10, No. 9]
Date: Fri, 03 Oct 2003 21:56:06 -0700


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Delegate Digest: FGS Delegate Digest - Volume 10, No. 9
Date: Thu, 02 Oct 2003 16:59:24 -0500
From: Madilyn Coen Crane <>
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==================================================
Federation of Genealogical Societies
"FGS Delegate Digest"
==================================================
Linking the Genealogical Community
Volume 10, No. 9 October 2003
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Do not reply to this message. This is a post-only mailing.
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IN THIS ISSUE:
==============
A Note from the Editor
"What Is a Non-Profit?"
Policy and Procedures Manual Now Available
FGS/FSGS 2003 Conference Prize Winners
Syllabi and Audiotapes for the FGS/FSGS 2003 Conference Are Available
FGS/FSGS 2003 Conference Photo CD
2004 FGS/TSGS/AGS Conference Announcement

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Welcome to the October 2003 issue of the electronic FGS Delegate Digest.
The Delegate Digest is a monthly publication sent via e-mail to your
society's FGS Delegate of record. There is an online archive of the
electronic Delegate Digest at the FGS Web site, and the ability to
subscribe additional of your society's board members to receive the
publication. All of this is available by accessing the "Members Only"
area.
For more details about the "Members Only" area, refer to the information
at
the end of this newsletter.

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A Note from the Editor
=================
Greetings to Our Delegate Digest Subscribers!

We've received a number of inquiries from you about the September issue
of
the FGS Delegate Digest. Well, the truth is that we took a month's
hiatus
as we finalized the details for the FGS/FSGS 2003 Conference in Orlando
and
did not publish a September Delegate Digest. As a result, this month's
issue contains more material than usual. I hope you'll forgive the
length
of this issue, but we always have a lot to share with you and I think
you'll enjoy this month's issue as well. Before we get into this issue,
though, please indulge me a few moments to extend some thanks to some
very
important people.

As the Program Chair for this year's conference, I want to thank all of
you
who came to the conference. It was wonderful meeting so many members of
your societies, and it's great now being able to put names with faces.
The
Delegate Caucus was a great success and the Networking Luncheons
provided
great opportunities to make new friends, renew old friendships, and to
share stories of 'best practices' and our challenges as societies and
individuals.

If you were unable to attend the conference, you really missed the very
best FGS Conference yet. Well over 1,000 people joined us in Orlando at
the
elegant Renaissance Resort at SeaWorld, and what a time we had! There
were
215 separate lectures presented by 95 speakers from the United States,
Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. More than 85 vendors and
exhibitors made the Exhibit Hall a wonderland of exciting books, maps,
software, charts, services, and the sharing of great information. On top
of
all of these great features, the Renaissance outdid themselves with
their
food. The desserts of cheesecake, fresh berries in a wafer-thin
chocolate
tulip cup, the warm petit pains with artistically molded butter, and the
excellent main dishes -- we all have great memories of the food, as well
as
the extra pounds to remind us of it!

So many people volunteered their time and energy to make the conference
a
success. Jim and Pam Cooper, the Conference Co-Chairs, put their lives
on
hold for almost three years in organizing the conference team and
coordinating all the details. C. Ann Staley won the hearts and respect
of
the vendors and exhibitors by setting up and managing a flawless exhibit
hall experience. Drew Smith, Publications Chair, produced an impeccable
650-page syllabus and an exceedingly well-organized conference program
to
help us all find our way around. Madilyn Coen Crane, the FGS office
manager, provided direction, advice and support throughout the process,
and
managed all the meal functions with the hotel. Mary Parker produced a
conference database without which this Program Chair could never have
done
the job so well. Patrice Green recruited, communicated with, organized,
and
managed the volunteers at the conference with such skill that we all
marveled at its smooth efficiency. Gwen Read managed speaker hospitality
to
help ease the stress of presenting. Debbie Cundiff managed the friendly
and
efficient registration desk. And I have to recognize the dozens of
wonderful, tireless, friendly, and dedicated volunteers. And finally, a
sincere thank-you to the members of my proposal review team members who
helped select the extraordinarily well-balanced selection of topics and
speakers. It really IS a matter of teamwork, and these people are gems
in
our treasure chest!

