New Year: Indexing Report for 2012

Happy New Year from 

Family Search

Oklahoma City Oklahoma Stake Total for 2012

1,362,326

Names 

A big "Thank you" to all of the Stake Indexers and Arbitrators that helped to make 2012 our best year ! 

December 2012 Statistics
74,107 names total

Ward                                  total names

Clinton                                                 3177

Edmond First                                  12,381

Edmond Second                                5959

Okc Fifth                                            1985

Okc First                                          11,921

Okc Third                                        10,984 

University                                                20

Quail Creek                                         7457

Village                                                  4298

Woodward                                        11,814

Youth - Ward                                   total names 

Clinton                                                  16

Edmond First                                     767

Edmond Second                                   73

Okc Fifth                                                75

Okc First                                              878

Quail Creek                                            20

Village                                                 1819

We had a high number, 125, of batches returned in the month of December. I suggest that everyone open their " My Artibration" tab and try to figure out why you may have had a batch returned. It is important to discover our mistakes and ask for help from your Ward Group Administrator or from the Salt Lake City Help Desk. You can contact the help desk by calling this toll free number: 1-866-406-1830.

 If you would like to call me I am more than happy to help. My number is 405-367-7159. Please do not try to start a new project without reading the "Project Information" directions or the "Field Help" guidelines on each data item first. Each project has new and different directions.

2012 Top 5 Indexers and Arbitrators

Indexers:

1. Woodward - Curtis Ray Williams - 29,304
2. Quail Creek - Nora Muzingo - 27,292
3. Edmond First - Jessie Crawford - 21,082
4. Woodward - Melissa Hart - 17,339
5. Clinton - Coreena Gilliland - 15,193

Arbitrators:

1. Okc Fifth - Mary Butts - 154,046
2. Okc Third - Gene Bushman - 132,703
3. Woodward - Tamara Windholz - 92,348
4. Edmond Second - Gary Howell - 71,374
5. Okc First - Evelyn K Aquino - 70,093

2012 Top 5 Youth Indexers

1. Edmond First - Megan Green - 2971
2. Village - Courtney Wilkinson - 2463
3. Okc First - Emma Aquino - 2270
4. Edmond First - Chandler Haymore - 2238
5. Okc First - Nate Connelly - 2128

Invitations will be mailed to all of the top 5 individuals announcing the Stake Indexing Awards Social on February 23rd. The top 5 are welcome to bring their spouse or another person, and the Youth are encouraged to bring their family with them. Details will be in the invitation.

2013 Stake Goal

2 Million Names

Each Unit in the Stake will need to do

15,152 names a month for a total of 181,824 names in the year.

We need everyone's help to reach that new goal. Only three Wards in the Stake were able to achieve that in 2012.

If you know of anyone who might like to try indexing please introduce them to it and encourage them to participate in a Temple Experience in their own home. This is an ideal thing for New Converts, homebound, people preparing to attend the the Temple, or folks who are unemployed. Many blessings can come from participation in Indexing.

Check out the Blog for Familysearch by clicking on this link:

https://familysearch.org/blog/en/

Stake Youth Challenge

Christmas lights at Temple Square taken by K Miller

STAKE TOP 5 YOUTH

INDEXERS 

1. Megan Green - Edmond First Ward - 2971
2. Emma Aquino - Okc First Ward - 2270
3. Nate Connelly - Okc First Ward - 2100
4. Daniel Aquino - Okc 4th Branch - 1646
5. Chandler Haymore - Edmond First Ward - 1521

This list is subject to change before the end of the year. You have until Dec 31, 2012 to make this list. The top five youth will be invited to the Stake Indexing Awards Social in February. 

Stake Seminary Challenge

The Stake Presidency is calling all Seminary Students to an indexing challenge. Beginning on Dec 5th each seminary group is challenged to index 25,000 names. When your group reaches that goal President Baclawski will come and fix breakfast for your group. This includes Home Study Seminary students as well.

President B will fix breakfast each time your Seminary group does 25,000 names. If your group reaches 100,000 names he will think of a really good reward!

Training will be available in Seminary and we hope you will get a good start over the holiday break from school. Each Seminary teacher and the Stake President will receive monthly reports of your progress. 

 Stake Goal for February

1,000 Stake Indexers !!

