Committee records, 2008

Resignation of President and appointment of acting President

Mary Lou Sackett advised the Committee on 7 January 2008 of the resignation for health reasons of President Fred Sackett. Upon the invitation of other Committee members, Mary Lou confirmed her willingness to serve as acting President for the rest of the current term.
Secretary Chris Sackett sent the following to the membership on 9 January 2008:

Fred Sackett has unfortunately had to step down as president of The Sackett Family Association for health reasons. We send him our best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Vice president Mary Lou Sackett has kindly agreed to take on the duties of acting president until completion of the next annual elections at the end of April.
Chris Sackett
TSFA Secretary


Resolution of the Committee of The Sackett Family Association, 12 March 2008

Approved by email on 12 March 2008 by Mary Lou Sackett, Don Hertzler, Thurmon King, Tom Smith, Darlene Sackett, and Chris Sackett, with no other members dissenting

It was resolved that the following resolutions be put to a vote of the membership. It was agreed that the resolutions, if approved, be implemented after completion of the Committee elections taking place this month and next.

RESOLUTIONS

Resolution 1) The formation of a Nominating Committee
a) TSFA Committee shall establish a Nominating Committee as a standing sub-committee to provide a slate of nominees for the annual elections to TSFA Committee.
b) The Nominating Committee will consist of three members, appointed by TSFA Committee for three-year terms, with one new member appointed each year and one member rotating off each year. In the first year, appointments will be of one member for three years, one for two years, and one for one year. The Nominating Committee will choose a chairperson from among its own members.
c) The Nominating Committee shall, promptly after the nominations closing date of 31 March each year, submit to TSFA Committee the slate of nominees.
d) Voting for candidates nominated to TSFA Committee shall be by secret ballot to a designated email box. The President shall appoint two ballot counters, approved by TSFA Committee. The counters will independently count the vote and report the results to the Secretary for announcement to TSFA membership.

Resolution 2) Campaign Statements
The nominating committee will request a brief campaign statement from each candidate to be posted on the TSFA web site with a limit of 250 words. The statement should include reasons for wanting to hold the office and helpful skills the candidate might bring to the position. Submitting the statement is at the option of the candidates.

Resolution 3) Duties of the Vice President
In the absence of the President, or his/her inability to act, the Vice President shall perform all the duties of the President, and, so acting, shall have all the powers, and be subjected to all the restrictions of the President.

Resolution 4) Amendments to the Constitution

To substitute the following clauses 4.3, 4.4, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.5, and 5.7 for the same numbered clauses in the existing Constitution:
4.3 The affairs of the Association shall be managed by a Committee of the Association consisting of up to twelve Association members, including a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Registrar.
4.4 The Committee may appoint individual members of the Association as Post Holders to deal with defined tasks, reporting to the Committee on an agreed basis.
5.1 Elections of Committee members shall be held annually by private e-mail ballot by simple majority vote of the membership. Election to the Committee shall be for three-year terms designated by the year of retirement (e.g., Class of 2011). Each year one class retires and a new class is elected. If a vacancy occurs in a class, the vacant position in that class will be filled in the next annual election.
5.2 All members shall be eligible for election to the Committee save that sitting Committee members shall not be eligible if election would result in continuous service of more than six years.
5.3 Nominations for election to the Committee shall be dealt with by a Nominating Committee established as a standing sub-committee with a membership appointed by the Committee. The Nominating Committee shall in the first week of March of each year invite nominations from the membership for candidates for election, the closure date for such nominations to be 31 March.
5.5 The Committee shall publish the results of Committee elections during the first week of May each year. The new Committee shall, as soon as is practicable thereafter, elect from amongst its own members the officers of the Committee comprising the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Registrar.
5.7 Members of the Committee shall hold office until they resign their office or retire by rotation or are requested to resign by all the other Committee members acting together.


Resolutions of the Members of The Sackett Family Association approved in March 2008

The above Resolutions were passed by 24 members of the Association voting by email during the period 13 – 31 March 2008. There were no votes against. The amended Constitution of the Association is appended to this Minute.


THE SACKETT FAMILY ASSOCIATION

CONSTITUTION (as amended 31 March 2008)

1. NAME

This association of individuals shall be called The Sackett Family Association. The Association may also be referred to by the initials TSFA.

2. OBJECTIVES

2.1 The objectives of the Association are:
a) To research all historical and genealogical records worldwide relating to the Sackett family and their descendants.
b) To publish and otherwise share research findings amongst the membership.
c) To preserve Sackett data for posterity.

