When I was first starting out as a professional genealogist, one of the pieces of advice I heard from other established pros was "volunteer for your local society." Back then, I didn't have either the time or the inclination to volunteer anywhere. I was working part-time outside the home, I had three teenagers to keep tabs on, and all of my spare time was spent in doing genealogy research, for clients, for a fee. We really needed the extra income, and I was intent on improving my knowledge of genealogical records, resources, citations, and reports. Our local genealogy society met on Saturday mornings, which was time I reserved for my family.
Fast forward several years, and my, how things have changed. We downsized and moved to a different part of Western Washington. I no longer have teenagers at home, and I'm working full-time as a genealogical researcher, writer, and speaker. I joined the local society, which meets on Wednesday afternoons, and began volunteering my time. I staffed the reference desk in the Genealogy Center at the library where the society meets, and taught a standing-room-only class on DNA. I'm scheduled to teach another class for my society early next year, on Historic Newspapers.
This past weekend I presented 3 lectures at the Family History Fair in Bellevue, Washington: a 2-part session on DNA, and one on Finding and Using Historic Newspapers. Two of them were held in the Chapel, as that was the only room large enough to hold all those who registered. In between sessions there was a steady stream of people coming by the APG table, to ask urgent questions about their family situation and which DNA test to order. I no longer need the client work - instead I'm seeing an increasing need for professional genealogists like myself to teach. Classes in finding and using records, resolving conflicting information, writing a captivating family history, using source citations, and navigating the new frontier of DNA testing - these are wanted and needed. And that is why I volunteer.
This past weekend I presented 3 lectures at the Family History Fair in Bellevue, Washington: a 2-part session on DNA, and one on Finding and Using Historic Newspapers. Two of them were held in the Chapel, as that was the only room large enough to hold all those who registered. In between sessions there was a steady stream of people coming by the APG table, to ask urgent questions about their family situation and which DNA test to order. I no longer need the client work - instead I'm seeing an increasing need for professional genealogists like myself to teach. Classes in finding and using records, resolving conflicting information, writing a captivating family history, using source citations, and navigating the new frontier of DNA testing - these are wanted and needed. And that is why I volunteer.
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