On its maiden voyage into competition, the Shelby County Historical Society Inc. Quarterly

took first place with &uot;perfect 10&uot; scores in the national 2002 Family Tree Newsletter Contest in lthe magazine slick category.

The honor is awarded by the Ellen Payne Odom Genealogy Library and The Family Tree Newsletter in Moultrie, Ga.

The winning issues of the Quarterly, edited by Diane Seales, were March 2002 and December 2001.

The March issue featured the McKibbon House (circa 1939) on its cover, and the December 2001 issue featured the Kendrick Brothers on its cover. They included Elbert, Jud, Luther and Bob.

&uot;Well, I’m very pleased,&uot; said

Bobby Joe Seales,

president of the Shelby County Historical Society Inc. and husband of the editor. &uot;It’s the first time we’ve ever entered anything like this. And to get the best you can get says something about our progress.&uot;

Seales provided copies of the judges’ scoring sheets which state, &uot;A marking of 10 is perfect!&uot;

Judges’ comments on those same sheets included, &uot;Wow!&uot; and, &uot;Great index! You can be proud of this publication.&uot;

The Quarterly received perfect 10s for both of its entered issues in writing style and content, punctuation, spelling, typo’s, helpfulness to readers, general interest articles, general layout, use of photographs, use of graphics, use of art, overall appearance, typefaces, headlines, neatness, balance and design, quality of production (clearness) and overall quality.

The first place award certificate received by the Shelby County Historical Society Inc. sums up the Family Tree perspective on the preservation of history.

&uot;Among the really important things in all of our lives is the preservation of our heritage and of our history and the saving of our family information. Our Family Tree newsletter contestants are truly carrying the torch of

knowledge for the generations that are yet to come. We are proud to be a part of you all.&uot;

The Shelby County Historical Society Inc. was founded Jan. 18, 1974, and is located in the old Shelby County Courthouse built in Columbiana in 1854.

According to its mission statement, the organization is &uot;Dedicated to the discovery, collection and preservation of all things related to this history of

Shelby County, Ala.; to the encouragement, promotion and sponsorship of historical research and the public dissemination of that research;

&uot;To the acquisition of physical artifacts and documents and provision of their public display; and to the presentation of educational; programs and other activities for our citizens and visitors about our past history and our heritage.&uot;

Membership to the Shelby County Historical Society Inc. is $20 for an individual, $20 per couple, $50 as a sustaining member and $100 as a patron.

Annual dues are from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31. Members will receive the organization’s Quarterly magazine, including all previous issues published that year.

Officers of the organization include David L. Nolen, first vice-president; Johnny L. Lowe, second vice-president; Diane Seals, third vice-president; Nora Essman, recording secretary; Mickey Griffin, corresponding secretary; Earl Evans treasurer; and Dr. James M. Lee, historian.

The board of directors includes Dr. Tom O. Caldwell, Barbara Gilliland, Herbert J. &uot;Jim Lewis III, Diane Ellis, Judge Patricia Fuhrmeister, Donald E. Thompson Jr. and John R. Walker