Currently at 627

Fourth Week - November Challenge

Poster in Stake Center made by Village Ward

Fourth Week - Stake Challenge Report

(from 11/22 to 11/30)

• Clinton               -     18290
• Edmond First     -     11240
• Edmond Second -      4752
• Okc Fifth            -      3417
• Okc First            -     11240
• Okc 4th Branch  -         141
• Okc Third           -     11848
• Quail Creek        -     10440
• University           -           25
• Village                -       5529
• Woodward Br.    -       6856

Youth Indexing by Ward 

• Edmond First            -  150
• Edmond                     - 118
• Okc Fifth                   - 166
• Okc First                   -    85
• Okc Fourth Br.          - 100
• Quail Creek               - 155
• Village                       -   55 

Congratulations to every one for making and exceeding your goal for the November Stake Challenge. The Spirit of Elijah has been very strong and the Unity between the Units in our Stake has been great.

Good Job Everyone ! Let's keep the momentum going in December. Check out the FamilySearch blog at the address below.
Indexers and Arbitrators—Give the Gift of Being Remembered
https://familysearch.org/blog/en/

Monthly totals and dates of accomplishment of goal
includes the youth

• Clinton                     total = 26216  on 11/28
• Edmond First                    = 26224 on 11/29
• Edmond Second               = 30269  on 11/20
• Okc Fifth                          = 33385  on 11/17
• Okc First                          = 34564   on 11/25
• Okc Fourth Br.                 =    560
• Okc Third                         =  25471  on 11/30
• Quail Creek                      =  27063  on 11/28
•  Village                             =  29910   on 11/22
• Woodward Br.                 =  43604    on 11/15

Total for the Month - 273,441 names 
Total for the Stake YTD 1,289,752 names

We have another month!

Stake November Indexing Challenge

The Oklahoma City Stake Indexers and Arbitrators

Have been part of a Miracle !

Thanks to all of you, and your hard work,

this month we have just passed our

Stake November Indexing Challenge.

229,605 

on November 26,2012 @ 8:45 am

and still going strong!!



 Enjoy a video by Elder Bednar
Entitled " The Time is Now".

THIRD WEEK - NOVEMBER CHALLENGE

Washington D C Temple taken by Bob Wooley

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I am very thankful for the Priesthood support and for everyone who is doing the Lord's work by indexing. It truly is "A temple experience you can have in your own home"!

 Third Week Results

of the Stake Indexing 

Challenge.
225,000 names in November
(Nov 21,2012 cum for November)

WARD                                 NAMES INDEXED & ARBITRATED

Clinton                                                           7924

Edmond First                                              14,984

Edmond Second                                         25,333

Okc Fifth                                                    29,333

Okc First                                                    19,234

Okc Fourth Branch                                          107

Okc Third                                                   13,623

Quail Creek                                                16,292

Village                                                        23,266

Woodward Branch                                     33,806

YOUTH WARD                                        NAMES INDEXED

Okc Fifth                                                     806

Okc First                                                         5

Okc Fourth Branch                                      215

Quail Creek                                                  176

Village                                                        1060

Three Units Reached Goal of 
25,000 names before Thanksgiving day
Woodward on Nov 15
Okc Fifth on Nov 17
Edmond 2nd  on Nov 20
Congratulations to all of you for your hard work and efforts to make your goal. May you continue on to help the Stake reach the Monthly goal.

STAKE NOVEMBER TOTAL
186,164  (38,836 to go!)

STAKE YEAR TO DATE TOTAL
1,204,974
That's awesome Work. Thank You.

Top Youth Indexers Report

A Report on the top 5 Youth

Indexers in the Stake

As of today, November 19th 2012, these are the  five outstanding Youth Indexers in the Oklahoma City Oklahoma Stake:

1. Megan Green          2971 names  - Edmond First
2. Nathan Connelly     2015 names - Oklahoma First
3. Emma Aquino         1420 names - Oklahoma First
4. Chandler Haymore  1321 names - Edmond First
5. Elizabeth Mendus    1241 names - Oklahoma First

(cumulative for the year to date) 

But Beware, Village Ward and Oklahoma City Fifth Ward have youth who are really working hard for our November Challenge. If the top five would like to maintain their status they might want to add a few more names to their credit. Otherwise this list will be changing.

