15 June 2014

REMINDER: FREE Webinar - Weds. 18 Jun - Jay Fonkert CG - Wooden Shoe Genealogy: Finding Dutch and Frisian Ancestors


 

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

Jay Fonkert
Wooden Shoe Genealogy:
Finding Dutch and Frisian Ancestors
Wednesday, 18 June, 2014
6:00 - 7:30 p.m. Pacific time
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/281156905


Keep your feet dry. Learn how to find Netherlands home-places and use church and civil registration records on microfilm and the Internet to match a Netherlands family with your American family.
J. H. (“Jay”) Fonkert, CG(SM), is a Minnesota-based genealogy professional whose articles have appeared in Minnesota Genealogist, The Septs, Family Chronicle, APG Quarterly, National Genealogical Society Quarterly, and NGS Magazine. He is a director of the Association of Professional Genealogists, managing editor of Minnesota Genealogist, and past president of the Minnesota Genealogical Society.

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


11 June 2014

Jamboree - A Personal Observation

Dear Volunteers, Speakers, Exhibitors, Attendees, and Team 14 and Team 15 Committee members:

No. Wait.
Let me rephrase that.

Dear Friends,

Even with its 600,000 words, there are not enough words Oxford English Dictionary to express the deep gratitude and joy that I feel after this past weekend's Jamboree.

It's taken me a couple of days to distill my thoughts (okay it took a couple of days to just wake up) and I wanted to thank everyone involved in making this year's Jamboree such an incredible success. I know now why Oscar winners take their lists of thank-yous to the podium, because I failed to thank many of the most important people. Thank you all for helping to create environment that was filled with teaching and learning, sharing, networking and celebrating not only our ancestors but also the deep friendships that have developed between and among Jamboree participants.

I can't list everyone here because I think there is a limit on the length of a Blogger post. But here are some key thank-yous in no particular order.

1. Louise Calaway, Peggy Schultz and Lynne Parmenter, who processed all of the registrations. It is a huge effort to manage the registrations, added orders, cancellations, changes, and keep track of everyone. They form the front line of Jamboree and are in the "heat of battle" from January through June. Louise's hard work is one of the foundations of success. She doesn't get enough recognition and she deserves it, and so much more.

2. Dave Burde, who was elected to SCGS president in January. He has fully embraced the mission of Jamboree and has been a kind and wise sounding board.

3. Vicki Hilb. This crazy woman from Arizona came to Jamboree a few years ago and try as we may, Leo and I just couldn't get rid of her . At first, she helped deliver fliers throughout her state. Then two years ago, she stepped up as Program Chair; and I developed a new definition of "absolutely invaluable." She is many things to me -- my bossy, my confidante, my sister, my friend. I cherish her, her snarky sense of humor, and all that she has done for me and for Jamboree.

4. George, Drew, Jana, Cyndi, the other Paula, Lisa, Thomas, Judy, Jean, Janet, Tom, Gena, Denise, Lisa Louise, Blaine, Bruce, John, Craig, Geoff, Michael, Randy, Megan, Curt, David, Dick, - Oh I am going to get myself in such trouble here. All of the speakers are so integral to the success of our event, and over the years, the best speakers in the genealogical community have made the effort to come to California. I thank every one of you for your contribution to Jamboree and enriching the value of education available at Jamboree.

5. The members of the Jamboree Committee and the members of the SCGS Board of Directors. There is a lot of overlap between the two groups, which shows the depth of participation of SCGS leadership in our annual event.

6. The sponsors, who support Jamboree in so many ways: Ancestry.com, FamilySearch, NEHGS,  findmypast.com, RootsMagic, Family Tree DNA, Salt Lake Plaza Hotel, Ancestor Seekers, Creative Continuum, Family Chartmasters, NGS, FGS, Crystal Inn Salt Lake Hotel, National Institute for Genealogical Studies

7. The staff at the Marriott, who have been partners with Jamboree and SCGS. The renovated convention center turned out beautiful and it was fun to be the first event held in the fresh, new venue. Oh, and the Dove bars.

8. My husband Pieter (the guy in the kilt), who has put up with way more than any man should ever have to. I'm not sure how he does it, but I am so grateful that he does.

9. The exhibitors, who bring their knowledge and products and experience to help guide the attendees. They add to the value of our event, they create programs and systems and books and products that help new family historians on their way to their own pasts.

10. Without volunteers, we would not have a Jamboree. We would not have a genealogical society. We would not be able to have webinars, or printed material, or a 40+ plus resource library, or a website, or interest groups or any other aspect of the Southern California Genealogical Society.  Jane Van Tour and Lise Harding, prior years' and 2014's volunteer chairs, did phenomenal jobs of recruiting and organizing the volunteers. Wow.

