Recently, I was looking through some old issues of the SFAQ (Sheldon Family Association Quarterly) and came across an interesting article written by the SFA President in 2010 titled “Are We Dying?” The article discussed the decline in genealogical organizations and the difficulty of attracting younger members.

What struck me was that these same questions were being asked 16 years ago — and we’re still having the same conversations today! Are organizations such as the Sheldon Family Association still relevant? Genealogy is probably more popular than ever, so why do organizations like ours struggle to attract new members, especially younger ones?

Part of the answer may lie in the ease of finding information on the internet. Why join an organization when you can sit at home and find names, dates, documents, photographs, and family trees with just a few clicks?  

I don’t pretend to have all the answers. But I have been involved in several organizations similar to ours, and nearly all Sheldon Family Association Quarterly of them have struggled with membership and finding people willing to take leadership roles. What once might have been considered an honor — serving on a board or volunteering for an organization — too often has become something people try to avoid.

Yet I believe organizations like the SFA are still very relevant. The internet and AI are incredibly useful tools for genealogical research, but they can’t replace getting together with people who share a common interest and connection. Genealogy is about much more than copying names, dates, and documents from an internet source and adding them to a family tree. It is also about understanding the lives of the people who came before us, visiting the places where they lived, and sharing what we discover with others.

Our recent reunion in “Deerfield” reunion is a perfect example. I put Deerfield in quotation marks because, while that was our primary historical destination, our hotel and meeting location were about 40 minutes away in Springfield, Massachusetts. The reunion became a multi-state event when we ventured into Connecticut as well!

In historic Deerfield, Massachusetts, we were able to tour the John Sheldon House. Because of the Sheldon family’s long history there, we Sheldons were treated almost like royalty. Well, maybe not royalty — but it certainly felt as though the Sheldon name gave us a little “street cred” in Deerfield.

We spent time cleaning Sheldon gravestones in Southampton, Massachusetts, an activity that is always rewarding and greatly appreciated by cemetery caretakers. It is one thing to read the name of an ancestor in a database. It is quite another to stand at that person’s grave, clean the stone, and help preserve it for future generations.

We were also welcomed into the home of SFA member Charlie Fisher, whose ancestor, Israel Sheldon, built the house in the 1700s. Imagine being able to walk through a home built by your ancestor nearly 300 years ago — or, better yet, restoring and living in that very home. Lane Dolly addresses SFA’s annual meeting

From there, we ventured to West Suffield, Connecticut, where we saw the Captain Jonathan Sheldon House, built in 1723 and, appropriately enough, located on Sheldon Street. We also toured the King House, a historic 1764 colonial home now operated as a museum by the West Suffield Historical Society.

The week was capped off with a wonderful presentation by Lane Dolly, a Sheldon descendant and SFA member, who spoke about the book she wrote chronicling the life of her great-great- grandmother, Hattie Sheldon.

These are the kinds of experiences you will never have simply sitting behind a computer. We were also able to spend time with fellow Sheldons, share stories and discoveries, and make connections that can last a lifetime.

So, are organizations like the SFA still relevant? I believe they are — but only if we continue to participate in them. If you have never attended one of our reunions, I hope you will consider joining us in the future. Better yet, encourage other Sheldons in your family to join as well. Talk to your children, grandchildren, cousins, siblings, nieces, and nephews!

The future of the Sheldon Family Association will depend on our ability to share not only the names and dates of our ancestors, but also the excitement of discovering their stories together. That sense of history, connection, and camaraderie is something the internet can help us discover—but only an organization like the SFA can help us experience it together.

I would especially like to thank Libby Wilson and Bob Sheldon for all the work they put into organizing the reunion. Their efforts gave those of us who attended an opportunity to experience Sheldon history in a way that simply cannot Page 1676 Sheldon Family Association Quarterly be duplicated from behind a computer screen. We’re planning to have the next reunion in Ohio so stay tuned!

Kevin is a Richard 22 descendant, and his Sheldon Number is S8493x6522.