NEW MEMBERS ON THE SGS BOARD

SGS has found two new board members to fill vacancies. Sue De Laat is the new technology officer and Heidi Mair is the new volunteer coordinator.

Sue recently retired as IT manager for King County. She has 40 years of experience in the tech field.  She is a graduate of the UW Certificate in Genealogy and Family History program and is currently working toward becoming a nationally certified genealogist.

Heidi has been doing genealogy since she was 14 years old. It has been a lifelong passion. She has an extensive background in non-profits, specifically in volunteer coordination.  She, too, is a graduate of the UW Certificate in Genealogy and Family History program. She also teaches yoga.

Heidi Mair’s contact at SGS is volunteers@seattlegenealogicalsociety.org  and
Sue De Laat’s is technology@seattlegenealogicalsociety.org

WHAT TO THINK ABOUT
BEFORE YOU SHARE YOUR DNA

Several SGS members are recommending you read and understand these informative articles by Judy G Russell, the Legal Genealogist, before you upload your raw DNA to Prothease or any websites offering to provide reports and glean genetic health information from your DNA.

Will the genetic health Information drawn from your DNA be fun, fact, or fiction? It’s safe to say it’s probably going to be interesting and fun, but how much credence can you give it?  What does it really mean? They do tell you the report is for educational and research purposes only, and it is important to remember it is not a medical diagnosis.

You should understand the implications of sharing your DNA. Always carefully read the agreement, privacy policy, and terms and conditions. Do your homework. These articles by Judy G Russell are a good place to start.

https://www.legalgenealogist.com/2017/12/10/promethease-promotion/

https://www.legalgenealogist.com/2016/11/20/that-other-health-option/

THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT

In the spring of 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act passed by Congress was the first law restricting immigration. This act provided an absolute 10-year moratorium on Chinese labor immigration. In 1892, it was extended. And in 1902, made permanent.  It was not repealed until 1943.

Documents, records of individual case files, and Certificates of Residence housed in the National Archives detail the individual stories resulting from this and subsequent legislation. Very detailed stories!  On Saturday, January 13, at 1 pm, Trish Nicola of NARA will speak on this fascinating subject at our Second Saturday Speaker Series.

Come learn more about it.

SAVE THE DATE 

Family History Fanatics,
eConference,
“Finding Family Stories and Passing Them On”,
January 19th at 8:45 am Central Time. 

Speakers will be Randy Seaver, Eric Wells, Victoria Woo and Tammy Hepps. Participants will learn about how to find, preserve, and share their family stories.  Five hours of interactive instruction for the early bird price of $19.99 through January 10th, and $24.99 thereafter. More details and registration can be found at: https://www.familyhistoryfanatics.com/jan2018. Feel free to let any of your friends or family know about this eConference.

          SGS CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Unless otherwise indicated all programs will be at the SGS Library, 6200 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle. Check the SGS Web Site for additions, changes, and corrections. Programs may be canceled or postponed because of inclement weather.

JANUARY 

Saturday, January 6, 10:15am – 12:15pm, Family Tree Interest Group, Lou Daly, leader of this special interest group exploring all the features of the tool Family Tree on FamilySearch

Saturday, January 13, 1:00pm – 3:00pm, Second Saturday Speaker Series, “Chinese Exclusion Act Files – Original Documents at NARA” will be presented by Trish Nicola

Sunday, January 14, 1:30pm – 3:00pm, Scandinavian SIG, with Karen Knudson; there will be a review of online cemetery sites similar to Find-a-Grave.

Saturday, January 20, 10:15am – 12:15pm, Irish SIG, with Jean Roth
Saturday, January 20, 1:00pm – 2:30pm, German SIG, with Jean Roth

Saturday, January 27, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, DNA SIG, this group meets at the Wedgwood Presbyterian Church, 8008 35th Ave NE, Seattle. For more information contact SGSDNASIG@gmail.com Co-chaired by Cary Bright and Herb McDaniel.

FEBRUARY

Saturday, February 3, 10:15am – 12:15pm, Family Tree Interest Group, Lou Daly, leader of this special interest group exploring all the features of the tool Family Tree on FamilySearch.org

Sunday, February 4, 1:00pm – 3:00pm, DNA Workshop, Led by Cary Bright with first hour on a specific topic, and the second hour open for sharing DNA issues with focus on GenomeMate Pro.

Saturday, February 10, 10:15am – 12:15pm, Family Tree Maker (FTM) Users Group, leaders Reiley Kidd & Betty Ravenholt, this group meets  the second Saturday of every even month, FTM is the tool long associated with Ancestry.com

Saturday, February10 , 1:00pm – 3:00pm, Second Saturday Speaker Series, “Using Academic Libraries for genealogy Research” with Lisa Oberg

Sunday, February 11, 1:30pm – 3:00pm, Scandinavian SIG, with Karen Knudson. Jill Morelli will give her talk “Finding your Nordic Parish of Birth” & be available for questions following the presentation.

