Ambushed and Prizes too!

DearMYRTLE sent me a message with some exciting news to add to the already exciting news I shared in Prepare to Be Ambushed at NERGC. 

She is bringing prizes; an audio headset, an HD video webcam and a Samsung Galaxy 7" tablet! 

As if you needed one more good reason to spend three days taking genealogy classes and hanging out with genealogy friends.

Hope to see you next week in Providence!

Research on!

Jennifer Shoer aka Scrappy Gen

Reconnecting Relatives, LLC

Let's Remember!

Prepare to be Ambushed at NERGC!

Who pops into your head when you combine the words selfless giving with genealogy education? I think of Pat Richley-Erickson, also known as DearMYRTLE.

DearMYRTLE is a force in the Google+ Hangout on Air world where she hosts many different series all with the same goal, to help us. In DearMYRTLE's Genealogy Community, she takes advantage of the latest genealogy developments and creates cutting edge educational programing designed to help all types of genealogists learn the newest techniques for furthering their research. 

DearMyrtle is well known for attending conferences with her AmbushCAM. Pat, along with her famous Cousin Russ, will be at the 13th genealogical conference presented by the New England Regional Genealogical Consortium in Providence, Rhode Island at the Rhode Island Convention Center. Pat and Cousin Russ will use the AmbushCAM to interview attendees and vendors about the experience. 

Message from DearMYRTLE: "We want to show how *easy* it is to record even short interviews using a camera. Those videos are automatically archived on YouTube if you do this using Google's free Hangouts on Air. 

This is a GREAT idea for family reunions."

DearMYRTLE and I at SLIG 2012. 

I agree and can't wait to see this duo in action in person. Meanwhile, check out the DearMYRTLE YouTube channel. 

Ok, conference goers, prepare to be ambushed!

Research on!

Jennifer Shoer aka Scrappy Gen

Reconnecting Relatives, LLC

Let's Remember!

An Interview with Dr. Blaine Bettinger, "Praying for Spit"

The 13th genealogical conference presented by the New England Regional Genealogical Consortium is being held Wednesday through Saturday, 15-18 April, 2015 in Providence, Rhode Island at the Rhode Island Convention Center. National and local speakers will present lectures to family history initiates, dabblers, hobbyists, obsessives and professionals. All levels are invited and encouraged to attend.

To peak your interest in attending NERGC, several bloggers were invited to interview speakers. I picked the long tube and got Dr. Blaine Bettinger! In this interview you will learn what DNA tests Blaine recommends, whether or not he has DNA evidence of Native American ancestry and his opinion on whether we can expect privacy when testing our DNA.

To read the interview, head over to my website, Reconnecting Relatives. 

Research on!

Jennifer Shoer aka Scrappy Gen

Reconnecting Relatives, LLC

Let's Remember!

Why You Should Attend a Genealogy Conference

Good morning! I am blogging today from the New England Regional Genealogical Conference in Manchester, New Hampshire. The conference kicked off yesterday with two preconference events, Technology Day and Librarian/Teacher Day. I was working the hospitality table outside of these events and spoke with many attendees as they were exiting. The feedback for the two events was extremely positive.

Have you ever asked one of these questions? Why should I attend a genealogy conference? How can attending a conference help me to find my elusive ancestors? 

Here is why you should attend genealogy conferences:

• Spend time with people who understand your obsession and who love to 'talk' genealogy.
• Take classes from national and local genealogy educators.
• Discover new record groups to further your research.
• Learn how to squeeze every bit of information from the sources you already have. You will be shocked by what you have missed!
• Break down brick walls with new research techniques.
• Meet experts and get help during the Ancestors Roadshow.
• Always learn something new! You will make a breakthrough when you take home what you have learned and apply it to your genealogy research.

Have I convinced you? Come on over to the New England Regional Genealogical Conference on Friday or Saturday. You can sign up as a day attendee and explore all that this educational event has to offer. 

Hope to see you here. 

