Kenneth George Aitken passed away April 21, 2007 at the age of 59 in Penticton, British Columbia. He was born and grew up in Penticton, but spent most of his working years in Saskatchewan as the librarian supervisor of the Prairie History Room at the Regina Public Library. Ken was a well-known genealogist and a popular genealogy speaker and educator in western Canada and the United States. Active in genealogical organizations for many years, Ken was the charter president of the Hambrook Family History Society and served for 15 years as editor of the journal of that society. With the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society he served as a branch chairman, a director and as second vice-president of the Society. He also served briefly as the Director of Student Recruitment for Canada for the National Institute for Genealogical Studies.

He was predeceased by his mother Winifred Margaret Hambrook and father George Neil Aitken. He will be greatly missed by his loving wife Christine Mei-Chiang; his son Neil Aitken; his daughter Emele (Adam) Dykes; his grandson Thomas Dykes; and his siblings: Janet Taggart; M. Neil Aitken (Ruth); Peigi Sakota (Jay); and numerous nephews and nieces.

About Ken’s Life:

Ken held a BA in Linguistics, and a Master of Library Science degree from the University of British Columbia. He had also undertaken course work in local and family history with Brigham Young University and with the University of British Columbia.

Ken was a member of the Genealogical Speakers Guild and the Association of Professional Genealogists. Ken had been a professional genealogist for over 25 years, a genealogy librarian for over 20 years and an adult educator for more than 40 years. He was currently focusing on genealogical education and was working on a book on evidence analysis.

Active in genealogical organizations for many years Ken was charter president of the Hambrook Family History Society and served for 15 years as editor of the journal of that society. With the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society he served as a branch chairman, a director and as second vice-president of the Society.

Articles by Kenneth Aitken have appeared in genealogical and family history journals and other scholarly journals in Canada, Australia, the U.S. and England.

As a lecturer, Ken spoke at conferences, seminars and workshops of the National Genealogical Society, BrighamYoung University, Saskatchewan History and Folklore Society, Saskatchewan Genealogical Society, Alberta Family Histories Society, Alberta Genealogical Society, Manitoba Genealogical Society, Ontario Genealogical Society, British Columbia Genealogical society, Kamloops Family History Society, and the Kelowna & District Genealogical Society as well as to local genealogical groups in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, British Columbia, Washington State and England.

Over the past two decades he had been involved in family and local history. Ken had taught classes for libraries, community colleges, church and community groups. For many years he regularly taught local and family history classes at the Regina Public Library.

A memorial service and celebration of his life will be held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2946 South Main St., Penticton, B.C., Saturday, April 28th, 2007 at 2:00 pm. To send condolences email us at: kgaitken@gmail.com or visit his blog at www.genealogy-education.com

“If you hire a video company to tape your presentation and create a demo tape, who owns the copyright and has the rights for the tapes and final product? It’s not an easy question to answer. Read this article in Digital Juice magazine to find the answer and what steps you as the speaker need to take.”

So, take a look and tell me what you think?

I recently was given a “pass-along” card by a friend as an invitation to participate in an upcoming event. I studied it carefully noting it was printed in color, was very attractive and promoted a special opportunity in a dignified manner– quite different from a flyer from the supermarket!

I was looking at it and wondering how I could use the idea. This is still in the thinking stages but the concept would be like this. If I came to your community and spoke to a group of 36 genealogists for an afternoon, I could collect their names, addresses and email addresses from the registrations. There are several opportunities to use this for follow up. But here is one using a pass-along card. I could for example send along a brief note, thanking them for their participation in the event and include 5 pass-along cards to share with friends. Each card contains an attractive offer for a discount for new research clients. If you can send 5 cards, you can send ten, but I like the idea of including between 5 and 9 cards — and I expect you could mail them for the cost of a regular postage stamp. Your note encourages them to pass the cards to their friends. THe message on the card instructs the receiver to include certain information from the card with their communication to you when they approach you to do research.
Lets restate this in another way.Write a personal note to the person you wish to reach with your message. Place the note in a 3-5/8″ x 6-1/2″ envelope.In addition to your note, include 5 to 9 pass-along cards –and mail it for all the regular letter rate.
I believe it’s important to realize that a pass-along card is not a business card. It is one or two attractive offers and a single means of contact. Whereas a business card is designed to be kept, a pass-along card is designed to be shared — given
away.

