27 March 2014

FREE Webinar Sat. 05 Apr - Michael Brophy - Descendancy Research


 

Please join us for this FREE webinar sponsored by the Southern California Genealogical Society.

Michael Brophy

Descendancy Research
Saturday, 05 April, 2014
10:00 - 11:30 a.m. Pacific time
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/216415945

Researching living descendants of your ancestors can give your family history new life and excitement. Learn what traditional genealogy and reverse genealogy have in common and how they differ. We will discuss the reasons for conducting the research along with proper methodology, sources and some exciting websites to explore.

Michael Brophy is a professional genealogical researcher, heir search specialist, and lecturer from the Boston area. He has served as Program Director and Publicity Director for the Massachusetts Genealogical Council. Mike earned an MBA degree from Suffolk University and a BBA from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

The initial webcast of each session is offered to the public free of charge. Webinars are archived and available only to SCGS members as a benefit of membership in the society. The webinar archive can be found at http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/webinar/archive-index.html. Webinars are available about a week after the session closes. In addition to 24/7 access to the webinar archive, SCGS members enjoy a number of other benefits, including free from-home access to World Vital Records. Learn about all these benefits at http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/membership/benefit-memb.html.

The list of upcoming webinars can be found at http://scgsgenealogy.com/webinar/jes-index.html

26 March 2014

Jamboree - Marriott Hotel Room Availability


Here's an important update regarding room availability at the Marriott.

We have seen an unprecedented number of room reservations come through already this year. The good news is that it portends a great Jamboree. The not-so-good news is that, even though the room block was expanded, we are facing a challenge regarding lodging rooms.

At the time of this email, here is the status:

1. All Jamboree rooms at the Marriott are sold out on Wednesday and Thursday, June 4 and 5.

2. Marriott $155 rooms are still available, though in limited quantity, for Friday and Saturday.

3. An overflow hotel, the Courtyard by Marriott, has been added. The cost of the Courtyard room is $155, just like at the Marriott, and it's just a mile away. Shuttle service will be provided at no charge between the two hotels. The Courtyard has free parking and free wireless internet, and Empire Mall restaurants and shopping are within walking distance.

4. Because we know that some Jamboree attendees may not wish to stay offsite, there will be a limited number of $225 rooms available for Jamboree guests for whom on-site lodging is critical.

Guests will be able to make reservations at Courtyard by Marriott in the next day or so. We are waiting for Marriott to give us a new link for making online reservations. I will update this post when the link is available, and you'll also find an update on the Jamboree website.

This truly is "breaking news" and it caught everyone - including the hotel and the Jamboree planners - off guard. We appreciate your patience as we get the details in place and your understanding as we cope with the abundance.

If you are willing to share a room with a fellow genealogist, thereby saving money on your own hotel room, please register with our roommate service by sending an email to jamboree@scgsgenealogy.com and putting Roommate Connection in the subject line. Tell us what type of roomie you would like - male/female; early riser or night owl; sleep with the TV on; snoring is/isn't a problem - whatever is important to you. Be sure to note things such as "allergic to perfume" or other considerations.

Southern California Genealogy Jamboree
June 6-8, 2014
Family History and DNA: Genetic Genealogy in 2014
June 5, 2014

Jamboree - Heirloom Roadshow Wants You!

Heirloom Roadshow 
is coming to the 2014 Southern California Genealogy Jamboree, and you can be part of it! 



Did you inherit a beautiful antique table or chair from your ancestor? Do you know how to how to preserve the historical and cash value of your treasure?

Have you ever wondered how to care for your great-grandmother’s lace tablecloth? Wondering how to preserve your ancestor’s military medals?

Denise Levenick, The Family Curator, will host an information-packed session with special guest Joseph Baratta, antiques appraiser and auctioneer from Abell Auction Company in Los Angeles on Sunday morning, June 8 from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. at the 45th Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree.

Registered attendees to the SCGS Jamboree are invited to submit their keepsake preservation challenges for a chance to be featured in this lively presentation. Selected participants will have reserved front-row seating at the event and learn from author Denise Levenick and antiques expert Joe Baratta how to rescue, preserve, and archive their treasures.