Scrappy Gen

Let's Remember!

NERGC 2011 - Keynote Speaker, Paul Milner

Scrappy Gen and Paul Milner

Write down your stories. Paul Milner made this point personal last night in his dynamic key note address, "What Were Our Ancestors Really Like", at the New England Regional Genealogical Conference. Along with other heart touching stories, he used his work and residence history to illustrate the importance of recording your life. 

Paul's work career began in the United Kingdom as an underground miner. He later worked in both Australia and Alaska, USA as a miner. He then became a Lutheran minister in Ohio, USA. After serving as a minister he became an official in the church hierarchy. A layoff in 1993 brought him to financial planning and finally to his current career as genealogist. 

Imagine for a moment that you are one of Paul's descendants, researching in the year 2100. After some diligent work you find two of his diverse records, including miner in Australia and minister in Ohio. Would you connect the two records as the same individual? You might eventually after finding several other supporting documents and creating an indirect proof argument, but it would be difficult and he might become your brick wall ancestor. 

Imagine now that Paul writes his own life story down today. It wouldn't have to be fancy, but should include the pertinent facts of his life with appropriate proof. He ensures that future generations will be able to find his autobiography by preserving multiple copies in multiple locations.  He is providing his descendants the clues and possibly the proof that his ancestors will need to identify him in the many different localities where he lived. Paul is the only one who can create this primary source providing direct proof. What genealogist doesn’t long to find this elusive pot of gold? 

Write down your stories. As family historians and genealogists isn't it our duty to record our own lives? There are two weekly blogging prompts to help you with this endeavor; the first is 52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History by Amy Coffin and offered through the geneabloggers website and the second is Sharing Memories: a Genealogy Journey offered by Lorine at Olive Tree Genealogy. 

Remember, start simply. Provide your descendants with your particulars; where and when you were born and lived, with whom you shared your life and a little about what you did. Include copies of your vital records so that your great, great, great grandchildren or nieces and nephews don't have to look for them. Just imagine for a moment, if your ancestors had done this for you. Does this thought motivate you to start writing today?

Happy Saturday!

Scrappy Gen

Let's Remember!

NERGC 2011 - Day 1

Image via Wikipedia

Three straight days of nonstop genealogical fun await. The New England Regional Genealogical Conference begins today. After arriving in Springfield, Massachusetts yesterday afternoon, I volunteered at the registration desk. Don't tell anyone, but this was the best volunteer job! 

During registration, I met so many new people, as well as many new online blogging and Facebook friends. In particular I would like to send a shout out to Judy and Deanna and her sister Darcy. Two fellow geneabloggers were hanging around; Marian Pierre-Louis of Fieldstone-Historic Research and Midge Frazel of Granite in My Blood. These women are two of my favorite genealogy blogging role models. 

I also met Paul Milner, one of the two featured speakers at the conference. Paul hails from northern England. His specialty is not surprisingly British Isles genealogical research. Paul will be presenting "What Were Our Ancestors Really Like?" tomorrow night at the banquet sponsored by the New England Historic Genealogical Society. 

Almost eight hundred people are preregistered for NERGC 2011. Do you wish you were here too? It isn't too late. You can show up on any of the three conference days and register to attend for one or more days. The conference organizers expect quite a few people to do this. Why don't you join us?

Happy Thursday!

Scrappy Gen

Let's Remember!

An Interview with Meredith Hoffman, “Who the Heck is Ida Gerskill?”

Meredith Hoffman is a professional genealogist, writer, educator and publisher. Her specialty is researching 19th and early 20th century Jewish immigrant ancestors. She particularly enjoys solving difficult Jewish name problems. She is Syllabus Chair for the 2011 New England Regional Genealogical Conference, which will be held April 6-10, 2011 in Springfield, Massachusetts. We spoke this week about performing Jewish genealogical research, the webzine Success! Stories and her upcoming class at NERGC, “Who the Heck is Ida Gerskill?” 

