[StoriesForever]

Hi all, Great thread! I've always loved stories and family, and as a child would dig through the big bag of family photos that my mum had in the closet--no scrapbook or album etc, just lots of vivid images of family members I knew very little about. My interest in all those stories eventually led me to become volunteer coordinator of a program that helped 10- to 12-year-olds get interested in oral history. We brought in a dozen older people to be interviewed, never knowing what questions would come up! Both kids and the successful community member interviewees loved it. My thought is, maybe we parents could help our kids conduct their first "interview" of grandparents or other relatives, favorite teachers etc. Usually we do genealogy research ourselves, but with just a little coaching the kids could do it. It's nothing exotic, really; back when people lived in extended families different generations talked like this without any prompting. (There are dozens of question ideas I came up with, some of which our children might like to ask interest them. Then just let them ask and record or write down what answers they get) Not only does this give you great material for a scrapbook, if it's transcribed or even recorded. It also helps the two generations connect, gives the interviewees a feeling of value because their "mundane" experiences maybe aren't really so mundane, and will increase kids' interest in creative writing. There has even been research suggesting that talking about personal experiences may slow some medical problems. Anyway, I'd love to put my experiences to good use and share them, if anyone is interested in trying this at home. Meanwhile, everyone please give your kids an extra hug from the rest of us in this thread! Thanks for your interest and possibly comments.

[dgbayliss]

All

StoriesForever has a fantastic concept here. Many people have executed such projects previously, but few manage to see the project through to the final product (transgenerational education [aka cultural transfer], which takes many many years).

StoriesForever gets a neat "pat on the back" from me and should be commended by all readers for taking action to preserve not only family-heritage, but socio-cultral heritage though the application of traditional paedagogical methodologies. Education is cultural, therefore what children and adults are exposed to on a daily basis is retained - at least in some fashion.

It is important to remember where we came from, and also important to look at where we are, AND where we are going. "Ain't life grand??", as not only are we remembering OUR past, but the past actions of those that influenced our ancestors lives to make us who we are.

Please take an hour a week to explain your ancestral line (dirt, grime, warts and all). Please remember that our ancestors lived, we are living, and our decendents are yet to live.

David Bayliss

[swt1899]

My grandmother traced her ancestors (with the help of a long line of family pack rats) to around 1089 in England/Scotland. Oddly enough I found that I am related to te original William Wallace (yes, from the movie Braveheart). I also had ancestors who were the knights of the kings and queens at that time. My grandmother kept everything! I have the original wedding invitation of her parents (dated 1900) and a picture of my great grandfather proposing to my great grandmother. They were wearing these HUGE hats, dresses and coats of the era. I am so glad she started all this. Otherwise I wouldn't have the foggiest idea on where to start! It is so neat to see where your roots are. The other side of my family has been traced back to the mid 1850's in the German area of Europe. The Wendish people. They were persecuted by the locals because of their language and being part of the newly founded Lutheran Church. They sailed across the Atlantic and landed at Galveston Texas. They had to spend 3 months on the ship before they could set foot on American soil. All due to immigration procedures. Sadly many died on the voyage and in the wait in the bay. It makes you appreciate who your family is and where they have come from.