The Heirloom Roadshow is looking for family keepsakes of all kinds, from knick-knacks to knock-offs. Tell us why your treasure is important to you, and you’ll learn how to take care of it for the next generation.

To Participate:
Send one email per heirloom with “HEIRLOOM ROADSHOW” in the Subject Line to familycurator (at) gmail (dot) com. Entries are due by May 1, 2014. Please include:

•    your name and contact information
•    1-3 digital photos clearly showing the item
•    a brief description of the item including size and physical description
•    your preservation challenge
•    why it is special to you or your family
Feel free to add:
•    how you came to own it
•    previous owners, where and when they lived
•    any stories or memories you’d like to share

Denise Levenick inherited her first family archive from her grandmother in 2000 and created The Family Curator blog and website in 2007 to record her progress in preserving and digitizing the collection. She is the author of How to Archive Family Keepsakes (Family Tree Books, 2012) and a frequent contributor to Family Tree Magazine. Denise lectures at seminars and conferences on digitizing, preserving, and sharing family treasures, and is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, SCGS, and the National Genealogical Society.

Joseph Baratta joined Abell Auction Company in 2001 where he is currently Vice President for Client Development and Senior Cataloger. He has coordinated the quarterly Fine Art and Antique Action for over ten years researching over 600 lots in each sale, and providing descriptions for the general sale brochure and directing the sale marketing campaigns. Joe also prepares general appraisals for estates throughout Southern California for trust officers, bankers, and private parties, and participates as auctioneer in the weekly estate auctions. Joe attended Loyola High School in Los Angeles and holds a B.A. in Art History from Boston College and certification in Appraisal Studies from New York University.

For questions or more information, contact Denise Levenick familycurator (at) gmail (dot) com.

23 March 2014

Jamboree - Meet the Headliners: John P. Colletta, Ph.D., FUGA

Jamboree headline speaker, the knowledgeable, entertaining and experienced John Philip Colletta, is a popular Washington, D.C.-based lecturer on topics of family history research and writing. For twenty years, while laying the foundation for his career in genealogy, he worked half-time at the Library of Congress and taught workshops at the National Archives. Today Dr. Colletta lectures nationally, teaches at local schools, and conducts programs for the Smithsonian Institution’s Resident Associate Program. He is a faculty member of the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research at Samford University (Birmingham, Ala.), the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, and Boston University’s Certificate in Family History program.

His publications include numerous articles, both scholarly and popular; two manuals – They Came in Ships: A Guide to Finding Your Immigrant Ancestor’s Arrival Record and Finding Italian Roots: The Complete Guide for Americans; and one “murder-mystery-family-history,” Only a Few Bones: A True Account of the Rolling Fork Tragedy and Its Aftermath. In March of 2014, The Teaching Company will release Dr. Colletta’s 15-lesson course, “Discovering Your Roots: The Fundamentals of Genealogy,” as one of their “Great Courses” on DVD or CD with accompanying manual.

Dr. Colletta has received many professional awards and honors and appears frequently on podcasts and local and national radio and television. His PhD in Medieval French is from The Catholic University of America. For more information, visit www.genealogyjohn.com.

FR003 Friday June 6, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
Erie Canal Genealogy: The People of Upstate New York and the Midwest

Triumph of American ingenuity and wonder of the world, the Erie Canal affected the lives of millions of our ancestors from Maine to Minnesota. This lecture chronicles the building of the canal, 1817-25, and describes the many ways our ancestors may have worked for, on, or along the “Big Ditch.” It also explores numerous ways they may have used “Clinton’s Folly” or benefited from it.

FR035 Friday June 6, 7:30-9:30 p.m. - Friday Banquet
The Keepers of the Records and I: Tales of Accessing Historical Sources

Without written records, there would be no genealogy. Family lore and artifacts can tell us only so much. We rely heavily on evidence found in the written record of the past. Four decades of hunting for evidence of my ancestors have brought me face-to-face with a diverse assortment of keepers of records: archivists, librarians, priests, curators, court clerks, secretaries, and cousins who got all the good stuff. To access the treasures these custodians control, I have had to develop skills of diplomacy, negotiation, good humor, melodrama, stealth, groveling and bribery. This humorous banquet talk relates three episodes that teach valuable lessons for genealogists eager to access historical sources about their ancestors.

