MHSA Annual General Meeting

Yeah, I know.  Meetings aren't your "thing".

But, without attending the MHSA AGM (complete details) on May 4-5 in Edmonton, you won't have a chance to visit with your travelling Mennonite history friends, you won't have an opportunity to help set the direction of the organization, and won't have the ability to put your two bits' worth of opinion into the budget size and composition.

And of course, there are the associated workshop sessions. And the book (Bergthal Gemeinde Buch, Hard Passages, etc.) and CD (GRANDMA, Low German, etc.) buying opportunities.

Workshop Session 1 - DNA for Genealogy

This year, Glenn Penner, professor of chemistry at University of Guelph will be giving our keynote presentation on Friday night - about the Mennonite DNA Project that he helped to establish.  If you ever wanted to know what DNA analysis is all about for genealogy, this is your opportunity to ask questions.  It will also be an opportunity to participate since he'll be bringing swab test kits with him.

Workshop Session 2 - West Prussian Mennonite Genealogical Sources

On Saturday afternoon, Glenn Penner will be giving a talk about some of the earliest souces for Mennonite genealogical work - West Prussian sources

Workshop Session 3 - GRANDMA & Brothers' Keeper
I'll also be giving a talk on Saturday afternoon on the use of GRANDMA, specifically how you can get the most out of it when you use Brothers' Keeper software to examine the data.  Bring your confusion, your questions and your challenges.

MHSA Budget

For starters, here are pie charts of our revenue and expenses for 2006 (click on the thumbnail to see a larger/clearer version):

Our projected revenue for 2007 is $9,300 with the vast majority of it coming from donations.  Book sales will help, but we will have the book publishing costs in 2007, so the real rewards from that will be likely be found in 2008.

Our projected expenses for 2007 are for $18,515 with the largest expenditures for equipment (we need one or two new computers and additional shelving), and Rent/Insurance/Utilities.

Hope you can join us - location and times are found at (MHSA AGM).

In kinship,
Judii