NEW  ENGLAND  CROSSROADS 

The 8th New England Regional Genealogical Conference 
Portland, Maine   31 March -- 3 April 2005

Online Conference E-zine of News and Developments

Issue #5 -- 1 January 2005

(This and Earlier Issues of the E-zine Are Available at www.nergc.org )

 In This Issue:

1. Latest News About the Conference
2. WIFFM? (More "What's In It For Me?")
3. Special Events
4. Program-Speaker Highlights
5. Articles by (and News About) Our Speakers
6. More about Portland -- and Getting There
7. Volunteers Still Needed!
8. News from the Committees
9. Registration Information
10. About this E-zine

Like our Rose-colored background?   We call it "Compass Rose" -- to  remind us that the theme of this Conference is "New England Crossroads   -- Finding New Directions in Our Genealogical Research"

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1. Latest News About The Conference:

They're Coming from Far and Near!

One lady from Michigan sent in this note with her registration:

"All of a sudden I realized that I really want to take advantage of your good conference, and I realized that I can put those dates on my calendar.  I checked Northwest Airlines, and they have good flights (and good prices) Kalamazoo to Detroit, Detroit to Portland."

We are also getting other registrations from outside the New England area, including several from Canada.  So, if you are from outside the Northeast U.S. don't despair!  Bargain airfares and the low price of the Conference ($99 if you register before 1 March) could well make it possible for you to attend.

 

 

Schedule Changes from the Printed Brochure:

No additional changes from what has been reported in prior issues.

 

 

Photo Workshops Are in Great Demand:

David Mishkin and Maureen Taylor's  Photography Workshop at the Conference: "Identifying and Preserving Family Photographs" (All afternoon Thursday 31 March -- from 1:30-5:00 PM) is limited to 60 participants and is filling quickly.  

 

This topic seems to be of increasing interest around the country.  On 8 January David will presenting two lectures at the Houston, TX Genealogy Forum:

1.      "Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Your Family Photographs But Didn't Know Who To Ask" – a slide show and lecture about the identification of photographic processes such as Daguerreotypes, Tintypes, etc. and a discussion on the causes of photographic deterioration and how it can be prevented or retarded.  Also, a discussion of what can be done to enhance or restore damaged or faded photographs.

 

2.      “Modern Imaging Methods” including color photographs, videos, CD ROMS and digital photographs – a slide show and lecture about the limits of technology to capture photographs or images, plus the best ways to preserve them and what you should do for the future.

 

The good news is that you don’t have to go to Houston to hear these interesting talks!  David (and Maureen) will be presenting much of this material in their Photography Workshop.  So, be sure to register before it fills up.  There is a place on your Conference registration form to reserve a spot for you in this workshop.  If you do not have the form you can download one at www.nergc.org/NERGCRegWeb.pdf. 

 

 

Informal Lunches Continue to Sell Out!

One of the major benefits of the Conference is the opportunity to participate in  small (limited to 15 people), informal luncheons hosted by one of our famous speakers. The luncheons with Elizabeth Shown Mills  and Cyndi Howells are now filled, and all of the remaining hosted luncheons (with Tony Burroughs, Marcia Melnyk, Walter Hickey, Craig Scott, Maureen Taylor and Dick Eastman) are at least half filled.  There is a place on your Conference registration form to reserve a spot for you in these lunches.  If you do not have the form you can download one at www.nergc.org/NERGCRegWeb.pdf.  

 

 

Have You Submitted Your Queries Yet?

Another benefit of the Conference is the opportunity to have your genealogical queries included in the Conference Syllabus at a very nominal cost:  $5 each, or 3 for $10.  Even in this day of electronic marvels, the tried and true printed query, which finds its way into hundreds of hands, is one good way to break down your brick walls.

For details on submitting your queries, refer to your Conference Brochure or to the NERGC website: www.nergc.org.  Or get in touch with the Conference Queries Chair, Janet Wallace, at QueryColumn@aol.com.

But don’t delay!  All queries must be postmarked by 31 January 2005.

