May 2011 Indexing Statistics

Ice Cream Social Challenge

May 2011 Stake Report

108,054 Names Indexed and Arbitrated

It is amazing what a good challenge will do for a Stake!  I am totally excited about the efforts that were made this April with indexing. This Sunday in our Fast and Testimony meeting several indexers got up and bore their testimonies about the importance of Indexing. Not just for the Stake, but for the World. That through our indexing work we are providing records to the world that may never have been available before. I can't thank you all enough for helping with Indexing and hope that we may continue our great work for the Lord.

APRIL RESULTS   totals = indexed and arbitrated

  

Clinton  -                7204 names           magic number = 19,394

Edmond First  -     13,900 names          magic number  =   9390

Edmond Second    10,987 names          magic number  =   4708

OKC Fifth               8,498 names           magic number =   8706

OKC First             39,439 names           magic number = 31,636

OKC Fourth Branch 7,400 names           magic number =       30

OKC Third              5,945 names           magic number = 16,414

OkC University            27 names           magic number =    1366

Quail Creek            5,977 names           magic number = 31,198

             Village           2,224 names         magic number       =  17,226          

 

Woodward              6,418   names         magic number        =     504

 

Those highlighted in RED will be having an Ice Cream Social for the whole Ward/Branch.

I can taste that Ice Cream already. If your Ward did not make it this month, you have till

the end of the year. OKC Fifth you were so close this month, keep up the good work.

                                                                       

 

 

 

TOP 7 INDEXERS THIS MONTH IN STAKE:

Indexing accomplishments of  over 5,000 names in April;

Tom Connelly    11,717

Lonie Seagraves   9,971

Gary Howell         8,106

Kelley Aquino      7,273

Scott Foulger        6.592

Melissa Connelly  6,454 

Gene Bushman     5,189

 

These names and numbers are posted to be an inspiration to the rest of us in the Stake. These people have an absolute love of indexing and it shows us all what we can be capable of. I am so grateful to all the indexers in our Stake. Every name is important and even if you can't accomplish this many names in a month, if you will just try to do all that you can, on a regular and consistant basis it will be greatly appreciated.  We have at this time 217 indexers registered. The total names indexed this month, 108,054 was accomplished by just 61 indexers. What do you think we could do if all 217 members indexed on a regular basis?  I think it would be incredible. Let's encourage everyone to index.



Challenge Update

Mount Timpanogos Temple,

American Fork, Utah 2010

Ice Cream Social Challenge Update

The April indexing  is going SUPER !!! I have checked to see how the Wards and Branch are doing and I can tell you that there are several units that have already passed their "Magic Number" Goal.  That is wonderful and as soon as May rolls around I will be posting those results so you can see if your Ward or Branch is going to have that Ice Cream Social. My suggestion is to keep up the good work. If your Ward doesn't make it this month, don't give up, you have till the end of the year.

Messages from Church Headquarters

For those of you who have been busy indexing you may have seen the recent messages from Familysearch headquarters about problems they had with the recent move to their new data center. I would just like to briefly reiterate what that  means to all of us:

• Arbitrators: if you download a batch where key A or Key B is totally empty. Send back the batch that is empty. Do not try to index it to "fix it" and then submit it. What happens is the data sets do not match. This means that the empty batch, even though you indexed it, would be returned to be re-indexed again, so you would be wasting your time.  Remember that Arbitrators are not suppose to be Indexing , they are suppose to be matcing the lines, and editing the typos on the records.
• Indexers:  You may download a batch that is completely finished. You should check this batch carefully to make sure it is correct then submit it. These batches were also part of the problem  of data sets not matching, that was caused by the move.
• WWII RECORDS:  As soon as they fix the problem with the arbitration of these records I am sure we will be seeing more to be indexed.

Family Search Evaluation Survey
Our Stake is part of a select group who were asked to participate in a survey to help familysearch.org improve their search capabilities. We can only participate in the survery till the 20th of April. If you try this survery you will need to read the FIELD HELPS for each data item.
It took me awhile to figure out what I was suppose to do. Briefly they show you a query, on the left, that was made in Familysearch.org and ask you to rate the 8 different results on the right, on a scale of 1-5.  There are two different queries in each batch, so you would do the rating 16 times, and you would get credit on your indexing for 16 names.  It is a bit challenging, but if you have time try at least one batch.
 I am personally glad to see that familysearch.org wants to be able to give the best results and not thousand of random results, most of which are not even close matches.  Please read the Project Information and Field Helps before trying this survery. 

Disclaimer

If any of you read the Area Family History Newletter this month about our Stake Indexing Program you may have seen where it said that our Stake covers a 77 county area in Oklahoma. That was a typo on my part, it should have said 7 county area. I am sure President Graves is glad that he doesn't have to cover the whole state. Sorry about that.



March Indexing Statistics

"Spring Brings Us A Renewal Of Life.

It is a symbolism of Hope"

Quoted from M Russell Ballard General Conference April 2011

 

April Begins the Ice Cream Challenge

Do you Know your "Magic Number"? What will it take for your Ward to win a free Ice Cream Social with the Stake Presidency?  Check below to find out.