Want to hear about the first time I cried? (I swore I wouldn't but yeah like that's not going to happen.)  An attendee came to the information table and thanked me (us) for all of the hard work on Jamboree, and then he went a step further. He said, "think about all of the lives you have changed, all of the people who have learned at Jamboree, how many have benefited from Jamboree." Gulp.

And the second (and third and fourth) times I cried? They happened in the Pavilion during the Dress Like the '60s contest. We had 40-50 people on the stage, all smiling and happy in a blaze of tie-dye. It looked just like how I envisioned it. That was Cry #2.  Then someone started singing "Where Have All the Flowers Gone," spontaneously, in a variety of keys. That was Cry #3. When we ran out of easily-recalled words, we switched to "If You're Going to San Francisco, Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair." #4. It fulfilled a dream for me. I'll never forget that feeling.

Everyone who participated in Jamboree - you all share that. You all have touched lives, changed the lives of hundreds -- thousands -- of people over the years.

Finally, Leo. Leo Myers, who was the man of honor when Pieter and I got married. Who has been the very best work collaborator throughout my career. We've said for years that we share a brain. How close do we think? We finish each others' sentences. We think things at the exact same time. We write emails at the same time with the same ideas -- and hit "send" on those emails at the same time. Ours is a perfect collaboration - together we have a complete skill set, with attention to detail and creativity. Leo, thank you for being my other other half.

To everyone, thank you for your friendship, your guidance and your CRAZY HARD WORK. Even more than that, thank you for your commitment to our goals of:
  1. producing the very best genealogical event we possibly can, 
  2. bringing together family historians of all ages and all experience levels and all backgrounds, 
  3. providing opportunities to interact, and 
  4. encouraging them to learn and 
  5. having a good time doing it.
Best of luck to Team 15 -- Barbara Randall, Judi Ramsey, Priscilla Pruitt, and Lise Harding -- as they carry on the tradition begun 45 years ago and tended so well by Jan Jennings.

Paula Hinkel



09 June 2014

Jamboree - Jamboree Committee Caricature


Isn't this just wonderful? Leo had this done for us and presented everyone with a copy.

The creator of this artwork is Bill Crowley, who does family tree caricatures. You know, instead of the photos that we all display so traditionally, Bill does caricatures from photos. What a great idea for a reunion or other family gathering! Send the photos to him and he'll put something together like this for you. He did a *really* good job and pegged the Jamboree Committee members pretty darned well.

Here is a link to Bill's website. Mention that you saw the committee caricature.


Jamboree - UPDATED Update on Free Live Streamed Sessions

THURSDAY 

The pay-per-view sessions from Thursday's Family History and DNA conference will also be available for viewing through July 5. If you didn't register for the live feed, you can still pay to see one, two or all of the presentations.  Your original password should work, but if you have trouble, email jamboree@scgsgenealogy.com

http://streaming.webcastandbeyond.com/scgs-ppv/

Thursday DNA - requires payment
- $30 for individual session
- $130 for all five sessions
- Available only until July 5
- Will not be available in the SCGS Webinar Archive

SATURDAY and SUNDAY

The free live-streamed Jamboree sessions from Saturday and Sunday are available online, can be viewed by anyone interested in watching them, and do not need a password. Saturday and Sunday's sessions will be available through July 5. In late summer, most of them will be available in the SCGS members' section of the website in the webinar and video archive.


http://streaming.webcastandbeyond.com/scgs/
- Saturday and Sunday sessions (total of 10 sessions)
- No payment required (but donations gratefully accepted)
- Available until July 5
- Most will be available in the SCGS Webinar Archive in late summery

FRIDAY

The 4 Friday sessions will be available on the SCGS website within the next couple of months, depending on the time it takes to do the geeky video magic. We will let you know when they can be viewed. (There is a long explanation why they aren't available immediately, but let's chalk it up to technical reasons.)

Just by way of explanation --

We had a bumpy start on Thursday because of challenges with the hotel's Internet service, which was resolved for Friday.

Friday was a silly miscommunication on my part with the form of the password. (You remember that upper case / lower case confusion? Well I had asked the videographer to make them lower case, and then I efficiently sent the email off to ... myself.) Will put that in the "do not do that again" file.

Some of the viewers reported hearing multiple (up to 5) streams of the talk. That happened because those viewers clicked the link multiple (up to 5) times and opened multiple (up to 5) different browsers or pages. So be patient and let the page load and you won't have that problem. If you hear more than one voice, look for an open window and close it.

