<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Massachusetts Genealogical Council]]></title><description><![CDATA[MGC provides innovative education for genealogists, and authoritative advocacy for records access.]]></description><link>https://www.massgencouncil.org/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2026 02:02:05 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.massgencouncil.org/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[ACT NOW! Gov. Healey’s Supplemental Budget Contains Both Good and Very Bad News for Genealogists]]></title><description><![CDATA[Written by Susan M. O'Connor. There is an important legislative development that could significantly affect access to Massachusetts vital records and the future of genealogical research in the Commonwealth.    What Has Happened On April 14, 2026, Governor Maura Healey submitted a supplemental funding proposal now designated as H.5377 to the Massachusetts House Committee on Ways and Means. Sections 43, 44, and 45 of the bill concern changes to Massachusetts vital records law.    The...]]></description><link>https://www.massgencouncil.org/post/act-now-gov-healey-s-supplemental-budget-contains-both-good-and-very-bad-news-for-genealogists</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69fbc1527c50fb68b37f2929</guid><category><![CDATA[News]]></category><category><![CDATA[Massachusetts]]></category><category><![CDATA[Records]]></category><category><![CDATA[Access]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 06 May 2026 23:43:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f393d0_92ab76bc6f294f9a86d00047fa6e37c1~mv2_d_2048_1510_s_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Barbara Mathews</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Get Involved with MGC]]></title><description><![CDATA[Thanks to your support, we brought the voices of genealogists to Capitol Hill to speak up for access to the records that matter most. Now...]]></description><link>https://www.massgencouncil.org/post/get-involved-with-mgc</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68363d36c2ed710b96cc2dd6</guid><pubDate>Tue, 27 May 2025 22:38:47 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/7446c4_31428ef557134355b5acb943eeac3eec~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_482,h_439,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>smoconnor</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[MGC Releases M:O.R.E. Video of Massachusetts Town Clerks]]></title><description><![CDATA[MGC releases the video recording of the M:O.R.E. event featuring a panel of Massachusetts town clerks.]]></description><link>https://www.massgencouncil.org/post/mgc-releases-m-o-r-e-video-of-massachusetts-town-clerks</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6812d25198ce178d40c37117</guid><category><![CDATA[Massachusetts]]></category><category><![CDATA[Records]]></category><category><![CDATA[Education]]></category><category><![CDATA[Access]]></category><category><![CDATA[Family History]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 01 May 2025 13:37:44 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="http://vimeo.com/1080395052/f44ba20a3b?ts=0&amp;share=copy" length="0" type="video"/><dc:creator>Barbara Mathews</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Massachusetts Town Clerks Panel Discussion, April 29, 2025]]></title><description><![CDATA[Join us for a special panel discussion featuring town clerks from four Massachusetts communities as they share insights into their vital role in preserving the historical records that genealogists rely on.]]></description><link>https://www.massgencouncil.org/post/massachusetts-town-clerks-panel-discussion-april-29-2025</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6800a4fb5da170a6b4e28256</guid><category><![CDATA[Massachusetts]]></category><category><![CDATA[Records]]></category><category><![CDATA[Education]]></category><category><![CDATA[Access]]></category><category><![CDATA[Family History]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 17 Apr 2025 07:02:19 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f393d0_4f7f80e0123e412fac081cd6512881be~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_557,h_453,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Susan O&apos;Connor</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Susan O'Connor Delivers our Message to Capitol Hill]]></title><description><![CDATA[On Tuesday, April 9, 2025, Records Preservation and Access Committee representatives supported robust funding for NARA.]]></description><link>https://www.massgencouncil.org/post/susan-o-connor-delivers-our-message-to-capitol-hill</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67f72cf9b789c928e045dd12</guid><category><![CDATA[Federal]]></category><category><![CDATA[Records]]></category><category><![CDATA[Access]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 10 Apr 2025 04:00:56 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f393d0_ca3549d0fcf6437480059d2256282033~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Barbara Mathews</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Susan O'Connor Brings MGC's Concerns to Capitol Hill]]></title><description><![CDATA[At Amtrak's Route 128 Station, Acela was running on time. The good news was that the Acela train to Washington, DC, was on time. The bad...]]></description><link>https://www.massgencouncil.org/post/susan-o-connor-brings-mgc-s-concerns-to-capitol-hill</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67f53fba303022249c6300fb</guid><pubDate>Tue, 08 Apr 2025 15:48:28 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f393d0_e18ec236b89e449ab54842662d2ca4ea~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_287,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Barbara Mathews</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[MGC Responds to Closures Hidden in the New York State FY 2026 Budget]]></title><description><![CDATA[MGC responds to the restrictive closure periods and extraordinary expenses proposed for vital records in New York State.]]