Researching Jewish Ancestors

Meredith explains that most ethnic groups deal with name changes, but Jewish individuals can have multiple names, even two or three versions of personal names, more with spelling variations. Jewish immigrants will have a holy or Hebrew name, a Jewish or Yiddish name and often also a name in the language of the country from whence they have come. All of these names can have different spellings. This requires researchers to know something about spelling variations within the different languages. Upon immigration to the United States, they might Americanize or modernize their names. There are no rules for how these changes occur. The same man can show up in various records with four or five different personal names. Similar changes occur to family names during immigration.

Success! Stories Webzine

Meredith is co-editor of the webzine Success! Stories. These are wonderful, heartwarming stories of families reconnected through resources found on JewishGen.org. For Meredith, this is a labor of love. She finds it emotionally satisfying because it matters. I asked Meredith about the most interesting personal family history connection she has made and she told me a wonderful story, to which I will attempt to do justice here.

Meredith’s paternal grandmother’s family name was Adler. When her father’s sister, Bessie, passed away, they found a collection of roughly 1000 letters her aunt had received since about 1915. Because Meredith’s grandmother had passed away when her children were small, her children had lost touch with some of their family. In reading the letters, Meredith discovered that Bessie had been doing some genealogical research and trying to reconnect with family. The letters included the names and addresses of the grandmother’s sisters, one of whom was in Mobile and two who were in Liverpool. The oldest letters were obviously tearstained letters of joy from these sisters. A continuing correspondence began between Bessie and her aunts and answers to questions were received, the big one being that the sisters’ family name was Rochaven, not Adler.

Bessie had done enough research to pull together a family tree and had been in contact with her aunts until the 1950s. She knew the names of the first cousins (Meredith’s father’s first cousins). This is where Meredith jumped into the research to search for the second cousins and ascertain the true maiden name of her grandmother. In 2002, she wrote everything she knew about the family, including the possible Rochaven surname, in a letter and posted it on the British-Jewry discussion list on RootsWeb. Three years after posting the letter, she received an email from a woman stating “I think we are second cousins.”

The cousin, who lives in England, found Meredith because she had mentioned the possible Rochaven surname in her post. The cousin received the information about the same surname from one of her elderly aunts, then searched the internet and found the connection. That summer Meredith traveled to England and met twenty-two cousins from that branch of the family. Through her patient and diligent research, Meredith continues to strengthen the bonds of her family. Over the last eight years, Meredith has reconnected with 102 cousins. This summer when she attends IGHR at Samford, she hopes to meet several more cousins, who live near Mobile, Alabama. This is quite a success story.

JewishGen.org

JewishGen.org is Meredith’s go to site for about fifty percent of her online Jewish research. Meredith recommends that if you have a brick wall, write it up and post it on one of the many discussion lists. This is a great piece of advice and one this writer plans to act on in the very near future.

Who the Heck is Ida Gerskill?

Meredith’s upcoming class at NERGC is “Who the Heck is ida Gerskill? Researching Jewish Names” and takes place Saturday, April 9th at 8:30 AM. You can find it in the program on page 10.

According to the program, her talk will cover “personal, family, and place names and provide strategies for puzzling them out using linguistic and commonsense clues and cues” with examples. Those without Jewish ancestry will also benefit from learning these general principles for dealing with name inconsistencies.

As a linguist, this is a topic close to Meredith’s heart and her enthusiasm for her subject is readily apparent. This is the lecture she enjoys the most. She finds fascinating both the external name changes and the psychological aspect of how the immigrants dealt with their changing lives. “It’s interesting stuff!” 

Click here for more information about the 2011 New England Regional Genealogical Conference.

Hope you join us!

Scrappy Gen

Let's Remember!

Technorati Tags: Genealogy,Jewish,History,Genealogical,Names,Family History

2011 New England Regional Genealogical Confernce April 6-10 Update

Are you heading to Springfield in April? No? It is not too late to register. This Scrappy Genealogist will be there from the very beginning to the very end. Stop by registration from 3:00 - 7:00 on Wednesday and say hello. I would love to meet you! 

