ABOUT THE SOCIETY
Following is an article by Dr. Reedus Back from the January 2009
Back-Bach Genealogical Society Newsletter, reprinted from the
January 2004 issue. Dr. Back was president of the Society from
1993 to 2008.--
At our Tenth Annual Meeting in 2003, I had an inquiry about the
origin of our Back-Bach Genealogical Society. Specifically, the
question concerned the date of the founding of the Society and
the names of the voting descendants who were present. These
questions can be answered specifically but some background
information on the formation of the society is both interesting and
helpful to all descendants.
Prior to our present Back-Bach Genealogical Society, there was a
forerunner organization. Starting in the late 1980’s, a loosely
organized group of descendants, primarily from Eastern Kentucky,
began meeting with a goal to write a Back Genealogy book. Troy
Back chaired the meetings and the group became known as the
Book Committee due to the nature of its goal. On May 31, 1990,
Custer Back and Troy Back called a one-day meeting in Morehead,
KY. They invited the members of the Book Committee, plus
selected descendants from various parts of the country. The
purpose of the meeting was to assess the progress in the Back
Family book preparation. Soon after this meeting, Custer and Troy
asked me to take on the major responsibility of getting the project
completed. This responsibility included chairing the book
committee, coordinating the work of the authors, organizing and
editing the manuscript and getting the book published. This last
responsibility, getting the book published, led in part to the
founding of the Back-Bach Genealogical Society.
When the manuscript was near completion, I checked on the cost
to get a two-volume set of books published. The cost was
prohibitive, so I had to look at self-publishing, which was much
more reasonable. I then consulted with an attorney about the
requirements for a group to self-publish and sell a book. His
advice was that we needed an organization with an identifying
name. The Book Committee did not satisfy that legal
requirement. The new organization would need a set of officers, a
constitution, and bylaws, a business address, and a tax number.
These legal requirements led me to work on an earlier idea which I
had for an organization of Back descendants. That idea was that
we could get together, get to know each other, and enjoy being
family. Since the possibility of such an organization would also
satisfy the legal requirements to self-publish and sell the upcoming
book, another strong incentive was added for moving forward.
At a meeting of the Book Committee on June 16, 1993, in Jackson,
KY, I proposed that we consider founding an organization of Back
descendants and promote membership throughout the country.
My specific recommendation was that we found the Back
Genealogical Society, later changed to the Back-Bach Genealogical
Society. Kenneth Back moved and Ray Back seconded the motion
to become a genealogical society. After discussion, the vote to
approve the motion was unanimous. Thus the Back-Bach
Genealogical Society was officially founded on June 16, 1993.
Those present at the founding were: Josephine Bach, Custer Back,
Kenneth and Mary Back, Linda Back, Ray and Beulah Back, Reedus
Back, Troy Back, Verna Back, Hazel Craft, Jean and Preston Farrar,
Blanch Landrum, Mona Proctor, and David Risner. At least three
of the Book Committee members were absent: Carrie Back, Dexter
and Louisa Dixon.
The first society officers were: Reedus Back, President; Kenneth
Back, Vice-President; Mary Back, Secretary; Bill Banks, Financial
Secretary; Mona Proctor, Technology Director; and Hassie Helton,
Newsletter Editor. Bill Banks and Hassie Helton soon resigned.
Their positions were filled by Stella Elam, Financial Secretary, and
Minerva Back Craft, Newsletter Editor. Later, Kenneth Back
resigned as Vice-President and was replaced by James Gary Back.
The first address was: P. O. Box 273, Morehead, KY 40351.
The next step was accomplished shortly thereafter – a statement
of constitution and bylaws was prepared and adopted, and a tax
number was obtained.
The first major task of the Society was to self-publish and sell A
Back Family History: The Story of a Major Branch of the Back-Bach
Family. With that major task looming, we never lost sight of the
very important and ongoing function of bringing the descendant
families closer each year. Our annual reunion and the newsletter
help to accomplish that. To illustrate that this function was always
a part of our planning, our first annual meeting was October 1,
1994 – approximately a month before the books arrived from the
printers.
Looking back, I realize that the founding of the Society was the
easy part. Getting it up and running required much hard work
from a group of dedicated descendants. This group became
known as the Steering Committee. The members are listed in your
newsletter.
Now that the Back-Bach Genealogical Society is soundly
established and doing well, I feel good that I was in a position to
provide leadership to those descendants who established form
and function to the organization. Certainly, our Society has been
brought about by group effort. No single individual could have
accomplished so much.
Finally, I sincerely hope that the tenth anniversary that we
celebrated in 2003 will be a tiny fraction of the life history of our
Society. There are generations of Back-Bach descendants yet to
come who should have the opportunity to enjoy the activities of
the Society as much as those of us who are members today.
Editor: Thanks to the leadership of Dr. Back, the Society is now in
its 18th year.
