Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh Registration

I received the following press release from Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, one of the directors of the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh. I am excited for registration to open for the 2013 institute as I will be participating this year as an instructor in the land course. There is a great lineup of courses to choose from.

PRESS RELEASE  -- January 31, 2013

Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP) will open registration for its six courses on Thursday, February 7 at noon eastern. These courses sell out quickly, some within minutes of registration opening.

GRIP’s week-long courses will be held from July 21 through July 26, 2013 at LaRoche College, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Last year students from 28 states enjoyed a small collegial atmosphere where they were able to know not only their classmates and instructors, but the other students in the intimate campus atmosphere. Dorm rooms, just steps from the classrooms and cafeteria, make off-hours fun and friendly.

For more information beyond the below, visit www.GRIPitt.org where you may subscribe to email notifications of new postings, or email info@GRIPitt.org.

The six courses to be offered in 2013 are: 

1.) Intermediate Genealogy: Tools for Digging Deeper with Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, FMGS, FUGA.

Stuart-Warren focuses on unusual resources, manuscripts, methodology, and analyzing records. She encourages the class to bring their own family history problems for brainstorming and discussion. D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS and Deborah S. Mieszala, CG, are instructors in this course.

2.) Determining Kinship Reliably with the Genealogical Proof Standard with Thomas W. Jones, Ph.D., CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS.

Learn how to achieve genealogical proof by planning and executing focused research, citing the resulting sources, testing the evidence they contain, assembling that evidence into a conclusion, and explaining it clearly. Jones has edited the National  Genealogical Society Quarterly since 2002 where many proof arguments are published. 

3.) Bridging the 1780-1840 Gap: From New England to the Midwest with D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS.

Explore the migration patterns across New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio which left a scarcity of records and researchers more than one “brickwall” problem. Learn the methods and tools to overcome these challenges. Taylor is a former Director of Education and Programs at New England Historic Genealogical Society, and has appeared on the television program “Who Do You Think You Are?” Other instructors are Deborah Mieszala, CG, Richard Sayre, CG, CGL, Craig Scott, CG, and Paula Stuart-Warren, CG.

4.) Your Immigrant Ancestors’ Stories: Writing a Quality Narrative with John Philip Colletta, Ph.D., FUGA.

Having researched the stories, now it’s time to share what you know! Learn how to incorporate documentary information, family lore, and artifacts into a work that your relatives will enjoy reading. German, Irish, and Italian case studies will be enlarged with sample sources for other nationalities, colonial times to 20th century.  Hands-on exercise lets you practice writing. Dr. Colletta is the author of They Came in Ships, Only a Few Bones, and Finding Italian Roots. Michael Hait, CG, is an instructor.

5.) Advanced Land Research: Locating, Analyzing, Mapping with Rick Sayre, CG, CGL and Pam Sayre, CG, CGL.

Understanding land history and records is essential for successful research and kinship determination. This course explores land distribution in the current United States by colonial powers, private land claims, federal land records at both the National Archives and the General Land Office, and local-level county or town deeds. Use of software and Internet resources is practiced in hands-on computer labs. Angela Packer McGhie is also an instructor.

6.) Military Records: From Cradle to Grave with Craig R. Scott, CG.

Examines the types, uses and functions of military records and the organizations that created them. Records exist outside of compiled military service records and pensions that must be searched for to get a full picture of a soldier, sailor or marines military and post-military life.  Scott specializes in National Archives records and is recognized as one of the leading experts in military research. Other instructors are Deborah S. Mieszala, CG, and Richard G. Sayre, CG, CGL

Perspectives on the Practicum

I want to share a few excellent blog posts by students who were in the Advanced Evidence Analysis Practicum course with me last week at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. I will be writing more about the course, but thought others may like to read the perspective of some of the students.

What I learned at SLIG 2013: Ponder and Mull. 

By Anne Gillespie Mitchell on her blog Finding Forgotten Stories

More on the Toughest Genealogy Course

By Harold Henderson on his blog Midwestern Microhistory: A Genealogy Blog

On Your Mark, Get Set ... Register

It is registration season for genealogy institutes. Now that the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy is over (and it was very successful) it is time to think about registering for upcoming spring and summer genealogy institutes. In fact, registration for the Forensic Genealogy Institute opens TODAY and IGHR opens TOMORROW.

