California Genealogical Society blog: Diana Edwards

Showing posts with label Diana Edwards. Show all posts

12 July 2017

Wordless Wednesday: SCGS Genealogy Jamboree 2017

Posted by Shannon Reese

Front row: Tim Foley, Diana Edwards & Lisa Gorrell
Back row: Lavinia Schwarz & Ron Madson

26 October 2016

Wordless Wednesday: Genie Awards 2016

Posted by Shannon Reese

Congratulations to all of our award recipients and thank you, Diana Edwards and Kathleen Beitiks, for hosting!

A great time was had by all at our 3rd annual Genie Awards. The Genie Awards help us celebrate the achievements of our most dedicated genealogy volunteers.

2016 Genie Award winners, left to right: Gibran Rath,
Jamie McGrath, Arlene Miles, Nancy Cork & Shirley Hoye

Left to right: Diana Edwards, Kathleen Beitiks and Linda Okazaki

Linda Okazaki, president, was our genie of ceremonies!

Photos by Ron Madson

29 June 2016

Wordless Wednesday: Ancestry Day by the Bay

Posted by Shannon Reese

Ancestry Day by the Bay was held this year Saturday, June 18th in South San Francisco.

How were we involved? We had our own volunteer experts giving consultations from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the library the day before the big event.

Enjoy the photos!

Photos courtesy of Linda Okazaki

26 April 2016

East Bay Gives: Look who's supporting this event on May 3rd!

Posted by Shannon Reese

If you follow us on social media, then you may have seen a few tweets or Facebook posts by now about #EastBayGives, the May 3rd online giving event.

It's an opportunity for us to raise money towards our goal of $10,000 to purchase a new microfilm/microfiche reader for the library.

How does it work? On May 3rd, go online to http://eastbaygives.org/npo/california-genealogical-society and donate. The money is collected by the The East Bay Community Foundation and will be returned to us without any fees. Want more details? A more in-depth blog post will be posted shortly with all the information.

In the meantime, look who's lending their support, you might know a few of them!

France Silcox

Felicia Addison

Arlene Miles

Jamie McGrath

Georgia Lupinsky

Nancy Russell

Jim Russell

Nancy Cork

Diana Edwards

Cathy Paris

Maureen Hanlon

Jane Ordway Carman

Matt Okada

27 January 2016

Who's Who? 2016 Board of Directors

Posted by Shannon Reese

The California Genealogical Society is pleased to announce the installation of the following officers who were re-elected at the January 23 Board meeting:

President - Linda Okazaki

Vice President - Diana Edwards

Recording Secretary - Lisa Gorrell

Treasurer - Kathie Jones

Corresponding Secretary - Karen Lemelin

Members of the 2016 Board of Directors include:

Felicia Addison

Todd Armstrong

Stewart Blandón Traiman

Ellen Fernandez-Sacco (Past President)

Maureen Hanlon

Therese Hart-Pignotti

Vicky Kolakowski

Shannon Reese

Nicka Smith

Jim Sorenson

Henry Snyder

Congratulations to everyone!

18 November 2015

Wordless Wednesday

Posted by Linda Okazaki

Annual Appeal Party
Photo by Lorna Wallace

17 April 2015

Scots Irish Seminar with Fintan Mullan and Gillian Hunt

Posted by Linda Okazaki

All photography courtesy of Ronald Madson

Vice President and Membership Director Diana Edwards

President Linda Harms Okazaki and Marketing Director Shannon Reese

Event Director Tim Cox, Speaker Fintan Mullan
President Linda Okazaki, Speaker Gillian Hunt

06 November 2014

A Perfect Pilgrimage: Angel Island

Posted by Anonymous

By Linda Harms Okazaki

Linda Harms Okazaki, Katherine Yamada, SCGS genealogist and Grant Din, CGS member & Community Relations Director, Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation. Photo: Glenn Yamada

Angel Island is beautiful place for a picnic, a picture-perfect location for tourists, hikers, and locals alike. But the real beauty lies in its history. I am a fourth-generation San Franciscan who grew up in Marin County, but it wasn’t until I was an adult, with children of my own, and began my own genealogy that I understood my personal connection to this gem.

You see, from 1910 to 1940, the U.S. Government operated an immigration station on Angel Island where thousands of individuals first set foot in the United States.

