UpFront with NGS

18 March 2014

Wednesday Night: Meet NYG&B’s New York Experts to Talk About the NGS Conference

Join Jane E. Wilcox, host of The Forget-Me-Not Hour: Your Ancestors Want Their Stories to Be Told radio show, when she welcomes the presenters of the New York Genealogical & Biographical-sponsored New York Track at the National Genealogical Society’s 2014 Family History Conference in Richmond, Virginia. On the show, the New York Track lecture team will talk about the exciting lineup of New York genealogy topics at this year’s conference. The radio show airs at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, 19 March 2014, at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/janeewilcox/2014/03/20/ny-track-at-ngs-richmond-2014, and can be listened to on-demand any time afterward.

The New York Track includes Naomi Joshi on “Navigating the Past: Gazetteers and Genealogists,” Terry Koch-Bostic with two topics: “Misspelled, Misunderstood or Deliberate? Are Your New York Ancestors’ Records Hidden Under a Surname Variation?” and “Upside Down Migration: South Carolina to Nova Scotia to New York,” Joan Koster-Morales on “New York’s Confederate Prisons: Elmira and New York City,” and radio show host Jane Wilcox on “Looking for Your New York Tenant Farmer: Little-Used Resources.” Naomi will also give the NYG&B Luncheon talk on “How to Assemble a Weighty Genealogical Tome and Survive the Experience!” The New York Track and Luncheon take place on Thursday, 8 May.

Find out what each of the presentations is all about on Wednesday, 19 March, on The Forget-Me-Not Hour, and then join the presenters at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond, Virginia, on 7-10 May 2014.

Begun in November 2010 on WHVW 950 AM radio in Poughkeepsie, the Forget-Me-Not Hour features two one-hour shows each month with one on New York-area genealogy and history topics and one on a variety of genealogy and history topics. The New York show airs on the first Wednesday of the month at 10:00 a.m. or 9:00 p.m. (depending on availability of the guest) at www.BlogTalkRadio.com/JaneEWilcox. The variety show airs on the third Wednesday of the month at 10:00 a.m. or 9:00 p.m. Both shows can be accessed on-demand any time after the show airs. The program schedule and archives can be found on BlogTalk.

Host Jane E. Wilcox can be reached at www.4getMeNotAncestry.com. Please contact her with show ideas and questions for upcoming guests.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Republication of UpFront articles is permitted and encouraged for non-commercial purposes without express permission from NGS. Please drop us a note telling us where and when you are using the article. Express written permission is required if you wish to republish UpFront articles for commercial purposes. You may send a request for express written permission to UpFront@ngsgenealogy.org. All republished articles may not be edited or reworded and must contain the copyright statement found at the bottom of each UpFront article.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Twitter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

17 March 2014

National Genealogical Society Research Trip to Salt Lake City 4–8 January 2015

Source: https://familysearch.org/locations/saltlakecity-library

Arlington, VA, 17 March 2014: Registration is now open for the NGS research trip to Salt Lake City, Utah, from 4–11 January 2015. Join the NGS’s group leaders, Marie Varrelman Melchiori, cg, cgl, and Shirley Wilcox, cg, fngs, for a week at the world renowned Family History Library in Salt Lake City. The library’s noteworthy records include deeds, wills, military, tax, and vital records from the United States,

Canada

, and around the world. Researchers will have access to numerous commercial computer databases, more than two million rolls of microfilm, hundreds of thousands of microfiche, an immense collection of genealogical books, and outstanding area maps. For more information, or to register for the trip, visit http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/conferences_events/research_tips/slc_research_trip/slc_research_trip_general_information.

