Genealogists are everywhere, you just have to look

Future genealogists are born every day.  Some may not come to the field until they are older because they just stumbled upon their roots.  Others will be intrigued from the moment they can ask questions and will look to the family story tellers for guidance and help.  It is up to all of us to plant these seeds early.  This fact I am a firm believer in.

Let me be honest for a minute.  There are genealogy societies literally dying out.  I have heard older genealogists bemoan that fact that young kids just do not want to do genealogy.  No one listens to the older generation when they want to share.  Youth are too self-involved to do this.  And on and on and on.  These statements are wrong, and I have been told those statements neumerous times.  There are youth and younger adults who DO want to.  The problem is the older generation many times does not know how to communicate with them.

The under 50 demographic is growing by leaps and bounds, but there is one major problem.  Most of the time they are not given the chance to be involved or participate.  There is a bit of reverse age discrimination going on in the genealogy world you could say.  Now, if you want to attract younger adults to this world you really do it the same way you would attract anyone else.  My word of advice to you is to not make assumptions about anyone based on their age, embrace any potential new members to your circle, and let them assume roles of leadership.  Blooming where you are planted is an amazing thing.

Or think on this one.  How many times have you attended a presentation where the person at the podium droned on and on and on?  If it was at a large conference right after lunch I bet you were struggling to keep your eyes open!  Now, put yourself in a ssituation where you don’t understand half the words or concepts that are said to you.  How quickly would you tune the person out?             

The key to starting an appreciation or love of something is to get the person hooked.  Think about these things if you want to get someone close to you involved:

·         What are their interests? Do they like sports, history, reading, horses, etc?

·         Do they have a favorite time period?  Do they love learning about the Renaissance, WWII, Old West, etc?

·         Is there a type of story that fascinates them? Do they like biographies, fiction, poems, etc?

·         How do they learn? Do they need to see it, read it, hear it, etc?

Knowing the interests of the person in question can make this a lot simpler.  Take your answers from the questions above and see if you have any ancestors that fall into those categories.  Do you have an author, scientist, athlete, or soldier in the family? If one of those ancestors shares a common trait with them casually throw it out into a conversation.  Essentially you are putting out ancestor bait and then reeling them in with the story.

Of course what you say and how you will say it should depend on their ages.  As they get older you can add other facts into their continued curiosity about those earlier stories.  When they are a teen or young adult you can then transition into conversations surrounding social history, records, or other bits of information that only a mature person would understand about the nitty gritty details of the times.

Teaching, exploring and discovering is easier to do when you live with the youth you are trying to teach your family history to.  If you are not the parent but another relative who only sees them every so often realize that you must seize every opportunity present to show them this amazing world.  The easiest way is through road trips.

I take every opportunity to point out to my kids something that one of our ancestors may have lived through, experienced, seen, or done every chance I get when we are on a family road trip.  Drawing that connection between their family and a historical event brings an added layer to the picture.  For many that is all that was missing to make either their ancestor more real to them. 

Also, don’t be afraid to bring young adults and kids to genealogy conferences, meetings, or lectures. I also do this every chance I get with mine.  Each time I am surprised at what they get out of the lectures and the experience.  

Yes, I have received nasty looks and unfavorable comments.  Yes, I ignore them because thankfully my kids tend to know how to behave in public.  However, and this is something as the responsible adult you have to know, I realize when they are done and remove them from the area.  When a tired or hungry kid gets cranky I need to be the adult and take care of the situation.

There are not a lot of resources out there for people with children who are interested in genealogy.  Many of the books are written with the focus being on adults getting thier kids/grandkids hooked.  What if they are hooked?  We need more resources for those kids who want to know more about genealogy but who have adults in their lives that just don’t get it.  I know they are out there, somewhere. 

Just remember, if you have a child or young adult who is interested in learning more about their heritage encourage them and lead them in the right directions.  Don’t discourage them.  Stand up for them to other adults who might.  With more and more people joining in the genealogy search the ages are dropping and we don’t want to literally run away our future.

NGS: Volunteer opportunities for you and the youth in your life

One of the best ways that you can support the genealogical community is through volunteering. Volunteering my time, energy, and know how is something I love to do and I know many of you do too.  Often I am accused of giving too much, and I am sure many of you can relate to that statement.  However, NGS needs us this May, so I am going to ignore those little birdies and raise my hand anyway. 

In fact, do you have a responsible teenager who is an aspiring genealogist?  If so they can volunteer too!  The conference is looking for teenagers who would be willing to stuff bags on Monday morning, work registration, or be room monitors.  This would be a great way for them to get a feel for the community and not feel awkward since they are helping out and staying busy.