></description><link>https://www.massgencouncil.org/post/mgc-responds-to-closures-hidden-in-the-new-york-state-fy-2026-budget</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67aa65c29646a4d9ab63869c</guid><category><![CDATA[News]]></category><category><![CDATA[Records]]></category><category><![CDATA[Access]]></category><category><![CDATA[Family History]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 10 Feb 2025 21:06:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f393d0_1a86125bbd514a388f3b776695c79811~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_887,h_486,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Susan O&apos;Connor</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Camarades of War I by Sybil Gilchrist, Jan. 30, 2025]]></title><description><![CDATA[Through compelling research, Sybil will delve into the soldiers' military tours, share the records that revealed their stories.]]></description><link>https://www.massgencouncil.org/post/camarades-of-war-i</link><guid isPermaLink="false">677eacaca6da4e4f9919531e</guid><category><![CDATA[Federal]]></category><category><![CDATA[Records]]></category><category><![CDATA[Family History]]></category><category><![CDATA[Military]]></category><category><![CDATA[Writing]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 08 Jan 2025 16:55:56 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/837e63_9b77e31627b1499fb8de45104634141f~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>smoconnor</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA["You are Invited to a Meeting with the KGB"]]></title><description><![CDATA[Miriam Weiner will talk about her work to open records in the archives of Eastern Europe to genealogists everywhere.]]></description><link>https://www.massgencouncil.org/post/you-are-invited-to-a-meeting-with-the-kgb</link><guid isPermaLink="false">670a7363da55fdd61d48fe2e</guid><category><![CDATA[Records]]></category><category><![CDATA[Education]]></category><category><![CDATA[Access]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 12 Oct 2024 13:12:17 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f393d0_12eab86a98d14b6a9307015c5bd9762f~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_506,h_442,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Susan O&apos;Connor</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[In Memory of Mary Ellen Grogan, Past President of MGC and Dedicated Genealogist]]></title><description><![CDATA[It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Mary Ellen Grogan, a past president of the Massachusetts Genealogical Society (MGC)...]]></description><link>https://www.massgencouncil.org/post/in-memory-of-mary-ellen-grogan-past-president-of-mgc-and-dedicated-genealogist</link><guid isPermaLink="false">66eff6bd6c2051a002753275</guid><pubDate>Sun, 22 Sep 2024 11:28:55 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f393d0_8174c2461834469e97a3df67a9c331c6~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_980,h_612,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Susan O&apos;Connor</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Accurate AND Compelling Family Histories]]></title><description><![CDATA[Jenifer Kahn Bakkala, Writing a Compelling Family History]]></description><link>https://www.massgencouncil.org/post/writing-a-compelling-family-history</link><guid isPermaLink="false">66dec927d9d473cca1b9d993</guid><category><![CDATA[Education]]></category><category><![CDATA[Writing]]></category><category><![CDATA[Family History]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 09 Sep 2024 10:14:14 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/837e63_488325b7645342c1b9bdb81e6c8115ab~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_588,h_437,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>smoconnor</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's In My Vault:  Confessions of a DPW Engineer]]></title><description><![CDATA[Sara Campbell, Secrets of my Vault: Confessions of a DPW Engineer]]></description><link>https://www.massgencouncil.org/post/what-s-in-my-vault-confessions-of-a-dpw-engineer</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6620fbf33e7e406e91632ff7</guid><category><![CDATA[Massachusetts]]></category><category><![CDATA[Records]]></category><category><![CDATA[Education]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 00:11:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f393d0_5bc0393502fa4fddad219d1903ab2b28~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_724,h_619,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>smoconnor</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Dear Mary, Dear Luther: A Courtship in Letters]]></title><description><![CDATA[Dear Mary, Dear Luther is truly the saga of a loving African American family, facing hardships with dignity and grace.]]></description><link>https://www.massgencouncil.org/post/dear-mary-dear-luther-a-courtship-in-letters</link><guid isPermaLink="false">65ca4f99e532d6f2b0bffbae</guid><category><![CDATA[Inclusion]]></category><category><![CDATA[Education]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 12 Feb 2024 22:06:44 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f393d0_8784715a5aca4bb9af20440325480ff9~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_335,h_335,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Barbara Mathews</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Unearthing the secrets grandparents took to their graves!]]></title><description><![CDATA[An Evening with Anne Hanson Author of  Buried Secrets:  Looking for Frank and Ida Tuesday, January 30, 2024 at 7:00 PM ET via Zoom This...]]