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Who, What and Why is FEEFHS?

Latest Update: 29 February 2000 (Major Update)

Who, What and Why is FEEFHS?

WHO?: The Federation of East European Family History Societies (FEEFHS) was founded in June 1992 by a small dedicated group of American and Canadian genealogists with diverse ethnic, religious and national backgrounds. By the end of that year eleven societies had accepted its concept as founding members. Each year since then FEEFHS has doubled in size.

FEEFHS now represents over one hundred seventy organizations as members from twenty seven U.S. states, the five western Canadian provinces and fourteen countries. FEEFHS continues to grow.

WHAT? Composition: About half of these members are genealogy societies. Others are multi-pupose societies, surname associations, book or periodical publishers or resellers, archives, libraries, family history centers, online services, institutions, eMail genealogy mailing lists, listservers or discussion gtoups, heraldry societies and other ethnic, religious and national groups.

FEEFHS includes societies organizations representing virtually every East or Central European group that has an existing genealogy society in North America, a growing number of Central and East European Societies and a growing group of world-wide organizations. Many are joining to take advantage of the free HomePage on the FEEFHS website available to organizations and professionals.

FEEFHS also attracts individual members, from novices to expert, and individuals who are Accredited Genealogists, Certified Genealogists, Certified Genealogical Record Searchers and other professionals seeking their own "Home Page" or Resource Guide Listing on the FEEFHS Website.

WHY?: Goals and Purposes: The fall of the "Iron Curtain" opened exciting new possibilities for genealogical research. But it created significant new problems in knowing where to find the needed records. One goal of FEEFHS is to dissemenate information about new developments and research opportunities in Eastern and Central Europe as soon as possible. This multi-ethnic federation is very effective in helping family historians with various ethnic and religious backgrounds who often seek simular types of information from the same hard to find locations.

In the process, members of FEEFHS have learned much more about available resources in North America and Europe. FEEFHS publicizes the publications, services and activities of its member societies. FEEFHS develops online and printed databases of pertinent resources, maintains liasion with other organizations world-wide that share our interests, serves as a clearinghouse for information on the existence and services of member societies, and promotes public awareness of our member societies through our online WebSite, our printed Journal and other activities.

New Societies: Creation and Growth:FEEFHS also helps to create and nurture the growth of new ethnic or national genealogy societies where none exist but are needed.

Research Lists: As a stepping stone toward a new Society, FEEFHS has posted over 60 query-based Research Lists. These will essentially cover the entire geographic area of Central Europe (Germany and Switzerland) and Eastern Europe and Russian Asia that is the focus of FEEFHS interests.

UNITY-HARMONY-DIVERSITY is our motto. We welcome all societies and individuals, regardless of present or past strife in the homelands of Eastern Europe.

Member Services: FEEFHS communicates with and serves its individual and organizational members in many ways:
  1. FEEFHS Newsletter with cutting edge articles. It was first published on a quarterly basis in 1992.
  2. FEEFHS sponsors tables at national, state/provincial and regional conferences. This was first started in the spring of 1993.
  3. Annual FEEFHS International convention in North America, held each spring, summer or fall since May 1994 (except for 1998).
  4. FEEFHS Resource Guide to East European Genealogy was first published in the summer of 1994 - it was replaced by the FEEFHS WEbsite in 1995.
  5. FEEFHS "HomePage" on the Internet's WWW (World Wide Web) since May 1995 - a 280+Meg destination web site includes:
How is FEEFHS governed? Each organization that joins FEEFHS with apayment of dues recieves a seat for its Representative on the Board of Directors. The FEEFHS Board approves constitution or by-law amendments, headquarters location change and auditor selection. Otherwise it functions as an advisory body. The business admininistration of FEEFHS is governed by an executive council of the elected officers (president, three vice-presidents, secretary and treasurer) the past-president and the appointed newsletter editor.

As a hybrid federation, all members (organizations and individual persons) can vote for officers and individual members can run for office. Voting is weighted so organizations cast multiple votes as compared to individual members. As a bi-national Federation, both Canada and the U.S. must be represented on the executive council of this non-profit Utah corporation. FEEFHS is also committed to seeking consensus decisions whenever possible.

FEEFHS Headquarters: FEEFHS headquarters is Salt Lake City, a natural place for a genealogy Federation. Access to the world's largest genealogical repository and the associated genealogy infrastructure is only part of the reason for this location.

However FEEFHS is nonsectarian. It has no connection with the Family History Library nor the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). FEEFHS greatly appreciates the LDS contribution to family history in collecting, filming and sharing genealogy records. We seek to cooperate with them in genealogy, as well as with all other religious genealogy groups such as Catholic, Jewish, Mennonite and Lutheran organizations.

FEEFHS Headquarters Address: The permanent address of FEEFHS is P.O. Box 510898, Salt Lake City, Utah 84151-0898. Please send dues, address changes, membership questions, publication requests, back issue orders, etc. to this address. The FEEFHS Treasurer and Secretary receive this mail.

FEEFHS Officers addresses: It is faster to send other correspondence directly to our officers at other locations or to member societies: at their postal address.

FEEFHS WebSite and New Society correspondence - Please direct to the FEEFHS Webmaster John Movius, P. O. Box 510898, Salt lake City, Utah 84151-0898. feefhs@feefhs.org, webmaster@feefhs.org.

FEEFHS Newsletter articles Please send to editor Thomas K. Edlund, P. O. Box 510898, Salt lak City, Utah 84151-0898 or send him eMail: editor2@feefhs.org

Future FEEFHS Conventions: Please send correspondence to P. O. Box 510898, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84151-0898: Membership and Dues: The minimum membership fee is US$25.00 for all membership applications and renewals. Large societies and established commerical corporations fee is $50 per year. Special provisions exist for societies and non-commercial organizations in Eastern Europe which cannot afford to join.

FEEFHS greatly appreciates sponsors and patrons who contribute more than the minimum amount to help offset the expenses of its many services, including the expansion of our FEEFHS WebSite operation. The founders, officers, appointed members and convention speakers all serve without compensation, and thus contribute significantly toward FEEFHS goals.

Please send your dues to our Salt Lake City address:
P.O. Box 510898
Salt Lake City, Utah 851511-0898.


Enclosed is my check for US$_______ Please accept this (personal) or (organization) membership in FEEFHS for the calandar year 199__ In return I will receive four quarterly issues of the Newsletter (If this is for a genealogy organization, my organization will also receive a "HomePage [or Resource Guide] listing" on the FEEFHS Internet Web Site and a listing in the printed FEEFHS Resource Guide). Professional genealogists/translators will be listed in the FEEFHS Web Site and the FEEFHS Resource Guide. Send me the full FEEFHS application and questionaire so I can complete my membership registration. I understand that if my membership application id posted after 30 September, it will be assumed to be for the next calandar year unless I have otherwiuse specified.

Name and Address _____________________________________________________

Tel: Days: (..........) ____________________ Eves (..........) ____________________

eMail address ________________________ FAX (..........) _____________________

Please Circle One:.......(Society/Organization).......(Professional Genealogist)
.......(Professional Translator).......(Personal)


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