Registration Required:          

        Step 1: Click this link: gsbcfl/feb052023/event/registration 

        Step 2:  After registering you will receive a confirmation link to join the webinar.

     Zoom Technical Support: Email Sarah Divine sf787@nova.edu

At 1:30 PM, there will be a GSBC General Meeting, where a prize drawing will be held for members only.  The presentation will begin at 2:00 pm followed by questions and answers.

Regional, National and International Resources   

The Genealogy Center at Allen County Public Library located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is a remarkable family history destination for genealogists, historians, and others. While the Center focuses on local and regional history, the scope of its resources truly is national and international in scope. The immense collection, featuring more than 1.2 million physical items and access to the largest and best databases, is complemented by an experienced staff. The collection continues to grow by more than 1,000 items per month! The Center has more than 72,000 family histories browsable by principal surname or discoverable in our online catalog. Other resources include census records, city directories, passenger lists, naturalization records, and military records. Numerous other countries and ethnic groups are represented in the Center's print and online sources including Native American/First Nations Records, African American records, Canada, British Isles, Germany, and South Africa.

John D. Beatty, CG, has been a reference librarian in The Genealogy Center since 1984 and also serves as its principal bibliographer. Because of a diversified family background, he has genealogical expertise in a variety of areas. He also serves as archivist for the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana. John is the author of sixteen books on local and family history, including works on Gernam and early American families, abstracts of town vital records from Biddeford, Maine, and annotated narratives from the Irish Rebellion of 1798, as well as numerous articles on a variety of genealogical and local history topics. In 2006, he served as principal editor for volume one of a two-volume History of Fort Wayne and Allen County, Indiana, 1700-2005, the first history of Allen County produced since 1917.

     Registration Required:          

        Step 1: Click this link: gsbcfl/mar052023/event/registration 

        Step 2:  After registering you will receive a confirmation link to join the webinar.

     Zoom Technical Support: Email Sarah Divine sf787@nova.edu

At 1:30 PM, there will be a GSBC General Meeting, where a prize drawing will be held for members only.  The presentation will begin at 2:00 pm followed by questions and answers.

The 3 Legged Square Topped Stool Protocol - The use of Name, Place, DNA in Genealogical and Genetic Research!

   This presentation on genealogy and genetic genealogy is aimed at the beginner level but will also be useful for those already using DNA for their family research. 

   Assuming that you goal in building a genealogical tree, is to place unknown potential relatives in your tree through any means possible — family bible, historical documentation, family history and lore, OR DNA matches connections.

   Arthur will discuss the components of the 3 Legged Square Topped Stool Protocol. He will use this protocol to demonstrate how he put 2 separate branches together - Using DNA, Shared matches, Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA)

   Strategies for using DNA   

Arthur will further explain strategies for maximizing the impact of DNA testing companies in pursuit of making Genetic cousins into Genealogical cousins as well!

   Remember in genealogy (no matter what tools you use) at the beginning and at the end — you will alway “Do Genealogy!”

   Tune in to this presentation by a respected researcher and speaker. Arthur Sissman has been engaged in family history genealogy since 1999 and genetic genealogy (DNA) since 2015. Arthur has built over 18 family history trees for his various family surname lines. In addition, he has tested his autosomal DNA at all the major DNA testing companies, and his Y-DNA and MtDNA at FamilyTreeDNA.  Using DNA matching Arthur has found unknown relatives (to him) using his methods and built out 1 family history tree by 150 persons in 10 days. 

   Arthur leads the online Jewish Genealogy Special Interest Group (SIG) and a DNA SIG.  He gives talks and leads workshops on how to use the matching features of all the major DNA testing companies and other topics. He also gives talks on how to get started in your genealogical research. All the work Arthur does regarding genealogy workshops and presentations is free. Arthur is a member of the Genealogical Society of Collier Co, Lee Co Genealogical Society, various JGS chapters - Miami, Pittsburgh. Arthur worked as a District Sales Manager for Dunkin' Donuts (now Dunkin) for 23 years before retiring in 1999. Arthur lives with his wife in Naples FL and has 5 grandchildren.