 

The Time is Ripe for Newspaper Publicity!

Right about now will be the ideal time for newspapers and other media to give the Conference some publicity -- through feature articles, interviews with the Conference speakers and publicity pieces throughout our area, particularly in the "hometowns" of the Participating Societies.  We have an attractive and informative Press Kit to give editors the background they need to give the Conference some "ink" in their publications.  Can you help us by contacting editors and other media people in your area? The Press Kit is available on the Conference website (www.nergc.org) or in "hard copy" form from john@konvalinka.com.

 

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2. WIFFM? (More "What's In It For Me?")

Why Attend NERGC 2005?

 

What ELSE is in it for me?  In the last issue we stressed the opportunity to meet and hear world class lecturers at a very affordable price.

 

Now, here are some additional reasons to attend.  NERGC 2005 will be a multi-track Conference.  In each time slot for the two and a half days of the Conference you will have the opportunity to choose from five different lectures or workshops. 

 

The tracks are organized around these themes:

· Genealogy 101 (for newer researchers)

· New England Research

· Ethnic Genealogy (Scottish, Native American, African American, Canadian, etc.)

· Technology (The Internet and lots more)

· Federal Records and Beyond (Census, Canadian border crossings, and more)

· Libraries and Records (How to maximize the use of these resources)

· DNA and Genetic Research (The hottest new topic in Genealogical Research)

· Writing and Publishing (soup to nuts, including enhancing you family history with Video clips)

· Skills and Methodology (How to manage your research and findings)

 

The full program is available online at the Conference website (www.nergc.org). In addition to the lectures, the Exhibit Hall, Special Interest Group meetings and Society Fair offer great opportunities for learning and networking with other genealogists with similar interests.

 

In future issues we will tell you more about the features of the Conference and the benefits of attending. But you don’t need to wait – to see the entire program and get your registration form go to www.nergc.org/NERGCRegWeb.pdf. 

 

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3. Special Events:

Special Interest Groups:

Sherry Gould, Special Events Chair, reports that Helen Shaw (hashaw@earthlink.net) has agreed to host the Special Interest Group dealing with Court Records.  Thanks, Helen.

 

The enthusiasm continues to grow for these informal mini-gatherings which will be held on the first night of the Conference—Thursday at 7:30 pm—on a wide range of topics. These get-togethers provide a great opportunity to meet conference participants and speakers with similar interests.

 

These are the Special Interest Groups (and their organizers) that have been organized so far: 

 

Cemetery Research

Donna E. Walcovy

Court Records

Helen Shaw

Eastern Woodland Indian Group

Sherry Gould and Jennifer Lee

English Records

Host needed (Click here to volunteer)

Federal Records NARA

Stuart Culy

French Canadian Research

Jan Burkhart  

Scottish Research

Diane Rapaport


And continue to check the website for new groups and let us know of any special interests you’d like to be sure are covered -- and if you’d like to help organize or participate in leading a special interest group.  please contact Sherry Gould: sherrygould@direcway.com  or Donna Walcovy: kona@konadesigns.com. 

 

 

Society Fair:

Again in 2005, as part of the Conference, the Society Fair is being offered free of charge to non-profit New England societies, libraries and organizations. Organizations that apply will be accepted on a space available basis and will be permitted to display brochures, newsletters, publications, information on membership, research facilities and services, plus any informative material that directly relates to their organization or repository. They will not be able to sell items, but may take orders for such.  Past Society Fairs have been a great success, and even at this early date, we have heard from some groups that have not had a presence at prior conferences.  Interested organizations should email Cheryl Patten at: cpatten@tdstelme.net.

 

Ancestors Road Show For Stumped Family Historians:

Allison L. Ryall, allison@allisonryall.com,  has agreed to chair the Ancestors Road Show. This event, which has proven very popular at other conferences, is free to attendees of the New England Crossroads NERGC on Friday and Saturday April 1 and 2.  Got a thorny problem that just refuses to be solved?  Ask an expert!  Bring a concise written statement of your toughest problem and spend 15 minutes with a skilled genealogist to explore paths that might just produce an answer.  Who knows? You might just discover the key to a problem that seemed insurmountable!

