FRIDAY, May 14: Schedule
Please note: OGS Conference 2010 is now over.
PROFESSIONAL/ADVANCED STREAM
(Attend all five lectures or mix with in-depth lectures, below.)
8:30 am – 9:30 am
Session P1: Inferential Genealogy: Deducing Ancestors’ Identities Indirectly – Thomas W. Jones
Participants will learn how to accurately deduce ancestors’ identities and many aspects of their lives by digging below “surface information” in genealogical records and by combining information from several sources.
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Session P2: Organizing Evidence to Overcome Record Shortages – Thomas W. Jones
Genealogists often are frustrated by record shortages and surviving records that do not specify relationships. Using the analogy of assembling a jigsaw puzzle with many missing and damaged pieces, a case study will demonstrate six steps for overcoming record shortages that attendees can use to identify ancestors successfully.
11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Session P3: The Jones Jinx: Tracing Common Surnames – Thomas W. Jones
This case study will explain how missing, erroneous, and altered records were overcome to identify the parents of an orphan named Jones. Attendees will learn research strategies that they can use to solve their own common-surname problems.
12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
LUNCH BREAK
Special Luncheon with speaker sponsored by Ancestry.ca (Optional ticketed event)
New Projects at Ancestry – Lesley Anderson
Luncheon attendees will learn about some exciting and different ways that Ancestry plans to work together with genealogy societies, archives and individuals to bring rich genealogical content to the web.
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Session P4: Stories that Instruct: Using Case Studies to Teach Genealogy Methodology – John Philip Colletta
A case study is a particular example that demonstrates, step by step, a general methodology. It is a paradigm: its specifics can be changed and still illustrate the same principles. But a case study is also a story and as such, it makes a very effective teaching tool. It grabs the students’ attention. It demonstrates the lesson through practice, rather than simply stating it as theory. A story is more memorable than theory, and more fun, too. This lecture will explore the many ways in which case studies may be used to teach methods of genealogical research.
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Session P5: Principles of Good Writing and Good Storytelling – John Philip Colletta
Every ancestor’s life is a story, a true story that family historians can bring vividly to life if they put into practice fundamental principles of good writing and good storytelling. This lecture will discuss the essential elements of captivating stories: setting, action, characters and theme or conflict. It will demonstrate vivid vocabulary that invokes the five senses, uses archaic expressions and incorporates quotations from period documents. It will illustrate how to hook a reader’s interest, employ strong verbs and effective adjectives, employ literary techniques to create well-rounded episodes with suspense, surprise, romance, horror and humor, and suggest the ancestor’s temperament or character. Real-life stories may read as well as any best-selling fiction!
CONCURRENT IN-DEPTH LECTURES
(Attend both morning and afternoon in-depth lectures, or mix with Professional/Advanced lectures, listed above.)
10:00 am – 12:30 pm Morning In-depth Lectures (Each instructor will schedule a break at an appropriate time. Sessions may end before the indicated time.)
Session W1: Working Effectively with RootsMagic – William H. (Bill) Bienia
RootsMagic is known for being powerful, yet easy to use, and Version 4 provides many innovative, new features. This in-depth lecture will explore many of the key features, but side trips are encouraged based on the needs and interest of the audience. The speaker is an expert on this software program and is willing to discuss and demonstrate all areas of the program. He will provide numerous tips and hints as he progresses through the session. Bring your questions or just come out to see how powerful RootsMagic can be.
Session W2: Searching and Exploring Ancestry – Lesley Anderson
Ancestry.ca is part of a global network of family history sites, which currently includes about 4 billion searchable family history records and 12 million member family trees. This two-hour in-depth lecture will explore some of the key Ancestry databases and will cover: best strategies for searching Ancestry sites; various approaches to finding records; types of information to include in searches; how to use names and locations effectively in searches; how to use search forms and wild cards to refine searches; what to do when you find a record; Ancestry Hints; and how to add alternate information and updates to your ancestors’ records.
