In the News - Swedish Genealogical News

We've had international guests at Jamboree in the past. This year we welcome a genealogist traveling from Sweden to attend the weekend, Anna-Karin Schander.

Anna-Karin posted a note to DearMYRTLE's blog concerning a threat to absorb the Swedish Emigrant Institute (the museum and archive of Swedish emigration) and merge it with the local county museum. You can read the full text of the post here.

Anna-Karin will be hosting the Swedish table at the Small, Small World roundtable discussion session.

Jamboree Registrants - Check Your Email

For those who have already registered for Jamboree, check your email for an important update and request for help. The subject line on the email reads "SCGS Genealogy Jamboree: Your Help Wanted" and it was sent from phinkel@scgsgenealogy.com.

We hope that everyone will complete the short survey that will help us refine the room assignments for our speakers. This is our last opportunity to make adjustments to try to avoid overcrowded lecture rooms.

If you haven't received the survey invitation, please check your spam folder. If you have deleted it by mistake, send an email to jamboree@scgsgenealogy.com and put PLEASE RESEND SURVEY in the subject line.

Our Registrar, Louise Calaway, is busy sending out confirmation notes to everyone who provided an email address. You may have already received yours; if not, it will be there shortly. Please review it to make sure there are no discrepancies. You can add on to your original registration if you would like to attend any of the special events (banquet Friday, breakfasts Saturday and Sunday, dinner Saturday, and the bus trip and guided tour of Hollywood Forever).

In the News - Updates from NGS

The National Genealogical Society is holding its annual meeting in Kansas City this week. Many important announcements are being made at this meeting by Jamboree exhibitors, including Jamboree sponsors Ancestry.com and FamilyLink (World Vital Records). The genealogy bloggers are doing their usual excellent job and I thank Dick Eastman, the Ancestry Insider, Genealogy Blog, and others for keeping the information flowing. Click on the title to read the article in its entirety.

FamilyLink.com, Inc. to Add Online Functionality and Enhancements to Popular Family History Library Catalog

PROVO, UT, May 14, 2008 — FamilyLink.com, Inc has teamed with FamilySearch to improve the user experience of the Family History Library Catalog for millions of people worldwide by adding new Web 2.0 functionality and enhancements. The improvements will also enable users to spend research time more efficiently by directing them to the information that will generate the quickest results. FamilyLink.com’s improvements to the catalog will make it searchable by major online search engines and allow users to annotate item descriptions—increasing their accuracy and enriching the content.

Ancestry.com Global Content, Product, and Marketing Update - May 14, 2008

Tim Sullivan, CEO of The Generations Network, has published a letter to the genealogy community. He highlights several recently released content collections and product enhancements on Ancestry.com, and gives insights into some exciting new projects on the horizon.

Arphax Publishing Announces New Texas Land Survey Maps Series

Kansas City, Missouri, May 14, 2008. Arphax Publishing of Norman, Oklahoma is pleased to announce the publication of its first three books in its new series of books, the Texas Land Survey Maps.

“This represents the result of nearly three years work,” says Greg Boyd, creator of the series. “Similar to my Family Maps series of books, I’ve taken land-ownership, transportation, and geographic data from a multitude of sources and melded it into something unique and totally researcher-friendly.”

IFSHWE Announces Annual Writing Contest Winners

The International Society of Family History Writers and Editors, who sponsored last year's Sunday breakfast, announced the winners of this year's writing contest. All three winners in the Articles category are speaking this year at Jamboree. Congratulations to everyone.

Category II-Articles
First Place: Colleen Fitzpatrick, "Clues Left Around a House"
Second Place: Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak: "Found! Serial Centenarians"
Third Place: Schelly Talalay Dardashti: "Planting the Family Tree"

Jamboree Check-In Process

Denise L posted a question in response to the post regarding the syllabus, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to answer it here and review the registration check-in process for Jamboree.

Pre-Registered Attendees (Register by June 15)

We will have greeters and signs directing individuals to the Pre-Registration area, where you will pick up your goodie bag and name badge. Tucked inside the name badge holder you will find several items in addition to your name tag. You'll find a claim ticket for either the printed or CD version of the syllabus, depending on the date you registered. You'll receive a free ticket for the door prize drawing. If you registered for any of the special events, tickets for your events will be there as well. Check your tickets right away and notify the registration team of any discrepancies.