Registration Opening Dates:
January 21, 2013 -- Forensic Genealogy Institute 
January 22, 2013 -- Institute for Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR)
February 7, 2013 --  Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP) 
February 2013 -- National Institute on Genealogical Research (NIGR)

Here are announcements and details on registration for each of these institutes:

 

Forensic Genealogy Institute 

Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy is proud to announce that Forensic Genealogy Institute II will be held April 11 - April 13, 2013 at the Wyndham Love Field in Dallas, Texas. Registration opens Monday, January 21, 2013 at 12:01 am Pacific time.  Registration fee is $450 for non-CAFG members and $400 for members. Registration includes all courses and breakfast, lunch, and break snacks for all three days. The Wyndham is offering non-smoking king and double queen rooms to attendees for $10 plus applicable taxes.  More information is available at http://www.forensicgenealogists.com/forensic-genealogy-institute.html 

The Forensic Genealogy Institute offers twenty-plus hours of significant hands-on instruction with real-world work examples, resources, sample forms and work materials. The embedded practicum offers an actual forensic case study that will be covered from start to finish.  Those who satisfactorily complete the course will receive a Forensic Genealogy Institute Certificate of Completion.
 
With over fifty years of combined forensic genealogical experience, instructors for the Forensic Genealogy Institute are practicing professional genealogists with real life experience in the field: 
 
Michael Ramage, J.D., Certified Genealogist (sm); Kelvin L. Meyers, Forensic Genealogist; Leslie Brinkley Lawson, Forensic Genealogist; Dee Dee King, Certified Genealogist  Forensic Genealogist; Catherine W. Desmarais, M.Ed., Certified Genealogist; and guest speaker Debbie Parker Wayne, Certified Genealogist, CGL.

Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR)

Registration for IGHR 2013 will open Tuesday, January 22, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time (10:00 a.m. Central). A link will be provided on the IGHR Registration page to the online registration at that time.  The course openings will once again be staggered to prevent server overload - more on this below.

There is a downloadable online registration guide that ALL prospective attendees will want to review before registration begins. The IGHR 101 page has a new addition titled "What is IGHR?"  This downloadable PDF provides a brief overview of what IGHR is, what it includes, and what you can expect when you attend.
 
Registration for course openings will be staggered as follows:
 
Opening at 10:00 a.m. Central:
o   Course 1: Techniques and Technology
o   Course 4: Advanced Methodology and Evidence Analysis
 
Opening at 10:30 a.m. Central:
o   Course 3: Research in the South, Part II
o   Course 6: Genealogy as a Profession
o   Course 9: The Five Civilized Tribes: The Records & Where to Find Them
 
Opening at 11:00 a.m. Central:
o   Course 2: Intermediate Genealogy and Historical Studies
o   Course 8: Understanding Land Records
 
Opening at 11:30 a.m. Central:
o   Course 5: Writing and Publishing for Genealogists
o   Course 7: Reading German Records
o   Course 10: Scottish Genealogical Research

 

Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP)

Registration will open at NOON on Thursday, February 7, 2013 for the 2013 Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP). This institute will held at LaRoche College in Pittsburgh from Sunday, July 21, 2013 through Friday, July 26, 2013. The six courses to choose from include: 

Intermediate Genealogy: Tools for Digging Deeper with Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, FMGS, FUGA. 
Determining Kinship Reliably with the Genealogical Proof Standard with Thomas W. Jones, Ph.D., CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS.  
Bridging the 1780-1840 Gap: From New England to the Midwest with D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS.  
Your Immigrant Ancestors’ Stories: Writing a Quality Narrative with John Philip Colletta, Ph.D., FUGA.  
Advanced Land Research: Locating, Analyzing, Mapping with Rick Sayre, CG, CGL and Pam Sayre, CG, CGL.  
Military Records: From Cradle to Grave with Craig R. Scott, CG.
 
Evening lectures are scheduled for Monday, July 22, with Michael Hait, CG; Tuesday, July 23, with Angela McGhie; and Thursday, July 25, with Pamela Stone Eagleson, CG. These lectures are open to the public.