Session W3: Ontario Crown Land Records – Fawne Stratford-Devai
Crown land records are the records generated about the inhabitants of land while the government owned it. Many thousands of early settlers in the province of Ontario inhabited Crown lands through renting, leasing, squatting, government grants and sales. However, hundreds and even thousands of these early settlers never received the actual patent to the land from the government. Fortunately, records of the initial request for land, or attempts to settle Crown land were still generated. This in-depth lecture will provide participants with a sound understanding of the land granting process, as well as a variety of Crown land records and resources that can shed light on the inhabitants of early Ontario as a province was being carved out of the wilderness.
Session W4: Quebec Church Records – Gary Schroder
This in-depth lecture will focus on Quebec church registers, both Catholic and non-Catholic, for the period from 1621 to 2009. Participants will learn how to gain access to these registers, what governmental and non-governmental indexes exist for them and how to use the complementary Statistical Returns of Marriage and Death for the period from 1926 to 1997. This session will be relevant to everyone with Quebec ancestry, regardless of language or faith.
12:30 pm – 2:00 pm
LUNCH BREAK
Special Luncheon with speaker sponsored by Ancestry.ca (Optional ticketed event)
New Projects at Ancestry – Lesley Anderson
Luncheon attendees will learn about some exciting and different ways that Ancestry plans to work together with genealogy societies, archives and individuals to bring rich genealogical content to the web.
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
MARKETPLACE GRAND OPENING
3:00 pm – 5:30 pm Afternoon In-depth Lectures (Each instructor will schedule a break at an appropriate time. Sessions may end before the indicated time.)
Session W5: Working Effectively with Legacy Family Tree – Rick Roberts
Legacy Family Tree is a professional-grade genealogy software program that is easy to use. More than just a place to record and print out your work, Legacy provides the tools that will help you manage your entire family history project. Participants in this in-depth lecture will discover proven techniques for getting started, entering information, citing sources, adding photos, videos and sound clips, tips and shortcuts, recording history and images of the places where family events happened, automatic application of GPS co-ordinates to places, backing up and much more. See how Legacy can examine the information and sources that you add to your family file, recommend additional resources that you missed, and help you access them online and/or by traditional means. Learn how to use the new Source Template tool to easily, quickly and accurately record your sources of information. You will benefit from dozens of hints and tips that will help you improve your family history research results using Legacy Family Tree.
Session W6: Building an Online Family Tree at Ancestry.ca – Ruth Burkholder
With a membership in Ancestry, researchers have the option of building family trees and storing them online. This in-depth lecture will explore the hows and the whys (or why nots) of building an online family tree. Participants will learn the basics of using the program and how to get the most out of the features available. The session will also include discussion about the benefits of having your genealogy available for others to see and search.
Session W7: Ontario Land Registry Records – Fawne Stratford-Devai
Land Registry records are the records generated once land in Ontario had been granted or sold to an individual from the government. All transactions after the initial patent was issued are filed in local Land Registry Offices in counties across the province. Land Registry records are public documents that span more than two hundred years—from 1796 up to yesterday! This in-depth lecture will discuss how to access and use Land Registry records to find out about the individuals and families who owned property and their place in the rich history of settlement and development of the province of Ontario.
Session W8: Quebec Census, Probate and Land Records – Gary Schroder
This in-depth lecture will focus on censuses used in Quebec genealogical research, how to find wills, the importance of notarial records, and the new Quebec Online Land Register which is digitizing and indexing all property transactions in Quebec from the 1840s until the present. This session will be relevant to everyone of Quebec ancestry, regardless of language or faith.
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
DINNER BREAK
7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
CONFERENCE 2010 OPENING CEREMONIES AND HOUSTON MEMORIAL LECTURE
Session H1: Seven Habits of Highly Effective Genealogists – Thomas W. Jones
Genealogists whose work is accurate and useful engage in seven habits that contribute to their effectiveness. How each habit contributes to successful genealogical research will be explained and suggestions made for ways to develop the habits. The presentation will cover the areas of documentation, original sources, breadth of research, analysis of findings, organization, sharing, and continuous learning.
Reception following.