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4. Program-Speaker Highlights:

In each issue of the e-zine we will describe one or more aspects of the program we think you will find particularly interesting.  In addition to the outstanding sessions that will be presented by our four nationally known speakers (described in Issue #1 of this E-zine) you will not want to miss the lectures by Marcia Melnyk: 

· "Forms, Forms and More Forms"  (Thursday, 31 March at 1:30 PM)

· "Successful Immigrant Research Strategies" (Saturday, 2 April at 1:45 PM), and

· “Dissecting a Document:  Transcribing vs. Abstracting” (Saturday at 4:45 PM)

 

Marcia is no stranger to the genealogical community – in New England and around the country.  In recognition of her many accomplishments she was recently awarded the Donna Holt Siemiatkoski Genealogy Volunteer of the Year Award with this citation: 

Marcia Melnyk lucidly and enthusiastically shares her tremendous genealogical knowledge and expertise with beginners and experts alike.  She has presented her extraordinary lectures to many organizations.  Her books include, The Genealogist’s Handbook for New England Research, Fourth Edition, The Weekend Genealogist, and The Genealogist’s Question and Answer Book.  She has also written many articles on genealogy. 

 

Marcia served as a volunteer at the Lynnfield, Massachusetts Family History Center (LDS) for four years, as a volunteer manuscripts cataloger for the New England Historic Genealogical Society, and continues to volunteer at the National Archives in Waltham, Massachusetts.  She was a founding member of the Italian Genealogical Society of America and has served as its president since June 1997 and as editor of the newsletter for the past seven years.  She is a life member of the Lawrence History Center, has served as Chairperson of the Rowley Cultural Council for nearly 10 years, and has trained interviewers to record residents’ memories of the Town of Rowley for a Rowley Historical Society project. 

 

Serving first as a delegate to NERGC from the Italian Genealogical Society of America, Marcia went on to serve on the NERGC Executive Board and was Treasurer at the time of the Providence Conference.  She was in charge of registration for the Cromwell, Connecticut; Portland, Maine; and Falmouth, Massachusetts Conferences.  In order to help benefit NERGC, Marcia also provided lectures without honorarium at the Cromwell, Portland, and Falmouth Conferences. 

 

Marcia Melnyk has made outstanding contributions to the field of genealogy through lectures, writing, and participation in and devotion to the organizations in which she has been involved.  Beyond that, her many, many services to NERGC truly exemplify the best in outstanding volunteer service on behalf of New England’s genealogical community.

 

Presented this 26th day of June, 2004.

Marcia will also be hosting one of the informal, small group luncheons on Friday, 1 April.  Space is limited to 15 people and advance registration is required -- so don't delay in getting signed up!

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 5. Articles by (and News About) Our Speakers:

In addition to the articles by Marcia Melnyk, articles by several of our NERGC speakers have recently appeared in important magazines:

· Jean Nudd’s articles appear in Archival Anecdotes, the publication of The Friends of the Silvio O. Conte National Archives in Pittsfield MA.  They are available on-line at www.rootsweb.com/~mafsocna  The next issue of Archival Anecdotes will have an article based on Jean’s presentation at NARAP's first annual genealogy conference (Sept. 25, 2004), Living in the Past Lane, titled, "Using Pre-1850 Census to Establish Familial Relationships."  Readers can also hear Jean on WAMC (NPR station in Albany with affiliates in CT, MA and VT) every 8 weeks on Vox Pop.  Her next scheduled appearance is Friday, Feb. 18 at 2:00 p.m.

 

· Two recent articles by Helen Ullmann are:  “Dan and Jemima (Alexander) Freeman of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and Some of Their Descendants,” in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register 157 (2003):361-69; 158 (2004):40-56, 145-55,  and “Captain Richard3 Carder of Warwick, Rhode Island, and Stonington and New London, Connecticut, With the Marriage of Samuel3 Richardson of East Haddam, Connecticut,” in The American Genealogist 79 (2004):100-08. 

