CGSL Blog 2008 in Review

There's a new meme going around that was started by John Newmark of TransylvanianDutch. It's called the "Blog Year in Review in Twelve Sentences." You are supposed to post the first sentence of the first blog of each month in 2008. I've also included a link to each article. Here is the CGSL blog of 2008 in twelve sentences:

1. "Traditionally, January 1st is a day for New Year's Resolutions but many years ago I began instead to create a yearly set of Goals." – My Goal for 2008

2. "Today is the last day to reserve your place at the 110th Anniversary Celebration, this Saturday, February 9, 2008, at the Concord Hilton." – Countdown to the 110th

3. "Mark Tucker of the ThinkGenealogy blog, has developed an interesting Genealogy Research Map, a downloadable visual synopsis of the "concepts found in The Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) from the Board for Certification of Genealogists and the many works of Elizabeth Shown Mills." – Mark Tucker's Genealogy Research Map

4. "One of the photographs from the CGS 110th anniversary bookmark, was this one taken on the wedding day of Clare and Alta McAllister THOMSON, parents of Thomas Thomson, who is the husband of Shirley Pugh Thomson, CGS board member and recording secretary." – Chronicling Events in a Horseless Carriage

5. "One of the items that Gary McMaster most wanted was a photograph of Corporal Harold Roberts." – A Face for Corporal Roberts

6. "One of the most important works to come through the CGS Publications Committee will never be assigned an ISBN (International Standard Book Number) or be found on the shelves of a library." – The CGS Style Sheet


7. "Yesterday the Footnote Maven introduced Wordle, described as 'a toy for generating word clouds from text that you provide.'" – Distracted by Wordle

8. "If you are interested in participating in the San Francisco Mortuary Records Indexing Project and you haven't signed up yet, you better get started because things are moving faster than anyone anticipated!" – Update on San Francisco Mortuary Records Indexing

9. "In celebration of October as Family History Month, the California Genealogical Society and the Oakland Regional Family History Center are combining resources and expertise to offer a four session Beginning Genealogy Course." – A Joint Venture for Family History Month

10. "CGS Desk Duty Committee Computer Inservice by Kathy Watson." – Wordless Wednesday

11. "The best thing about the recent Information Swap Meet for the tenants of 2201 Broadway was meeting so many nice people who work 'upstairs' in the Breuner Building." – The Great Wall of Oakland

12. "CGS member and Desk Duty volunteer Gaye Lenahan was the lucky winner of a full-tuition scholarship to the Got Genealogy Academy held November 14 - 15, 2008. – Gaye Lenahan's Report on the Got-Genealogy Academy

Wordless Wednesday

Dave Salazar, Breuner Building
2201 Broadway, Oakland, California

Photograph by Kathryn Doyle, 11/8/2008, Oakland, California.

The Proximidade Award

I'm behind because of the holidays so I haven't acknowledged the Proximidade Award given to the CGSL blog by Miriam Robbins Midkiff of AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors blog. Thanks so much, Miriam!

These blogs invest and believe in PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers, who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

Like Becky, I'm not terribly sure of what that means exactly but it's always great to be acknowledged! The downside of these memes and awards is trying to find blogs who haven't already received the award. Here are eight blogs I've begun following recently:

97 Things To Do Before I Turn 97

Anglo-Celtic Connections

Anna-Karin's Genealogical Blog

Conversation with Ancestors Past

Genealogy Musings

Genealogy Traces

Kathy's Genealogy Blog

The Genealogy Genie

Please stop by and take a look at the winners. I'll be visiting their blogs to leave a message in the comments section of their most recent posts to let them know that they are recipients.

Scots-Irish Seminar - March 7, 2009

Saturday, March 7, 2009, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Oakland Airport Holiday Inn and Suites

The California Genealogical Society and Library and the Ulster Historical Foundation will present a full day Scots-Irish Family History Research Seminar on Saturday, March 7, 2009, at the new Oakland Airport Holiday Inn, 77 Hegenberger Road, Oakland, California.

Fintan Mullan, Executive Director of the Ulster Historical Foundation and Dr. Brian Trainor, former Director of the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) and former Research Director of the Ulster Historical Foundation will present several lectures, including: Emigration from the North of Ireland to North America in the 18th Century, Records Relating to the Different Churches in Ireland, Irish and Scots-Irish Research: 'Not Always at the Bottom of the Pile' and The Ulster Plantation: Sources for 17th Century Families.

Full details and registration information are available in the program flier which was mailed to members in the January 2009 CGS Newsletter.

Please note the special "early bird" registration price - $10 off if you register before January 15, 2009. Lunch is included in the price.

Our speakers will come to us from Belfast, Northern Ireland and will bring several books for sale at the event, including their title Researching Scots-Irish Ancestors: The Essential Genealogical Guide to Early Modern Ulster, 1600-1800 by William Roulston. Their complete catalog is available at the bookstore website. The UHF is a fantastic resource – I had the pleasure to visit their offices during my recent trip to Ireland and had a one-on-one consultation. Details are being worked out for a limited number of consultations for attendees. I'll have more on this in a future post.

After the successful Day of Irish Information last July, the society received many requests for a Scots-Irish Research Seminar. CGS President Jane Lindsey aims to please so I hope that members will spread the word about this wonderful program.

Photograph of the High Cross at Drumcliff by Kathryn Doyle, 10/5/2008, Co. Sligo, Ireland.

Wordless Wednesday

CGS Board of Directors

Pot Luck Lunch Before the December Meeting
Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Photograph courtesy of Jane Knowles Lindsey.