Category Archives: Z-2018 Past Seminars-Conferences

NWGC Starts Wednesday

by Roxanne Lowe

It’s not too late to register for one of the premier conferences in the region! The Northwest Genealogy Conference opens on Wednesday, Aug. 15.

Here’s some of what’s in store:

Wednesday, August 15:

  • FREE Beginning Genealogy Class starts at 1:00 p.m. Amie Bowser Tennant will help beginners (and not-so-beginners) learn how to get started (or restarted). If you plan to attend, but forgot haven’t registered, please register here. The class is free, but organizers need a count to insure there are enough materials.
  • Meet & Greet Taco Bar from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.  at the Gleneagle Golf Club. Available for full conference attendees. Registration is $5. No host bar available. If you plan to attend but forgot to register, please go to www.nwgc.org to register.

Thursday, August 16:

  • Registration opens bright and early at 7:30 a.m. at the Byrnes Performing Arts Center, 18821 Crown Ridge Blvd., Arlington. The conference organizers have been hard at work for months and months to ensure you have a great time.
  • A full day of classes, including three keynote sessions with CeCe Moore. WSGS will also be holding a society management class in Room 113 during the lunch period. Come listen to WSGS Vice President Donna Potter Phillips talk about “How to Lasso a Good Speaker” for your society meetings.
  • Vendors and Information Tables. Make sure you visit the vendors and informational tables in the common area and classrooms.
  • A Night on the Town in downtown Arlington. Fifteen local businesses will stay open until 8:00 p.m. to allow conference attendees to browse and shop. Many shops will have appetizers and door prizes.

Friday, August 17:

  • A full day of classes, including three keynote sessions with Peggy Lauritzen. Also, Ginny Majewski, WSGS President, will conduct a class called “So, Now You’ve Been Elected” for society society officers and members. The class will be in Room 113 during the lunch period.
  • Dress as Your Ancestor Day. Rent/buy/make a costume to honor an ancestor or your heritage. Every year more attendees are taking part in this fun activity. There are consignment shops downtown Arlington that have costumes also.
  • Conference Banquet with CeCe Moore. Listen to CeCe talk about making history with genetic genealogy. The banquet requires pre-registration and, at last report, was almost sold out. No tickets will be sold at the door. If there’s still room, you can register here.

Saturday, August 18:

  • Our last full day of classes, learning, shopping and networking. Beth Foulk will be the keynote speaker for two sessions.
  • Heirloom Jewelry. Is it trash or is it treasure? Bring some of your heirloom jewelry items with you and find out. We will offer FREE expert analysis on Saturday during lunch. Sign-up at the Info Desk anytime during the conference to reserve your time…limit of 3-4 pieces please.

Don’t miss this conference! You can register for all three days, just one or even at the door. Click here for more information.

Washington State Genealogical Society at the NW Genealogy Conference

by Charles Hansen

Come See WSGS at the NW Genealogy Conference

The Washington State Genealogical Society is delighted to partner with the Northwest Regional Genealogy Conference and have the opportunity to share thoughts on society management. Virginia Majewski, WSGS president, and Donna Potter Phillips, WSGS vice-president, will each offer a free session aligned with the theme of society management.  The sessions will be offered during lunch breaks on Thursday & Friday, so grab your lunch and come on in.

Donna’s presentation will discuss “How To Lasso A Good Speaker.” Every genealogy society struggles to find programs, presentations and good speakers. Donna will present some criteria on how to “lasso” or find a good speaker.

Ginny’s presentation will discuss “So You’ve Been Elected”; hints, helps and resources for society officers.  Officers, do you ever wonder what have I gotten myself into?  Ginny will present thoughts on what you need to know, what you ought to consider and resources to help.
Don’t forget to stop by the WSGS table at the NW Genealogy Conference and learn how you can win a free DNA kit!

Northwest Genealogy Conference Still Has Room for You

by Roxanne Lowe

Are you looking for a genealogical learning experience on par with the big national conferences, but with a more intimate setting and personal feel? If so, the Northwest Genealogy Conference is the conference for you! The conference is August 15 – 19, 2018, at the Byrnes Performing Art Center in Arlington, Washington — and still has spots open. To register, click here.

