------------------------------------------------------------- March 1, 1997 ------------------------------------------------------------- LIVERMORE-AMADOR GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY MONTHLY E-BULLETIN ------------------------------------------------------------- CONTENTS New Ancestral File Has Arrived! Pledge Week Bumps "Ancestors" TV series Coming Events Regular Monthly Meeting Study Group Computer Interest Group L-AGS Web Site Ride-sharing Offered Surname List Deadline Is March 15 Pay Up! L-AGS Library Course on Recording Family Histories Jeopardy! ------------------------------------------------------------- New Ancestral File Has Arrived! A new and greatly enlarged edition of Ancestral File has arrived at the LDS Family History Center at 950 Mocho Street in Livermore. It is nearly double the size of the previous edition - needing 7 CDs instead of 4 - and includes submissions up to January 2, 1996. The Family History Center is open at the following times: Monday 10 am to 3 pm Wednesday and Thursday 6 pm to 9 pm Saturday 1 pm to 4 pm The Saturday hours are in effect as a trial at least through March. L-AGS members who would like to serve as docents at the FHC may contact Jeanne Tanghe at XXX-XXXX. ------------------------------------------------------------- Pledge Week Bumps "Ancestors" TV series Three Bay Area PBS stations have been broadcasting the "Ancestors" programs every week up to now. Two of them - KQED and KTEH - are interrupting the series to carry out their March pledge pleadings. KCSM is keeping the weekly regularity. The schedules for March are: KQED Channel 9 - Sunday, 10:30 am, March 23, 30 (Episodes 9, 10) KTEH Channel 54 - Saturday, 5:00 pm, March 29 (Episode 7) KCSM Channel 60 - Saturday, 3:30 pm, March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 (Episodes 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) Duration of the series is 10 episodes of 27 minutes each. The PBS description of the program is: "'Ancestors' is a television series about genealogy and family history. Powerful stories of people whose lives have been changed through family history research are followed by experts who give practical instruction on how viewers can begin searching for their own roots." The subjects of the ten installments are: 1. Getting Started 2. Look at Home 3. Gathering Family Stories 4. The Paper Trail 5. Libraries and Archives 6. Census and Military Records 7. African American Research 8. Your Medical Heritage 9. High-Tech Help 10.Leaving a Legacy A companion book, teacher's guide, viewer's guide and a video cassette are all available to supplement the broadcasts. The series has its own home page on the Web: http://www.kbyu.byu.edu/ancestors/ ------------------------------------------------------------- The following is a list of coming events for L-AGS. Visitors and guests are always welcome to attend our meetings. ------------------------------------------------------------- Regular Monthly Meeting Tuesday, March 11, 1997 at 7:30 pm Program: Christine Rose speaking on "Using Little-known and Neglected Sources - a Potpourri" Location: Congregation Beth Emek, 1886 College Avenue, Livermore The following biographical information was supplied by Ms. Rose. Christine Rose, CG, CGL, FASG, is a Certified Genealogist, a Certified Genealogical Lecturer, and a full-time certified genealogist; elected Fellow, American Society of Genealogists, an honor bestowed by peers based on quantity and quality of publications, and limited to 50 persons. Resident of San Jose, California. Active in genealogy for thirty-six years. Winner of the prestigious Donald Lines Jacobus award in 1987 for two genealogy books. Compiler of numerous genealogies and articles; national lecturer; Vice President of Association of Professional Genealogists; Past Director, Federation of Genealogical Societies; columnist for the latter's "Forum." She is a member of many genealogical societies, and founder and editor of the Rose Family Association. Her popular "Nicknames: Past & Present," first published in 1987, is now in its second edition, as is "Family Association, Organization and Management, A Handbook." She has also compiled and published "What IS the Preponderance of the Evidence?" and "Declarations of Intention, Santa Clara County, California (1850 - 1870)," and various other books. Her specialty is on-site research in the various courthouses across the country. For information call David Abrahams at XXX-XXXX or John Walden at XXX-XXXX. Non-members are welcome at our meetings. ------------------------------------------------------------- Genealogy Study Group Thursday, March 20, 1997 at 7:30 pm Program: To be announced Location: LDS Church, 950 Mocho Street, Livermore The Study Group discusses topics in beginning to intermediate genealogy. A group leader provides a subject for each meeting and handouts are available. There is always an active question