Jamboree 2015 - Advance Registration is Closed

Advance Registration for the Genetic Genealogy: DNA Day Plus! Conference and the 2015 Southern California Genealogy Jamboree is now closed.

Tickets will be sold at the door for both conferences. Walk-in registration for Genetic Genealogy: DNA Day Plus! will open at 7:00 am Thursday, June 4, in the Convention Center.

Walk-in registration for Jamboree will open Friday, June 5, at 12 noon sharp inside the Convention Center at the registration kiosk.  Saturday and Sunday walk-ins can register beginning at 7:30am.

What if you've changed your mind and want to go to one of the events? Check with the registration kiosk in the Convention Center to see if meal tickets are available. You might get lucky. We'll also have a message board available in the foyer for "ticket wanted" or "ticket available" notes.

For those who registered in advance, if you ordered a ticket for a meal or special event, the ticket will be in your registration envelope. If by some chance it's not there, Louise at the registration kiosk can help you.

LAST CALL Jamboree 2015 - Advance Registration Closes at Midnight Tonight (May 23)

We are just hours away from the cutoff for advance registration for the Genetic Genealogy: DNA Day Plus! conference and the 46th Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree.

What's that mean to you?

Well, if you have already registered, it means that you're relaxed, looking forward to seeing your friends and learning all about the best techniques and secrets about searching for ancestors.  We hope you've taken the time to review the schedule and planned out your first-choice and second-choice sessions, just in case.

You've checked out the various meals and bought your tickets.

But....

If you've waited until the deadline, beware.  It's almost here.  Advance registration closes at midnight tonight, Saturday, May 23.

And if you wait until May 24th:

• You will miss the meals and banquets, including Dr. Michael D. Lacopo's presentation "Hoosier Daddy Live!" on Saturday night. This is your opportunity to hear first-hand from the author of the wildly popular blog Hoosier Daddy as he relates the compelling story of his search for his past. *Note to his fans: No Duct Tape Allowed!

• The Genetic Genealogy: DNA Day Plus! luncheon featuring KTLA Newsanchor Chris Schauble.  Hear about his journey using DNA to discover his biological family.

• You'll lose the chance to order the 2015 printed syllabus.  You might want to purchase one at Jamboree, but if it's really important that you have one, you should order in advance.  We plan to order enough to have just a limited quantity available for sale at the conference.

• You'll have to stand in line when you pay to register.  It won't be a smooth process of just going to the table and picking up your registration materials.

• And...you'll pay more.

You don't want to miss out and you don't want to pay more.

So register.  Today.

Current and new SCGS members.

Nonmembers.

Jamboree 2015 - Social Media Policy

Jamboree has enjoyed a special relationship with the blogging community since the first Blogger Summit in 2008. Seven years ago, 90% of the active genealogy blogging community could be seated at a dais. Now, we would be hard pressed to fit all of our genealogical blogging community into the Marriott!

To ensure that we have an environment that is mutually supportive for the social media users, our lecturers, and our lecture audience members, the SCGS Board of Directors adopted the following Social Media Policy:

The Southern California Genealogical Society is an active supporter of the use of social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, and blogging) at its events, including the society's annual Genealogy Jamboree. Event attendees are allowed and encouraged to promote, critique, and review the conference, its exhibitors, speakers, and activities using these forms of media.

Use of smartphones, netbooks, laptops, tablets, etc., shall not disrupt other attendees. Mobile device ringers must be set to silent during lecture sessions.

Attendees are prohibited from recording the proceedings of any lecture or workshop session by any means, including but not limited to photography, audio recording, video recording, or verbatim transcription, without expressed written permission from both SCGS and the lecture speaker. Some sessions will be professionally audio recorded and available for purchase after the event.

Social media may be used to summarize or extract lecture content provided:
(1) the author is referenced and cited appropriately; and
(2) material is not shared in full.

We fully respect the intellectual property rights of the authors of syllabus materials and lecture content. Copyright laws apply.

Jamboree 2015 - Free Document and Photo Scanning by Ancestry

Digitize Your Family Records
Free to the Public

Ancestry.com is excited to provide the opportunity to have your family photos and documents scanned at the conference, for free, on their professional scanning equipment. It’s a unique opportunity to have your family history records digitized!  In past years, scanning has been one of the most popular activities at Jamboree. We know you'll be happy to take advantage of this excellent opportunity.

