| THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday Evening E-News Edition November 14, 2019 |
| Curious about the status of your GFO Membership? We’d love to have you as a GFO Member! |
| gfo.org | 503-963-1932 | info@gfo.org Be sure to check the complete GFO CALENDAR. Also, don’t miss the current issue of The Forum Insider |
| Come hear our speaker, Lori Washburn, this Saturday, Nov. 16 from 2 – 3 p.m. as she presents GFO’s November GenTalk, Scanning and Archiving Your Family Photos and Documents. Whether you want to scan just a few photos, have inherited a box of photos, or plan on visiting a relative who might have photos, this class is for you. We will briefly discuss scanners and then learn how to scan and archive those precious photos and documents, as well as how to file the scans. We will also touch on the basics of touching up your scans. Join us at the GFO. GenTalks are free and open to the public. |
| Join the African American Interest Group as they host a special webinar on Saturday, November 16, from 12:00 to 2:00 at the GFO. Dr. Charles Foy, Associate Professor of Early American and Atlantic History, Emeritus, at Eastern Illinois University and a scholar of 18th-century Black maritime culture will present “Black Hands, White Profits: The Critical Role Black Mariners Played in 18th-century America.” |
| During the 18th century, when North America lacked a network of highways, the country’s economy was maritime-centered. In his talk, Dr. Foy, will detail how Southern planters, Northern merchants, ship captains, and government officials relied upon Black maritime labor for profits and to develop the new American economy. He will also provide an overview of how this drive by whites for profits offered enslaved Blacks opportunities for freedom and economic independence. Dr. Foy is the creator of the Black Mariner Database, a data set of more than 30,000 18th-century Black Atlantic mariners and maritime fugitives. He is completing a book manuscript, Liberty’s Labyrinth: Freedom in the 18th-Century Black Atlantic, that details the nature of freedom in the 18th century through an analysis of the lives of black mariners. All GFO Interest Group meetings are free and open to the public. |
| For GFO, GivingTuesday isn’t about fundraising. It’s about banding together for a volunteer blitz to accomplish one large task. What if all GFO’s members came together on just one day to give back by lending their time and talent? |
| Please save the date: December 3rd and come to the GFO all or part of the day to help. GFO will provide pastries, fruit, and coffee in the morning, pizza and pop in the afternoon. You provide the people power. Please help. |
| GFO Gift Memberships |
| Give the meaningful gift of family history this holiday season with a gift membership to the GFO. It’s so easy. Just download and complete the form and send it with a check to Membership at the GFO. You’ll receive a holiday card (in an envelope) you can use to announce the gift. All memberships will begin January 1, 2020. Orders received by December 10 will be mailed out on or before December 15. Orders received after December 10 may not be fulfilled in time for Christmas gift giving. |
| News from the Library: No new books? |
| Q: Why is the new book shelf empty? Isn’t the GFO getting any new books? A: Actually, we have a number of new books that have been donated, and some that we’ve purchased. But, for now, the library team is working to get ready for GivingTuesday–and that means getting the books that are already in the collection on the shelves where they can be inventoried on December 3. Watch for more new books the second week of December. |
| This is the last weekend to take advantage of the Portland Center Stage offer to friends of GFO for a currently running play that happens to revolve around genealogy! Redwood is billed as “a beautiful, humor-filled excavation of our shared history. When Steve Durbin sets out to chart his Black family’s ancestry online, his revelations unwittingly throw his entire family into turmoil.” You can read Amy Wang’s review of the play in The Oregonian, here. |
| Redwood runs from now through November 17 at Portland Center Stage at the Armory. PCS has a deal for Friends of the GFO: Now through November 17: Use promo code “COMMUNITY*” for $10 off tickets. Get tickets here. |
| This week’s surplus books take us on a little local time travel. We have two spare copies of Portland’s Lincoln High School yearbook, The Cardinal, from 1917 and 1918. You’ll love the photos of the students, the advertisements for local businesses, and the articles from a bygone era. |
| These small paperbound volumes have seen better days, but they still hold together. Pick up at GFO Price: $15 for the set of two. Ship to You Price: $20 for the set of two. If you’re interested in buying these please contact booksales@gfo.org. |
| Survey Results: Personal Family Tree Software Usage |
| We received 68 responses to last week’s query about what software E-News readers use for their own family tree. We’re curious what you like best and what could be better about the software you use. One person has used (COSMI) Perfect Family Tree for over 10 years and described it as cheap, functional, but can’t print in color. Two over-10-year users of Ancestral Quest report it is easy to use but could be better handling photos in the notes. |
