It is with true regret but with an abundance of caution that the Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society announces that the Northwest Genealogy Conference will be cancelled for 2020…a decision to proceed with 2021 has not yet been made. Contact info@stillygen.org for more info…
Tag Archives: Northwest Genealogy Conference
Northwest Genealogy Conference August 2020
Northwest Genealogy Conference 2020
The Northwest Genealogy Conference (NwGC2020) is now OPEN FOR REGISTRATION.
This is the premier genealogy conference in the Northwest being held Aug. 12-15 in Arlington. This year will offer 15 speakers with over 40 sessions. The keynote speakers are Thomas MacEntee, Kathleen Kaldis and Anna Swayne. Register today at www.nwgc.org and receive the “Early Bird” discount – valid until April 15th. You can now fly direct from Spokane to Paine Field in Everett – check it out! Watch this blog weekly for more details….
Northwest Genealogy Conference 2020
The Northwest Genealogy Conference had an astounding attendance of 412 patrons over the course of 4 days and the planning team is hard at work planning NwGC2020 “A World of Discoveries” … we’re planning special events to coincide with the 400th Anniversary of the Mayflower – SAVE THE DATE – August 12 to 15th in Arlington, WA.
Day 2 at the Northwest Genealogy Conference
Attention! That’s military talk for listen up! And that’s what we did during keynote speaker Michael Strauss’s presentations. Entertaining, energetic, informative — everything from the Colonial Wars through WWII. All three sessions kept us rapt with “attention!”
An always super fun activity at the conference is the “Dress Like Your Ancestor Day.” It was so fun to see attendees dressed as their Salem Witch ancestor (complete with noose), Colonial dame (watch out for that hoop skirt!), Norwegian (or German or New England or Irish or…other parts of the globe) ancestor. We all love to talk about our ancestors and today it was so fun to see them walking around the conference.
My two “extra” classes today were Sara Cochran’s “Irish Eyes Are Smiling: Finding Vital Records in the Land of Sain” and “Motive, Means and Opportunity: The Sad Saga of George Richards” with Jean Hibben. I’d never taken a workshop with their instructor, but will in the future. Great information and presentations!
Ahoy, maties! The evening closed with the annual banquet at the Gleneagle Golf Course. The always entertaining Daniel Earl kept us laughing all through his presentation on pirates. Yes, pirates! Who would have known how piracy affected our ancestors!
Tomorrow’s the last day of the conference, but a full one. Looking forward to hearing Thomas MacEntee — via video conference. Unfortunately, Thomas was unable to fly to the conference, but being the professional that he is, conference organizers arranged to have him live through the wonders of technology.
Day 1 at the Northwest Genealogy Conference
You could feel the excitement and energy in the building as more than 250 genealogy enthusiasts gathered at the Byrnes Performing Arts Center for the first full day of the 2019 Northwest Genealogy Conference.
Our keynote speaker was the amazing Angie Bush. Angie is a senior genealogist with Ancestry ProGenealogists. She’s also one of my favorite DNA speakers. She uses clear language, great examples and case studies and really keeps up on the ever-changing world of DNA.
Angie’s presentations today included Direct Line Testing (Y-DNA & mtDNA), Answering Genealogical Questions with Autosomal DNA and Power Tools to Make the Most of Your DNA Test. I had many “ah ha’s” to take home to apply to my own DNA results. Lots of notes scribbled on my syllabus.
In addition to the three keynote presentations, the conference attendees had to make the difficult choice of choosing just two workshops from the ten offered. I opted for Janice Lovelace’s “Becoming Washington: Who Came to the Northwest and Why” and “The Genealogical Proof Standard According to Sherlock Holmes” with Jill Morelli. Both classes were standing room only — more chairs brought in to Janice’s Washington class and Jill’s Sherlock Holmes class was moved to a bigger classroom.
I had a chance to visit a few vendors — interesting! Will buy raffle tickets and visit the Heritage Quest Research Library book store tomorrow.
Speaking of tomorrow…great fun is in store! It’s “Dress Like Your Ancestor” day! You can still register for the day. Doors open at 7:30 a.m. We’re waiting for you!
NWGC 2019 is Here!