SA004 Saturday June 7, 8:30-9:30 a.m.
The County Courthouse: Your “Trunk in the Attic”

State archives hold vast collections of materials that document the lives and activities of the state’s residents. Each state’s archives is tied organizationally to the state library, and sometimes to historic sites and museums. These repositories hold population censuses, vital records, land transactions, public school, hospital and other institutional records, newspapers, manuscript and cartographic collections, cemetery information, military service and pension records, naturalization and other court records, and more. This lecture examines the Web sites of select state archives from the North, West, East and South, displaying the wealth of genealogical and biographical resources they contain. It also explores the electronic and paper finding aids that help family historians access the treasures in state archives.

SA012 Saturday June 7, 10:00-11:00 a.m.
State Archives: What They Are and How to Use Them

County courthouses vary from one county to the next. They may be congenial places to do research or dismal places to do research. They may be modern with records organized for easy access or old and totally chaotic. Some burned down once, some burned down twice. County clerks and their staff members differ dramatically in temperament and expertise, too. In general, though, courthouses are chock full of family information. This lecture examines the full scope of their precious contents and reviews many resources for learning about the records created in your ancestors’ counties. Using courthouses, you will get tired and dirty. But you will reap a rich harvest of information about your ancestors, almost discovering a trunk in the attic.

SA021 Saturday June 7, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Seventeen Repositories, One Life: Uncommon Original Sources Portray a 19th-Century Immigrant

Myriad small, specialized repositories across the country hold original records containing information about our ancestors. These collections are usually maintained on a shoestring budget by a staff of one or two people. We don’t know about them until an ancestor’s work or creed or social activity leads us to one. Carl Ludwig Richter is a good example. The facts of this 19th-century Prussian immigrant’s marriages and children may be gleaned from “standard” genealogical sources. However, the more interesting and historically significant aspects of his life come to light only by exploiting original historical sources in seventeen different repositories. This lecture encourages family historians to explore small, specialized collections for the personal details of their ancestors’ lives.

21 March 2014

Jamboree - Meet the Speakers: Katherine Hope Borges

Katherine Hope Borges is the Co-Founder and Director of The International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG), which promotes and educates about genetic genealogy. ISOGG has grown to over 8,000 members in 70 countries. Through ISOGG, Katherine has increased professional standards in the practice, research, and discussion of relevant issues in DNA testing, interpretation, and ethics. She organized a speakers bureau and has given many presentations on genetic genealogy to groups across the United States and in the United Kingdom. She administers several surname, regional, and haplogroup DNA projects.

TH006 Thursday June 5, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Lineage Societies (i.e. DAR) and DNA Testing

SA049 Saturday June 7, 5:00-6:00 p.m.
ISOGG Ask The Experts about DNA and Genealogy

19 March 2014

Jamboree - FREE Librarians' Genealogy Boot Camp - Friday 6 June

The Southern California Genealogical Society announces a FREE three-hour Librarians’ Genealogy Boot Camp on Friday morning, June 6, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Boot Camp will be held in conjunction with the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree, which will be held Friday through Sunday, June 6 to 8, 2014, at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport. After the Boot Camp ends at noon, attendees are invited to wander through the exhibit hall as our guests. Attendees receive a printed syllabus at no additional charge.

We are particularly excited about this year’s Boot Camp courses, which were developed specially for Jamboree 2014. Our exceptional speakers, George G. Morgan and Drew Smith, aka The Genealogy Guys(SM) podcasters, know genealogy from both sides of the reference desk.

Although the sessions are provided at no cost, we do require advance registration. Attendance is limited to 100. Register online at http://tinyurl.com/JamboreeLibrarians.

The Presentations:

"Good Cop, Better Cop: How to Politely Interrogate Your Patron." Learn how to help your patron identify and focus on their genealogical research need while still allowing them to tell their family story. (George G. Morgan and Drew Smith, MLS).

