===================================================================== LIVERMORE-AMADOR GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY E-BULLETIN FOR JULY July 1, 2001 ====================================================================== Meeting Reminder The Family Tree Maker group will NOT meet this week. See details below. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- A N N O U N C E M E N T S We have been pleased with the great interest in genealogy shown at the L-AGS booth at the Alameda County Fair. Volunteers are staffing the booth every day from noon to 3 PM. On two of the days the local DAR is tending the booth and on two other days it is the Tracy Area Genealogical Society (TAGS). Be sure to look at our Web pages devoted to the fair activities. Go to our home page at < http://www.L-AGS.org > and click on the two links mentioning "Fair". These pages in turn have links to photos that are changed often. Another link leads to a page listing the duty days of the volunteers. Because of the unexpectedly heavy interest in our offer to do free Internet lookups of ancestors, we find that two volunteers are not enough to handle the load. We need additional volunteers - computer experience not needed. If you can help out during the coming week, please call Jon Bryan at 925 XXX-XXXX or e-mail him at < mailto:president@L-AGS.org >. Jon and Frank Geasa, as co-honchos of our fair efforts, have worked hard to achieve the success that appears evident in the crowds around our booth. It is clear that most people have a latent interest in their roots. They are eager to start a search when given an opportunity like that offered at our booth. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interesting statistics about our Web site can be found at two new links at the very bottom of our home page at < http://www.L-AGS.org >. Some of the data only a nerd could love or understand, but the bar charts are interesting and surprising: why does our usage peak on Fridays, and during the day at 10 AM and 8 PM? Why are the St. Michael Cemetery records far and away the most heavily used in terms of bytes downloaded? ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stan Strickland, our Business Manager and Tape Librarian, has added many video tapes to his collection. See his new catalog at the link "L-AGS Videotape Library" on our home page. Tapes - audio and video - can be borrowed for home use. Directions are on the "L-AGS Videotape Library" Web page. ====================================================================== J U L Y M E E T I N G S Visitors are welcome at all of our meetings. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- FAMILY TREE MAKER FOCUS GROUP Dick Finn, Leader The FTM group will NOT meet in July. However, the FTM e-mail forum at: ftm.group@L-AGS.org is always available, 24/7/365, if you have problems or solutions to discuss with the group. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING John Bryan, Acting Program Chairman Tuesday, July 10, 2001 - 7:30 PM Always the second Tuesday of the month Location: Congregation Beth Emek, 1886 College Avenue, Livermore Map to the meeting site: http://www.L-AGS.org/college.html Speakers: Linda Garrett and Pat Moore Members of the Josefa Higuera Livermore Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Topic: American Revolutionary Patriots and the DAR Our L-AGS General Meeting in July will celebrate the Fourth of July, Patriotism and the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, often called the DAR. Linda Garrett of Livermore, a member of DAR and an early member of L-AGS, will tell us about her patriot ancestor, Patrick Anderson. Patrick's descendants were active in getting Valley Forge preserved as a State Park. Linda explains, "Members are always looking to find ancestors who gave service to their country. We have more than one member who has found 20+ ancestors who fought or gave service in the revolutionary War." Pat Moore will tell us more about the DAR organization itself. The DAR national Web site is at http://www.dar.org/natsociety/default.html. This presentation should be of interest to both women and men in attendance. Why do I say men? Some of us may have a qualifying Revolutionary Ancestor who could facilitate a mother, sister, niece or cousin in joining the DAR. What would make a nicer birthday or Christmas gift? Linda also points out, "There is a large society called SAR - Sons of the American Revolution - that was by the way organized before DAR and wouldn't allow women to join, so the women formed their own! I know there is a chapter of SAR in San Francisco. There is also a website for SAR." Pat Moore adds, "There is even a