The card has an interesting appeal — and that is what it does not tell you. A good pass along card follows the “less is more” philosophy. It should be designed to create interest via curiosity. It is this curiosity that creates the need for a follow-up response.
That response is limited to a single means of contact –preferably an email address. A pass-along card lends itself to permission marketing, ie it asks permission to directly contact the receiver to share your knowledge and skills.

I think I am going to give it a try.

What do you think.

Every morning as we reviewed plans for the next few days, Dave would look at our route, and recall someone he’d invested time in before, who lived along the route: business men, shop keepers, families at home. He’d get on the phone and after confirming our morning appointments, he’d call one of these friends, people who he had met, shown an interest in, and left a thank you note with before. He’d ask how they were doing, chat a bit, then mention we’d be passing their office about 11:45 am, or their home about 6:30, and ask if he could drop in for a minute. Almost always, there would be the invitation to join them for lunch or dinner. Once we dropped by a home for lunch with a mother with four kids and dined on soup and sandwiches. Another time we stopped to visit a client who was a butcher, and came away with package of steaks. Dave never asked, but he was profuse in his thanks, and charming with everyone. And before we got home that day, he’d mail out the thank you notes. No one forgot Dave Ellett.
I was reminded of my friend Dave when I heard about Marsha Petrie Sue, a motivational speaker who gathers the email addresses of everyone who attends her workshops and seminars, and contacts them every 6 weeks with an postcard. Sometimes with information to follow up on the workshop, sometimes to mention a new seminar,or event. The messages are personal. The results are interesting. She claims this effort leads to new bookings for her as a speaker. Marsha suggested using the e-postcards from www.amazingmail.com
Would that really work for genealogy speakers? Would regular notes from a speaker you heard encourage you to invite her back? I’d love to hear your comments.

Back in my university days at University of British Columbia and Brigham Young University Hawaii, professors would often hand out lists of books under the title of Suggested Reading. The lists would include chapters in scholarly articles, chapters in books, whole books and theses and dissertations. Most of us recycled the papers by doodling on the back and front during the lecture. But the smart ones actually went to the library to read the books and articles! Sometimes I include a list of suggested readings at the end of a handout under the title of suggested readings. I am sure they are never consulted.

Are genealogists like those university students?

Do any actually check out the “suggested reading” and read up on the subjects? By the sounds of things on the APG-List and others I have watched, apparently only a few. Issues covered 6 years ago resurface frequently. Books suggested several years ago are repeatedly suggested again. And concepts professional genealogists including the lecturers and teachers should have learned from the books, are poorly understood. Are they all newbies? It seems to me there is a desperate need for some serious intermediate and advanced comprehensive training for genealogists.

Am I crazy? You tell me!

Should program planners have a pre-registration for free genealogy events?

Its a good question that deserves some thought. Personally it is my experience as a genealogy librarian and program planner that even in situations where genealogy programs are offered free to the public, that having participants sign up for the event in advance is a real advantage. Here’s why:

1. Free genealogy programs are popular, and usually seating is limited in meeting rooms. Count the places available, and cut off registration when the places are filled. I usually keep a waiting list.
2. My registration form gathers name, address, phone number and email address so I can create targeted mailing lists, notify people of venue changes, cancellations etc, and send reminders before the event
3. I phone the participants two days before the event to remind them of the program. If there is a cancellation , I call the first person on the call in list!
4. Using that e-mail address we can send along a questionaire to help speakers learn audience expectancies, or send along a copy of an article to read in preparation for the event.
5. Pre-registration helps participants commit to attendance, and it helps them feel a part of the event.
6. Pre-registration brings some sort of re-assurance of the success of the promotion early in the advertising if it is successful, and raises a flag if its not working.

This came up recently in discussions with two different Family History Center Directors. I’ll be doing a free lecture for each of these centers this spring. They are making the choice about registration and I do not know what the decision is. So I have been marshalling my thoughts.

What is your experience?

