U.S. ARBUTHNOT FAMILY ASSOCIATION

NEWSLETTER - November 2000

Officers of the USA Arbuthnot Family Association:
As elected in Omaha, NB October, 2000
Chairman: Allan Arbuthnot
Chair-elect: Caroline Burtt
Vice-Chairman: Russell Parker
Treasurer: John Orsborn
Secretary: Phyllis Jones
Newsletter editor:Vickie Jones
Genealogist: Betsy Henry

Genealogy report as of August 2000, Betsy Henry
My work for the past 2-1/2 years has been focused on several large projects:

1. I have completed a working index of all individuals listed in my material, including full names, place and year of birth, and names of parents and spouses. This document consists of over 14.5 thousand names. It is useful to me when I receive inquiries, in order to determine where to find information to help answer the requests. I have brought it with me, if anyone would care to see it. However, it is not available for distribution at this time, because the page numbering is constantly changing.

2. In July 1999 I got a new computer, which enables me to do more than was possible before that. However, it has also made it necessary to consider converting my material into a different format. I have been working with Sir William Arbuthnot in London who found the information I needed to do the conversion to Microsoft Word without having to retype everything. I am also gradually entering my data into Family Tree Maker files. This is a commercial genealogy program which can generate a greater variety of reports more easily than possible in a word processing program. I am not sending this information to any Internet website. This process is very time-consuming and I work on it between other tasks. I have brought with me a sample of a format I am considering.

3. I have been active in answering many inquiries through the Internet, and have written some information for the Arbuthnot website maintained by Sir William Arbuthnot and Lani Erie. Although this has increased my workload, having e-mail has also enhanced my efforts to gather information and respond to requests.

4. Because of my efforts in the above directions, combined with a desire to have a non-genealogy life at times, I have not yet begun to actively seek material for the next update. When I finish entering material into Family Tree Maker files, I plan to get started on the updating.

5. Sir William is interested in putting pre-1900 genealogy material on the Internet. My opinion is that information on living people should not be included, as a privacy matter, and I believe that he agrees with this.

6. The Arbuthnot genealogy bank account, as of Aug. 8, 2000, has a balance of $504.31. Cash on hand is $31.60. Total: $535.91.

 Minutes of the Last Meeting
General Meeting Clarion Hotel Carlisle, Omaha, Nebraska,
7 October 2023

The meeting was called to order by the chairman, Liz Hunt. The minutes of the May 1998 meeting in Spokane, Washington were read by the secretary, Glenn Arbuthnot, and were approved.

Since Glenn has resigned, an election was held for the position of secretary. Phyllis P. Jones of Bellevue, Washington was nominated and elected secretary, with her daughter, Vickie Jones, newsletter editor.

A discussion was held about electing the next vice chairman, to assume office in 2004. Although it was felt that this chairman should be from the middle of the USA, there was no one from the area able to serve. Russell Parker, who lives in Georgia, was then nominated and elected.

The reports of the treasurer, John Orsborn, and genealogy compiler, Betsy Henry, were read and submitted. A question was raised as to whether Betsy plans to send in our genealogy to Family Tree Maker for inclusion on the Internet. This is not going to be done, as it is felt that putting personal information on living persons on the Internet is an invasion of privacy.
Old business consisted of a discussion of the August 2000 draft of the proposed bylaws. A change was made in Section 5.1, to allow more flexibility in scheduling meetings in years when the U.S. and Scotland both have gatherings. A discussion followed, on the subject of how life members' $10 yearly dues are used. It was brought out that the newsletter expenses are not the only costs: the treasurer has operating expenses, and at the time of the next genealogy updating effort there may be a need for money from the treasury to help support this. The bylaws were adopted, and copies will be sent to the membership in the next newsletter.

Under new business, a resolution was proposed by John Orsborn that Margaret Arbuthnot Ridall, first genealogy gatherer for the Association and author of the four volumes of Arbuthnots in North America, be appointed an honorary member of the U.S. Arbuthnot Family Association. The proposal was approved by the Board and by the members present at the meeting. A certificate will be sent to Margaret, in appreciation for her many years of work on behalf of the Arbuthnot family.

Christy Bing, sister of the Viscount of Arbuthnott in Scotland, offered greetings from the family. She stated that Keith Arbuthnott, the Master of Arbuthnott, will be the host for the next Arbuthnott gathering in Scotland, which will probably be held 17/18 August 2002, possibly coinciding with the Braemar Highland Games or the Edinburgh Festival.

Our new chairman is Allan Arbuthnot of Lake Alfred, Florida. A discussion was held regarding the fact that 2002 is the scheduled year for our next U.S. gathering as well as the gathering in Scotland. Although the chairman has the option to postpone the U.S. meeting to the following year, Allan said he prefers to hold the meeting 24-27 May of 2002 in Orlando, Florida, and this is the current plan. Members may want to start saving now for both gatherings.

