will be required to prove their lineage. The preliminary contact with a state society for most
prospective GSMD members is the State Historian. This was true when I first joined the GSMD via the
Western Colony of the Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of Pennsylvania and when I
later joined SMDNM as a dual member. My thanks to former Historian Justine Laquer for greasing the
tracks and for assisting me in submitting ten supplemental lines. Also, my thanks to my immediate
predecessor, Bill Ashbey, who trained me for this position. Specifically, as State Historian, I serve as
the interface between our society and the GSMD. Most members know the State Historian’s function
is to process new members. Specifically, we work with the applicants to generate the strongest
possible application, which we then submit to the GSMD Historian General for approval.
In cases where an application is deemed to require strengthening we are notified by Plymouth so
that we can work with the applicant toward remediation. As State Historian, I am also required to
keep the GSMD informed of changes in a member’s membership status. My responsibilities also
include maintenance of both historical records and membership roles. The SMDNM is fortunate to
have the help of Justine Laquer, who volunteers her skills and knowledge in this latter area.
Particularly rewarding is winning the approval of a prospective member’s application. Fortunately
the task of proving lineage is greatly simplified due to the wide availability of the Mayflower Families
Through Five Generations volumes which are published and sold by the GSMD. These books, also
known as the “Silver Books,” are available in the Albuquerque Special Collections Library and have
been donated by SMDNM members. Also, The GSMD Library makes available to state librarians and
applicants copies of previously approved applications that often contain valuable document
references. This is possible since the GSMD Library retains submitted applications along with their
documentation in a vault for safe-keeping. (It should be noted that, for the sake of privacy, when
transmitting copies of these applications, the GSMD Library blocks out members’ personal data as
well as the more recent documentation references.) Once known, the relevant references may be
cited in new applications.
Worth mentioning is the fact that the GSMD research group has taken on the task of performing
preliminary lineage validations for individuals who submit queries to the GSMD over its website.
When the query lineages are found to be promising, they are then passed on to me so that I may
contact the prospective members.
To date, most of our new members are the relatives of existing members. These applications require
less research, generally limited to documentation that supports events of the most recent
generation. It should be noted, however, that documentation used in older applications is NOT
necessarily sufficient as proof for a new one. The old saying amongst state historians is “each
application must stand on its own,” which means that it must be complete in its own right.
Not all applications are easy! Some applications are much tougher to document since they require
the applicant to locate and obtain the documentation of ancestral events such as births, marriages,
and deaths either from pertinent governmental agencies or from data bases that are now available
over the internet or from library collections. The suitability for GSMD purposes of much of what is
available is a subject for another article. But some records are simply not available! Our ancestors
simply did not leave a big enough “footprint.” Anyone who has performed genealogy research is well
aware of both the exhilaration of success and the exasperation of encountering “stone walls.” It is
one thing to “know” your ancestry but another to prove it to a degree that meets the standards of
the GSMD. In such cases all the applicant and I can do is to make best case using the documentation
at hand.
In short, I view the effort required to succeed in this position to be both rewarding and challenging!
Kaitlen Diane Glover of Grady, New Mexico was chosen as
winner of the 2010-2011 New Mexico Mayflower scholarship.
Kaitlen was the Valedictorian of her high school graduating
class. The committee members were impressed by Kaitlen’s
future plans and past achievements. Faith Edwards, Governor,
presented the Mayflower scholarship to her at the Grady
graduation ceremonies in May. Kaitlen is pursuing a Bachelor of
Arts degree in counseling and psychology at New Mexico State
University. She hopes to become a high school counselor. She
also has plans for graduate school.
Scholarship committee members are Lois Hall of Albuquerque,
Arleen Krippene of Pine Hill, Elizabeth Lester of Albuquerque,
and Jael Raymond of Farmington, and Del Dyche of Lubbock,
Texas.
Donations to the scholarship fund are tax deductible. Please mail
them to Alan Bradford, Treasurer, 122 Park Avenue, Santa Fe,
NM 87501-1833. The 2011-2012 scholarship amount is $600.
winner of the 2010-2011 New Mexico Mayflower scholarship.
Kaitlen was the Valedictorian of her high school graduating
class. The committee members were impressed by Kaitlen’s
future plans and past achievements. Faith Edwards, Governor,
presented the Mayflower scholarship to her at the Grady
graduation ceremonies in May. Kaitlen is pursuing a Bachelor of
Arts degree in counseling and psychology at New Mexico State
University. She hopes to become a high school counselor. She
also has plans for graduate school.
Scholarship committee members are Lois Hall of Albuquerque,
Arleen Krippene of Pine Hill, Elizabeth Lester of Albuquerque,
and Jael Raymond of Farmington, and Del Dyche of Lubbock,
Texas.
Donations to the scholarship fund are tax deductible. Please mail
them to Alan Bradford, Treasurer, 122 Park Avenue, Santa Fe,
NM 87501-1833. The 2011-2012 scholarship amount is $600.
Kaitlen Diane Glover Wins Scholarship
Kaitlen Diane Glover
. of Grady, New Mexico
. of Grady, New Mexico
New Mexico Mayflower Society Happenings |
Dave Patek—The State Historian’s Corner My name is Dave
Patek and I have just begun one of the really rewarding volunteer
positions available in the Society of Mayflower Descendants in the
State of NM, that of the NM State Historian. I really enjoy meeting
individuals as they apply for General Society of Mayflower
Descendants membership and begin locating the documentation that
Dave Patek, Historian
drpatek@gmail.com
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