You will trade your claim ticket for the appropriate syllabus at the time you register. As a reminder, those who registered by May 1 receive a free printed copy of the syllabus. Those who registered after that date, and walk-ins, receive a free copy of the syllabus on CD. Print and CD copies will be available for purchase at the SCGS Sales Table while supplies last.

Walk-In Attendees and Pre-Registrations Received after June 15

Walk-in attendees will be directed to the registration desk where they will purchase their registration upon arrival. Cash, check and credit card payments are accepted. To help speed up the process, greeters will have registration forms for you to complete while you are waiting in line.

Registration Hours

Friday: Registration / Check-in opens at 12:00 noon
Exhibit Hall hours 12:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
The first presentations start at 1:30 p.m.

Saturday: Registration / Check-in opens at 8:30 a.m.
Exhibit Hall hours 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
The first presentations start at 9:30 a.m.

Sunday: Registration / Check-in opens at 8:30 a.m.
Exhibit Hall hours 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The first presentations start at 9:30 a.m.

Take A "Slice of the City" Tour with Annette

Lockett Tours has made special arrangements to entertain the out-of-towners with a "Slice of the City" bus tour of Los Angeles. See the sights without fighting any of LA's notorious traffic.

Tour Directed by Guide

Downtown Los Angeles

Stop at Olvera Street for Shopping

Farmers Market for Lunch (not covered in the cost)

Rodeo Drive

Sunset Strip

Grauman's Chinese Theatre

Good view of the Hollywood Sign

Pickup time is 12 Noon on June 26, 2008 at the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel. Return time would be approximately 5:30 that evening.

Cost is $35 per person with a maximum of 47 passengers. Annette tells me that she needs at least 26 passengers and that cancellations without penalty would take place 14 days before the event (June 10, 2008), should that be necessary.

All payments should be made by personal check, money order or cashier's checks and mailed to arrive no later than June 6, 2008. Send checks to:

Annette Lockett
Lockett Travel
4239 Denker Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90062
e-mail ptnana65-bus@pacbell.net
323-294-2183

The Jamboree Syllabus

Dear Blog Readers,

I feel like I have neglected you. I have been busy behind the scenes, compiling the 300+ page syllabus for you. I like the job of editing the syllabus -- I get a sneak peek at all of the speakers' handouts. Based on these notes, you are in for an outstanding three days of drawing from the knowledge of many exceptional lecturers.

The early-bird registrants will all receive a free copy of the printed version of the syllabus. We hope to have some additional copies there so that our later registrants will have the hard-copy lecture notes at hand.

The CD version will be available for purchase for $5. It's a great deal. You see all of the lecture notes in color, with hotlinks to websites that are cited in the material. In addition, the syllabus will be fully searchable and available for reference long after Jamboree's doors close.

Deadline TODAY for Early-Bird Registration Discount

May 1. Today.

That's the deadline for early-bird discounts for Jamboree. Registrations are coming in fast and we are looking at a very successful event. Even so, tickets are still available for the meals and special events.

Register online today or download a copy of the registration form and postmark it by Thursday, May 1.

1. Individuals who register by end of the day on Thursday, May 1, will receive the early-bird registration discount. Register early and save.

2. Early-Bird registrants are assured of receiving a FREE printed copy of the syllabus. Later registrants and walk-ins will receive a syllabus on CD. There will be a limited number of copies of the syllabus available for purchase at Jamboree for $10, but don't take a chance if you want a print copy.

3. Additional discounts are available for SCGS members. Why not join the Society when you register for Jamboree and enjoy the benefits of membership all year around?

4. Several new activities have been added since our program was mailed out in March. If you missed the announcements, here are some quick notes:

A FREE Introduction to Genealogy session will be held on Friday morning, June 27, from 9am to 12noon at the Marriott. Beverly Truesdale of SCGS will be teaching that course. Register through the SCGS shopping cart or call the Library at 818-843-7247 to save your place. Registration is limited to 80 people.