Click here to reserve your scanning time slot.

Make an appointment to reserve your scanning time slot. 15-minute scanning sessions on Friday, June 5, through Sunday, June 7. Click on the link above to go to the sign-up area and choose your preferred time slot. Ancestry accepts three patrons during each time slot. If a time slot does not appear on the list, that means that all three appointments for that period have been claimed.

NOTE: If you have participated in scanning in prior years, you'll notice a difference in the reservation process. This year, you won't need to sign up again once you get to the Marriott.  

Walk-ins may be allowed, depending on availability of scanning equipment. Don't risk it, though; make an appointment to reserve your time slot.

Scanning Hours are as follows.  

• Friday 12:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.
• Saturday 9:15 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., lunch from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• Sunday 9:15 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., lunch from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Scanning will be located in Producer A/B in the High-Tech Hallway, which is across the hall from the elevators in the East tower of the Marriott. (Look for "mutant bowl of broccoli.") Signs will point the way.

Important Details from the 
Ancestry Scanning Team

Document types accepted

• We can scan any document type, but the maximum size supported is 18" by 18." Any type of photograph, including tintypes, is accepted. Unfortunately we can not scan slides.
• Fragile or historical documents, photographs, bound books or albums and similar will be photographed.
• Copyright and re-publishing rights for the material are strictly the responsibility of patrons, but we reserve the right to reject any document for any reason.
• There is always a possibility that damage to older, more fragile documents may occur during the scanning process. Ancestry urges patrons to use their best judgment when choosing documents to be scanned.

Document preparation

• Before your scanning session, please remove all staples, pins, and fasteners as well as any tape or sticky material from your photos and documents. These items can harm the scanning equipment.
• Please sort all of your documents and pictures by size, smallest to largest, before entering your session. This will enable our scanners to more effectively finish your documents in the time allotted.
• Photos mounted in an album will be digitized as a single image. Bound books do not need to be unassembled, but can be quite slow to digitize. Material stored in sleeves should be removed prior to the scanning session; materials remaining in sleeves will be digitized with the sleeves in place.

Scheduling

• The 15-minute time slot will include any document preparation not completed prior to the scanning session, so proper document preparation is crucial (see above).
• Generally we can scan 25-50 documents per person in a 15-minute slot, more if documents and photos are newer and/or not fragile.
• The scanned files will be saved to a thumb drive provided by Ancestry and given to attendees for their own use. 

Jamboree 2015 - Meet the Speaker: Jamie Lee McManus Mayhew, PLCGS

Jamie Lee McManus Mayhew PLCGS is a member of the National Genealogical Society (NGS), the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), the Genealogical Speakers Guild, and various societies in the area where she does research. She is a Board member for the Association of Professional Genealogists, Southern California Chapter, is currently President of the California State Genealogical Alliance, past-President and current Board member of the Genealogical Society of North Orange County California (GSNOCC), and a member of the FamilySearch Wiki Community Council. Her genealogy business is online at www.californiacousins.com.

Jamie is a frequent speaker in Southern California specializing in the subjects of beginning research, land records, homesteading, census records, the various parts of FamilySearch.com, and newspaper research. She was a member of the research team for the first season of the television program Genealogy Roadshow. A native of the Los Angeles area, she holds a BA in Sociology, MA in Educational Technology and a Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies from the National Institute for Genealogical Studies.

FR024 Friday June 5, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Homesteading California
Federal Land surveys reached California in 1851, shortly after California became a state. How did the Federal Land system and the homesteading laws affect the current residents? Learn about the homesteading of California.

Jamboree - Meet the Speaker: Rev. David McDonald, CG

With nearly 40 years' research experience, Dave McDonald's genealogical work includes service as the forensic genealogist for the city of Chicago as it expanded O'Hare Airport and moved an historic 160-year-old cemetery from a new runway's path. Board-certified since 2004, he is a past president and current trustee of BCG.

Dave served six years on the board of the National Genealogical Society, and has lectured throughout the US and UK. His personal research includes work in England, the Mid-Atlantic, colonial-era New York and Virginia, Kentucky, the Midwest and the Great Plains. He has also done extensive work in the UK and on Germanic lines from the sixteenth century onward.

