This month's newsletter contains: * SPREADING THANKS * A REQUEST FROM STAFF * HINTS & TIPS FROM FELLOW VOLUNTEERS * GENEALOGY TERMS * SHOPS * STAFF * THANK YOU * CURRENT STATS SPREADING THANKS In January 2006 we had to remove the ability of users of our site to leave a THANK YOU note for you, our wonderful volunteers. The removal of this ability was because spammers had found our site and started posting messages faster than we could delete them. We vowed at that time to come up with a better system. We apologize for taking almost a year to find a system that would allow the leaving of thank you notes and to not have to worry about the spammers taking over. However, we have finally launched our new "Kudos" area today, the last day of the year. This new area requires registration to be able to post messages, and messages are put in a queue for administrator approval. No thank you note will appear live on the site without this approval. There is a help page that gives you instructions on how to register and post a note. http://www.raogk.org/thankyou/ If would like to give any feedback, write to feedback@raogk.org. A REQUEST FROM STAFF If you are on Temporary Status, please be sure you return to http://www.raogk.org/change.html to send a form in to let the section coordinator know you are ready to return to Active status. Please be advised that if you have not re-activated your status 120 days from the date you requested to be de-activated you will be removed from the site without notice. HINTS & TIPS FROM FELLOW VOLUNTEERS Dennis Chapman Arizona Volunteer Utah State Archives http://historyresearch.utah.gov/indexes/ The Utah State Archives have many free indexes online, birth, death, court, government, etc… They only have what the counties have given them & not all their holdings are index, but this is a good place to look for people that have lived in Utah. I just noticed in the 1904-1954 Vital Records & Statistics section, they are starting to put the actual death certificate images online. I don't see a way to search just one database, but the search engine they do have is easy to use. All you need to do is enter "Surname" or "Surname, given name" or what I like is "Surname, first letter of given name". Vaughn L Simon, CG California Volunteer A new website has just come on line and should be of interest to your members. It is GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com/). It is a pay site, but there is access to what is essentially an index for free. One of the pieces is Obituaries, and it has indexed many newspapers. My RAOGK requests are almost always requests for obituaries. Many of them mean that I need to go the library and search the newspaper, since there is no index for one of the papers I need to check. It also has 4 or 5 separate local editions, and obituaries only appear in one. I have found obituaries in GenealogyBank and am able to go right to the right page. It's a real big help. GENEALOGY TERMS Contributed by fellow volunteers. If you should have any unusual genealogy terms that others may not be aware of please send them to feedback@raogk.org. Thanks Bond A binding agreement to perform certain actions or duties or requiring payment of a specified amount of money as a penalty; at different times required of estate administrators or executors, grooms (for marriage), certain elected officials (such as constables). Bondsman Person acting as surety for a bond (often, but by no means ordinarily, a relative) Bounty Land Land promised as reward or inducement for enlisting in military service. Bounty Land Warrant A right to obtain bounty land, specific number of acres of an allocated public land. Buried, partly indicates the heart is buried in one place and the body in another, usually by directions of a will Next Friend Because of the lack of rights of a married woman; widows and single women could bring suit but not married women whose husbands were the entitled ones. Here is the definition of next friend in Blacks Law Dictionary: "The legal designation of the person by whom an infant or other person disabled from suing in his own name brings and prosecutes an action either at law or equity." s.p. sine posteritas (no issue) * SHOPS Several new designs and products have been added to both of our shops. The RAOGK Logo Shop (http://www.cafepress.com/raogk?pid=2851439&tid=612) There are now 19 new t-shirt choices in the apparel section (http://www.cafepress.com/raogk/599140?pid=2851439&tid=612) Men's long sleeve shirts (navy, black and ash grey) Women's long sleeve shirts (brown and black) Men's t-shirt (black, navy, cardinal and military green) Women's t-shirt (black) In our Fun Stuff area: (http://www.cafepress.com/raogk/599204?pid=2851439&tid=612) Round and Oval Ornaments (aka Keepsakes) in 3 different designs. A new design on a bumper sticker Cards and More. . (http://www.cafepress.com/raogk/599198?pid=2851439&tid=612) 4 calendar prints Genealogy For You Shop (http://www.cafepress.com/genealogyforyou?pid=2851439&tid=612) 3 NEW designs Genealogy is great when you score: (http://www.cafepress.com/genealogyforyou/2221132?pid=2851439&tid=612) Genealogy Puzzle (Scrabble anyone?) (http://www.cafepress.com/genealogyforyou/2242266?pid=2851439&tid=612) Dangerous Genealogist (3 designs) Danger Genealogist at work (http://www.cafepress.com/genealogyforyou/2253862?pid=2851439&tid=612) Danger Genealogist at Play (http://www.cafepress.com/genealogyforyou/2253981?pid=2851439&tid=612) Danger Genealogist in Area (http://www.cafepress.com/genealogyforyou/2254088?pid=2851439&tid=612) Dark t-shirts and long-sleeve t-shirts have been added to our "Roots Run Deep. . ." Section: (http://www.cafepress.com/genealogyforyou/1807913?pid=2851439&tid=612) STAFF Would you like to be a member of the RAOGK staff? There are several positions that are needing to be filled. These positions are newly created positions and the duties will be various in nature. If you are interested, please send a message to feedback@raogk.org with the subject of Application. Your message should indicate why you would like to become a member of the staff, what you believe you could do to contribute to the site, and computer skills. Thanking you in advance for your interest. OUR SEMI-ANNUAL PLEA From time to time I mention those kind-hearted folks who have sent support for the site our way. Every little bit helps and to see a list of those who have sent funds you can do so by going to http://www.raogk.org/supporters.html. If you would like to see your name listed on this page, you can follow the directions at http://www.raogk.org/support.html. Whether you support us through direct contributions or buy purchasing a product in the many areas pointed out above, we appreciate all the help that we receive in keeping RAOGK online. CURRENT STATS Last month: 4166 This month: 4148 New: 55 Left: 30 Staff removals*: 39 December Requests (through December 30, 2006): USA volunteers received: 3,635 NON-USA volunteers received: 387 2006 Grand Total # of requests (through December 30, 2006) USA requests: 65,889 Non-USA requests: 7,410 Grand Total: 73,299 *Staff removals are those folks whose e-mail address has been reported bouncing and confirmed or volunteers who, over the course of trying many times, did not respond back to requesters or staff. The STAFF thanks you for volunteering and until next month. . . . . . THE STAFF Bridgett, Michele, Bill, Anja, Terri, Nancy, Jo, Bonnie, Melissa, Brenda, Dennis and Doc, the Tech Guru