The research trip includes:

Online orientation
Seven nights at the Salt Lake Plaza Hotel
Six full days of research at the Family History Library and guidance from NGS experts
Sunday evening meet and greet social
Monday evening group lecture
Wednesday evening pizza party
Saturday evening group meal
Shuttle van transfers from airport to hotel and return

The package price, which does not include transportation to Salt Lake City, varies depending upon room occupancy and National Genealogical Society membership status. Payment is required in full at the time of registration. Fees are as follows:

	Member	Non-Member
Single Room Before October 2 October 2 and after	$975 $1,200	$1,225 $1,450
Double/Shared Room Before October 2 October 2 and after	$700 $950	$950 $1,200
Person with non-researching spouse¹ Before October 2 October 2 and after	$1,200 $1,400	$1,400 $1,600

¹non-researching spouse receives the benefits of the double room and any events planned.

The trip hosts, Marie Varrelman Melchiori, cg^sm, cgl^sm,and Shirley Wilcox, cg^sm, fngs, are seasoned experts in conducting research.

Marie Varrelman Melchiori, cg, cgl, specializes in records in the National Archives, Washington, DC. Marie has lectured at National Genealogical Society and the Federation of Genealogical Societies national conferences since 1988. She has lectured on military records for Samford University’s Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG). Marie has conducted workshops on military records and beginning genealogy for the National Archives. In September of 1999 and in 2000 she was one of the trip directors for the NGS Research Trip to

Ireland

. In 1999 the Association of Professional Genealogists awarded her the Grahame T. Smallwood Jr. Award of Merit.

Shirley Wilcox, cg, fngs, served two terms as NGS president and has been board certified as a genealogist since 1973. As a native Californian, she has experience tracing her own lines from New England and the South across the country to Northern California in the 1850s–1870s. As a professional genealogist, she has compiled lineages for clients whose ancestors lived in many geographic regions. Shirley was president of the Association of Professional Genealogists (1991–1993), president of the Virginia Genealogical Society (2007–2011), served on the Board for Certification of Genealogists (2000–2009), and currently serves as a member of the Board of Assistants of the Mayflower Descendants in the District of Columbia. Since 1996 she has been the verifying genealogist of the National Society Colonial Dames of America in the District of Columbia. In 1995 she received the Grahame T. Smallwood Jr. Award of Merit from the Association of Professional Genealogists.

Founded in 1903, the National Genealogical Society is dedicated to genealogy education, high research standards, and the preservation of genealogical records. The Arlington, Virginia, based nonprofit is the premier national society for everyone, from the beginner to the most advanced family historian, seeking excellence in publications, educational offerings, research guidance, and opportunities to interact with other genealogists. Please visit the NGS Pressroom for further information.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Twitter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

Register for the NGS Conference by 24 March and Save $35

ARLINGTON, VA, 17 MARCH 2014: Have you registered for the NGS Family History Conference in Richmond? The deadline for the early bird discount and ordering a print syllabus is 24 March 2014. After that date, the NGS member price will increase from $195 to $230 for all four days, the non-NGS member price will increase from $230 to $265, and only the flash drive syllabus will be available. You really don’t want to miss this year’s exciting conference program from 7–10 May at the Greater Richmond Convention Center and Richmond Marriott. For conference information and to register, go to http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/attend/.

Breakfast, Luncheons, and the NGS Banquet

Participating organizations sponsor several luncheons during the conference, and the NGS Banquet is an event not to be missed! Registration for all meals and social events closes on 24 April 2014. Tickets for social events will not be sold on-site. Make your reservations now at http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/attend/. The NGS First-Timers Breakfast is $24; luncheons are $32; and the banquet is $51. Menus are in the registration brochure at http://goo.gl/MUoVEp.

Society Night

On Wednesday evening 7 May 2014, many Virginia genealogical and historical societies will be available in the Richmond Marriott from 5:15 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. to answer questions about local repositories and resources, discuss their group’s activities, and sell their publications.

Richmond Area Tours

There’s still time to sign up for several exciting tours through Richmond Discoveries on Monday, 5 May, and Tuesday, 6 May 2014, prior to the NGS Family History Conference. For more information, please see http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/program/local-tours/. Registration for the tours closes on 1 April 2014.

Add Items to an Existing Registration

To add meals to your current registration, log on at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org, click on My Account, select My Events, and then click to Add Sessions. To add pre-conference events, click on My Account and then select Upcoming Events.