Like the national conferences, there are nationally known speakers on a wide range of topics. This year’s keynote speakers, Ce Ce Moore, Beth Foulk and Peggy Lauritzen, are well known in genealogical circles. In fact, you’ve likely heard about Ce Ce in the news lately. She’s garnered national attention for the DNA assistance she provided to law enforcement which led to arrests in several murder cold cases.

For the beginning genealogist (and those needing a “refresher”), there will be a free class on Wednesday, the 15th, and for the more serious, there are additional in-depth workshops offered that day.

Unlike the big conferences, NWGC offers a much more intimate and personal setting with much less walking. Along with the great education that you will receive, there are also fun activities such as “Dress as Your Ancestor Day,” the cousin match board, door prizes and more.

See www.nwgc.org for more information and to register. See you there!

Don’t Dilly Dally to Get Your NWGC Banquet Ticket

by Roxanne Lowe

If you’re planning to attend the Northwest Genealogy Conference, you won’t want to miss CeCe Moore’s presentation “Making History with Genetic Genealogy” at the banquet on Friday, Aug. 17.  You MUST purchase your banquet ticket in advance and it’s nearing capacity! Tickets will not be sold at the door.

CeCe will be talking about a very timely subject: “Making History with Genetic Genealogy.” Recent strides in technology have enabled genetic genealogy to play a leading role in both rewriting and making history, and CeCe has been along for the ride.

Get yourself registered for the conference and don’t forget that banquet ticket!

Jefferson County Genealogical Society Amazing Plans

by Charles Hansen

JCGS takes a break in July and August.  However, we have some Amazing Plans for October and November! This is the time to put these on your personal calendar and take action on saving a place for yourself!

 

JEFFERSON COUNTY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY (JCGS)

PO Box 627 

Port Townsend, WA 98368

Contact for this media release:  Judy Tough 360-385-3065 or tough@olympus.net

 Release Dates: July 2018

Two Amazing Resources for Locals Interested in DNA & Genealogy

DNA: Jefferson County Genealogical Society (JCGS) is excited to announce they are bringing Ce Ce Moore to Port Townsend November 10, 2018. Ce Ce Moore is the genetic genealogy consultant for the popular PBS television series “Finding Your Roots” with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Her work has also been featured on 20/20, Genealogy Roadshow, Nightline, Good Morning America, The Doctors and many other well-known TV shows. Her primary focus is promoting genetic genealogy through the media. Ce Ce is the co-founder of the Institute for Genetic Genealogy and has written the popular blog “Your Genetic Genealogy” since 2010.

Ms. Moore will be presenting an all day DNA seminar covering “I Have My Results, Now What”; “Seven Key Concepts to Working with Autosomal DNA”; “Autosomal DNA: Discovering Your Ancestors in You”; and “Creating and Utilizing Genetic Networks in Your Research”. Her talks will cover beginning, intermediate, and advanced tools for incorporating DNA into genealogical research. Currently there are only 50 seats remaining in the USO Building at Fort Warden State Park. Each seat is $75 for the day. Doors open at 8:30 am, lectures are 9:30 am to 3:30 pm with a break for lunch. Persons must complete the Ce Ce Moore Registration Form and other instructions found on the JCGS website www.wajcgs.org to reserve a ticket.

GENEALOGY CLASS: “BEYOND THE BASICS” Do you still have questions or ‘brick walls’ after following your family in censuses and vital records? Want to learn about how your ancestors lived, not just where they lived? “Beyond the Basics” may be just for you!

This class, offered by Jefferson County Genealogical Society (JCGS) is designed for those who want to answer more questions about their families. We’ll talk about military, immigration, land and probate records as well as some techniques that can be used to solve difficult problems. Not for the individual just starting out, this course will allow participants to take their family history research to the next level.

The program will be held on the Monday afternoons of October 1, 8, 15, 2018, 1:00-3:30 pm at the Historical Research Center, 13692 Airport Cutoff Road (Highway 19). Cost is $30 for members, $55 for non-members (includes a $25 one year JCGS Membership). Class is limited to 18 participants. Complete the registration form at our website www.wajcgs.org and mail a check to JCGS, PO Box 627, Port Townsend, WA 98368 by September 24, 2018.

 

Five Societies Earn Innovative Grants

by Roxanne Lowe

In an announcement made at the WSGS Annual Meeting on 26 May 2018 in Vancouver, five local societies were  awarded Innovative Grants for special projects and purchases. The grants, up to $100, are designed to support the inventive and creative efforts of WSGS-member societies and organizations. Each society’s proposal was scored and ranked by a review team.