Below is the most recent email with updated conference details.

Springfield 2011 E-zine #11

Permission to email, copy, and print this E-zine in part or whole is granted.

WELCOME TO THE SPRINGFIELD 2011 E-ZINE

Welcome to the eleventh New England Regional Genealogical Conference 2011 E-zine! Between now and April, we’ll continue to provide updates on the Eleventh New England Regional Genealogical Conference through periodic E-zines like this one. Please share them with your friends and associates—and anyone else you feel may be interested in attending the Conference.

This edition of the E-zine features the availability of sign-up for the Ancestors Road Show, a new topic for table discussions at the Saturday luncheon, a speaker change, updates on hotel room availability and parking, information on other food options near the conference, notes for exhibitors and a spotlight on a speaker for Librarians’ and Teachers’ Day and a special price for hockey games in our host city

ANCESTORS ROAD SHOW: Sign-up now open

Appointments are now being taken for the Ancestors Road Show!  Go to the NERGC website (http://www.nergc.org/NERGC2011/index.html) and click on the Ancestors Road Show link at the left.  Decide the time and/or consultant that fits your needs, click on the picture and fill out the form.  Remember to include the What, Where, When and Who of your question. You will hear back with a confirmation of a specific time for your consultation.  Don’t be disappointed by waiting—some consultants are already fully booked. If you have trouble registering, try another consultant or contact shellee@shelleemorehead.com .

TOPICS FOR TABLE DISCUSSIONS AT SATURDAY LUNCHEON

Start thinking about what you’d like to talk about over lunch. Members of the Association of Professional Genealogists, New England Chapter, will be at each table at Saturday’s luncheon to guide a focused discussion. You must be registered for the luncheon in order to attend, but there is no registration for specific tables. Seating at each table is first-come, first-served.  A number will be assigned to each table, and the numbers will be available on the NERGC website and Blog prior to the conference. They will also be posted on-site at the conference. 

New since last E-zine:

- Italian and Italian/American research       Pat Cirone

Reported in the last E-zine:

-  People of Color research     Marian Pierre-Louis and Cheryll Toney Holley

-  Scots-Irish Research          Andrew Pierce

-  German Research              Leslie Albrecht Huber

-  Northern New Eng./ Eastern Canada Native American research  Sherry Gould

-  Lineage societies (Mayflower, DAR, etc.)     Polly FitzGerald Kimmitt, CG

-  Maine research                  Carol P. McCoy

-  Military research                Linda Abrams

-  British research                 Kathryn Black

-  DNA projects and Surname Projects         Pam Stone Eagleson, CG

-  Self-publishing your family history          Maureen Taylor

-  Strategies for Jewish Genealogy              Meredith Hoffman

-  Irish research                                        Michael Brophy

-  DNA testing and genealogy                     Shellee Morehead, Ph. D.

-  Polish Research                                     Tim Firkowski

-  New England Gravestones Research        Midge Frazel

-  Colonial New England Research              September McCarthy

-  Vermont Research                                 Cathi Desmarais

-  New Hampshire Research                       Diane Florence Gravel CG

SPEAKER CHANGE

Robert S. Cox, who was to present “Family History at UMass Amherst: What and How to Find It” has had to cancel his appearance at the Conference (F-204). He will be replaced by Laura Prescott who will present “Treasures Within the Ivory Tower: Finding Family in Academic Archives,” a presentation on resources that are available at New England academic archives. Laura’s biography can be found in the Registration Brochure and at http://www.nergc.org/NERGC2011/speakers.html.