The National Institute for Genealogical Research

The National Institute for Genealogical Research (NIGR) is held at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. in July. This institute provides an on-site exploration of federal records. Presenters include professional genealogists and NARA archivists and cover records such as military, land, immigration, census, as well as many other types of federal records that can be used for genealogical research. You can sign up online to receive a copy of the registration brochure to be sent out in February by either filling out the Mailing List Form; e-mailing; or writing to NIGR, P.O. Box 118, Greenbelt, MD 20768-0118. Registration forms should be mailed in quickly after you receive them as the institute may fill quickly.

IGHR Announces Registration Times for Jan. 22

The Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) has announced registration times for each course. Most of the courses will fill to capacity in the first hour of registration, so plan to be online at the designated hour if you would like to attend. Here is the message they sent out to their list.

January 9, 2013

Registration for this summer's Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) will open on Tuesday, January 22, 2013.

To prevent an overload of the online registration system, the opening of course registration will be staggered with different courses being opened each half-hour. The registration schedule will be as follows:

Opening at 10:00 AM CST:
Course 1: Techniques & Technology
Course 4: Advanced Methodology and Evidence Analysis

Opening at 10:30 AM CST:
Course 3:  Research in the South, Part II
Course 6: Genealogy as a Profession
Course 9: The Five Civilized Tribes

Opening at 11:00 AM CST:
Course 2: Intermediate Genealogy and Historical Studies
Course 8: Understanding Land Records

Opening at 11:30 AM CST:
Course 7: Reading German Records
Course 5:  Writing and Publishing for Genealogists
Course 10: Scottish Genealogical Research

Every year, some courses fill up in a matter of minutes so be sure to be wherever you have your fastest internet connection at registration time.

Each time a new set of courses opens for registration, an email will be sent to the IGHR-L list.
The Institute itself will take place on June 9-14, 2013.

For more information, including the courses being offered and how to register on the Jan. 22, visit the IGHR website at http://www4.samford.edu/schools/ighr/.

We hope to see you this summer!

Future Genealogy Conferences -- Plan Ahead

Have you always dreamed of attending one of the national genealogical conferences? Are you waiting for one to be held close to where you live? Here are the locations of the future NGS and FGS conferences for you to consider.

National Genealogical Society (NGS)

http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/conference_info

The NGS 2013 Family History Conference will be held 8–11 May 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the LVH-Las Vegas Hotel & Casino.

The NGS 2014 Family History Conference will be held 7–10 May 2014 in Richmond, Virginia at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.

The NGS 2015 Family History Conference will be held 13–16 May 2015 in St. Charles, Missouri, at the Saint Charles Convention Center.


The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) 
http://www.fgs.org/cpage.php?pt=43

The FGS 2013 Conference will be held 21 - 24 August 2013 in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
 
The FGS 2014 Conference will be held 27 - 30 August 2014 in San Antonio, Texas. 

The FGS 2015 Conference is yet to be announced.

BCG Now Has a Blog

I had discovered a new blog from the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) a few days ago and was very excited. It will be a great way to get information out to the public on the certification process and new board-certified genealogists. Now they have issued a press release with details on the blog.

BOARD FOR CERTIFICATION OF GENEALOGISTS

P. O. Box 14291
Washington, DC 20044
 

For Immediate Release

DATE: 8 January 2013

SUBJECT: BCG’s New Blog: SpringBoard: News and Notes

The 49-year-old Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG), the group that wrote the book on genealogical standards, recently joined the blogosphere with its blog, SpringBoard: News and Notes, accessed from http://www.BCGcertification.org.

According to BCG president Elissa Scalise Powell, CG^SM, CGL^SM, of Pennsylvania, the blog will communicate news about BCG and events it sponsors or participates in. Early posts introduced officers Powell; vice-president Michal Ramage, J.D., CG, of Pennsylvania; secretary Dawne Slater-Putt, CG, of Indiana; treasurer Jeanne Larzalere Bloom, CG, of Illinois; and member-at-large Stefani Evans, CG, of Nevada; and gave notice of a fee change effective January 1. Another post announced new audio clips from three Board-certified genealogists describing why they chose to seek certification.

Future posts will come from BCG officers, trustees, and committee members and will include

• names and profiles of new certificants (whose portfolios of work have been judged to meet the standards set out in the BCG Genealogical Standards Manual),
• news of conferences and events where BCG will have a presence through exhibit booths, lectures, certification seminars, and social events, and
• information, advice, and explanation on genealogy standards, the certification procedures, and other items of interest.

