National Genealogical Society Announces SLAM! Idea Showcase Award Winners

 

National Genealogical Society Announces

SLAM! Idea Showcase Award Winners

The National Genealogical Society (NGS) is pleased to announce that six organizations will receive awards during its 2021 SLAM! Idea Showcase on 18 May. The award winners were selected from among thirty-two recorded poster sessions highlighting innovative projects, programs, and activities benefiting genealogical researchers. Three submissions will receive cash prizes of $250 each:

• St. Louis Genealogical Society, St. Louis, Missouri: “Congregation Project”

• German Historical Institute, Washington, DC: “German Heritage in Letters”

• Chester County (Pennsylvania) Archives: “1777 Chester County Property Atlas Portal”

Three will receive honorable mention:

• Godfrey Memorial Library, Middletown, Connecticut: “Genealogy Roundtable”

• Kentucky Historical Society, Frankfort, Kentucky: “Kentucky Ancestors Town Hall”

• St. Louis Public Library, St. Louis, Missouri: “Rooted in Inclusion: Forgoing the Family Tree Model”

All six will receive a one-year library subscription to photo enhancement software from VIVID-PIX.

Videos submitted by the award winners will be featured at the SLAM! Idea Showcase mainstage program on 18 May beginning at 3:00 p.m. (EDT). The program will also include the announcement of the 2021 Filby Award for Genealogical Librarianship and a greeting from the Library of Virginia, the 2021 NGS Conference host library. Following the mainstage event, attendees will have the opportunity to view poster sessions and chat live with their submitters. The event is free, but registration is required. Visit the conference website to register.

The SLAM! Idea Showcase is a new NGS event to promote information sharing, collaboration, networking, and collegiality among genealogical information providers. The program is sponsored by VIVID-PIX, Ancestry, and Collectionaire.

The Virtual NGS 2021 Family History Conference is scheduled for May 19-22. Conference and registration information is available online.

The April–June 2021 Issue of NGS Magazine is Now Online

The April–June 2021 issue of NGS Magazine, Volume 47, Number 2, has been mailed to members and is available online in the Members Only section of the website. This issue's theme is Hard Times. 

The registration deadline is 12 May for all live events during the NGS 2021 Family History Conference. NGS 2021 On-Demand! provides access to even more lectures starting 15 June, available through 31 December 2021. An article in the news section has more details on all conference components.

EDITOR'S NOTE by Deb Cyprych

The past year has been difficult for everyone and tragic for many. Besides the direct impact of illness, long-term health complications, and death caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of people have suffered from loss of income, social isolation, mental health disorders, and other hardships.

Our ancestors endured hard times, too. Although few wrote about their experiences, many records of the organizations where they sought relief have survived. This issue explores the records of individuals created by almshouses, Freedmen’s Bureau offices, federal bankruptcy courts, and soldiers’ homes.

Almshouse residents included poor families, mentally ill people, orphans, frail older people, vagrants, and people with disabilities. Darryn Lickliter demonstrates that the admission registers, annual reports, and other records of almshouses can provide data not easily found in other sources before 1850.

After the Civil War, the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands operated in fifteen states and the District of Columbia to assist formerly enslaved people and refugees struggling to survive. While many of the Bureau’s records provide personal details, their volume and method of organization makes using them difficult. Sharon Batiste Gillins presents a thorough guide for understanding and accessing the records.

Another complex but potentially rich record group was created by federal bankruptcy courts. Between 1800 and 1940, one and a half million individuals and companies filed for bankruptcy under four federal acts. Jessica Hopkins outlines the requirements of the acts and the current process for locating and requesting records.

“Old soldiers’ homes” have assisted veterans in the United States since 1833. Kathy Petlewski discusses the history and records of the US Naval Home in Philadelphia, the US Soldiers’ Home in Washington, DC, the branch homes of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in various states, and the homes funded by states and Confederate organizations.

Dedicated county archives provide many advantages to genealogists. Pam Pracser Anderson and Magdalena Radovic-Moreno describe the typical holdings of county archives and how to use them to expand research options.

In our new column, Society Forum, Gail Schaffer Blankenau illustrates the benefits of family associations for researchers and the hallmarks of successful societies.

