Just Checking In ...

It has been a while since anything has gotten posted to our blog.  Evacuating for Matthew took me away for a week - cleaning up after Matthew took almost a week - and then I left on an excursion to New York City for a week.  I will be back on Seabrook in time for our Wednesday (26 Oct) meeting (providing all modes of transportation are on schedule).

I recently sent two emails to our membership regarding the research project we are going to launch next month with the distribution of workbooks. Fifteen members have signed up to participate - a great response.  I will be posting an announcement in Tidelines to see if we have any "closet" genealogists out there that can be tempted to join us and participate in the project.

The run up to the holidays is always a busy time for all of us, and we will not be meeting on 23 November or 28 December. We will be presenting the research project at the 9 November meeting and hope to have a small, holiday party at the 14 December meeting. Lynn has suspended his Wednesday evening workshop until the beginning of the new year.  It's hard to focus on genealogy with everything else going on this time of year.

I hope all of you have fully recovered from the effects of Matthew. This week's meeting (26 Oct from 1:30-3:30 pm at the Lake House) will include a short presentation on DNA.  Hope to see many of you then!

Evacuated to Greenville

I just wanted to post a quick note to all of our followers who make their home along the coast of South Carolina. I hope that you have evacuated to safety and are safe and snug far away from the effects of Hurricane Matthew. This is my first mandatory evacuation in the fifteen years I have lived on Seabrook, and like all of you, I am watching the progress of this storm and hoping it doesn't cause too much damage and disruption.  I encourage all of you to keep up with the information coming out of your local communities and from the South Carolina Emergency website.  It is equally important to understand when and how you will be able to return to your homes as it was to heed the order to leave.

Stay safe - we look forward to seeing all of you again soon after the danger has passed.

September 14 Meeting Summary

Thank you to all of those who attended the September 14th Social to kick off the 2016-2017 year for Family History.  Here are some of the key items covered during the session:

1) Welcomed new attendees
2) Had attendees go to the walls and record the names of their grandparents, what states were they doing research and what countries were their focus.  Then got these groups into different parts of the room to discuss their common goals and roadblocks.
3) Passed out information on the DIRT brochure on weekly events for 2016
4) National Genealogical Society Research Trip to Washington DC in 2017, for more information click here
5) 19th Annual Genealogy Workshop on Oct 22, 2016 at Family History Center (see previous blog) - click here
6) Free Virtual Genealogy Fair by US National Archives - Oct 26/27 - click here
7) Introduction to The Family History Guide - click here
8) Recommendation that any beginner genealogist should use The Family History Guide, should purchase the Family Tree Maker software for their local Computer and begin to use FamilySearch as a free website to begin research.
9) Future evening sessions will be focused upon helping with personal 1-on-1 family history development.

Workbook on Genetic Genealogy

For those of you who are venturing forth into the world of DNA testing - I recommend you take a look at another of Dick Eastman's recent posts, this on about a new publication from the National Genealogical Society (NGS) entitled, Genetic Genealogy in Practice. I believe the workbook is available for purchase starting 12 Sept and can be ordered through the NGS website for $36.00.

The Future of Genealogy Software

I have been following Dick Eastman's blog, "Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter" for a long time. I have always found Dick to be at the cutting edge of what is going on in the world of family history as it relates to the digital age. He was once an IT guy and it shows. 

He recently published a post entitled The Future of Genealogy Software that I think will be of interest to anyone using a family tree program (such as Family Tree Maker). He makes some very good observations, and some well-thought out predictions, about where computing is going and why we need to rethink how we do things.

Windows PCs and iOS systems such as MacBooks are probably on their way out. Dick is not the first IT guru to write about this. The next ten years are going to see a HUGE change in how we use computers. 

Evernote vs OneNote - Free vs Paid?

For any of your still struggling with Evernote's new payment plans and restrictions - you might find Lisa Louise Cooke's recent blog post of interest.  She explores various ways to use the free version of Evernote and makes a case for when and why OneNote might be the better options.

LDS Family History Center Charleston's 19th Annual Genealogy Workshop

We have been talking about this event for awhile.  Its a unique opportunity to learn and to get to know other people doing family history.  Here is the link and the details:

For link to their website and go to the bottom of the site for flyer, schedule and to register, click here.
The 2016 Workshop will be held Saturday, 22 Oct 2016 from 8:30am to 2:30pm.

The flyer for our workshop is linked at the bottom of this page, along with descriptions of the class topics. Classes run in 50 minute sessions, so you will have the opportunity to attend five of the topics.

Registration fee is $10 if paid before October 22nd and $12 if paid at the door.  Registration includes class handouts and a brown bag lunch (hoagie sandwich, chips, dessert, and drink).

To register, simply stop by the Family History Center OR call 766-6017.  ON-LINE registration is also available through the link below (a handling fee of $1.30 per ticket will be added to your credit card charges).

Click this Link for ON-LINE registration.