Daughters of this and that

[Beryana]

Originally Posted by honeychile

Excellent site! I try to work on somebody's else's genealogy (almost) as often as my own, as I'd like to get my certification someday, and I need the challenges.

I too would like to get my certification someday (as opposed to being certified!). My problem is that I am not able to get down to Madison all that often and there isn't much around here. I would LOVE to make it out to New England on a research trip one of these years.

[alum]

I remember this book from jhs! Like many of Lois Duncan's books, the plot is dark and somewhat disturbing. You should be able to find it in the Younfg Adult section of the library.

[KappaKittyCat]

The only org I qualify for is Daughters of the Unwashed Central European Immigrants to the Midwest. But that's okay because I don't really get the point of those groups. Aren't they just another kind of sorority with more exclusive criteria?

I really care more about a person does with her life than what her ancestors did with theirs. I mean, didn't we just do a chorus and two verses in the Greek Life forum on not considering mothers/wives to be "famous Greeks" just because of who they married/raised? This seems similar to me.

Feel free to set me straight and defend your groups, members.

[SWTXBelle]

I don't feel a need to defend them. I'm quite proud of my ancestors in much the same way I am proud of the founders and the notable alumna of my sorority. They overcame great obstacles,and in the face of difficulties they succeeded in producing something of worth and merit.
My ancestors fought and died to secure the freedoms you enjoy today - shouldn't I take pride in that? They were willing to sacrifice all - and in some cases, they did. I don't see it as something that somehow makes me "better" - I see it as an obligation to see that those principles they held dear are taught to the next generation. It is a responsibililty, more than anything else. Yes, it's neat to have a personal tie to history, but again, it is an inspiration to me to strive to bring those ideals they cherished to life through what I do.
Hence my interest in all the historical activities and scholarship opportunities offered by various groups. In the case of the Daughters of Norway, I just want to continue to make sure my children appreciate the land and traditions of my grandparents.
History comes to life when you see how your family figured into it. I think it's great that I have had family here since the 17th century, and other family members that immigrated in the 20th. EVERYONE has a historical story. Whether or not you feel pulled to do the research and find out your family's history, the fact of the matter is that we all come from somewhere, and our ancestors obviously did something right, or we would not be here today. Far from being more selective than NPC sororities, the fact is that just about anyone can find a historical group for which they qualify for membership if they but try. Open the Society of the Great Unwashed, and see if you don't find dozens of like-minded possible members!

[aopirose]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

I don't feel a need to defend them. I'm quite proud of my ancestors in much the same way I am proud of the founders and the notable alumna of my sorority. They overcame great obstacles,and in the face of difficulties they succeeded in producing something of worth and merit.
My ancestors fought and died to secure the freedoms you enjoy today - shouldn't I take pride in that? They were willing to sacrifice all - and in some cases, they did. I don't see it as something that somehow makes me "better" - I see it as an obligation to see that those principles they held dear are taught to the next generation. It is a responsibililty, more than anything else. Yes, it's neat to have a personal tie to history, but again, it is an inspiration to me to strive to bring those ideals they cherished to life through what I do.
Hence my interest in all the historical activities and scholarship opportunities offered by various groups. In the case of the Daughters of Norway, I just want to continue to make sure my children appreciate the land and traditions of my grandparents.
History comes to life when you see how your family figured into it. I think it's great that I have had family here since the 17th century, and other family members that immigrated in the 20th. EVERYONE has a historical story. Whether or not you feel pulled to do the research and find out your family's history, the fact of the matter is that we all come from somewhere, and our ancestors obviously did something right, or we would not be here today. Far from being more selective than NPC sororities, the fact is that just about anyone can find a historical group for which they qualify for membership if they but try. Open the Society of the Great Unwashed, and see if you don't find dozens of like-minded possible members!

My thoughts too.

[VandalSquirrel]

Originally Posted by KappaKittyCat

The only org I qualify for is Daughters of the Unwashed Central European Immigrants to the Midwest. But that's okay because I don't really get the point of those groups. Aren't they just another kind of sorority with more exclusive criteria?