A FREE Kids' Genealogy Camp will also be held Friday morning, June 27, from 9am to 12noon at the Marriott. Starr Hailey Campbell, Hailey J. Campbell and Michael Melendez will be teaching the course. We already have 11 registered for the class, with a 30-child limit. It's a great way to introduce the grandkids to family history. Register through the SCGS shopping cart or call the Library at 818-843-7247 to save your place.

A personal guided tour of Hollywood Forever will be offered on Friday morning, June 27, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00noon. An air-conditioned Starline Tours bus will pick you up at the Marriott; and Karie Bible, Hollywood Forever historian, will provide a personal walking tour of the famed Hollywood Cemetery. Cost is $30 and you can register online through the shopping cart or by mail or phone.

A special appearance by members of the Guild of St. Michael, 16th century German mercenaries, accompanied by most of their weapons and some of their ladies, will welcome all attendees on Saturday morning. The group, including a "barber/physician," will be at Jamboree through the lunch break on Saturday.

..and if that's not enough...

We'll even have an Oom-pah-pah band on Friday!

Do you need a vintage photo repaired or duplicated for a cousin? Longtime Jamboree exhibitors Claire and Mike Daigle of Photos Made Perfect will be there to help. Ask them to scan your photos on Saturday.

Bring your GEDCOM or electronic genealogy file and have beautiful pedigree charts printed while you wait. Print a chart for yourself, or plan ahead and have some printed for family gifts. Stop at the Generations Maps booth and leave Jamboree with a family treasure. Then, why not donate your family genealogy file to SCGS for safekeeping.

Register online today or download a copy of the registration form and postmark it by Thursday, May 1.

It's a Small, Small World

In one of last year's Jamboree feedback surveys, someone suggested that we think about holding "Birds of a Feather" sessions for the 2008 Jamboree.

I didn't even know what that was, but it piqued my curiosity. We're always looking for new ideas to make Jamboree even better. So I Googled and found this description on WordSpy.com: "birds of a feather meeting. A meeting held at a computer-related trade show or conference in which people who work in the same technology area at different companies exchange information and experiences. (Often abbreviated as "BOF meeting.")

We thought it was a great idea and adapted it for genealogy. With apologies for the earworms* that this is bound to cause, our session is called "It's a Small, Small World."

Saturday from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. we will set up informal round-table areas that will be organized by ethnicity. Each round table will be hosted by someone experienced in researching that particular area or ethnicity.

Table hosts don't need to be experts in the research. They just need to be friendly and willing to welcome people to the table and keep the conversation going. So far, we have the following ethnic specialties on board.

• Polish
• African-American
• Irish
  
• Swedish
• German
• Scottish
• Portuguese
• Jewish
  

We are still working on lining up other ethnic table hosts. If you would like to host a table, please drop us a line and let us know your specialty. We'll keep posting updates to this list over the next weeks.

Bring your experience, and draw from the learning experiences of others who are researching in your area. Share the best websites, tell about records that have been most valuable, bring examples. The more people who participate in this activity, the more useful it will be for everyone. You might even connect with a new cousin!

*earworm (EER.wurm) n. A song or tune that repeats over and over inside a person's head. Also: ear-worm, ear worm. Thanks to WordSpy.

In the News - NEHGS

Recent reports about the intermingled family lines of the presidential candidates and Hollywood celebrity families inspired columnist Ellen Goodman of the Boston Globe to visit NEHGS in search of her own roots. As she described it, "I didn't find a king or horse thief or Hollywood star, but I found a family secret. A garden-variety secret, I am sure, but a secret nonetheless."

I know that feeling. I would imagine that everyone reading this blog has made a similar discovery. Maybe it was a big deal, a life-changing relevation. Maybe it was just a small insight that helped to explain a nearly imperceptible current that ran through the family.

Read Ellen's editorial here.

Thanks to Randy Seaver's Genea-Musings blog for bringing this to our attention.

Special Event - Hollywood Above the Stars

We are very excited to announce a special event for Jamboree. Join us on a private guided tour of one of the famed cemeteries in Los Angeles, Hollywood Forever. Run down and in heartbreaking disrepair just 10 years ago, the owners have restored the cemetery to its former glory.