Genealogists have become accustomed to meeting online during the pandemic. Learn more about finding and attending webinars in Carla Cegielski’s Tech Tips column.

Paul Woodbury continues his series on DNA testing with eight steps to pursue when new autosomal DNA test results are received.

May the next year bring better health and less stress than the last!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Features

• NGS 2022 Family History Conference: Our American Mosaic by Kathleen O. Beitiks 
• Researching Poor Ancestors: Almshouse Records by Darryn Lickliter
• Navigating Freedmen's Bureau Records for Research Success by Sharon Batiste Gillins
• A Wealth of Information: Federal Bankruptcy Records, 1800–1940 by Jessica Hopkins
• Unique Resources in County Archives by Pam Pracser Anderson, MS, CG, and Magdalena Radovic-Moreno

Departments

• PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE by Kathryn M. Doyle
• NGS NEWS
• SOCIETY FORUM
• It’s All in the Family: Benefits of Family Associations by Gail Schaffer Blankenau
• REFERENCE DESK
• The History and Records of Old Soldiers’ Homes by Kathy Petlewski, MSLS
• TECH TIPS
• Genealogy Webinars by Carla S. Cegielski
• DNA DISCOVERY
• Eight Steps to Pursue with New Autosomal DNA Test Results by Paul Woodbury

NGS Magazine is published quarterly to update members of the National Genealogical Society on NGS activities and to provide genealogists with special information and guidance on conducting effective genealogical research. The magazine is sent to libraries by subscription. Online access to NGS Magazine is available only as long as membership is active.

A Perfect Mother’s Day Gift: #NGS2021GEN Family History Conference

 

A Perfect Mother’s Day Gift:

The National Genealogical Society

2021 Family History Conference

Are you at a loss over what gift to give the mothers in your life for Mother’s Day? Dinner out at a special restaurant may still not work this year. Round-trip airline tickets to visit you may not be an option for everyone just yet either. But, if your special mom is interested in her family’s history, a gift of registration to the National Genealogical Society (NGS) Virtual 2021 Family History Conference might be the perfect gift for her.

On Wednesday and Thursday, 19‒20 May 2021, from the comfort of home she can participate in NGS’s premier, two-day, virtual conference event― NGS 2021 Live!. Speakers include two award-winning authors and nationally recognized speakers who explore a wide variety of topics on researching family history. The two-day event also features a virtual expo hall with the newest genealogical products and services and drawings for exciting genealogy-related prizes.

In addition to NGS 2021 Live!, NGS offers a choice of either a twenty or forty lecture package on-demand. With these options, she may choose from more than eighty-five on-demand sessions available for viewing starting on 15 June. Program content also includes more than twenty additional bonus lectures provided by conference sponsors and sponsoring organizations.

As a free bonus, she can participate in the SLAM! Idea Showcase on 18 May. This debut showcase highlights creative and innovative projects or programs by societies, libraries, archives, and museums (SLAMs) from around the country.

Why not get your special person a wonderfully unique Mother’s Day gift. Purchase a registration for her to the National Genealogical Society (NGS) Virtual Family History Conference.

 

NGSQ March 2021 Issue is Now Online!

Michael Templeton (1821–1909)

The March 2021 issue of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Volume 109, Number 1, is available online in the Members Only section of the website. Please note that printed NGSQ delivery may be delayed by the U.S. Postal Service. 

CONTENTS:

FEATURE ARTICLES

• “Backtracking Longstanding Errors to Prove Negatives: William Templeton’s Alleged Pennsylvania Military Service and Mahoning County, Ohio, Burial” by Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, FASG, FNGS

• “A Father’s Lynching and Multiple Maiden Names: Ida King of Ralls County, Missouri, and Des Moines County, Iowa” by Ricki L. King

• “Whom Did Mary Marry? Finding Mary Browett’s Multiple Marriages in Early Nineteenth-Century Gloucestershire, England” by Amy Harris, PhD

• “A Birth Family for Moses W. Shields of Hardin County, Tennessee, and Spartanburg County, South Carolina” by Nicki Peak Birch, CG

COMMUNICATIONS

EDITORS’ CORNER

• Tell Somebody about It

ADMINISTRATION

SIDELIGHTS

• To Bow or Not to Bow? Social Etiquette, 1850s Style
• Warning to Smokers
• A Singular Event?

