Help needed with a talk, please

[SmallTownGirl]

I've been asked to give a talk around the general subject of family history to a group of "elderly" learners.

Rather than going down the family tree route, I wondered about encouraging them to somehow record their memories for the benefit of their younger relatives - on the basis that we've probably all lamented the fact that we didn't ask our own old relatives questions before they died/became incapable of telling us.  Oh, and a particular bugbear of mine, get them to write [proper information] on the reverse of photographs.   

I've got lots of questions that they could give their answers to, but apart from asking them to go home and physically write them down/word process them (if skills allow), or getting their children/grandchildren/g.grandchildren to imitate Jeremy Paxman (other personalities are available) and to video them being "interviewed" to answer the questions,I'm a bit stuck as to how else to suggest that they might record them.

So, firstly, do you think the idea is a sound one and secondly, how can I make it work properly?

All help/advice welcomed!

STG

[Clogs]

Realistically these learners may not be too receptive to your efforts unless you pre warn them what you intend doing as they will be expecting something else. So before you get too wrapped up in your plans I would suggest a little forward planning. Of course I could be wrong but at least this exercise would help to  prevent a disaster

[SmallTownGirl]

Well, as we're not planning to just drag a random group of elderly people off the streets and talk at them, I anticipate that the pre-publicity would at least have given them a vague idea as to what they were in for. 

Still, thanks for the word of warning.  Cheered me up no end! 

[isobelw]

Perhaps you could get them to try and start their trees before they come to the talk, recording as much information as they know about their immediate ancestors eg parents, grandparents and then structure the talk more as a question and answer session about how to expand/ track further back.
 I'm with you on the photos! My mother and I are both keen genealogists and yet I am still struggling to get her to go through photos and add names. She is 86 and the last of that generation of the family so I really must sit down with her soon and go through the old photos with her.
Isobel

[SmallTownGirl]

Sorry, obviously haven't made myself clear.

I don't intend to go down the build-a-family-tree-route at all.  I wanted it to be about encouraging these learners to help to preserve their memories for current/future generations.  The title of the talk would be something like "Saving Your Family's Stories/Memories".

[Rainbow Quartz]

Hi
Perhaps you need to start with an example of what you would like them to do? Can you show them what you have done in terms of getting older family members to record their memories? Have you a photo album with names of the people shown and how they are related to you, and how this has helped you? This might then encourage them to think about their own families and what they know, and could start a discussion about the best ways to 'capture' this information, and then they could have a go at doing it themselves?

[Lilym]

I've did a similar talk many years ago and although I know you do not wish to go down the family tree route a VERY brief out line is useful. Why? Because then you can stress the need for later  searchers to get answers to questions they wished they had asked and the benefit of an older generation having already written down some information. In particular maiden names of female forebears, pencil information on the back of photos, where they lived at such and such a time, little habits or 'quirks' of family members etc.
They may need the spur to get them started and it is useful to know and understand why the information they carry in their heads is important.
Lilym

[Clogs]

Ok let's say I know nuffin about family history research and I have joined in with a bunch of like minded people. On a scale of 1 to 10 how appreciative do you imagine I am going to be when someone decides that I really do not need to learn about the in's and out's of family research? But instead decides that I am some kind of social recluse incapable of leaving behind my memories of anything? All things considered I'd say your idea is unsound.

[MonicaL]

I think this is a great idea! The older generation have very often an amazing recall of events, with huge amount of detail. Many love talking about memories rather than writing this down...don't blame them...life is too short 

Have a look at this link for example http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/history/handsonhistory/reel_memories_english.pdf

Monica