In addition to his genealogical work, Dr. McDonald is a Protestant minister living and serving near Madison, Wisconsin.  He is married to his college sweetheart and they have three adult children.

SA011 Saturday June 6, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Lutherpalians & Presbygationalists: Where Did Grandma's Church Go?
Did Grandma play cards? Was alcohol banned in the household? We will consider cultural clues for determining a family's religious heritage and strategies for finding records of various churches and denominations, both locally and nationally.

SA029 Saturday June 6, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Church and Religious Records: More Than Hatchings, Matching's & Dispatching
An examination of the different types of records kept by various Christian denominations and Jewish congregations, as well as local churches, preachers and pastors. We'll approach the records for the purpose of their creation, their use of interpretation in genealogical endeavors, and how they can provide more than simply dates and places.

SU025 Sunday June 7, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
The Catholic Church in the Old Southwest
European exploration; Catholic hierarchy, religious orders, missions and diocesan structures; rites, sacraments and records in the former territories of Spain and Mexico.

Jamboree 2015 - Meet the Speaker: George G. Morgan

George G. Morgan is an internationally recognized genealogy speaker, author of 12 books and hundreds of published articles, and co-host of The Genealogy Guys ^SM Podcast. A member of APG, he has served on the boards of FGS, ISFHWE, and the Florida State Genealogical Society.

SA015 Saturday June 6, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Dissect Obituaries for New Clues
Obituaries are miniature biographies for the deceased. This seminar presents a methodology for dissecting an obituary, determining what information is provided or inferred, identifying record types that may be available, where those records are located, and how to access them.

SA036 Saturday June 6, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
The Genealogist as CSI
This seminar analogizes genealogists with CSIs and describes the genealogical research and evaluation process. It provides a methodological framework for all types of research.

SU031 Sunday June 7, 2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Use International Google Search Engines to Locate Ancestors
There are more than 150 different Google search engines representing international countries. This session discusses ancestor search strategies using different engines and incorporating translation tools.

Jamboree 2015 - Meet the Speaker: Jill Morelli

Jill Morelli is a professional genealogist who has traced the family history of her Nordic and German families for over 30 years. She now lectures, writes and researches on topics of genealogical and historical interest and can be found at her blog  Genealogy Certification: A Personal Journey.

Jill has spoken to large and small groups throughout her professional life and is considered an engaging and knowledgeable speaker on topics related to methodologies, ethnic groups, research strategies, organization and record set research. She is presently the director of publications for the Seattle Genealogical Society and has self-published a number of her own family histories. An architect by vocation, she naturally is interested in the "genealogy of a place" and house histories. She attended SLIG in 2014 and 2015, and graduated from ProGen 19. Jill is "on the clock" by the idea of submitting on time is becoming more of a concept than a reality.

FR002 Friday June 5, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. 

The 'Other' Censuses: Using the Non-Population Schedules

The varied non-population schedules, both state and federal, add richness to our understanding of our ancestors and can provide evidence not found in any other location. Learn what you can find in these little used records.

Jamboree 2015 - Meet the Speaker: Michael T. Booth

Michael T. Booth is the Vice President of RootsMagic, Inc. He is an accomplished trainer, having given hands-on entertaining presentations to thousands of individuals. With over 35 years of computer programming experience, Michael's latest creations are "Personal Historian" and "Family Atlas". He is also a developer of the popular RootsMagic genealogy software. Michael lives in Ogden, Utah with his wife Sandy and their six children.

FR006 Friday June 5, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

What's New in RootsMagic 7

An introduction to RootsMagic 7, the newest version of this award-winning genealogy software. Learn about features like WebHints, File Compare, DataClean, QuickGroups, and Online Publishing. You'll also learn about the many enhanced features as well. See for yourself why Family Tree Magazine named RootsMagic "the best all-around genealogy program...for both casual and serious genealogists."

SA042 Saturday June 6, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.

RootsMagic: Sharing and Publishing Your Family Tree

Don't keep your family history to yourself. RootsMagic is the award-winning genealogy software that makes family history easy. Learn how to add pictures and media, create beautiful charts and reports, publish complete books, make sharable CD's and DVD's, and easily publish your family information online, including notes, sources, and pictures.

SU009 Sunday June 7, 8:30 - 9:30 a.m.