I was sent the following information about volunteering at NGS in May.  Hopefully you see something on here that catches your attention and will make you want to assist in the event!  I will see you there since I am off to volunteer right now.  Read all about volunteering below or check out the Virginia Genealogical Society website for further information.

 

Call for Volunteers NGS 2014 Family History Conference Virginia: The First Frontier 5-10 May in Richmond

Sign up today to volunteer for the National Genealogical Society 2014 Family History Conference held 7-10 May 2014. Anyone volunteering for this conference will be given training on Monday, 5 May 2014. You will work at the Greater Richmond Convention Center (405 North 3rd Street) or the Richmond Marriott (500 East Broad St.).

Sign up for a morning or afternoon or for the whole week in Richmond at the NGS 2014 Family History Conference. It’s easy to sign up.

Go to http://www.vgs.org to read more. There you can pick your job and indicate your interest to be a 2014 NGS volunteer. First come, first served.

If you have questions, contact Don Moore at NGS2014Volunteer@gmail.com.

See you all at the conference in May!

Youth Workshop at NGS Richmond

NGS in Richmond is just around the corner, and boy am I and my kids really excited about it.  Yep, they will be attending their 2nd national conference with me.  Well, just for the Saturday Youth Workshop this time and not the whole shebang.  Unfortunately May is statewide testing for Virginia which means no missing school to attend an awesome event with your mom.

Did you know that there is a youth workshop planned?  How about a student rate of $50 for the conference?  Well… there are!  The Saturday program sounds amazing and I know my kids have already said it looks good to them too.  However, that may because it is a chance to hang out with other kids and not their mom.  You know how embarrassing moms can be right?

It is a free event to those who sign up before April 22^nd.  Space is limited though so make sure that you sign up soon!  Still need more information?  The schedule was released on the website and I copied parts of it below.  You can see the full schedule here along with who you should contact about signing up your kids, grand-kids, nieces, nephews, or other youth in your life.

10 May 2014 Youth Workshop Program:

8:15 a.m. Check-in

8:30 a.m. Welcome and brief family history video.

8:50 a.m. Learn about the Rubincam Youth Award. Details can be found here

9:00 a.m. Scout leaders briefly explain the Genealogy Badge

9:30 a.m. Attend lecture, “Tools to Help You Share Family Stories” by Tammy A. Hepps, owner of Treelines.

10:30 a.m. Visit the Exhibit Hall with more than 100 vendors including subscription genealogy database providers, software developers, booksellers, genealogy societies, genetic testing, and much more.

11:00 a.m. Exhibitors Ancestry.com and FamilySearch will provide computers and assistance in exploring their family history research data bases.

12:00 p.m. End of program

Press Release: New Activity Book Series from Janet Hovorka

Zap The Grandma Gap and its companion workbook are wonderful resources for families trying to connect the generations through family history projects.  I have reviewed the book here and on the In-Depth Genealogist.  Plus a review of the workbook will be released later this month on the In-Depth Genealogist blog.  Hope you enjoy them as much as I did! 

Look out for reviews of the new books in the next few months too. This series sounds like it is going to be amazing books as well.

New Activity Book Series Brings Youthful Fun To Family History

Cedar Hills, UT – November 6^th, 2013 –

Studies have shown that greater knowledge about family history especially strengthens and empowers youth by creating self-esteem, resilience and a greater sense of control over their lives.  Learning about the family’s past also strengthens the relationships between living family members by creating a shared experience and core identity that no one else in the world can duplicate. 

To help families achieve these great benefits authors Janet Hovorka and Amy Slade have developed a new series of “Zap The Grandma Gap--My Ancestor” activity books.  The first four books, My British Ancestor, My Civil War Ancestor, My Swedish Ancestor and My German Ancestor are 52 page activity books designed for 6-14 year olds with puzzles, activities, games and recipes combined with questions and learning opportunities about specific ancestors and the culture that surrounded them.  Timelines, paper dolls, coloring pages, maps, fairy tales, music, dot to dots and crossword puzzles combine to give youth the full picture of what their ancestors’ lives were like.  When pre-ordered now, the books will arrive in time to prompt questions around the Thanksgiving table.  Or they can become the perfect Christmas gift for children and grandchildren that will create stronger bonds in modern families by encouraging the whole family to learn about their ancestors together.  Sample pages from the books can be viewed on the website and blog at ZapTheGrandmaGap.com where they join other online and print resources to help families connect to each other by connecting to their past.   

