Editor's note: Today's post from Sandra Gardner-Benward , written by National Genealogical Society
This is a Press Release sent out by the National Genealogical Society (NGS)
Press Release
Contact: Charles S. Mason Jr.
Phone: 703-569-3469
cgrs791@verizon.net For Release: 9 May 2014
Just thought you would like to know...............
Excellence in Genealogy
Scholarship and Service Honored
Arlington, VA, 9 MAY 2014: The National Genealogical Society held its annual
banquet on Friday evening, 9 May 2014, at the NGS 2014 Family History
Conference in Richmond, Virginia, to present awards that acknowledge and honor
genealogical scholarship and service. Each year, these awards are presented to
organizations and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to NGS
programs or have performed outstanding work in the field of genealogy, history,
biography, or heraldry.
National Genealogical Society Hall of Fame. Beginning in
1986, the National Genealogy Hall of Fame program, administered by the National
Genealogical Society, has honored outstanding genealogists whose achievements
in the field of American genealogy have had a great impact on our field.
Qualified nominations are solicited annually from genealogical organizations.
Those nominated must have been deceased for at least five years and have been
actively engaged in genealogy for a minimum of ten years. Their contributions
to the field of genealogy in this country need to have been significant in a
way that was unique, pioneering, or exemplary. Such contributions could have
been as an author of books or articles that added significantly to the body of
published works, served as a model of genealogical research or writing, or made
source records more readily available. Nominees could also have been a teacher
or lecturer, or contributed to the field through leadership in a genealogical
organization or periodical.
Entries are judged by a panel of genealogists from various parts of the
United States. This year,
Florence Harlow Barclay, whose
nomination was made by The American Society of Genealogists and supported by
the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, the General Society of
Mayflower Descendants, the Cape Cod Genealogical Society, and the New England
Historical Genealogical Society, was elected to the NGS Hall of Fame. The main
body of her work consists of over fifty articles published in
The American
Genealogist between 1946 and 1971. She was appointed a contributing editor
to
The American Genealogist in 1951 and served as vice president of
the society in 1964-65, chair of the publications and membership committees,
and was one of the founding members of the Harlow Family Association.
Fellowship in the National Genealogical Society recognizes
a valued servant of the National Genealogical Society. This year’s Fellow,
Janet
A. Alpert, served on the NGS Board from 2004–2012 as secretary, president,
and past-president. During her four years as NGS President, Jan used her
management skills, acquired from a thirty-five year career in the title
insurance industry, to guide the Society toward a financial model based on best
practices in the business community helping to create a solid financial
foundation for the society.
Jan was 2011 Conference Chair in Charleston, a role that overlapped with her
last year as NGS President. She is also Co-Chair in 2014 Richmond. Jan
represented the Society and the genealogical community on several occasions,
speaking on Capitol Hill advocating records access and preservation issues.
Although she has gone above and beyond what is normally expected in her many
roles at NGS, it is her work with the Records Preservation and Access Committee
(RPAC) and the impact that it has had and continues to have on record access
that is of primary importance to both NGS and the genealogical community at
large, She was unanimously chosen to become its chairperson beginning in
January 2013.
For her years of service to the genealogical community and her volunteer
efforts on behalf of the National Genealogical Society and the genealogical
community at large, the NGS Board has elected Janet A. Alpert a Fellow of the
National Genealogical Society.
The
Award of Merit is presented to an individual or
non-profit genealogical or historical organization to recognize exceptional
contributions to the field of genealogy over a period of five or more years,
which has significantly aided research or increased interest in genealogy. The
Award of Merit goes to
Don Eckerle of the German Genealogy
Group, NY;
John Martino of the Italian Genealogy Group, NY;
and
Bob Boeckle of the German Genealogy Group, NY. Together,
the three men organized and led their fellow members and over 1,000 volunteers
from the Long Island Genealogy Federation and beyond to create one of the most
important databases in the US: digitized indexes to over 16 million records
that include the earliest vital records for the five boroughs of New York City
plus Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, plus naturalization indexes
for all of these counties as well as NARA-NY’s entire naturalization collection
from six district courts in New York and three in New Jersey. Don managed the
computer and database creation for this work, John managed the thousands of
volunteers, and Bob managed the scanning and printing of millions of records.
