TIGS Monthly Meeting Notes
November 18th, 2010

TROY IRISH GENEALOGY SOCIETY

Minutes for the November TIGS meeting

In Attendance: Bill McGrath, Grace Keegan Bulger, Noreen Iacohucci, Jan Sullivan, Kelly Grimaldi, Kathleen Maggaillo, Debbie Gilligan, Katie Gilligan, Mike Gilligan, Donna Vaughn, Jeanne Keefe, Kris White, Lizette Strait, Janet Judge, Kris Ayotte

TIGS President Kris Cooney-Ayotte called the meeting to order at 6:45.

Introduced guest Judy Marotta and new TIGS member Janet Judge.

She reported that the Oct. TIGS meeting minutes are posted to the web site. Also discussed Cafe Press an on-line store to have t-shirts, hats, etc. made with the TIGS logo.

Brad Miter reported there are 225 people on the TIGS mailing list.

Lizette Strait, Treasurer reported - Previous balance of $3087.91. Expenses for brochures of $32.10, deposit of $110.00. Petty Cash of $21.63. 83 paid members for 2010. 2011 dues will be due January of 2011. Push will be made to try to increase number of paid memberships.

Kris talked about the recent trip to Ireland and discussed possibility of a future trip to Scotland in 18 months or so.

Donna Vaughn reported there were 158 people on Facebook.

Kris reminded attendees that TIGS will have a table in the Rensselaer County Historical Society for the Troy Victorian Stroll. Several TIGS members manning the table will be dressed in period costumes.

The TIGS newsletter was discussed and Kris again was looking for a volunteer to restart the newsletter.

Bill McGrath, TIGS Project Coordinator reported on:

1. Troy Newspaper Project.

- Have finished another paper, The Troy Post for years 1846 to 1851. Paper has 2,337 deaths (including one for John Jacob Astor) and 2,138 marriage names.

- Now working on 44 years of records for the Troy Daily Whig. Records cover years 1834 to 1878. Transcribing & proofreading already done on years 1834 to 1865 & work is continuing on remaining years.

TIGS member and St. Agnes Cemetery historian, Kelly Grimaldi talked about a tour she was given of the former Germain Presbyterian Church in Watervliet, NY. Kelly indicated how beautiful the stained glass windows were (with lots of memorial names) and she offered to document this church so it can be added to the Church Memorial section of the TIGS website.

Donna Vaughn will be doing a free genealogy workshop on Saturday January 29th to be held in the Map Room at St. Agnes Cemetery, Menands. Kris will provide copies of the TIGS brochure to Donna for handouts at the work shop.

Donna continues to reach out to former attendees at TIGS meetings to encourage more attendance at the monthly meetings. Lizette will provide Don with a copy of the paid membership file.

Jeanne Keefe, TIGS webmaster, reported:

- St. Mary's Cemetery, Troy interment records in Book covering years 1900-1910 has been scanned and discs of scanned pages given to Bill McGrath. Bill thinks the pages will be sent to transcribers starting in January.

- Book 2 of St. Mary's Cemetery records for years 1910-1918 is 50% scanned.

- Jeanne is now building the pages for the 31,000 Rensselaer County Surrogate Court files which will be gong on line shortly.

TIGS member Grace Keegan Bolger donated the following items to TIGS:

- A Visit To Old Troy - In Pictures & Prose. Compiled and edited by H. Irving Moore - 1973

- Troy In The Beginning (Used many years ago in the Troy Schools).

- A Nostalgic Post Card Album of Troy, N Y. Edited by H. Irving Moore - 1971.

- History of the Troy Orphan Asylum 1833-1933 Irving E. Fancher.

Guest Judy Marotta talked about the Waterford, NY Museum's upcoming program in the fall on the Irish. Previous museum programs were on the Italian and the French.

Next meeting will be Thursday December 16 at Moscotello's. TIGS member Mike Gilligan proposed that canned foods be collected again this year for the food pantry at the Rourke Center in Troy.

The meeting was ended at 7:40 on a motion by Jeanne Keefe which was seconded by Mike Gilligan.

Respectfully submitted by Catherine McGrath