2.2 In furtherance of the above objectives the Association shall:
a) Provide a forum for individuals engaged in Sackett research. In particular the Association shall maintain a Sackett Family web site and an e-mail Discussion List.
b) Maintain and publish a Register of Members.

3. MEMBERSHIP

3.1 Membership shall be open to any individual who:
(a) has a declared interest in the history and genealogy of the Sackett family; and
(b) undertakes to share research findings with other Association members; and
(c) has paid a subscription if any.

3.2 Admission to or removal from membership shall be at the sole discretion of the Committee of the Association.

3.3 Inclusion in the Register of Members shall be evidence of membership.

3.4 The amount of subscriptions if any shall be determined by the Committee and may be levied to meet general or specific expenses. The Association shall be non-profit making.

4. MANAGEMENT OF THE ASSOCIATION

4.1 The actions of the Association shall be governed by this Constitution and by Resolution of the Association decided in accordance with Section 7 of this Constitution.

4.2 All members will have equal status and a single vote in Association affairs.

4.3 The affairs of the Association shall be managed by a Committee of the Association consisting of up to twelve Association members, including a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Registrar.

4.4 The Committee may appoint individual members of the Association as Post Holders to deal with defined tasks, reporting to the Committee on an agreed basis.

4.5 The Committee shall have power to form sub-committees with such delegated powers as it deems fit.

5. ELECTIONS

5.1 Elections of Committee members shall be held annually by private e-mail ballot by simple majority vote of the membership. Election to the Committee shall be for three-year terms designated by the year of retirement (e.g., Class of 2011). Each year one class retires and a new class is elected. If a vacancy occurs in a class, the vacant position in that class will be filled in the next annual election.

5.2 All members shall be eligible for election to the Committee save that sitting Committee members shall not be eligible if election would result in continuous service of more than six years.

5.3 Nominations for election to the Committee shall be dealt with by a Nominating Committee established as a standing sub-committee with a membership appointed by the Committee. The Nominating Committee shall in the first week of March of each year invite nominations from the membership for candidates for election, the closure date for such nominations to be 31 March.

5.4 The Committee shall in the first week of April of each year invite votes from the membership for nominated candidates, the closure date for voting to be 30 April.

5.5 The Committee shall publish the results of Committee elections during the first week of May each year. The new Committee shall, as soon as is practicable thereafter, elect from amongst its own members the officers of the Committee comprising the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Registrar.

5.6 Communications of nominations and of votes shall be via e-mail to an address designated by the Committee.

5.7 Members of the Committee shall hold office until they resign their office or retire by rotation or are requested to resign by all the other Committee members acting together.

6. MEETINGS

6.1 Meetings of the Committee shall be deemed to be validly held by communication by e-mail amongst themselves, subject to reasonable notice where decisions are required.

6.2 Meetings of the Membership shall be deemed to be validly held by communication by e-mail posted to the Sackett Discussion List, subject to reasonable notice where decisions are required.

7. RESOLUTIONS

7.1 A Resolution for action by the Association may be put:
(a) by the Committee; or
(b) by any member in writing to the Committee such proposed Resolution to have the support of at least ten members or one third of the membership whichever is the less.

7.2 Resolutions shall be put to the membership by the Committee and shall be decided by simple majority save that a Resolution to amend this Constitution shall require the approval of two-thirds of the members voting.


Results of the Committee Elections held in April 2008

The following members were elected to serve on TSFA Committee for the ensuing year:

  • President – Don Hertzler
  • Vice President – Tom Smith
  • Secretary – Chris Sackett
  • Registrar – Nancy Siders
  • Historian – Thurmon King
  • Webmaster – Chris Sackett
  • Newletter Editor – Liesa Robarge
  • Mailing Lists Administrator – Nancy Siders
  • Members at Large – Kari Roehl, Sandy Berry, Jean Carpenter, and John Sackett (of NJ).


    • Minutes of a Meeting of The Sackett Family Association held at the Royal Harbour Hotel, Ramsgate, Kent, on 19 September 2008

    Present: Tom Smith (Chairman), Steve & Debbie Barbee, Jean Carpenter, Chris Sackett, George & Arabella Sackett, Mike Sackett, Ralph & Elizabeth Sackett, Michael Trickey, Mary Volberding

    1. Vice President's remarks

    Tom Smith thanked Arabella Sackett on behalf of all those attending for organising what was proving to be a most successful and enjoyable reunion.

    2. Secretary's report

    Chris Sackett reported:

    The duties of the TSFA Secretary have not been defined other than to say that they would include all or any of those functions normally carried out by the Company Secretary in the UK or the Corporate Secretary in the USA of a company.

