H is for History, Honours and Hours #AtoZChallenge

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Welcome to Day 8 of the  #AtoZChallenge.  Don't know what the AtoZChallenge is? Find out more here.

My theme is about Family History Societies.  What they are, How they work, Who is in them, Why they exist. 

And which ones begin with H!

Family Organizations beginning with H (Family Search Wiki)

Societies beginning with H

AUSTRALIA
 
 
UK
 
 


H is for History

This point is twofold. Don't forget to look for Historical Societies or Local History rooms at your local library or the library service in the district where your ancestor lived will you.  I'm not going to list them here but I can tell you that I found enormous help from the Yass and District Historical Society when I was researching my convict ancestor, Samuel Taylor.

Also don't forget to record your own Society's history will you?  It can be very important for others to know how you came into being, what worked and didn't work for you and the challenges you faced. QFHS' history is here.

 

H is for Honours

Now you may think this photo is somewhat of an exaggeration but honestly, the effort some volunteers put into a family history society is truly stupendous. And should be recognised.  Perhaps there are other honours you want to consider.  AFFHO gives awards for Meritorious Service to Family History.  
 
QFHS gives awards to its members and also to those who write family history books.  You can read more about QFHS' Awards and Honours here.

 

H is for Hours

Hours and hours of volunteer work goes into transcribing, digitising, indexing and generally HELPING.  There's another H word!  How many hours is your Society open?  Is it enough?  What are your most popular days for people to visit? 

 

H is for Hat

Hopefully you are starting to understand that there are many hats to wear when volunteering for a Family History Society.  Some people wear several hats.  Whatever hat you wear, wear it with pride and a certain panache.  And if you need to, wear a Helmet ;)
 
How are you going with the challenge? Huffing and puffing? Haggard? Happy? Thank you for dropping by and reading my blog.  Comments and feedback are welcome.  I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Comments

Molly of Molly's Canopy said…
Thanks for the mention of history! The history sections of libraries -- and history books/resources in general -- are invaluable for putting our ancestors in context. Love the illustration, too -- it often feels like slashing with a sword to get to the bottom of some family history mysteries. https://mollyscanopy.com/
April 9, 2021 at 10:57 AM
GeniAus said…
I think the local history sections in many public libraries often reflect the enthusiasm of the staff. Some are top class, some are woeful.

One of the best is at Hawkesbury Library where librarian, Michelle Nichols, also runs the Family History Group mentioned in your post.

Have to add Hornsby Shire FHG. I set up their blog/website, https://hornsbysfhg.wordpress.com/ and Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/hornsbysfhg, when I lived down that way. It is another group that is supported by the local history staff at the public library.
April 9, 2021 at 4:48 PM
Jennifer Jones said…
Thanks for the link to the Heugenot Society. My partner has Heugenot ancestors which I'm about to begin research. The society will be a great place to start. I'm loving AtoZ this year, and especially enjoying other genie bloggers posts. Yours are a highlight also.
April 10, 2021 at 2:32 PM
Alex Daw said…
Dear Molly - glad you liked the picture and yes libraries can be a fantastic source of information.
Dear Jill - yes the quality can be variable :) And thank you for adding the Hawkesbury Library and the Hornsby group :)
Dear Jennifer - glad to be of service. It's been a challenge writing this A-Z. I'm glad to be hitting the mark !
April 11, 2021 at 10:32 AM
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