Beginners' Center Happenings

Submitted by: Host GFS Kate 

Beginners' Center Manager/Team Leader

May, 2002

Beginners' Center Objective

The Beginners' Center is dedicated to providing resources devoted to beginning genealogy research, including clean, friendly chat rooms.

May's star is Host GFS Karol...she was nominated by many of her co-hosts, and by chatters as well.

For example, Host GFS Kitti says "She stays with me in Beginners' after her own chat is finished without being asked. She deserves some special recognition because she really goes out of her way to help me". To elaborate a little further on this, Karol is one of two hosts that are alternating helping Kitti with her chat while Chrissy is on medical leave.

Karol is always ready to lend a helping hand by hosting for a fellow host who is ill, has family commitments, or unexpected storms or weather conditions that preclude hosting. She is one of the Beginners' hosts I don't have to worry about. She is always on time, dependable, and quietly does her job without needing a reminder. I just can't say enough good things about Karol. Congratulations, Karol!!

If you know of a host who deserves special recognition, I'd like to hear from you . Send me an e-mail at HostGFSKate@aol.com and tell me all about it. Who knows, maybe that host will be a future Beginners' Star of the Month because of you!

When you go to Keyword: Roots > Beginners, you will notice all kinds of new goodies for a beginning genealogist. Be sure to check this area often. We're adding new items all the time. Who knows...you just may find that tip/hint/form that is exactly right for you.

You'll find topics and/or links to items such as:

· Beginners Chat Room Schedule

· A link to the new, work-in-progress Web Center

· Chat Abbreviations and Emoticons

· Uncle Hiram's Chat Room Manners

· Beginners' Library

· New File Uploads Library

· 'How-To' Tutorials (Host GFS TAZ's instructions on how to copy and paste, attachments, and logging chats)

· Unk Hiram's Beginning Genealogy Lessons

· Beginners' Guide to Genealogy (the handout we e-mail to new chatters)

· Printable Genealogy Forms

I'm proud and pleased to announce a new series called "Unk Hiram's Beginning Genealogy Lessons" by our very own Uncle Hiram (Host GFS UnkHram). Unk is a very well-known author of genealogy articles and a budding guest speaker in the Texas area. He offered, (and of course I accepted) to write a series of Beginners' lessons. These are excellent. They are clear, concise, simple, and they have that special "Unk" personality we have all come to know and love. I've begun to call them "Unkisms".

We are uploading these lessons to the Center as Unk writes them. To date, there are ten lessons there (with more to come):

1. Getting Started

2. Talking to Your Kin

3. Charting Your Courthouse Trip

4. Marriage Licenses

5. Land Records

6. Wills

7. Probate

8. Birth, Death and Other Miscellaneous Stuff at the Courthouse

9. Walking the Cemeteries

10. Obituaries

This is a very new area, but we have several forms here that you can print out to help you in your genealogy quest. There is even a 1930 Census Abstract form (authored by Host GFS UnkHram). Hey, we are on top of things! And be sure to check this area often. We have great plans to add more and more forms here.

Check out the Research Check list. That form may help you keep track of where you have looked for information and where you need to look. Hopefully, by the time this Newsletter is published, there will be a new "Census Substitute" check list available there.

Chrissy is on an indefinite medical leave of absence. We miss her greatly and pray that she can successfully fight the big "C" and come back to us. A wonderful web page has been created for Chrissy (http://members.aol.com/daesbratsis/Betsey/MsEars.html). If you wish a message to be included on this page, you can either follow the directions at the bottom of the page, or send an e-mail to DaesBratSis@aol.com.

Jayne recently had unexpected surgery. She is recovering, and we hope she will be back soon.

With mixed emotions, Beginners' says goodbye to Host GFS Teresa. She is leaving the Beginners' Center to move on and has transferred to the Newsletter team (yes, she helps publish this Newsletter now). We say goodbye sadly, but know she will do a great job for the Newsletter. We wish her well. And...Teresa...we'll leave the light on for ya. The key's under the mat if you should ever decide to come back "home". Please come visit us once in a while.

A Beginners' host won the coveted Forum's April Pat on the Back Award from GFL George. This is a very special monthly award and we're pleased that one of our Beginners' hosts won it. 'Way to go, Brat!!!!!

The Beginners' hosts are doing well in winning this award……

Remember, May 27, 2002 is the "observed" day for Memorial Day. Our Beginners' chat rooms will NOT be officially hosted that day. But then, we know that some of our hosts are so dedicated that they will be out and about anyway. Just remember if you see them on May 27, they are just letting you know how important you are to them by hosting on their day off.

Once again, Hosts GFS DarlaJo and Dae have a great month planned. Hmmm....I wonder what the surprise is? I guess I'll have to drop in and check it out.

May 6 - Host GFS Gary - Documentation

May 13 - Host GFS Jim - Revolutionary War Records

May 20 - Surprise

May 27 - Holiday - Open Discussion/No topic scheduled

Kate

Beginners' Center Manager/Team Leader

"Wouldn't it be wonderful if we were remembered by the size of our hearts and not by the size of our jeans?"

© 2002 GFNEWS, a monthly publication of the Golden Gate Genealogy Forum, Inc. of Franklin, MA.
(America Online Keyword: roots.) The Editors welcome your ideas and articles,
success stories, favorite genealogy research tips, comments and suggestions.

© 2002 Graphics By Carol, All Rights Reserved