Hollywood Forever Tour
Friday, June 27, 2008
8:30 am--pick up at Marriott
12:00 pm--return to Marriott
$30 per person
Includes all transportation,
tour guide, tax and gratuity
Limited to 55 persons

Make your reservation at the SCGS Shopping Cart.

Please note that the tour is dependent upon reaching at least 30 reservations. We reserve the right to cancel the tour and refund the tour fee if we do not have sufficient interest.

A private air conditioned Starline Tours 55-passenger coach will pick us up from the front of the Marriott. As we wend our way from Burbank to the heart of Los Angeles, our tour guide, Karie Bible, will point out many famous sights along the route. We will return to the Marriott in plenty of time to freshen up before the first lecture.

The tour involves walking around the grounds, requiring a gentle amount of exercise. There are no hills to climb. Wear comfortable walking shoes, bring sun block and bottled water. Bring a wide-brimmed hat if you have one, and don't forget the sunglasses and camera.

Hollywood Forever is a vast, immaculately landscaped cemetery boasting magnificent architecture, funeral statuary, mausoleums, exhibitions, monuments, and gardens. Karie's tour evokes the storied past and navigates the labyrinth of the present on this walking tour of the highlights, history, scandals and mysteries of Hollywood Forever.

The cemetery holds a fascinating mix of early 1900's headstones up to the present time. In addition to the celebrity interments, you'll find a number of Civil War Confederate grave sites as well as a view of the Hollywood sign.

Come learn about Hollywood's past and present and see the graves of stars such as Rudolph Valentino, John Huston, Peter Lorre, Jayne Mansfield, Cecil B. DeMille, "Alfalfa" and "Darla" from the Little Rascals and many more, including:

• Don Adams (1923-2005), actor/comedian
• Elmer Berger (1891-1952), inventor of the rear-view mirror
• Mel Blanc (1908-1989), actor/comedian and voice over talent. His tombstone has one of the most famous epitaphs, "That's all folks"
• Iron Eyes Cody (1907-1999), actor
• Harry Cohn (1891-1958), founder of Columbia Pictures
• Dee Dee Ramone (1952-2002), Bassist in The Ramones
• Marion Davies (1897-1961), actress and mistress of William Randolph Hearst
  
• Cecil B. DeMille (1881-1959), director/producer
• Douglas Fairbanks (1883-1939), actor
• Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. (1909-2000), actor
• Peter Finch (1912-1976), actor
• Victor Fleming (1889-1949), director
• Janet Gaynor (1906-1984), actress
• Griffith J. Griffith (1850-1919), park and observatory donor
• Joan Hackett (1934-1983), actress
• Woody Herman (1913-1987), musician
• Darla Hood (1931-1979), actress, played "Darla" in Our Gang
• John Huston (1906-1987), director/screenwriter
• Peter Lorre (1904-1964), actor
• Jayne Mansfield (1933-1967), actress, (She has a cenotaph; she is buried in Fairview Cemetery, Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania)
• Hattie McDaniel (1895-1952), actress, (She has a cenotaph; she is buried in Angelus Rosedale Cemetery)
• Darren McGavin (1922-2006), actor
• Harrison Gray Otis (1837-1917), Los Angeles Times publisher
• Eleanor Powell (1912-1982), actress/dancer
• Tyrone Power (1914-1958), actor
• Johnny Ramone (1948-2004), musician and member of The Ramones, (He has a cenotaph, which is a bronze statue of him playing guitar)
• Virginia Rappe (1891-1921), actress, the woman Fatty Arbuckle was accused of killing during a wild party in San Francisco, creating one of Hollywood's first major scandals.
• Nelson Riddle (1921-1985), musician/composer and band leader
• Ann Sheridan (1915-1967), actor
• Bugsy Siegel (1906-1947), gangster
• Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer (1927-1959), actor, played "Alfalfa" in Our Gang
• Norma Talmadge (1893-1957), actress
• Rudolph Valentino (1895-1926), actor
• Fay Wray (1907-2004), actress

You'll find several videos if you search on YouTube. Here's one which appeared on cable channel TCM (Turner Classic Movies). It features our guide, Karie Bible.

