Veteran Genealogists' Presence Helps You to Maximize Your Trip to SLC Family History Library

A guest blog from Sandra MacLean Clunies, CG

Serving as a co-leader for one of the NGS Research Trip groups to the Family History Library has become a special week on my fall calendar for several years. Not only do I get a chance to meet some wonderful researchers, but I also have the opportunity to introduce many of them on their first visit to the ever-expanding resources of the FHL. During the course of the long days and evenings, the NGS tour leaders circulate around all the library floors to offer a veteran’s fresh look at our attending researchers’ puzzles and to assist them in scaling some of those baffling brick walls. We lead a walk to the excellent LDS cafeteria each noon, and accompany those who want to head out on the Trax trolley for dinner at one of the Gateway restaurants, which gives us all a chance to socialize and compare notes and ideas in an informal setting.

 It is especially fun and gratifying to watch group members make exciting discoveries in the books and films that solve long-standing research challenges, and I’ve been known to whoop and holler right along with the delighted discoverer! At our Wednesday group pizza party, we seek a status report from everyone and make suggestions for “research path adjustments” or additional resources to help everyone move forward. By the Saturday night farewell dinner, there are always many group members eager to share their successes with everyone, and we celebrate them all.

Where else will you find veteran genealogists whose sole mission is to walk with you for a full week and become just as interested and invested in researching your ancestors are you are? You’ll find that the group leaders of any NGS Research Trip group are just that, and I am looking forward to my next trip.

October in Salt Lake City has beautiful weather – come join us! The next NGS Trip to Salt Lake City is scheduled for 21–28 October 2012. Book by 15 July 2012 for great savings with NGS’s early bird pricing plan.  To learn more about the trip, or to register, visit http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/conferences_events/research_tips/slc_research_trip_fall_trip.

--Sandy Clunies

Sandra MacLean Clunies, CG(sm)*
www.clunies.net/smc.html

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