Saturday, February 17, 10:15am – 12:15pm, Irish SIG, with Jean Roth
Saturday, February 17, 1:00pm – 2:30pm, German SIG, with Jean Roth

 REILEY KIDD,
VOLUNTEER OF FALL QUARTER

SGS is pleased to honor and recognize Reiley Kidd for the various roles he has served in since joining the society in 1983.

Before Reiley had the spare time to be a volunteer, he benefited from the many services SGS provides, such as library resources, seminars, classes, and knowledgeable volunteers willing to lend him a hand with his genealogical research.

After retirement in 2014, he took on his first major role at SGS as a Library Trustee. Later that same year, he stepped in to fill the position of Secretary that became vacant on the SGS Board of Directors. He served as the SGS Secretary until June 2017.

One of the projects that Reiley is most proud of is the KC3I Court index. Over 10 years of work went into completing this database, which contains over 1.7 million entries from King County probate cases, divorces, and more.  If you have ever used this valuable resource, you have Reiley, members Marilynn Van Hise and Winifred Price, and their team of volunteers to thank.  Over 300 research requests have been fulfilled!

Reiley has stepped back a bit from SGS, but still fills three “minor roles” (his words, not ours). He continues to fulfill research requests for patrons through KC3I. He leads the Family Tree Maker (FTM) Users Group, that meets on the second Saturday of every even-numbered month.  And last, but not least, he writes proposals for an annual grant from 4Culture. SGS received $3,500 in grant money from 4Culture in 2017.

Reiley says he is proud to be a part of the continuous operation of the Seattle Genealogical Society, an important part of this city for nearly 100 years.

Thank you, Reiley, for your years of service to SGS!

ANNUAL SGS CLEAN LIBRARY WORK PARTY
DECEMBER 28, 2017 

The pleasure of your company (guys and gals) is requested to assist with the cleaning of the SGS Library between 10 am and 2 pm on Thursday, December 28. Refreshments will be provided. If you are able to help, please RSVP to: operations@SGS.org

SGS ANNUAL APPEAL

Membership dues cover less than half of the costs of maintaining the unique SGS research library, educational programs, and family history services that enrich our broader community. So each year SGS appeals to you, our generous members and friends, for the tax deductible donations that are needed to sustain the society.

This year there are a few ways to donate.

Your donation could go further in December, thanks to PayPal and their PayPal Giving Fund Website.

If you donate to SGS online using the PayPal Giving Fund Website and your PayPal account, PayPal will waive the fee they usually would charge SGS for that transaction, plus they will match 1% of your donation amount! If you have a PayPal Account and want to take advantage of this offer, please enter here:

https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/108133408063901813/charity/1363855

(Here you will be asked to log in to your PayPal account in order to complete the payment transaction. PayPal will send you a PayPal Giving Fund tax receipt via email)

Another way to donate is using the form current SGS members received in the mail earlier in December, or using the form that was emailed to eNews subscribers on December 5th. If you prefer, that can also be done via the donate page on the SGS website.  Here’s that link:
http://seattlegenealogicalsociety.org/content/donate-to-sgs

(Here you will receive an email invoice from PayPal and can use your credit/debit card to complete the payment)

Thanks so much, everyone!

          SGS CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Unless otherwise indicated all programs will be at the SGS Library, 6200 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle. Check the SGS Web Site for additions, changes, and corrections. Programs may be canceled or postponed because of inclement weather. The SGS Library will be closed  from December 22 through January 1, 2018, for the holidays.

DECEMBER

Saturday, December 16, 10:15am – 12:15pm, Irish SIG, with Jean Roth

Saturday, December 16, 1:00pm – 2:30pm, German SIG, with Jean Roth

JANUARY 

Saturday, January 6, 10:15am – 12:15pm, Family Tree Interest Group, Lou Daly, leader of this special interest group exploring all the features of the tool Family Tree on FamilySearch

Saturday, January 13, 1:00pm – 3:00pm, Second Saturday Speaker Series, “Chinese Exclusion Act Files – Original Documents at NARA” will be presented by Trish Nicola

Sunday, January 14, 1:30pm – 3:00pm, Scandinavian SIG, with Karen Knudson

Saturday, January 20, 10:15am – 12:15pm, Irish SIG, with Jean Roth

Saturday, January 20, 1:00pm – 2:30pm, German SIG, with Jean Roth

Saturday, January 27, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, DNA SIG, this group meets at the Wedgwood Presbyterian Church, 8008 35th Ave NE, Seattle. For more information contact SGSDNASIG@gmail.com Co-chaired by Cary Bright and Herb McDaniel.