Also, at NEHGS last spring Helen gave a two-hour seminar on “Writing in Register Style”, the topic of her talk at NERGC.  She will include much of the material from her longer talk in the NERGC handout.

 

· Jeanne M. Carley’s article on Deerfield Raid research appeared in the Fall issue of Je Me Souviens, the semi-annual publication of the American-French Genealogical Society.  She will also be speaking on that subject at the February meeting of the Cape Cod Genealogical Society. 

 

· Bennett Greenspan, President of Family Tree DNA, will be speaking at the NERGConference on “Uncovering your Roots with DNA” . The most recent article about Genetic Genealogy and Family Tree DNA appeared in the Los Angeles Times about Father Sanchez of New Mexico and his family’s Jewish past.  Family Tree DNA also was the testing lab or record in the article on the Wall Street Journal that dealt with the descendents and relatives of Miles Standish.

 

· Elizabeth Shown Mills’ latest article “The Great American Saga—Starring Your Own Family,” is scheduled for publication in New England Ancestors.  This is the theme she will be developing in her talks at NERGC.

 

· Sandra MacLean Clunies recently published a two part article, "Genealogy in Your Pocket PC"  in Genealogical Computing magazine.  Part I appeared in Vol. 23.4, Apr/May/June 2004 and Part II in Vol. 24.1, July/Aug/Sep 2004.  Both parts are available online: www.ancestry.com/learn/library/article.aspx?article=9272  and www.ancestry.com/learn/library/article.aspx?article=9287.  Sandy will also be doing a review of “The Master Genealogist” software program in the Spring 2005 issue of GC.

In addition, Sandy will be doing an all-day seminar for the Alabama Genealogical Society in May in Birmingham, and then back there in June on the adjunct faculty of IGHR for Course 8: Advanced Use of Genealogical Software.

(We should also note that Sandy is taking on two assignments for the Association of Professional Genealogists:  President of the National Capital Area Chapter, and a Director of Region 3 on the APG Board of Directors.)

 

· Uto Perego’s latest article, "Y research through DNA?" appeared in the May-June 2004 issue of the Everton's Family History Magazine.  Uto is the Director of Business Operations for the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation in Salt Lake City and will be speaking on “The Power of DNA:  discovering Lost and Hidden Relationships” at the NERGConference.

 

· As reported in the last issue of the E-zine, Diane Rapaport has had articles recently published in New England Ancestors Magazine.  But (to correct the information in E-zine #4) the Part II which appeared in the Holiday 2004 issue is a sequel to her original "Scots for Sale" article from the Winter 2003 issue of the magazine. 

Diane also has numerous other articles and speaking engagements to her credit – in New England Ancestors, The Highlander Magazine (where Diane will be the guest “Scottish Genealogy” columnist for the next few months), and History Scotland <www.historyscotland.com>, published in Edinburgh, Scotland.  She is also beginning a column "Tales of Colonial Scots," in the February/March issue of the Internet magazine Family Tree, at www.electricscotland.com. 

Diane’s upcoming book, New England Court Records: A Research Guide for Genealogists and Historians, will be published by the New England Historic Genealogical Society in late 2005.

Diane will be speaking on “Scots for Sale: The Fate of the Scottish War Prisoners in Seventeenth-Century New England” at the Conference.

 

· In addition to Joyce Pendery’s article in the Fall 2004 issue of New England Ancestors on “Fraternal Organizations of Our Ancestors” (her topic at the Conference), she has spoken on "Genealogical Resources in Connecticut" at NEHGS seminars on two occasions.   Joyce also  compiled the Connecticut chapter in the recent Guide to the Library of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, edited by  Maureen A. Taylor and Henry B. Hoff (Boston: NEHGS, 2004).

 

· Tony Burroughs contributed a chapter on "How to Create A Family Tree" to the new book, "The Experts' Guide to 100 Things Everyone Should Know How To Do."  The author, Samantha Ettus, compiled brief how-to essays from 100 of the world's leading experts; in addition to Tony, chapters were contributed by Donald Trump, Jennifer Capriati, Debbie Fields (of chocolate chip cookie fame), Bikram Choudhury, Howie Mandel and Bobbi Brown.  A preview of the book and a listing of all 100 experts is at www.theexpertsguideto.com.