You have till the end of the year(December 31st)  to become one of the top 5 Youth Indexers. These top 5 and their families will be invited to our Annual Stake Indexing Awards Social in February.  Parents please encourage your youth to engage in this work.

 I am really proud of our Youth who have worked hard at Indexing, You are all doing a good job, but don't give up. You will be surprised how a little work done regularly, adds up.

The Third Week of the November Stake Challenge report will be posted on Wednesday night (Nov. 21).

Second Week November Challenge

Sacramento Temple

Second Week of Nov. Stake Challenge

225,00 names

Nov 14, 2012

Ward or Branch            total names 

Clinton                             2331

Edmond First                   4841

Edmond Second              8904

Okc Fifth                         9513

Okc First                         5359

Okc Fourth Branch             35

Okc Third                       6163

Quail Creek                    3359

University

Village                            8012

Woodward Branch          9388

Youth by Ward or Branch-total names 

Clinton                                        

Edmond Second                                   10

Edmond First

Okc Fifth                                             240

Okc First

Okc Fourth Branch                              147

Quail Creek                                         114

Village                                                   47

Woodward Branch 

Stake Total for First Two Weeks- Fantastic!

120,061

A BIG thank you to everyone  helping

the Stake to reach the November Stake Challenge of 225,000 names. 

I hope that you have the opportunity to attend the Temple as often as possible this month.

Catch the Vision of the Abrahamic Covenants; which include the Priesthood Power to Seal, and the promise of Eternal Life.

First Week November Results

Hip! Hip! Hooray!

 The first week in November and our big Stake Indexing challenge has started.  We have added 59 new Indexers since the end of October. 
The Woodward Branch, with just 9 indexers/arbitrators, is in the lead this week with 14,296 names. Way to go Woodward!

I am looking forward to going out to Woodward this coming Sunday to speak, along with High Councilmen Dale Brannon. You inspire us all to work harder.

My three great aunts from Philadelpia, PA.

Just a Note

So far, after one full week of indexing, our Stake has completed 60,261 names. Great Job everyone!

Let's keep the momentum going. 

Stake Indexing Million Month

WE DID IT!!!  CONGRATULATIONS

AND THANK YOU TO ALL 

1,000,070 NAMES

On October 22 @ 3:27 pm

WHAT A FANTASTIC JOB

I am so proud to be part of this Stake

and to work with all of you in enabling 

the salvation for our ancestors !!!

OCTOBER STATS BY WARD/BRANCH

indexed and arbitrated together

• Clinton                             427
• Edmond First                  9311
• Edmond Second           12124
• no location assign             306
• OKC Fifth                        7895
• OKC First                        3588
• OKC Third                       8503
• University                            25
• Quail Creek                     9470
• Village                             3337
• Woodward                     15704  

Youth by Ward

Edmond First                            55

Edmond Second                      200

OKC Fifth                                  50

OKC First                                    9

Quail Creek                               23

Total for the Month of October 71,027 names, Good Work!

NOVEMBER STAKE TEMPLE MONTH

The Stake Presidency has asked each of us to attend the Temple though-out the month of November as much as we can. There are two days assigned for each Ward in which we are asked to fill the Temple the whole day. Then we are asked to choose one more day, for a total of three days, that we can go to the Temple.To attend as many endowment sessions, Initiatory Sessions  or Sealing sessions as possible each day.Please check with your High Priest Group Leader for your Ward Temple assignment days.

 We should also be preparing our own family file cards to take with us. Did you know that only 2.4% of the  world-wide Church membership is taking their family names to the Temple to do the work? In checking with the Oklahoma City Temple Recorder about our percentage of Family file cards verses the Temple name cards, he told me that at least 50% of the work done in the OKC Temple is for Family File names.  That made me feel very happy, and that is for the whole Temple District, not just our Stake.

Indexing tib bits

Manti, Utah Temple Aug 2, 2012

What a beautiful Temple sitting up on a hill over looking the town  of Manti, Utah, just across the road from the community cemetery. We visited there this summer. 

