Overview of Family History

The Family History organization in wards and
stakes exists to help members
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Identify their ancestors

Link them into families

Ensure that temple ordinances are performed
for them.
Ref. Admin Guide for FH, page 1
The Key
The key to a successful family history
program is Family History Consultants
who meet with members and families
individually to help them begin and
continue their family history work.
Ref: Admin Guide for FH, p.1
The Basic Program

As consultants do this, over time
all members of the ward can have
an opportunity to receive help from
a family history consultant.
Ref: Admin Guide for FH, page 1
Implementing the Basic Program
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The Bishop:
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Calls and sets apart consultants
Provides direction in Priesthood Executive
Committee and Ward Council meetings about
individuals and families that family history
consultants could contact.
Ensures new members receive help from
consultants.
Receives a regular report from the High Priests
Group Leader on temple and family history efforts.
Ref: Admin Guide for FH, 2
Special Message for HPGLs
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HPGLs are called to administer the FH program
You are Not called to be consultants nor to learn
all of the various family history programs
Too often, HPGLs feel inadequate to lead in this
work because you don't know about computers
or all of the genealogical programs and so you
often fail to simply administer the program.
Following The Basic Plan and focusing on the
Progress Reports and Chart will make you a
successful leader in family history.
An observation by Robert E. Strange, FH Center Director
High Priests Group Leader


Recommends members to serve as family history
consultants.
Ensures consultants are trained and able to fulfill their
calling.

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Not expected to train them himself but guides them
(See Knowledge Document: 100587)
Encourages registration at consultant.familysearch.org
so they can complete training.
Gives regular reports in priesthood interviews, PEC and
ward council meetings. He reports on the help consultants
have provided to specific individuals and families.
Ref: Admin Guide for FH, page 2
HPGL Duties Continued


Leads discussions in PEC and Ward Council
meetings to suggest individuals and families
that consultants could contact.
Meets regularly with consultants to provide
counsel (and encouragement) and help. He
assigns them to contact members suggested by
the PEC and Ward Council. He reviews the
consultants' success in helping members do
family history.
Ref: Admin Guide for FH, page 2
High Council Advisor & HPGL


Meet with or contact monthly or as regularly as
possible the workers for whom they are
responsible. ...consult by telephone or other
media such as e-mail.
In these meetings or contacts, family history
workers can report on their activities and
receive counsel (and encouragement) from their
leaders.
Ref: Admin Guide for FH, page 3
High Council Advisor & HPGL cont.


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Request a regular report from family history
workers on how they are fulfilling their callings
and any specific assignments.
These leaders can then provide a report to the
stake presidency or to the bishop...
Regular reporting provides priesthood leaders
and family history workers opportunities to
counsel together and focus on progress in
family history efforts.
Ref Admin Guide for FH, page 3
How much progress is expected?
“I imagine that in the course of a year we could
help at least ten families. In five years, we
could have a corps of fifty families active at
some level in family history and its attendant
temple work. That to me would be a
successful, well-run program.”
Elder D. Todd Christofferson

Thus each consultant should help ten families
per year or about one family per month
How many consultants should a
ward have?
Divide the number of ward families by the number of
consultants and you can see how many families each
consultant is expected to help.

For example:

200 families divided by 4 consultants = 50 families.

10 families x 4 consultants = 40 families per year.

200 families divided by 40 per year = 5 years.

If there is only one consultant, 200 families divided by
10 per year = 20 years!
Divide the list
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Home Teachers and Visiting Teachers are
assigned specific families and so should Family
History Consultants.
The ward list of families should be divided
between the consultants so that each knows
which families they are responsible for.
Otherwise they will never focus on which
families to contact during the month.
The list could be divided by the HPGL or the
consultants could get together and do it.
It is critical that it be done!
Family History Consultant
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Reaches out to individuals or families a few at a
time, so that over time all members of the ward
have the opportunity to receive family history
help.
Focuses on those ...suggested by ...leaders.
Meets with members in their homes, where
possible.
See other responsibilities listed on page 7 of
Admin Guide for Family History.
Family History Consultant cont.

Start a Family History Progress Record
As you begin helping..., make a copy of the Family
History Progress Record on pages 23-24 to record the
help you provide.... Or you could use a notebook to
do this. (Please write in a clear and readable manner)
Refer to the progress record or notes when you consult
with your HPGL.

Keep them in a binder or folder. They will help future
consultants know what progress the members have
made so the consultants do not waste time duplicating
your efforts.
Ref: FH Consultant Guide , page 13 (p 20-pdf) & Appendix B
APPENDIX B
FAMILY HISTORY PROGRESS RECORD
Keep a record like this for each ward member or family you have
contacted. Record what assistance you have given and what plans you
have made for follow-up. Save these records in a binder or folder so that
you can refer to them and pass them on to future family history
consultants.
Full name __________________________________________________________________________________
Address ___________________________________________________________________________________
Phone ___________________________________________________________________________________
E-mail ___________________________________________________________________________________
Sign-in information for you to use the new FamilySearch on behalf of the member (if needed):
Member’s birth date __________________________________________________________________________
Member’s helper access number (last 5 digits of membership record number) ________________________
Background notes: (Information could include answers to the following: Is there access to a home computer and Internet
connection? Is Personal Ancestral File or a similar program used to keep track of family history? Does
the individual prefer to use paper forms?)
Which is easier to evaluate?