I really care more about a person does with her life than what her ancestors did with theirs. I mean, didn't we just do a chorus and two verses in the Greek Life forum on not considering mothers/wives to be "famous Greeks" just because of who they married/raised? This seems similar to me.

Feel free to set me straight and defend your groups, members.

Not everyone is meant to be in a sorority, not everyone is meant to be in a group created for people of a common background or historical event. Since my relatives who came here in the past 100 years have died or are dying I belong to my group because I care about who I am and where I came from, and though I am a proud natural born citizen of the United States I am not going to dismiss my food, my language, and my relatives.

There probably is a group out there for you, whether you decide to pursue membership or not is your choice but don't criticize those of us who decide to belong. If it isn't for you that's fine, but it is for us.

[OleMissGlitter]

I wouldn't even know where to start to join any of those orgs. I'm happy they exist but it seems rather overwhelming to me. My great uncle wrote 4 books about my family history on that side of the family. (When I say books I mean he didn't have them published or anything, just bound at the local copy shop and distributed to the family!) Also, what are the costs involved in joining these groups?

[SWTXBelle]

The costs are minimal - I'd have to look up the exact figures, but your first fee for registration, etc. is probably going to be between $50 - 75. National dues and local dues - $40+ . Compared to sorority dues, NOTHING.
As to where to begin - start with your great-uncle's books. Is there an ancestor whose story interests you? See if there is a group that coincides with the ancestor -whether from a historical time, a particular war, or certain nationality. Then see what the group requires. Some will require you to "prove" every generation - through birth, baptism, marriage and death certificates, U.S. census forms, applications for pensions and the like. Some will just take your word - if you apply to Daughters of Norway, they ask for your information, but basically take you at your word that you qualify. See what the application requires. You will usually have to be approved by a local group, which just means you attend a few meetings and are approved for membership. It's not nearly as nerve-wrecking as rush, I promise! The groups are usually THRILLED to have someone interested in joing them. Then, you submit your paperwork and wait for the offical word.

[Beryana]

Originally Posted by OleMissGlitter

I wouldn't even know where to start to join any of those orgs. I'm happy they exist but it seems rather overwhelming to me. My great uncle wrote 4 books about my family history on that side of the family. (When I say books I mean he didn't have them published or anything, just bound at the local copy shop and distributed to the family!) Also, what are the costs involved in joining these groups?

I sent you a PM.

I have found costs for the groups ranging from $105 for the application fee and 1st years dues (DAR) to $25 for application and dues. Some groups only have lifetime dues and some are annual.

[WLFEO]

So any generalized comments on how adoption figures into these groups? Does it vary by group or in general do you not "count" if you were adopted? My grandmother was in the DAR but my dad didn't want my mom to join b/c they don't recognize me (their adopted child) as a descendant. I don't really have a problem with it...after all, I'm not a descendant (well, who know, I could be). But my dad didn't want me to be left out or something.

Along the same, yet different, line of discussion, any generalities on how they handle step children?

Just wondering...

[Beryana]

Originally Posted by WLFEO

So any generalized comments on how adoption figures into these groups? Does it vary by group or in general do you not "count" if you were adopted? My grandmother was in the DAR but my dad didn't want my mom to join b/c they don't recognize me (their adopted child) as a descendant. I don't really have a problem with it...after all, I'm not a descendant (well, who know, I could be). But my dad didn't want me to be left out or something.

Along the same, yet different, line of discussion, any generalities on how they handle step children?

Just wondering...

Some groups accepted adopted/step children but most require blood lineage for membership (and some are even specific that all the children have to be legitimate). I believe the DAR requires direct blood descent - so adoption would not qualify you.

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by WLFEO

So any generalized comments on how adoption figures into these groups? Does it vary by group or in general do you not "count" if you were adopted? My grandmother was in the DAR but my dad didn't want my mom to join b/c they don't recognize me (their adopted child) as a descendant. I don't really have a problem with it...after all, I'm not a descendant (well, who know, I could be). But my dad didn't want me to be left out or something.

Along the same, yet different, line of discussion, any generalities on how they handle step children?

Just wondering...

