October is National Family History Month

It was in 2003 that the United States Senate first recognized October as
National Family History Month. In doing so they were encouraging Americans to set aside time for family history research and education. When President George W. Bush signed the Proclamation in support of Family History Month, he said, "Lessons in family lineage are often lessons in courage, endurance, and love. While tracing our roots can be challenging, the rewards can be great - affirming our pride in our history and keeping us mindful of the sacrifices of our forbears."

What more appropriate time could you find to assess your own activities in the area of family history and re-dedicate yourself to honoring your family and its ancestors? Think of ways to promote your own research, such as attending a class that you have been putting off, visiting a new website, reading a "how-to" book on sourcing or dating old photographs. You know, the type of thing that we all seem to have in the backs of our minds to do but never get around to making the time.

This is also a good time to take a measure of activities you can engage in to assist others in their research...help others celebrate their families. Introduce a friend to the hobby of genealogy; bring them to a PGS meeting to introduce them to the society. Commit some time each week or even each month to volunteer at the genealogy desk at the library (send an email to pgsfla@yahoo.com to start the ball rolling). Participate in one of our many projects to make Pinellas County genealogy data available to researchers across the country. And the list goes on and on.

There are ample opportunities to celebrate Family History Month. Use this special month of October to celebrate your family's history, and also motivate yourself to celebrate and promote our hobby.