SUMMARY

STATE CHAPTER ORGANIZATION/ACTIVITIES

Submitted by: Rose Marie Jisa, President

Ohio Chapter, SGSI

“Growing up Slovenian” in Girard, Ohio in the ‘40’s was a special treat for this young person! My life was filled with Slovene relatives - grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, Slovene food, Slovene customs, Slovene music - songs and polka dancing, Slovene neighbors, Slovene classmates and Slovene fraternal organizations! I certainly knew my heritage! I was Slovenian!

As I matured, however, I began to wonder whether I did, indeed, know all that I should and could know about my family and about being Slovenian. This is when Al Peterlin and the SGSI came into the picture - in 1984. Since that time, I’ve learned so very much about my heritage, both in America and in Slovenia, that I decided, after retirement, to share this information with others. The Slovenian Genealogy Society International was the vehicle of choice.

In 1997 while living in Florida, I volunteered to become the SGSI State of Florida Chapter President and organized a small group of people in the Naples area. Since that time, I’ve returned to Ohio and have organized two SGSI groups in the Greater Cleveland area - one for Cleveland’s east side residents and one for the west side residents. We meet on a quarterly basis.

My presentation at this first SGSI Convention will focus on organizing and developing State SGSI chapters for the purpose of assisting those who are interested in learning more about their Slovenian ancestry do so in an organized, efficient manner. Among the topics to be discussed will be:

--GETTING STARTED - the who, what, when, where, how, and why of it

--DEVELOPING ORGANIZATIONAL TOOLS

--SELECTING MEANINGFUL ACTIVITIES

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