October 7th RESEARCH

You asked for it, we are giving it to you! RESEARCH TIME!
Please join us on October 7th at our usual time and place. We will have two short presentations. First, we will finish up our Cemetery Class that ran over time last month. Dee LeClair will tell us about the benefits of using Creative Memory software with your photographs, and how it an help you with your cemetery research. Secondly, Vicki will give a short presentation on Identity Theft.
The remainder of the time will be for research!

What are some of the benefits of researching with 

Our Genealogy Group at Clayton State University?

1. There will be a lot of people there to help you over your brick walls!
2. You can use Ancestry.com for FREE at the University. You can bring your laptop and work in our class room. If you do, you will need to connect to the University's network, which is "Maurut". ( I might have spelled that wrong, but, you will figure it out) If you don't have a laptop, or don't feel like lugging yours to the class, you can use the computers in the library.
3. You can use Fold3 for FREE at the University.
4. Rosemary has a private library of Genealogy books for our use. You can see a list of the books available at the very bottom of this page.
5. You can get away from the distractions at home.

We are planning a field trip! Sunday Oct 21st! Get your tickets if you want to join us

"Spirits of McDonough City Cemetery Tour" The tour provides an entertaining look @ the history & heritage of Henry County through the people who experienced it. Nine 'spirits' dressed in period attire (Civil War thru early 1890's) will share tales of life as it was back then. Sat. October 20, 5:00 to 7:00pm & Sun. Oct. 21, 2:30 to 4:00. 

Advance tickets; $10.00 adults, $5.00 kids. info @ 404.660.3813 orwww.mcdonougharts.net

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE STATE ARCHIVES

I was asked to send this information out. Please share it with anyone you think could help. If you can make it to the rally, please go and show your support. 

"Last week the Governor made a promise to "keep the Archives

open".  We are still waiting for the details of that promise.  Did
he mean open at the current level, open by appointment only or what?

Seven employees have been given formal notice that their employment
will be terminated October 31.  We cannot afford to wait for details
from the Governor's office."

Among other things, a rally is being planned for October 3 from noon to 1:00 in the Capitol.  

Please check www.FOGAH.org for updates.

UPCOMING CLASSES

November's class will be about Citations! "Remember: Undocumented Genealogy is Mythology" A part of documenting is citing your sources. 

We will have our annual holiday party in December at Rosemary's house. 

Next year, we will be changing things up a bit. In the new year, we will have a person or two available from 2 to 3 pm before each meeting to help you "one on one" with your research. Then we will have our class, or meeting from 3 to 5 like usual. 

Here is a recap of a few of the things we have discussed in 2012:

1.Pedigree Charts

2. Genealogy Research Trips

3.The 1940 Census

4. Family Reunions

5.African American Research

6. Google Search Tips and Google Earth

7. Findagrave, and other Death Records

What can we bring you next year? Would you like to lead a class? Do you know of any "guest speakers" who would be helpful to our group? Does anyone know about, or want to discus their American Indian research? What about overseas research? Who wants to tell us about their DNA testing? We are waiting to hear from you. Send me an email with your ideas. ourgenealogygroup@gmail.com

A Sad Day for the Georgia Archives

The Georgia Archives will be closed to the public as of 11/1/2012 and open by appt. only depending on work load of employees that remain. Georgia will be the only state that does not have a working archives open to the public for research. 
They can go to the league of women voters web site and find the emails addresses of their Senators and rep the sec of state and gov. and send them an email. And on Dick Eastmans web site this morning 9/14/2012

I urge each and everyone of you to sign this petition!
https://www.change.org/petitions/the-governor-of-ga-leave-our-state-archives-open-to-the-public#


Statement from Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp on Public Closure of the State Archives Effective November 1, 2012
The Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget has instructed the Office of the Secretary of State to further reduce its budget for AFY13 and FY14 by 3% ($732,626). As it has been for the past two years, these cuts do not eliminate excess in the agency, but require the agency to further reduce services to the citizens of Georgia. As an agency that returns over three times what is appropriated back to the general fund, budget cuts present very challenging decisions. We have tried to protect the services that the agency provides in support of putting people to work, starting small businesses, and providing public safety. 
To meet the required cuts, it is with great remorse that I have to announce, effective November 1, 2012, the Georgia State Archives located in Morrow, GA will be closed to the public. The decision to reduce public access to the historical records of this state was not arrived at without great consternation. To my knowledge, Georgia will be the only state in the country that will not have a central location in which the public can visit to research and review the historical records of their government and state. The staff that currently works to catalog, restore, and provide reference to the state of Georgia’s permanent historical records will be reduced. The employees that will be let go through this process are assets to the state of Georgia and will be missed. After November 1st, the public will only be allowed to access the building by appointment; however, the number of appointments could be limited based on the schedule of the remaining employees.
Since FY08, the Office of the Secretary of State has been required to absorb many budget reductions, often above the minimum, while being responsible for more work. I believe that transparency and open access to records are necessary for the public to educate themselves on the issues of our government. I will fight during this legislative session to have this cut restored so the people will have a place to meet, research, and review the historical records of Georgia.