NGS

Submitted by: HOST GFS Rip@aol.com

The National Genealogical Society invites you to participate in our upcoming national conference:
    2002 National Genealogical Society Conference in the States
    15-18 May 2002
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin
    http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/2002cover.htm

Please share this invitation with all of your friends in genealogy.

The National Genealogical Society (NGS), established in 1903, annually assists over 17,000 individuals and organizational members in tracing family histories. The NGS provides leadership and education through its programs, online and home-study courses, publications, annual and regional conferences.

The 2002 NGS Conference in the States will be held on 15-18 May at the Midwest Express Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is expected to attract some 2,500 genealogists from across the nation and several foreign countries. A complete copy of the program and registration information can be found on the NGS web site: http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/2002cover.htm

The local host of the 2002 Conference is the Wisconsin State Genealogical Society, the oldest and largest statewide genealogical organization in Wisconsin. Founded in 1939, WSGS now has more than 1,400 members both in and out of Wisconsin. WSGS is a non-profit Wisconsin corporation whose basic purpose is to encourage, facilitate and improve the quality of genealogical study in Wisconsin and about Wisconsin families.

For more information, see the Wisconsin State Genealogical Society web site: http://www.wsgs.org

Please direct all inquiries, letters and proclamations to:
    Jack Brissee
    Wisconsin State Genealogical Society
    P.O. Box 5106
    Madison, WI 53705-0106

Marsha Hoffman Rising will speak on the subject, "Strong Links Make a Solid Chain: Linking Records to Identify Ancestors." Rising is a Certified Genealogist and a Certified Genealogical Lecturer as well as being a fellow of both the American Society of Genealogists and the Utah Genealogical Association. She is a former president of the Federation of Genealogical Societies and currently serves on the board of directors of the New England Historic Genealogical Society. Marsha is an experienced researcher, author and lecturer as well as being a founding member of the Genealogical Speakers' Guild.

Presentations by the masters, not just for the masters. We've asked four of today's top genealogists/lecturers (Christine Rose, Helen Leary, Elizabeth Shown Mills, and John Philip Colletta) to each present a case study, on a topic of their own choosing, describing how they identified, researched, and presumably solved, a tough genealogical problem.

Guidance by many of the nation's top teachers and lecturers on the fundamentals of genealogical research a series of seventeen presentations, running throughout the conference. An excellent foundation for the beginner, as well as a solid review and update for the more-experienced.

NGS and the Board for Certification of Genealogists are proud to offer the latest edition of the Skillbuilding track, a series of presentations designed for those researchers who want to improve their research and analytical skills. The presentations in this track, based on the theme of "standards," will help improve the research and reporting skills of any serious genealogist.

The four-day conference offers more than 200 sessions (lectures and luncheons, workshops and labs) on virtually every aspect of genealogy. Because Milwaukee and the Midwest have historically drawn immigrants from many countries, ethnic and immigrant research (on both sides of the ocean) will be a major feature, but it won't be the only one. From Revolutionary War pensions to the 1930 census, to research in Social Security records, from research in New York to research in California, from lighthouse families to Chicago cemeteries, from Salt Lake City to France on the Internet, there will be much to offer any genealogist.

Enjoy fine dining at the Milwaukee Hilton. Then after dinner NGS President Curt Witcher will recognize individuals for their excellence in genealogy. The newest member of the National Genealogy Hall of Fame will be announced; the NGS Filby Prize winner, and others who have excelled in genealogical writing will receive their awards.

Our banquet speaker is Patty Loew, a renaissance woman. Patty is an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, co-host of WeekEnd on Wisconsin Public Television, producer of award-winning documentaries, and recently author of "Indian Nations of Wisconsin: Histories of Endurance and Renewal." Her presentation "Seeing Red: a Family Odyssey into Native American Heritage" is an account of her discovery of the rich heritage of her Ojibwe ancestry.

Quickly becoming one of many exciting hallmarks of National Genealogical Society conferences, another Librarians Serving Genealogists Pre-Conference is being planned for Milwaukee. Coordinated by Pam Hall Cooper with the cooperation of the Milwaukee Public Library, this Tuesday, May 14th pre-conference will provide a forum for communication and networking between librarians interested in providing the best products and services to their genealogy patrons. The event will take place in the Loos Room of the Milwaukee Public Library and it is necessary to pre-register for the conference. Information on the program and registration is available on the NGS web site.

Beginning with check-in and a welcome at 8:00 a.m., sessions will cover topics such as "New & Old Inter-library Loan Resources for Genealogy Librarians," "NGS Book Loan Collection," "Family History Centers for Public Libraries," the "Mid-Continent Public Library ILL Program, and "From Neophytes to Know-it-Alls: How to Help Genealogists."

There will be a Minolta Microfilm Reader/Printer 7000 and Book Scanner 2000 demonstration, a tour of the Milwaukee Public Library (Including the Great Lakes Marine Collection), a Database Management Panel session, and Tour of Goethe House.

A box lunch sponsored by ProQuest (HeritageQuest Online) will be provided.