Also, Tony was the Keynote speaker for the 25th  Anniversary of the Fred Hart Williams Genealogical Society in Detroit, in November.

Tony reports: “I have an even bigger announcement, and I'm waiting word on when I can notify the public.”  Hopefully it will be in time for the Conference!

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As we become aware of other published articles by our Conference speakers, we will list them in future issues of the E-zine.  To be sure we don’t miss any, please tell us about any recent articles you know about.

 

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6. More About Portland -- and Getting There:

The January 2005 Issue of Down East Magazine is about Portland, including a section "Dining Guide to Portland."  Read more about it at: www.downeast.com/curissue.html 

(Thanks for this tip to Cheryl Patten, Society Fair Chair for the Conference.)

And, continue to check these websites to find out more about things to see and do near the Conference:

· Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Portland:  www.visitportland.com

· Freeport Merchants Association:  www.freeportusa.com  

· The Maine Mall:  www.mainemall.com  

· Port of Portland:  www.portofportlandmaine.org  

· Portland’s Downtown District:  www.portlandmaine.com   

 

Transportation:

Portland is easily accessible by car (mostly on I-95 and I-295 into Portland), and there is ample free parking at our Conference hotel, the Holiday Inn by the Bay..

 

AMTRAK also has good service into Portland from Boston and points south.

 

Here is the website link for fares and schedules of the AMTRAK Downeaster:  www.thedowneaster.com.

 

This link shows all of the places that the Downeaster stops: www.thedowneaster.com/station_information.php.  This makes it an ideal transportation method for those traveling to NERGC from the Boston area or some parts of New Hampshire.

 

Also, the Conference Hotel is near the Portland Airport and Bus Terminal and offers courtesy vans for transportation to and from Portland International Jetport, Amtrak Train Station and Bus Terminals.  Look at www.innbythebay.com/amenities.html. It is under the section marked "Hotel Features".    

 

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7. Volunteers Still Needed!

Because we are expecting a record attendance for this Conference we still need more volunteers to help with the many things that need to be done before and during the conference.  Here are a few of the areas where some additional volunteer help would make a difference:

Publicizing the Conference:

With less than three months until the Conference begins we have a continuing need for volunteers help to help distribute publicity material to your local libraries, archives and Family History Centers – and to check back at these facilities periodically to re-stock them if necessary.   Please send an email to john@konvalinka.com if you can help in your area and we will send you a supply of Conference brochures and flyers.    We can also supply Press Kits to anyone who has a contact at a local media (newspaper, magazine or broadcast station) who can arrange to do a feature piece on the Conference.

 

Ancestors Road Show:

The NERGC 2005 needs skilled genealogists to help staff the Ancestors Road Show on Friday and Saturday,1 and 2 April.  NERGC attendees will have the opportunity to sign up to spend 15 minutes with a skilled genealogist to review and ask for direction on one family history roadblock that they are struggling with.   If you are able to commit an hour or more to volunteer to help with this exciting and rewarding event please e-mail Allison L. Ryall, Ancestors Road Show Chair, at allison@allisonryall.com.  Be sure to include your area of expertise and the time(s) that you are available to help with the Ancestors Road Show.

 

Special Interest Groups:

Please contact Sherry Gould: sherrygould@direcway.com or Donna Walcovy: kona@konadesigns.com if you can help with any of the Special Interest Groups that have formed thus far, or if you would like to organize an additional group.  

 

Conference Newsletter:

Deb Esposito looking for a volunteer to work with her on the newsletter which is published each day of the Conference to inform the participants of any changes or additions to the schedule.  Ideally, this volunteer would become the newsletter chair for the next Conference.  Some MS Word experience is necessary.  Please contact Deb at   978-345-2459 or Deb.esposito@shackleton.org or espositodeb@comcast.net.

