StLGS Co-Presidents Say Thanks and Call for Help!

Our post this week is a message from StLGS co-presidents, Kathy Franke and Jeani Ward.

On Thursday, 18 September 2025, the society hosted a luncheon to thank our volunteers. Volunteer Coordinator Marilyn Brennan and her team of assistants shopped, decorated, served, and cleaned everything up afterwards so forty hungry people could enjoy a delicious lunch. The event was well-attended, and we all enjoyed a chance to get to know one another better. Our volunteers keep our organization, including the office and the website, up-to-date and running smoothly. We would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation for their efforts, especially to the volunteers who come into the office on a regular basis.

A Message from Outgoing StLGS President, Karen Goode

With the election of new StLGS officers behind us, current StLGS president, Karen Goode, will be stepping down from her whirlwind four years in office. For those who may not know, Karen was vice-president of programs when COVID shut down our society for most of 2020. We had a Family History Conference featuring noted genealogist Judy Russell already planned and a full schedule of meetings and classes on our calendar, since, like most, we had no idea how long it would take to resume normal operations. When it became clear that business as usual was not going to happen, Karen grabbed the reins, gathered a committee around her, and plunged us into learning how to do Zoom webinars. Her foresight saved StLGS from what might have been a devastating blow. After Karen assumed the presidency, hybrid meetings were an ingrained part of our programing, opening up almost all of our events to those who cannot attend in person. In addition, Karen led us through an office overhaul that included moving tons of furniture for a long-overdue paint job and new carpeting, and then, just a few months later, weeks of leaky roof damage and plastic drapery covering most of our work space. She was clearly the right person at the right time for the right job!