My English immigrant and great grandfather, William Ambrose, worked as a night watchman in the Quarantine Station for 11 years. It was during this time period that my husband’s Japanese family members, the Okazakis, were “processed” through the Immigration Station. My children are doubly connected to the island.

Linda Harms Okazaki's Father in law, Terumi Okazaki with Ted Okazaki at Angel Island. Photo: Sharon Harms

On October 4, 2014, the Nichi Bei Foundation, a non-profit media organization serving the Japanese American community, hosted a Japanese American Pilgrimage to Angel Island to honor the 85,000+ Japanese who immigrated through this location, as well as those Japanese ancestors who were detained there during World War II.

Hiroshi Kashiwagi and his wife Sadako with Diana Edwards. Hiroshi is a playwright, author, poet, actor who read a poem about his mother's experience on Angel Island.

The California Genealogical Society, along with several other community organizations, was honored to participate in the planning and execution of this historic event. More than 600 “pilgrims” came by ferry, to the sound of Taiko drums. A handful arrived by boat and kayak. It was wonderful to see old friends reconnect and new friendships made. The event included speeches, entertainment, poetry, community awards, and a Bento (Japanese-style) lunch. I presented to the crowd the family story of the trials and tribulations of the Okazakis’ immigration journey.

L-R: CGS genealogists: Todd Armstrong, Linda Harms Okazaki, Diana Edwards, Eva Goodwin, Adelle Treakle.
Photo: Jiro Yamamura

In addition to the formal presentation, the informal activities created a real sense of excitement and discovery for the visitors: exhibits in the original Mess Hall visually displayed a historical overview of the conditions at the Immigration Stations; the Japanese American Museum of San José provided a kids’ corner where participants played games, made buttons, and drew their family trees; and five seasoned CGS genealogists—Todd Armstrong, Diana Edwards, Eva Goodwin, Adelle Treakle, and I—provided complimentary family history consultations throughout the day to eager and inquisitive attendees. Families learned how to get started on their own research, about understanding census and vital records, as well as exploring records dealing with immigration—such as passenger lists and border crossings—and naturalization. Looking at Internment Camp newspapers from the early 1940s was rewarding for many as it brought to life those harrowing times.

View from barred window inside the Immigration Station. Photo: Melinda Crawford

Thanks to spectacular weather, enthusiastic attendees, and engaged participants, it was truly a moving pilgrimage for all involved.

Video of the Nikkei Angel Island Pilgrimage:
http://bit.ly/1xjTQK9

Immigrant Voices: Former Park Ranger Andrew Weiss
http://www.aiisf.org/stories-by-author/913-alexander-weiss

Copyright © 2014 by Ellen Fernandez-Sacco, California Genealogical Society and Library.

31 July 2014

July Membership Meeting: DNA Testing for Genealogy with Pam Miller

Posted by Anonymous

by Diana Edwards, Membership Chair

Diana Edwards and members at the July Meeting

Twenty-one members of CGS had a great time at the recent July Membership Meeting. We ate lunch together and chatted about everything from summer travel to genealogical trials and triumphs. It was a good way to get to know some of our newer members.

Next, we sat in a circle in the Learning Center and shared experiences with DNA testing and family research. We asked lots of questions, and shared some fascinating stories of how DNA testing has helped some of our members to follow elusive genealogical trails.

Fortunately, Pam Miller had returned from her 3,000 mile road trip just in time to come and host the meeting, and was able to answer many of our questions. She has been using DNA in her research for some time. We also were lucky to have Judy Bodycote, a retired scientist with a real, in-depth knowledge of the different types of DNA and how the different tests can be used in our research.

The meeting was scheduled from 1pm-3pm, but the conversations were still going strong at 4pm!

Would you like to learn more about this fascinating topic?

Pam will be facilitating another DNA conversation at our Thursday Summer Evening program, on August 21, from 6:30-8:30 pm.

Come on down!

22 November 2013

Spotlight Series: Membership Committee

Posted by Marie Treleaven

Sandy Fryer, Kathie Jones, Diana Edwards, Shirley Thomson, Nancy Servin, Cheryl Schmidt, and Kathie Heller

2013 Membership Committee members:

Diana Edwards, chair and board liaison

Sandy Fryer, consultant
Kathie Heller
Kathie Jones

Cheryl Schmidt

Nancy Servin

Diana Edwards vividly remembers her very first quarterly membership meeting. “It was fifteen minutes long,” she recalls. Diana, now Chairman of the Membership Committee, has been charged by the Board of Directors with the responsibility for creating a format for the quarterly meetings that will be meaningful and which will foster a sense of fellowship among members. With the assistance of Kathie Heller, Diana has been hard at work fulfilling this charge.