and answer session. By combining the many talents of our members we hope to help each other with our family research problems. Members needing advice about a genealogy problem at any time between meetings may call one of the club officers, who will attempt to find a member who can help. For information call Jolene Abrahams at XXX-XXXX. ------------------------------------------------------------- Computer Interest Group Thursday, March 27, 1997 - 7:30 pm (one-on-one discussions 7:00-7:30) Program: "Use of GEDCOM files and merging records" Leader - Gene Fisher (Note: This is a change from the program announced at the last CIG meeting.) Location: LDS Church, 950 Mocho Street, Livermore Gene will discuss the general structure of a GEDCOM file, describe how to evaluate its contents and merge it into your database. He will also describe how GEDCOM files can be received or sent to other people on the Internet or by mail. ------------- April 24 "Results of Genealogy Software Questionnaire, software focus groups & a comparison of genealogy programs" Leader - Doug Mumma Doug will present and distribute the results of the software Questionnaire that was sent to our Internet members by e-mail and conducted by telephone survey for non-Internet users. The software focus groups that have been proposed will be organized and scheduled. A brief description and comparison of the more popular genealogy software programs will be presented if time permits. Visitors are welcome. Members needing help with a computer problem at any time between meetings may call one of the mentors listed in the Members' Handbook. ------------------------------------------------------------- Visit the L-AGS Web site at: http://www.california.com/~lags/lags.html We have had 1927 visitors to our pages since December 6 last year. ------------------------------------------------------------- Ride-sharing Offered If you are interested in attending a meeting and would like a ride, or can occasionally offer a ride, please call David Abrahams at XXX-XXXX or Karen Banta at XXX-XXXX . ------------------------------------------------------------- Surname List Deadline Is March 15 Members are reminded to bring their new or updated surname lists to the March meeting, or preferably, to send them in digital form to George Anderson, either by e-mail or on a diskette by postal mail . The required format for the submissions is described in a handout available at the meeting or from David Abrahams. ------------------------------------------------------------- Pay Up! Dues for 1997 were due January 1. Send your check ($18 Individual, $25 Family, $40 Benefactor, $100 Patron) to: L-AGS P.O. Box 901 Livermore, CA 94551 Contact Business Manager Hal Norris (XXX-XXXX) for information. ------------------------------------------------------------- L-AGS Library The L-AGS library is housed in the Pleasanton Library at 400 Old Bernal Avenue in Pleasanton. The hours are: Monday and Tuesday Noon to 9 pm Wednesday and Thursday 10 am to 9 pm Friday closed Saturday 10 am to 5 pm Sunday 1 pm to 5 pm A L-AGS docent, helping with the Internet as well as with genealogy, is currently on duty at the library on Wednesdays from 10 am to 1 pm. Members who would like to serve as genealogy docents may contact Judy Person at XXX-XXXX ------------------------------------------------------------- Course on Recording Family Histories Bob Ware has kindly supplied the following information: For eight weeks beginning Tuesday evening, April 8, 1997, Las Positas College will offer a short course in writing Memoir, Autobiography, and Family History. The course will explore techniques for getting started, will examine the work of authors practicing "dramatic nonfiction," and will review sources and helps for continuing work when the course ends. Special attention will be given to the recording of family histories. Sessions will include group work and opportunities for individual consultation. There will be no more than 15 in the class. The course will be taught by Janice Albert, an award-winning author, and will be held at the College in Room 802 from 6 pm - 9:50 pm on Tuesday evenings. One unit of credit will be given for this ungraded course, English 9, CRN 33403. For information and registration call (510) 373-5800. To reach Ms. Albert, call (510) 373 5842. ------------------------------------------------------------- Jeopardy! I reported in this e-bulletin last fall about my distant cousin, Bernie Cullen, who was a five-time winner on the TV quiz show Jeopardy! in September. He later lost in the first round of the championship playoffs. Recently he has Web-posted another chapter of the chronicles of his experiences. It is on his genealogy Web site at: http://www.ecnet.net/users/ubcullen/genemain.shtml Fans of Jeopardy! will be fascinated by the backstage details he supplies. George Anderson -------------------------------------------------------------