     Registration Required:          

        Step 1: Click this link: gsbcfl/apr162023/event/registration 

        Step 2:  After registering you will receive a confirmation link to join the webinar.

     Zoom Technical Support: Email Sarah Divine sf787@nova.edu

At 1:30 PM, there will be a GSBC General Meeting, where a prize drawing will be held for members only.  The presentation will begin at 2:00 pm followed by questions and answers.

     Note: This is the 3rd Sunday of the month due to holidays!

   In honor of our family members in the armed services past and present, GSBC invites participants to share a letter written by a family member (or other written document such as telegram) while in the armed services. This can be any time period including the present. This will be a hybrid event, meaning that GSBC will be held live at the NSU Alvin Sherman Library and will be broadcast on Zoom. Presenters can attend live or online or designate another person to present on their behalf.

   In order to submit a letter to be used in the presentation, please see the attached entry form. This form details the steps needed to submit your letter and provide us with authorization to use your material in the event. Submit the scans and entry form by email to  editor@gsbcfl.org by April 1, 2023. 

     Registration Required:          

          Step 1: Click this link: gsbcfl/may072023/event/registration 

          Step 2:  After registering you will receive a confirmation link to join the webinar.

     Zoom Technical Support: Email Sarah Divine sf787@nova.edu

At 1:30 PM, there will be a GSBC General Meeting, where a prize drawing will be held for members only.  The presentation will begin at 2:00 pm followed by questions and answers.

   Probate documentation can be a goldmine of information on a decedent and his family. However, have you searched for your ancestor in a neighbor’s estate file? Examples from Florida and elsewhere in 18th and 19th centuries will demonstrate what information can be gleaned on the decedent and neighbors involved during the probate process. Get inspired to explore probate records with a new perspective.

   Speaker Pam Ricciardi Paschke has been researching for over forty years. She speaks at national, regional, and local levels on DNA, Italian research, and other genealogical topics. She is the author of The South Precinct of Dutchess County New York 1740-1790 and many genealogical articles, and serves as administrator for five FTDNA projects. Pam is the current treasurer of the Association of Professional Genealogists.

     Registration Required:

        Step 1: Click this link: gsbcfl/jun112023/event/registration

        Step 2:  After registering you will receive a confirmation link to join the webinar.

     Zoom Technical Support: Email Sarah Divine sf787@nova.edu

At 1:30 PM, there will be a GSBC General Meeting, where a prize drawing will be held for members only.  The presentation will begin at 2:00 pm followed by questions and answers.

2nd Sunday of the month.

   While online newspaper resources are plentiful for United States and Canada research, finding the best websites and tools to collect data can be a treasure hunt. Learn how to find the best historic newspaper sites (free and paid) and how to properly capture images and text to improve your genealogical research. Topics include a review of best newspapers resources, free and fee; using Google Newspapers; capturing images and information; oft-neglected newspaper sections; extracting information and how to look for clues. There will be a four-page handout including a resource list. While this presentation is aimed with a beginner audience level, everyone will benefit from this entertaining and educational event.

   Thomas MacEntee is a professional genealogist specializing in the use of technology and social media to improve genealogical research and as a means of interacting with others in the family history community. He is also a blogger, educator, author, social media connector, marketer, network builder and more! Born in New York, after living in Northern California for close to 20 years, he currently resides in Chicago. 

   Laid off after a 25-year career in the information technology field, he started his own genealogy-related business called High Definition Genealogy and has made over 1,000 lecture appearances since 2009. Thomas shares many of his articles and videos for free at GenealogyBargains.com! 

   “I’m a lifelong learner with a background in a multitude of topics and I’ve finally figured out what I do best: teach, inspire, instigate, and serve as a curator and go-to-guy for concept nurturing and inspiration. I believe in success, and that we all succeed when we help each other find success." Thomas believes knowledge is to be shared and not hoarded and to always give credit and attribution.

