* WELCOME * ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER * MAILING LISTS * RAOGK EXTRAS * PUT A FACE ON * KUDOS * IN APPRECIATION * CURRENT STATS ***************** *WELCOME* I'd like to welcome all the new and returning volunteers who have joined us since the last newsletter. Hope you have or will find it as rewarding as those who have been with us from the beginning. Thank you for volunteering. ***************** *ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER* This newsletter goes out once a month, between the 1st and the 5th. Its main purpose is to make sure the e-mail addresses for all the volunteers are in working order. Should a newsletter be returned with a tag of "unknown", the volunteer is removed from the site. If the reason for the return is "over quota," the address is put on a list and compared to last months list. Two consecutive months on "over quota" a volunteer is removed. Secondary purpose is to remind old (length of time on site, not age) volunteers and inform new volunteers of our mailing lists, photo gallery, to respond back to requests you receive (whether you can honor them or not, even if the query is something that you do not list as your act of kindness) and a bit of news and views. What else you will find about this newsletter is that it is not written by a professional writer. There will be run on sentences, hopefully no spelling errors (with the help of 2 spell checkers) along with a few dangling participles. Please accept my apologies for any grammatical errors found. I consider all volunteers part of an extended family and this newsletter as a note to my relatives, sometimes it gets a bit chatty. ***************** *MAILING LISTS* Would you like to chat with fellow RAOGK volunteers? We have two mailing lists for you to be able to do just that. RAOGK-L RAOGK-L is strictly a help list. This is where you can ask about methods of research, what would other volunteers do in a particular situation, sometimes ask for help with your own research. You need to use the address you have volunteered with to join this mailing list. All subscriptions to this list are approved. To subscribe to RAOGK-L, go to the list description page at: http://lists.raogk.org/mailman/listinfo/raogk-l RAOGK-Chat The name of this list says it all. Most, if not all, of the messages on this list is of general chat. We've discussed topics from what is the best fertilizer to use on flower beds to which city in Nevada is the best to go to, Reno or Las Vegas. As you can guess, the chat list is busier than the RAOGK-L list, and we do have fun. To subscribe to RAOGK-Chat, go to the list description page at: http://lists.raogk.org/mailman/listinfo/raogk-chat There are some minor rules and regulations for these lists. First of all be nice, treat everyone on the list as you would want to be treated. Both lists have a cap on the size of each message. RAOGK-L is 8kb and Chat is 10kb. No attachments are allowed. The messages are sent out in plain text, if you stylize your message, they may get caught in our filters. If you are on both lists, only send a message to one list not both. Come join us on either list, be glad to have you. ***************** *RAOGK EXTRAS* RAOGK Brochure: We have available a brochure regarding RAOGK available for you to use as handouts if you so choose. This brochure is in PDF format and can be seen/downloaded by going to http://www.raogk.org/raogk-flyer.pdf Photo Album: RAOGK Gallery (http://www.raogk.org/gallery2/). A 'getting to know you area' where volunteers can upload pictures of themselves, their kids, their pets, flowers, vacation pictures, etc. It also can be used if you like to upload those digital pictures you have taken of tombstones for others to download if they wish. To join in on the fun of getting to know one another, you will need to register. Registration is not automatic, but needs to be approved by admin. It may take a few hours to get approved, but you will receive a notice once approval has been made. Shops: RAOGK Logo Shop: http://www.cafepress.com/raogk has products with the RAOGK Logo on it and a few other designs regarding RAOGK. Genealogy For You: http://www.cafepress.com/genealogyforyou have products with humorous genealogy designs. From "Cemetery Junkie" to "My Ancestors Did What?!?" you'll find these sayings on tote bags, mugs, t-shirts and other fun items. We've got Holiday designs with a genealogy theme, check them out: http://www.cafepress.com/genealogyforyou/793923 ***************** *PUT A FACE ON* Facebook has been around several years, however, I just created an account for myself this past month. It is a very neat site, much nicer than MySpace (my opinion of course). I have also created a group on Facebook called (no quotes) "Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness (RAOGK)." If you have a Facebook account come join the group (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=33868082803&ref=mf or http://tinyurl.com/6x6vvp). If you do not have an account, when you click on the above link there will be a green 'sign up' button at the top of the page. ***************** *KUDOS* http://www.raogk.org/thankyou/ The month of October saw kudos written about: Sabrina Aldridge (Indiana), Rosie Couture (Michigan), Norm Davis (Ohio), Rhonda Dunn (Indiana), Jack Eaton (Indiana), Dave Gauvin (Michigan), Fran Grochowski (Texas), Jean Hale (Canada), Helen Hatfield (Oklahoma), Evelyn Huey (New Jersey), Evelyn Huey (New Jersey), Fern Langbein (Iowa), Beth Macdonald (Norway), Leslie Martin (Illinois), Nick Norton (Oregon), Charlie Peasha (Minnesota), Elizabeth Poe (Oklahoma), Jim Raoix (Oklahoma), JG Russell (New Jersey), Ann Schlemm (Tennessee), Nanc Scholl (Kansas), Sharon Skaalid (Canada), David Stuart (Kansas), Norma Vella (Australia), Danny Wilbur (Michigan), Annie (Maryland), Pete (Canada) ***************** *IN APPRECIATION* Every month we receive contributions from researchers and volunteers alike. We are most appreciative of these donations. Some contributions, however contain notes which will name a specific volunteer who has been such a great help. The month of October saw Vickie Clark (Ohio), Donna Hancock (California) and Shelli Steadman (Montana) mentioned on contributions. Our hats go off to all the unnamed wonders we have on our site. A great big THANK YOU goes out to one and all who have helped RAOGK to continue to be a presence online. Your purchases through one of our stores or by sending a contribution via PayPal or check are very much appreciated. http://www.raogk.org/support.html ***************** *CURRENT STATS* September: 3946 October: 3926 New: 57 Left: 47 Staff removals*: 33 October requests: 4,935 USA volunteers received: 4,355 NON-USA volunteers received: 580 2008 Total requests: 58,301 *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, Jo, Bonnie, Melissa, Dennis, Shannon and Doc, the Tech Guru *****************