The old DAR forms used to say "_____ is the blood daughter/son of ____", so I'm thinking that adoption and steps don't count in the DAR. I do know that they now accept DNA as a proof of lineage - when I took their genealogy class, we saw a woman who went in on her birth parent's lineage. Which, of course, means you'd have to first find your birth parents, and see if either of them are eligible.

On the other hand, there are two women who bring their adopted daughters and step-grandchildren to most meetings. No one treats them any differently. If you ever do decide to try to find your birth parents, I do know a few tips on that part.

[SoCalGirl]

For all you who are in the societies or heavily into family research. Do you find it's more common for people to be more involved if they have an uncommon surname? Like, are there many Jones, Smith, Johnson types? I was completely not feeling work today and was messing around with familysearch.com and I think I would shoot myself if I had to research my surname beyond my grandfather. It's not quite "Jones" but it's almost there. Plus common first names, like John, were ever so popular for the guys.

It'd be a million times easier to research my mom's side or my paternal grandmother's side. I can pretty much count on anyone in the country with the same last name is related in some way. For example, for my great grandmother's maiden name there's only 17 matches when I do a search on whitepages.com That's for the entire country!

[Beryana]

Originally Posted by SoCalGirl

For all you who are in the societies or heavily into family research. Do you find it's more common for people to be more involved if they have an uncommon surname? Like, are there many Jones, Smith, Johnson types? I was completely not feeling work today and was messing around with familysearch.com and I think I would shoot myself if I had to research my surname beyond my grandfather. It's not quite "Jones" but it's almost there. Plus common first names, like John, were ever so popular for the guys. [/I]

Try Benjamin Davenport who is the son of Benjamin Davenport who is the son of Benjamin Davenport. . . . .

Everyone will run into a name roadblock at some point in time. The more information you can find about your specific person the more you can narrow down the search. Even with limited information you can make up a log of where the person was located for various events to help narrow down the search.

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by SoCalGirl

For all you who are in the societies or heavily into family research. Do you find it's more common for people to be more involved if they have an uncommon surname? Like, are there many Jones, Smith, Johnson types? I was completely not feeling work today and was messing around with familysearch.com and I think I would shoot myself if I had to research my surname beyond my grandfather. It's not quite "Jones" but it's almost there. Plus common first names, like John, were ever so popular for the guys.

First, yes and no - some of it depends on how exact you want to be. I'd rather have the right person than someone who may be my ancestor, so I get nitpicky. I know people in the DAR with Smith or Jones as their Patriot's name, and let's not forget that there can be over 20 ways of spelling the same name! I'd suggest that you find something that can make your lineage stand out a bit from others - no matter how small.

On my mother's side, there is a John & William CommonName in EVERY generation. Once we realized that there were two families in identical years, in the same county, with the same name, we literally had to do both lineages. Just to make it interesting, there are at least four people on the RootsWeb, Ancestory.com etc sites who live nowhere near the county in question, but insist that either these two lineages are the same or that there's a different Mrs. CommonName born in 1737. No matter how many times you try to tell them to "look at the church records!!," they won't change their minds! ACK!!

What I've done, and others have, also, is to give each a nickname - but never, ever Junior or Senior. I'm talking "John the bell ringer" and "William the shopkeeper" as opposed to "John the farmer" and "William the soldier" in the same generation.

Also, to make sure your search is miserable, ( ) make sure that you use Soundex, and don't stay married to Smythe, instead of Smith (Brown/Browne, Johnson/Johston, etc). Spelling was only as good as the listener (census taker, pastor, undertaker) heard, and you could find yourself down the wrong road. This is a great Soundex Generator, especially if you're mostly researching online. FWIW, I put every one of our names into it, alphabetized the list, and printed it out for when I research. There are other fun gadgets to help with this sort of problem at Fun Stuff For Genealogists.com. I especially appreciate their "Cite your Sources!" Sticky-notes - sticky notes to put on the back of each piece of your research, so you know where to return (or NOT return!). Some societies insist on the information that's on them, so they can be a godsend.



Last (for now!), don't forget that the lineages found online are only as good as the persons who entered them. I usually start off an email conversation with a nicer way of "what are your sources?" before I take one seriously.