"Quick and Easy Video Tutorials: How to Educate Your Patrons 24/7." Your newest genealogy patrons may not have set foot in your library, and might never! So how can you create video tutorials for them using free tools and then publish them online? In this session, we’ll demonstrate how easy it to produce and publish simple videos that educate your patrons about your facility, your services, your online resources, and the best genealogical practices. (Drew Smith, MLS)

"Fine-Tuning Your Genealogy Collection: How to Provide the Resources Your Patrons Need." Every genealogy library needs a good core collection of resources that can meet the needs of most patrons, but your local demographics should determine your collection’s focus and development. Learn how to maximize the use of your physical space by providing the right mix of print, microfilm, and online genealogy resources. (George G. Morgan).

The Speakers:

George G. Morgan is president of Aha! Seminars, Inc., a Tampa Bay-based company that has been providing training to library personnel and genealogists since 1996. George is an internationally recognized genealogy expert who presents at local, state, national, international genealogical conferences, on cruises, and in webinars.

George is the prolific author of eleven books and literally hundreds of articles for magazines, journals, newsletters, in genealogical publications, and at online sites in the U.S., Canada, the U.K, Singapore, and elsewhere. McGraw-Hill published the third edition of his How to Do Everything: Genealogy, in 2012, and published his eleventh book, Advanced Genealogy Research Techniques, co-authored with Drew Smith, in 2013.

He was VP of Membership for the Federation of Genealogical Societies from 2010-2013. He is a past president of International Society of Family History Writers and Editors (ISFHWE), and past director of the Florida State Genealogical Society and the Florida Genealogical Society (Tampa).

Drew Smith, MLS, is a librarian at the University of South Florida (USF) Tampa Library. Since 2007 he has been President of the Florida Genealogical Society (Tampa), and since July 2013 has been Chair of the Family History Information Standards Organisation.

Drew is co-author of the 2013 McGraw-Hill book Advanced Genealogy Research Techniques, author of the 2009 GPC book Social Networking for Genealogists, and “Rootsmithing with Technology” columnist for the Federation of Genealogical Societies’ FORUM magazine. He has written extensively for such magazines as NGS NewsMagazine (now NGS Magazine), Genealogical Computing, and Digital Genealogist. He has previously served on the boards of the Association of Professional Genealogists (as Secretary), the Federation of Genealogical Societies, and Florida State Genealogical Society (FSGS). He continues to administer the GENEALIB electronic mailing list with over 1200 genealogy librarians as subscribers, a list he founded in 1996.

The Southern California Genealogical Society produces the 45th Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree, which will be held June 6-8, 2014, at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport. The pre-event is "Family History and DNA: Genetic Genealogy in 2014" a day-long conference exploring the use of DNA in family history.

_________________

For further information contact:
Paula Hinkel
Southern California Genealogy Jamboree
417 Irving Drive
Burbank, CA 91504
818.574.8393
www.genealogyjamboree.com
jamboree@scgsgenealogy.com

18 March 2014

Jamboree - Meet the Headliners: Dr. Maurice John Gleeson

Dr. Maurice Gleeson, keynote speaker for the Family History and DNA conference, is an expert in Irish genetic genealogy. By profession, he is a psychiatrist and pharmaceutical physician. He is also a professional actor and has appeared on the West End stage in London.

As an avid genealogist, he has developed a strong interest in using genetic approaches to break through the many brick walls associated with Irish family history research. He first used genetic testing in 2008, and since then has set up the Spearin Surname Project which has helped trace his Spierin family connections back to the 1600s in Limerick and the 1500s in London. He also set up the iCARA project to help people with Irish surnames in the Caribbean reconnect with their Irish ancestry.

Maurice is co-administrator of the Ireland mitochondrial DNA project. He has given talks on genetic genealogy at the ‘Back to Our Past’ exhibition in Dublin (2012 & 2013) and also at the National Library of Ireland (Dublin), The National Archives in Kew (London), and at various regional and local meetings.

He organized Genetic Genealogy Ireland 2013, Ireland’s first conference on genetic genealogy under the auspices of ISOGG (International Society of Genetic Genealogy). This 3-day conference exposed the Irish public to the wealth of DNA research that is going on in Ireland and how it is helping our understanding of Irish genealogy. Videos of the presentations can be found on the dedicated website at www.ggi2013.blogspot.ie.