REVIEWS 

The National Genealogical Society Quarterly (NGSQ) is published four times per year, in March, June, September, and December. The journal is edited by Nancy A. Peters, CG®, CGLSM, and Allen R. Peterson, AG, CG®.

Early Bird Discounts End 15 March for #NGS2021GEN

Early Bird Discounts End 15 March
for NGS 2021 Virtual Family History Conference

Time is running out for family historians and three representatives from each NGS society or organization to receive a discount on registration for the National Genealogical Society (NGS) Virtual Family History Conference, 17−21 May 2021. After 15 March, the price of registration for NGS 2021 Live! and On-Demand! will increase $50 across the various packages available. To qualify for the early bird discount, attendees must register online by 15 March.

Join NGS on Wednesday and Thursday, 19‒20 May, for its premier two-day virtual conference event― NGS 2021 Live! Speakers include two award-winning authors, Dani Shapiro, author of Inheritance, and Ric Murphy, author of Arrival of the First Africans in Virginia. Other nationally recognized speakers will join them, including Barbara Vines Little, the keynote speaker for the opening session, Elizabeth Shown Mills, Thomas W. Jones, Judy Russell, Eric Grundset, Craig Scott, Janice Lovelace, and more. The two-day event also features the announcement of winners for NGS awards; the newest genealogical products and services from exhibitors in our virtual expo hall; and drawings for exciting genealogy-related prizes.

In addition to NGS 2021 Live!, NGS offers a choice of either a twenty or forty lecture package on-demand. Those who purchase a package may choose from more than eighty-five on-demand sessions available for viewing starting 15 June. Program content includes bonus lectures provided by conference sponsors and sponsoring organizations.

NGS will host additional events throughout the week. On Monday, 17 May, the Delegate Council Kickoff Workshop focuses on helping member organization delegates understand their role within NGS. Tuesday, 18 May, presents the debut of the SLAM! Idea Showcase, highlighting creative and innovative projects or programs by societies, libraries, archives, and museums (SLAMs). The week ends with Focus on Societies on Friday, 21 May, an all-day event devoted to presentations offering expert advice for society leaders on managing and growing their genealogical or historical society.

Take advantage of the discounted Early Bird registration fee, plus member discounts, when signing up by 15 March 2021. NGS member societies and organizations should have their representatives contact our registrar at [email protected] to have up to three officers or directors register at the member rate.

NGS Announces Call for Posters for the SLAM! Idea Showcase

National Genealogical Society Announces

Call for Posters 

for the SLAM! Idea Showcase 

The National Genealogical Society issued today a call for poster sessions for the SLAM! Idea Showcase scheduled for 18 May 2021. This event is just one of several new components of the week-long virtual NGS Family History Conference, 17–21 May 2021. The showcase will promote information sharing and collaboration among genealogical information providers.

Societies, libraries, archives, and museums (SLAM) as well as other organizations such as universities, are encouraged to submit virtual "posters" as PowerPoint presentations with voiceover or other videos (in mp4 format), or other media to illustrate their creative and innovative projects or programs.

Posters will be available for viewing by attendees. Presenters will also be able to discuss their posters live in a chat room with participants. The Showcase will include a live-broadcast main stage event featuring select posters. NGS will select three of the top posters for cash awards.

NGS will accept poster submissions through 15 March 2021. Submission requirements and an online submission form are posted on the NGS conference website.

Take advantage of the discounted Early Bird registration fee, plus member discounts, when you sign up by 15 March 2021.

*Note: Due to ongoing mandates in Virginia in regards to COVID-19 and our concern for the well-being of our attendees, exhibitors, volunteers, and staff, NGS is unable to host an in-person conference in Richmond, Virginia in May 2021.

Virtual 2021 Family History Conference Registration Opens 1 February 2021

National Genealogical Society Announces 

Virtual 2021 Family History Conference 

Registration Opens 1 February 2021

Registration for the National Genealogical Society (NGS) 2021 Family History Conference opens today, 1 February 2021 at 1:00 p.m. (EST). Plans for NGS’s forty-third annual conference include a full week of virtual events* for individuals, societies, and organizations 17−21 May 2021.