    In the case of TSFA, this has been interpreted to include the specific functions of:

    • recording Minutes of meetings of the Committee
    • arranging and supervising the elections of officers
    • ensuring, with other officers, compliance with the Constitution of the Association

    as well as carrying out those tasks normally associated with the office of Secretary.

    In the latter months of 2007 and early months of 2008, members devoted considerable effort to a reconsideration of the Constitution of the Association. A number of amendments were agreed in March 2008. These included the composition of the membership of the Committee, terms of office, arrangements for nominations for office, and voting procedures. These procedures will be used in full for the first time at the next election in early 2009.

    3. Webmaster's report

    Chris Sackett reported:

    With the release in 2007 of a new version of the web building program, Second Site, the opportunity was taken to redesign and increase considerably the content of the Association website. Hitherto, the website had been compiled using an earlier version of Second Site to produce Register of Members' pages and genealogical pages taken from the compiler's The Master Genealogist database, and these had been supplemented by pages produced using Microsoft Frontpage. From November 2007, all pages have been produced using the new version of Second Site.

    Current objectives for the website are:

    • to maintain the Register of Members database with its linked Sackett ancestries
    • to post in an easily accessible form research databases of Sackett records, both previously and newly researched
    • to publish a steadily increasing number of genealogical sketches of Sackett ancestors
    • to publish sketches of the English Sacketts, such data not being available elsewhere

    as well as providing for the publication of

    • members' Sackett photographs
    • the Association Newsletter
    • Reunion news

    The website is updated on at least a monthly basis and new content has been added each month during the last year. Amongst the new content have been the picture Gallery and a section on Notable Sacketts.

    During this month the website has been moved from 1&1 Internet to Family History Hosting, a new internet provider set up by the author of Second Site.

    The question of sharing the large number of photographs taken at the reunion was raised. Debbie suggested using Snapfish as a hosting service where photographs can be viewed as a slide show. Chris will check whether it would be possible to link from the website to a Snapfish album.

    4. Registrar's report

    Nancy Siders had reported that there are 213 members of TSFA, of whom 152 are subscribed to the mailing list. She plans to verify the email addresses of the inactive members and to obtain postal addresses where possible for all members. There are 53 non-Association members of the mailing list.

    5. Historian's report

    Thurmon King reported:

    During the past year the number of new individuals entered into the Sackett database has not increased by as large a number as in previous years. Only about 670 individuals have been added. This is due to the fact that much of the growth in the past was a result of researchers submitting their research to be included in the database. Some of those submissions included hundreds of individuals.

    As the number of individuals in the database increases, the number of new individuals in the submissions grows smaller because the earlier generations of the family lines submitted are already in the database. During the past year, most of the new information submitted has consisted of corrections to the information in the database, or adding two or three generations. And adding information to the notes for some individuals.

    Kari Roehl agreed to maintain the database and do some of the work relating to the web site John Lisle is hosting for us. She has been uploading pictures and linking them to the individuals, and entering information in the database. We are still in the process of getting things going smoothly. When we get things going the way we want them to, Kari will be sending updates to John for uploading more regularly. This will make it possible for us to have information, that visitors to the site have submitted, appear on the web site more quickly. The new system should allow me to get caught up on organizing and entering information others have sent to me along with information downloaded as I search the Internet.

    I have used some of the material in my files to submit correct information I found to be incorrect, or incomplete, on web sites visited during some of my searches. Of course, to do this, I have to supply documentation to "prove" that the information I am submitting is accurate. Some of those maintaining the sites accept the information and make the corrections while others don't bother to respond.

    Due to the fact that Google has indexed the web site, as well as indexing the site maintained by Chris Sackett, and the SACKETT mailing list, most of my recent research contacts have come from visitors who find the site through a Google search and post a "Suggested Change" or a "Comment." Copies of these messages go to John, Kari, and me. Therefore, most of the recent growth in the database has been making corrections, adding information for individuals, adding pictures, sources, and source material.

    There have been some contacts that have been unusual and exciting. One was an exchange of messages with an Associated Press reporter seeking information about a Sackett in a story he was writing. Another was a lady doing research on the daughter of Ely Parker, the Native American who married Gen. William Sackett's stepdaughter, Minnie Orton. I have posted reports to the SACKETT mailing list concerning the information gained through these contacts.