Regional Stake Single Adult Conference, Oct 20 2012

Joyce Hughes, Martin Dobson, Stacy May, Shara Preston

Today at the Surrey Hills Ward building, next to the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Stake Temple an all day regional Conference took place for the singles over 30. It was a great pleasure  to go and help them with Indexing, one of their service projects.  Evelyn Kelley Aquino helped for two hours in the morning and I was able to be there most of the afternoon. There was a great deal of interest in the Indexing project with at least three indexers working at all times. A great deal of hard work went into planning this event and everyone had a spiritual uplifting experience. Thank you for including Indexing as one of your projects!

NOVEMBER CHALLENGE

225,000 NAMES

IN ONE MONTH!!!!!!

We can do it, but we need all 493 members who have signed up to index to do their part. If everyone helped each person would only have to do 457 names in order to reach our goal.

At the current rate of 99 indexers working in October, they would have to index or arbitrate 2273 names each. Just shows what happens if all work together.

October Indexing Open House

Catch the Vision

Indexing and Family History work lead to the TEMPLE

The Stake Indexing Directors and Stake Family History Center Directors were invited to an Open house in Salt Lake City on October 5th, 2012.The Keynote speaker was Elder Dennis Brimhall, Managing Director of the Family History Department.I was very privileged to be able to attend this all day event and I learned many things.  Some of which I would like to share with all of the Indexers and Arbitrators in Oklahoma City Stake.  This event gave me a whole new perspective on the role of Indexing. It also gave me another chance to visit my children , grandchildren and great grandchildren who live in Utah. :)

• We need to make the connection between Indexing and Family History work and the Temple. 

I was shocked to learn that on a Church-wide basis, only 2.4% of the members are preparing their family names to take to the Temple. That means that over 97% of us are not doing the work for our ancestors.  Why is that? Elder Brimhall said it was because many have dis-connected the "turning of their hearts" and Temple Worship. While it is not a waste of time to take a Temple name through a Temple session, it is by taking our own ancestors names that we will be able to receive both parts of the  Abrahamic Promise; even eternal life.

• The purpose of Indexing and Family History work is to help members perform Vicarious ordinances for their ancestors.   
• Indexing is inseparable from Family History work. It is the driving force, helping family history work soar to new heights.
• Many think that family history work is to be performed primarily by older people.  Elder Bednar said "I know of no age limit described in the scriptures or guidelines " of the church. All members, and all youth are invited to participate in Indexing and Family History work. There were special training sessions available at the Family History Library about implementing  Elder Bednar's Youth challenge to Index.
• Indexing is a valuable tool to use to "Rescue the One".
• Indexing  helps new member retention rates. There is an 80-90% retention rate for new converts who do indexing/family history work and go to the Temple for Baptisms, within a few weeks of their own baptism.
• Indexing was described by one Stake President as " A Temple experience that you can have in your own home".

STAKE INDEXING CHALLENGE FOR NOVEMBER

225,000 NAMES

In case you haven't heard, this is a new challenge that the Stake Presidency has set for November. This activity goes along with our Stake Temple Month, where we are encouraged to attend the Temple as frequently as possible. 

The Indexing challenge  is  to enable all members, active, inactive, home-bound, new members, investigators, or those without a current  Temple recommend,  to experience  that same Spirit  as they would if they could go to a Temple session.

A Challenge TIP!

If you want to get a jump-start on your indexing for November then try this:  After October 25th, download and index some batches and do not send them back. Save them till November 1st, then return all the batches you have worked.

Since there is a 7 day limit on how long you can have a batch in your work page, it is ok not to click on "send batch now" after the computer does the quality check. The batch will sit there till you decide to return it or the 7 day limit.

 Do not wait longer than 7 days  because  the batch will be withdrawn from your computer and you will not get any credit for your work. 

October Pumpkins

Catch The Vision 

November is our Stake Indexing Challenge month to accompany our Stake Temple Month. We have been asked to index 225,000 names during the month of November. That means each Ward or Branch would need to indexing/arbitrating 25,000 names. It can be done and we hope that you are beginning to hear talk about the challenge in your Ward during the month of October.

