Spring Challenge

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Spring=New Growth

For gardeners, spring is time for sowing new seeds, and enjoying previous plantings' fresh growth and blooms. It's also time to get ahead of the spring weeds! Genealogists and family historians face similar tasks and joys. Christmas DNA kit results are appearing as new matches, and the online databases are swelling with new record sets and improved search methods, such as full text search, and updated catalogs. It is a good time to take stock of your research goals, and plan ahead for any research trips. Now is the perfect time to contact the groups, cities, towns, repositories, and genealogy friends in order to make best use of your time and money. 

It's spring here in the South King County Genealogical Society too. We have an election of officers coming up soon, and MUST have more candidates! As of this writing, instead of holding an election, the Board must instead plan for our demise or union with another group. A non-profit can't run without officers.

So the challenge is: how can you, the reader, help? Even if you can't volunteer as an officer, how about a small job which will help a new officer succeed? Challenge yourself to help out in a role you would enjoy. 

Do you like helping others get started with their research? Write to Outreach@skcgs.org and offer to help out in the local KCLS libraries. Right now, volunteers are in the Auburn, Federal Way Main and Renton Main libraries. We can't offer our services to the patrons of Burien or Covington libraries right now because we do not have enough volunteers. It is really fun, does NOT require expertise, but rather a sense of curiosity and a desire to help.

Do you enjoy our small meetings, such as the Tech User Group, Genetic Genealogy, Family Treemaker or Wikitree? If so, begin by preparing in advance for one of the topics, and offer your feedback to the group, whether it is a question or your experience. Or welcome newcomers to the group. If you have relevant expertise, offer to present to the group. If you have never shared your screen in Zoom, you can practice in advance. If you are more comfortable preparing in advance, write to the group before or after the meetings; that's why each has their own online groups.io.

Do you love listening to great webinars and other educational events? Perhaps you would enjoy volunteering in our Education team. Please write to Education@skcgs.org. It is inspiring to work with some of these amazing presenters and help bring their knowledge to our society. 

Do you have a head for numbers and budgets? Our Treasurer needs a Budget committee each year, and a small group to spot check the Treasurer's work each year. Write to Treasurer@skcgs.org to volunteer. 

Do you enjoy getting to know other genealogists better? Our Member At Large, MaryLynn Strickland, m.strickland@skcgs.org could use your help identifying folks described above including those who might need a bit of encouragement to step up. Many of us were told as children that it was impolite to step up. Our society is facing an uncertain future, and we need leaders! 

Leadership is shown in a thousand ways, from asking a question, to volunteering to stand for President. Please choose how YOU will lead.

* MaryLynn reminds me that April is Volunteer Month! and that our next Board meeting is April 7. ALL SKCGS Members are welcome; write to Board@skcgs.org for a Zoom link.


Valorie Zimmerman

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Send your stories to m.strickland@skcgs.org





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