====================================================== Livermore-Amador Genealogical Society E-Bulletin for March 2005 March 2, 2005 ====================================================== Summary of Meetings for March 2005: · Family Tree Maker Group - (03/03/2005): How to merge files in 2005 Version of FTM (among other topics) · Regular Meeting - (03/08/2005): Jim Muir - Computer Safety · Study Group - (03/17/2005): Alister McReynolds - Scots-Irish History and Immigration · The Master Genealogist Group - (03/19/2005): - Kay Speaks & Sue Johnston - Customizing The Data and Class Project Data Entry ____________________________________________________________ L-AGS membership dues for 2005: Our L-AGS calendar-year runs January to December and renewal dues of $18 (individual membership) and $25 (family membership) are being due now. Please pay as soon as possible and give your check to one of our membership chairmen, Jean Lerche or Marilyn Cutting, at one of our meetings, or mail it to L-AGS at PO Box 901 Livermore, CA 94551. ______________________________________________________ FAMILY TREE MAKER FOCUS GROUP Date and Time: Thursday, March 3, 2005 - 7:30 PM Leader: Dick Finn at XXXX@wecare.net Topic: How to merge files in 2005 Version of FTM (among other topics) The L-AGS Family Tree Maker (FTM) Focus Group meets (during the school year) the first Thursday of the month at 7:30 PM at the Ed Rundstrom Learning Center (formerly the Sonoma Avenue School), Room 8, 543 Sonoma Ave., Livermore. URL for a map to the school: http://www.l-ags.org/sonoma.html. Most of our group are FTM users (from beginners to experts) who discuss problems and solutions, share successes, answer questions, and in general help each other with the Family Tree Maker genealogical software. All persons interested or potentially interested in Family Tree Maker are invited to attend. For information on our group please call Dick Finn at 925-XXX-XXXX or e-mail him at XXXX@wecare.net. Contact Dick for information about topics to be discussed. Visitors are welcome and there is no charge to attend. Bring your questions, comments, and handbook and if you have a laptop with FTM loaded you might bring it also. ____________________________________________________________ L-AGS March General Meeting L-AGS MONTHLY GENERAL MEETING mailto:program.chair@L-AGS.org Tuesday, March 8, 2005 - 7:30 PM Always the second Tuesday of the month Location: Congregation Beth Emek, 3400 Nevada Ct., Pleasanton Map to the meeting site: http://www.L-AGS.org/maps/Pls-BethEmek.html Program: Identity Theft - Personal Computers and the Internet Presenter: Jim Muir - Computer Specialist, Sandia National Laboritories, retired This presentation will touch on a number of things users might do BEFORE THE FACT to help make their PC life more secure. While we may not be able to completely prevent identity theft, virus and malicious software infections, and other scams, there are a number of low/no cost things we can do to lower the risk of becoming a victim. ____________________________________________________________ L-AGS STUDY GROUP - Special Meeting Date and Time: Thursday, March 17, 2005 (St. Patrick's Day) 7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Location: LDS Church, 950 Mocho Street, Livermore, CA Map to the meeting site: http://www.l-ags.org/maps/Liv-FHC.html Co-Leaders: Kay Speaks, George Anderson, and Dick Finn mailto:study.group@l-ags.org Special Guest: Alister McReynolds - Principal of Lisburn Institute in Lisburn, Northern Ireland Topic: Scots-Irish History and Immigration Alister McReynolds, Principal of Lisburn Institute in Lisburn, Northern Ireland will speak on Scots-Irish history and immigration and how to find related genealogical information. He is said to be "quite an entertaining fellow". Come early and get a good seat. ____________________________________________________________ Tri-Valley TMG Users Group Date: Saturday, March 19, 2005 (Third Saturday of the month) Time: 9:00 a.m. - Noon Location: 7077 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 110, Pleasanton, CA 94566 Map: http://www.l-ags.org/maps/Pls-KollCenter.html Leader: Kay Speaks, mailto:tvtmg.chair@l-ags.org Instructors: Kay Speaks & Sue Johnston Subject: Customizing The Data and Class Project Data Entry We continue with Chapter 5 of Leo Hoffman's Getting the Most Out of the Master Genealogist -Customizing the Data by John Cardinal. Mr. Cardinal is a TMG beta tester and has developed several TMG companion programs - Second Site, TMG Utility 5, and On This Day. These programs can be located at http://www.johncardinal.com/tmg. In Chapter 5, we discuss customization specific to a particular project and/or data set. A summary of Chapter 5 can be located at http://www.whollygenes.com/images/GMOTMG%20Ch05.pdf. As we did in the last meeting, the first hour we will continue the discussion of ways to customize TMG. "Tags" are used to record events that occur during a person's lifespan. You can control which events will be included in reports. Do you have sensitive data that you would like to record for your personal records, but not include in reports or GEDCOM? Would you like to sort your data by specific facts, for example by medical history? With TMG you can create either "tags" or "flags" to