| One person reports using Brother’s Keeper for between 5 and 10 years—but doesn’t have time to use it much and finds it confusing. Family Tree Maker has the most reported users (32). Two people using it for less than a year, 5 people for 1-5 years, 8 people for 5-10 years, and 17 over 10-year users. The most repeated feature they liked was the ability to sync with Ancestry. Also mentioned were ease of use and the report functions. We heard from 7 Legacy Family Tree users—two users for 1-5 years, 4 for 5-10 years, and 1 for more than 10 years. Users like the reports and the citation template, and while there were some ideas, there was no consensus on things that could be improved. One user of MacFamily Tree (10+ years) who likes the ease of use and support. Three Master Genealogist users (10+ years) who wish the program was still supported. |
| PAF (Personal Ancestral File) – 3 users for 10+ years who like the ease of use but wish the program was still updated and supported. Six Reunion users (1 less than a year; 2 for 5-10 years, 3 for 10+ years) the comments in favor were varied, and the only request for improvement was the ability to sync with Ancestry. RootsMagic had twelve users respond. Seven have used it for 1-5 years, two 5-10, and one didn’t say. Users like the ability to sync with Ancestry is just one of many favored features. Several noted that source citation templates could be improved. To see all the responses click here. |
| New Survey: Are you attending GivingTuesday? |
| We hope you are planning to join us on December 3 for our GivingTuesday volunteer blitz. We need you! A large turnout will make this event a success. Please take our survey to let us know if you’re coming. |
| Saturday, November 16th Genealogy Problem Solvers 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. If you are part of a big family tree, there is a good chance that you have some famous relatives. When doing family history research, we all get excited when we discover that a relative or ancestor is someone famous. This month’s challenge is to determine how our GFO member is related to Claire Lee Chennault, the U.S. major general who commanded the U.S. Army Air Forces in China during WWII. For more information contact Katie Daly at GPS@gfo.org. African American Group 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. Our speaker will be Dr. Charles Foy joining us remotely from the UK via Webinar. His talk will be Black Hands, White Profits: The Critical Role Black Mariners Played in 18th-century America and will detail how Southern planters, Northern merchants, ship captains, and government officials relied upon black maritime labor for profits and to develop the new American economy. He will also provide an overview of how this drive by whites for profits offered enslaved blacks opportunities for freedom and economic independence. For more information, see the feature article above or contact Janice Sellers african_american@gfo.org. GenTalk: Scanning and Archiving Your Family Photos and Documents 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Presented by Lori Washburn Whether you want to scan just a few photos, have inherited a box of photos, or plan on visiting a relative who might have photos, this class is for you. We will briefly discuss scanners and then learn how to scan and archive those precious photos and documents, as well as how to file the scans. We will also touch on the basics of touching up your scans. GenTalks are free and open to the public. Sunday, November 17th Library Work Party 9:00 a.m. – Noon There’s another work party at the GFO library today for those of you who can come. There’s lots to do and we’d love to have your help. Doors open at 9 and work usually wraps up around noon. Some people come for just an hour or so; others work the full time. You are welcome to do either. Any time you can share is valuable. Hope to see you there. Family Tree Maker User’s Group 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Join other users who want to work through the 2017 Companion Guide to Family TreeMaker. Bring your laptop with 2017 version of FTM installed – build 1-480 of FTM installed. Come 30 minutes earlier if you’ve never been or have skipped sessions. You might need an update of the “fake” practice tree we are using. For questions or info, contact Joyce Grant-Worley at FTM@gfo.org French Canada Group 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. Share stories of our history. Come and join this group to learn more about French Canadian ancestry and Acadia. The group leader is Bob LaMarche. FrCan@gfo.org Wednesday, November 20th Learn & Chat 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. In the next several sessions, we will be looking at the three aspects of the Genealogy Proof Standard as set forth by the Board for Certification of Genealogists in the BCG Genealogical Standards Manual. The goal is to learn together to integrate these standards and methods into our daily routines, to become better genealogists, maximize our efficiency, reach more accurate solutions, and breakdown more brick walls. Join us to talk about your genealogy, support others, and hopefully learn something new. Facilitated by Sandy Alto and Jeanne Quan. Questions? learnandchat@gfo.org DNA Q&A: The Basics 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. This meeting is for those who are just beginning to use DNA testing for genealogy. Each class begins with a presentation of general information about DNA testing. General questions regarding DNA testing are welcome at the end of each planned discussion. Lisa McCullough leads this group. Questions? dna_qa@gfo.org GFO Library Open Late to 8:00 p.m. |