PROGRAM CHANGE:  CEMETERY WORKSHOP S-308

Cemetery Workshop S-308 will be held in the Sheraton’s King George Suite, not in an actual cemetery.  (The workshop was designed to be able to be presented inside, and this is what would have been done in the event of inclement weather.)  If you’re already registered for the workshop and wish to withdraw because it is being held inside, you may do so without penalty.  If you were thinking of registering but had reservations because it was going to be held outdoors, it’s not too late to add it.  The session will include a PowerPoint presentation, many show-and-tells and perhaps even a small repair on a child's gravestone.

HOTEL UPDATE

The block of rooms set aside for us at the conference hotels are now fully booked. Some rooms might still be available at the regular rates. There are some other options for housing during the conference.

The Hilton Garden Inn, 800 West Columbus Avenue, Springfield, Mass., (413) 886-8000, near the Basketball Hall of Fame, is in the same price range as our hotels and may have some rooms available for the nights of our conference.

The Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau provides links to a number of accommodation options at http://www.valleyvisitor.com/accommodations.html and to transportation options at http://www.valleyvisitor.com/transportation.html.

DAY AND OVERNIGHT PARKING

The day rate for parking in the Sheraton’s garage is $4.00 per day (with tickets validated at the Sheraton coat check or front desk) or $9.95 per night for guests at the hotel.  Guests can come and go as often as they would like. The Sheraton no longer offers valet parking. The garage clearance is 7’ 2” so standard trucks and vans should have no problem getting in.

The Tower Square garage connected to the Marriott Springfield (and across the street from the Sheraton) offers 1,200 well-lighted, covered, and secured parking spaces. The parking is $5.00 per day for daily commuters attending Marriott events. The Marriott’s discounted overnight rate at Tower Square for Marriott guests is $15.00. Ticket validation will be available from banquet bartenders or at the NERGC Hospitality Table on the Sheraton’s Second Level Foyer, one level down from our Exhibit Hall in the Sheraton Grand Ballroom.

In addition, there are parking garages (I-91 North garage and I-91 South garage), behind the Marriott and the Sheraton. Both hotels use these garages for their overflow and both hotels will validate the parking ticket for a discount.

OTHER FOOD OPTIONS NEAR THE CONFERENCE VENUE

There are a number of food options in and near our conference hotels. The food court located on the Upper Level of the adjacent Tower Square Mall, is open 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and offers a variety of options (Combo Wok, Fantastico, LeGreque, Mex Table, Tower Grill, and Villa Pizza) at reasonable prices. Tower Square’s Lower Level includes Dunkin’ Donuts and Hot Table Grilled Panini as well as the sit down restaurants Champions Sports Bar & Grill and Currents Fine Dining. Peter’s Grille, in the Sheraton, will be open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m.

ADA OR SPECIAL FOOD NEEDS REQUEST DEADLINE

Registrants with special meal requirements and/or special needs as outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act must detail those requirements in writing to NERGC by 25 March 2011.  Each registrant who has registered for a meal and indicated a special need will receive an e-mail with the chef’s recommendations.

WHAT’S HAPPENING: WHERE AND WHEN

Exploring New Paths to Your Roots is being held in two hotels across the street from one another.  Here are locations of some of the events.

Conference Registration/Check-in takes place on the Sheraton’s Second Level Foyer on Wednesday from 3:00 – 7:00 p.m.; Thursday from 7:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.; Friday from 7:15 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.; and Saturday from 7:15 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Hospitality, Queries, Volunteers, and Evaluation tables will be near the Registration Booths on the Sheraton’s Second Level Foyer.

Thursday’s Opening Session runs from 10:00 – 11:15 in the Marriott Grand Ballroom.

Thursday’s Society Fair and Social Hour will run from 5:15 – 7:00 p.m. on the Sheraton’s Third Level Foyer, just outside the Exhibit Hall.

Thursday’s Exhibit Hall Grand Opening takes place from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. in the Sheraton’s Grand Ballroom (third level of the hotel).

