From volunteering in Scouts to his latest project, MANI an online genealogical database, Gordon has believed in volunteering. Whenever he or his children got involved with a group, Gordon believed that these groups only existed by the effort of the volunteers that ran them. Everyone had to do their part if the organizations were to be worthwhile and survive. He began volunteering while still in elementary school. By junior high he was the go-to guy when teachers needed help with AV especially the schools new closed-circuit TV system.
His love of history and interest in railways lead him to be involved with the Midwestern Rail Association. He served on their executive and was their archivist as well as their newsletter editor. He has been active in outdoor education organizing training for the Canadian Ski Patrol and the Manitoba Naturalists Society as well as at SAG teacher conferences.
He has spoken at conferences and to clubs and societies on a variety of topics related to Genealogy and technology. He has presented seminars at the Brandon, Dauphin and Winnipeg branches of the Manitoba Genealogical Society as well as at the Manitoba and Saskatchewan annual seminars He has published articles in the MGS Generations magazine as well as The Clan McBean journal.
Gordon chose a career in Theatre and Broadcasting and worked in both before getting involved in educational technology in 1972. He worked for 40 years helping college instructors prepare classroom material. At Red River College he created the Teaching Learning Technology Centre to support and train instructors in the use of technology ranging from personal computers to putting their courses online. In addition to audio and video work, Gordon is an avid photographer. When not involved in the above and of course genealogy, he loves to cross country ski, cycle, canoe and travel with his wife in their RV around North America, with much genealogy and cemetery visiting!