With the My British Ancestor Activity Book youth can:

•  Discover online and offline resources for finding more information about your British roots
• Compare British Schools to today’s schools
• Solve puzzles about different British homes
• Complete a crossword puzzle about British words your ancestors used
• Learn about and participate in a British holiday
• Plan a proper British family history tea party
• Play British games your ancestors may have played
• And explore many other activities

With the My German Ancestor Activity Book youth can:

•  Record how you are related to your German ancestor
• Try some German recipes
• Read a German Fairy Tale your ancestors might have known.
• Color and cut out German paper dolls to tell the stories of your ancestors
• Collect documents about your German ancestor’s life
• Make a Schultute School Bag like your ancestors may have received for school.
• Explore some of the qualities you share with your German Ancestor
• And explore many other activities

With the My Civil War Ancestor Activity Book youth can:

•  Discover online and offline resources for finding more information about your Civil War ancestors
• Follow a dot to dot about an important Civil War landmark
• Try some of the food eaten by the Civil War soldiers
• Learn some Civil War songs and bugle calls
• Create a military band with homemade instruments
• Record the battles in which your ancestors were involved
• Write a eulogy for your Civil War ancestor
• And explore many other activities

With the My Swedish Ancestor Activity Book youth can:

• Place your Swedish ancestor in the context of broader Swedish history
• Complete a crossword puzzle about Swedish words your ancestors used
• Learn about and create items for a Swedish holiday
• Color and cut out Swedish paper dolls to tell the stories of your ancestors
• Write a letter to your Swedish ancestor
• Design and color a drawing of a Dala horse such as your ancestor might have played with
• Involve your whole family in the fun of learning about your Swedish ancestors
• And explore many other activities

The “My Ancestor” activity books are designed to give kids ownership of their own family history.  “These books help young kids take the lead in learning about their family history for themselves,” says Hovorka.  “As they accomplish the activities together with the help of their parents and grandparents, they strengthen modern family bonds while they are strengthening their identity with the past.”  Parents and grandparents who teach children who they are and where they came from give youth a secure identity from which to draw courage as they encounter the challenges in their lives. 

The authors, sisters Janet Hovorka and Amy Slade grew up in a family history oriented home, but didn’t realize how much they were learning about their family history until later in life.   Throughout Janet’s 12 years as a popular genealogy speaker, co-owner of a family history company, genealogy instructor at SLCC, and as past president of the Utah Genealogical Association, she has witnessed over and over again how family history can heal the relationships in a family.  Her books Zap The Grandma Gap: Connect To Your Family By Connecting Them To Their Family History, and Zap The Grandma Gap Power Up Workbook have helped families connect with their roots through the real life examples drawn from Janet’s own experiences with her teenage children.   Over the last 8 years, Amy has traveled studying folklore, dance and food and culture around the world and recently received her Masters Degree in Folklore from George Mason University.  Together, they are living proof that exploring your family history helps strengthen relationships with living family members.

My German Ancestor (ISBN 978-09888-548-5-7), My Swedish Ancestor (ISBN 978-09888-548-4-0) My Civil War Ancestor (ISBN 978-09888548-3-3) and My British Ancestor (ISBN 978-09888-548-2-6), (Family ChartMasters Press, $9.95, 52 pages, 8.5x11, paperback) are available for pre-order at zapthegrandmagap.com.

IDG Post: Book review of Zap the Grandma Gap

As a mom I worry about all sorts of things and I am pretty sure worry comes with the job title.  As a genealogist an entire new layer of worry is added to that already extensive worry list. Now I ponder how I will make sure my kids, and grandkids, have the same love and respect for their family history that I have.

I was lucky that I grew up in the family I did.  My parents and grandmothers loved to tell stories about our family.  Their houses were decorated with heirlooms, pictures, and memories. Family dinners were peppered with old recipes adding to the flavors of the day. I have learned through the years that this is not the norm in most families.  Yes, I do have family members who have attempted to run away from me or who not-so-politely sat through what I thought was a very interesting story.  I am sure you all can think of several instances where this has happened to you.  My goal as a genealogist mom is to, as Janet Hovorka states in her new book, zap the grandma gap with future generations.

Zap the Grandma Gap, by Janet Hovorka, is a wonderful how-to-guide for anyone struggling with passing on their family history to younger generations.  Each chapter is filled with hints, tips, ideas, and wonderful personal stories to show you that it really isn’t that hard to connect.  All you need to do is relate to their life experiences and talk to them in ways that interest them.  Simple enough, right?

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You can read the rest of this post at the IDG!  Hope to see you there...

