Awards and Certificates

I watched with pride, my twin daughters receiving their "graduation" certificate from primary school. They move on to "intermediate" school 2012, to prepare them for high school.

Its been a good year for them. Megan was house leader, Amy class captain. Amy was a peer mediator and a road patroller. Both were school librarians. Their netball team came second in the league (a very close nail-biting second). And accordingly, they collected certificates for their contributions.

As human beings rewards of whatever nature they take on are esteemed and held in high regard. Course people often don't set out to do things because they are seeking awards.

At our end of the year, we had our first all-libraries Christmas Party since our libraries amalgamated.

During the event, I watched while dozens of my colleagues throughout the region, were awarded certificates for their outstanding service above and beyond the call of duty. Its been an immensely busy period, and a period of adjustment for us all, with us settling into the amalgamation.

Its always a fabulous gratifying thing when people's hard work is recognised and rewarded by employers and colleagues. You know that your work hasn't go unnoticed and that your efforts are truly valued.

Some companies I've worked for in the past, have had a different culture - they consider that being paid is a reward in itself. And of course that is true too, especially in such lean times when there are alot of people out of work. Other companies may offer bonus schemes.

On a much grander scale, the New Year's Honours List was recently published in the New Zealand Herald and other publications around the world (see also the Government's website).

The genealogy community was very excited to see that Jan Gow, owner of Beehive Books, Hooked on Genealogy Tours and stalwart of the New Zealand Society of Genealogists, had been awarded the Queens Service Awards (QSM) for services to genealogical research.

For us, this is exciting on many levels. We're so pleased for Jan for her own sake.  She's given so much of herself to the genealogical community, and helped so many people with their family history research. And she has given much assistance and support to professionals like myself as well!

She's speaking at the upcoming 13th Australasian Congress of Genealogy and Heraldry in Adelaide run by AFFHO (Australasian Federation of Family History Organisations).

Jan's speaker's profile gives you a snapshot (tip of the iceberg) of her service to date:

Jan Gow has been a genealogist, tutor, author and lecturer at local, national and international levels (and cruise ships) since 1985. She has served on the APG Board and the New Zealand Society of Genealogists as treasurer and president. Owner of Beehive Books (since 1987) and Hooked on Genealogy Tours (since 1992), each year preparing and escorting genealogists to Salt Lake City and the UK. Awarded the AFFHO (Australasian Federation of Family History Organisations) Award for Meritorious Service to Family History in 2006.

Jan's QSM is also exciting to the genealogical community for the community's sake. Don't know if genealogy has ever appeared in the New Year's Honours List before, but it  means a validation of what has always been thought of as a hobby, and a coming-of-age.

Elsewhere in the world, genealogy is being seen as a valid career and many educational and tertiary institutions have qualifications that can be studied for:- ranging from certificates through to degrees, and Phds etc.

This hasn't happened in New Zealand as yet, but hopefully will soon.

In the meantime, we all want to congratulate Jan. She's worked hard at her passion for many many years. This award is so deserving!

From the primary school certificates and awards, right through to the QSM and higher - we all need to celebrate our successes (other people's as well as our own!)