In the News - Google Me the Movie

Those of you who attended last year's Jamboree may remember seeing a filmmaker and film crew walking through the exhibit floor.

The premise of the documentary "Google Me" is that Jim Killeen, an entrepreneur from Burbank, googled his name and found many others who shared that name. He traveled to meet seven other Jim Killeens, including a priest in Ireland and several other colorful characters. The Jim Killeens met in Killeen, Texas (where else?) for a chili cook-off and rodeo.

Several Jamboree speakers, including Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak, Diahan Southard, and Colleen Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., were invited to share their point of view and bring a family history perspective to his documentary. In classic Hollywood tradition, the best scenes sometimes end up on the cutting room floor, which is the case this time. Megan, Diahan and Colleen, just remember that even the biggest stars had their scenes cut. We hope that we are still named in the credits!

I learned today that the documentary, Google Me, will debut on YouTube on Friday, April 25, and will be shown simultaneously at the Newport Beach Film Festival in Orange County, California. I'm not positive of the time that it will be accessible on YouTube.com. The Newport Beach time is set for Friday, April 25, at 3:45 p.m. PDT. I will update this post when I have firm information.

The DVD is available for purchase for about $30 at www.googlemethemovie.com.

In the meantime, here's the trailer.

Kids' Genealogy Camp - Friday Special Event FREE

A common theme among genealogists is how to involve children or grandchildren in the search for their ancestors. A special Jamboree activity, Kids' Genealogy Camp, will provide a fun, hands-on, three hours of exposure to family history research.

The session will be offered FREE to the public on Friday, June 27, 2008 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The session is limited to 30 youth, ages 5 and up. Parents or other family members are welcome to participate. Youth activities will be age appropriate.

Participants do not need to be registered for Jamboree to attend this session. Walk-ins will be accepted as long as class size permits, but we suggest you save your place by registering in advance. When you arrive at the Marriott, enter from the door on the far east side of the Convention Center. As you face the Convention Center, the door will be on the left side of the building.

To register in advance, "Purchase" this event from the SCGS Shopping Cart. In the comments section, please list the names of your child or children who will attend. When asked for payment method, indicate "check or money order," and then you're done. We will forward a permission slip and parent's contact information that will need to be submitted for registration to be complete.

The Art of the Oral Interview - Hailey J. Campbell. The best place to start learning about your family history is from your living relatives. This lecture will give youth ideas for questions to ask and methods for recording the information.

Hailey is a 16-year-old Junior at Cyprus High School in Magna, UT. Hailey has been involved in family history since her gramps interested her with family stories when she was not quite 7 years old. She has volunteered at the Family History Center in Magna since then. She has done look-ups and assisted professional genealogists at the Family History Library since she was 10 years old. She was responsible for Society Hall at the 2005 and 2006 Conference for the Federation of Genealogical Societies. She taught her first class at the Youth Fair at the 2007 FGS Conference in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Hailey has written articles for the "Next Generation" column in Everton's Genealogical Helper. In 2005 Hailey was one of the first recipients of the FGS Youth award for her service to The Utah Genealogical Association. She serves on the FGS youth committee and is President of the FGS Youth Society.

Creating and Preserving Your Family History - Michael Melendez. Learn how to create your own personal family history by practicing several different fun and interesting activities. Also, learn how to build and store your family’s history by preserving past, current, and future memories and information that could prove vital in future genealogical research.

Michael Melendez is an 18-year-old graduate of Troy High School in Fullerton, CA. He has been involved in genealogy for most of his teenage years. He is an Eagle Scout who planned and carried out a Family History Jamboree for beginners at the ORFHC for his Eagle Project. Michael is a member of the FGS Youth Society and the FGS Youth Committee. Michael also serves as a Family History Consultant in his local LDS ward as well as a volunteer at the ORFHC.

Exploring the Secrets in Family Photos - Starr Hailey Campbell. Family photos can hold a variety of clues to family history information. This lecture will teach youth what to look for in old photos, and we will have a lot of fun looking at old photos! Starr Campbell, is an FGS director, past UGA Administrative Assistant, chair of the FGS youth committee, founder of the FGS Youth award, director of the Magna Utah East Stake Family History Center, and author of Youth in Family History and the children’s genealogy series “The Adventures of James.” Starr has served as an instructor at the Magna East Family History Center in Magna, Utah for seven years.