If you are a beginner, learn about the genealogy software now available, and if you are an experienced computer genealogist, here's a chance to learn about the latest versions of genealogy programs and tools for genealogy. Instructors will introduce beginners to programs and demonstrate their features. Intermediate and advanced users will have an opportunity to advance their skills and learn special features of their software. Participants share a Windows operating system computer. Those attending must be registered for the conference for at least the day of the lab and pay an extra $50.00 fee. Labs are limited, with two persons to each computer.

The NGS Learning Center is guaranteed to be a worthwhile stop on your tour of the exhibit hall. We will be offering a daily schedule of educational activities in the form of question and answer sessions, informal discussions, and demonstrations. A small sampling of the topics scheduled include online resources; historic maps; GEDCOM; digital cameras and other imaging devices; genealogical software; the NGS Web site and the NGS Online Census Course. Visitors to the Learning Center will also have the opportunity to leisurely explore a variety of software applications under the guidance of expert volunteers and to participate in daily drawings for genealogical software and other items.

The many exhibitors who fill the exhibit hall will bring many and varied products and services for genealogists. There will be software to assist not only in recording your genealogy, but also for using the Internet; CD-ROMs for researching an expanding series of publications, indexes and databases; preservation materials; books; maps and memorabilia. All in one place! What a great opportunity for hours of productive shopping.

At many of the exhibit booths you will find genealogical societies and organizations offering memberships as well as products, services, and free advice. International researchers and societies are a welcome addition to the Exhibit Hall. They seek clients and new members while offering information on research in their countries.

Look at any listing of Wisconsin place names and you will be struck by the obvious variety in ethnic origins of residents of the Badger State. Menominee, Denmark, Brussels, Berlin, Oneida, New Glarus, Wales, Paoli, Pulaski, Oslo, Stockholm, Nashville, Abbotsford, Athens, Albany, Schleswig, New Paris, New Lisbon, New Haven, New Holstein, Pan Yan, Fond du Lac, New Richmond, even New Chicago! And of course we have not even touched on all the places beginning with Wau-. The names signal American Indians, Germans, Italian, New Yorkers and New Englanders, Cornish, Irish, Polish, African-Americans, Kentuckians, Slovenes, Dutch, Belgian, Swiss, the whole panoply of peoples from around the world who came to populate America's Thirtieth State. And more recently Hispanics and South-east Asian groups have added to our exciting mix.

Yes, if you have an interest in ethnic backgrounds, you've come to the right place when you come to Wisconsin. And Milwaukee, the site of the 2002 NGS Conference in the States, An American Sampler, is in many ways a microcosm of the many ethnic groups you will find throughout the state. Not only does Milwaukee still have a number of ethnic neighborhoods centered on churches, cultural organizations, and restaurants, but also there are eight ethnically based genealogical societies active in the city or suburbs. When i the Convention and Visitors Bureau identifies Milwaukee as 'Genuine American' they're not kidding. In Milwaukee we've got 'em all, it truly is 'An American Sampler!'

Back in the mid-19th Century when Milwaukee was largely populated by German immigrants with a strong interest in cultural activities, it was known as the 'American Athens.' That tradition still exists with the Florentine Opera, Milwaukee Symphony, the jewel-box Pabst Theater, the Milwaukee Ballet, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, and the celebrated African dance company, Ko-Thi. If you like museums there is the Milwaukee Public Museum with its fantastic Butterfly Wing, and you must see the newly expanded Milwaukee Art Museum which perches almost like a butterfly itself on the shore of Lake Michigan. Or perhaps you'd like to visit the 15th Century Joan of Arc Chapel, where daily mass is still celebrated, or Miller Park where the Brewers play. How about the Harley-Davidson Motorcycle plant, or perhaps you'd prefer a brewery tour! All summer-long there is a succession of ethnic festivals. And we dare you to try to eat your way through Milwaukee! There are not only a wide variety of ethnic foods, but scores of restaurants in all price ranges and cuisine are within easy walking distance of the Convention Center.

The venue for the 2002 Conference is the Midwest Express Center, located right downtown at 400 W. Wisconsin Avenue. Just opened in 1998, this is truly a state-of-the-art facility, but one with a comfortable feel and over a Million Dollars worth of public art on display. The Hilton and Hyatt Hotels are literally just across the street, while six more are within two blocks of the Midwest Express Center.

Milwaukee weather in mid-May is usually delightful. Temperatures in the 60's to low 70's, although nights can feel pretty cool as can some days down along the lakefront. Light jackets and sweaters are a good bet. You will also find that Milwaukee, and Milwaukeeans, are a pretty relaxed bunch so informal and casual attire is acceptable almost everywhere.

Transportation? Milwaukee County Airport (Billy Mitchell Field) can almost make you enjoy flying again (particularly if you travel by Midwest Express!). If you don't mind changing your mode of travel, you can fly into Chicago and then take Amtrak to Milwaukee, the Amtrak Station is only 2 1/2 blocks from the Midwest Express Center.

    2002 National Genealogical Society Conference in the States
    15-18 May 2002
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin
    http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/2002cover.htm

National Genealogical Society
4527 17th Street North
Arlington, Virginia 22207-2399
Phone: (703) 525-0050 or (800) 473-0060
Fax: (703) 525-0052
E-mail: ngs@ngsgenealogy.org
http://www.ngsgenealogy.org

Membership
http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/member.htm

Conferences
http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/conf.htm

Learning Center
http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/edu.htm

© 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