 

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And at the Conference itself we will need people to assist the exhibitors, and to help with registration, signage, hospitality, and more.

 

CAN YOU HELP?  Please contact Ruth Wellner, our Volunteer Chair at rqw@wellner.org  

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8. News from the Committees:

Exhibit  Hall:

Latest additions to our Exhibitor List  from Vicky Ryan and Jim Holmes:

· Lineage Charts from the Ancient and Medieval Descents Project, Philadelphia PA:  www.LineageCharts.com  

· Polish Genealogical Society of Connecticut & Northeast:  www.pgsctne.org

· Rhode Island Genealogical Society:  http://users.ids.net/~ricon/rigs.html  

· Association for Gravestone Studies:  www.gravestonestudies.org

· The Friends of Silvio Conte National Archives (Pittsfield MA): www.rootsweb.com/~mafsocna

Some booth space (8 x 10 feet) is still available. To see a floor plan of the Exhibit Hall, go to: www.nergc.org/floor.htm.   For more information or to reserve remaining booth space contact Jim Holmes:  jimholms@cs.com  or Vicky Ryan: vrya@prodigy.net .   

 

Remember, the Exhibit Hall will open to conference registrants and other shoppers (the general public) at 6:00 Thursday evening and there will be "unopposed exhibitor times" throughout the conference between lectures and meals for everyone to browse.

 

Publicity:

From now until the start of the Conference the Publicity Committee will be busy --  continuing the bulk mailing of flyers to libraries, societies and posting notices of the conference on various mailing lists and online services.

YOU CAN HELP!  Can you arrange for some publicity or news about the Conference in any magazine or newsletter where you might have contacts?  The Press Release is on the NERGC website: www.nergc.org/press_kit.htm  and we can provide any additional information you think would be helpful.

AND:  Can you help us gain a wider circulation for this Conference E-zine – by emailing it to all members of your Society – and to any others who you think will be interested in the Conference?  We already have over 200 subscribers and would like to double that number for the remaining issues.

FINALLY:  If you have ideas and suggestions for additional publicity, please email us (john@konvalinka.com   or troutbrook48@yahoo.com)  Many thanks!

Room Sharing:

Nancy Daniels has graciously offered to provide a "bare bones" roommate matching service for people who would like to share a hotel room at the Conference.  If you would like to take advantage of this service, send an email to nancy.daniels@comcast.net  

 

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9. Registration Information:

Gratia Mahony, Registration Chair, reports that the pace of registrations is brisk, and continues well ahead of  previous NERGConferences. 

Gratia also reports:

I had a note from one of our Canadian registrants who only planned on coming for the full day on Friday.  She tried to book a room at Holiday Inn by-the-Bay, and was told the hotel was sold out.  Please make sure that people MENTION THE CONFERENCE when they try to book their hotel room.

To reserve your hotel room, contact the hotel (Holiday Inn by the Bay) at 207-775-2311 or 800-345-5075.

 

The Conference brochure and registration form is available for download at the Conference website www.nergc.org.  Here you can see the full conference program and the many lectures and special events to choose from.

 

If anyone would like a brochure and registration form mailed to them, please contact Melinde Sanborn: melinde44@comcast.net.

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10. About this E-zine:

This e-zine is sent to you at your request or because of your involvement
in NERGC 2005.

This and earlier issues of this e-zine are available on the NERGC Website www.nergc.org.

We welcome your thoughts and suggestions for items to appear in future issues.  We also encourage you to email any questions you may have about the Conference to the Conference planners.  We will try to answer them here and by email.  Please address all questions and comments to john@konvalinka.com

Please feel free to share this newsletter with others.  Permission to email, copy, print is granted.

If you received this newsletter from a friend and you'd like to receive future issues directly:
a) Send a message to: john@konvalinka.com
b) Include "NERGC" in the subject -- to bypass spam filters
c) Put "subscribe" in the body of the message

That's it.  Your address will NOT be shared and there will be no advertising as a part of the e-zine.


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                  © 2005 New England Regional Genealogical Conference