In an effort to attract new members, the Manitoba Genealogical Society (MGS) in Winnipeg started a pilot project in January to offer free research assistance to non-members.
Once a month, the society’s research committee volunteers hold two-hour sessions on what they call Free Third Thursday Research Days, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. To participate, people must register a spot by email at least seven days before their desired session.
The sessions for February and March are already booked.
MGS promotes the free research sessions on its website, social media, and in its journal, Generations.
After the pilot project ends in June, the society will assess whether the program was successful and decide whether or not to continue.
When asked why the research sessions are not held on a weekend to attract younger potential members, one of the volunteer researchers said it was a question of availability. The researchers volunteer in other society activities, and Thursday afternoon was the time that worked best for all of them.
Toonie Tuesdays
The MGS program reminds me of the New England Historic and Genealogical Society’s (NEHGS) 50 percent off sale for research. On Tuesdays, the Boston-based organization charges $10 for a day pass to non-members to visit its research centre, instead of the usual $20 fee.
When the NEHGS sale was promoted last year, it made me think of Toonie Tuesdays that began in the late 1990s, soon after the Royal Canadian Mint introduced the $2 coin — the toonie. To help fill seats on a low-attendance day, movie theatres introduced Toonie Tuesdays and sold tickets for $2 each.
Think outside the box
Genealogical societies need to think outside the box to attract new members. What may have worked well in 1985 may not be as effective in 2019.
Of course, not everyone will be happy with a new initiative. Some people resist change. They say they like to do things the way they’ve always been done. They discourage new ideas and threaten to quit.
Societies who want to grow and thrive need to try different ideas and often make tough decisions. They may lose a few long-time members doing so.
But standing still means they may eventually lose all of their members.
Kudos to the Manitoba Genealogical Society and its volunteer researchers for trying something new.
Savoir faire is an occasional feature about genealogists and genealogical societies that are doing good things. To read about other creative and inspirational ideas, click on the ‘Savoir faire’ category in the right margin.
