My periodic update, in shorthand, on our progress.  In this email I will concentrate on the results of our March survey.  5% of the emailing list responded.  I believe 10-15% is to be expected from surveys of this sort so we were well down this time.  In 2014 we achieved 8%.

We asked for the services we provide to be ranked.  The results were

For Members the top six features on the web site were 1. Journal  2. Family History Research Service  3. Y-DNA project  4= Useful genealogical links & Historical Origins  5. Resources

For Guests 1. Useful genealogical sites 2. Historical sites & artifacts  3. News  4= Name variants & Research interests  5= Y-DNA project & Meet an O’Donoghue

I could do with someone offering to help on Useful genealogical sites please.

We asked for suggestions as to how we might improve the society.  All of them are covered in a new blog on the site in the category Society Developments, with comments as to resulting actions that we will take over time.

As an example
Suggestion: No doubt difficult to encourage members to contribute their research, but worth a try.    I plan to convert all my father's 1950 era research (by mail) into Family Tree Maker and contribute it to you.
Comment: Any research data that is contributed can be uploaded to the Family Tree or Resources areas on the society web site.  Would like more people to do this.
All suggestions have been addressed, but we can’t make major progress unless more folk volunteer their time.

Volunteering and projects

I did get a good response to my request for help this time and some new projects have been started.  Volunteers can do as much as they want, so not overly demanding, and time is not of the essence.  I try to be as specific as possible as to need and skill required but, if I fall short, I will no doubt be told. 

Here’s three of those projects

Laura Bravo, Truman Donoho, Dee Gilmore-Stewart and I will be working on a 12 point programme to improve our communications and ongoing interaction.  An idea within this is a desire to appeal to the younger generations with an O’Donoghue genealogy project pack for kids.

John Pozega is making our first steps (for his name variant in the US) into a project to capture 1880s census data across the world.  1881 UK is already on the Resources area.  Once accomplished we would ask people to find their family and add their tree.

Michael O’Donohue, the instigator of our Meet an O’Donoghue feature, is planning to liaise with the people of the name on Continental Europe. 

The more volunteers we get, the more we get done.

Family history research service

We have had some good projects since we started this service, but I must say that I am surprised more people haven’t taken advantage of it.  We can’t promise to solve your problem but we will try.

Currently Eleanor Donaldson is being supported in her continuing search for the history of Jeremiah Aloysius Donoghue (see Journal July 2015).

Meet an O’Donoghue

There are lots of pins on the map, but has anyone taken an initiative and met someone?

That’s it for now.  Lots going on.

Cheers

Rod
 

My periodic update, in shorthand, on our progress.  In this email I will concentrate on the results of our March survey.  5% of the emailing list responded.  I believe 10-15% is to be expected from surveys of this sort so we were well down this time.  In 2014 we achieved 8%.

We asked for the services we provide to be ranked.  The results were

For Members the top six features on the web site were 1. Journal  2. Family History Research Service  3. Y-DNA project  4= Useful genealogical links & Historical Origins  5. Resources

For Guests 1. Useful genealogical sites 2. Historical sites & artifacts  3. News  4= Name variants & Research interests  5= Y-DNA project & Meet an O’Donoghue

I could do with someone offering to help on Useful genealogical sites please.

We asked for suggestions as to how we might improve the society.  All of them are covered in a new blog on the site in the category Society Developments, with comments as to resulting actions that we will take over time.

As an example
Suggestion: No doubt difficult to encourage members to contribute their research, but worth a try.    I plan to convert all my father's 1950 era research (by mail) into Family Tree Maker and contribute it to you.
Comment: Any research data that is contributed can be uploaded to the Family Tree or Resources areas on the society web site.  Would like more people to do this.
All suggestions have been addressed, but we can’t make major progress unless more folk volunteer their time.

Volunteering and projects

I did get a good response to my request for help this time and some new projects have been started.  Volunteers can do as much as they want, so not overly demanding, and time is not of the essence.  I try to be as specific as possible as to need and skill required but, if I fall short, I will no doubt be told. 

Here’s three of those projects

Laura Bravo, Truman Donoho, Dee Gilmore-Stewart and I will be working on a 12 point programme to improve our communications and ongoing interaction.  An idea within this is a desire to appeal to the younger generations with an O’Donoghue genealogy project pack for kids.

John Pozega is making our first steps (for his name variant in the US) into a project to capture 1880s census data across the world.  1881 UK is already on the Resources area.  Once accomplished we would ask people to find their family and add their tree.

Michael O’Donohue, the instigator of our Meet an O’Donoghue feature, is planning to liaise with the people of the name on Continental Europe. 

The more volunteers we get, the more we get done.

Family history research service

We have had some good projects since we started this service, but I must say that I am surprised more people haven’t taken advantage of it.  We can’t promise to solve your problem but we will try.

Currently Eleanor Donaldson is being supported in her continuing search for the history of Jeremiah Aloysius Donoghue (see Journal July 2015).

Meet an O’Donoghue

There are lots of pins on the map, but has anyone taken an initiative and met someone?

That’s it for now.  Lots going on.

Cheers

Rod