Connect...with expert speakers in live chats and interactive workshops.
Connect...with other attendees and genealogists in Track Talks group discussions.
Connect...with your Massachusetts ancestors by exploring new sources and applying new skills.
MGC announced the opening of the registration system for its virtual educational seminar, Connections 2022 at 12:00 noon Eastern time. The seminar has two live speakers, nineteen presenters, twenty streaming on-demand presentations, four workshops, and thirteen live events during April. It is followed by an additional month of on-demand streaming. Access to the entire two months is available for only $49.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Live events open on April 2 at 11:00 AM with a Keynote by the Massachusetts Archivist, Dr. John Warner, about “Riders on the Storm: Researching Your Civil War Ancestors.” He will draw on the resources he uncovered while writing his book on the Fifth Massachusetts Volunteer Cavalry, the third African-American regiment raised in Massachusetts during the Civil War.
SPECIAL LIVE PRESENTATION: April 27, at 7:00 PM, Dr. Stephen Morse presents “Getting Ready for the 1950 Census: Searching With and Without a Name Index.” Look to Dr. Morse for the types of skills needed to find the most
elusive relatives.
TRACKS AND LECTURES: Five topical areas allow genealogists to focus their on-demand streaming on particular research issues.
Ethnic/Cultural: African-American, French-Canadian, Massachusetts tribal, and Jewish genealogy research.
Repositories: The Massachusetts State Archives, the Boston City Archives, the American Antiquarian Society, and the Boston Public Library.
Technology: Ancestry.com search strategies, online Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, and making DNA connections.
Town & County: Massachusetts town records, colonial cemetery records, and uncovering hidden family secrets.
Records: Massachusetts Catholic records, Revolutionary War records, 1950 census records, and how to crowdsource information.
WORKSHOPS: Four of the presenters will also participate in a new format for workshops. The attendees can listen to the lecture, try using the strategies and methodologies learned, and meet with the presenter in a live format to review the exercise and learn more. There’s nothing to cement your learning like getting your hands into it and then talking to others about the new things you’ve learned. Four presentations will have optional workshop projects: Catholic records, Revolutionary War records, Massachusetts town records, and Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps. Workshop attendance is limited to twenty-five people, so early registration is suggested.
CONNECTING WITH OTHERS THROUGH LIVE EVENTS: The speakers for each of the five tracks will gather together for weekly live chats during April. Additional Track Talks take place at 7:00 PM on Thursday, April 7 and 21. They will feature breakout rooms in which attendees share their experiences with the topics raised by the conference content.
EXHIBIT HALL: Member societies of MGC will debut their exhibit hall booths during a live event on Saturday, April 9. Society representatives will be available on that day to answer your questions. The booths will remain up for the entire conference. Each booth may have a pre-recorded video, informational downloads, and helpful links.
DON’T MISS OUT: For more information on the conference see https://www.massgencouncil.org/seminar-2022 or click the Learn More button below.