TH000 Thursday June 5, 8:00-9:30 a.m.
How DNA will change the face of Irish genealogy

Since genetic genealogy emerged as a new science, many researchers (both academics and Citizen Scientists) have been exploring the genetic signature of the Irish. With a diaspora of over 70 million people worldwide, and 12% of Americans claiming Irish ancestry, the research that has been ongoing in and around Ireland has direct application to a great many people worldwide. Maurice Gleeson summarizes some of the seminal work that has been undertaken over the past ten years in Ireland. He assesses the impact DNA testing has had on Irish genealogy, looks forward to what the next ten years will hold, and explores how it will change the face of genealogy as we know it.

TH008 Thursday June 5, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
How to Run a DNA Surname Project on FamilyTreeDNA

FamilyTreeDNA has over 7700 surname projects run by volunteers. However, for many people, managing and analyzing the data in their project can be problematic and it is easy to get ‘bogged down’. This presentation describes a practical step-by-step approach to running a surname project, drawing on the experience of some of the bigger surname projects run as part of One-Name Studies in Britain and Ireland.

TH015 Thursday June 5, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Which DNA Test is Best for You?

The DNA test that is best for you depends on the type of question you want to answer. This presentation will look at the three main types of DNA test and how each of them can help you answer a specific question in relation to your own family tree research.

SA039 Saturday June 7, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Researching your Irish Ancestry Online and at Minimal Cost

Researching your Irish ancestry is becoming progressively easier as more and more records are being digitized and made available online. This presentation will review all the online resources, in particular those that have become available in the last 12-24 months.

SA049 Saturday June 7, 5:00-6:00 p.m.
ISOGG Ask The Experts about DNA and Genealogy


SU020 Sunday June 8, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
Ireland and the Slave Trade

Ireland and its peoples have been involved with slavery since ancient times, both as the oppressor and the oppressed. During the Viking era, Dublin was perhaps Europe’s biggest slave port. After Cromwell’s conquest of Ireland, it is reported that 3-15% of the Irish population was sold into slavery in the 1650s and ended up in Barbados and the new American colonies. Other Irish sold themselves into indentured servitude in the 1630s-1640s. Some Irish became slave owners. Where are the descendants of these people now? And can DNA help determine if the genetic signature of these people persists to this day in the US and the Caribbean?

16 March 2014

REMINDER: FREE Webinar - Weds. 19 Mar. - Michael John Neill - Organizing Database Searches


 

Please join us for this FREE webinar sponsored by the Southern California Genealogical Society.

Michael John Neill
Organizing Database Searches
Wednesday, 19 March, 2014
6:00 - 7:30 p.m. Pacific time
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/200968905

Searching online databases is more than typing words in search boxes. In this presentation we'll see tried and tested ways to effectively organize your search strategies and improve your approach.

Michael John Neill has actively researched his own genealogy for nearly thirty years, writes 'Genealogy Tip of the Day' and 'Casefile Clues.' He has lectured nationally on a wide variety of genealogy-related topics.

The initial webcast of each session is offered to the public free of charge. Webinars are archived and available only to SCGS members as a benefit of membership in the society. The webinar archive can be found at http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/webinar/archive-index.html.

Webinars are available about a week after the session closes. In addition to 24/7 access to the webinar archive, SCGS members enjoy a number of other benefits, including free from-home access to World Vital Records. Learn about all these benefits at http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/membership/benefit-memb.html.

The list of upcoming webinars can be found at http://scgsgenealogy.com/webinar/jes-index.html

15 March 2014

[SCGS Genealogy Jamboree] Bloggers and Web Managers: Have You Buttoned Up?

Deadline Alert for Jamboree Button Contest
March 31, 2014
 
Ill Be There
 Let everyone know that you're attending Jamboree by posting the Jamboree logo on your blog, website or whatever trips your trigger. Here is the button. Save it by right-clicking and saving it to your desktop.

We would be grateful if you'd link it to our website: www.genealogyjamboree.com. Let us know and we'll link back to you and list you as an Honorary Blogger below. Send a link to your page.