This work represents only two of the many key searchable databases produced by
these prolific, hardworking groups of volunteers who scanned and printed over
20 million records to offer these free indexes to family researchers all over
the world as a gateway to finding their New York ancestors.
The
Shirley Langdon Wilcox Award for Exemplary Volunteerism
recognizes a volunteer whose generosity of spirit and time has greatly
benefited the National Genealogical Society and the genealogical community in
general over a period of years.
Sharon B. Hodges of
Alexandria, Virginia, has graded lessons for the NGS home study course for
fifteen years and has also served as a judge for the society's newsletter
competition. She is a former secretary of the Fairfax (Virginia)
Genealogical Society, is the current president of the Mount Vernon (Virginia)
Genealogical Society, and serves as a Governor at Large of the Virginia
Genealogical Society. For her many year of service to NGS and the genealogical
community, the NGS Board has selected Sharon to be the fourth recipient of the
Wilcox Award.
Family History Writing Contest:
Leslie Anderson
of Silver Spring, Maryland, was the winner of the Family History Writing
contest with her entry,
Tabitha's Story: Survival, Struggle, and Success.
This award is to encourage NGS members to write a family history that covers at
least three generations and not more than four generations of their family.
This scholarly article will be published in the upcoming December issue of the
NGSQ.
National Genealogical Society Quarterly’s Award for
Excellence: This award is presented for an outstanding article
published in the
NGSQ in the previous calendar year. For 2013, the
editors have chosen
Parentage of Martha Smith of Alabama and Mississippi:
Overcoming Inconsistent, Incorrect, and Missing Records, by
Laurel
T. Baty, cg, published in the June 2013 issue of the
NGSQ.
Award for Excellence: Genealogical Methods and Sources:
This year’s recipient was
Ted O. Brooke of Cumming, Georgia.
The title of his entry was
Georgia Stray Wills, 1733-1900. This award
is for a specific, significant single contribution in the form of a book, an
article, or a series of articles that discuss genealogical methods and sources,
which serves to foster scholarship and/or advances or promotes excellence in
genealogy.
Award for Excellence: Genealogy and Family History Book:
This year’s recipient was
Robert V. Montague III of Navarre,
Florida. The title of his entry was
History and Genealogy of Peter Montague
of Jamestown, Virginia (1603–2003). This award is for a specific,
significant single contribution in the form of a family genealogy or family
history book published in the past five years. Entries serve to foster
scholarship and/or otherwise advance or promote excellence in genealogy.
Senior Rubincam Youth Award (for students in grades 10–12
or between the ages of 16 and 18):
Rachel Hattok of
Leavenworth Kansas, was this year’s winner. The title of her entry was
Through
the Years. The Senior Rubincam Award was established in 1986 to honor
Milton Rubincam, cg, fasg, fngs, for his many years of service to the National
Genealogical Society and to the field of genealogy. The award encourages and
recognizes our youth as the next generation of family historians.
Home Study Course Scholarship:
Krista M Burnette
of Galax, Virginia, was the winner of the Home Study Course Scholarship.
Burnette received the award for having demonstrated her serious interest in
pursuing a career in genealogy. Criteria include attending genealogy
conferences and training, subscribing to genealogical publications, and
membership in NGS. The renowned NGS Home Study Course provides a solid
foundation for researchers just starting out and new possibilities for
experienced researchers’ more difficult problems.
Founded in 1903, the
National
Genealogical Society is dedicated to genealogy education, high research
standards, and the preservation of genealogical records. The Arlington,
Virginia, based nonprofit is the premier national society for everyone, from
the beginner to the most advanced family historian, seeking excellence in
publications, educational offerings, research guidance, and opportunities to
interact with other genealogists.
