Friday, June 13, 2014

Friday Recap - SCGS Jambotree 2014




Even though sessions at SCGS Jamboree don’t begin until 1 p.m. on Friday, there are plenty of things to do in the morning.  Some of the activities have small fees and/or you must register for them because space is limited in the workshops.  BUT, Round Tables are set up for different topics for discussion.  This is an opportunity to learn from other researchers or share your expertise.  It is also a great time to ask questions, because there are ten or fewer people at each table.  Some of the DNA tables had enough knowledgeable people that you could have time to ask questions and get answers.
Judy Russell spoke on “Dowered or Bound Out: Records of Widows and Orphans.”  I found out that parents could choose to have their children “bound out”; usually for financial reasons, but I’m sure there were possibly other reasons also.  If the widow had money of her own, as well as children, she had to have a legal guardian appointed for her children: a male.  Judy has so many great topics that it’s difficult not to attend sessions where she speaks.  However, I missed, to name a couple, “Genealogy Cloud Computing” by Thomas MacEntee and “Effective Use of Wills and Estates in Your Research” by Jana Sloan Broglin.
I missed Judy Russell’s next presentation in order to hear Lisa Louise Cooke speak about Google search strategies.  I looked at the syllabus in advance and she had even some new ideas.  I missed Denise Levenick’s “How to Scan an Elephant: Digitize Your Family History” and Blaine Bettinger on DNA and the GPS as well as others.
I had to hear Paul Stuart Warren next.  She spoke on “Manuscript Finding Aids: Locating Migrating Family Records.”  I know I should be looking at NUCMC as well as using the Library of Congress, but I haven’t.  Paula showed what great sources these are, although the catalog isn’t as straight forward as a normal library catalog.  During this same time period there were talks about African-American genealogy, Why Take a DNA test, Eastern European research, and obituaries.  What a difficult choice!
Fortunately, I’ve heard as MacEntee speak on “7 Habits of Highly Frugal Genealogists”, and many presentations on city directories (and I use them regularly), so I went to Warren Bittner’s “Proof Arguments: How and Why?”  Oh, does he make them seem easy to write.  He really took us step-by-step: finding a record, analyzing the record, writing about the evidence found in the record, finding another record, analyzing the record, writing about the evidence found in the record, etc.  It just makes soooo much sense.  Now I just need to apply it. 
Now the day is over.  And it’s only 6:45.  I forgot to add that the exhibit hall was open from noon to 6:30 today and then there was a social hour (1 ½ hours) for those who were interested.  I passed on that, went across the street for a light dinner, and went back to the room to look at the Pink Sheet and the syllabus and determine what I wanted presentations I wanted to go to on Saturday.  And, I just can’t believe that 2 of my 4 days are already over.
Some of the sessions were live-streamed.  For your info, most of the sessions that were live-streamed will be available to SCGS members, possibly beginning in July.  AND, in addition at least one session during each time period was video-taped.  These will also be on the SCGS site in the future.  AND, the company,     Conferences Resources   http://www.myconferenceresource.com/recentlyaddedproducts.aspx     taped most of the sessions; some video and some just audio.  You can go to their web site and order those you are interested in and you will then get this special shipment in the mail.


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