easily identify and extract information into reports. Normally only one principal event, such as a death, is shown in reports. Did you know you could create variations to the standard tag groups (death, marriage, etc.) so that multiple primary events will appear in your written reports - if you wish them to do so? The first part of the meeting will be used to discuss additional methods of customizing TMG to your specific needs. The last two hours will be used to enter the following sample data into our class practice database. Enter as much as you can. Bring your questions and we will cover those areas that were challenging for you. Remember, there are multiple ways to enter data in TMG - i.e., there is no wrong method of data entry. Assignment (if you have the time): Prior to our meeting, please try to enter one event from each of the ten tag type groups: Name, Relationship, Birth, Death, Burial, Marriage, Divorce, History, Address and Other. We have provided information below for you to enter. Use your TVTMG-9-18 project, our class copy of the Sample database. If you have not yet created a class sample database, copy the Sample database that ships with the TMG software, (File > Copy Project > Sample_.PJC > Open > TVTMG-9-18 > Open > OK). You'll also need to have your data entry set to the advanced mode for use at our meetings (File > Preferences > Options > Program Options > Data Entry > Advanced > OK). Be sure to bring a copy of your Sample database to class - either on your laptop, CD, floppy, etc. This is not a test! Enter what you can, if you have the opportunity. We will go over this data entry during the second half of our meeting. Entering the information below will cover data within all ten tag type groups. (Hint: If you don't have a copy of our TMG class project, and you don't need practice copying a project file, e-mail me and I'll send you a copy of our TVTMG-9-18 project file.) Create "Jonathan Sample" son of John Alexander and Delilah Woods. · Born February 28, 1840 in Carter County, Tennessee. · Died November 16, 1880 in Smyth County, Virginia. · Burial was November 20, 1880 on the family farm, Smyth County, Virginia. · Married Jane Example Williamson, June 26, 1864 at the Methodist Church, Carter County, Tennessee. · There was one son, Daniel Sample, July 19, 1865 and Sally Example, October 1, 1868, both born at the family farm in Smyth County, Virginia. · Last known address for Daniel Sample was in 1900, 79 Stanton Court, Nashville, Tennessee. Daniel was married in 1885 to Mary Jane (last name unknown). They were divorced in 1890, no children. · Family lore tells of Jonathan Sample Alexander witnessing the dedication of the site for the Brooklyn Bridge when it first started being constructed on January 3, 1870. · Jonathan served in Tennessee militia from 1858-1860. · Sources: Jonathan Sample Alexander - county vital statistics birth, death; NARA military records; Martha (Ferguson) Alexander's (mother of Jonathan Alexander) family bible for Jonathon's marriage, divorce and her grandson's birth. Daniel Sample was found in the 1900 census. Susanna Alexander (Jonathan's sister) attended the Brooklyn Bridge dedication with him and wrote a letter to their mother about the visit. With the aid of a digital projector, Kay and Sue work as a team. We discuss, demonstrate, and brainstorm best practices of the software. We use a hands-on method to learn TMG's features by actually entering samples of the lesson into TMG's a class database. Guests are always welcome at our meetings. Accommodation for laptops will be available. If you have a laptop, bring it with you to the meeting. A new feature of our teaching sessions is the ability to connect up to eight laptops to the digital projector so that attendees can also share their ideas and projects. A laptop is not a requirement as the lesson will be projected. If you can't stay for the entire 3 hours, come and leave early. TMG questions not specific to all attendees will be addressed in the later part of our meeting. Please bring samples of your problem if possible. We hope to see you at this month's meeting! TMG Version 6.0 is now available as an upgrade to the software and is the version used at our meetings. You can find out what's new in 6.0, purchase the upgrade, and download the new users manual at http://www.whollygenes.com/tmg.htm. The manual is a large file and can be a lengthy download, depending on our ISP connection. By request, we will have a copy of the manual available on CD for those attending the meeting. A free demo version of the software can be downloaded at http://www.whollygenes.com. For additional information contact tvtmg.chair@l-ags.org. Any genealogy software will help you organize your family history, but TMG stands out for its ability to record every detail, properly cite many kinds of sources, track your correspondence, maintain a research log, and produce the most professional books." - Family Tree Magazine, January, 2005 ____________________________________________________________ Tentative future Regular Meetings: Date Topic Presenter April 12, 2005 Area Resources Kenneth Miller May 10, 2005 Heritage Families Project Dick Finn June 14, 2005 Harlan Family History Bill Harlan July 12, 2005 To be announced Cath Madden Trindle