Troy Irish Genealogy Meeting Minutes
March 19, 2015
Members Present: Chris Connell, Kris Cooney Ayotte,
Kathy Buckley, Bill McGrath, Heidi Klinowski, Carl Klinowski,
Patrick Surace, Jeanne Keefe, Lizette Strait, Debbie Gilligan,
Katie Gilligan, Donna Vaughn, Pat Plunkett, Jim Plunkett, and
Joan Durso
Guest: Marietta DiPaoli
1. Call to Order:
Chris Connell called the meeting to order at 6:52 P.M.; she reported
654 Facebook likes (+15 this month) and 291 RootsWeb List Subscribers
(+6 this month). (Facebook deletes likes if the site isn’t
visited periodically.)
2. Treasurer’s Report:
Lizette Strait provided a treasurer’s report. ?
Previous Balance (2/28/2015): ?$4360.35
Expenses: $100.00 Check #1037 Hudson Mohawk Industrial Gateway
Deposits: $80.00 – 3/18/2015
Current Balance: ?$4340.35 (3/18/2015)??
Petty Cash:? $21.63 Total Assets: ?$4361.98
2014 Total paid members: 101
2015 Total paid 2015 members: 60 Dues for 2015 are due.
3. Project Updates / Ongoing Business
Irish Acts of Kindness - Kris Ayotte reported on overhauling the
links / points of contact. She is verifying the links and contacts.
Kris would like members to send her e-mail advising her what resources
they have, for example, access to ancestry.com, high school yearbooks
for various dates and schools.
It was suggested that members volunteer on a rotating
basis to go to the Troy Public Library to do lookups for requests
sent by people.
Scanning Projects Update – Jeanne Keefe reported
that the Albany Board of Supervisors scanning project is completed
and has been turned over to Bill McGrath.
Cemeteries Seminar at St. Agnes Cemetery on April
18 – Donna Vaughn reported that she will present information
about using cemetery gravestones and records to trace family trees.
Bill McGrath has been asked to co-facilitate this presentation.
Christ Church Records – Joan Durso reported
she had not contacted the church yet.
TIGS Business Cards – Donna Vaughn reported the cards have
been ordered.
Status of Donation to Hudson Mohawk Gateway –
Lizette Strait reported the check has been sent.
Future Maintenance of TIGS Website – Jeanne
Keefe reported that the website may need to be rebuilt. She also
may need a new product to maintain it. Her version of Dreamweaver
is quite old and a current version is quite expensive unless a
deal can be found. If the website is rebuilt, it must include
a website search feature. Jeanne, Chris and others will look into
how much it would cost to have the website professionally rebuilt
and ported into a new tool. Various ideas were mentioned for funding
this project. It was suggested that we may need to request donations
toward this project.
4. New Business
May Election of Officers – Gerri Sherry is not seeking re-election
as President; Christine Connell is willing to run for President.
Kristin Cooney-Ayotte is willing to run for Vice President. Lizette
Strait is willing to continue as Treasurer. Kelly Grimaldi resigned
her position as Secretary; Joan Durso is willing to run for Secretary.
Proposed Bus Trip to The Irish Hunger Museum in
Connecticut – Is there any interest in this? It’s
about two hours from here.
Potential Next Scanning Project - Bill McGrath reported
that the Rensselaer County Historical Society has records of young
children, 9 – 10 years old, who were employed by the Burden
Iron Works and they have the Dismissal Book of the Burden Iron
Works.
List of Places Where TIGS Is a Member – Kris
Ayotte requested the creation of a list of organizations to which
TIGS is a member or to which TIGS donates. Lizette Strait volunteered
to create it.
Ideas for Spring Cemetery Cleanups – Chris
Connell - Continue with St. Patrick’s in Watervliet? Other
cemeteries?
Oakwood Daffodil Brunch April 19 – Heidi Klinowski
– Please consider attending – Cost $18 – call
for reservations.
Oakwood needs $100.00 donation for the Soldier’s
Plot Flag and they need flags for other locations such as the
Chapel and Uncle Sam’s Grave; they must buy the flags. Lizette
made a motion for TIGS to donate $100.00; this motion was seconded
by Kris Ayotte and Donna Vaughn and was approved by the members
in attendance at the meeting.
RPI Fraternity $1000.00 Neighborhood Grants – The RPI Fraternity
in the former St. Francis Church building on Congress St. is giving
out seven $1000.00 neighborhood grants. Consider applying for
one to work on Mt. Ida Cemetery – work with the Mt. Ida
Cemetery Preservation Group on this?
5. Next Meeting & Adjournment:
Since there was no further business to discuss, a motion to adjourn
was made and seconded.
The next meeting will be held at The Ruck on Third St. in Troy
on April 16, 2015 at 6:30 P.M. ?The Ruck is across the street
from the Rensselaer County Clerk’s Office; parking is available
in the
Renss. Co. Clerk’s parking lot after business hours.
Photographic Exhibit
Jeanne Keefe and Patrick Surace’s excellent photography
exhibit entitled, “Ireland: Myth, Mystery and Beauty”
is still on display through the end of March in the St. Agnes
Cemetery Art Gallery. The exhibit is available for viewing during
regular cemetery office hours. Members who have seen the exhibit
recommend it highly.
Respectfully submitted by Joan Durso.
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