KYBRECKI-L Archives

From: Lanita Sconce Miller <>
Subject: [KYBRECKI] volunteer
Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2003 19:59:58 -0800

As many of you know, I am a volunteer for the RANDOM ACTS OF
GENEALOGICAL KINDNESS website

http://www.raogk.org/listing.htm

If you are not a volunteer for your area or an area where you have
resources available, please consider becoming a part of this great
service. If you have ever asked for a lookup anywhere, anytime, this is
your chance to GIVE BACK to those who need your help with resources
that you can provide. Just last week, we received a picture of my
husband's great grandmother's grave.... he and his family have never
seen it because it is in a different part of the country... she died on
route to someplace else. I know you know the thrill it was for us to
see something for the first time. Without that RAOGK volunteer, we
would still be planning on a long trip to that county.

Each month, as volunteers, we get a RAOGK newsletter.

I got the following message on the RAOGK newsletter tonight, and
thought it was worth passing on....

WE GET MESSAGES

A disgruntled cemetery employee has apparently been offended by
genealogical researchers and volunteers. The anonymous person has
posted a few messages to our Guestbook "Thank You" area and also
sent a private message to the site. I don't know whether this person
is singling out RAOGK volunteers/researchers specifically or all
genealogical researchers and volunteers. Here is an example of the
complaints we received:

"The genealogy hobby has really placed a strain on cemetery and
funeral home offices. Sites such as this one, are compounding the
problem. You'd be surprised how many "volunteers" are coming in from
websites (such as yours) and wanting info, and wanting it now. It's
becoming quite overwhelming.

Maybe you should consider putting in a paragraph about having respect
for the office workers and realizing they may not be able to drop
everything to assist the info seekers."

I have faith that none of you has done anything to cause this
reaction on the part of the cemetery/funeral home employee. This is
just a general reminder to always be courteous and to remember that
not everyone is understanding of our eagerness in hunting our
ancestors.


Sometimes, in our excitement to be in our ancestral homeland, we
forget that not everyone is as excited as we are, that we 'have come
home'.. Whereever, and whenever you travel to those important ancestral
places, please remember to bring your best manners with you.
Consideration is always a welcome, and honey will get you far more than
vinegar. I don't know who this person was that wrote this note, I don't
know if they just had a very bad day, or what?? But I DO know that
most genealogists are kind, considerate, and lovely people to be
around. It's those bad apples that give the rest of us a bad name or
reputation. Let's do our part this year to go overboard in extending
our sincere appreciation and patience with those who are working with
the stuff we would give our eyeteeth to get our hands on... afterall,
it's their WORK, it's our LOVE!! Go the extra mile in return this
year, let's do our part in putting a smile back on the faces of those
who we need to contact for our research. Let's be more than kind..
let's treat them as we would want to be treated!! Let's be the examples
so that when the workers hear the words 'genealogists' or 'family
historians', instead of them saying, "AAGHH Genealogists", they will
say, "AH, Genealogists!"

Let's spread the kindness around!!!!

Happy New Year!
Lanita Sconce Miller

Shake your family tree and watch the nuts fall!

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• [KYBRECKI] volunteer by Lanita Sconce Miller <>