Recently I was negotiating with a wet coast genealogical society to provide a day long workshop package for them. The deal fell through because the society was uncomfortable with the risk package of fixed fees for transportation, accomodation, meals and speaker’s fee. It was too much for them.Years ago, in my rock and roll years I was an entertainment promoter bringing rock groups to resort towns in western Canada. The name of the game was risk and hope. The challenge was to find ways to reduce risk, and increase hope.Rock bands were in some ways like wandering minstrals, always looking for another gig. In those days I frequently made deals that involved sharing the risks. For example, one deal I made was to bring in “Jason Hoover and the Epics” an R&B group. We worked out a deal like this: the rent of the very large venue came off the top. I took care of promotion and staffing and got 40% of the gate plus all the profits from the concession booth, while Jason and the boys took care of transportation, accomodation and the performance for 60%. They controlled the play list. We agreed on a ticket price. Each of us put a great deal of effort and prepration into the event, and we shared the risks. It was an amazing success!Could this be a model for local genealogical societies to use? Are speakers as hungry as Jason Hoover and the Epics to come in and do their genealogy roadshow for a percentage of the gate?

From the speaker’s perspective, I think I’d like to have more control than normal over the program offered like Jason had over his playlist. I’d like to have a promotion plan and media package ready to offer the host society. And I’d like the enroute objectives to be met on an agreed on a real time schedule with the defaults defined. I would like a mechanism to monitor ticket sales and advanced sales of tickets. And I’d like to have some say in back-of-the-room sales.

What would the local programmer want to nail down?

Your comments would be most welcome.

His courses were well designed, enabling us to develop knowledge and skills in the following:

• awareness of genealogical sources in the university library
• respect for these resources and the librarians and archivists who were custodians of them.
• an ability to do credible genealogical research
• practice in citing accuratelky the resources we used

Tom’s lessons had practical assignments to assess our learning. His instructional materials were current and accurate. His bibliographies were vey useful and in a standard style.

I liked his ability to do make effective classroom presentations . He team taught with his wife Grethe Warren and her style was different than his. They complemented each other. And they definitely encouraged student participation.

When you check in the BCG Genealogical Standards Manual (Orem UT: Ancestry, 2000) page 22 you will see just how important these standards for instructors are. Your comments are welcome.

Your Society’s event is listed on the host site, perhaps with its own page. The website is linked up in such a way that you can enroll and pay on-line. Built into the registration fee is an enrollment fee. Every month the total registration to date is sent along with a check. At the cut-off date, usually two weeks before the event, the Society gets a printout showing all registered with addresses and emails. The Society also gets a a list ready to print for name tags. And a check in list for the pre-registered participants picking up the syllabus. This reduces volunteer needs and symplifies the the work of the registrar immensely. Locally on the day of the event late registration can be collected.

One of the benefits is that list of those who sign up. It includes address and email. THat list, as it appears can be used to gather pre-conference feedback on attendees expectations. Supposing 15 percent of those who attend are not members of the Society, these people can be easily identified and after the conference the Membership Committee can followup with a personal invitation to join. And the 85% who are members and on the list? You can use those email addresses to do a followup questionaire of some kind.

What do you think?

Here’s a common problem for genealogical societies. They want a popular speaker for an event, but cannot afford the expensive fee. What can you offer the speaker to reduce the fee?

I had to chuckle when I heard about the speaker who accepted helf her fee in dollars and half in cosmetic products. But her hosts got the products at the wholesale price and traded it at the retail price. Can you imagine the fun bringing that home?

But what would a speaker accept in trade? I might accept a year’s membership, or a desired local publication. Some might accept an extra night in the hotel. Perhaps a speaker would be trade a vendor’s table with 2 volunteers for a reduced fee. I heard of a speaker who accepted 75% of his normal fee, plus one-time use of the membership mailing list instead of the full fee.

A genealogy lecturer long retired told me she would accept in trade patchwork quilts, and stamps. The quilts were a passion of her daughters and several grandchildren collected postage stamps.

Frankly, you could bribe me with a railroad trip on a steam engine.

There may just be room to negotiate! Ask.

Comments are welcome as usual.