On April 1, one lucky Honorary Blogger will be chosen at random to receive a free registration to Jamboree that can be used for their own registration or for a promotion on their blog. The winner will be selected from the list below from submissions emailed to us by midnight on March 31. Include your URL so we can link back to you.

Speakers and exhibitors, you can participate too. If your blog is selected, you will receive a free registration that you can pass along to one of your lucky readers.

Here are the blogs that are participating thus far. If you have sent us your information and it's not on this list, please get in touch. We received a couple of entries that did not include complete information.


Is Jamboree Coming to Your Area? Societies: Do You Want to Swap "Stuff"?


Leo at Cornejo Valley Genealogical
Society on Saturday 3-15.
Love the Brick Wall! Great idea!
Our three ambassadors, Leo Myers, Barb Randall and Jean Hibben, are traveling the countryside, telling one and all about the upcoming fun at Jamboree. So far, we have been in Salt Lake City for RootsTech, Whittier for WAGS, Hemet for HSJGS, Cornejo Valley Genealogical Society, the Genealogy BASH, Family History Fair in Phoenix, British Isles Family History Society and the Escondido Family History Fair.
 
In addition to the in-person appearances, we will be sending material for the registration bags and/or freebie table to conferences marked SEND.



Click to enlarge.
If you're not on this list and would like one of our ambassadors to visit, please send me a note at jamboree@scgsgenealogy.com and we'll see what we can do to get someone there. 

If you are hosting a full-day seminar or multi-day conference and would like to have SCGS information available for your participants (particularly the SCGS webinar information, which is relevant no matter where you live), please email me at jamboree@scgsgenealogy.com with the following information:

1. Number of copies you need
2. What you would like:
           Jamboree post cards
           Webinar flyers
           Both
3. The shipping address
4. The date these need to be in your hands.

The "send stuff" offer is good to genealogical events outside of California, as well. Thanks for helping us spread that word.

If you would like to send YOUR information to be added to our freebie table at no charge, please send  "some" (quantity is up to you - we expect 1700 attendees) to the following address. It needs to arrive by May 15.

Jamboree Freebie Table
Southern California Genealogical Society
417 Irving Drive
Burbank, CA 91504

Thanks for helping us make this the best Jamboree ever!!


      

11 March 2014

Tammy Hepps Webinar Postponed from 12 March to 09 April

Poor Tammy Hepps. First her webinar on Creating Timeline Applications fell victim to a technical glitch with GoToWebinar. Now that date has to be changed again due to Tammy's illness. She is so sorry, and we are so sorry that we won't be sharing her wisdom Wednesday night.

The new date for the webinar is Wednesday, April 9, and it will again begin at 6:00 p.m. Pacific time.

If you were already registered for the webinar, you will receive a notice with the new date and time. Of course, if you hadn't yet registered, you are free to do that now. Here is the link:


Tammy Hepps
Timeline Creation Applications
Wednesday, 9 April, 2014
6:00 - 7:30 p.m. Pacific time
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:

We are so sorry for the inconvenience but thank you all for your flexibility in this new schedule.

Tammy, feel better soon!

06 March 2014

SCGS Genealogy Jamboree: Student Genealogy Grant Announced


The Southern California Genealogical Society and the Suzanne Winsor Freeman Memorial Student Genealogy Grant Committee are pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the 2014 Student Genealogy award. Student genealogists between the ages of 18 and 25 are eligible to apply for the 2014 Grant to be awarded at the 45th Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree sponsored by the Southern California Genealogical Society in June 2014.

The $500 cash award was established in 2010 by family and friends in memory of Suzanne Winsor Freeman, family historian and life-long volunteer, and an enthusiastic annual attendee at the SCGS Jamboree. Past recipients include Elyse Doerflinger (Lomita, California), A.C. Ivory (Salt Lake City, Utah), Anthony Ray (Palmdale, California), and Michael Savoca (Toms River, New Jersey).

“The Student Genealogy Grant pays tribute to Suzanne Freeman’s dedication to youth volunteerism and family history by awarding the annual cash grant to a young genealogist attending the SCGS 45th Annual Genealogy Jamboree, Southern California’s premiere regional genealogy conference,” notes Denise Levenick, committee chair and Freeman’s daughter.

