PARDON OUR DUST

The Library is currently undergoing a revamping of the Washington section. As a result, the Washington section is in a bit of disarray. When completed, there will be two new sections in the Library: a section specifically for King County and a section specifically for Seattle. We look to have this rearrange completed by December 1st. Happy Hunting!

SGS CALENDAR OF EVENTS

All programs are at the SGS Library at 6200 Sand Point Way unless otherwise indicated. Please Check the SGS Web Site for additions, changes, and corrections. Programs may be cancelled or postponed due to inclement weather.

NOVEMBER

Saturday, November 21, 10:15 am – 12:15 pm, IRISH INTEREST GROUP,
“Review of Irish Census records and Census substitutes. Leader: Jean A. Roth

Saturday, November 21, 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm,  GERMAN INTEREST GROUP,  “Bouncing Boundaries –the Main Problem with German Research.” Leader: Jean A. Roth

Sunday, November 22, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm, PROGRAM MEETING,   “Using Census Records- A major genealogical research tool.” Speaker: Janice Lovelace

Reminder – SGS will be closed for the Thanksgiving weekend, Thursday, November 26 through Sunday, November 29 Continue reading →

WHO WILL LEAD SGS IN 2016??
In this, the fourth installment about the unprecedented number of Board vacancies that SGS will be facing in the coming year, we highlight the position of President.

The SGS President is in essence the Captain of the ship. More than any other officer or director, the President charts the course of the society. He or she is the face and the official spokesperson for the Society. and sets the agenda for the Board of Directors. The President provides leadership and guidance to each member of the Board, and ensures that each fulfills their responsibilities.

The SGS President is also akin to the conductor of an orchestra, an all-volunteer orchestra, coaching, leading and directing individuals of varied backgrounds, personalities and abilities to work together harmoniously toward common goals.

Marilyn Rose, our current president, is in her third and final term; our Bylaws prevent her from continuing on in this position. Many members may not know this, but in 2013 the SGS Nominating Committee could not find a candidate to run for President. Fortunately for SGS, a few members wrote in Marilyn’s name, after one long-time friend asked for her permission. She met the requirement that the president must have previously served in a Board position. In the past, Marilyn had been the Director of Education, Secretary and Vice President and had been President from 2005-2006. She accepted the call. Thus a crisis was narrowly avoided three years ago.

We are approaching a similar but much worse crisis now, with the potential for multiple vacancies on the Board. It is hard to imagine how SGS could continue in the future, if we’re unable to recruit and elect a capable president, and fill the other Board positions as well. Our goal is to have a full slate of candidates by early March 2016 at the latest.

These are challenging times, and we need your help. If you’d like to be considered for this or any other Board position, or would like to suggest the names of someone else, please contact the Nominating Committee at SGSNominate@gmail.com.

Another Interesting Publication Found In Our Library

Do you have a “ghostly” address for one of your ancestors? You know, a place that doesn’t show up on current maps or a town that was completely abandoned.

That was a problem tackled by the Alberta (Canada) Genealogical Society. Discover how they approached this problem as reported in their publication, Relatively Speaking, 1983, Vol. II, No. 3, p. 22.  Come by.  You can find this publication in the Canada Section of the SGS Library. Continue reading →

Here are WSGS Board members Patty Olsen and Roger Newman posing with Dr. Tom Jones, speaker at the recent Seattle Genealogical Society seminar.

Patty reports that it was a great day, a great seminar, for the 160 or so folks who attended. The venue was the Nordic Heritage Museum, which is interesting in itself.

All you need do is Google “Dr. Tom Jones genealogy” and you’ll have links to all the good things that Dr. Jones has and continues to do for genealogy.

I’m sorry for myself and all who were not able to attend this great learning day. Thanks, SGS, for hosting such a great presenter.

“LITTLE GEMS”  IN THE SGS LIBRARY

Mr. James Lowe sailed from New York City, aboard the ship Ohio, on January 10,1852,  with “1,000 passengers on board.” He was bound for California, no doubt certain he would make his fortune in the promised land. On his journey, he notes that he paid $10 to hire a mule to take him across the Isthmus of Panama and saw “Parrits Monkeys Alegators”. Sailing north, he was thirsty and hungry with “nothing for supper” and “three spoons of rice for breakfast.” He landed in San Francisco on May 15, 1852. Fortunately for historians and genealogists, Mr. Lowe kept a diary of his journey, which includes names of his fellow passengers sailing up the California coast aboard the Brig Margaret.  Take a look at this remarkable document in the SGS library.

National Archives  2015 Virtual Genealogy Fair   October 21 and 22

You might want to check out the National Archives Virtual Genealogy Fair.   It will be a live broadcast via YouTube so you can ask the genealogy experts questions at the end of their talks.  Speakers will include experts from National Archives locations across the nation.

Lectures will feature tips and techniques for using Federal records at the National Archives for genealogy research.  These lectures are designed for experienced genealogists and novices.  Recorded sessions will remain available online after the event.  More info at :   https://www.archives.gov/calendar/genealogy-fair/

MAC Computer Interest Group Announces Changes

Future Meetings of the MAC I.G. to be held Every Other Month
(December 9, February 10, April 13, & June 8)   Continue reading →

Coming Soon!

SGS 2015 Fall Seminar
Saturday, October 17
Nordic Heritage Museum
There is only a little more than 2 weeks before the SGS 2015 Fall Seminar on Saturday, October 17.   Don’t miss out on your chance to hear nationally renowned genealogist and widely acclaimed speaker Dr. Tom Jones present “The Family History Detective: Finding Solutions to Your Toughest Research Problems.”

The four seminar presentations include:  •Can Complex Research Problems Be Solved Solely Online?
•Five Ways to Prove Who Your Ancestor Was (Some Reliable and Others Not Reliable
•Inferential Genealogy: Deducing Ancestors’ Identities Indirectly
•Solving the Mystery of the Disappearing Ancestor

Register now!  Mail or bring in the seminar registration form you recently received or register online by visiting http://www.seattlegenealogicalsociety.org/content/2015-fall-seminar-registration  Deadline for ordering a lunch is October 13.

Seminar registration fee: $50 for SGS members, $60 for non-members

Special Interactive Classes Taught by Dr. Tom Jones
Sunday, October 18
Seattle Genealogical Society

Only 12 spots remain available for the Sunday special classes.  Register now to secure your chance to work with Dr. Jones in a small group setting.  The two classes include:  •Research Questions and Hypotheses: Planning an Exhaustive Search
•Finding Immigrant and Migrant Origins
Special class registration fee: $35 for SGS members, $40 for non-members

Go to http://seattlegenealogicalsociety.org/fallseminar for full details on our fall seminar and special classes.

See you at the seminar!

BOARD POSTPONES PUBLICATION OF THE SGS BULLETIN

Despite our best efforts over the past 6 months, we have been unable to find someone to fill the currently vacant position of Director of Publications. Continue reading →