Our Motto

Family History Month is observed this month providing a perfect opportunity to reflect on and appreciate our family lineage and learn more about family members we may have never known, heard about, rarely see and/or interact with. I recently took a close look at the 1950 Census. It was interesting reviewing the Census questions and seeing the responses made by my kinfolk and their neighbors. There were the usual questions regarding age and marital status. And then there were the queries related to work: What was this person doing most of last week; Did this person do any work at all last week; Was this person looking for work; Even though he didn’t work last week, does he have a job or business; How many hours did he work last week; and What kind of work was he doing?

Looking at my mother’s info I discovered that she was working as a typist for a real estate establishment, her sister was a trimmer for a knitting mill, and her sister’s husband was a cab driver. All three were working 40 hours a week. When I read that my aunt was born in New York I realized I have some more digging to do because I thought my mom and her siblings were all born in Philadelphia, PA.

The Census is only one vehicle to use to research and gain knowledge about your family members. Genealogy Quick Start (GQS) is another place to go to get help with your research. With GQS you can find new techniques to break through brick walls, and discover the fun and creativity involved in uncovering your past. There’s also familysearch.org, ancestry.com, local libraries and much, much more. If you have a favorite place you go for your research, CLICK HERE and let us know.

Take some time this month to dig deeper into your family’s genealogy. And don’t forget to share what you learn with your family members at the next reunion (or before). After all, some news is just too good to hold on to.

The Situation:   HOW ARE FAMILY REUNIONS MORE THAN A PICNIC?

Our planning committee likes the suggestions and tips we get from NFRI, however we're debating what exactly does "family reunions, more than a picnic" mean and how do we incorporate it into our reunion? It sounds simple but our committee is at odds about it.

As this year’s reunions draw to a close it’s time to evaluate what worked and what needs improvement.

1. Take note of all the things that worked. Consider if and what can be replicated for a future reunion.
2. Identify those things that didn’t work or could have been better. Were family members not interested? Was more planning needed? Did the weather spoil the fun? Pin down the reason(s) and either regroup and try again or try something else. 
3. Talk with the no shows. Sometimes unexpected things happen. Give them a call to find out why and if there’s something the planning team can do to make the no show a for sure at the next reunion.  

The Situation:  OUR REUNION FAILED

Help! We just had our first reunion in years, and it didn't turn out as planned. Many people didn't show up including a couple of the planners. Information for the reunion went out five months prior identifying the location (which was close to several amusement/entertainment spots); name and price for a place to sleep; plus, the cost of two family main events (for Friday and Saturday that family members were cooking for).

Two months before the reunion folks were complaining about the sleeping arrangements, saying the cost was too expensive. They couldn't understand why the planners didn't work out discounted tickets for the amusements, and they felt the cost for the main events was too expensive. They were told there were several hotels and motels in the area that they could look into, and that the food costs were non-negotiable.

In hindsight I'm not surprised people didn't show up, but what do we do now? I'm not ready to give up on reinstating our family reunions. Yes, the planners could have done a better job and should have looked at the overall cost, realized it was too expensive, and made some negotiations. And yes the communications were lacking on both sides of the planning. Do you think we can fix things for a possible reunion in the next year or two?