MARCH INDEXING STATISTICS

The month of March was a fantastic indexing month in the OKC Stake! What a great job everyone is doing with their indexing efforts. As a Stake we did 69,444 names!!! Great work with indexing. Thank you all very much. Here is what each Ward or Branch contributed for the month.

 

Clinton  -  12,001   top indexer was Bobby Gilliland

Edmond First Ward - 10,330  top indexer was Jessie Crawford

Edmond Second Ward - 665   top indexer was Sherri Furber

OKC Fifth Ward - 9693    top indexer was Scott Foulger

OKC First Ward - 14636   top indexer was Lonie Seagraves

OKC Third Ward - 8149   top indexer was Gene Bushman

University Ward -  655      top indexer was M. Chet Petty

Quail Creek Ward - 3760   top indexer was Nora Muzingo

Village Ward    -     5134   top indexer was Laura Sebourn

Woodward Branch - 5351  top indexer was Tamara Windholz

 

The top Indexing Ward for March was 

 CLINTON WARD!

 

This honor is based on the total number of names indexed, divided by the number of people  indexing. Clinton had four people indexing and averaged 3000 names per person. The OKC First Ward had the highest number of names indexed in March but they had 13 indexers so their average  was 1126 names per person. 

 

Magic Numbers

 
Clinton 19344
 Edmond First Ward  9390
  Edmond Second Ward  4708
  OKC Fifth Ward   8706
  OCK First Ward    31636
  OKC Third Ward   16414
 OKC Fourth Branch    30
  University Ward      1366
  Quail Creek Ward  31198
  Village Ward       17226
  Woodward Branch    504
 
The word in the Indexing community of OKC First Ward is that we will make this goal in April!!  If not, we will try again next month. GOOD LUCK TO ALL.


p.s. AFTER TELLING YOU ABOUT THE NEW LINK TO MOCAVO.COM ONE OF OUR MEMBERS TRIED IT AND HAD GREAT SUCCESS LOCATING RECORDS ON HER FAMILY LINE.

 

  

  

  

 










 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 








 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 










Indexing Tips

Do you know your "Magic Number"?

See last weeks post to find out now.

 

Handwriting Helps

As an Indexer it can sometimes be difficult to read the handwriting on your image. Below are some usefull sugestions that may help you.

• Adjust the brightness and sharpen the image. Get the best reading conditions possible.
• Increase the magnification.
• Use the handwriting icon on the worksheet to view the alphabets
• Study the handwriting on the full document. Look for similar names or letters in a name.
• Focus on the first few letters of a name. The computer can put a name in alpha order if it has just the first few letters.
• Use the Look-Up tables. Not all of the names may be in this table, but sometimes just putting in the first few, or last few letters you will suddenly realize what the name should be when you see the suggestions in the look-up list.
• A faint image may also be sharper if it is set at a smaller size of text.
• Try using the black/white icon that changes the background to black and the writing to white.
• Try using Google to see if anyone has that name, especially if it is a strange name to you.
• Index the names last. You will become more familiar with the handwriting and it may make the names easier to read.
• Be careful not to assume. Put in a "?" if you are unsure of one letter, or an asterisk "*" if there is more than one letter in question.
• It is ok to mark the field unreadable.
• There are two people indexing the same batch, and a third person arbitrates or reviews both batches and makes the final decision.

New Search Engine Found

The world's largest free genealogy search engine, MOCAVO.COM , provides genealogists access to the best free genealogy content on the web including billions of names, dates and places worldwide. Existing sites searchable on Mocavo.com include genealogy message boards, family trees, state and local historical societies, the Library of Congress, National Archives, Ellis Island, Find A Grave, the Internet Archive, and many tens of thouseands of genealogy sites built by individuals. Click on the link added to my site and check it out.

Ice Cream Social Challenge

This is no Joke!!!

Starting in April The Stake Presidency Presents

An Ice Cream Social Challenge

 for any Ward or Branch in the Oklahoma City Stake

that can double the number of names indexed in a month in 2010.

Read the small print !

This is how it works: I have compilied the number of names indexed and arbitrated by each Ward and Branch on a monthly basis, from May of 2010 to January 1st,2011. The highest indexing month was chosen for the year 2010. That month's number was multiplied by 2 (double the number). The Challenge to your Ward or Branch is to index and/or arbitrate, in any given month in 2011, the resulting number, which will be 2 times your  Ward's highest monthly achivement last year. Listed below are the numbers  that will have to be achieved  in  order to win an Ice Cream Social with the Stake Presideny in your Ward or Branch.

What you will have to do to win,

The "MAGIC NUMBER"

Clinton = 19344,  Edmond 1st Ward = 9390, Edmond 2nd Ward = 4708, OKC 1st Ward = 31636, OKC 3rd Ward = 16414, OKC 4th Branch = 30, OKC 5th Ward = 8706, University Ward = 1366, Quail Creek Ward = 31198, Village Ward = 17226, Woodward Branch = 504



  
 Remember that if your Ward or Branch doesn't make it one month, try again. You have till January to make your goal. We post the monthly totals on this blog each month to help you keep track.  You will be hearing more about this throughout the rest of the year and hopefully from you Ward Indexing Specialist.   Good Luck to all!!       