An hour-long brown bag lunch now routinely preceeds the quarterly meetings, providing a time for members to talk to each other, to exchange information about what they’re doing with their family history research as well as to get to know the officers in attendance. The object is to encourage an exchange of ideas and to give members a sense of community relative to the larger organization.

All quarterly meetings will have a theme. Recently the topic was World War I and members were asked to bring in photos and memorabilia of their relatives who had been involved in the Great War. There were many great items on display and lots of stories shared at this meeting. Reaction was very positive with members saying that they had learned a lot. Several people mentioned gaining a new perspective of the role of women in that war from material about the Ambulance Corps brought in by a member whose ancestor had been part of that group. Diana is busy planning future meetings and encourages members to contact her with suggestions of themes and any other ideas for improving the quarterly meetings. You can email Diana at dedwards@californiaancestors.org. Right now she is planning a potluck for the first meeting of the year.

Although our organization is located in California, members do not have to have ancestors from this state in order to belong and members come from all over the U.S. as well as many other parts of the world, including Australia. Obviously, members from out of the Bay Area probably aren’t going to attend the quarterly meetings, classes and events. Another one of the duties of the Membership Committee is to create opportunities to make these far-flung members feel that they are as much a part of the society as those who live in the immediate area. This can be difficult although the eNews, the blog, The California Nugget, and other forms of communication do help to bridge the distance gap. Diana hopes that using items with the California Genealogical Society seal (flash drives, coffee mugs) will remind members wherever they may live that they are part of a group that shares their interests and concerns.

Seal of the California Genealogical Society (CGS).

Another responsibility of the Membership Committee is representing CGS at events, meetings and conferences. The committee always has a presence at our events including the recent Ancestry Day in San Francisco. Many new members first find out about CGS at such an event. Member volunteers staff a table every year at the San Francisco History Expo and even at some national genealogy conferences. This year CGS was represented at the Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree in Burbank and at the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) Conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The work of the committee is so far-reaching that it could be said to consist of two sub-committees in order to perform all its functions. The second group is made up of Nancy Servin (coordinator), Nancy Fike and Cheryl Schmidt. They send out the annual renewal notices about membership dues and keep the membership rolls current by tracking changing email and snail mail addresses. Nancy Servin answers numerous questions from members ranging from problems with logging into the website to using member benefits. To help new members take advantage of all the society has to offer, the sub-committee created a new member packet that includes a summary sheet that tells members how to keep current on upcoming classes and events and information about the library, research tours and publications.

This sub-committee has a pretty big job since there are currently more than 1100 members to keep track of. According to Sandy Fryer, 2012 chairman and 2013 consultant, that amounts to 2500 emails and over 1500 letters per year. With assistance from QuickBooks, the committee manages this complex database of names and information and gets the notices out on time. One of the features of joining the committee is that, if necessary, members receive QuickBooks training so prospective members don’t need to be database gurus.

If you ever thought that all the Membership Committee did was mail out the annual dues notices, you weren’t doing justice to the complexity of all it does!

10 October 2013

Spotlight Series: Events Committee

Posted by Marie Treleaven

Seated front: Therese Hart-Pignotti, Jane Lindsey, Geri Willinger. Standing back: Rich Kehoe, Debbie Mascot, Ron Madson, Sandy Fryer, Lynne Dory, Linda Okazaki, Todd Armstrong, Diana Edwards

“Awesome.” “Committed.” “Efficient but fun.” This is how the members of the Events Committee describe their team. For anyone not familiar with their work, the Events Committee is responsible for planning all in-house classes and workshops – everything from picking topics, arranging speakers, obtaining speaker photos, biographies and lecture handouts, setting up online registration, sending reminders and follow-up evaluations, and setting up the classroom on the day of the event. They arrange the field trips to archives and libraries and other places of local interest for genealogists. The committee also oversees our Special Events and Tours, for example the research trip to Family History Library in Salt Lake City. These are the primary fund-raisers for the society which pay the lion’s share of the rent for the library.

This amazing diversity of efforts on behalf of the organization is accomplished by a fairly small group of members who make this their way of giving back. Committee member Debbie Mascot exemplifies this point of view, “I find that I get more out of a society if I put more in. It’s my way to give back just a little and show how much I value CGS.”