Oh, and I should mention the SCGS Members Webinar / Video Archive. Almost all of the free streamed sessions will be available for on-demand viewing on the members-only section of the SCGS website. Give our IT team a while to do the geeky magic stuff and I'll drop a note when they are available. The Webinar archive holds over 100 hours of genealogical instruction, and we add sessions every month. It's only one of the benefits of membership in SCGS, and a real deal for only $35 a year.


08 June 2014

Jamboree Attendance Announced

Attendance at the 2014 Southern California Genealogy Jamboree was 1388 onsite attendees and an average of about 450 remote attendees who viewed each streamed video session.

"We are extremely pleased with this year's turnout. The streaming video, sponsored by Ancestry.com, extended the reach of our event throughout the US and beyond. The excitement, energy and level of involvement of everyone at the Marriott was even higher than in past years," according to David Burde, president of SCGS.

Thank you to all of the volunteers who made it such a successful event, to the speakers, exhibitors and participants.

We'll see you again next year!


07 June 2014

Announcement: Winner of Flashback to the 60s Contest

Congratulations to Cindy Brennan, whose Memory of the 60s was selected at random as the winning submission for our Flashback to the 60s contest. Cindy wins a free registration to the 2015 Southern California Genealogy Jamboree. Congratulations!!!

Cindy Brennan
Top 10 List of why the 1960's are Forever Etched in my Memory

1. Measles, Mumps and Chicken Pox. We all had them as there were no vaccines. At least we didn't get polio since we were the first generation to take the vaccine on a sugar cube.

2. Sneaking out of my home while wearing these forbidden fashions: neon pink fishnet stockings, white Go-Go Boots and a miniskirt!

3. Meeting my lifelong best friend Leslie - while competing in the talent contest at the Butler County Fair. She won the grand prize, but I got a best friend for life.

4. Singing Beatles songs really loudly as I swung on my swing set. I was certain they could hear me in Liverpool!

5. Watching Neil Armstrong (who was from my Mom's hometown of Wapakoneta) walk on the Moon. It still gives me Goosebumps to this day!

6. The civil rights movement and the racial riots going on in the town next to me. We couldn't go to church a few times because of this. I didn't understand it then, but I sure do as an adult.

7. Christmas Eve, after church, at my Grandma and Grandpa B's - where we crammed 25 people into a 700 square foot space. Some of the best times of my life.

8. Living in Atlantic City, N.J. during the Cuban Missile Crisis. I remember my Mom and Dad staying up all night because they felt we were in jeopardy because of where we lived. Hiding under our desks in school to practice for Bomb Raids that fortunately never came.

9. Our silver aluminum Christmas tree with red ornaments. You don't find those in 2014!

10. Having both parents, all 4 Grandparents and 1 Great Grandparent alive during most of that decade. If only I had grasped the enormity of how precious that was at the time.

06 June 2014

Jamboree - New Member Benefits Announced

At its annual Genealogy Jamboree, which opened on Friday in Burbank, California, the Southern California Genealogical Society announced the addition of two valuable new member benefits.

“We are honored to have a strong member base of genealogists and family historians and genealogists who recognize the benefits of membership in SCGS. With the addition of these two new programs, we expect that an SCGS membership will become even more valuable,” explained David Burde, SCGS president.

The first benefit is the SCGS participation in the Society Membership Program provided by findmypast.com. Through this partnership, SCGS members will receive a discount to a twelve-month world subscription on findmypast.com equal to the cost of a one-year individual membership in SCGS. Since the Society’s annual regular membership is $35, that is the amount of the discount that each member will receive.

Burde continued, “The second benefit is especially exciting, because it adds another remote resource available to our members." Effective immediately, SCGS members have remote access to millions of military records on Fold3. Access Fold3 by clicking on the “Members Only” button on the SCGS website, www.scgsgenealogy.com.

Since all the SCGS staff will be onsite at the conference and unable to process new membership, there may be a slight delay before new members can utilize these benefits. Thank you for your patience.

Fold3 remote access and the findmypast discount are in addition to the many existing membership benefits, including:

- Remote access to WorldVitalRecords.com
- On-demand access to over 100 hours of educational videos from past Jamboree sessions and our twice-monthly webinar series.
- Discounts on educational events such as Jamboree, on SCGS publications, and on research team services.
- Online access to Los Angeles area records, as hundreds of thousands of records from the society’s 1890 Project become available.
- Guided research trips to Salt Lake City, Ft. Wayne and other destinations

Details on these new benefits will be announced over the next few days. Fold3 is available to members now.

