Jamboree 2016: HELP! – We all need it from time to time

Guest Post By: Jean Wilcox Hibben; PhD, MA, CG®  – VP, So. Calif. Chapter, APG

“Help! I need somebody! Help! Not just anybody!” – Oh, I remember those lyrics from the Beatles, back in the ‘60s, when life was less complicated (translation: no personal computers). Now? There’s so much to learn, so much to find, so much feeling alone in a vast sea of incomprehensible information! No, I’m not talking about life in general (though I could be); I am speaking about the world of genealogy!

Do you sometimes wonder if the family you are tracing is not the right one? That you have no idea where to find the information you need? In fact, you have little comprehension of the various websites that are even available? Even experienced genealogists find themselves learning on a regular basis. Even when I go to a class on a topic I am sure I already “know it all,” I find myself taking notes and discovering new avenues of approach to a problem. No one knows it all (even those who say they do).

Jamboree offers a unique opportunity for those who are floundering. It could be something basic, like “where do I start?” It could be something more involved, like “are there Irish Catholic church records available online?” Perhaps it is something specific, like “how do I fill out this DAR application?” It might even be something technical, like “how do I get a GEDCOM onto my Smart Phone?” These and other such questions might have matching answers at Jamboree’s RESEARCH ASSISTANCE. Held, again this year, in the TECH HALLWAY. Beginning Friday early afternoon and running through the lunch hours until Sunday mid-afternoon (none offered in the evenings, sorry . . . we have to eat and rest sometime), you can sign up in advance to get help. Go to http://www.mysignup.com/2016scgsjamboree_research_assistance and read the instructions before registering (to get help, register as a “CLIENT”; to give help, register as a “RESEARCH ASSISTANT”). Then MAKE A NOTE of your committed time (this can be done right on your Jamboree Smart Phone app).

Keep in mind, time periods, though blocked out in 30-minute increments on the website, are for 20 minutes ONLY and please don’t hog a consultant! Do not sign up for more than one consultant and time period at a stretch: no consecutive consultations with the same assistant (this is to be fair to everyone).

There are still spots available for consultants (Research Assistants) so if you know something that could help someone else, please donate a little time back and indicate your area of expertise.

Yes, we take drop-ins, and welcome both Assistants and Clients to stop by to check on available time and help options. It’s also a great place to network: we have space so people can do a little visiting. Check the signs on the doors and come on in! (Sponsored by the So. Calif. Chapter of the Assoc. of Professional Genealogists.)

And, say, if you get a little help, why not say “thanks” by making a small contribution to the Save the 1812 Pensions Project. We will have collection boxes available. Thank you.