The Events Committee members are: Diana Edwards (membership liaison), Lynne Dory (Saturday in-house events), Rich Kehoe (both Saturday events and maintaining the calendar), Debbie Mascot (fliers), Jane Lindsey, Sandy Fryer, Geri Willinger (field trips), Therese Hart-Pignotti, and Erin Kelleher-Wees (registration, reminders, evaluations, etc. for special events and tours – with Tim Cox as consultant).

One of the most important roles of the committee is creating the public ‘face’ of our organization. The committee works between the membership and the public to bring them together in a way that enhances knowledge and familiarizes the larger community both about the society and about genealogy. People who otherwise would never have heard of the California Genealogical Society not only discover its existence but get an immediate demonstration of the value of belonging to this organization. Members of the public who come to events at the library or to Special Events such as Ancestry Day not only discover that there is a local association of people who share their interests in genealogy but also that CGS offers them the benefits of being part of an active organization dedicated to enhancing the skills of its membership. Committee member Sandy Fryer says: “Events are a big draw for people joining CGS. It is satisfying to work on something that members are so interested in.”

This year’s upcoming special events are a great example of outreach to the public. Here is a barebones look at each event and the people responsible for them in order of their appearance. And don’t forget that this list of committee members is truly the tip of the iceberg; dozens more volunteer their time to make these events a success.

Their Roots Are Showing! [October 26, 2013 at the Del Valle Theater in Walnut Creek]: Therese Hart-Pignotti (Chair), Shannon Reese, Kathie Jones, Linda Okazaki, Rich Kehoe, Ellen Fernandez-Sacco, Todd Armstrong and a group of researchers. In the manner of the TV show Who Do You Think You Are, three Bay Area celebrities will learn about their family history, members will be on hand to answer questions, and a Silent Auction will be held.

Ancestry Day San Francisco [November 9, 2013 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in San Francisco]: Jane Lindsey (Chair), Kathleen Beitiks and Tim Cox (co-Chairs); Cathy Paris, syllabus lay-out. An exciting day of genealogy filled with lectures and presentations as well as a chance to hear advice from the experts.

You will hear a lot more about these events in the coming weeks but, if you’re like most people, you won’t think about the amount of planning and behind-the-scenes work that goes into producing even one of these events. By the way, if you did stop and think about the backstage work, and you felt really excited about doing this kind of work, then the Events Committee would like to hear from you right away! However, even if taking on the organization and planning of a major event isn’t your cup of tea, Committee Chair Jane Lindsey makes sure that all committee members have a role that is manageable. She says “People find that when they are able to give, even just a little bit of their time, they get an amazing amount back. They feel more connected to the organization and freer to ask questions. They realize they are part of a bigger organization. I have tried hard to find manageable jobs for people who are interested in helping but work full time or have other heavy commitments.“ Debbie Mascot wholeheartedly agrees: “When Jane asked me to help with fliers, I realized that despite my full time work, my two young children, and all my other volunteer work, that this was something I actually could do. I am thankful to Jane for finding a spot for me at CGS.”

Besides the Special Events, the regular Saturday in-house classes and presentations offer numerous opportunities for members to increase their skills in genealogical research and to hear from experts about topics of interest to them. Most classes are free to members but cost a $20 fee for non-members. Jane reports that she has heard people saying to non-members that they really should join CGS; “they have such great classes available FREE to members.” Lynne Dory, a fairly new member and one of the organizers of the Saturday classes, says: “I like volunteering because I meet new people who share a love of genealogy. I get to exercise my brain in doing things outside my normal sphere of activity. I get to participate in the events we produce. I get to give back and make a difference. I enjoy being part of a team.”

When asked if there was anything unique about the people who volunteer for the Events Committee, Jane said: “I’m not sure there are any unique characteristics. Some people are outgoing, others are organized and efficient, and still others are creative. I think each member brings something helpful to the committee and they all mesh together to make a good committee.” Members’ reasons for joining are varied but there is a common thread of wanting to give back, to meet new people and to learn from the experience.

Planning for 2014 will be underway shortly and there are lots of opportunities for anyone who would like to experience the satisfaction of being part of this enthusiastic working group. The group makes it as easy as possible to participate by holding regular monthly meetings by phone. Email Jane Lindsey to get started.