On-site registration for the Ancestors Road Show runs from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. at the New England Chapter of the Association for Professional Genealogists booth (Booth 7) in the Exhibit Hall.  Road Show hours are 8:45 – 11:45 a.m. and 1:45 – 4:45 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the Sheraton’s Kilkenny and Waterford Rooms (third level of the hotel, not far from the Grand Ballroom).

For locations of many other conference activities and lecture sessions, see the daily schedule sheets via links at the Conference home page.

WHO WILL IT BE THIS YEAR?

Past recipients of NERGC’s Donna Holt Siemiatkoski Volunteer Award have included Thomas F. Howard, Cherry Fletcher Bamberg, Cheryl Willis Patten, Marcia Iannizzi Melnyk, Rev. Dr. Robert L. Rafford, and Cecilia Marianne Rose. Who will this year’s recipient be? The winner will be announced in this year’s syllabus and the award presented at the banquet on Saturday, April 9.

REGISTER NOW FOR NERGC 2011

The eleventh New England Regional Genealogical Conference – Exploring New Paths to Your Roots—is now three weeks away. Nearly 700 genealogists and family historians from a variety of backgrounds have already registered for the conference, its meals, and its workshops, and librarians and teachers are signing up for the special Librarians’ and Teachers’ Day. We are only 3 weeks away from the Conference opening, and the Early Bird registration has passed.

There are two ways to register for Exploring New Paths to Your Roots:

1. Online at

https://www.regonline.com/nergc_2011_exploring_new_paths_to_your_roots

(Link also available on the conference home page www.NERGC.org .) This method requires payment by credit card.

OR

2. If you prefer, you can still mail in your registration. Print the registration from the brochure at http://www.nergc.org/NERGC2011/program.html or use a paper copy of the brochure. Fill out the registration form on page 16 and mail it with your check to the address at the bottom of the form.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Cancellations postmarked before Friday 25 March 2011 are subject to a $15.00 processing fee. No refunds are available after 25 March 2011. Those registering through our online registration service, RegOnline, have an option to purchase cancellation insurance. Please note that this cancellation insurance covers things like unforeseen medical emergencies or a death in the family and does not cover NERGC’s $15 cancellation fee. Sorry, the cancellation insurance option is not available for mail registrations paid by check. Your payment must be paid online with a credit card to take advantage of the cancellation protection. Details are available at the RegOnline site. Please read the fine print before selecting this option.

LIBRARIANS’ AND TEACHERS’ DAY

Spotlight on LTD Speakers: Kathleen M. Reilly, Supervisor of the Local History & Genealogy Department of The Berkshire Athenaeum

Kathleen’s presentation will address the unique dilemma librarians and archivists face: to protect and preserve the materials in their collections for future generations while making the fascinating and useful information they contain available to researchers of the present.

The Berkshire Athenaeum serves as both a public library as well as an archival repository through its Local History Department. In this session Kathleen will present strategies used at the Athenaeum to make its vast collection of primary reference materials such as maps, photographs, diaries and scrapbooks more accessible to genealogists, teachers, students and other researchers. Additionally she will discuss how the use of new digital technologies and targeted collection arrangement at the Athenaeum has streamlined the research process.

Kathleen has been a member of the Athenaeum’s Local History Department staff since 1979 and brings the unique perspective of providing reference assistance in her extensive collection while overseeing its maintenance and development.

CONFERENCE BROCHURE WITH FULL PROGRAM

The registration brochure is available in PDF format at http://www.nergc.org/NERGC2011/program.html. It contains the full conference program, plus information on available luncheons and banquets, research trips, and special events. Print out or bookmark the brochure and plan your conference experience. Printed brochures have been distributed to Participating Societies and to many local libraries, museums and senior centers.

DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THE ENTIRE CONFERENCE?

If you don’t have time for the entire Conference, single day registrations are available at $90 per day. See our online brochure (www.NERGC.org ) or our online registration site https://www.regonline.com/nergc_2011_exploring_new_paths_to_your_roots .