Following is an article by Dr. Reedus Back from the January 2009
Back-Bach Genealogical Society Newsletter, reprinted from the
January 2004 issue. Dr. Back was president of the Society from
1993 to 2008.--
At our Tenth Annual Meeting in 2003, I had an inquiry about the
origin of our Back-Bach Genealogical Society. Specifically, the
question concerned the date of the founding of the Society and
the names of the voting descendants who were present. These
questions can be answered specifically but some background
information on the formation of the society is both interesting and
helpful to all descendants.
Prior to our present Back-Bach Genealogical Society, there was a
forerunner organization. Starting in the late 1980’s, a loosely
organized group of descendants, primarily from Eastern Kentucky,
began meeting with a goal to write a Back Genealogy book. Troy
Back chaired the meetings and the group became known as the
Book Committee due to the nature of its goal. On May 31, 1990,
Custer Back and Troy Back called a one-day meeting in Morehead,
KY. They invited the members of the Book Committee, plus
selected descendants from various parts of the country. The
purpose of the meeting was to assess the progress in the Back
Family book preparation. Soon after this meeting, Custer and Troy
asked me to take on the major responsibility of getting the project
completed. This responsibility included chairing the book
committee, coordinating the work of the authors, organizing and
editing the manuscript and getting the book published. This last
responsibility, getting the book published, led in part to the
founding of the Back-Bach Genealogical Society.
When the manuscript was near completion, I checked on the cost
to get a two-volume set of books published. The cost was
prohibitive, so I had to look at self-publishing, which was much
more reasonable. I then consulted with an attorney about the
requirements for a group to self-publish and sell a book. His
advice was that we needed an organization with an identifying
name. The Book Committee did not satisfy that legal
requirement. The new organization would need a set of officers, a
constitution, and bylaws, a business address, and a tax number.
These legal requirements led me to work on an earlier idea which I
had for an organization of Back descendants. That idea was that
we could get together, get to know each other, and enjoy being
family. Since the possibility of such an organization would also
satisfy the legal requirements to self-publish and sell the upcoming
book, another strong incentive was added for moving forward.
At a meeting of the Book Committee on June 16, 1993, in Jackson,
KY, I proposed that we consider founding an organization of Back
descendants and promote membership throughout the country.
My specific recommendation was that we found the Back
Genealogical Society, later changed to the Back-Bach Genealogical
Society. Kenneth Back moved and Ray Back seconded the motion
to become a genealogical society. After discussion, the vote to
approve the motion was unanimous. Thus the Back-Bach
Genealogical Society was officially founded on June 16, 1993.
Those present at the founding were: Josephine Bach, Custer Back,
Kenneth and Mary Back, Linda Back, Ray and Beulah Back, Reedus
Back, Troy Back, Verna Back, Hazel Craft, Jean and Preston Farrar,
Blanch Landrum, Mona Proctor, and David Risner. At least three
of the Book Committee members were absent: Carrie Back, Dexter
and Louisa Dixon.
The first society officers were: Reedus Back, President; Kenneth
Back, Vice-President; Mary Back, Secretary; Bill Banks, Financial
Secretary; Mona Proctor, Technology Director; and Hassie Helton,
Newsletter Editor. Bill Banks and Hassie Helton soon resigned.
Their positions were filled by Stella Elam, Financial Secretary, and
Minerva Back Craft, Newsletter Editor. Later, Kenneth Back
resigned as Vice-President and was replaced by James Gary Back.
The first address was: P. O. Box 273, Morehead, KY 40351.
The next step was accomplished shortly thereafter – a statement
of constitution and bylaws was prepared and adopted, and a tax
number was obtained.
The first major task of the Society was to self-publish and sell A
Back Family History: The Story of a Major Branch of the Back-Bach
Family. With that major task looming, we never lost sight of the
very important and ongoing function of bringing the descendant
families closer each year. Our annual reunion and the newsletter
help to accomplish that. To illustrate that this function was always
a part of our planning, our first annual meeting was October 1,
1994 – approximately a month before the books arrived from the
printers.
Looking back, I realize that the founding of the Society was the
easy part. Getting it up and running required much hard work
from a group of dedicated descendants. This group became
known as the Steering Committee. The members are listed in your
newsletter.
Now that the Back-Bach Genealogical Society is soundly
established and doing well, I feel good that I was in a position to
provide leadership to those descendants who established form
and function to the organization. Certainly, our Society has been
brought about by group effort. No single individual could have
accomplished so much.
Finally, I sincerely hope that the tenth anniversary that we
celebrated in 2003 will be a tiny fraction of the life history of our
Society. There are generations of Back-Bach descendants yet to
come who should have the opportunity to enjoy the activities of
the Society as much as those of us who are members today.
Editor: Thanks to the leadership of Dr. Back, the Society is now in
its 18th year.
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