And to our speakers and to our vendors, I want to extend my sincere
thanks
for a superlative job in making the conference a resounding success.
People
don't come to the conference just for the food -- at least most don't --
but the rich content you provided made this conference an event that
will
be long remembered as one of the very best.

Again, though, it is you, our society members and fellow genealogists,
for
whom FGS prepares its annual conferences. Orlando was great, but we're
already looking forward to Austin in September of 2004. I look forward
to
seeing you all in Texas!

George G. Morgan

"What Is a Non-Profit" by Shawn Bawden, CPA
==================================
Trying to describe a "non-profit organization" is a bit like playing
"twenty questions," where people try to guess the answer by process of
elimination. Many will describe a non-profit as an organization that
has a
charitable purpose and operates on a break-even or shoe-string budget.
A
description that more fully describes a non-profit organization is a
corporation that is organized to advance a public or community interest
rather than for individual or corporate financial gain. A non-profit
organization generally benefits the community in which it operates by
offering services or other programs, such as healthcare, performing
arts,
banking, and advocacy for special purposes.

The description used above to describe a non-profit does not suggest
that a
non-profit organization must operate at a breakeven or even at a loss
year-in and year-out. If this were the case then a non-profit
organization
would be unable to enhance and increase its mission, translating into
less
services and public benefit. However, the definition used to describe a
non-profit organization does suggest that any surplus must be used to
further the organization's stated purpose.

In order for a non-profit organization to be successful in increasing
its
ability to accomplish its stated mission, the non-profit organization
must
operate similar to a for-profit entity. A non-profit organization must
manage cash flow, decide on appropriate staffing levels, and determine
when
a program is draining too many resources and affecting other programs.

As many non-profit organizations continue to be called upon to meet more
of
the needs of individuals that were often thought to be the
responsibility
of the government, non-profit organizations will have to be managed
similar
to for-profits to ensure continued improvement and growth.

Mr. Bawden is an associate of Tanner+Co, an accounting firm based in
Salt
Lake City that has a number of non-profit organizations as its clients.
Reprinted from the newsletter for Tanner+Co. Used with permission.


Policy and Procedures Manual Now Available
===================================
Prepared by the late Carrie Johann, former President of the Zion
Genealogical Society (IL), this original 130-page document was given to
FGS
with full rights to publication and distribution to member societies at
no
profit to FGS or others.

After writing this manual for Zion, in 1999, Carrie Johann offered it to
the officers of the Northeastern Illinois-Southeastern Wisconsin
Regional
Alliance, an informal group of 52 area societies that meets on an a
annual
basis (the core of this group was formed by Loretto D. Szucs in the 1980s).

Carrie was a strong supporter of FGS. It is impossible to estimate the
hours that Carrie spent preparing and editing the manual, at the request
of
FGS making it generic and applicable to societies of all sizes. Sandra
Luebking spent 117 volunteer hours co-coordinating the project and
editing/proofing text. Volunteers including Karen Green who spent days
editing and revising text and Madilyn and Rod Crane who converted the
text
for online use spent perhaps 300 volunteer hours to offer this
invaluable
Policy & Procedure manual to FGS member societies.

This manual is available for download in the Members Only section of the
FGS website, (http://www.fgs.org) in both Microsoft Word and PDF format.

Sadly, Carrie died in February 2003. Her family and colleagues are
pleased
to see this manual be made available in the manner she had wanted. FGS
is
very grateful.

FGS/FSGS Conference Prize Winners
===========================
And the winner is... "The Genealogical Society of Broward County (FL)."
They won $200.00 worth of genealogy books from Betterway Books at the
FGS
Delegate Luncheon drawing on Wednesday, September 3rd. Congratulations!
And
many thanks to the 100+ societies that participated in this contest by
promoting the conference in their newsletters.

NOTE: Look for opportunities in upcoming Delegate Digests to promote
the
Federation of Genealogical Societies/Texas State Genealogical
Society/Austin Genealogical Society (FGS/TSGS/AGS) 2004 conference and
win
prizes!

Syllabi and Audiotapes for the FGS/FSGS 2003 Conference Are Available
==================================================
The syllabus for this year's FGS Conference is available for sale
through
FGS. Visit the FGS Web site at <http://www.fgs.org>; and click on the
link
on the main page. There are limited quantities of this year's syllabus,
as
well as syllabi from the 1998, 2000, 2001, and 2002 Conferences. Member
of
FGS Member Societies enjoy a discount.