Personal Historian 2: Bringing Life to Your Life Stories

Personal Historian 2 is the latest version of the unique software to organize, write, and publish personal histories for yourself and other individuals. It takes this seemingly monumental task and breaks it into small, manageable pieces and then reconstructs it into a complete, publishable document. The included library of timelines and memory triggers give color and context to your writing. You can even add documents, journals, photographs, and genealogy to give it a personal touch.

Jamboree 2015 - Meet the Speaker: Peggy Clemens Lauritzen, AG

Peggy Clemens Lauritzen, AG, the daughter of avid genealogists, was born when her parents were well into their forties. Both sets of grandparents were born in the 1880's, and she enjoyed the stories they would tell of war, the 1918 influenza epidemic, the Depression, and raising a family during frugal times. The love of these ancestors' lives made history a vital part of her life. She is a former Family History Center Director and is a frequent speaker for various groups around the United States.

FR023 Friday June 5, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Ticked Off! Those Pesky Pre-1850 Census Tic Marks
It's exciting when we are able to find our ancestors on every census they appeared on, until we reach 1840 and beyond. Are they throwing us into a dead end, or can they tell us more? This lecture provides a case study following an Eastern Kentucky family back into the area of Germantown, Pennsylvania.

SA018 Saturday June 6, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
School Daze - Finding and Using School Records
Locating school records can be an amazing way of putting our families into place, especially when there may be no vital records available in an area. We may even be somewhat astounded to learn that our ancestors even attended school.

SA041 Saturday June 6, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Treasure in Township Records
A part of the rectangular survey system, the township had its beginnings in Europe and is still in use today. We will focus on the many types of records of our ancestors that may be found there. Some records may be found there and nowhere else.

Jamboree 2015 - Calling All Volunteers! Jamboree Needs You!

If you've ever been involved in planning a seminar, or a wedding, a family reunion or a multi-day genealogical event, you know that the last few months leading up to the event are (a) crazy hectic and (b) critical to its success.

We are just shy of a month away from Jamboree, and this is the time we sound the alarm.

We need your help!

We have over 400 time slots that make up a fraction of the 1300 volunteer hours that are needed.

Yes, you read that correctly. 1300 hours of volunteer time. That's what is required to stuff the registration bags, process registration, monitor the sessions, break down the boxes, set up the easels, tables and signs, collect the meal tickets, and do the dozens of little jobs that add up to a huge effort and a successful conference.

Starting on Thursday, May 14th, members of the SCGS Board of Directors and Jamboree Committee will hit the phones in an attempt to speak with everyone who has registered for Genetic Genealogy: DNA Day Plus! and/or Jamboree. If you're not home when we call, we'll leave a voicemail message. We won't take up a lot of your time but will be glad to answer any questions while you have us on the phone.

Last year's Volunteer campaign was very successful and resulted in tons of new volunteers who contributed time. We were thrilled that with the response from those who stepped forward to help. From first-time attendees who jumped right in with long-time members of the Jamboree family to local residents and those who came from hundreds of miles away, every volunteer played a crucial role in the success of Jamboree.

No matter how long you've been doing genealogy, no matter where you live, no matter whether you're a member of SCGS or not - We need you!

What's in it for you?

• Have a guaranteed seat for your favorite speaker sessions. Room monitors get first pick at a chair.
• You get to meet a lot of people who share your interest, and you could even meet a cousin.
• Get a behind-the-scenes look at one of the largest genealogical conferences in North America
• If you volunteer for at least four hours, we'll help buy your lunch with a $5 coupon to the Marriott Concession on the Green.
• When you make a deposit in the volunteer karma bank, you'll feel good.

If you're really eager to participate, you don't have to wait for us to call. You can sign up today and get your pick of sessions and time slots. Here's how: 

1. Review the task descriptions and see which job you would like to do.  Descriptions can be found on the volunteer page on the Jamboree website.
2. Go to the volunteer page on the Jamboree website, and click the sign up link(s) for the day(s) you are interested in volunteering.  
3. Register by giving us your name, email, phone number and, if you have one, your text message number. We won't use it unless we have to, promise.
4. Check out all of the available slots and click on the "I'll be there" button to stake your claim.