Observations from the edge: multi-generational needs in genealogy

Starting with RootsTech a few months back I have seen more and more traffic among genealogy blogs and forums about the need for outreach to younger genealogists.  To me, a border line Gen X / Gen Y (now a Gen C?) person, this is a wonderful and amazing thing.    Just in the last month there has been an upswing in the chatter on this subject culminating in the formation of a new society with its focus on promoting the next generation of genealogists.  

If you have read this blog for any amount of time you already know that I had a late start to the game.  Or at least in my mind.  In fact, I had not even heard of the word genealogy until I started to do research.  Maybe I had, but I was much younger and didn’t understand what exactly it meant.  However, I think if I had known what it was, that you could make a career out of it, or had been encouraged more as a child and young adult it would not have taken me until my mid-30s to come to where I am today.  Lost years, too many lost years, and lost family members along the way.

I obviously didn’t look hard enough for this field, I know, but I was focused on becoming a scientist.  Many of you probably understand. When you are in school trying to survive and get a degree, then get married, start a family, plus everything that comes with being young you sometimes don’t know which way is up.  I had the stories my family told me.  At that time in my life I thought that was enough.  Yes, I had Cousin Charlie who talked to everyone about my mother’s family and my dad’s mom also.  When they died I didn’t even think immediately about what happened to their stuff, and while I missed the updates I didn’t know what to do but go on with my life. 

Granted, I knew what a family tree was.  I had to do the time honored family tree in elementary school.  In college I filled out pedigree charts in biology class. Later I filled out family medical history charts with doctors.  Even then, I didn't stop and think to myself things like "wonder if I could follow a paper trail" or "how did they know what the line back was."  I had this notion in my head that all that was to be found had been and if I wanted to know more I just had to get a book. You know, because stuff back then wasn't kept like it is today.  Well, at least in my family that was the way of the world.

There was a veil in front of my eyes so to speak. A mystery that obviously only a few knew and only those in the know could pull back.  Or, at least that is what it felt like.  There had to be a way to find out more, but I did not have the tools or the education to do it.   Remember… biologist here…I knew all about that type of stuff not much about anything else.

Over the last several years a whole new world has opened up to me.  I have come to realize that it is easier now than it would have been a decade or more ago because of the internet.  Fast and easy accessibility was the key to get me started and hooked.  How else would a stay at home mom with 2 kids be able to carve out time to do research?  It would have been nearly impossible for me to do what I am doing now in the pre-computer/internet age.

It seems that those who get into genealogy as children or young adults had a family member help them at the start.  Those lucky few have more experience under their belt in their 20s than many of us late starters.  They are leading the next wave of genealogists and I don’t want anyone with a passion for family history, no matter how young, to be left out.  Mentoring the younger generations and giving them the opportunity to start on their own journey should be a concern to us all.

How many of you wish you parents/grandparents/siblings/cousins/etc. were still alive so you could ask those nagging questions?

Imagine what would happen if we encourage those already in university studying history, library science, sociology  or other related disciplines to look into genealogy as an aspect to their field.  How could we enrich them with what we know?  Even better, think about the ways they could enrich us with their knowledge of today.  

On the even younger scale, I don’t know how many of you have tweens in your life who watch the Disney Channel.  If you do you may have caught their segments My Family Tree.  These short pieces follow kids (I would guess middle school aged) as they discover aspects of their family history with their parents. They originally aired in 2010-11, but they are still being shown.  If you haven't seen them, some of the segments are on YouTube.  After my kids have watched an episode they always have questions about the show, if we have common themes in our family, and so many more questions.  If a 2 minute program can get kids attention…imagine what could happen to the future of our community if we harnessed this innate curiosity.

Granted, not all people will be interested in genealogy.  Just like I had neighbors at one point who didn’t understand why anyone would ever want to leave the tri-county area and a trip to the “City” 2 hours away was a huge deal.  We all have different interests, we all have different needs, and we all need someone to pick up where we leave off.  Wouldn't it be great if that someone was in the family?

Why should we wait until people are older to join in on the hunt? 

Coming together at the genealogy table will not happen overnight. Walls, age prejudice, thought patterns, and teaching will have to be addressed.  I have high hopes for our future with a multi-generational community that can learn and grow together.

However, to end on a funny note, add in a cat meme and I think this comic has it.

Taking on the next generation

Today I had a new experience: talking to a group of middle school kids about what I do with genealogy and blogging.  I actually had a bit of nerves going into it.  To be honest, I studied to be a secondary science teacher and took classes on the psychology of this age group.  I remember those lessons and that this can be a difficult age group.  Then there is the fact that I have friends who have taught this age group, my dad taught middle school many years ago, and of course I ran through my head every evil thing they said had ever happened to them.  On top of it I was having flash backs to me as a 6/7/8^th grader and I wasn't feeling any better. Yes, I could be trouble at those ages, no one tell my kids.

