Ask Granny is an innovative genealogical outreach program especially designed to be presented by local Genealogical Society members aiming at seniors. “Granny” spoke recently at Lincoln Gardens Retirement Village in Marian Drive, Port Macquarie in a workshop led by Pauline Every and Gwen Grimmond of Port Macquarie & Districts Family History Society.
There were a great group of 12 people with amazing stories to tell and they were given the tools to help them chart their family history. This was the third workshop we have run, the others being at Dahlsford in Port Macquarie and Bundaleer in Wauchope.
The ‘Ask Granny’ sessions were created by an American couple in 2009 and we are excited that our Society is the first to hold them in New South Wales, thanks to a much appreciated grant from Port Macquarie Hastings Council which enables us to provide the materials at no cost to the seniors. The Society members provide their expertise free of charge, and travel to each lifestyle village to present the hour-long workshops. “Making the process simpler and simpler is what ‘Ask Granny’ is all about,” says Wendy Anson, the Co-ordinator of the local program.
The program provides a simple and fun way to help seniors to record critical family history details about their family on paper before that information is eventually lost — no computers are involved. We give the participants pencils with erasers so that there is no fear about mistakes — they can easily be corrected. We encourage them to store their completed charts with their other important papers so that family members will never have to wonder, ‘Why didn’t we ask Granny about that?’. Despite the name, men are equally welcome to attend. In fact, at two of the first three workshops, there have been a number of Grandpas attending and they are very welcome.
“The maximum number of participants for each session is 12, so that each senior can be given one-on-one help in filling out their family history charts. The whole thing is meant to be something that they take back and pull out every so often as they remember something or come across some photo or document,” said Wendy.
The feedback from the Activity Directors has been positive. As one said: “We’re really keen on having activities that cause people to be able to talk to each other, to tell each other their stories, and to be known within their community.”
The PM&D FH Society, which has around 200 members, provides a range of genealogical services and resources, as well as a regular journal. We operate from the Port Macquarie Library in Grant Street, where volunteers are available in the Local Studies/Family History room at the library each Tuesday morning and afternoon, as well as Wednesday afternoon, to assist members, locals and visitors.
We are scheduling sessions for the latter part of the year for senior citizen groups in the Port Macquarie Hastings area. Please contact Wendy Anson for details about having an ‘Ask Granny’ session for your senior group. Email: pmdfhs_memberinfo@yahoo.com.au or Phone 6582 1742.