The Rules

We have only a couple of rules:

1. Room monitors must be paid attendees.  For example, room monitors for the Genetic Genealogy: DNA Day Plus! conference must be registered for Thursday's event.
2. We are counting on your help. If you sign up for a session, please follow through. You can always change your mind and ~un-sign-up~ for that slot ahead of time so someone else can fill the position.

How many hours will you contribute toward the success of the Genetic Genealogy: DNA Day Plus! and the 46th Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree?

We're counting on you!

Jamboree 2015 - Meet the Speaker: Ross E. Curtis, PhD

Ross Curtis joined the AncestryDNA team in January of 2012. He is a computational biologist, specializing in genetics and visual analytics, and loves applying his expertise to family history and genealogy. Before AncestryDNA, Dr. Curtis focused on using visualization and statistics to discover genetic mutations that contribute to disease. Dr. Curtis received his B.S. from Brigham Young University and his Ph.D. in Computational Biology from Carnegie Mellon University.

TH026 Thursday June 4, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

The Latest Innovations in DNA Technology and Science and What They Mean for You

Join us to go behind the scenes at AncestryDNA to learn about the science and revolutionary technology used to find your ancestors from your DNA. We will cover the strategy needed to analyze the evolving matching algorithms used for Autosomal DNA.

FR016 Friday June 5, 2:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Panel: What's New at Ancestry

Ancestry is continually innovating to make your family history more accessible, more enjoyable, and more accurate. Join Crista Cowan as she welcomes a panel of product managers from various areas of the Ancestry business to discuss new (and upcoming) features in AncestryDNA, Ancestry Trees, and Ancestry Content.

Jamboree 2015 - Meet the Speaker: Drew Smith, MLS

Drew Smith is an Assistant Librarian with the Academic Services Unit of the University of South Florida (USF) Tampa Library. He has taught graduate-level courses in genealogical librarianship. He is a past Director of the Federation of Genealogical Societies (2008-2013), past chair of the FGS Technology Committee, and currently the "Rootsmithing with Technology" columnist for the FGS FORUM magazine. He is past Secretary of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG). Drew is President of the Florida Genealogical Society of Tampa and has served on the board of the Florida State Genealogical Society. He administers the GENEALIB electronic mailing list with over 1200 genealogy librarians as subscribers, a list he founded in 1996.

Drew has been the co-host of The Genealogy Guys Podcast since September 2005, and together with George G. Morgan has produced over 270 one-hour episodes. Drew is the author of the book Social Networking for Genealogists, published in 2009 by Genealogical Publishing Company, and with George is co-author of the book Advanced Genealogy Research Techniques, published in 2013 by McGraw-Hill. Drew has written extensively for NGS NewsMagazine (now NGS Magazine), Genealogical Computing, and Digital Genealogist.

Drew holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering, a Master of Science in Industrial Management from Clemson University, and a Master of Arts in Library and Information Science from USF.

FRG-03 Friday June 5, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon.
Crowdsourcing Your Brick walls
Online genealogy forums (mailing lists, message boards, and Facebook groups) let you ask others about your brick walls. Learn to craft queries that will be noticed among millions of online messages.

SA049 Saturday June 6, 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Where Is the Book with My Family in It?
Find out how to do an exhaustive search for family history books, journal articles, and other published or unpublished research material that may save you time in your own research.

SU011 Sunday June 7, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Using Evernote as Your Primary Tool for Capturing Notes and Ideas
Evernote is a free tool for PCs, Macs, Tablets, and smartphones used to capture, organize, preserve, and synchronize (across devices) information, including ideas, notes, photos, and web pages.

Jamboree 2015 - Meet the Speaker: Sara Gredler, MS

Sara Gredler is a genealogist, architectural historian, and historian with over 15 years of genealogical research experience.  She currently works at an architecture and engineering company as an architectural historian, historic bridge surveyor, Microsoft Access database guru, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analyst.  She is the vice-president of education and programming for the Williamson County (TX) Genealogical Society. Sara holds a Master of Science in Historic Preservation and bachelor degrees in History and Classical Studies, as well as a Certificate in Irish Studies.

FR025 Friday June 5,  4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Using Reunion for Mac to Document Beyond the Individual 
Reunion for Mac is a great piece of software.  This presentation goes over some tips and tricks to make the most of it in order to document beyond individuals for advanced research methodology.

