Thanks for Your Support From Rob

African American Genealogical Group of the Miami Valley

Thanks for Your Support
From Robert Harris
31 October 1999

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I want to personally thank all of you who attended our most recent meeting of the African-American Genealogy Group of the Miami Valley in Springfield last Saturday; and especially those who gave contributions to help with the expenses of the group. A total of $80.10 was collected. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
We continue to gain new supporters with each meeting. Forty-five people attended our Springfield meeting of which fifteen were in attendance for the first time (33%). This demonstrates incredible growth by any measure. Our roster now has a total of ninety-six persons who are interested in African-American genealogy in the Miami Valley. We have added an average of ten to fifteen new persons at each meeting. Interestingly, our meetings have averaged forty-five people each time. I am in the process of reviewing the questionnaire that was distributed. Only seventeen were turned in at the end of the meeting. Most people seemed to prefer taking them with them and mailing them back.

PRELIMINARY results indicate:

Most people want to network with others in doing their genealogies
Most want "How to" activities
Everyone thinks we should form a formal organization
Most are not interested in holding an office
Most want to meet monthly
Most feel we should affiliate with the African American Genealogical Society
Most feel the Miami Valley is NOT too large an area for the group
Most felt $15.00 was the best yearly membership fee
Suggested fund-raisers were: Tee shirts; mugs; caps; nut & candy sales; prepare and sell an AA Genealogical Guide to western Ohio; raffle; sponsor seminars or workshops
No definite feelings emerged about a meeting place.
Several persons indicated they didn't want to drive more than 30 minutes to a meeting. We seemed to be split evenly about "moving around" vs "a single location." As I mentioned, this is all preliminary.

I will be away for a month beginning 11 Nov. and would like someone to volunteer to set up and run the meeting for the month of November.

Please contact me or Art Thomas.

Robert L. Harris
AAGGMV