A dozen, photocopied, single page
Progress RECORDS
on individual families
with lots of details that
the bishop may not
have time to read?

A Progress CHART
that shows all families
and the major steps
completed that will
allow them to submit
names to the temple
and that also
measures the wards'
total progress?
Combined Progress Chart & Report
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From the Progress Records, brief e-mail, phone or
verbal reports can be given on a monthly basis as
requested by the HPGL.
The Ward Family History Progress Chart & Report can
be used on a quarterly basis and a printed copy is
given to the Bishop and High Council Adviser.
Printed or electronic copies are given to each FH
Consultant. **Save a back-up copy on computer.**
Viewing the Chart, future consultants can quickly
see where each family is at in Family History work.
Ward FH Progress Chart
Family Name Phone Contacted
Family to
offer help
mmm/yy
Johnny Banana555-1212
Jul/09
Genealogy
Software being
used
PAF
If PAF Show them Registered Completed Verify Show how Able to find Number in
SS
Family Insight
on NFS
all NFS
and
to make
names to
Family
Family
mmm/yy
Tutorials correct
Fam. Ord. submit to
doing
History
mmm/yy Records
Request
temple?
Indexing
Class
Yes
Aug/10
Part
Yes
Yes
Phone # no good
Mar/10
PAF
Yes
Mar/10
Feb/10
PAF
Yes
Mar/10
Feb/09
PAF
Yes
Mar/09
Mar/10
Roots Magic
N/A
Mar/10
Jul/09
PAF
after school starts
Aug/09
No Computer
May come to FHC
Jun/10
Not Interested
Mar/10
PAF
Nov/09
Ances Quest
N/A
May/10
PAF
Apr/09
1
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
1
Nov/09
Yes
On Going
Yes
May/10
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
1
PAF
Yes
Jun/09
Yes
On Going
Yes
Yes
1
Nov/10
Too busy for FH
Will do Indexing
Feb/09
PAF
Jun/09
2
Feb/09
Yes
Steps followed & Items tracked
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Date family contacted – number & % tracked
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Software being used or done on paper
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If PAF, tell them about Family Insight
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Date registered on NFS – number & % tracked
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Did they complete ALL of the NFS tutorials?
Steps followed & Items tracked cont.
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Verifying and correcting records?
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Show how to make Family Ordinance Request

Able to find names to submit to temple
We do NOT want the number of names submitted!
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Number in family doing indexing – tracked
(Obtain report from Stake Extraction Director)
Completed new Sunday School FH Class?
Number being tracked
Hint: If answer to a question is NO, leave the
space blank so it stands out as undone.
Cumulative Report on FH Progress
Chart
Family
Name
Phone
e
Contacted
Family to
offer help
mmm/yy
Genealogy If PAF Show Registered
Software them Family on NFS
being used
Insight
mmm/yy
Completed Verify and Show how Able to find Number in
SS
all NFS
correct
to make
names to
Family
Family
Tutorials
Records Fam. Ord. submit to
doing
History
mmm/yy
Request
temple?
Indexing
Class
e
# Contacted
% Contacted
2010
st
1 Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
2011
st
1 Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
59
% Contacted
51
56
59
# Reg NFS
% Reg NFS
Total # doing Indexing
7
Total # who attended SS FH Class
41
QUARTERLY REPORTS
% Registered
35
38
41
# Doing Indexing
5
6
7
# attended SS FH Class
0
0
3
3
How will this help?
“I just looked through the information you sent... It
will be very helpful to be able to hand my HPGL
something...I hope it will be helpful in helping
him fulfill his calling...but mainly to get me on
task and know where I need to concentrate my
efforts as a consultant.
Thank you!”
Luana from Utah
Must every family be contacted
each quarter?
NO!
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The only information that needs to be recorded
each quarter is the work done with the two or
three families they are assisting during that
quarter.
Consultants should record their progress as
they do it to keep them focused and on target to
assist ten families each year.
Doing it as you go takes the pain out of
reporting.
Adding Notes to Progress Chart
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
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Do not put notes in a high-lighted column that is
being tracked (columns C, F, K & L). This will
mess up the calculations.
If a family is not interested, put a note on the
chart in column D or E. Later if circumstances
change, such as a death in the family,
consultants may want to try again.
Record information only in the row for that
family. Do not make multiple row entries for a
family. You may make multiple visits and
perhaps only accomplish one step on the chart.
The chart is not designed to record every visit.
The Bishop is the key to the report
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If the bishop requires the report then the rest of
the actions will occur.
Have his Exec. Sec. schedule a quarterly
meeting with the HPGL to receive the progress
chart with its cumulative quarterly reports.
Bishop can refer to just the report or he can
view the progress of any individual family.
The Progress Chart provides the information
and focus for PEC & Ward Council discussion.
Return and Report
“Where performance is measured, performance improves.
Where performance is measured and reported,
The rate of improvement accelerates.”
Where to obtain FREE copies

Of this program
plus

Bob's Ward Family History Progress Chart with
a Quarterly Report
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Bob's Overview of Family History
Bob's Duties of Family History Consultants

Indexing Flyer
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And more!
[email protected]
Please share freely with others