ON A RELATED NOTE
A Message from HCGS President, Thomas M. Goss
July 4, 2026
If you are reading this, you have found it through our brand-new Howard County Genealogical Society Website that went live and online at the stroke of midnight, June 3rd. More than four months of effort were put into this by the Web Development Team led by our new Web Administrator Rick Vessels and his collaborators, Jerry Kissel and Mike Noble and they are eager for you to take a look! The Team should be commended for their efforts, especially Rick who was the principal designer, developer and contributor to the site. The quality and amount of effort that went into the site is evident and we will all benefit from it for years to come! Be sure to attend the upcoming Monthly Meetings when Rick offers Tips and Trick on using the site – as well as some hidden secrets and shortcuts!
With that in mind, allow me to introduce our new website “Guide, Navigator, and Genealogical Companion”, HCGS’s own Howard, the Genie (as in ‘genealogist’), a brand character created by Rick for the website – and the Society – to add a face and a memorable style to our organization as well as some new functionality. Adding a little personality and fun to the web site should make both new members and website veterans feel comfortable and at home. The new system is logically oriented and well organized, so it should be easier to navigate than the old. Give it a try – and let us know what you think! Howard is guaranteed to make you smile at least once or twice!
On a different front, the Society held a great, informal, in-person get-together at Oscar’s Ale House in Woodstock on June 7, that was attended by more than twenty-five HCGS members and spouses. What a great turnout! We kibbitzed, told stories, introduced ourselves to some new folks, carried on with old friends and generally enjoyed each other’s company – something we had not been able to do in a very long time! The attendees agreed that we need to do this more often and set a target date in November for the next gathering at Oscar’s! Keep an eye on the HCGS website Events page for that November outing! And thanks to Mike Noble for making the arrangements – good choice, Mike!
We are now in our 50th year as an organization, and not only is the new website a great way to celebrate, in the upcoming fiscal year that began on July 1, 2026, we will have many other things to celebrate as well. For example, we already have a full schedule of educational and informative programs for our meetings put together by our Program Director, Jerry Kissel.
The Society has a new display for the month of July on the first floor of the Miller Branch of the Howard County Library that was expertly curated by Dee Brown, Sherry Walther, and Tom Flynn. Please stop by to view it, where you can also see the new HCGS Brochures created by Rick Vessels. These brand new brochures, in addition to nicely complementing this display, are packed with information in an inviting format, about joining our Society of helpful and friendly genealogists, as well as introducing the world to Howard, the Genie (Howard does get around, doesn’t he!).
Many more of our members have contributed to the upcoming Fifty/Two Fifty celebration in various ways and If I have left out your name, my apologies! Volunteerism is the key pillar of our Society and I don’t want to diminish that by leaving anyone out. So, if I have neglected to include your name or your contribution, my apologies, but a big THANK YOU! You are the core of our Society.
If you are interested in learning more about the Society and you want to find ways you can contribute, please let us know. As you know, we are a society of volunteers, and we have tried to keep our dues and membership fees low, so we can always, always use your help, your in-kind contributions – and it is appreciated more than you know! Our current plans are to celebrate the 50th anniversary of our society in October with some events, presentations, and publications, and we will appreciate your help. If you like to give presentations, or have family stories, or Howard County stories, or inspiring stories, please get in touch – we’d love to hear from you. And you can reach us at Howard@hcgsmd.org. Always.
Happy ancestor hunting,
Thomas M. Goss
President, Howard County Genealogical Society