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES

Two Special Activities are already fully booked: the research trip to the Berkshire Athenaeum and the orientation program at the Springfield History Library and Archives is full, but there is still room in two other activities on Wednesday.

You can still visit National Archives and Records Administration, Pittsfield, with us on Wednesday, 6 April ($30 fee for transportation). Or take a tour of Springfield Cemetery (Wednesday, 11 a.m. or 2 p.m., free). Registration is required for all of these activities, even the free ones. Please see below (adding meals and workshops) for instructions on signing up if you’ve already registered for the Conference.

YOU CAN STILL ADD MEALS AND WORKSHOPS

There is limited space left at meals. You must register for them by April 1 to be guaranteed a meal option. You can add meals for people who are not registered for the conference, too. To update meal or workshop registrations in registrations previously completed online:

1) Go to http://www.nergc.org/NERGC2011/index.html , click on “HERE.” Click on “Already Registered?” next to the email address space. Log into your account (your email address and the password you chose).
2)  On the next screen click on the blue button that says “FINALIZE.”
3)  The meal options will pop up. Make your selections and follow directions to complete your additional choices.
If you run into difficulty, contact Mary Choppa, registration chair, at mchoppa@myfairpoint.net .

If you registered by mail, you can send a copy of that registration, mark on it “PREVIOUSLY REGISTERED,” and indicate what you're adding.

SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS UPDATE

A new exciting Special Interest Group has been added to the schedule. This new SIG, Jewish Genealogy, will be led by Meredith Hoffman and Joanne Saltman. They say:

"Come join us to talk about strategies and hints for researching  your Jewish ancestors. Depending on your interests, we might look at how to find the records of your immigrant ancestors, both here and in the "old country"; how to find people if they've changed their names; how to find the villages that your ancestors came from; how to locate families lost or scattered by the Holocaust. Bring your questions and research problems and we'll look at both online and local resources that could help you in your search."

Special Interest Groups are informal discussion groups that will take place on Thursday, April 7 at 7:30 p.m. For a complete list of Special Interest Group topics, check out the NERGC website at: http://www.nergc.org/NERGC2011/specialinterestgroups.html.

EXPLORING THE EXHIBIT HALL

Our exhibitors are offering products and services to help in your research, document your findings, and help preserve your treasures. We also have many genealogical and historical societies exhibiting, so no matter where your family is from in New England, there will be representatives of societies who can help you in your research.

The Exhibit Hall will be open from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday evening, 7 April, and there will be "unopposed" exhibitor times throughout the conference between lectures and meals for everyone to browse.

Don’t miss visiting Legacy Family Tree’s booths (52 - 53). Legacy will be raffling a Netbook computer in the Exhibit Hall on Saturday. There will be a special Door Prize ticket for you in your registration packet. Details/rules will also be in your registration packet.

ATTENTION EXHIBITORS

Exhibitor set-up in the Exhibit Hall (Sheraton Ballroom) is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 7.

Exhibitor breakdown runs from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 9.  Please don’t begin breaking down your exhibit prior to 4:00.

Also a reminder that NERGC’s Exhibitors that are selling items must obtain and pay for all required licenses, permits, and sales taxes. This includes both for-profit and non-profit corporations. Please be sure that you have registered with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue to be in compliance with sales tax guidelines.

FOR EXHIBITORS PLANNING BOOK SIGNINGS

Exhibitors who are having a book signing in your booth, please contact Marian Pierre-Louis at marianpl@fieldstonehistoricresearch.com . Marian with be coordinating all the book signings for NERGC 2011 and will take care of arrangements for signage, publicity, etc.  Please contact her as soon as possible to make arrangements.

 

SIGNAGE

The Signage Committee has been studying the layout of the conference and will be providing tons of signage to guide attendees to venues in the two separate hotels. The signs will need to be put in place at the beginning of each day and between lectures and will take only a few moments of your time during the conference hours. Help us to keep the conference on track. If you are able to help in changing signs, please send your name to Volunteer Chair Christine Bard at: bardc@comcast.net. This volunteer opportunity is guaranteed to be one of the most rewarding.