SA016 Saturday, June 6  10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Applying the FAN Methodology to a Community: Snowville, VA 
The FAN methodology uncovers clues about individual people in Snowville, Virginia, that challenges accepted history and puts a new spin on how historians and genealogists can work together to solve research problems.

Jamboree 2015 - Meet the Speaker: George L. Findlen, PhD, CG, CGL

George Findlen is a retired academic administrator who has served as a faculty member or administrator for over thirty years. In retirement, he has re-invented himself as a genealogist, becoming certified in 2005 and re-certified in 2009 and 2014.  In 2014, he became a certified genealogical lecturer. He researches Acadian and French-Canadian families in Eastern Québec, the Canadian Maritimes, and New England.

His articles have appeared in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly and journals in New England, Louisiana, New Brunswick, and Québec. A recent effort describes the results of a DNA study which documents that the two Acadian Martin immigrants are not related. The article he is proudest of is "The 1917 Code of Canon Law: A Resource for Understanding Catholic Church Registers," published in the June 2005 issue of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly. The article is the first ever in any language to explain how Roman Catholic canon law can explain unique parish register entries. He is currently writing a history of his Acadian lineage, a venture covering eight generations and 300 years of history.

He also likes to give talks to genealogists, and has addressed groups in four Upper Midwest states as well as at the New England Regional Genealogical Conference and Le Congrès Mondial Acadian (Acadian World Reunion).

SA024 Saturday June 6, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Finding What Can't be Found: A Case Study in Whole Family Research 
Using the records for brothers, sisters, children, nephews, and nieces can locate the indirect evidence needed to identify the parents of a woman for whom no baptism or marriage record survives.

SA052 Saturday June 6, 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Ya Gotta Use All the Resources 
Family histories, parish histories, deeds, plat maps, canon law, and a close reading of parish registers all help identify which of two official documents is the original and thus in which parish church a baptism took place.

Jamboree 2015 - Meet the Speaker: Michael Brophy, MBA

Michael Brophy is a nationally known professional genealogical researcher, heir search specialist, and lecturer from the Boston area. He has served as Program Director and Publicity Director for the Massachusetts Genealogical Council and was the first Treasurer of the New England Association of Professional Genealogists.  Mike earned his MBA degree from Suffolk University and a BBA degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Mike was featured on the Irish TV series Dead Money, a genealogy show about heir searchers. In 2010, he was hired to conduct research for the NBC television program Who Do You Think You Are? on an episode dedicated to the family history of actress Gwyneth Paltrow. He specializes in New England and Irish genealogy subjects. His genealogy education includes several certificates from the Institute of Genealogy and Historic Research (IGHR) and certificates in Private Investigation and Advanced Forensic Genealogy from Boston University.

FR008 Friday June 5, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Paddy on the Net: Irish Genealogy Databases
Information about our Irish ancestors is exploding on the Internet. The best websites for Irish research are explored and analyzed. Recent landmark additions of vital records and census information are presented. Finding aids for further Irish research are assessed and critiqued in this exciting lecture on all that has happened with Irish resources in cyberspace.

SA017 Saturday June 6, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Irish Genealogy
The lecture will start with the central event in the history of Irish genealogy, the destruction of the public records office in Dublin on June 30, 1922. Unique challenges and realistic expectations for Irish ancestral research will be discussed. Vital records, immigration documentation, and unique resources will be presented. Examples are used to emphasize key principles and record holdings such as the lineage of notable Irish American Grace Kelly.  The overall goal of the lecture is to give attendees a practical guide to finding the origins of their Irish ancestors.

Jamboree 2015 - Jamboree Research Assistance . . . Popular means ACT FAST

Guest blog post by Jean Wilcox Hibben, PhD, MA, CG^sm

I was just looking at the volunteer page at Jamboree for the Research Assistance room and was overwhelmed! I am not going to quote figures right now, because it is clear that they are changing rapidly. It appears that the popularity of this part of Jamboree is really catching on – both for the good genealogy folks who are volunteering their time to help others and the people who are needing a little “shot in the arm” for their ancestral searches. This page has been open for just over 2 weeks and already I can tell that this year’s Research Assistance is going to be an amazing success!