We hope to see you in Richmond in May. Frommer’s recently placed Richmond on its list of Top Destinations for 2014, and the city is just one of three US destinations listed.

Founded in 1903, the National Genealogical Society is dedicated to genealogy education, high research standards, and the preservation of genealogical records. The Arlington, Virginia, based nonprofit is the premier national society for everyone, from the beginner to the most advanced family historian, seeking excellence in publications, educational offerings, research guidance, and opportunities to interact with other genealogists. Please visit the NGS Pressroom for further information.

14 March 2014

Upfront Mini Bytes – Row Houses, Lawyers in London, TV News, Norwegian Ancestors, Youth Bibliography, Slavery Map, and Irish Research

Welcome to our newest edition of our bi-weekly feature Upfront Mini Bytes. In Upfront Mini Bytes we provide eight tasty bits of genealogy news that will help give you a deeper byte into your family history research. Each item is short and sweet. We encourage you to check out the links to articles, blog posts, resources, and anything genealogical!

We hope you found the past editions helpful. Use your favorite search engine with “Upfront with NGS” “Mini Bytes” or use this Google search link.

Do you have questions, suggestions for future posts, or comments? Please post a comment or send an e-mail to UpFront@ngsgenealogy.org.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A bit of whimsy and history all rolled into one package. Enjoy The Lonely Row Houses of Baltimore.

Did an ancestor practice law in London between 1505 and 1845? If so, he might have been a member of what is now called the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple. Some of its records, Calendars of Inner Temple Records, 1505-1845 are available online.

Did you know that cartographers used to think that California was an Island? This reminds us to be cautious about what we take as “fact” as we do our research. Check out this neat collection of these maps.

It’s not always archival institutions that had the forethought to preserve history. Sometimes it’s individuals like you and me who amass an archive of material that then gets a long-term home in an archive. Read about such a situation in The Incredible Story of Marion Stokes, Who Single-Handedly Taped 35 Years of TV News. From 1977 to 2012, she recorded 140,000 VHS tapes worth of history that the Internet Archives plans to make public and searchable. On a related note, read here about the Vanderbilt Television News Archive.

Have Norwegian ancestors? Check out the online presence of The National Archives of Norway. You can access digitized parish registers, probate records, court records, and much more!

We often discuss getting more youth involved in the fascinating discovery of one’s roots! A Bibliography for Young People and Families created by New England Historic Genealogical Society (aka American Ancestors) might help get the ball rolling.

To better appreciate the extent of Slavery in the U.S. at the time of the Civil War (based on the 1860 census), check out A Map of American Slavery.

The Irish Genealogical Research Society’s annual journal, The Irish Genealogist, has been published since 1937. It has included information from newspapers, parish registers, family Bibles, genealogies, voters lists, pedigrees, membership rolls, deeds, marriage settlements, census substitutes, land and tenure surveys, marriage license bonds, courts records, and wills. Over 250,000 names can be searched

via a new database.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Twitter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

13 March 2014

Oral Interviews + Copyright -- Are You Using Best Practices?

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/smiling_da_vinci/14785644/
Used under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/

We frequently talk about the value of Oral Interviews either as we work to record such now for future generations or as we listen to or read transcriptions from interviews done in the past.

Last month, James Tanner (Genealogy’s Star) did a post Oral Interviews and the law of Copyright which was his response/ruminations to a post by Michael J Leclerc’s Mocavo post Copyright and the Oral Interview. The former has a lot of detail of best practices he researched in the world beyond genealogy.

To be honest, I had never really thought about these issues. Let me clarify that statement – if I was interviewing my family members (and obviously with their consent) the concept of copyright would not have been at the forefront of my brain. Though, now, after listening to several talks by Judy G Russell (The Legal Genealogist) and reading the posts by James and Michael, there clearly are copyright issues that we need to be aware of as we make plans to conduct (and record) oral interviews with family members.

