Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) 2018!

The California Genealogical Society (CGS) was well represented, 17 members, at this year's Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, otherwise known as #SLIG2018! 

The 17 Genealogists were...

Ron Arons (Instructor), Sheila Benedict, Sandi Benward, Jan Brandt, Kim Cotton, Vanessa Crews, Lisa Gorrell, Stacy Hoover, Laura Lee Karp, Victoria Kolakowski, Linda Okazaki, James Russell, Joanna Shear, Jacqi Stevens, Jeffrey Vaillant, Tina Wikner, and Carolyn Williams

and they took 7 Courses...

Advanced Methodologies, Advanced Land Tools, Early English Records, Repositories and Archives, Great Lakes, Swedish and Finnish Records, and Writing.

We had a blast in Salt Lake!  
Send in your pictures and we will add to the mix! 

Copyright © 2018 by California Genealogical Society

Annual Appeal: You Make Our Society Amazing

"I want to thank each and every one of you that have donated or have volunteered in some way this year. Without your incredible dedication, none of this would be possible,” says out-going President, Linda Harms Okazaki. 

Why is the money needed? 
Membership fees only cover 40% of The California Genealogical Society’s operating expenses; most of the rest comes from special events and tax-deductible donations from members like you.  

Treasurer Kathie Jones stated, "The cost of real estate in the San Francisco Bay area continues to be our number one expense for the society---meaning our rent consumes about 70% of our budget." If you haven’t already done so, please consider contributing to the society.

Our library, with thousands of volumes, is one of the premiere genealogy libraries on the West Coast, and is one of the main reasons that many of you joined the society.  We also learned through our member survey results that The California Nugget, our biannual genealogical magazine, is another huge draw for our members.

2018 Goals 
This year, the goal was again set at $15,000 to help us continue offering quality trips, classes, events and speakers for you, such as a first-ever event by the indomitable genealogy lecturer Judy G. Russell, The Legal Genealogist. 

Judy G. Russell with Linda Okazaki

We had a great turnout for her all-day seminar that received rave reviews from the attendees. Linda said, “It was a delight to have Judy talk to us about everything from copyright to enemy aliens, and from black sheep in the family to DNA." 

Linda also wants to remind you to check your mail to see if you have received the Annual Appeal letter that was sent out in mid-November. Don’t forget that there’s a 2017 tax deduction created by contributing before year-end.

How much have we raised?
Here’s the latest numbers: so far we have raised 41 percent — $6,200 — of our $15,000 goal. We’re currently on-track to meet it (thank you all). However, we still need your help to reach 100%.

What’s ahead in 2018?
Member Lisa Gorrell will lead our 18th annual genealogy research trip to Salt Lake City in April and on March 3rd we will play host to the amazing Blaine Bettinger, also known as The Genetic Genealogist.  We hope you’ll consider one or both of these amazing genealogical experiences. Visit our Eventbrite page for registration.  

Both of these exciting offerings help us raise needed funds for the society and library. We also have an interesting and constantly evolving slate of classes for you to choose from in the New Year.

Our genealogy community is amazing 
In order to ensure that our society remains a leader in the genealogy field (in February, we'll reach our 120th anniversary), your help is needed. 

You may be aware that we also have our Capital Campaign that has been raising money all year and will come to a close in Feb 2018. If you’ve contributed to this effort, then let me be the first to say “thank you”.  I want to stress that the Capital Campaign is for our long-term security, but our Annual Appeal is for our day-to-day expenses. Either way, the money will be put to good use. 

Even with all the constant, rapid advances in technology, we’re managing to stay current and remain a relevant resource for scholarship, education and community because of your generosity.

Please donate today.

You make our success possible.

Thank you. 

Copyright © 2017 by California Genealogical Society

Judy G. Russell Event: A Smashing Success!

If you weren't able to make it, then check out the photos and see what you missed. Come to our next big event - make plans now to attend our upcoming Blaine Bettinger, aka The Genetic Genealogist, event in March 2018. It should be available on our Eventbrite site by mid-October. 

What happened
Judy G. Russell, aka The Legal Genealogist, was the featured guest lecturer for our September 23rd all-day seminar at the David Brower Center in Berkeley.  It was a wonderful genealogy event!  If you're not familiar with her, then check out one of her recent posts which highlighted our genealogical collections and resources at our genealogy library.

The California Genealogical Society (CGS) had tons of committed volunteers, thanks to Volunteer Coordinator Kathleen Beitiks. Add in a great venue, delicious food, a friendly vibe and a speaker with so much to talk about and we got genealogy magic that day. Many attendees commented on how much they enjoyed the day. The great photos you see were shot by member Ron Madson---thank you Ron!

A special thank you goes to Mary Mettler, a long-term member of CGS and a member of La Puerta de Oro–San Francisco Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) of San Francisco, California. Mary's commitment to genealogy and her generosity (helping to underwrite the event) benefitted all who attended.

See you at the next event!

Copyright © 2017 by California Genealogical Society

You're Invited! Judy G. Russell's Sept 23rd genealogy seminar in Berkeley

Maybe you won't feel like jumping for joy, but some of us do!  Only 21 tickets are left for the event on Saturday, September 23rd (Doors open at 9 am - lectures begin at 9:45 am and last through 4 pm).  It's sure to be a wonderful day of genealogy with the incomparable Judy G. Russell! 

Judy's an engrossing and down-to-earth lecturer that really knows how to educate and entertain a crowd.  The California Genealogical Society is really excited that the event is only a week away!

What do you get for your money? 
4 great classes, including the ABC's of DNA, buffet-style lunch and assorted beverages throughout the day. Ticket prices are $115 for members and $140 for non-members. 

The seminar is being held in the ADA accessible, Goldman Theater at the David Brower Center in downtown Berkeley.  This beautifully finished theater features natural bamboo walls and plush raised theatrical seating.  Key features include a hi-definition digital video and custom designed sound reinforcement by Meyer Sound.

Added bonus: it's 1 block from the Downtown Berkeley BART station or use The David Brower Center's on-site parking garage (only $17/per day)

Schedule
9:45 Facts, Photos and Fair Use: Copyright Law for Genealogists
Understanding what is and isn't copyrighted and what genealogists can and can't use is the key to staying out of trouble and to protecting our own work. Learn about what copyright is, and what it isn’t.

11:00 Martha Benschura – Enemy Alien
Not all our ancestors were naturalized. The ones who didn’t suddenly became suspect when war divided their native countries from their new residences, creating the kinds of records genealogists love.

12:00 LUNCH

1:00 Rogues, Rascals and Rapscallions: The Family Black Sheep
Playing detective in court records can unmask those black sheep every family has – and it’s fun! Learn to understand the criminal process in both federal and state courts and how to find the records to put meat on the bones of the skeletons in your family’s closet.

2:15 ABCs of DNA

New to the idea that DNA can help with genealogy? Learn about the three major test types - YDNA, mitochondrial (mtDNA) and the new autosomal DNA testing - and see what each offers to the genealogist.

What else? 

• There is a door prize, donated by the Southern California Genealogical Society and Family Research Library for a free Southern California Genealogy Jamboree 2018 registration.
• We'll also have one auction item, a library card catalog---pretty cool, huh?

Sign-up today.  We can't wait to see you there!

Copyright © 2017 by California Genealogical Society