Archival project underway for Clan Gunn
Abb Gunn, world genealogist of Clan Gunn, has undertaken a project to reconstruct the Old Parish Records in Scotland for clan sept names. The records are gathered from the International Genealogical Index, the Scottish Genealogy Society, and the 1881 British Census. The need is indicated by the lack of records in specific areas for specific names.

The completion of the records will appear in both diskette form and hard copy and will be records of christenings, marriage banns, and death dates where found in a centralized record book format. The records will prove invaluable to researchers who have found sept connection to Clan Gunn in Scotland.

Gunn is concentrating primarily in the north of Scotland, the seat and origin of Clan Gunn - Caithness, Sutherland, Orkney, and Shetland. Records are also being gathered in Inverness (military sites), Edinburgh, Glasgow, England, Wales, and the remainder of Scotland from the 1881 census of those born in the North.

A second project is the gathering of all Federal census records for all states for the sept names. Of first priority is the period 1850-1920. Records before 1850 will follow. These records will, like the Scottish ones, be on diskette and hard copy placed in convenient locations.

A future undertaking will be the archiving of immigration records, naturalization records, draft registration records and others that become available from various sources. The hope is that the Clan Gunn Archives will not only serve as a chronicle of the history of Clan Gunn, but be a research tool of value to clan members.

Clan Shaw Society announces appointments
The Clan Shaw Society recently made the following appointments:
Cynthia G. Shaw was named convener for Alaska.
Sandra M. Shaw was named convener for Nova Scotia.
John Andrew Shaw was named society quartermaster and convener for Virginia.
Information on the Clan Shaw Society may be obtained from William C. Shaw, Secretary, 1121 North Quail Lane, Gilbert, Arizona 85233.

Tax exempt status given for the John Logie Baird Scholarship Fund
Dale F. Baird, Sr., president of Clan Baird Society Worldwide, has just announced that the Internal Revenue Service has given final approval for a tax exempt status for the John Logie Baird Scholarship Fund.

The Fund has been established for the purpose of providing a full scholarship to a qualified student in the United States or Canada, who wishes to pursue one of six postgraduate programs at the John Logie Baird Institute for Vision Technology at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland. The individual will be using the new Virtual Environment Laboratory (VAL), which combines the world's most powerful computer visualization technologies to provide a unique reality experience.

The VEL has been established and is managed by the research group ABACUS of the Department of Architecture at the University. ABACUS has over 30 years experience researching issues surrounding computer graphics and visualizing.

The Fund and the Institute, takes their name from John Logie Baird, the pioneer of television who attended the University.

Gloria Teles Pushker writes new book: Toby Belfer Visits Ellis Island
Toby Belfer's great-grandmother's family lived happily in a small town in Poland. When a group of soldiers came into the town and threatened its inhabitants, the family decided to leave. It was hard coming to America in 1904. All of the passengers, including people from all over Europe, were nervous about learning English and adapting to the new laws and customs. As they arrived, all the immigrants had to form lines and answer question after question before they could see a doctor and be on their way. As Toby's grandmother tells her story about their family's history, Toby gets especially excited about visiting Ellis Island on her upcoming vacation.

Gloria Teles Pushker has written this book as part of a series, which includes Toby Belfer Never Had a Christmas Tree, Toby Belfer's Seder: A Passover Story Retold, Toby Belfer and the High Holy Days, and A Belfer Bar Mitzvah.

For more information regarding Gloria Teles Pushker's books, readers may contact the Promotion Department of Pelican Publishing Company, PO Box 3110, Gretna, Louisiana 70054 or telephone (504)-368-1175.

Severe floods often inundated Louisiana, and just recently Hurricane Isabel, have caused flooding up the east coast. In the southwest Louisiana area, the flood of 1953 was the worst in many years. In 1957 flood waters caused by the devastating Hurricane Audrey also wreaked havoc in southwest Louisiana.

Floods also damage property in October and November of 2002, and we can expect the rivers and bayous to rise in the annual spring floods each year. Floods cause damage to property, livestock and homes. Family heirlooms and other valuables are damaged by rain, rising water and the silt deposited by the water.

The following recommendations may help clean, treat or restore water damaged items. However, there are no guarantees that any of these procedures will work in every case.

Photographs and paper items are particularly vulnerable to water, and damage may be permanent. patience and care are the key words for the cleaning process. Wear latex or rubber gloves while treating the water-damaged items; you do not know what germs may be lurking in the dirt or flood water.