The Northwest Genealogy Conference is one of the region’s best learning and networking opportunities. I look forward to it all year and today didn’t disappoint! In case you hadn’t heard, the conference, in its sixth year, is August 14 – 17, 2019, at the Byrnes Performing Arts Center at Arlington High School.
The afternoon began for many taking advantage of Janet O’Conor Camarata’s free beginning class. I saw more than beginners in the class — there’s always something new to learn or relearn in the world of genealogy. There were also three “advanced workshops” offered: Connecting DNA Matches with Angie Bush, Family History Writing with Lisa Alzo and Disaster Proofing Your Research with Sara Cochran. There was a lot of buzz about all three classes.
The evening closed with a “Meet and Greet” taco bar at the Gleneagle Golf Course. What a great way to see old friends and make new ones.
Tomorrow we’ll be treated to three DNA-related plenary sessions with Angie Bush and “Making the Most from Your Public Library” with Jennifer Foreman. In addition to Angie’s and Jennifer’s presentations, we’ll also have to choose just two classes from the ten offered — everything from death, dying and burial customs to finding ancestors without the 1890 census. In combing through the 170-page syllabus, I’m not sure how I’ll be able to choose!
If you aren’t one of the 250+ people who have already registered for the conference, don’t despair! You can register at the door for one day, two days or all three! You can’t register online anymore (and meals are not available for on-site registrants), but show up at the door and the uber-efficient volunteers from conference host Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society will get you set up. Just show up early! Doors open at the Byrnes Performing Arts Center at 7:30 a.m.
I’m excited, full of energy and enthusiasm! More tomorrow…
One Week to Go Before NWGC
Northwest Genealogy Conference
There is only a week before the Northwest Genealogy Conference, August 14-17 in Arlington, WA.
If you’re still thinking about whether to attend or not, consider these benefits and offerings:
- Unlimited networking with other enthusiastic genealogists.
- More than two dozen top-notch presenters offering more than 30 classes. Keynote speakers will be Thomas MacEntee (through the magic of video), Angie Bush and Michael Strauss — all amazing presenters. What an opportunity to hear nationally renowned experts right here in Western Washington!
- Whether you consider yourself a beginner or more advanced genealogist, attend the FREE beginning genealogy session on Wednesday, the 14th, with Janet Conor Camarata. There’s always something to learn (or relearn!) in the world of genealogy.
- There are still openings in some of the “advanced” workshops held on Wednesday. Pre-registration and payment is required. Click here for more information.
- If you’ve got a young person interested in attending, a complimentary youth registration (ages 13-17) is available with one paid full conference registration. (Email info@stillygen.org or call the Society at 360-435-4838 for further information.)
- Vendors! Vendors! Vendors! Don’t miss the opportunity to see what’s new!
- Sign up for all three days or just one — fit it into your schedule.
- Maybe you’ll find a cousin if you post a surname message on the Cousin Board in the registration area. A great way to connect with other attendees.
Don’t miss this opportunity. Sign up today by clicking here.
Free Class at NWGC
Sign up for one of the best bargains of the summer! A FREE Beginning Genealogy day with Janet Camarata on August 14th at the Northwest Genealogy Conference in Arlington. Sign up here.
During Janet’s jam-packed workshop (1:00 – 4:30 p.m.), she’ll cover:
- Are you a Genealogist or Family Historian?
- The Basics of the Genealogical Hunt
- Organizing Strategies for Genealogy Success
- Locating Genealogy Records Online and Off-line
- Techniques and Tools to Transform your Approach to Research
- Resources and References for Improved Research Results
- Tips to avoid Genealogy Traps, Confusion, and Overload
- The Next Steps as a Genealogist
Don’t consider yourself a beginner? Good for you, but I can attest that I learn (or relearn!) something in every workshop I attend. So, sign up for this great opportunity whether you’re a beginner or intermediate or advanced researcher!
Northwest Genealogy Conference Update
The Northwest Genealogy Conference is pleased to announce that Janet Camarata has graciously stepped up to replace Thomas MacEntee on Wednesday August 14th for the FREE Beginning Genealogy Class to be held at the beautiful (air conditioned) Byrnes Performing Arts Center in Arlington. You can register at nwgc.org and get the details of the other exciting classes being offered …online registration closes Aug 13 – don’t miss this fun event!