“We are especially grateful to Jamboree for providing a three-day conference registration to the grant recipient,” she adds. “SCGS is truly a leader in conference organizations by encouraging youth involvement in genealogy through the popular Kids’ Camp program and now through the student grant project.”

The scholarship recipient will be introduced at the Scholarship Award Breakfast on Sunday, June 8, following the presentation by Gena Philibert-Ortega, "Of Elephants, Gold, and Dashed Dreams:
Researching the California Gold Rush."

Born in Olathe, Kansas, Suzanne Winsor (Brown) Freeman moved to Orange County, California with her family in the early 1930s where she attended school and lived most of her life. She developed a strong interest in family history sparked by the stories of her mother’s early life in Colorado and Kansas. After retirement Suzanne moved to Green Valley, Arizona where she was active in the local genealogy society. She enjoyed returning to Southern California each year in June to attend the SCGS Jamboree. At the time of her death in Tucson, Arizona August 28, 2010, Suzanne was searching for elusive Winsor cousins and adding more stories to her family history.

The $500 cash award pays tribute to these interests by awarding the annual cash grant to a young genealogist attending the Jamboree. In addition, a complimentary three-day conference registration to the 45th Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree will be provided by the Jamboree conference.

Any genealogist who is between the ages of 18 and 25 and has attended school in the last 12 months is eligible to apply. The recipient must attend the 2014 SCGS Jamboree in Burbank, California to receive the award.

Funding for the cash award is provided by the family grant program; Jamboree registration is provided by the conference. Individual contributions to the grant program are welcome at the Student Grant Webpage.

Application deadline is 31 March 2014 midnight PST.

Application details and forms are available at the Student Grant Webpage http://www.thefamilycurator.com/swf-grant.

Suzanne Winsor Freeman’s Obituary is available here.


For IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Suzanne Winsor Freeman Grant Committee,
Denise May Levenick, Chair
swfgrant@gmail.com
www.theFamilyCurator.com

3 March 2014

04 March 2014

Jamboree Special Event: New Year's Eve Party Saturday, June 7

To close out the 50th Anniversary celebration with a flourish and launch the second 50 years of SCGS, the Jamboree Committee will host a party Saturday evening to "Ring out the Old and Ring in the New." The event recognizes the hundreds of volunteers who have fueled the success of the Southern California Genealogical Society and Jamboree over the decades.

To be more specific, we are holding a New Year’s Eve Party at Jamboree. Yes, it’s a New Year’s Eve party on Saturday, June 7, 2014, from 9pm to 11pm*, immediately after the Saturday evening banquet. We will have a no-host adult beverage bar and a dessert bar, a photo booth, music and a few surprises.

Myers, Hinkel, Hilb,VanTour
The event will also mark the transfer in leadership of the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree.  For the past several years, Jamboree has been led by a dedicated, hard-working group of volunteers led by Leo Myers, Jamboree Chair, Paula Hinkel, Jamboree Co-Chair, and Vicki Hilb, Program Chair. It was with mixed emotions that Leo, Paula, and Vicki announced their retirement from Jamboree earlier this year. Volunteer chair Jane Van Tour will oversee the concierge activity in 2014 and then she, too, will be also seeking other volunteer duties in 2015. They all are looking forward to attending Jamboree and getting back to working on their own family research.

Randall, Ramsey, Harding, Pruitt
The 2015+ Jamboree team is in place and has been working with the current committee to ensure a smooth transition. Barbara M. Randall has stepped up into the role of Chair. Supporting Barb will be Judi Ramsey, Program Chair; Priscilla Pruitt, Exhibitors Chair; and Lise Harding, Volunteer Chair. They bring conference experience, a fresh outlook and lots of new ideas. We look forward to the many contributions they will bring, and we are confident they are going to carry on the tradition of excellence that Jamboree has earned over the past 45 years.

Please join us in celebrating the ongoing success of the Southern California Genealogical Society and recognize the thousands of hours of volunteer contributions that have created that success. Count down to 11pm*, welcome the new Jamboree leadership, and help take the old team out in style.