Do you have a knowledge you can share? It doesn’t need to be finding ancestors who have defied all attempts at discovery (though that is a great skill) . . . it can just be helping folks get started by learning how to do basic web searches. It can be a specialty (Irish research, Civil War research, etc.). It can be a technical skill (basic computer skills for genealogy, for example). Whatever you know that someone else does not may be just what we need at the Research Assistance rooms. Please consider signing up for a time slot: http://www2.mysignup.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi?datafile=2015scgsjamboree_research_assistance

And for those looking for help, our assistants are already signing up to be your one-on-one consultant. But look at what the areas of expertise include. If someone has indicated “Irish Research,” don’t sign up there if you need help with finding German ancestors. Someone who has specified “General” or “Basic Research” is not likely to be able to be successful helping you locate people you’ve been searching for 30 years and hired professional genealogists to find. After all, our time slots are for 20-minute consultations and we need to be realistic. Some of our assistants also do this for a living so you may have success hiring one of the professionals there to work on your family in the weeks following Jamboree.

Research Assistance is a free service for Jamboree registrants ONLY.

Jean Wilcox Hibben; PhD, MA, CG^sm

Research Assistance Coordinator

Vice President, Southern Calif. Chapter of the Assoc. of Professional Genealogists

Jamboree 2015 - Meet the Speaker: Charlotte M. Bocage

Charlotte Marie Bocage is a full-time professional genealogist with more than four decades of experience. The 1977 TV series Roots inspired her to put a name to what she had been doing for so long and to formally continue her genealogical search. Charlotte has been sharing her knowledge since 1999. She is the Bloom and Bocage Family genealogist and historian, tracing her paternal family back to 19th Century Louisiana. Charlotte graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies.

Charlotte is a genealogy instructor with Family Tree University and UCLA Osher Life Long Learning Extension. She is on the Board of Directors and is the Education chair with the Southern California Genealogical Society. Charlotte has volunteered with many genealogical and historical societies in Southern California.

SU013 Sunday June 7, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Let's Get (a Family Reunion) Together

This visual aid class introduces the family reunion chair to the minutiae of planning a family reunion to bring their family together.

Jamboree - Researching Jewish, Russian and Eastern European Roots

This year Jamboree is proud to offer a full track of 6 sessions tailored for Jewish, Russian and Eastern European genealogy research on Sunday, June 7.

Speakers such as Lisa Alzo, Hal Bookbinder, Ted Gostin, Pamela Weisberger and Joel Weintraub will be presenting a wide array of specialized topics designed to assist researchers overcome brick walls, trace elusive ancestors, and much more.

In addition to the sessions, genealogical societies, exhibitors, and commercial data vendors with a variety of expertise, products and services will be on hand in the exhibit hall. The exhibit hall is free throughout the weekend.

Jamboree offers over 120 other sessions with more than 60 outstanding international, national, and local speakers.  JamboFREE Friday morning offers classes including Beginning Genealogy, roundtable small group resource, community projects, and society development.

One-on-One research assistance provided by members of the Southern California Chapter, Association of Professional Genealogists, is available throughout the weekend.

There's something for everyone, whether you are new to genealogy, or have been researching family history for years.

For speaker information and session times download the flyer. Get all the details about Jamboree at www.genealogyjamboree.

Jamboree 2015 - Meet the Speaker: Denise May Levenick

In every family, someone inherits "the stuff." Denise May Levenick is a writer, researcher, and speaker with a passion for preserving and sharing family treasures of all kinds. She is the creator of the award-winning family history blog The Family Curator and author of two books, How to Archive Family Photos (Family Tree Books, 2015) and How to Archive Family Keepsakes (Family Tree Books, 2012).

Denise inherited her first family archive from her grandmother - a trunk filled with photos, letters, documents, and lots of "miscellaneous stuff," and she is now the caretaker of several family collections. She has adapted professional archival techniques to the family archive situation and shares her experiences at her website, www.TheFamilyCurator.com, and in numerous books and articles.

Denise is a frequent lecturer and magazine contributor, and Chairman of the Suzanne Winsor Freeman Student Genealogy Grant program assisting young genealogists. She is a former high school English and Journalism teacher, and holds a Master's Degree in English Literature. Denise is a native Angelino now living in Pasadena.

FR007 Friday June 5, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Be Prepared with a Genealogy Disaster Plan
Is your genealogy safe?  Fire, flood or power loss can destroy a lifetime of research and heirlooms. Practical ideas to protect your work and salvage items damaged by water or smoke.