September Indexing Statistics 

September total = 74,780

Ward                    indexed & Arbitrated names

Clinton                       25

Edmond 1st           9033

Edmond 2nd         6507

Okc 5th                   7873

Okc 1st                    3322

Okc 3rd                 16138

Quail Creek          19621

Village                      673

Woodward            11972

Youth Okc 1st             18

Youth Okc 5th            10

Youth Quail Creek     60

Total YTD Stake (indexed & Arbitrated)

948,830

Arbitrators

September 19th - 26th was the week set aside for arbitrators to try to index 4 million records from the WWI Draft Card project. We almost made it by arbitrating  2 Million names that week. There are still 1.5 Million names to go in that project so we are encouraged to continue working on that project as much as we can. Thank you for taking the time to work on those records as some of the location names in Austria-Hungary were very difficult to figure out. My suggestion is to try a different state if you find it too difficult.

I will be attending an Indexing Open House for Stake Indexing Directors in Salt Lake City on Friday, October 5th. It will be exciting to hear what the director of Family Search has to say and to learn new things, which I will gladly share with all of you.

Autumn trees

Tips for searching the Census Records

If you find yourself having problems finding your ancestors in the census records here are a few tips that I found on the Ancestry.com blog page: Ancestry.com is available in the Family History Center for your use, free of charge.

1. Browse the actual images. You may find relatives living with older neighbors who had the same last name. Scan forward and backward a few pages after you find the persons name to look for others in the family.
2. If searching in ancestry.com, try selecting the " Show advanced" tab on the search form. Then enter just the first name, leave the surname blank, an include a birth year marking the latter as "exact". You might include a place name.
3. Try entering just the surname, with a place name.
4. Try using a wildcard; ie an *, (asterisk) to replace one or more letters in a surname. Indexers sometimes have a hard time reading that old hand writing and could have interpreted a "T" as a "L" or and "R" for a "N". This could make your "Carter" family name to be spelled Cralen !
5. There are two basic approaches to searching the census: 

• One is to start out entering only a few data items in the search fields. Like, only a surname and a place name. (What some like to call fishing in the larger pond, because you get a huge amount of results.) Then add more search items as you narrow down the field.  
• Second approach is to put in as many search items as you know and  get fewer results. Then go back and remove some of the more specific search items to open up more results.

Family Search Tree

Family tree will soon be replacing new.familysearch.org as the way for members to submit names for temple ordinances. It is important to learn how to use this new feature. The benefits include, but not limited to:

• The ability to add, edit , and delete relationships.
• The ability to discuss and show sources for family tree information. (I consider this the most important addition)
• A tool for receiving notifications on people added and new sources.
• A tool to know when someone makes a change to your data.
• Tools to qualify and submit names for temple work

Need help learning how to use this new feature? Contact your Ward Family History Consultants and visit the Family History Center with it's expanded new hours. 

You can also try out the new system at Family Tree Training Site on www.familysearch.org  

Grand Canyon taken by Bob Wilcox September 2012

CATCH THE VISION

New Indexing Challenge for the Stake in the month of 

NOVEMBER

As as Stake, we have been asked by our Stake Presidency to index and or Arbitrate 225,000 names. This is not an impossible goal.  There are currently 440 members in our Stake who have signed up to do indexing. If every one would index in November, we would only have to do 511 names each. That is not an overwhelming amount. If you haven't indexed recently, please consider helping us make this goal. Help is always available.

You will be hearing more about this in your Wards and Branches.

Top 5 Indexers and Top 5 Arbitrators

Last year we had a very nice appreciation evening with an awards program for our 10 ten Indexers. This year we decided to do expand that a little by choosing the top 5 Indexers and the top 5 Arbitrators. If you win in one group you can't qualify for the second group. We hope that this will give those who only index a chance to be recognized. Along with that we will also be including the top 5 Youth Indexers.

This Night of Appreciation will take place in February 2013. A date has not been chosen yet, but you will be notified if you are one of those who qualify.

ARBITRATORS

This is the week that Familysearch asked all arbitrators to help by arbitrating the WWI Draft Cards. Between September 16 and September 23 the goal was to arbitrate 4 million records. I noticed on the Familysearch blog, that the states of Tennessee and West Virginia were especially in need of help. I tried Tennessee WWI Draft cards and the hardest part was figuring out how to spell the names of towns in Austria Hungary or Russia. I used Google to try and find them. Be sure you read the field helps on the Country of birth and Nation of Citizenship. As there are 3 different kinds of Draft Cards with different ways to get the results that are required.