The Blackwood Family Organization

This website has been created to promote communication between Blackwood family members. We aim to connect all branches of the Blackwood family from all corners of the world. 
With this site we hope to:
● Honor our roots and preserve the legacy of Blackwood family members who have paved the way for us.● Acknowledge the many Blackwood descendants. ● Keep the Blackwood family history alive by creating and maintaining memorials and encourage and inspire future descendants to uphold the family history.

Blackwood Family Mission

To bridge the generational gap and link all Blackwood family trees and branches.

Blackwood Family Objective

Preserve the Blackwood legacy through the collection and preservation of historical and genealogical records, documents, and other information. Strengthen the fellowship of living members. Maintain family unity through frequent associations, reunion and other family gathering and events.

Our Ancestors

We are researching our family history and will update the site as we learn more.
Here is what we know so far:
Richard ‘Dick’ Aaron Blackwood and two brothers, who we believe to be Percival and Daniel Wilford, arrived in Jamaica sometime in the 1800s. They settled in St. Elizabeth. Dick had several children before he got married in November 1889 to Mary Reid. We are unsure at this point the order the children were born in but at last count there were 24. Dick died April 14, 1917 at age 57; based on the death record we estimate his year of birth to be 1860 but have no confirmed proof of this or his place of birth at present. Not much is known about the brothers.

Organizational Structure

Leadership team:
President
Vice- President
Treasurer
Secretary
Membership Director
Minister

Committees:
Finance
Event Planning

Other Team Leaders:
Chapter Chair

Roles and Responsibilities of the leadership team:

The role of a member is to:
 ● Establish the mission, goals and policies of the organization, what we should accomplish and how we should conduct ourselves in the process.● Develop a long-range plan for the organization; define our strategy and a time frame for achievement of our goals.● Ensure the long-term financial stability and strength of the organization, develop and maintain sources of income to provide for the continuing operation of the organization.● Ensure the long-term organizational stability and strength of the organization, identify individuals with the necessary abilities to lead and manage the organization in the future.● Maintain the integrity, independence and ideals of the organization; do not allow individuals or organizations to compromise these principles.● Exercise management oversight of the operations, approve budgets, review operating and financial results, audit for compliance with internal policies and external requirements, review performance against goals.

The responsibilities of a member are to:
 ● Be committed to the mission, goals and policies of the organization.● Perform the functions and work of the leadership team to the best of one’s ability.● Contribute financially to the organization to the best of one’s ability.● Recommend others who could serve on or be of particular value to the organization in other capacities.● Avoid any conflicts of interest and situations that would compromise the principles of the organization or lead to the perception of compromise.

President
The president is the executive officer of the organization and in this capacity shall:
· Preside over family meetings.
· Serve as an ex-officio member of all other committees.
· Recommend what committees should be formed and who should chair them.
· Be a primary spokesperson for the organization.
· Lead the senior leadership team in the performance of its responsibilities.
· Lead the family history research
· Along with the treasurer maintain control of the receipts and disbursements of funds
· Along with the treasurer, oversee the creation and management of budgets.

Vice President
The vice president is the operations officer of the organization and in this capacity shall:
· Oversee and maintenance the family website
· Perform the duties of the president when the president is unable to perform them.
· Serve as the chair of at least one committee that is operational in scope.

Treasurer
The treasurer is the financial officer of the organization and in this capacity shall:
· Maintain control over the receipt and disbursement of the organization’s funds.
· Serve as chair of the Finance committee.
· Oversee the preparation of budgets.

Secretary
The secretary is the officer responsible for the records and correspondence of the organization and in this capacity shall:
· Safeguard all the records of the organization.
· Record and retain the minutes of all family and leadership team meetings and collect and retain the minutes of all other committees’ meetings.
· Give notice of meetings and distribute minutes and other documents as needed.
· Serve as chair of one committee.

Membership Director
Committees and Committee Members
The leadership team will form committees to perform specific functions, such as financial oversight, or perform certain work, such as plan special events such as the family reunion. Committees may have non-leadership team members as members except where specifically prohibited. The purpose or role of each committee is described under the
heading of that committee.
The responsibility of committee members in all cases shall be to:
Ø Be committed to the purpose of the committee.
Ø Become knowledgeable about the work of the committee.
Ø Do the work of the committee.