August Genealogy Events and Classes

 

It seems that no matter where you are this summer, the weather is going to play a part in your daily life. For most of us, it's been hot and humid, but the good news is that all of our StLGS events are in comfortable air-conditioned meeting rooms. If you prefer, you can stay at home enjoying your own cool house and attend our events via Zoom. So, check out the August schedule, and make plans to join us soon.

StLGS June Meetings and Classes

Happy Memorial Day! On this special day of remembering those who have sacrificed for our country, we also look forward to the start of summer. We hope you are ready to join us for our June monthly meeting as well as some Special Interest Group meetings and an upcoming class. Please read on for details . . .

The 2024 Livestreamed FHC is Over, but Digital Recordings are Now Available!

Thanks to everyone who made our 2024 Family History Conference such a resounding success! We are so grateful to the many volunteers who worked behind the scenes to organize the program and to those who worked all day at the conference. Many thanks go also to the archivists and librarians from local repositories who came to share information with registrants, and, of course, to our members and friends who attended both in person and via Zoom. From the early hours of the morning to late afternoon when people with smiling faces headed to their cars, tired but happy, the day was filled with great conversations, an incredible amount of new information, arms full of items purchased from the StLGS sales tables, and many promises to get online and start practicing new skills! Did you miss it? Well, here is some good news . . .

Free Genealogy Webinars are Just a Click Away!

Twelve months of mostly being at home has given many of us the chance to explore new ways of learning using our computers or tablets. Have you discovered the benefits of free webinars yet? Did you know you can watch thousands of digital recordings without any fees at all? Yes, sometimes there are advertisements, but they are relatively unobtrusive and easily passed over. By now, many of us also know that there are instructions online for just about anything we want to do. In fact, just last week, like magic, a two-minute YouTube video saved this writer a trip to the store and the price of a new pneumatic door closer when just a few squeezes of a piece of metal with a strong pair of pliers was all it needed. OK, that was fixer-upper stuff—what about our favorite hobby? Are there free webinars available on genealogy? Indeed there are, and here are some places you can start to look for them.

Classes for Experienced Researchers

Are you interested in an in-depth genealogy learning experience? Ready to improve your genealogical skills and knowledge? One of the exciting things about doing genealogy research is the opportunity to keep learning. Starting with local classes, workshops, and seminars, we get the chance to become more knowledgeable about basic techniques and skills. And once we feel comfortable, it's time to branch out to conferences and institutes.

Two major upcoming events, now open for registration, can help you do just that.

Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) Annual Conference

Washington, D.C., 21–24 August 2019

This annual conference features four full days of lectures, a large exhibit hall of vendors, a society showcase, and a chance to visit the National Archives, Library of Congress, the DAR Library, and other attractions in the nation's capital. Lectures are offered on a wide variety of topics and skill levels. You can view the program, register for the conference, and/or register for a local hotel at the conference website.

Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy

Salt Lake City, Utah: 12–17 January 2020

Celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary, this venerable institution, sponsored by the Utah Genealogy Association, always sells out quickly. Meant for researchers who relish the chance to spend a week immersed in genealogy instruction by the country's top instructors, the institute is a way to learn from national experts in the "capital of genealogy."

This year's classes are as follows:

• Corpus Juris: Advanced Legal Concepts for Genealogy, Judy Russell, CG, CGL
• Advanced Research Tools: Land Records, Richard Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA, and Pamela Sayre, CG, FUGA
• Guide to Treasures Found in Federal Records, Michael Strauss, AG
• Virginia from the Colonial Period to the Civil War, Barbara Vines Little, CG, FVGS, FNFS, FUGA
• Chinese Genealogy Research, Kelly Summers, AG
• Applying Standards to Appraise Genealogical Work, Jeanne Bloom, CG
• Meeting Standards: Using DNA Evidence, Karen Stanbary, CG
• Technical Writing for Genealogists, Melissa Johnson, CG
• Advanced Genealogical Methods, Paul Graham, AG, CG, CGL
• Immigrants to the New World, Colonial to 1900, Dr. John Colletta, FUGA
• Early U.S. Church Records, Rev. Dr. David McDonald, CG
• Maryland: Researching in the Old Line State, Debra Hoffman
• Advanced Hispanic Research, George Ryskamp, AG, FUGA, and Debbie Gurtler, AG
• Researching Like a Professional, Michael Hait, CG, CGL
• Introduction to Genetic Genealogy, Paul Woodbury
• Guided Research and Consultation, Craig Scott, CG, FUGA

The following week features an Academy for Professionals, from 20–24 January, with seven classes offered to those who are working for clients.

Registration for all the classes opened on Saturday, 13 July. If you are interested, you will want to read more about the classes, instructors, and schedule on the SLIG website. Register quickly, however, as there are already wait lists for some of the classes!

Postnomials: Those initials after the instructors' names indicate their various certifications.

• AG—Accredited Genealogist, received from the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen)
• CG—Certified Genealogist, received through the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG)
• CGL—Certified Genealogical Lecturer, received through the BCG
• FNGS—Fellow of the National Genealogical Society
• FVGS—Fellow of the Virginia Genealogical Society
• FUGA—Fellow of the Utah Genealogical Society

 

Finally, if you'd rather stay close to home, check your local society or library for classes. And if home is St. Louis, remember that registration for StLGS summer/fall classes is also now open!