In addition a current-events calendar lists where BCG will have a presence. Anyone may subscribe to email notifications of new posts from the site as well.

Using blog software through its website allows BCG to communicate more frequently than its triannual newsletter, OnBoard, to which anyone may subscribe for a yearly fee. The organization also has a presence on Facebook (currently open to the public) and LinkedIn® (for associates).

Said Powell, “We enjoy being able to offer timely news and notes to help advance the mission we began in 1964–defining, supporting, explaining, and advocating high standards in genealogy.” 

FYI: BCG is an independent certifying body recognized nationally and internationally. It is not affiliated with, or part of, any group. More information is available at http://www.bcgcertification.org/aboutbcg/index.html. 

Certified Genealogist, Certified Genealogical Lecturer, CG and CGL are proprietary service marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) used by the Board to identify its program of genealogical competency and evaluation and used under license by the Board’s associates. The Board’s name is registered with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

Contact Information:

Nicki Birch, CG, Executive Director for BCGoffice@BCGcertification.org www.BCGcertification.org

New Genetic Genealogy Course from NGS

The National Genealogical Society has a new course in their American Genealogy Studies series titled "Genetic Genealogy, the Basics." This course was developed by Dr. Thomas H. Shawker, and I share details about it here with the permission of NGS.

Thomas H. Shawer, MD, a physician with the National Institutes of Health, is a nationally recognized lecturer on Genetics. He serves as chairman of the NGS Genetic Genealogy Committee. In 2004, he authorized the NGS book, Unlocking Your Genetic History. 


Now Shawker shares his medical expertise in the six-lesson self-paced course “Genetic Genealogy, the Basics.” Topics covered in the course include:
• the structure of the DNA molecule, how it is organized, how it replicates, and how it functions;
• human chromosomes and how the Y chromosome is inherited;
• the two types of DNA markers used in genetic genealogy;
• haplotypes and haplogroups;
• evaluation of a Y chromosome surname project and a discussion on how to evaluate the test results of the participants; and
• the structure of the mitochondrial DNA molecule, how it is inherited, and how it can be used in genealogy.

The course is designed for independent study. Students check their work with an answer key that immediately follows each self-test.

“Genetic Genealogy, The Basics” is available on a PC- or MAC-compatible CD in a PDF format. The tuition is $45 for members and $70 for nonmembers. For further information, or to purchase the course, visit the NGS website and click on the Educational Courses tab. Please visit the course web page at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/genetic_genealogy for more information.

Genealogy Conferences and Institutes for 2013

Several readers have asked for dates and places of the major genealogy conferences and institutes for 2013, so I made a master list here. This is a great time to set educational goals for the new year and decide which of the following fit into your budget and schedule. You can find more information on each of the following, including reviews of many of the institute courses, by clicking on the links under "labels" at the right of the screen.

Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy 2013

January 14 - 18, 2013 in Salt Lake City, Utah

http://www.infouga.org/cpage.php?pt=42

APG Professional Management Conference

March 19 - 20, 2013 in Salt Lake City, Utah

http://www.apgen.org/conferences/index.html

RootsTech Conference

March 21 - 23, 2013 in Salt Lake City, Utah

http://rootstech.org

Forensic Genealogy Institute 

April 11-13, 2013 at the Wyndham Love Field in Dallas, Texas.
http://www.forensicgenealogists.com/forensic-genealogy-institute.html  

 

New England Regional Genealogy Conference (NERGC)

April 17 - 21, 2013 in Manchester, New Hampshire

http://www.nergc.org/

Ohio Genealogical Society Conference

April 25 - 27, 2013 in Cincinnati, Ohio

http://www.ogs.org/conference2013/index.php

National Genealogical Society 2013 Family History Conference

May 8 - 11, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada

http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/conference_info

Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree

June 7 -9, 2013 at Marriott Burbank Airport, Burbank, California

http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/

Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR)

June 9 - 14, 2013 at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama

http://www4.samford.edu/schools/ighr/  

National Institute on Genealogical Research

July 8-12, 2013 at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~natgenin/

Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh

July 21 - 26, 2013 at LaRoche College in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

http://www.GRIPitt.org

FGS National Conference

August 21 - 24, 2013 in Fort Wayne, Indiana

http://www.fgs.org/2012conference/