I don't know about you, but in my world, time flies by at an extremely alarming pace! It becomes vividly obvious to me when sending out Christmas cards. You can feel like you've known someone for a very long time and when you find they are not on your holiday card list you realize you've only known them for less than a year! That's how I feel about my NEAPG peeps!

Membership

The chapter has just lived through an intense year of growth and activity. A big jump in membership had us searching for ways to streamline procedures. Our new Membership Committee was chaired by Noreen Manzella. We had about 43 members when Noreen started. Now we have about 65 and are still growing. Noreen oversaw a change in how we keep track of our members from completely paper-based to entirely web-based.

Technology

In my mind, our most significant accomplishment was the new website (www.neapg.org) developed by Tim Firkowski. Transferring administration of the chapter to a web-based model has released us from the restrictive bonds of our geographical limitations. Not only does the website provide a place for members to find information on upcoming chapter events, but it serves as a business tool where board members can keep track of membership, send notices, take polls, and work collaboratively on administrative tasks. Minutes of meetings, treasurer reports and reports of committee chairs are all now kept online, immediately accessible by all members. In addition, each member can have a customizable public business profile. Tim has spent a tremendous amount of time on this and it shows. At least it will pay off for him, since he is our new President for 2010!

For the past couple of years, NEAPG has occasionally provided virtual telephone participation in business meetings. Despite the challenges offered by some facilities, we at least tried to provide both telephone and internet access. With Tim at the helm next year, this can only improve!

Marketing

We got a logo! Years of non-consensus among chapter members about an appropriate design led us to conduct a survey on our new website. I was lucky to have had a good friend, Carol Abram, agree to design a symbol (her website is www.abramdesign.com). All were satisfied with her design of a seaside village. Carol's design, set into APG's layout gave us a new logo. With that accomplished, we could then proceed with updating the chapter brochure. We took the opportunity of reprinting to carry out a fundraising activity where members could be listed on a brochure insert for a small fee. We had a large vinyl sign printed which has already been displayed at conferences.

Finances

A few other things came together that made 2009 feel like the year NEAPG came of age. We were finally able to adopt usage of a taxpayer ID. Growth in membership meant growth in income from dues, and for the first time the chapter had an opportunity to think beyond subsistence into development. Treasurer Cathi Desmarais and Alice Kane (2010 Treasurer) created NEAPG's first ever budget. Chapter members feel firmly that we should support professional genealogists of all types, and speakers were high on the list. At our first meeting of 2009, we voted on a resolution, proposed by Melinde Sanborn, to pay every speaker a set fee, if chapter funds allow. We were delighted that the jump in membership, along with the fundraising income, gave us enough resources to do just that.

Professional Outreach

Part of the chapter's mission is to promote professional practices to the greater genealogical community. NEAPG took a major role in the New England Regional Council's 2009 Conference in Manchester, New Hampshire, sponsoring both member Pam Stone Eagleson, and Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak as speakers. Members Melinde Sanborn and Allison Ryall were conference co-chairs along with Pauline Cusson, and they did a fantastic job. Barbara Mathews and Christine Sharbrough (alias Sweet-Hart) cochaired the Program Committee. Members Pam Stone Eagleson and Margaret Dube ran a highly successful Ancestors Roadshow and many chapter members participated in that. NERGC 2009 was a great success, due in large part to the contribution of hundreds of volunteer hours provided by NEAPG members.

The Massachusetts Genealogical Council held a seminar in July featuring Paula Stuart-Warren. NEAPG member Barbara Mathews, President of MGC, invited NEAPG to participate. Members Lori Lyn Price, Michael Brophy, Melinde Sanborn, Andy Pierce, Barbara Mathews and I all either lectured or sat on panels. Melinde Sanborn organized a successful Silent Auction.

Buoyed by Finance Committee reports, in September, NEAPG sponsored Elissa Scalise Powell in a half-day seminar open to the public where she spoke on "The Dreaded Research Report," and "The Road to Certification." This was attend live and via internet/telephone.

Member Michael Brophy organized a great tour of the Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, also in September which was interesting, if frustrating because we had no time to research!

APG has been working with the people at FamilySearch to develop innovative member services. The chapter was invited by Jake Gehring to test a new way of providing lectures, so in December we had our own personal powerpoint presentation by Mark Lowe on Mortgages! We had about twenty people participate and no one had to venture out into the New England weather. A best of all worlds, highly successful, let's do it again type of feeling predominated! Of course, Mark was great.

Finally, plans are in the works for NEAPG to host a half day seminar on 21 February featuring Tom Jones (program not yet set). Part member benefit, part fundraiser, this event is something we are greatly looking forward to. We hope to offer something similar every year.

Down to Business

In addition to all of the above, our fantastic Program Chair, Margaret Dube, CG set up six business meetings. In January, Melinde Sanborn hosted a fun post-holiday party complete with Yankee Swap; in February we had a talk by Walter Hickey of Waltham, Mass. NARA; in April we had a well attended 7:00 a.m. meeting at the NERGC Conference (I still can't believe that one); in June we met at Tufts University Library where member Connie Reik led us on a tour and gave a thorough talk on Government Docs; in August we met at the Waltham, Mass. Library and were walked through our new website by Tim Firkowski; and finally, in November we had tours of two libraries at Boston College, arranged by Nora Galvin.

I was so honored to have been asked to serve as President of NEAPG. What a great, great group of professionals we have in our chapter! I've never had the satisfaction of working with such capable and fun people. I want to thank the 2009 officers: Andy Pierce, VP; Pam Stone Eagleson, Secretary; Cathi Desmarais, Treasurer; and Committee Chairs - Melinde Sanborn, Ways and Means; Margaret Dube, Program; Noreen Manzella, Membership (new); Alice Kane, Finance (new); and Tim Firkowski, Website (new). As if to validate the excellence of our team, we were awarded the Golden Chapter of 2010 at the Gathering of the Chapters at NGS in Raleigh in May.

Two of our members have been elected to serve APG nationally: Laura Prescott as APG President, and Pam Stone Eagleson as Northeast Regional Director! We wish them well in their terms.

NEAPG's 2010 officers are already working on plans for next year: Tim Firkowski, President, Cathleen DeCourcy, VP; Sarah Nesnow, Secretary; and Alice Kane, Treasurer; I'm so looking forward to watching Tim take the helm in 2010! I know he will keep up the momentum, as he plans to develop Melinde Sanborn's idea of a Time Bank, and look into ways to provide a transitional genealogists-type network within the chapter.

And now, I think I'll go take a nap!

Best regards,

Polly Kimmitt

Polly FitzGerald Kimmitt, CG

President, New England Chapter of the Association of

Professional Genealogists (NEAPG)

------

1 Kemble Drive, Shrewsbury, MA 01545-1690

508-842-8850

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , www.kimmittgenealogy.com

Certified Genealogist and CG are service marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under license by the Board's associates after periodic evaluation. The board name is registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office.

Download PDF version HERE!