NGS 2013 has come and gone!

National Genealogical Society's

2013 Family History Conference

has come and gone (May 8 - May 11).

I flew in early Tuesday evening and was 

ready to meet my friend, Susan, who is the

Stroud Y-DNA Surname Project administrator.

We were both first time attendees to the conference

and both Stroud descendants.

Day 1 - we got up early and got our 

registration packet.  Then headed to find a place for

breakfast.  After a long wait at the Paradise Cafe,

we ate and headed to the conference area to attend the

opening session.  

After opening remarks and memorials, and some 

drawings for prizes, Marion Smith spoke on People, Policy,

and Records: The Importance of Historical Background.

The opening session ended with Mariachis Los Bravos, a 

middle school mariachi band! 

We had tried to plan ahead on what session each of us

would attend, but choices made it hard!  My first day

choices were:

Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, CGL, FASG, FNGS, FUGA:

Debunking Misleading Records.

Kimberly T. Powell: Genealogical Writing Made Easier With Scrivener.

Barbara Vines Little, CG, FNGS, FVGS: Understanding What They Wrote: Tricks and Tips for Deciphering the Unintelligible in Documents.

Craig Roberts Scott, CG: Genealogy Game Show: The Last Genealogist Standing.

We had a fun time in this game show session!

Day 2 - morning started at Paradise Cafe.  Another day of walking...and...walking...

and sitting...and sitting!

Barbara Ann Renick: Search Techniques for Computer-Indexed Sources.

Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, CGL, Warren Bittner, CG and David McDonald, CG:

BCG Certification Seminar - The Why and the How.

Craig Roberts Scott, CG:  Finding Females: Maiden Name Unknown

Lisa Louise Cooke: How to Create an Exciting, Interactive Family

History Tour with Google Earth

Day 3 - morning started at Paradise Cafe.

More walking.  Note to self: pack tennis shoes next time!

Joan E. Healey, AG: Overview of Native American Research.

[This was one of my favorite sessions].

Ugo Alessandro Perego: Building Global Y Chromosome

and Surname Studies.

Debbie Parker Wayne, CG, CGL: Going Nuclear: DNA

Discoveries to Trace All Lines of Descent

These 2 DNA sessions were great, especially since it

looks like I will miss the FTDNA Administrator conference this year.

And Debbie is also a Stroud descendant (from Texas) and it was good to see her again.

Next was lunch and I attended Boston University's luncheon.  Panel spoke on

forensic investigations of unknown dead.

Ugo Alessandro Perego: Dissecting Your Gentic Profile:
Finding the Heart of Your Ancestry Using DNA

Laura G. Prescott: Publish Your Genealogy Online

NGS Banquet: nice meal, awards given out.  I was happy

when I heard the announcement that Carolyn H. Brown won 

the Award of Merit.  I had met her and a lady from San Angelo, Texas, after the 

BCG Certification session.  Another exhausting day!

Day 4 - early breakfast at Paradise Cafe.

Bruce Buzbee: Research Tips in RootsMagic.

Brian Donovan: Landlords and Tenants: Land and

Estate Records for Irish Family History Research.

Good information. Maybe it will help in the search for my 

husband's great-grandfather's birth and family in Ireland.

Angela Packer McGhie: Researching in Federal Land Records.

Barbara Mathews, CG: Not Quite Right: Recognizing Errors 

The exhibitor area was near the conference area so during breaks

it was convenience to go in and do some "looking" and "buying"!

Family Tree DNA's booth was pretty busy.  There were a lot

of vendors; too many for me to remember all of them, but they included 

Ancestry, Ancestral Quest, RootsMagic, Legacy, New England Historical

Society, Archives.com, Association of Professional Genealogists,

Boston University-Center for Professional Education, Bureau of Land

Management-Eastern States, BYU, Center for Family History and

Genealogy,E-Z Photo Scan, Family ChartMasters, FamilySearch, FindmyPast.com,

Fold3, Fun Stuff for Genealogists, ICAPGen, Newspapers.com AND so many more..

I did not attend a last session on Day 4.  It was time for me

to catch a shuttle to the airport and head home. 

On the flight home, I sat by a lady who had attended the

conference and we had a good chat about it and genealogy in general.

It was a very busy, tiring four (4) days, but I

enjoyed the conference and learned quite a few 

new tips and techniques.  And I do plan on buying

several CD's of some of the sessions I wasn't able

to attend.  Too many good choices! 

NGS 2014 - Richmond, VA

Will you be there?

Happy Hunting,

Revis