NEW  ENGLAND  CROSSROADS 

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

"This Year's Only Big Genealogical Conference in the Northeast" 

(slogan courtesy of Elsie Gustafson)

Online Conference E-zine of News and Developments

Special Issue -- 15 February 2005

Only 44 Days to Go!

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

 Early Registration Deadline Less than Two Weeks Away!

The early registration deadline is right around the corner!  Remember, your registration must be postmarked BEFORE 1 March to qualify for the $99 full conference price.  After that, the price goes up to $125.  

We are now well past the 300 registrations milestone so your early registration will also help us with space planning, printing requirements and other important details.

For those with other commitments, remember, it is possible to sign up for less than the full Conference:  for one or two days only.

Some special events are already filled:  There is still room for the regular Friday and Saturday luncheons, but the small group speaker luncheons are now sold out.

Good news!  There are still some spaces available in David Mishkin and Maureen Taylor's Thursday Photography Workshop.  For an additional $25, this all- afternoon workshop is a real bargain -- but be sure to pre-register, because space is limited.  There is a place to pre-register on the Conference registration form www.nergc.org/NERGCRegRvsd.pdf.

There are also places available for the Friday evening and Saturday evening banquets -- which will give you an extra chance to hear two of the country's best known genealogy speakers:  Elizabeth Shown Mills (Friday) and Tony Burroughs (Saturday).

 

Don't Overlook Some of the Specialized Topics

Gratia Mahony, Conference Registrar reminds us that, among the many choices of lectures and tracks, to be aware of the many ethnic topics available:  Polish-American, Jewish, French, and especially Tony Burroughs’ first session on African American Genealogy.

NERGC also offers an opportunity to learn about an important new research tool, genetic genealogy and DNA analysis.  Don't miss out on the chance to hear three of the best known speakers on these topics.  Here's what they say about the subject*:

 

           “As we gain more knowledge about genetics and as more genetic ‘maps’ are created . . . I predict that genetic profiling will become commonplace.”  Dick Eastman

 

            “”DNA testing will be integrated into all family genealogies within 10-15 years, and within this decade, all English speakers will have at least one DNA project underway or completed.”         Bennett Greenspan

 

            “We are only at the very beginning of genetic genealogy.  I see it becoming as much a part of genealogy as any other historical document.”                  Diahan Southard

 

*Quotes taken from Trace Your Roots with DNA, by Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak and Ann Turner, published by Rodale Press, 2004, p. 216-17.

 

 

 The Conference Hotel is Filled!

As we reported in the last issue, the rooms at  Conference Hotel – The Portland Holiday Inn by the Bay – are now completely filled.  But don’t despair – there are good rooms available at nearby hotels.   The Fairfield Inn at 340 Park Avenue in Portland is offering rooms at $79, with continental breakfast, but only until March 1st.  Call 1-800-228-2800 or 207-871-0611 to make reservations.   There are other nearby hotels, as well, and there is still ample parking near the Conference Hotel.   Send an email to john@konvalinka.com if you need more specific information and email Nancy Daniels -- nancy.daniels@comcast.net -- if you'd like more information on sharing a room.

 

 

Registration Information:

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.

 

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.

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                  © 2005 New England Regional Genealogical Conference