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
Paula Hinkel
Vice President
Southern California Genealogical Society
phinkel@scgsgenealogy.com


Jamboree ANNOUNCEMENT - Winners of the 2013 GENEii Family History Writing Contest

FOR RELEASE 6 June 2014
by Pam Wiedenbeck

Congratulations to the winners of the 2013 GENEii Family History Writing Contest! Many thanks to the 59 authors who collectively contributed 79 entries, making this the largest GENEii contest ever.

All of the winning submissions will be published in The Searcher during 2014 and 2015 at the editor’s discretion; the preliminary dates of publication are indicated below. The submissions will also appear on the SCGS website after they appear in The Searcher.

Category 1: submissions from 1,000 to 2,000 words
•    First Place: "Mom's Life" -- John R. Catsis, Silver City, New Mexico
•    Second Place: "First the Chicken" -- Joyce Finn, Bluffton, South Carolina
•    Third Place: "Locked Out" -- DeVonna R. Allison, Burr Oak, Michigan
•    Runner Up: "Varrone" -- Nick Sweet, Shepherd, Texas
•    Honorable Mention: "Uncle John Burleson" -- Jim McLaughlin, Kerrville, Texas
•    Honorable Mention: "Paw Prints on Combat Soldiers' Hearts" -- Robert R. Robeson, Lincoln, Nebraska
Category 2: submissions under 1,000 words
•    First Place:  "Ground Zero" -- Jerry Eckert, Vail, Arizona
•    Second Place:  "November 22" -- Evan Guilford-Blake, Stone Mountain, Georgia
•    Third Place: "Christmas Kerfluffle" -- Marla F. Jones, Yukon, Oklahoma
•    Runner Up:  "My Grandfather's Grave" -- Thomas L. Stepp, Columbia, South Carolina
•    Honorable Mention: "A Visit to New Orleans" -- Joyce Roberson, West Hills, California
•    Honorable Mention: "A Mountain Rose" -- Felicia Johnson, Ocklawaha, Florida

The Southern California Genealogical Society sponsors its annual family history writing contest to support and encourage the writing of family history, local history, and memoirs, both by genealogists and by the public at large. The first contest was held in 2000. Since then, writers from more than nine nations have submitted entries.

The contest is dedicated to the memory of Elizabeth (Beth) Maltbie Uyehara, founder of the GENEii Family History Writing Contest. Beth served as The Searcher from 2000 to 2006 and was instrumental in launching the SCGS Writers Group.

The 2014 Family History Writing Contest will be open for submissions between November 1 and December 31, 2014. For further information on this year's contest, see the SCGS website.


04 June 2014

Jamboree - Registration



STEP #1 -  ADVANCE REGISTRATION CHECK-IN

Locate the registration check-in area. First find the line for your letter of the alphabet. When you reach the front of the line, give the volunteer your last name.

Please note that if you ordered a ticket for a guest, your guest's ticket will be filed under *their* last name, not yours.

Ticket Envelope.  The volunteer will hand you the ticket envelope. Printed on the envelope will be all of the things you have registered for, including special events. Double check to make sure everything is listed, and then verify that the envelope has everything that should be inside:
1. Name tag
3. Print syllabus claim ticket (if ordered in advance)
3. Raffle ticket for door prize drawing
4. Optional tickets for Special Events you have purchased
5. Optional ticket for printed syllabus if you ordered it.
6. Badge ribbon (optional)

Registration Bag.  You will be handed a FABULOUS registration bag compliments of RootsMagic (Thank you!) in which you should find:

The Searcher Summer 2014 (SCGS quarterly journal)
Name badge holder and lanyard (provided compliments of FamilySearch. Thank you!)
CD Syllabus (Jamboree, JamboFREE and DNA syllabi)
Pen
Evaluation form
Goodies
Printed Materials from SCGS as well as our partners

STEP # 2 -  PINK SHEET
Pick up your copy of the Pink Sheet. The Pink Sheet is the most important document for making your way through the weekend. It's legal-sized and printed on pink paper. The Pink Sheet gives you daily lecture schedules, maps of the facility, and notes about the many other activities at Jamboree.

STEP # 3 - (OPTIONAL) PRINT SYLLABUS
Printed Syllabus.  The last stop in the registration process is to claim a print copy of the syllabus. If you pre-ordered a printed copy of the syllabus and have a Printed Syllabus Claim Ticket in your envelope, pick up the syllabus at registration. A limited number of copies of printed syllabus will be available for purchase.

Jamboree - Parking

There's just no denying it. Parking is always challenging at the Marriott. The better we all follow the suggestions and rules, the less painful  it will be for all  of us.

