WING FAMILY OF AMERICA, INC.

2008 SPRING NEWSLETTER

Hi All,

This is my last newsletter as I will have served five years as your President by the end of this term. It has been a pleasure and an honor and I was very lucky to have presided over many changes and accomplishments during my tenure, such as:

1. The publication of our Wing Genealogy book. Thank you Ray Wing, Ruth Powell and Herbert G. Wing, our Genealogist and Book Committee members.

2. The scanning of nearly every known Owl onto CD’s for preservation and distribution to our members. Thank you Hal Wing, Vice President.

3. Several repair and restoration projects on the Fort House. Thank you Frank Wing, Property Manager, Dave Wheelock (caretaker) and numerous members.

4. Ray Wing has taken the genealogical collections of at least 4 prior Genealogists and merged them into a unified database with over 160,000 entries. Thank you Ray!

5. A significant archaeological dig into our own Wing past of the 1600’s.

6. The addition of a 14th District to represent Wing’s outside the U.S. borders. Welcome Mike Wing, 14th District Representative.

7. The expansion of our Wing Family of America, Inc. website. Thank you Toni Nash.

8. The establishment of an on-line Wing Store. Thank you Paula Wing.

Plus all the everyday tasks in running a national non-profit corporation and a museum of national importance. Thank you Ruth Powell (Curator), Steve Button (Treasurer), Judy Pierson (former Corresponding Secretary) and Toni Nash (current Corresponding Secretary), our Reunion Chairpersons for the past 5 years, our District Reps, Historians, Vice President, District Heads, Recording Secretaries, Owl Editor (Lois Smith), assistant officers, Honorary Directors, and ALL the people who helped. And their spouses and family members too!

Usually between the Fall and Spring Newsletters not much happens to report to our members. The reunion committed has been busy during this time and the reunion information and registration packet is being mailed together with this newsletter. Please reserve early and contact the Cape Codder as soon as possible if you plan to stay there during the reunion.

Repairs and restorations to the Fort House are also put on hold during the winter season. Several small repair projects and buying storm windows are slated to begin in the spring when the weather clears up. Re-siding of the house is currently out for bid and is going to be an expensive project, perhaps having to be done over the course of 1-3 years. A full report will be made at the June meeting.

We do have two changes to announce:

1. Beginning in 2009 Dues Notices will be sent out in a combined mailing, probably with the Owl, so you will receive it earlier than usual. This is both a cost cutting measure, as it will save about $500 in postage, and a labor saving issue for the Corresponding Secretary as it will reduce the number of mailings from 4 to 3, the Owl and two Newsletters. Also earlier receipt of dues will spread out the Treasurer’s work and help with our cash flow.

The 2008 Dues Notice will be mailed as usual. Additional information about this change will be forthcoming later this year.

2. The Board has revisited the issue of membership for adopted and acknowledged children. Currently, adopted children may become limited members but their children may not become members at all. Acknowledged children, children who have been claimed by the parents but who are not genetically related, have not been addressed at all. With the advent of DNA testing, we will find Wing’s who have been Wing’s throughout recorded history, but who are not genetically related. The Board has already adopted a measure not to exclude anyone on the basis of DNA. But if someone was adopted in 1725, when there were no court proceedings, and have carried on the Wing family tradition and heritage, why should someone adopted in 1925 that does the same, except now there are legal papers documenting it, be treated differently? The majority of your Board believes that if an individual is formally adopted, that fact should be noted in the genealogical files and that person should be treated the same as a natural born child for membership purposes. A minority of Board members believe only blood descendants should be eligible for full membership but would not exclude established lines based on modern DNA testing.

So, we are proposing a change to our By-laws to extend full membership to adopted/acknowledged children which means they will be able to vote on changes to the By-laws, hold elective offices and their descendants will be able to become members of the Wing Family of America, Inc. if they wish to do so.

The By-Laws may be amended by a vote of three-quarters (¾) of those present or proxy voting at an annual meeting. The proposed By-Law change to be voted on at the annual meeting on June 21, 2008 is as follows. The proposed changes are in italics:

BYLAWS OF THE WING FAMILY OF AMERICA, INC

A NON-PROFIT CORPORATION

ORGANIZED AT SANDWICH, MASS. JUNE 1902

ARTICLE 1. NAME

ARTICLE IV. MEMBERSHIP

A. Any person satisfying the Wing Family of America, Inc. Genealogist that he or she is a lineal descendant of the Reverend John and Deborah Bachelor Wing [delete “or Reverend John Wing’s ancestors,] may become a member by conforming to these bylaws and fulfilling the conditions imposed on members. Lineal descendant is defined as natural, acknowledged, or adopted.

B. Spouses, (delete - adopted children) and stepchildren of Wings may enjoy limited membership by fulfilling the same requirements except that of direct descent. They may enjoy all social privileges of full membership and may vote on all maters except those pertaining to the bylaws. They may not hold elective office excepting that of District Representative.

C. Offspring of stepchildren may not become members. (Delete - Descendants of adopted children may become members subject to the same limitations as the adoptive ancestor.) This restriction, however, does not apply to memberships granted prior to June 1983, the date of acceptance of this amended bylaw.

D. Individuals who rendered unusually beneficial service to the Wing Family of America, Inc. may be extended honorary membership, for a period of one year. Service so rendered shall be made a matter of record in the Minutes of the Board of Directors. They may enjoy all the social privileges of full membership and may vote on all matters except those pertaining to the bylaws. They shall not be entitled to hold any elected or appointed office.

So, that’s it for me. I hope to see many of you at the 2008 reunion on the Cape. And don’t forget the 2009 reunion which will be in Oregon! Come join us on the west coast!

I plan on being there!

It’s been fun!

Your President

Jeff Miller