society, CAR, for Children of the American Revolution." Linda and Pat are both members of the Livermore Chapter of the DAR named for Josefa Higuera Livermore. Linda has effectively used some unusual genealogical tricks to find special genealogical items about her ancestors. Other interesting ancestors that Linda has found include Judge Samuel Pennypacker, who later became a Governor. Both DAR members and non-members may find the DAR Library in Washington D. C. to be useful in their genealogical research. It is advertised as one of the largest genealogical libraries in the world. It includes about 160,000 books on American genealogy, local history and records covering all periods of American history. Sometimes the materials submitted to qualify future DAR members prove useful to other genealogists. Twilah McFarland, a friend who is a member of the DAR, took Gail and me on a visit to this library about twenty years ago. Linda adds this personal note about her research, "I have learned more about my country's history by doing genealogy than I probably would have if I'd taken history courses in college. Major colleges in this country do not require history in order to get a degree!" Jon Bryan L-AGS President for 2000-2001 - - - - - Visitors are welcome. For information contact Jon Bryan at 925 XXX-XXXX, or mailto:president@L-AGS.org. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRI-VALLEY TMG USERS GROUP Joyce Siason and Kay Speaks, Leaders < mailto:tvtmg.chair@L-AGS.org > Thursday, July 12, 2001 - 7:30 PM Always the second Thursday of the month Location: Mocho Street LDS Church, 950 Mocho Street, Livermore URL for a map to the church: < http://www.L-AGS.org/mocho.html > Many professional genealogists use The Master Genealogist (TMG) software. Because of its varied capability of recording data and evidence, organizing research and creating narrative reports and custom wall charts, there is a learning curve involved. It is for this reason our beginning users group was formed -- to learn how to use the software and act as a support group for fellow users. Joyce will discuss her trip to Virginia where she attended a TMG class. Users with several years of experience have offered their assistance to those attending the meetings. With the use of a laptop and a digital projector, we are able to demonstrate techniques and answer questions. We meet every second Thursday of the month at 7:30 p.m., LDS Church, 950 Mocho, Livermore. < mailto:tvtmg@l-ags.org >. A free demo of the TMG software can be obtained from < http://www.whollygenes.com >. Non-members of L-AGS are welcome. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- GENEALOGY STUDY GROUP Kay Speaks, Leader Thursday, July 19, 2001 - 7:30 PM Always the third Thursday of the month Location: Mocho Street LDS Church, 950 Mocho Street, Livermore URL for a map to the church: < http://www.L-AGS.org/mocho.html > U.S. Customs Service Documents Genealogical Research and Record Group 36 In May I attended the NGS annual conference in Portland, Oregon. One of the sessions presented by Harvey Steele was on NARA Record Group 36. Customs records are a little used source of genealogical research. Mr. Steele, NARA San Bruno, and SF Media Resource Center Customhouse provided many, many examples of record samples found in Record Group 36. We will view some of these sample documents. Just a few of these records include registration of vessels, licenses, marine casualties, cargo lists, passengers' effects, intelligence reports on passengers, index of letters sent and received, register of employees, list of deceased and deserting seamen (1872-1942), newspaper clippings relating to narcotics smuggling activities (1920-1955), shipping articles and crew lists. Mr. Steele provided the following description of the Customs Service: ---------- The Customs Service, created by an act of July 31, 1789, became part of the Department of the Treasury when that department was established in September 1789. The Service has been responsible for the enforcement of numerous laws and regulations pertaining to the import and export of merchandise, collection of tonnage taxes, control of the entrance and clearances of vessels and aircraft, regulation of vessels involved in the coastwise and fishing trades, the protection of passengers. The act that established the Customs Service in 1789 also provided for the creation of collection districts in various coastal, river, Great Lakes, and inland ports. A collector of customs in each district was responsible for the enforcement of all rules and regulations, including the protection of American seamen and passengers and the forwarding of basic data on immigration, imports, and