See an interview with Starr Hailey Campbell on RootsTelevision.com. Chris Haley, nephew of author Alex Haley of Roots fame, conducted interviews with members of "Genealogy: The Next Generation" including Hailey Campbell. You can find that interview here.

Copies of the pedigree chart and family group sheet forms are available on the SCGS website.

Introduction to Genealogy - Friday Special Event FREE

There's no time like the present to explore your family's past.

If you have ever promised to dig into your family roots "someday" but haven't gotten around to it yet, now is the perfect time to start. Join Beverly Truesdale, long-time SCGS member and instructor for the Society's beginning genealogy class, for a crash course in getting started with your exploration. Learn how to use family group sheets and pedigree charts, census records, and document your findings.

The class will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Friday, June 27 at the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel and Convention Center. Best of all, there is NO CHARGE for the course. The class will be limited to 80 participants. Walk-ins will be accepted as long as class size permits, but we suggest you save your place. To register in advance, "Purchase" this event from the SCGS Shopping Cart. When asked for payment method, indicate "check or money order," and then you're done.

When you arrive at the Marriott, enter from the door on the far eastern side of the Convention Center. As you face the Convention Center, the door will be on the left side of the building.

LA Fast Food Tour: Philippe The Original

Philippe's, Home of the French Dip Sandwich. It's unique in Los Angeles, a place where patrons share tables with strangers and make use of any available seat. In business for over 90 years, it clings to its original ambiance with sawdust on the floor, servers that keep the food line moving, and vintage photos and newspaper clippings that proclaim:

"...one of the best food bargains in town." The New York Times Magazine, MacDonald Harris, March 1990

"...the best french dip we've ever had." The Food Paper, Fall 1991

"Best reason to go downtown" "...a landmark among landmarks." Los Angeles Magazine, The Best of L.A., November 1990

In addition to Philippe's specialty -- beef, ham, pork and lamb french dip sandwiches, -- the menu includes several other sandwiches; soup and stews; salads; and more esoteric items such as pickled beets and pickled pigs feet, and hard boiled eggs. You can buy a jar of their special hot mustard to carry Philippe's home with you. They even have a wine list. [What kind of wine goes with pickled pigs feet?] And there's one other trademark item on Philippe's menu: a 10-cent cup of coffee.

Check out Philippe's website for a look back at Philippe's history through vintage photos, including the train that jumped the track and nearly took a shortcut through the restaurant's front door. Quoting from the website:

Philippe The Original is one of the oldest and best known restaurants in Southern California. Philippe's was established in 1908 by Philippe Mathieu, who claimed the distinction of having created the "French Dipped Sandwich." One day in 1918, while making a sandwich, Mathieu inadvertently dropped the sliced french roll into the roasting pan filled with juice still hot from the oven. The patron, a policeman, said he would take the sandwich anyway and returned the next day with some friends asking for more dipped sandwiches. And so was born the "French Dipped Sandwich," so called either because of Mathieu's French heritage, the French roll the sandwich is made on or because the officer's name was French. The answer is lost to history.

Philippe's is located a block from Union Station in downtown Los Angeles and from Olvera Street. Here are Mapquest directions from the Marriott. It will take about 20 minutes to go to Philippe's from the Marriott in non-rush hour traffic.

Exhibitor Profile - Godfrey Memorial Library

Tables 705-706
Godfrey Memorial Library
Richard Black
134 Newfield Street
Middletown, CT 06457-2534
860.346.4375
Library@godfrey.org
www.godfrey.org

The Godfrey Memorial Library was founded by Fremont Rider and was incorporated on 26 Nov 1947 as a “…free public library of books, pamphlets, periodicals and other materials in the fields of American biography and genealogy and in related fields; to carry on and promote investigation and research in these fields and to publish the results thereof…” The Godfrey offers the Godfrey Scholar program, permitting remote access to online resources and a well-organized portal to other sites’ content.