Enter from Hollywood Way if you want to check in and drop off your luggage, if you want to use valet parking, or if you're dropping someone off at the lobby. You can make a U-turn and go back out the driveway without having to pay.

Enter on Thornton Avenue to park in the Marriott parking lot. Exit on Thornton Avenue.

Parking is $11 per day. Marriott guests should have the parking added to your room bill. You will use your room key card to speed through the parking gate.

The Bank of America parking lot may not be used by our guests during business hours on Thursday or Friday.

Placard parking is available throughout the Marriott lot. Several additional spaces will be added for Jamboree. Look for them in the rows immediately to the east of the pavilions. 

OVERFLOW PARKING PLAN

When the Marriott's parking lot is full, the hotel will station an attendant at the entrance gate that will let you know that no more spots are available.

Marriott Overnight Guests

If the Marriott lot is full, a priority system will be put into effect. Priority will be given to overnight guests of the hotel.

Enter the hotel from the Hollywood Way entrance.
Pull into the hotel circular driveway
Tell the valet that you are staying at the hotel, or show your room key.
The valet will park your car and you will not be charged the valet parking rate. You’ll be charged the standard Jamboree discounted rate of $11 per day.

Daily Commuters


If the Marriott lot is full, commuters will be directed to the overflow parking area which is located on Burbank Airport grounds. The Marriott shuttle will pick you up and drop you off at your car. The shuttle runs every 15 minutes or so. Security will be stationed in the overflow lot from 8pm to 8am.
Shade and seating will be provided in the overflow lot.

The overflow parking lot is shown on the photo below. Driving directions:

Pull out of the Marriott and turn left onto Thornton Drive.
At the light at Hollywood Way, turn right.
The parking area is about a mile north on Hollywood Way.
It is on the left hand side of the street.
You will be turning before you reach Tulare Avenue. If you reach Tulare, make a U-turn and drive back the way you came.




Jamboree - Pink Sheets are Online

The Pink Sheets are here! The Pink Sheets are here!

Seasoned Jamboree attendees recognize the words "Pink Sheet" They know that the Pink Sheet is the most important document at the conference. It's our version of a program, and it's chock full of important information. And now, both sets of Pink Sheets are available for download. The DNA Pink Sheet and Jamboree Pink Sheet are legal-sized pages, and the files are large (3MB for DNA and 5MB for Jamboree.)

In the Pink Sheet you'll find:

Registration information
Daily Schedules
For every session it tells:
  • Session Number
  • Speaker
  • Title of the presentation
  • Room location
  • Syllabus page number
  • Whether it is sponsored
  • Whether it is being recorded, and in what format
  • and new this year, an indication of the experience level 
Sponsors
Tech Zone participants with tons of historic newspapers - thanks to ProQuest
Special activities and events
Parking and shuttle info
Exhibit hall layout and exhibitors
Venue map
Jamboree policies (e.g. recording permission, social media, seating)
Food options
And other information

Printed copies will be available at the DNA conference and at Jamboree. 

They are also available in the Jamboree App in the Show Documents section.

02 June 2014

FREE Webinar - Weds. 18 Jun - Jay Fonkert CG - Wooden Shoe Genealogy: Finding Dutch and Frisian Ancestors


 

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

Jay Fonkert
Wooden Shoe Genealogy:
Finding Dutch and Frisian Ancestors
Wednesday, 18 June, 2014
6:00 - 7:30 p.m. Pacific time
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/281156905


Keep your feet dry. Learn how to find Netherlands home-places and use church and civil registration records on microfilm and the Internet to match a Netherlands family with your American family.
J. H. (“Jay”) Fonkert, CG(SM), is a Minnesota-based genealogy professional whose articles have appeared in Minnesota Genealogist, The Septs, Family Chronicle, APG Quarterly, National Genealogical Society Quarterly, and NGS Magazine. He is a director of the Association of Professional Genealogists, managing editor of Minnesota Genealogist, and past president of the Minnesota Genealogical Society.

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


Jamboree - Q&A for Monday, June 2

Q: When will you be sending the syllabus? When will I get my syllabus?

A: You will pick up the syllabus at the registration table when you check in at Jamboree. We don't mail them in advance.

The printed version of the syllabus was available for purchase until May 30. We will have a limited number of copies available at the SCGS Sales Table when the exhibit hall opens at noon.

Remember that many of the syllabus articles are available for download from the Jamboree app. You don't even need to install the app in order to get the handouts. You can get them from our page at http://m.core-apps.com/scgs2014.

Thank you to the speakers who have allowed their handouts to be made available for download before the conference.