exports. Occasionally the collector acted as the depository for Federal funds and collected taxes for the Bureau of Internal Revenue. A naval officer in each district, coordinate in rank with the collector, was required to keep separate accounts and copies of all manifests and entries and to countersign certain of the collector's accounts. A surveyor, under the collector's supervision, kept a daily record of all vessel arrivals and clearances and was assisted by inspectors, weighers, and gaugers in the collection and payment of bounty allowances and fees and the measurement of foreign vessels for tonnage duties. ---------- The L-AGS Study Group is an informal meeting of family historians and researchers. We represent those who have spent many decades learning methods and technique... to those of us who are just beginning our journey through the archives and old documents. We are learning about the joys, and yes, frustrations of this wonderful lifelong hobby. One of the many things we have in common is the willingness to share and help others. We hope that you will be able to join us this month. We meet on the third Thursday of every month at the LDS Church, 950 Mocho, Livermore, 7:30 p.m. I do hope you will mark us on your calendar for future meetings. The E-Mail Forum for our group is: mailto:study.group@L-AGS.org Group participants are invited to use the forum for questions and answers about the study topics, past and present. Visitors are welcome. - - - - - Members needing help with a genealogy problem may call one of the club officers, who will attempt to find someone who can help. For information contact Kay Speaks at . ------------------------------------------------------------------------- COMPUTER INTEREST GROUP Dick Finn, Group Leader Thursday, July 26, 2001 - 7:30 PM Always the fourth Thursday of the month Place: TO BE ANNOUNCED - not at the usual meeting place in Sonoma School, since the school is closed until late August. Topic: Stay tuned for other subjects, but we will continue to try to help attendees with creating their own Web sites, and continue to try to help those with "newbie" problems. If you have succeeded in building a personal Web page, we would like to hear about it. If you are still having problems, we will try to help, in the meeting or in one-on-one sessions. Please avail yourself of the CIG e-mail forum to post questions or answers: < mailto:cig@L-AGS.org >. As always, our meetings are open to other "computers in genealogy" subjects for discussion. ====================================================================== The Boilerplate We realize that not all L-AGS members have e-mail. If you have friends in L-AGS who do not have e-mail, please keep them informed about news in these e-mail bulletins. - - - - - To discontinue receiving these mailings from L-AGS please call me at 925 XXX-XXXX or e-mail me at < mailto:webmaster@l-ags.org >. - - - - - The L-AGS Web site is located at . If you ever have trouble accessing the L-AGS Web site, or find any faulty links on it, please let me know immediately. - - - - - Readability To make sure this message is readable by the maximum number of different computer systems, it is transmitted in plain text, without embedded formatting. The message was composed in 10 point monospaced Courier font, in a 6.125 inch column width. Any necessary indenting and centering was done with spaces, not tabs. If the text appears ragged on your screen, change to 10 point Courier font, or copy the message to a word processor and change the font there. ====================================================================== ROOTS HOOTS We Minnesota natives suffer from much condescending humor at our expense. I am pushing for a new law against harassment on account of state origin. Here is an outrageous example: MINNESOTA GUIDE TO COMPUTER TERMINOLOGY LOG ON : makin da vood stove hotter LOG OFF : don't add no more vood MEGAHERTZ : vhen a big log drops on your bare foot FLOPPY DISK : vhat you get from liftin too much vood RAM : dat pointy ting dat makes da voodsplitter vork so good HARD DRIVE : getting home during most of da vinter ENTER : come on in WINDOWS : vhat ya shut vhen it gets 10 below SCREEN : vhat is a must during mosquito season CHIP : vhat ya munch during da Vikings game MODEM : vhat ya did to da hay fields last Yuly DOT MATRIX : Sven Matrix's vife LAPTOP : vhere da grandkids sit SOFTWARE : da plastic picnic forks, ya? MOUSE : vhat leaves dat stuff in da cupboard RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY : vhen ya can't remember how much ya spent fer dat new deer rifle vhen da vife asks about it. ======================================================================