Family History Conference Report

Oklahoma City Stake Family History Conference

11th and 12th of March 2011

Just a brief report on the activities at the Family History Conference that was held last week-end. A big thank you goes to Sister Donna Waddle who serves as the Stake Family History Director and her staff who organized and presented the internet courses. They were great and the one class that I got to attend  gave me a lot of inspiration to start working on my own family history at some new websites. I will list several of these sites at the end of this message. Most classes where attended by about 40 patrons on Saturday. The first class on Indexing Tips could have been better if we would have gotten the indexing program to open up on the internet. As it was we did cover a lot of tips to help you work faster with indexing and handwritting tips. The second class on Records Search was much better after the connection to the internet began to work. I wish all of you could have been there to learn some new tricks.

Friday nights opening session, with our guests from Texas, Brother Kirk Hathaway and Sister Darlene Hathaway who serve as the Area Family History Advisors, was wonderful. They both gave short talks and then showed a video clip of the opening ceremony at the 2010 National Genealogcial Society Conference which was held in Salt Lake City. President Henry B Eyring gave a talk entitled " The Joy of Family History" that was excellent and brought a few chuckles and tears to everyone's eyes. I am planning on purchasing that CD so that I can show that talk again. If your Relief Society or Priesthood group would like me to come and show it for a presentation on family history, just let me know I would be more than happy to arrange that.

I have listed below,  the websites to those interesting genealogy research sites that I learned about at the Conference. They are free except for the last one:

Google Books @ http://books.google.com   over 12 million books that you can download, more than 100,000 genealogies and local histories that you can search by individual word

Internet Archive @ www.Archive.org    2.3 million books and city directories, over 50,000 genealogies and local histories, can be searched by individual word

Family Hisotry Archives @  http://www.lib.byu.edu/fhc/index.php     A permanent site with over 60,000 genealogies and local histories, you can upload your own publications to archive them.

GenealogyBank.com @ www.GenealogyBank.com   over 1 Billion names, and more than 4300 Newspapers from 1690 to today. 263,000 rare books and documents. Historic Hispanic newspapers from 1808 that were published in the US.  This site is not free, it offers a 30 day trial for $9.95.

Don't forget the FREE Premium Subscriptions available in our own Family History Center at the Stake Building. Such as Ancestry.com, Find My Past, Footnote.com, The Genealogist, Heritage Quest Online, World Vital Records,just to name a few. Of course our most amazing and swiftly growing Church Site, https://www.FamilySearch.org   with over 548 million names from indexing, so far!!

Coming in April,

President Baclawski is "Sweetening the Pot"
 and this is No Joke!!!!! Learn more next week.

February Stake Statistics

February Stake Statistics

The Stake Statistics are very good. Everyone is doing a great Job.  The main thing we have to focus on in order to reach our goal of 1/2 million names this year, is consistency!!  Each person signed up to be an indexer needs to index some names each and every month. It all adds up. Please help us reach our goal in 2011.

If you went to Stake Conference last week-end at the OKC Stake Building you may have seen the Poster I created to show the Stake's Progress with the Indexing Program for this year. If not, then look for it on the wall across from the Family History Center. Some people said it looked like an old United Way poster and in a way I think we are all united in our Indexing Way.  Thank you to all who work on indexing and arbitrating those names.

These are the numbers for the Month of February for the Stake, listed by Ward:

Clinton                        7154 indexed

Edmond First:             7362 indexed, 1047 arbitrated

Edmond Second:         1446 indexed, 197 arbitrated

OKC Fifth:                  4485 indexed, 2396 arbitrated

OKC First:                  7839 indexed, 818 arbitrated

OKC Fourth Branch:    

OKC Third:                 5542 indexed, 3567 arbitrated

OKC University:           716 indexed

Quail Creek:                5800 indexed

Village:                        2246 indexed 342  arbitrated

Woodward Branch:         53 indexed 

Top Indexing Ward in the Stake in February

Oklahoma City Third Ward

With three indexers doing an average of 1847.33

names each!!   Congratulations Great Job!

Clinton Came in Second with four indexers doing an average of 1788.5 names each. Good Work!!

If you wonder why the OKC First Ward, who has the most indexed names each month, never makes it to the top Indexing List it is because they have the most indexers. There are  19  active indexers so they  index an average of 412.6 names, each, a month. This is a good example of what more indexers can do.  As a Ward our goal for this year should be to add 1 new indexer a month. Do you know someone who would be interested in indexing?

Don't forget the FH Conference Next Saturday, March 12th at the Stake Center in OKC. Starts at 8:30 am - 4:00 pm. Indexing Classes are at 11:00am and again at 1:00 pm.  Ward Indexing Specialist's Training is at Noon in the High Council Room.