Details:
FREE for SCGS members
- RSVP required through the SCGS website shopping cart or by phone
- Tickets will be included in your Jamboree registration envelope

FREE for Jamboree volunteers for SCGS Nonmembers
- Judi and Lise will distribute tickets

FREE for guests attending the Saturday evening banquet

- Tickets will be included in your Jamboree registration envelope

EVERYONE ELSE is welcome for $20 before May 1; $25 until May 24.
- Tickets will be included in your Jamboree registration envelope

Tickets will not be available at the door.


*Our New Year’s Eve celebration will end at 11pm. 
Some of us are not allowed to stay out until midnight.

02 March 2014

FREE Webinar - Weds. 19 Mar. - Michael John Neill - Organizing Database Searches


 

Please join us for this FREE webinar sponsored by the Southern California Genealogical Society.

Michael John Neill
Organizing Database Searches
Wednesday, 19 March, 2014
6:00 - 7:30 p.m. Pacific time
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/200968905

Searching online databases is more than typing words in search boxes. In this presentation we'll see tried and tested ways to effectively organize your search strategies and improve your approach.

Michael John Neill has actively researched his own genealogy for nearly thirty years, writes 'Genealogy Tip of the Day' and 'Casefile Clues.' He has lectured nationally on a wide variety of genealogy-related topics.

The initial webcast of each session is offered to the public free of charge. Webinars are archived and available only to SCGS members as a benefit of membership in the society. The webinar archive can be found at http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/webinar/archive-index.html.

Webinars are available about a week after the session closes. In addition to 24/7 access to the webinar archive, SCGS members enjoy a number of other benefits, including free from-home access to World Vital Records. Learn about all these benefits at http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/membership/benefit-memb.html.

The list of upcoming webinars can be found at http://scgsgenealogy.com/webinar/jes-index.html

01 March 2014

Jamboree: Share Your Recollection of the 1960s for a Chance to Win A Jamboree 2015 Registration



SCGS is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of its founding which took place on January 10, 1964. To help commemorate our anniversary, we are asking you to share a memory of the 1960s.

We talk about the need to record the stories of our life that can be passed to our descendants. But how many of us really take the time to jot down those remembrances? The 2014 Southern California Genealogy Jamboree offers an opportunity to do just that.

The saying goes that if you remember the 60s, you weren’t really there.  Pshaw, folderol and hooey.  We all have - or we have family members who have - memories of the 60s.  If you weren’t around that long ago, maybe you discovered your parents’ $4 concert ticket stub or trick-or-treated in their faded tie-dye, dressed as a hippie.

If you wish, you can interview a family member and share their memory. It's your family's history that we want to record.

The 1960s provide a rich tapestry of topics. Whether your memory is of an intimate detail of special day, or a reaction to a world event, or a snapshot of school, work, family, music, holiday, or other slice of life, write it. 

Why should you participate in this activity? Imagine your great-granddaughter reading about your first date. Or your grandson’s delight at reading about the time you dented dad’s new car. See their face, hear their laughter. That’s why.

Oh, and one submission will be selected at random to receive a free registration to the 2015 Southern California Genealogy Jamboree.
Here are the instructions:
  1. Entries are limited to registered attendees of the 2014 Southern California Genealogy Jamboree attendees and/or members of the Southern California Genealogical Society.
  2. Please keep your entries to 400 words or less. It can be as short as a couple of sentences.
  3. Email entries to flashback1960@scgsgenealogy.com. Put the content directly into the email; no attachments please. Your subject line should read “Flashback 1960 - .”
  4. Include your Name, Address, City, State, Zip, Phone number, and email address at the bottom of the email.
  5. Any research used in the submission must be supported by end note citations. For guidelines on citation style, see Evidence, Citation & Analysis for the Family Historian, by Elizabeth Shown Mills (Genealogical Publishing Co.). End notes are not included in the word count.
  6. Entries will be posted online and displayed at Jamboree.  Entrants grant SCGS the one-time right to publish their memory in the SCGS journal The Searcher; and/or the SCGS website; and/or the Jamboree app, and/or displayed in electronic or print form at Jamboree. You retain the copyright to your work. 
  7. The winner will be announced on Friday, June 6, at the banquet. Since there was no date specified in The Searcher article, submissions will be accepted through Friday noon, June 6.