Thank you in advance! Jay Sage, Daphnah Sage, and Rob Locke, Signage Chairs.

volunteers NEEDED

We still need volunteers to have full coverage during the conference.  Please e-mail me if you can fill one or more of these volunteer openings:  You can also find my updates on the Facebook group. 

Door monitor/Evaluation Collection (must be registered for conference) 

  Introduce Speaker (must be registered for conference)

  Registration

  Hospitality

  Signage

     ...And More

For each hour volunteered you will receive a raffle ticket for daily raffles.  If you are bringing a spouse or friend along for the ride, please ask if they will help out as well. They don't have to be registered for the conference to volunteer for non-session volunteer opportunities.  

Please e-mail Volunteer Chair Christine Bard at bardc@comcast.net to sign up to volunteer.

 

SPECIAL RATE FOR SPRINGFIELD FALCONS HOCKEY

Not planning to attend a banquet on Friday or Saturday? Is someone traveling with you a hockey fan? The Springfield Falcons are offering a special rate of $10 (regular price $17) for NERGC attendees. There are two great games to choose from:

FRI., APRIL 8             7:30 PM

Springfield Falcons vs. Albany Devils

SAT., APRIL 9          7:00 PM

Springfield Falcons vs. Providence Bruins

Games are played at the MASSMUTUAL CENTER

(walking distance from the conference hotels)

Tickets are just $10 PER PERSON for either game.

MUST BE ORDERED NO LATER THAN 2:00 PM

THURSDAY, APRIL 7, FOR THE FRIDAY GAME

FRIDAY, APRIL 8, FOR THE SATURDAY GAME

Call Bill Bullock today

413-739-3344, ext. 120

mention NERGC to get the discount

FOR MORE ACTIVITIES IN AND AROUND SPRINGFIELD

For information on “what to do, and where” during your non-conference hours, visit the web site of the Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau, http://www.valleyvisitor.com/. ; Their web site has a myriad of things to consider, including opportunities for exploration by those who are in Greater Springfield with you but not attending the conference.

EXPLORING NERGC 2011 THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA

Check out NERGC on the web!

In addition to the NERGC website (www.nergc.org) you can now follow NERGC on the NERGC 2011 blog, Facebook and Twitter.

Facebook

Any Facebook member can join the NERGC Facebook group. It is located at http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=183089100494. In fact, people have already started posting to let other people know they will be attending NERGC. Join and see which of your friends are attending and get to know other genealogists.

NERGC 2011 Blog

The NERGC 2011 Blog is up and running with new content every day. Check out information on the speakers, exhibitors, sponsoring societies and much, much more. It’s a fun way to prepare for the conference and you can ask questions and leave comments too. Find the blog at http://nergc2011.blogspot.com.

Twitter

Is Twitter your preferred form of communication? NERGC 2011 is there too! Chat with NERGC and other attendees too. It’s a great way to keep up with the latest while on the go. If you have Twitter on your smart phone you’ll never miss any updates. Find NERGC at http://twitter.com/NERGC.

See you on the Web!

MISSING A BACK ISSUE OF THE E-ZINE?

As a subscriber, you know that NERGC E-zines are a great way to keep up with information about the Conference. Missing back issues? Go to http://www.nergc.org/NERGC2011/ezine.html. Have friends who aren’t yet on the E-zine mailing list? Encourage them to send an email rootsearcher@email.com and write "subscribe" in the body of the email.

ABOUT THIS E-ZINE
This E-zine is sent to you at your request or because of your involvement in past NERGC conferences. We welcome your thoughts and suggestions for items to appear in future issues. Please send them to Nora Galvin at auntlizzie@snet.net and put the word e-zine in the subject line.

Please feel free to share this newsletter with others. Permission to email, copy, and print it in part or whole is granted.

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© 2011 New England Regional Genealogical Consortium, Inc.