    One of the surprises to me has been the continuing effect some of our research projects have produced. In an article published in the last Newsletter I gave an account of the continuing story of Jacob T. Sackett, blacksmith, gun maker, and violin maker. The story to that point is an amazing story that began back in 2001. After the Newsletter was published, I received two messages from individuals who own items made by J. T. Sackett:

    (1) I was contacted by an owner of one of Jacob T. Sackett's rifles.

    Mr. King,

    "I have been trying to do some research on a black powder rifle that has been in our family for several generations and I came across the Sackett family web site as well as your site. I read an article that you had written for the Sackett Family Newsletter in April 2008 about violins that were made by Jacob Sackett in Saegertown Pennsylvania and had touched on him also being a blacksmith and having made some black powder rifles. … As I have been told, the rifle that I now have was originally custom made by Jacob for my great-great grandfather who was small enough that normal firearms were too large for him to handle. This firearm has since been handed down through the family and has not been fired for a couple generations."

    He asked for advice as to how to determine the value of the rifle for insurance purposes.

    (2) I was contacted by an owner of another J. T. Sackett violin:

    "I own a violin made by a J. T. Sackett dated Nov. 9, 1891 #12. My sister received it as a gift from our violin teacher about 15 or so years ago. We lived in Ohio then. I believe my teacher bought the violin from a violin repair shop in Cleveland."

    The owner of the violin sent me pictures of the violin and indicated that she had been thinking of selling it but, after she received the information I had from the other Sackett violin owners who have contacted me, she is having second thoughts about selling it.

    This serves as an illustration of how the information we have grows. I will admit that it has been surprising to me to see how information comes in, one bit at a time, over a period of years. Each little bit of information helping us to know that individual a bit better. And giving us more information to be available for future generations.

    At one of my family gatherings, I was talking about some of my ancestors when someone said: "Thurmon, you talk about them like you know them." I responded with: "I do know some of them." To this my wife, Sylvia, said: "He knows more about people who lived 400 years ago than he does about his own great-grandchildren!"

    I have a desire to "know" the individuals in the database, rather than just having the vital statistics for them. And it is unfortunate that there are those for whom the vital statistics, or just their names, is all we will ever know.

    TSFA was founded to "Research, Share, Preserve." And the object of preserving is to pass on to future generations a better knowledge and understanding of their Sackett ancestors.

    Thurmon King
    Sackett Family Historian

    6. Newsletter Editor's report

    Tom proposed and the meeting agreed to record a vote of thanks to Darlene Sackett who has produced and edited the Newsletter since the formation of the Association in 2003.

    Liesa Robarge reported:

    The TSFA Newsletter is comprised of four newsletters a year. They come out as close to the 1st of January, April, July, and October as possible each year. The newsletter is comprised of articles from all of our cousins who wish to contribute. We would love to see something from all our cousins on both sides of the pond. I need to have articles as soon as possible but if at all possible by the 15th of the month prior to the Newsletter date.

    Some ideas for articles (and pictures when you can) include the following:

    • A short biography from our new members
    • A short article from any member indicating things like: where you live, what type of research materials you have available
    • Report of a Genealogy book or website that you found useful
    • Interesting facts on one of your ancestors
    • Tales from your Childhood – articles either about a childhood experience or of a story related by a relative, that younger generations would not know about
    • An article about any Sackett relative that you think others would be interested in
    • Birth, Marriage, Death announcements
    • Thank you or kudos to other TSFA members who you think have done a good job

    If you are unsure about an article write it up I am sure we can find room for it in one of our newsletters. Please remember that each newsletter has limited space and that we want to try and have a multiple types of articles in each one so your article won't always show up in the next one.

    We are currently desperate for articles, and if I don't get some soon the next newsletter may be very short.

    7. Reunions

    Tom reported that a decision had not yet been made about a location for a possible reunion in 2009 and recent messages indicated that this was on hold. The meeting considered that, due to the amount of planning necessary and the costs of attending, a two-year cycle was to be preferred. It was agreed to refer the matter to the Committee for consideration.

    Following some difficulties with planning this year's event, it was proposed that the Committee be asked to draw up a timetable of key dates in consultation with future Reunion Coordinators so that decisions on matters such as location, dates, and timetable of events may be made in a timely manner, leaving plenty of time for members to make their own plans for attending.

    8. Monument to Simon Sackett

    Lester Sackett and Tom Smith had made efforts with the Cambridge, MA, authorities to arrange for a plaque to the memory of Simon Sackett, one of the town's founders, to be erected. Although no objection had been raised, it was proving difficult to pin the relevant authorities down to a decision. There was still enthusiasm among TSFA membership for this to be done, and raising a collection to cover the cost was not thought likely to be a problem. Tom will continue to pursue the matter.