In addition, Repeat Performance has recorded audiotapes of most of the
presentations from this year and previous years' conferences. Visit
their
Web site at <http://www.audiotapes.com>; to locate tapes of lectures
you'd
like to purchase for your own library. By using the syllabus and
listening
to the audiotape of a lecture, you can learn almost as much as if you
were
there!


2003 Conference Photo CD
=========================
Relive and preserve the memories of the FGS/FSGS 2003 Conference in
Orlando
and buy a photo CD. For just $15.00, you can own a CD-ROM containing
over
480 pictures taken on-site at the conference of every speaker and
vendor,
and candid shots of events and people who attended. The CD-ROM is a
self-starting program and is PC compatible. To place your order for this
exciting photographic collection, send your name, address, telephone
number, and e-mail, along with a check made payable to 'FSGS' (checks
only
please), and mail to:

Conference Photo CD
24 Old Post Road
Longwood, FL 32779

Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery and send it to the address above.

2004 FGS/TSGS/AGS Conference:
"Legends Live Forever: Researching the Past for Future Generations"
Conference
8-11 September 2004 Austin, TX
=========================================================
If you attended the opening session in Orlando on Thursday morning, you
saw
the presentation by the 2004 Federation of Genealogical Societies/Texas
State Genealogical Society/Austin Genealogical Society (FGS/TSGS/AGS)
conference co-Chairs, Betty Dunquez and Marilyn Henley. This included
the
gift to FGS President Dean Hunter of his "Willie" braids. This was the
kick-off to next year's exciting conference - "Legends Live Forever:
Researching the Past for Future Generations." The dates are 8-11
September
2004 and the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas, is the place.

This conference promises to be an exciting one: Texas hospitality, great
lectures, an exhibit/vendor hall worth visiting over and over again, and
nightlife from the "Music Capital of the World." This is another
must-attend FGS Conference!

Michael John Neill and Sue Kaufman look forward to bringing you
information
in the upcoming year about this conference through the Conference Ezine.
Look for instructions here soon for subscribing to the Conference Ezine!

We hope to see you in Austin, Texas, 8-11 September 2004!!!


ACCESS TO "MEMBERS ONLY" AREA AND SOCIETY HALL AREAS
==================================================
The FGS Web site is your gateway to two facilities that are exclusive to
FGS member societies. These are the "Members Only" area and Society Hall.

MEMBERS ONLY:
The "Members Only" area can be accessed by clicking on the link in the
'Member Societies Only!' box in the lower right of the FGS Web page at
http://www.fgs.org.

User ID: Society
Password: Mgmt

SOCIETY HALL:
Members of the Federation are included in Society Hall at
http://www.familyhistory.com/societyhall/main.asp

The site provides pages for: general information, membership, FGS
Delegate,
chapters, officers, periodicals, publications, meetings, services,
facilities, collections, special or ethnic focus groups and your
calendar
of events.

Editing the society information requires an Admin Name and Password. If
you
have lost or forgotten yours, please contact the FGS Office at
<> for assistance.

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Published by: The Federation of Genealogical Societies
Business Office: P. O. Box 200940, Austin, TX 78720-0940
Toll-Free Phone: 1-888-FGS-1500
Toll-Free Fax: 1-888-380-0500
E-mail:
Web Page: http://www.fgs.org

Delegate Digest Editor: George G. Morgan

Please submit information and articles to:

George G. Morgan
8578 Gunn Highway, #121
Odessa, FL 33556-3206
E-mail:

Deadlines for submission of materials for inclusion in future issues of
the
FGS Delegate Digest are:

November 2003: October 15
December 2003: November 15
January 2004: December 15

________________________________________________
Madilyn Coen Crane, Office Manager
Federation of Genealogical Societies
P.O. Box 200940, Austin, TX 78720-0940
Office: (512) 336-2731
Fax: (512) 336-2732

2004 FGS/TSGS & AGS Conference
"Legends Live Forever: Researching the Past for Future Generations"
8-11 September 2004 in Austin, Texas

Local Co-hosts:
Texas State Genealogical Society & Austin Genealogical Society

Visit our web site at http://www.fgs.org

--- Delegate Digest


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