The NYG&B Society will be saying goodbye to the book collection

Dear readers please keep an eye out for the summer issue of “The Researcher,” the newsletter of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, (G&B.)

The chairman will describe in terms barely more understandable than those of the illustrious Professor Irwin Corey, that the G&B has a bright future. To tell you the truth, I do not know exactly what this report says. When I first heard some rumors about this current announcement, it had been interpreted by some that the G&B was going to dissolve and the collections were going to be sold. That is not what it says, or not yet, anyway.

You will be told that the trustees have been working hard, very hard. (This sounds very presidential.) Shouldn’t trustees be “trusted?” You will read that the trustees believe that the books are the most important part of the society and that they are very heavy and take up a lot of space. You will not read about the heart and soul of the society. You will not read about the intent and meaning of all of the hard work, the volunteers, the financial support, the donations of books and manuscripts that built this society. You will not read about the builders of this golden girl of history. You will read that by September 2007 you “will be told” what the board’s decision is as to where they will be moving to. Remember, the former members have no input in this decision process at all now, after they voted to disenfranchise themselves.

One of the places being considered to take the books to is a lovely spot on the “Historic Hudson Valley.” Well that rang a bell to me and I went surfing through the Internet and found a Better Business Bureau report on-line that explains that the non-profit organization by that name is in violation of several required terms that need to be adhered to by law. You can read this yourself if you would like. For what it is worth, I had a hard time surfing to this url because it had been posted on the Internet so long that the secure certificate had expired and evidently the terms had still not been met yet, but would expire in September 2008. On the BBB website you will note that the chairman of the G&B earns a tidy quarter of a million plus per year for his work at Historic Hudson Valley. Do you see any pattern here?

BBB website at:

https://www.newyork.bbb.org/reports/charityreports.aspx?Category=3&Name=&Ranking=&Region=Any&id=550&letter=&page=1&pid=287

(I had to just keep clicking yes in order to punch through the security certificate, but I did not have any problem accessing this website.)

Oh by the way, if you notice the current website of the G&B at www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org you will see that the trustees are still allowing new members to send in their membership applications and fees that range all the way from $60 per annum, up to $7,500 for a corporate life membership. This is to a society that does not accept members. Does any of this seem improper to you.

I for one, still feel like my favorite granny is being thrown out with the bathwater.

One of my biggest fears is that there will be no sesquicentennial.

Save the G&B.

Dick Hillenbrand

Upstate New York Genealogy

www.unyg.com