The meeting was adjourned and was followed by an illustrated and humorous talk by Christy Bing's husband, Peter Bing, on "Tracing your Ancestry." He presented general information on doing genealogy for those researching non-Arbuthnot immigrant ancestors from Great Britain.
Respectfully submitted,
Betsy Henry, Acting Secretary

Treasurer's report
Financial Status Report
September 2, 2023
John Orsborn, Treasurer

Beginning balance, August 5, 1998,
transferred from Clarence Arbuthnot $3228.50
Receipts   $1475.00
Disbursements $1689.52
Ending balance, September 2, 2023 $3013.98

Obituary
A memorial service was held for Mrs. Mary Ruth Gray on Monday, September 27, 1999, who died from complications of colon cancer. Mary Ruth was born July 1, 2024 in Orlando, FL to Roy C.and Mary Louise Arbuthnot McCracken. She was a magna cum laude graduate of Rollins College, and taught for 20 years at Westridge Jr. High. She is survived by her husband, John L. Gray, Jr., two daughters, Elaine Gray and Ellen Tucker, two brothers Roy and Dean McCracken, and two grandsons, Zachary and Andrew Tucker.
;
Mary Ruth's brother, Roy sent this comment:
Two years ago my sister and my aunt, Edith Hayes, attended their first Arbuthnot Family Gathering in Spokane, WA. They never forgot the wonderful people they met. The good news is that I will be taking her place as a new member of the Clan!

Subject: Guest list for Omaha weekend
MEMBERS AND GUESTS WHO ATTENDED ALL OR PART OF THE OMAHA GATHERING
(Numbers represent Genealogy Table designations)
A. Allan Arbuthnot, Florida, 1
Sandy and Clarence "Lefty" Arbuthnot, Indiana, 58
C.Donald Arbuthnot, Florida, 1
David M. Arbuthnot, Wisconsin, 4
Evelyn Sahs Arbuthnot, Nebraska, 1
Barbara and Glenn S. Arbuthnot, California, 1
James "Jim" C. Arbuthnot, Nebraska, 1
Allister "Al" and Joyce Arbuthnott, Ontario, Canada, 7
Thelma Grubbs Barnes, Oklahoma, 1
Peter and Christy Arbuthnott Bing, Scotland, E
Marc and Kay Byram Brunner, Utah, 1
Caroline Arbuthnot Burtt, California, 1
Susan Orsborn Chacon, California, 1
Diane Arbuthnot Condreay, Nebraska, 1
Ruth Conklin Denney, Nebraska, 1
Oletha Lowe Gill, Oklahoma, 1
Deborah Denney Kohler, 1
Rich and Mary Susan "Brownie" Moellering Hayek, Colorado, 1
Edith Arbuthnot Hayes, Nevada, 3
Elizabeth "Betsy" Ridall Henry, Colorado, 2
Neal and Elizabeth Arbuthnot Hunt, Nebraska, 1
Lloyd and Marie Lemke, friends of Neal and Liz Hunt
Bob and Jo Ann Arbuthnot Mardis, Indiana, 58
Stan and Donna Woody Matthews, Arizona, 59
Roy C. McCracken, Florida, 3
E. Theodore "Ted" Moellering, Nebraska, 1
Ruth and John S. Orsborn, California, 1
Libby and Russell J. Parker, Georgia, 1
Irene Russell, friend of Al and Joyce Arbuthnott
Marjorie Byram Russo, Washington, 1

Letters to the Editors:
There is no doubt in my mind that the internet is going to be massively useful in the future, in helping families keep in touch, stitch together their genealogies, share news, etc. It already is. It is being enormously useful to Betsy and me in enticing members of the family to get in touch with us, from which point on they show gratitude at the information that is available and minor irritation when we still don't know from whom one of their ancestors may be descended. Occasionally someone mentions a source we did not previously know about, suggesting a fresh line of enquiry and sometimes visitors enquire after Arbuthnots of whom I, at any rate, have not previously heard. It gave me particular pleasure to hear from Martine Arbuthnott, gggdaughter of Alexandre Arbuthnott (both of Haiti), for the first time. I will be glad when we have been able, between us, to find out more about this fresh "branch". The search engines on and off our "top" site reveal what visitors are looking for, and suggest additional links or information that visitors would like to be able to find out about.

Since there is an ever increasing number of people using the internet on a daily basis, Secretaries / newsletter editors might feel it might be helpful if ALL letters sent to members in the future were always to contain: -
(1) The email address of the Secretary (if he/she has one) [or Genealogist] AND
(2) The address of the website - in the USA & Canadian cases, the website of the relevant country rather than "the top site" (meaning https://www.arbuthnot.org)
{The principle purpose of this is to encourage members to provide feedback - one useful form of feedback being telling us about major or minor errors} and
(3) A request for fresh events, dates, etc. USA and Canadian members have to date been much better than UK members at providing these (although UK members have been asked to give them). To put it differently, west of London, the Genealogists have historically been more persistent, more industrious, more tactful and more effective than has London.

And when members are asked to respond with a form, you may think it would be useful if they were as a matter of course always invited to fill in their email address on the form as well as the more general response questions.

Sir William Arbuthnot, Bt

A word of thanks:
Your newly elected Secretary and Newsletter editor had planned on making the Omaha gathering. However, life interfered while we were making our plans. In our absence Betsy Henry kindly and expertly took the minutes for us, obtained the list of attendees, and a copy of the bylaws. Thanks so much, Betsy!

A word of Warning:
According to the by-laws passed in Omaha, in October, no newsletters will go out to members after a member is six (6) months in arrears.  As a courtesy, we are sending this newsletter out to members who have paid through 1999. To renew your dues, please contact John Orsborn, Association treasurer. He will contact Vickie when dues have been received. (These addresses are on the first page of this newsletter.)