></description><link>https://www.massgencouncil.org/post/what-happened-in-her-earlier-life-to-make-a-devoted-mom-so-afraid-of-losing-her-boys</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6595f5b78cc08f4980bf65d5</guid><category><![CDATA[Massachusetts]]></category><category><![CDATA[Records]]></category><category><![CDATA[Education]]></category><category><![CDATA[Access]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 04 Jan 2024 00:05:55 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/837e63_0ee70ea48e114f77a69b9cff64b4c479~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_724,h_720,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>smoconnor</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's New at the Massachusetts State Archives with John D. Warner, Archivist for the Commonwealth]]></title><description><![CDATA[Massachusetts Archivist Jack Warner, PhD, new additions to the vital records and Judicial Archives collections, and his favorites.]]></description><link>https://www.massgencouncil.org/post/what-s-new-at-the-massachusetts-state-archives-with-john-d-warner-archivist-for-the-commonwealth</link><guid isPermaLink="false">65495c5e9a521bf6c3cbcdad</guid><category><![CDATA[News]]></category><category><![CDATA[Massachusetts]]></category><category><![CDATA[Records]]></category><category><![CDATA[Education]]></category><category><![CDATA[Access]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 07 Nov 2023 15:06:43 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/7446c4_9c31bae1d7ec469a9887d0dff37fdfb6~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_600,h_900,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>smoconnor</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[David Rencher of FamilySearch Receives the 2023 Shirley Barnes Records Access Award]]></title><description><![CDATA[David E. Rencher, Chief Genealogical Officer for FamilySearch International, was today awarded the 2023 Shirley Barnes Record Access Award.]]></description><link>https://www.massgencouncil.org/post/david-rencher-of-familysearch-receives-the-2023-shirley-barnes-records-access-award</link><guid isPermaLink="false">64540185f311da120725acb3</guid><category><![CDATA[News]]></category><category><![CDATA[Massachusetts]]></category><category><![CDATA[Records]]></category><category><![CDATA[Access]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 04 May 2023 21:02:19 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f393d0_413482b35cf742a697de0d02a1188b7b~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_563,h_465,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Barbara Mathews</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Research Room of the MA Registry of Vital Records and Statistics Is Now Open]]></title><description><![CDATA[It's my nemisis, that traffic circle. It had been a long time since I made the trek, east on the Mass Pike, south on I-93, off the ramp...]]></description><link>https://www.massgencouncil.org/post/the-research-room-of-the-ma-registry-of-vital-records-and-statistics-is-now-open</link><guid isPermaLink="false">63f5428beb51ed752125abd3</guid><category><![CDATA[Massachusetts]]></category><category><![CDATA[Records]]></category><category><![CDATA[Access]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 21 Feb 2023 23:40:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f393d0_c3a63a3bb4e84dfd99b80e150de27852~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_843,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Barbara Mathews</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ireland gives adopted people access to birth records]]></title><description><![CDATA[On 30 June 2022 Irish President Michal D. Higgins signed The Birth Information and Tracing Act.]]></description><link>https://www.massgencouncil.org/post/ireland-gives-adopted-people-access-to-birth-records</link><guid isPermaLink="false">635fb3fc08f757c5d5d6e170</guid><category><![CDATA[Access]]></category><category><![CDATA[Records]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 31 Oct 2022 11:49:31 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f393d0_e1f40190735141bd8601e40075eb3134~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_411,h_187,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Susan O&apos;Connor</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[If we don't use oral history, we lose the voices of our ancestors and all that they witnessed.]]></title><description><![CDATA[Without oral history, we lose the voices of our ancestors and all that they witnessed. Kenvi Phillips tells us how to use these stories.]]></description><link>https://www.massgencouncil.org/post/sounds-like-family-the-oral-tradition-in-researching-family-history</link><guid isPermaLink="false">631213ceb5cfdc98c83fa1a9</guid><category><![CDATA[Massachusetts]]></category><category><![CDATA[Education]]></category><category><![CDATA[Inclusion]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 08 Sep 2022 15:45:59 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f393d0_93d2b08fa5a5461d97055f8ae1488072~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_556,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Barbara Mathews</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Is Your DNA Secure? Federal Legislation on Genetic and Data Privacy]]></title><description><![CDATA[Genealogy companies connect your family tree to records. They also connect your DNA to medical reports. The latter is a valuable asset.]]></description><link>https://www.massgencouncil.org/post/is-your-dna-secure-federal-legislation-on-genetic-and-data-privacy</link><guid isPermaLink="false">62601e88118f0cff14a70b75</guid><category><![CDATA[News]]></category><category><![CDATA[Federal]]></category><category><![CDATA[DNA]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 05 May 2022 01:00:01 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f393d0_7dd571ee1537416094fc2695edd24a87~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_581,h_581,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Barbara Mathews</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>