1. Try to carefully clean off as much of the silt and water as possible. Rinse photographs with clear water, touching only the borders. Blot other wet items with paper towel, trying to get off as much grime as possible. Do not rub or scrub, as dirt may scratch items. Use a soft, wet rag or paper towel to clean objects, rinsing the cloth often. Blot again.
2. Air dry item face up, if possible, or dry with soft rags or paper towel. Avoid direct sunlight and high heat, which may fade, buckle or warp objects. Use fans, air conditioners and dehumidifiers to reduce humidity and prevent mold and mildew.
3. Do not store wet objects in plastic bags; this will cause mold and mildew. If it is necessary to transport the water-soaked item in a plastic container, do not seal the bag or box.
4. If the wet items begin to fall apart or break, put the pieces in carefully labeled, unsealed plastic bags. Do not try to repair or restore until items are completely dry. In some cases it may be necessary to consult a professional cleaner, restorer or conservator.
5. Documents and works of art should be removed from frames, if possible, and air-dried. If items need to be professionally restored, keep them in a refrigerator or freezer.
6. Except for household surfaces, avoid the use of disinfectants, which may stain or damage object.
Source: Kinfolks, Volume 27, Number 3, September 2003; Southwest Louisiana Genealogical Society, Inc., PO Box 5652, Lake Charles, Louisiana 70606-5652.

Searching for information about ALPHONSO MACDONALD. Please contact Robert W. Macdonald, 2026 North Cascade Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80907.

ROBERTSON, ROBERT: Where in North Carolina might the ROBERTSON Families coming early from Scotland, I believe from Argyll, have settled? I believe our ROBERTSON Families came early to North Carolina, settling on the eastern coast area. I believe as early as 1715 or 1745. Might this be the area the Families settled? My grandfather ROBERT ROBERTSON, one of the youngest, if not the youngest, was born c.1833. No other member of this large family is known. Apparently ROBERT, one of a large family of boys, was orphaned at an early age. According to census records ROBERT's parents too were born in North Carolina. ROBERT and CATHERINE A. GARBER married September 3, 1859, Douglas County, Illinois. One son was born in Illinois, five more sons were born in Indiana before the family settled in southeastern Colorado where ROBERT died April 8, 1905. Any help would be very much appreciated. Mabel I Robison, 2235 Juntura Ct. S., Salem, OR 97302-2222.

I have the following lines: BARNWELL, BYRD, STRICKLAND, RUSSELL, WHITE, WATKINS and WEAVER. I believe that RUSSELL and STRICKLAND might possibly be Scottish. Am I correct? I am quite interested in the RUSSELL Family, since my great-grandfather married in Hall County, Georgia, in 1824 to MARTHA RUSSELL and his brother married a MARY RUSSELL. I think they came to Georgia from South Carolina. I would love to hear from anyone who could help me with information about them. Ms. Marion E. Watkins, 1434 Hawthorne Way, East Point, GA 30344-1749.

Alabama adds several Civil War archives databases
The state of Alabama has added several archive databases to its archive search at http://www.archives.state.al.us/dataindex.html. There are four new databases in addition to the Civil War service database. The new databases are:
Hardbound Newspapers Database - Includes original newspapers available at Alabama Department of Archives and History. Searchable by county, title, and newspaper type (African-American, Populist, or Religious).
Newspapers on Microfilm Database - As you might imagine, newspapers available on microfilm. Also searchable by county, title and type.
Map Database - Only browsable by topic, from "Alabama, General" to "Outside United States." Listings include author, title, date if available, and comments on the map.
Photo Database - This photo database contains images which have been requested by patrons since 2001. The photographs have been scanned and added to the database with thumbnail images. This database does not include all images in the ADAH collections. Searchable by keyword only. A search for "school" found 12 records. Bear in mind that thumbnail versions only are available in this index.
Source: AZ GAB Newsletter, Arizona Genealogical Advisory Board, Inc., PO Box 5641, Mesa, Arizona 85211-5641.

Stars And Stripes World War I edition is now available on-line
The United States Army published The Stars and Stripes newspaper for its forces in France from February 8, 1918 to June 13, 1919. When it began publication, American forces were dispersed throughout the Western Front, often mixed at the unit level with British, French and Italian forces.
The eight-page weekly featured news from home, sports news, poetry, and cartoons. This on-line collection, presented by the Serial and Government Publications Division of the Library of Congress, includes the complete 71-week run of the newspaper's World War I edition, and it's searchable. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/sgphtml/sashtml/sashome.html
Visit the Stars and Stripes Museum/Library website at http://www.starsandstripesmuseumlibrary.org/welcome.html=.