2018 Innovative Grants were awarded to:

  1. Eastside Genealogical Society to help pay for “The Photo Detective” Maureen Taylor workshop to celebrate the society’s 40th birthday. Ms. Taylor will present “Finding Family History in Your Picture Mysteries” on September 15 in Bellevue. Society members will get to attend for free while the public will pay a small fee. For more information about this workshop, click here.
  2. Lower Columbia Genealogical Society to purchase genealogical books to donate to the Longview Public Library for public use. Lower Columbia has generously donated books for a number of years, using money from membership dues and their coffee stops.
  3. Okanogan Genealogical Society to help purchase supplies to repair and preserve books holding the “Tonasket Times” newspaper from 1913 – 1952. Each book uses an entire roll of special archival document repair tape. This grant will buy a few rolls of tape to stop the destruction of the collection.
  4. Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society to help publish a book on “Early Stillaguamish Valley Schools” in the Arlington Area. It’s taken years to gather historical documents and photographs for this project from the 1800s to the early 1940s and now they’re ready to publish.
  5. Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society For the 4th consecutive year, WAGS has applied for an Innovative Grant to promote genealogy in their area. This year, they’re focusing on the digital preservation of family records, library holdings and archival documents. They plan to preserve family histories and archival materials of their society, its members and the community.

The Innovative Grant program was started in 2015 to support the inventive and creative efforts of local societies and organizations. When created, Recognition Chair Roxanne Lowe explained, “We know that local societies can do a lot with very little, so we’re hoping the Innovative Grant Program will be what you need to jump-start a project that has been dreamed about for some time.”

Olympia and Clark County Earn Top Honors

by Roxanne Lowe

The Olympia Genealogical Society and Clark County Genealogical Society earned outstanding society awards at the WSGS Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony on May 26 in Vancouver.

WSGS President Virginia Majewski presented the Outstanding Project Award to CCGS President Brian Runyan and member Lois Bosland.

The Clark County Genealogical Society, in addition to being the excellent hosts of the Awards Ceremony, were the recipients of the Outstanding Project Award for their Tax Ledger Project which included digitizing, transcribing and indexing original 1886 and 1891 tax ledgers for the City of Vancouver. As we all know, those are critical years for any family history researcher in lieu of the 1890 census disaster. The tax records included who owned property in Vancouver and how much tax was owed and paid (or not). The Clark County Society consulted with the State Archives, Clark County Historical Museum, History Department at WSU Vancouver and the WSU Library – a true collaborative effort. This treasure trove of information is now available to the public and the original records are being turned over to the State Archives.

OGS members Dee Dee Simpson, Dick Moody, Nancy Cordell, seminar speaker David Allen Lambert, and Roger Newman celebrating their accomplishments

Olympia Gen Soc earned the Outstanding Communication Award for their new website. For 20 years, they used a popular web host that is currently unavailable. Understanding the importance and urgency of getting information out to their members and the public in this web-based world, they created a new website, using a web development company that specializes in genealogical societies (EasyNetSites — same as WSGS). Olympia’s site is attractive – and even better, it’s full of current information. Check out their website here. They also use their Facebook page to regularly post informational tidbits, newsy articles and promote their meetings and seminar.

Besides the Outstanding Communication Award, Olympia’s Ann Olsen was awarded the President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement while Rebel Romero received an Outstanding Volunteer award.

Clark County Genealogical Society In the News

by Charles Hansen

 

Local genealogical society wins state award

By The Columbian

Published: June 27, 2018, 5:55 AM

1

Edgewood Park — The Clark County Genealogical Society was awarded the 2018 Outstanding Project Award at the Washington State Genealogical Society’s annual meeting.

The society earned the award for their project, “Vancouver Tax Ledger Project,” which included digitizing, transcribing and indexing original tax ledgers for the city of Vancouver for the years 1886 and 1891.

“Clark County Genealogical Society’s commitment to preserve the 1886 and 1891 tax ledgers is especially valuable considering genealogy researchers might be able to use that information as a substitute for the 1890 federal census which was destroyed by fire in Washington, D.C. in 1921,” Virginia Majewski, president of the state society, said in a release from the Clark County group.

Clark County Genealogical Society is a volunteer-run nonprofit society founded in 1972. It is dedicated to pursuing the collection, preservation and education of genealogically relevant material.