By Danielle Kutchel
After a tumultuous year, Narre Warren and District Family History Group has welcomed in its incoming 2021/22 committee via a Zoom-based AGM.
The meeting was held on Saturday 21 August and was preceded by an informative presentation and Q and A session with Masonic research Rob Hamilton.
Rob’s presentation held members in thrall as he showed them how to search Masonic records and make sense of the traditions and history of the Freemasons – including some local names.
After the main presentation, members of the group remained online for the official proceedings of the day.
It’s been a difficult year for the group with restrictions making many of their research and fundraising activities difficult or impossible.
Zoom meetings have allowed them to stay connected online, and the group continued to hold monthly history hot spots at the Cranbourne Library when it was open to the public.
A highlight of the year was receiving $300 from Grill’d, which helped replenish the fundraising kitty.
Meanwhile, activities like cataloguing books continued to be carried out, and there was some time for face-to-face catch-ups among members of the group throughout the year.
The AGM saw the re-election of the same committee that led the family history group through 2020.
Jane Rivett-Carnac will lead the committee again as president.
She’ll be joined by Fay McCoubrie as vice president, Eileen Durdin as secretary, Lynne Bradley as treasurer, Moreyn Dimsey as librarian, Barbara Sharp as Lorraine Taylor research room manager), Marianne Rocke as newsletter editor, Lyne McGregor as correspondence secretary and Kerryn Maxwell as membership officer.
The position of publicity officer is currently vacant.
The Member of the Year and Volunteer of the Year Awards were held over for the next face-to-face meeting, in order to appropriately honour the recipients.
The group is looking forward to a return to normal operations once Covid restrictions lift.
To find out more about the Narre Warren and District Family History Group or to read its newsletter, Spreading Branches, visit www.nwfhg.org.au
You can also find the group on Facebook.