It can be invaluable to check out established Oral History programs, such as the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program (University of Florida), the Southern Oral History Program (UNC-CH) (includes a resource page), Columbia Center for Oral History, etc., to see both what they have in their collections and to explore the “best practices” that they have used to amass their collections.

As with any other “original works,” Oral Interviews are copyrighted and it’s imperative that the genealogical community understand the ins and outs of copyright law to make sure that once the interview is completed, we understand how we can or cannot share that interview with others.

Editor’s Note: Additionally, Upfront with NGS has published posts regarding Oral Interviews and their value:

+ Oral History at Risk of Disappearing Within 3 Generations!

+ African American Oral History, guest post by Sharon Leslie Morgan

+ Everything is Everything -- a personal genealogy perspective, Guest post by True A. Lewis

+ Browsing the NGSQ Archives: Using Oral History

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Twitter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

12 March 2014

Alcohol -- Legal and Illegal has a long history in the U.S. -- Did your ancestor's imbibe?

It’s always fun when a bit of serendipity comes along.

Just last week I was researching in the Benjamin Austin and Henry Reid Papers, 1756 (1790-1820) 1879, at Duke University. This collection includes some late 1790s to early 1800s (I looked at c. 1793-early 1820s) account ledgers. I was struck by how most of the earlier ledgers referenced “fluid volumes” (e.g. gallons, pints, etc) though later ones list a greater variety of products sold.

The finding aid was little help ...

Correspondence and other papers of Benjamin Austin and of Henry Reid, also a Justice of the Peace, consisting of legal papers, court records, tax lists, militia rosters, election lists and returns. There are also personal letters from relatives in Georgia, Kentucky, and Indiana. Topics include blacksmithing, farming, abolitionist sentiment in Indiana, and Burke County politics.

Even though these gentleman lived in Burke County (NC), we weren’t talking the 1920s, Prohibition and Bootlegging and NASCAR. I also had no information to suggest that either managed an establishment where liquor would have been sold.

So, I was curious to learn more of the story. After all, the names of just about every neighbor were listed in these ledgers.

A book, Moonshiners and Prohibitionists: The Battle over Alcohol in Southern Appalachia, Bruce E. Stewart, University Press of Kentucky, Mar 15, 2011 states ...

Entrepreneur Henry Reid made a small fortune operating a distillery in Burke County during the 1790s. Not satisfied, Reid expanded his liquor enterprise by purchasing a store, where he sold whiskey to neighbors and travelers and bought corn from nearby farmers to supply his distillery.

A bit more research and I found an article in The North Carolina Historical Review, Vol. 66, No. 1, JANUARY 1989 – The Whiskey Rebellion in North Carolina (accessed via JSTOR) which states ...

Between 1795 and 1800 Henry Reid, Burke County's largest distiller

What do you know, the early ledgers end up being Henry Reid’s ledgers for his distillery business. After all, those winter nights in the North Carolina mountains can be chilly. I just might have to check the Burke County court minutes to see when Henry got his license to sell spirituous liquors.

A reminder that even back at the turn of the 18^th century, the Burke County neighborhood apparently enjoyed its whiskey.

The serendipity is that today, as I am catching up on some genealogy newsletters I receive, I read the one from AOTUS (Archivist of the United States) titled Patent of the Month: Still Design, 1808. Apparently, there will is an exhibit planned for 2015 at the National Archives: “Spirited Republic.”

Now that I have personally seen the ledgers of an 18^th (early 19^th) century distiller, I think I will need to check out that exhibit and learn some more about our ancestors and their consumption of liquor.

Have you come across similar ledgers in the course of your research?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Twitter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

11 March 2014

Developer Challenge Winners from Rootstech 2014

New products and services are being created all the time. Many of them have relevance to our genealogical community.

As part of Rootstech (held last month) there was a Developers Challenge. In short ...

The Problem

Millions of people around the world are interested in family history. These people need software solutions—on a desktop, online, or through mobile delivery—that help them engage and succeed in their efforts to discover, preserve, and share their family history.

