FREE EBOOK:
How to Use Technology to Strengthen Family Ties
How to Organize Your Family for Genealogy and Family History Purposes
Want to learn how to organize your family for genealogy and family history?
There are three levels of family organization:
-
Immediate (Parent and Children) Family Organization,
-
Grandparent Organization, and
-
Ancestral Organization
Ezra Taft Benson taught that each of these three levels has specific responsibilities and that each level should be careful about stepping on the other levels’ toes.
Immediate (Parent and Family) Organization
The main responsibilities of the Immediate Family organization are to:
- Have a family council comprised of all members of the family unit.
- Teach basic responsibilities of the family organization to the children.
- Learn how to make decisions and act upon those decisions.
- Teach work ethics and self-preparedness.
Grandparent Organization
In contrast to the Immediate Family organization, the Grandparent organization should be responsible for:
- Reunions
- Social Activities
- Cultural Activities
- Soliciting Funds
Ancestral Organization
An Ancestral organization is comprised of descendants of a common ancestral couple. While the first two levels are focused on training, teaching and activities, the major purpose of the ancestral level organization is to coordinate genealogical activity on common ancestral lines. In support of this objective, ancestral organizations may:
- Provide resource material from which the immediate and grandparent family organizations can draw to complete family histories, and
- Accumulate, catalog, and preserve histories, photographs, letters, manuscripts, diaries, journals, and published books.
Ezra Taft Benson taught that “when ancestral family organizations deviate from this major objective and seek primarily to provide social, cultural, or other types of activities, they take over the legitimate domain of the immediate and grandparent organizations… Ancestral organizations exist only for the coordination of genealogical activity, which includes family histories. Once this function has been accomplished the ancestral family organization might well be dissolved, or at least reduced in importance, in favor of the immediate and grandparent organizations.” (Source)
It Only Takes One to Get Started
In our experience, it only takes one person to take the initiative to get the ball rolling. This individual should get as many people involved from different legs of the family as possible. As more people are included in the effort, they invite still others until, over time, you have the representation of the organization that works best for everyone invloved.
Try to remember, too, to involve the younger generations in the organizing and work. This helps keep things going beyond the older group that typically does family history and genealogy work.
Because of the cooperative efforts of our ancestral organization of approximately 1,200 members, we have been able to:
- Grow our database of ancestors and their descendants from only about 400 names to over 4,000 names in a few short years,
- Identify ancestors back two and three generations further than before by raising funds to hire professional researchers to do specialized work most of us amateurs wouldn’t have been able to accomplish,
- Research, write and publish over 400 copies of the story of our ancestors, and
- Establish a family organization website to keep family members informed.
As you counsel with, seek the advice of, and invite members to participate in these three levels of family organization, you will realize a maximum of benefits each one provides, with a minimum of hassle.
Do you agree with Ezra Taft Benson’s teachings about the levels and responsibilities of family organizations? Why or why not? What has been your experience with family organizations? Feel free to comment below.