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Note: The procedures detailed below was implemented in 2003 by
the Board of Directors. Click here to learn more
about the report submitted to the Board.
Gene Pennington, Research
Director - 5/23/05
Click here to see a sample petition for change to
the JFMF.
Limited Changes can be made to the John French Master
File (JFMF)
The only changes made to the ORIGINAL JFMF are changes to a family group's
"official" description or structure (such as changing a group's progenitor or combining or deleting groups)
or any other significant change to the Family
Groups.
Changes CAN be made to A COPY of the JFMF that has been posted on the PRA's
Members only website hosted by MyFamily.com as well as individual "Family
Trees" (gedcom files) for each known Family Group. Those files can be
changed/added/deleted by the Group Leader and/or Site Administrator.
Refer to the guidelines posted on the PRA's Members only website hosted by
MyFamily.com for details.
Any proposed changes to the ORIGINAL JFMF are submitted for review and
approval unless there is compelling reason to
reject.
The proposed changes are submitted using the "Petition for Changes to the
JFMF" process described on another page.
If the submitted petition for change is approved by the Board, it returns to
the Research Director for
processing as needed; documentation retained in
PRA archives.
If not accepted, the petition for change is returned to
Research Director stating reasons for rejection,
suggestions for re-submission as appropriate.
Suggestions for changes or additions invited
from all members following this process:
Submit to Family Group Leader. (If no Leader,
submit to the Assistant Research Director (ARD) responsible for the JFMF or to
the Research Director).
Include description of suggested change.
Cite your sources and include physical
documentation, if possible, such as copy of
birth certificate, and/or rationale for change.
Reviewed by Family Group Leader, submitted to
Research Committee via the Research Director.
Family Group Leader may also submit suggestions following the same steps.
Research Committee reviews submission
Individual committee members return
recommendation to Research Director
If not accepted, Research Director returns
information to Family Group Leader and
submitter, stating reasons for rejection,
suggestions for re-submission as appropriate
Research Director accepts when committee
consensus is reached
Research Director notifies Family Group
Leader and submitter of acceptance
Submits recommended changes to JFMF and documentation retained in PRA
archives.
Research Director submits petition to the Board for their review and
approval.
Examples of changes to the JFMF and/or Family Groups which must be approved
by the
Board of Directors
1. Change to a Family Group "official" description
(includes the group name, dates and
locations)
2. Change to a Family Group structure
such as combining or deletion of a group or
groups
3. Any other significant change which may
affect the Family Groups
Examples of changes to the JFMF and/or Family
Groups managed by the Research Committee
1. A more detailed narrative of a Family
Group than its' "official" short description which is
approved by the Board. This narrative is used
to describe in more detail the group, its' progenitor, the
dates and locations for the oldest ancestors
and other information to help researchers
understand the genealogy of the group. These
descriptions are used in publications such as
the Pedigrees, the web and CDs.
2. Addition or removal of persons in the COPY of the JFMF maintained on
the PRA Member's only website hosted by MyFamily.com. The ORIGINAL
JFMF database will not be changed and will be maintained as it existed in
2003.
3. Correction or addition of relationships
between individuals in the COPY of the JFMF maintained on the PRA Member's
only website hosted by MyFamily.com. The ORIGINAL JFMF database will
not be changed and will be maintained as it existed in 2003.
4. Correction or addition of dates, places,
or other information in the COPY of the JFMF maintained on the PRA Member's
only website hosted by MyFamily.com. The ORIGINAL JFMF database will
not be changed and will be maintained as it existed in 2003.
5. Removal of incorrect information in the COPY of the JFMF maintained on
the PRA Member's only website hosted by MyFamily.com. The ORIGINAL
JFMF database will not be changed and will be maintained as it existed in
2003.
6. Addition, deletion or correction of
source information in the COPY of the JFMF maintained on the PRA Member's
only website hosted by MyFamily.com. The ORIGINAL JFMF database will
not be changed and will be maintained as it existed in 2003.
7. Addition, deletion or correction of
reference material such as historical
documents or photographs in the COPY of the JFMF maintained on the PRA
Member's only website hosted by MyFamily.com. The ORIGINAL JFMF
database will not be changed and will be maintained as it existed in 2003.
8. Addition, deletion or correction of
images such as individual or family
photographs, geographic locations or similar
images in the COPY of the JFMF maintained on the PRA Member's only website
hosted by MyFamily.com. The ORIGINAL JFMF database will not be changed
and will be maintained as it existed in 2003.
Procedure Clarifications
By John Alan Pennington,
Assistant Research Director, Pennington Research
Association, October 1999
Dear Family Group Leaders,
This is an exciting year for the PRA. We have a
record number of family group leaders who are all
very active, and I expect there will be more as
time passes. The online lists have had some
fascinating exchanges.
You should by now all have read the file from
Gene
Pennington that explained the two types of
petitions you might submit for changes to the John
French Master Files. To reiterate: changes in
family group name or description must be approved
by the board via the research committee; more
specific changes to the JFMF are submitted to the
research committee. Gene's article spells out
examples of each type. Please note that for most
proposals you submit it will not be necessary to
wait for the annual meeting, since they can be
accomplished by e-mail. Gene would like to have
this round of petitions submitted before February
1st.
Some suggestions for your petitions:
(1) Be precise and concise in your language. Too
many words can obscure your meaning.
(2) You MUST consult with your group members if at
all possible. Remember that there are many members
who are not online, and some of them are your best
genealogists.
(3) When you have a proposal ready, send it to
your group members to see what they think. Include
mention of your group's contribution when you
submit a proposal.
(4) A good format is: List concisely each fact
that supports your belief. Discuss the meaning of
these facts, either directly after their listing,
or in a summary argument at the end. Don't forget
to mention possible counter-arguments, and explain
why you reject them.
(5) Remember that your audience, the research
committee, will not likely be familiar with the
details of your group. Your proof must logically
support your argument and disprove or at least
weaken counter-arguments, it must do so solely on
the basis of what you present, and your reasoning
must be readily apparent.
(6) When all is said and done, though, we all know
perfection is unlikely in this field. What we seek
is not perfection, but improvement in the master
files using the best documented information we can
find. Every supported item and every deleted error
makes the genealogy stronger.
Several group members have opened their own web
pages, all of which are works-in-progress, and all
of which look great. Be sure to peek at them.
Page Last Updated:
05/31/2010
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