The Challenge

Create an application or service that introduces a compelling new concept or innovation to family history.

This year’s winner is Saving Memories Forever. The other finalists included Find-A-Record and Photo FaceMatch.

The 2013 winner was Treelines.

The 2012 winners were NoteFuser, LeafSeek, 20 Minutes Genealogist, and FaceTree.

Have you played around with any or all of these applications? If so, please share your thoughts.

Is there an application that you think “should” be a finalist for the next Developers Challenge?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Twitter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

10 March 2014

Kids in the Courthouse, guest post by Shannon Combs-Bennett, NGGN

Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DSCN2559_jacksoncountycourthouse_600.jpg

Researching with your children: be prepared for the odd looks.

I get strange looks all the time. It could be my eclectic sense of style, or the five pens sticking out of my ponytail because I keep forgetting that is where I put the last one. But more often than not, when I walk into a research facility it is one of two other things. First, it seems to some people that I am too young to be doing this “stuff,” which makes me realize that a grown woman, married with children, and quickly approaching her 4^th decade on this planet is still a kid to a large number of people. That’s okay, I laugh and don’t mind at all. Second, it seems that if I am too young to be there, then certainly my kids shouldn’t either. Well, that’s where I call foul.

Alright, so I may not be a mainstream normal person. My kids, falling in line right behind their parents, are not what media shows as the typical children either. When did being interested in the past, reading about history, and wanting to do things as a family become unacceptable to the general public? Or to the genealogical community? Aren’t we the ultimate family organization? Don’t we lament about how younger members of our families just aren’t interested? Maybe they were at one time and maybe they were turned off of the subject by well-meaning relatives.

Now, I will admit, not all kids out there are prepared for research at a library, archive, or other such institution. Each child is different. Some may never have the patience, manners, or desire to go. But shouldn’t you trust the parent’s judgment? The glares, the mummers, the outright hostile sighs at times when I have brought my kids with me to the library have amused me. Why? Well, usually within an hour the librarians are the ones who tell me what great little helpers I have. A statement I have heard numerous times over the past decade. I wish people would give others a chance and not assume anything about what type of child they are.

People. Yep, kids are people, too. They laugh, they cry, they act silly, and some of them love genealogy. I have two in my house right now who can’t get enough of it. One wants to be a historian specializing in Colonial American History and the other an archeologist. (My husband and I joke about what a great show that would be in 20 years.) As an adult I realize that those passions may change and morph into other careers, but our first loves never truly die. I wanted to be a paleontologist until I was in middle school. I ended up with a biology degree with an emphasis in human genetics instead. However, I still love those big old bones and sometimes it crushes me that my kids don’t. Right now, on the other hand, we have a shared passion for looking into our past. A passion I hope they will continue to love and appreciate as adults.

I am not going to tell my kids they are too young to love their family history. I am not going to tell my kids they can’t go with me to research at the library or archive (as long as the rules allow it). I will teach them sound research principles, source citations, and what an exhaustive search is. I will watch with pride as they make discoveries on their own and laugh with them when the microfilm rolls across the floor. I will know, as their mother, when they have reached their done point, pack our bags so that we don’t disturb anyone else, and continue to search another day. Most importantly, we will build our own memories, our own history, and one day those will be passed down to another generation.

Encourage and nurture those budding genealogists in your family, no matter their age. Engage them and bring them into the community. When you see children at the research center talk, to their parents and give them words of encouragement, too. Trust me, it will brighten their day. Make learning about family heritage the greatest adventure in the world and they will want to come back over and over again.

This May NGS will be in Richmond, Virginia and I am lucky enough to get to drive there every day. Unfortunately my kids will still be in school and, with Virginia State Testing that month, I cannot take them out to join in on the fun during the week. However, we will be at the Kids Genealogy Camp Saturday and I hope you will, too. I can’t wait for them to meet other people their ages who also enjoy digging up the past. Feel free to find me and chat. I’d love to talk to you about ways to encourage, educate, and grow the future genealogists in our midst.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow NGS via Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Twitter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com