   Registration Required:

     Step 1: Click this link: gsbcfl/oct012023/event/registration  

     Step 2:  After registering you will receive a confirmation link to join the webinar.

   Zoom Technical Support: Email Sarah Divine sf787@nova.edu

At 1:30 PM, there will be a GSBC General Meeting, where a prize drawing will be held for members only.  The presentation will begin at 2:00 pm followed by questions and answers.

   History informs genealogy. It is the means to determine “the meat on the bones,” the authentic context of the past lives that genealogists strive to reconstruct. Many genealogists experience that exciting connection when they find famous, well-documented events and individuals in their family lines. Still more genealogists hope to make such famous “finds” and are frustrated that they do not. Yet the field of history most applicable to genealogy and vice versa is social history, ordinary people’s everyday lives, culturally predictable in their family and social group contexts.

   Using social history, historical resources, with family data and primary sources, you can predict and explain ancestors’ life choices, work and social lives, migration patterns, politics and religion, marriage and child naming or raising customs, and even the most private aspects of life. Learning historians’ skills and resources, how best to find and approach them, opens a new world to the genealogist. Family history can seem more complete and fulfilling. Creating projects to preserve recollections, documents, and artifacts with historical methods makes their preservation in permanent public collections more likely. You will have “brought your family history to life.”

   Katherine Scott Sturdevant is the senior Professor of History at Pikes Peak State College in Colorado Springs. She has BA and MA degrees in History from San Francisco State University and PhD candidacy from UC Santa Barbara. Over her 30-year career she has taught a wide variety of subjects in history (U.S., Colorado, environmental, women's, West, Southwest, Native American, Pikes Peak Regional), as well as public speaking, and writing. Relevant to this presentation, she has also taught family history classes for the college community outreach programs.  Two of her many publications, Bringing Your Family History to Life through Social History (Betterway Books, 2000) and Organizing and Preserving Your Heirloom Documents (Betterway, 2002) reflect her emphasis on applying historical context, sources, and methods to family history research, organization, preservation, and writing. An entertaining speaker, she has presented for many genealogical and historical organizations as well as many classes and workshops on her family history approach.

     Registration Required:          

         Step 1: Click this link: gsbcfl/nov052023/event/registration 

         Step 2:  After registering you will receive a confirmation link to join the webinar.

Zoom Technical Support: Email Sarah Divine sf787@nova.edu

At 1:30 PM, there will be a GSBC General Meeting, where a prize drawing will be held for members only.  The presentation will begin at 2:00 pm followed by questions and answers.

   Do you have a favorite photograph of an ancestor or family event? Perhaps you have an interesting type of photograph (e.g., tintype). GSBC invites members to share your special photograph during our December 3, 2023, general meeting. This can be from any time period including the present. This will be a hybrid event, meaning that GSBC will be held live at the NSU Alvin Sherman Library and will be concurrently broadcast on Zoom. Presenters can attend live or online or designate another person to present on their behalf.

   To avoid mishandling the photographs, and to make it easier for those at the meeting to enjoy them, please scan your photograph so we can show it on the big screen.

   In order to submit a photograph, to be used in the presentation, please see the attached entry form.  This form details the steps needed to submit your photograph and provides us with authorization to use your material in the event. Send the file from the scan to us by email (email address is editor@gsbcfl.org  by November 1st. If you can’t scan the photograph, please let us know ASAP so we can assist.

     Registration Required:          

         Step 1: Click this link: gsbcfl/dec032023/event/registration 

         Step 2:  After registering you will receive a confirmation link to join the webinar.

    Zoom Technical Support: Email Sarah Divine sf787@nova.edu

At 1:30 PM, there will be a GSBC General Meeting, where a prize drawing will be held for members only.  The presentation will begin at 2:00 pm followed by questions and answers