THE LIVERMORE-AMADOR GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY E-MAIL BULLETIN FOR JULY 2008 July 2, 2008 ====================================================== SUMMARY OF EVENTS FOR JULY 2008 (See details on a later screen.) - Family Tree Maker Group: No meeting until September - General Meeting: Tuesday, July 8 - The Master Genealogist: Saturday, July 19 - Study Group: Thursday, July 24 - L-AGS Board Meeting: Tuesday, July 22 ====================================================== A N N O U N C E M E N T S BREAKING NEWS! By Kay Speaks Don't forget to mark your calendars for our seminar on Saturday, August 9, featuring Trevor Hammond from Footnote.com and L-AGS' own Susan Goss Johnston. We will be sending out more information on the seminar after the fair. L-AGS and the Livermore Family History Center are once again sponsoring this free seminar. Footnote.com is the latest, greatest new genealogy database on the Web. It lets you view a huge number of original documents online - the primary sources for your research. We are honored that Trevor Hammond agreed to appear at our seminar and describe his database in person. We are equally honored to count Sue Johnston among our members, and to have her again be a co-star at a L-AGS seminar. You won't want to miss it! -------------------- GENEALOGY BOOTH AT THE ALAMEDA COUNTY FAIR By Kay Speaks, L-AGS Fair Committee Chair Our Web site for registering to work as a docent or greeter at the Alameda County Fair is: http://www.L-AGS.org/fair As of 4 p.m. today, Wednesday, July 2, there are only 5 slots still open - one for docents and four for greeters. If you want to experience the pleasure of introducing fairgoers to genealogy, you should grab one of the openings promptly. Remember that, for the first time this year, discount gate passes are available to your guests who accompany you through the gate. Of course, your own gate pass and parking ticket are free on every day you volunteer. If you haven't volunteered to work at the genealogy booth in the past, you don't know what you are missing. There is so much gratification in helping someone find information about their family. -------------------- A Day of Irish Information Thanks to Lois Barber for the alert The California Genealogical Society presents A Day of Irish Information with Nora Keohane Hickey, Wednesday, 9 July 2008, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Berkeley Yacht Club, 1 Seawall Drive, Berkeley, California. Program topics include: Debunking some myths of Irish genealogy; Extracting all the important information you can from Griffith's Valuation; Little-known and under-used Irish genealogical sources; Common problems in Irish genealogy. Cost is $25.00 for the full-day seminar of four lectures. Box lunches can be purchased in advance. Download the registration flier at the California Genealogical Society web site: http://www.calgensoc.org/ Further information is available at the CGS blog (two-line URL): http://calgensoc.blogspot.com/2008/03/irish-research-seminar- july-9-2008.html Ms. Hickey will also provide private Personal Consultations on Thursday, July 10, 2008, at the CGS Library. The fee will be $15.00 for fifteen minutes. -------------------- NIGHT-DRIVING PROBLEMS Anne Homan, President Some of our members want to come to L-AGS meetings but cannot drive at night. If you would like a ride to our meetings, or if you are willing to offer someone a ride, please contact me at: mailto:president@L-AGS.org ================================================== J U L Y M E E T I N G S Visitors are welcome free of charge at all of our meetings. -------------------- FAMILY TREE MAKER FOCUS GROUP Leader: Dick Finn THERE WILL BE NO FTM MEETING IN JULY AND AUGUST BECAUSE THE SCHOOL IS CLOSED. WE WILL ANNOUNCE THE DATE OF THE SEPTEMBER MEETING LATER IN THE SUMMER. 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 mailto:XXXX@wecare.net Please avail yourself of the L-AGS FTM e-mail forum at mailto:ftm.group@L-AGS.org to post questions, answers and comments. -------------------- MONTHLY GENERAL MEETING Arleen Wood, First Vice President, Program mailto:program.chair@L-AGS.org For a formatted version of this announcement, see: http://www.L-AGS.org/temp/July08_Program.doc Date: Tuesday, July 8, 2008 Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: Congregation Beth Emek, 3400 Nevada Court, Pleasanton Map to the meeting site: http://www.L-AGS.org/maps/Pls-BethEmek.html Guest Speaker: Marcia Murray Holstrom Topic: "Using Maps in Genealogy" To enrich our family history stories we need to go beyond the obvious importance of historical changes in the borders of townships, counties, states, and countries. We will start with that kind of research and then greatly expand our possibilities for using maps to investigate migration, land ownership, and even family relationships. Together we will discover new and exciting ways to use maps to illustrate a plethora of information about our ancestors. Marcia Holstrom biography A cultural geographer by profession and a genealogist by obsession, Marcia Holstrom teaches three genealogy classes in San Jose and, after retiring from San Jose State University, continues to teach