Monday, 17 May, begins the week with a Kickoff Workshop for the NGS Delegate Council. The Delegate Council is the new advisory committee for NGS member organizations created as part of the 2020 merger with the former Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS). This inaugural workshop will focus on helping delegates understand their role within the National Genealogical Society.

Tuesday, 18 May, presents the debut of the SLAM! Idea Showcase, which highlights creative and innovative projects or programs by societies, libraries, archives, and museums (SLAMs). The day will also include presentations that assist librarians and others who serve genealogists.

On Wednesday and Thursday, 19‒20 May, NGS’s premier two-day virtual conference event―NGS 2021 Live! ―features award-winning authors Dani Shapiro and Ric Murphy; an opening session by esteemed genealogist and Virginia expert Barbara Vines Little; and presentations by nationally recognized speakers including Elizabeth Shown Mills, Thomas W. Jones, Judy Russell, Eric Grundset, Craig Scott, Janice Lovelace, and more. Two full days are planned by NGS to offer exciting new ideas to energize family historians’ research, announce the winners of NGS awards, and offer a unique experience―the camaraderie of thousands of fellow genealogists from throughout the United States and the world. Program content will include bonus lectures provided by conference sponsors and sponsoring organizations.

The week ends with Focus on Societies on Friday, 21 May. This all-day event is devoted to presentations offering expert advice for society leaders on managing and growing their genealogical or historical society. The day will feature fourteen session topics, and Jill Morelli will kick off the event with ideas and new opportunities for societies based on lessons learned during the pandemic.

In addition to NGS 2021 Live!, NGS will offer a choice of either a twenty or forty lecture package on-demand. Those who purchase a package may choose from more than eighty-five on-demand sessions available for viewing starting in June. Other programs will be priced separately. Throughout the week a virtual Expo Hall will be available.

Take advantage of the discounted Early Bird registration fee, plus member discounts, when you sign up by 15 March 2021.

*Note: Due to ongoing mandates in Virginia in regards to COVID-19 and our concern for the well-being of our attendees, exhibitors, volunteers, and staff, NGS is unable to host an in-person conference in Richmond, Virginia in May 2021.

Contact: Courtney Holmes
Phone: 703-525-0050
[email protected]

NGS Announces Delegate Council Steering Committee

The National Genealogical Society is pleased to announce formation of the Delegate Council Steering Committee, an advisory group to help create the representative body for societies and organizations in the “new NGS.” The committee is an important step in the society's work to meet the needs of the genealogy community following the merger last October. 

Chair Dawn Carey Henry notes, "The Delegate Council will be a forum where genealogical organizations can collaborate, communicate, and counsel among member organizations as part of the new NGS. This is something all organizations need, especially now during these unprecedented times. The steering committee’s goal is to build the framework for the Delegate Council to ensure effective governance and operations. It established the name for the body, keeping the word ‘delegate’ in the title to honor the Federation of Genealogical Societies’ history of member representatives serving as delegates."

The steering committee will help establish the council’s procedures to provide regular engagement with and among member organizations and an avenue for feedback to the NGS board. The steering committee is planning a virtual kickoff workshop for delegates to be held 17 May 2021 in conjunction with the NGS 2021 Family History Conference.

The Steering Committee represents genealogical societies, libraries, and other organizations located throughout the United States. The members are:

• Chair Dawn Carey Henry, Michigan
• Vice-Chair W. Samuel Williams, Virginia
• Taneya Y. Koonce, MSLS, Tennessee
• Elissa Scalise Powell, CG®, CGL, Pennsylvania
• Susan K. Howard, New Mexico
• Laurie Hermance-Moore, MLS, AG®, Ohio
• Lois Abromitis Mackin, PhD, Minnesota
• Ari Wilkins, Texas

Cheri Hudson Passey, Vice President of Society & Organization Management, acts as committee liaison to the board of directors.

In the coming months, the committee will further define the roles and responsibilities of a delegate. It will also identify ways for member organizations to collaborate and communicate with each other and NGS.

Please join us in welcoming this very talented committee as they further the goals and interests of genealogists across the country and the world.