[APG Public List] Who Are We, Really?

[Rolgeiger at aol.com]

In einer eMail vom 03.10.2009 00:33:42 Westeuropäische Normalzeit schreibt  
mary at heirlines.com:

Is  genealogy a viable occupation?  Should we have a profession for the  
practitioner? Why is there no profession in genealogy?   Who would  benefit 
from having a real profession in genealogy?  What is stopping us  from 
starting now and organizing a real profession in genealogy?  Why  shouldn’t we 
organize a profession so we can have the authority in  Professional Genealogy  
to establish best practices, standards, ethics,  education degree programs, 
competency testing and verifiable maintenance,  continuing-education, 
verifiable practitioner credentialing, members-only  profession practitioner and 
trade organizations?  With a real profession  in genealogy, what would be the 
exclusive practitioner title?    


Yeah, and once you have all that, what about us on the other side of an  
U.S. border? Why should we care about what you consider or what you  arrange?
 
Here in Germany genealogy is more or a less a hobby. There are some very  
few of us who do it for money and there are a majority of others who look at 
us  with ravaging eyes stating on every opportunity they have how much they 
don't  like what we do. To be a professional may be a reason to be excluded 
from one of  the many German genealogical forums. 
 
But like in the States everyone of us professionals has never passed an  
examination or something like that. There is a group of professionals who 
joined  in a specific associtiation with its own "Code of Honor". I got an 
invitation to  join them but had no opportunity yet to visit one of the 
conferences during  which the accept new members. But there would be no need to join 
them to work as  a professional researcher. I've been working in the matter 
for at least 15  years, specialising in emigration to the US (because I 
speak English :-) and  other stuff. So - when the company I worked for - fired 
me five years ago, I  became a professional researcher. Among other things. I 
went to our Public  Record Office, told them about the company I would like 
to found (you need a  company to be able to sell your own written 
products), payed the fee of 30 Euros  - and there was I facing the world through my 
computer and said: "Hello, here I  am!" Well, some came, other didn't or 
haven't yet. :-)
 
You are lucky in the States. Genealogy is a common thing overthere on high  
level. Here it's not much more than just another part of historic research 
(I  know a lady here in our county, historian by trade, who would never to  
genealogy, oh my goodness, no such things - but that's less arrogance but  
ignorance - in case there is a difference). People are not used to spend more 
 money in that subject than necessary - necessary would be fees for the 
Public  Record Office or the dioces archives or national or city archives. 
Costs you  cannot avoid. They pay without hesitation. But if you (or I) offer 
the same  service - maybe cheaper - well, that's not the same. 
 
Oops, it's getting late (one in the monring). 
 
Good night. 
 
Roland Geiger
 
Roland  Geiger
Historical and Genalogical Research
Alsfassener Strasse 17
66606  St. Wendel
Germany
phone ++49 - 6851-3166
email  rolgeiger at aol.com
www.geiger-roland.de

=> genealogy
=> local  history
=> transcriptions (f.e. old German into modern)
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