You know what, even with all my nerves, it was wonderful.  No one threw anything at me and I wasn't mocked at all!  In all seriousness I was so happy they were engaged and listened to what I had to say.  Their questions were great and the kids showed a real enthusiasm to know more about what I told them.  I couldn't have been more pleased at the way the classes went.

It was wonderful to see several budding genealogists in my midst.  There were a couple of 8^th graders who were very interested in how to do genealogy.  Many of them knew a lot about their family already from listening to stories that their parents and grandparents had told them.  It was heartwarming to know that there are families out there who are still passing down their stories to the next generations.

I did have to, gently, inform a couple of girls that they still needed to prove what they had been told.  You all know what I am talking about: family stories that may have a seed of the truth but have been built upon over the years.  I compared it to the telephone game (and had to explain to some of them what that game was).  The first generation or two have it right, but the next generations could add, delete, or alter facts as the years go on.  I am not sure they bought it, but I gave them advice on how they can research the stories and prove them true, or not.

For my first foray into speaking on a genealogy topic I couldn't have asked for an easier forum.  If I am offered an opportunity to do this again I will say yes!  I hope you all also have the opportunity to speak to a group of kids about your passion as well.  Passionate speakers are contagious…and we need to start working on the next generations who will take our places.

Sumer vacation strikes again

I will be in and out for the next several months.  The boys last day of school was last Friday.  This week we are at Summer camp.  In July we have a family vacation.  August is full of appointments already.  September school starts back up.  Whew... that made me tired. 

Needless to say I will apologize right now for sporadic postings.  I will be taking advantage of the the timed posting option for blogger.  Maybe I can crank out several posts on the weekend and spread them out.  Fingers crossed everyone!

If you have anything you think I should talk more about let me know.  Do you have any questions about the information I have posted, things I have found, or stuff I have done?  I'd love to hear from you!

photo credit: Brandon Christopher Warren via photo pin cc

What? It is already the end of MAY!

That was my reaction to the calender this morning.  The last few months, in fact this year, have just flown by.  Crazy-hectic-mom schedule doesn't help the matter at all.  My oldest has already got the itchy feet and antsy twitches that come with a kid that sees the end of the school year just a few weeks away.  I have the antsy twitches and tick of a mom that will soon has both kids home for 11 weeks. 

To top it off, Mr. Man will be starting middle school and Mr. Bear is entering Kindergarten this fall.  I just have to make it to September to receive my reward of freedom from children eight hours a day five days a week.  Think about all the research I will be able to do! Oh, and mani-pedi's; can't forget the occasional spa day you know.

However, we have to get through almost three months of summer first. Mr. Man has all the places he wants to visit this summer outlined on a piece of paper that was handed to me yesterday.  Battlefields, museums, and various historical sites in a four state radius.  I had to inform him that I didn't think we would be able to make it up to Boston this summer (talk about disappointed looks from the two of them). 

Included in the summer plans is a historical summer camp put on by the Jamestown Yorktown Foundation called Broadsides Camp.  We have our week booked there, both boys are going to both camps, and it should be fun!  They both did it last year and they begged to come back this year.  Who can say no to a history camp?  Logistics are the only down side as it is three hours from home and we have to stay in a hotel for a week.  Ah well, could be worse.

One of the best parts:  on day three of the Jamestown camp they will be learning about the Tempest and how some ships were blown of course and shipwrecked in Bermuda.  Among those colonists was Stephen Hopkins and his family, ancestors on my husband's side.  Mr. Man is so excited to be learning about his family at CAMP!  Mr. Bear is excited to drill with the soldiers at Yorktown and the go to play with mud and fish at Jamestown. 

Wish me luck... I may need a rescue by the end of the summer!

*Images taken by me.  Toys on the beach at Virginia Beach, and Statue of John Smith at Jamestowne Island, 2011.

Project for the boys, my next FTF post

My latest post for Family Tree Firsts is up.  This one is about how I want to make a history book for my oldest son.  He loves military history, so what better than making a book about his family through the type of history he loves.

Read all about it here.

Now... do you have any ideas or suggestions on how I should do this?  Several of my friends have started giving me ideas on different publication methods this afternoon.  What ideas do the people of the genealogy community have?

*Image from the Library of Congress: Unidentified boy, seated on park bench, probably in Washington, D.C., holding book