A Few Good Volunteers

Dear Friends of CGS,

We have a great line-up of events and classes for 2018, but running a business such as ours takes many volunteers. It’s hard to imagine that a non-profit organization with roughly 1,000 members operates with no paid staff. 

I appreciate all of you who donated to the Annual Appeal and to the Capital Campaign. But we also need volunteers to help keep things running smoothly. All of our committees can use some additional help. Please contact Kathleen Beitiks if you would like to volunteer. 

Happy Holidays, 

Linda Okazaki

The following volunteer positions are vacant:

·  Catalog Librarian: Volunteer needed to enter data into WorldCat and to assist in evaluating our current holdings. Knowledge of Library of Congress cataloging and experience with WorldCat required. Reports to the Library Director.

· Digital Historian: Volunteer needed to organize, digitize, and preserve our records, both current and historical. Reports to the president.

·  Field Trip Coordinator: Volunteer needed to plan fieldtrips to locations relevant to genealogical research such as the David Rumsey Collection at Stanford or the Society of California Pioneers. Reports to the Events Chair.

· Off-site Event Coordinator: Plan and execute large scale events such as Ancestry Day or NEHGS Comes West, or work with big-name speakers such as Cyndi Ingle, Judy Russell, and Blaine Bettinger. Experience running large events needed. Reports to the Events Chair. Works closely with the Technology and Marketing teams.

· Social Media Coordinator: Volunteer needed to plan and execute our Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram accounts. Reports to the Publications Chair and/or Marketing Chair. Prior experience not necessary, but familiarity with social media is helpful.

The following committee chair positions are vacant. Please contact Linda Okazaki if you are interested or have a recommendation:

· Marketing Chair: Coordinate and execute activities which promote our organization and events. Overlaps with most other committees. Prior marketing experience a plus. 

·  Outreach Chair: Plan and execute events and activities which benefit both CGS and the community at large, such as classes at Senior Centers or having representation at events like the Aloha Festival or Ancestry day. Develop and maintain relationships with other organizations such as the California Mayflower Society, the Daughters of the American Revolution. Overlaps with Development, Fundraising, and Membership.

Copyright © 2017 by California Genealogical Society

You're Invited! Family History Month Open House

Come help us celebrate genealogy!  To coincide with Family History Month, The California Mayflower Society & Library and The California Genealogical Society are having a collaborative open house on October 21st from 2pm - 4pm, so save the date!  We're both located at 2201 Broadway in Oakland, on the lower level and across the hall from each other. Both libraries will provide drinks and snacks. 

During the dual open house, there will also be a meeting of the Family Tree Maker Special Interest Group (FTM-SIG) at our library. Members of both our societies are involved and we plan to make it a bit more casual so people can easily come and go to both societies during the meeting. Interested to know what the group is all about?  It's a great time to visit and see if becoming a part of this group would help you.

As new neighbors to each other, the California Genealogical Society and the California Mayflower Society have forged a new strategic friendship aimed at increasing traffic to both our libraries and genealogical research resources.  We know that our common goal of preserving genealogy and helping others learn more about their diverse family heritage is what makes this endeavor so special.

Please come tour the California Mayflower Society's new offices and library to see how their archival materials can help your family history research.  We also want you stop in and see what's new with us.  Do both and see how our genealogy resources are second to none.

Please put October 21st from 2-4pm on your calendar.  We hope to see you there!

Copyright © 2017 by California Genealogical Society

Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of California, Inc.

Welcome to Your New Home!

by
Pat Friesen, Governor of the California Mayflower Society
Linda Okazaki, President of the California Genealogical Society

The California Mayflower Society has a new home, directly across the hall from CGS! How exciting it is to have such a rich resource just steps away from our own library. After residing on Fourteenth St. in Oakland for 17 years, they officially moved into their present location on March 29.

Linda Okazaki, Pat Friesen, Richard Kehoe

Photo by Carolyn Schwab

Many genealogists have a sense of pride when they document that elusive ancestor. Others want to join a lineage society, such as the Daughters or Sons of the American Revolution. For those who have an ancestor who sailed on the Mayflower, there is truly a sense of history and connection to the past.

                                

The California Mayflower Society is affiliated with the larger General Society of Mayflower Descendants, located in Plymouth, MA. Each state has a state society. There also is a group in Canada and in Europe. Applicants must prove their lineage to one of the 51 passengers who had descendants and survived the journey on the Mayflower, arriving in Cape Cod in 1620. There are about 2500 members in California. The state society has an elected Board of Assistants holding about 5 meetings a year and a bi-annual membership meeting. The meetings alternate between northern and southern California. Prospective members pay an initial fee to join, after which there are annual dues of presently $40.

The California Society has 13 colonies, 7 of which are located in northern California and 6 are in southern California. Each colony has its own elected officers and holds meetings throughout the year usually at a local restaurant with lunch and a speaker. Both the California society and the general society have quarterly publications, for members only. 

Photo by Linda Okazaki

This is the only Mayflower library for the state, and is open on Mondays from 9:30am-2pm, Thursdays from 10am-4pm, and other times by appointment 510-451-9599. It is always a good idea to call ahead before planning your visit. 

Carolyn Schwab, Dianne Sweeney, and Pat Friesen
Photo by Linda Okazaki

Just like the California Genealogical Society library, the California Mayflower library is staffed entirely by volunteers. The collection primarily contains New England-based histories, vital records, family histories, and newsletters. Although open to the public, the library caters to those seeking membership. Dianne Sweeney, also a CGS member, currently serves as the librarian. Carolyn Schwab is actively scanning all their records.

Pat Friesen, the current “Governor” of the California Mayflower Society, is a long-term member of the California Genealogical Society, and avid genealogist. Pat discovered her Mayflower ancestors (John Alden and Priscilla Mullins) quite by accident while researching her family history at Sutro Library a number of years ago. Her initial interest in joining “Mayflower” was simply to hang a certificate on her wall. At the time, she was president of the Marin County Genealogical Society and went to her first Redwood-Empire Colony meeting. Pat was hooked and later became historian (most other organizations call this position registrar). Pat became co-historian in 2000, and has remained in that position ever since. There are three other co-historians: Linda Longley, Myrtle Savage, and Ken Whittemore.

Pat enjoys helping others with their genealogy and has even been leading an annual research group to Salt Lake City for the past 30 years. Though her term as Governor ends this June, she looks forward to helping more people with their lineage applications.

Be sure to stop by their new library sometime soon. Since both libraries are open on Thursdays, you might plan to make a day of it and visit both places. Bring your friends, plan on having lunch in one of the new restaurants in vibrant uptown Oakland, and find some ancestors along the way. An open house is being planned for sometime this Fall.

Linda Okazaki is a descendant of Edward Fuller and his son, Samuel. Her Mayflower application is in progress.

Address:

2201 Broadway, LL3, Oakland, CA 94612-3031

Hours:

Mondays from 9:30am-2pm

Thursdays from 10am-4pm

Other times by appointment

Phone:

510-451-9599

Copyright © 2017 by California Genealogical Society