Geography part time at De Anza College in Cupertino. She recently returned from the RootsMagic Genealogy Cruise where she enjoyed sessions presented by Dick Eastman, publisher of "Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter"; Michael LeClerc and Rhonda McClure from the New England Historic Genealogical Society; and others. She has presented programs to several Bay Area genealogy groups and is active in the Santa Clara County Historical and Genealogical Society. ------------------------------------------ Upcoming Program for August 12: Guests speaker: Mel Stephensen Topic: "Scandinavian Genealogical Research" (Denmark, Norway, Sweden) His lecture will include a brief outline of the geography and history of Scandinavia; purposes of Scandinavian genealogical records and their accessibility; the role of the State Church in creating these records; some customs in the use of names; a study of the languages and handwriting of these records; a survey of the parish, census, probate and civil records; and will end with a practice trial of reading some parish registers from all three countries. ------------------------------------------ TRI-VALLEY TMG USERS GROUP The Master Genealogist Software For a formatted version of this announcement, see: http://www.L-AGS.org/temp/TMG_July08.doc Date: Saturday, July 19, 2008 Time: 9:00 a.m. - Noon Location: 7077 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 110, Pleasanton, CA 94566 Map to the meeting site: http://www.l-ags.org/maps/Pls-KollCenter.html Leader: Kay Speaks, mailto:tvtmg.chair@l-ags.org Instructors: Kay Speaks and Sue Johnston Topic: TMG Version 7 - New Features We will review the new features of TMG Version 7 (two-line URL): http://www.whollygenes.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=TMGNEW7. Please print this information and bring it to class. Although TMG Version 6 was a most powerful family history project manager, Version 7 added more than 50 new features that were requested by researchers. TMG v7 is native to Windows Vista. It will also run on Windows XP and Windows 2000. (Windows 98 and NT are not longer supported). We will discuss installation of the new version of the software. If you haven't installed v7, bring your CD and installation information to class. In subsequent months we will begin anew with Terry Reigel's new A Primer for The Master Genealogist book. You will need a copy of this book for our August class. Read about the book at http://reigelridge.com/press/primer.htm. If possible, please RSVP if you plan to attend, tvtmg.chair@L-AGS.org. With the aid of a digital projector, Kay and Sue work as an instructional team. We discuss, demonstrate, and brainstorm best practices of the software using a hands-on method. We learn TMG's features by actually entering samples of the lesson into a TMG class database. Each monthly session is like a mini three-hour TMG workshop. Guests are always welcome at our meetings. Accommodations for laptops are available. If you have a laptop, bring it with you to the meeting. A copy of the group's practice database will be provided to you. A laptop is not a requirement as the lesson will be digitally 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 the next 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. ------------------------------------------ STUDY GROUP MEETING Leader: Kay Speaks Contact mailto:study.chair@l-ags.org For a formatted version of this announcement, see: http://www.L-AGS.org/temp/Study_Group_July08.doc Date: Thursday, July 24, 2008 (the fourth Thursday of every month) Time: 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 Chair: Kay Speaks Topic: Genealogy Jeopardy We will be playing Genealogy Jeopardy at our next Study Group meeting. Fun while learning! The more attendees the better. Don't forget to use our L-AGS Study Group forum for any genealogy topic discussion or computer interest questions. L-AGS is blessed with people willing to share their knowledge and expertise! E-mail the forum at: mailto:study.group@L-AGS.org. You can also post suggestions for future Study Group topics. ================================================== PROGRAMS FOR 2008 GENERAL MEETINGS Arleen Wood, First Vice President, Programs See a formatted version of this announcement at: http://www.L-AGS.org/temp/Program_calendar_08.doc See also details of the July program in the full announcement above. We have been fortunate to get a calendar of excellent speakers for 2008. The programs are held at our regular meetings on the second Tuesday of each month. Meetings are open to the public at 7:30 p.m. at the Congregation Beth Emek, 3400 Nevada Court, Pleasanton. Visitors are welcome, admission free. Date Topic Presenter ----------------------------------------------------- July 8 Using Maps in Genealogy Marcia Murray Holstrom August 12 Scandinavian Research Mel Stephensen September 9 The New Family Search Marge Bell October 14 The Five Civilized Tribes of South- eastern United States Taffy Couts November 11 An American Story - The History of Abram Bradbury Lowell and His Family David Lowell December 9 Show and Tell: Members Sharing L-AGS Members and Guests ==================================================