Newsletter, September 2009, Vol VIII, Issue 9 * WELCOME * VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS * MAILING LISTS * RAOGK EXTRAS * KUDOS * 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. ***************** *VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS* Now that you have cringed a bit, there aren't too many absolute requirements we have in place, after all you are a volunteer. One of them happens to be that you can accept or reject any request you receive. We only ask that you honor one request a month if possible, and that you respond back to the requester whether you will honor it or not. For example: You receive a request after 6 months of having none. However, you are not obliged to honor that request if it has nothing to do with your Act of Kindness (AOK) or asks to locate the living. You do not have to accept that request just because you haven't done any in 6 months. As a volunteer you need: to respond back to the requester between 48 hours and 2 weeks if you will honor their request or not you need to keep staff apprised of any changes of your status, email changes and time away from computer. You do this by going to the changes page http://www.raogk.org/change.html ***************** *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 messages, 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 Shops: RAOGK Logo Shop: http://www.cafepress.com/raogk has products with the RAOGK Logo on it and a few other designs regarding RAOGK. Products available include mugs, tote bags, t-shirts (many styles, many colors), kids and infant items, magnets and buttons(various size and shapes), greeting cards, camcorders, teddy bears and more. Genealogy For You: http://www.cafepress.com/genealogyforyou have products with humorous genealogy designs. From "I only work on Genealogy on days that end in 'Y'" to "Genealogy: Where you confuse the dead and irritate the living." to a design that says "My roots run deep in [state]." You'll find these sayings on tote bags, mugs, t-shirts and many items mentioned for the RAOGK Logo Shop. Check out our Halloween designs: http://www.cafepress.com/genealogyforyou/849580 One is "Genealogy ... a great spell to be under" ***************** *KUDOS* http://www.raogk.org/thankyou/ The month of August saw kudos written about: Stacey Adger (Ohio), Lynn Stetler Allison (Pennsylvania), Donna Baumann Scotland), Hubert Bender (Arkansas), Marlys A. Bias (Wyoming), Richard Boyer (Pennsylvania), Lynda Davis Brown (Alabama), Karen Call (Texas), Electa Willey Cook (Missouri), Estella Cox (Indiana), Terri Doyle (New Zealand), Meridee Dunn [2] (Idaho), Paul Frazer (Maryland), Kristeen Galloway (Oregon), Audrey Garbe (Illinois), Betty Garrett (California), Bonnie Graham (Pennsylvania), Holly Hogan (Kansas), Dot Hosking Huntley (Oregon), Richard Johnson [2] (Illinois), Ron Jones (Illinois), Cara Kantz (New York), Joy Light (Australia), Virginia Markham (Washington), Teresa McVeigh (Georgia), Scott Musil (Nebraska), Nick Norton (Oregon), Diane Patton (Ohio), Joe Pearce (California), Julie Pickett (Colorado), Maura Pleva (Massachusetts), Albert Scarborough (Colorado), Catherine Shaw (Australia), Joleen Streit (New Mexico), Joyce Strong (Pennsylvania), Gary Welch (Illinois), Pat Windschitl (Virginia), Rich Wood (Washington), Becky M. (Washington), Marilyn (Canada), Mona (Washington), Shirley (New York) ***************** *CURRENT STATS* Volunteers: July: 3,969 August: 3,966 New: 63 Left: 44 Staff removals*: 16 *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. August requests: 5,685 USA volunteers received: 5,108 NON-USA volunteers received: 577 2009 Total requests: 40,342 ***************** The STAFF would like to thank you for volunteering and until next month. . . . . . . THE STAFF Bridgett, Michele, Bill, Anja, Jo, Bonnie, Melissa, Dennis, Shannon and Doc, the Tech Guru *****************