The Roots Users Group of Arlington, VA is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt, fraternal, mutual self-help group of amateur genealogists who use The Master Genealogist and Family Tree SuperTools software produced by Wholly Genes, Inc., and the Ultimate Family Tree software produced by genealogy.com to do their genealogical computing. The RUG was issued a certificate of incorporation by the Corporation Counsel of the Commonwealth of Virginia on 16 February 1989. Our less than 600 members come not only from Virginia and nearby areas but altogether from 46 states and six other countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. None of our members or officers is paid for their services. The RUG is not part of, nor under the direction of, any software publisher or other organization.

History of the RUG, 1988 to the present:
Significant Events
Officer Elections
Key Appointments

Our officers for 2008 are:

President
Robert Epp 		Vice President
Janis Rodriguez
Secretary
Patricia Mitchell 		Assistant Secretary
Dorothy Exley
Treasurer
Clyde Roby 		Program Chairman
Michael Daugherty
Newsletter Editor
Patricia Mitchell 		Membership Director
Mike Nolen

Margaret Keys:
Facilities Chairman - Makes arrangements for meeting places, posts signs to direct people to the meeting place, provides auxiliary power cables, arranges the furniture for each meeting, returns the furniture to its original place.
Janis Rodriguez:
Media Librarian - Maintains a Media Library (mainly disks, tapes, and printed matter), purchases blanks and mailers, reproduces and labels media as required to satisfy requests both at the meetings and by mail. Forwards receipts to the Treasurer, and mails media to members as required.
Mike Nolen:
Newsletter Librarian - Maintains one or more copies of each newsletter published, makes and mails copies as required to satisfy member requests, forwarding receipts to the Treasurer. Back issues are available at $1.25 per issue; the 1989 Compendium is $3.00; the 1993 ROOTS IV Compendium is $3.
Dorothy Exley:
Membership Chair Backup - Acts as backup for the Membership Chair.
Clyde Roby:
Webmaster - Composes pages, updates and augments the RUG web site. Prepares updates to the index of articles for posting on the RUG web site. (Mail the Webmaster if you have suggestions for improvement).
Survey Manager - Collects and posts member survey data to the membership and survey data bases, sends confirmation messages to responders. Prepares summaries of the survey results.
Richard Cleaveland:
Data base manager - Creates and maintains the structure and programs of the RUG membership data base. Acts as backup for the Membership Chair and Webmaster.

If you are interested in forming a user group in your area, we suggest you see the article HOW TO START A USER GROUP By John Wiegard.