THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Wednesday Evening E-News 18 January 2017

For more information visit www.gfo.org, contact us at info@gfo.org, or call our library at 503-963-1932. We love hearing from you!

For a complete GFO CALENDAR click here.

Also, if you missed your free copy of our monthly Insider for January 2017, you’re in luck because we saved you a copy HERE. NOTE: The Insider issues are now located under the “Learn” –> “Our Publications” menu at our new website (still gfo.org).

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CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!! SUNDAY, JANUARY 22nd
It’s a Microfilm Extravaganza 9am – Noon

As part of our usual Sunday Library Work Party, we sure could really use your help this Sunday with sorting the last of the microfilms (for now) and getting them in the correct drawers.

We have boxes of films stashed since our recent library rearranging. We hope to get them all in order, get them all in the drawers, and get the boxes out of our nice new meeting area. Please come and lend a hand if you can…if you dare!

And we heard a pretty reliable rumor that Laurel said she might bring some donuts if she hears enough people are coming! Do we have a 15 or even a 20?!
Email her at president@gfo.org if you can lend a hand—and eat a donut!

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Come one, come all!! To this Saturday’s GenTalk!

WHEN Jan 21, 2017 at 2 pm
WHERE: the GFO Library
WHAT Lone Fir Cemetery
As always this event is free and open to the public, so be sure to let your friends know soon!!
The Lone Fir Cemetery is a rich source of genealogical and historical information about our Portland-area pioneers. Their stories are inspiring, heroic, despicable, heartbreaking, and above all, interesting.

Click HERE for more information.

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TAKE US TO YOUR CANDIDATES! We’ve got some seats up for election this March, and we need your help!

Curious what makes the GFO go?? So curious you want to have a direct impact on the process!? Here’s your chance.
Positions that currently need candidates:

▪ Endowment Committee (two positions)

▪ Vice President (one position)

▪ Treasurer (one position)

▪ Director-At-Large (one position)

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If you have a candidate you’d like to put forward for one of the following Board Member positions, please email president@gfo.org or any of the existing Board or Staff contacts anytime from now until our Membership Meeting scheduled for Sat, March 25, 12:30pm – 1:00pm.

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Flex those research muscles at GFO’s Research Practicum (Workshop) – Feb 25th

Come hear Keith and Darlene Pyeatt from 9:30am to 4pm at the GFO’s Spring Practicum
Goals are to build and strengthen genealogical research skills by increasing awareness of various resources, gathering appropriate evidence, and improving analysis and interpretation of collected
information. The last hour will be reserved for group discussion to review research plans and strategies, records searched, quality of evidence and analysis. It’s a great opportunity to share and learn from one another.

BE SURE TO BRING YOUR LAPTOP AND A BAG LUNCH.

Note: This class is for intermediate and advanced researchers.
Seating is limited to 20 spots, so REGISTER soon!!

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“Get Acquainted With…” Rescheduled for Wednesday, Jan 25th, and Sunday, Jan 29th

It’s time to get up and outa the house!!
Remember the new super awesome monthly class “Get Acquainted With…” that we boasted to you about earlier this month? With all the snow and ice, they got pushed back a bit, but we’re sure the universe will let us have them in the coming weeks!

Here’s the scoop again in case you missed it:

GFO President Laurel Smith and Manuscripts Chair Nanci Remington are giving duplicate presentations one Sunday and Wednesday each month (check the calendar for these moving dates) about what’s in the GFO library and how to utilize its extraordinary resources.

The duplicate presentations are so that if you can’t come on a Sunday, then maybe, hopefully, if the world’s not yet ended by then, you can come to the Wednesday session.

This month, this very next Wednesday and the following Sunday in fact, Laurel and Nanci will be giving tips on the new organization of the books in the library, along with an explanation of what all those pesky call numbers mean and how to find them using our online library catalog. Did you know we have an online catalog? Totally accessible from your own home? Well, if you didn’t, then you better plan on coming this Sunday from 1-3pm, or this next Wednesday from 6-8pm so you can learn all about it!!
The GFO online library catalog is under Resources at our new website HERE.

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JANUARY’s GFO STAR – Jerry “Mac” McGarvin
He’s still killin’ it! So we decided we needed two full months to honor all Mac’s ongoing backbreaking work!

The GFO would like to say a warm and hardy THANK YOU to our very own Jerry “Mac” McGarvin this month. Once the new space plan was approved, Mac took the bull by the horns to assemble, build, and move shelves, move microfilm cabinets, and much, much more! And during the past month, he went absolutely “hog-wild” moving books from one location to another. He certainly hasn’t let any grass grow under his feet during this process which was to begin in January with the goal of completion by the March Open House, but now we have to WAIT for shelves to be delivered so he can assemble and attach them to the wall before the Family History Books and the remainder of our collection can be moved. It’s been amazing to see the progress Mac has made each day! Thanks again and a billion, Mac!!

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What’s Happening this Week at the GFO?

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21st
Genealogy Problem Solvers 9:30am – 11:30am

Join us for a monthly support group where we help each other find information about a family line. We will learn to do a reasonably exhaustive search and develop research plans. The focus will shift depending on the needs of the group. Several experienced researchers have volunteered to help. Beginners and intermediate researchers are encouraged to submit problems to work on. For more information contact Katie Daly at GPS@gfo.org.

Italian Interest Group Noon – 2pm

Ciao to everyone interested in Italian genealogy research. This is a great opportunity to learn, share, and enjoy others with a common interest. Italian genealogy research in the Portland area now has a home. Come join our group. Facilitated by Keith Pyeatt.

GenTalk 2pm – 4pm

Come out to this free event to hear the Friends of Lone Fir Cemetery handing out unbelievable nuggets of wisdom and expertise on the subjects they know best! Did we mention this event is free and open to the public?!
SUNDAY, JANUARY 22nd
Library Work Party 9am – Noon

As mentioned above, we sure could really use your help this Sunday with sorting the last of the microfilms (for now) and getting them in the correct drawers. We have boxes of films stashed since our recent library rearranging. We hope to get them all in order, get them all in the drawers, and get the boxes out of our nice new meeting area. Please come and lend a hand if you can…if you dare!

P.S. Laurel said she might bring some donuts if she hears enough people are coming! I don’t know about you, but I’m sold!! Email her at president@gfo.org if you can lend a hand—and eat a donut!
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18th
Get Acquainted With… 6pm – 8pm

January’s TOPIC: GFO’s online library catalog. Learn what you can do at home to prepare for your visit and gain an understanding about what all those call numbers really mean. Learn where the resources are hiding and become more efficient with the time you spend at the GFO.

This new monthly series is designed to help any and every GFO Library researcher become familiar with the resources available and how to use them. On normal months, where the wind, snow, and ice aren’t constantly blowing, this class will be helpful to long-term members, new members, and even to our own research assistants! It will be offered on the second Sunday of the month at 1 p.m. and on the second Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m.