Southern California Genealogical Society: 2010 Jamboree:

Comments from the 2010 attendees
from the Post-Jamboree Survey:

"This was the best Jamboree I've ever attended. It definitely ranks right up there with the national conferences."

"I have attended several NGS, FGS and New England Regional conferences, but I have to say this was the very best in organization! Kudos to you all. Well done. Take a bow."

"I would very much like to thank all of the volunteers, I can only imagine how many hours and hours they have worked to pull this off. They did a fantastic job and it is very much appreciated. And thank you to the kids from Burbank High, they were very friendly and helpful also (and always had a smile on their faces!). Thank you!"

"Good job. With the information I gained at this years Jamboree I was able to break through two brickwalls only after 48 hours of returning home. That guy Schmal who did Mexican genealogy was a God send."

"BRAVO! BRAVO! I can't begin to say how much I appreciate and admire ALL the hard work the legions of volunteers did. You are amazing. Thank you, thank you."

"A huge 'thank you' for all the time and effort put in to "make the Jamboree such a great success. You are the greatest!"

"I hope you all went home Sunday with a smile on your faces for a 'job well done'. Looking forward to seeing how you outdo yourselves next year."

"I was impressed at how well this conference was run. It is a great service to the whole genealogical community, and has a strong reputation."

"A brick wall of 30 years came tumbling down thanks to the folks in the Family Search booth, and I found two more generations going back to the 1640s."

"Thank You Very Much for the warm and inviting conversations. It’s been very educational and valuable for my family. Your hard work is very much appreciated by all."

"I found the people very friendly. I will look forward to using the SCGS library in the future. It was fun to see all the other people interested in the same thing that I was, and interested in helping each other."

"The response at NEHGS booth when the gentleman I was talking with added more names to my pedigree chart "without looking"."

"The volunteers are so important to the success of the event and I really do appreciate all that they do. It's a good reflection on the quality of an organization when you see such great grassroots support."

"To all the volunteers....you are truly wonderful dedicated individuals who performed with grace and charm throughout this whole event!! I for one really appreciated all your efforts. It made for a really fun experience!!!"

"Outstanding event organized by an outstanding organization."

" Wonderful job during 3 hectic days serving people with so many different kinds of needs. Your smiles and 'can-do' approach made the event so enjoyable. The event would not be the same without you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!"

"I want to thank all the organizers for thinking about how every person at every research level would approach the many opportunities the Jamboree offers. You make me stretch what I'm seeking to new levels every time I attend. Yet I feel comfortable at my level -- which is certainly not expert! I'm happy to be a good research, but you tease me into wanting to be a great one. And thank you for continuing to share how to take research and put it into stories that involve other members of my family."

"The value of the Jamboree far exceeds the cost. Congratulations on a well put together program!"

"I have been trying to get proof on an ancestor so I can join DAR and the DAR booth ladies gave me his file number! So exciting. Also, one instructor told me of another way to search for a missing ancestor in the 1880 census in GA. Great."

"The Jamboree was such a spectacular event, it couldn't have been that good without the tender, loving care of many volunteers. Thank you so much for contributing to making it such a wonderful occasion!"

"I am amazed how the Jamboree keeps getting better and better. Keep up the good work."

"The jamboree would not have been such a success without you."

"In the Tech Zone I found a newspaper obituary of my mother with a picture, several articles on both of my brothers who were involved in sports, and historical maps of my father's birthplace. It was a goldmine."

"Very appreciated and hope that you felt rewarded for helping us create legacies for family and friends."

"To all the wonderful volunteers that were so kind, outgoing and helpful, a huge thank you for making the Jamboree a great experience."

"Excellent work! Volunteers were always helpful and cheerful, even in the midst of being overworked. I liked the fact that you had young helpers at the door of each session; they were also friendly and helpful (on several occasions helping me find a seat in a crowded session). This kind of event can't happen without the labor of well-trained volunteers, and they seemed to do their work flawlessly - which made participants' experiences that much more enjoyable. Thank you!"

"This message is for the Jamboree 2010 Committee, Co-Chairs, volunteers and anyone connected with the planning and implementation of Jamboree 2010 ...this was an extraordinary conference...EVERY aspect was foreseen and provided for, from the smallest detail to the most important aspect...you must be very, very proud of yourself and your fellow-workers. It was an unforgettable experience!"

"As a new member of SCGS and 1st time attendee to Jamboree I can't tell you how much I enjoyed it. I really wish I would have known about this before. The seminars really helped me learn what I've been doing wrong and how I need to fix what I've entered into my family tree. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR SETTING IT UP."

"I met a cousin on my husband's father’s side that I knew nothing about and she is the president of the professional group. WOW! What a small world."

"I just can't believe what a first-class effort you, Leo and your volunteers put forth to achieve this masterpiece that was the 2010 Jamboree! There is no word to describe it other than "first class." The syllabus was beautifully done with the coil binding making it easy to open and lie flat. The tote bag is perhaps the finest in my collection amassed over the years. There was adequate seating for the sessions. Some caring and knowledgeable person was available at every point of possible inquiry. There were many wonderful drawing prizes. I could go on, but the bottom line is that someone cares -- a lot -- and it shows!"

"A contact put me in touch with someone who got me in touch with a relative."

"Great Jamboree. I've learned so much my head hurts! :) Thanks to your and all the other volunteers. Looking forward to next year."

"You, your committee and the SCGS have done another outstanding job with the Jamboree. Thank you so much. You've always done a great job, but I believe strongly that this year was the best yet. I hope you get a deserved rest!"

"Without the volunteers, the Jamboree wouldn't succeed. Everyone's hard work is obvious, and appreciated. Hopefully more volunteers will become involved in the Jamboree so it can grow and improve. Thanks!!!"

"Joined New England Historic Genealogical Society and have gone back several generations on three lines thanks to access to old books. So satisfying. I didn't realize how valuable this subscription would be without talking to the vendor."

"I don't know what it is about Jamboree but I have enjoyed all of the bloggers posts about Jamboree so much that I joined SCGS, ordered the syllabus and am anxiously waiting for Jamb to put the lectures up for sale on their website. I've got Jamboree on my calendar for next year and hopefully will be able to attend. Whatever you are doing well - just keep it up. From the sounds of things it's THE conference to be at."

"Met a cousin I never had met before. We are now going to figure out the exact connection together of our two lines."

"Sunday Morning after my scanning session with Ancestry.com, my Cousin Alexa and I decided to stop in to the "Tech Zone". In our 30 minutes we decided that we would explore Footnote.com. While exploring Footnote we found Town Records for Connecticut that confirmed family members for our Taylor ancestors there. Our major find, which resulted in high fives and what some would say a "Happy Dance" was finally locating our Great Grandmother/ Great Aunt Nona (Coor-Pender) Peckham in the 1930 census. We have been looking for her for almost a year with Ancestry.com! While using Footnote, Nona's name jumped out at us as though she were saying "I am here!!". We were amazed, the Census record was the second record in our search result. We were very lucky because we had just come from the Ancestry's scanning station and I had the USB drive provided. We were able to save the images and of course write down the source. Thank you Jamboree for having the "Tech Zone" and the Ancestry Scanning Station. Next year I will bring so much more to scan and my own USB drive for those unexpected finds in the "Tech Zone". Looking forward to next year!"

"For no good reason, I put my grandfather's name in at the Ancestry.com booth and a family tree appeared. I have emailed that cousin and am anxiously awaiting word. That success prompted me to enter my mother's name by her first husband. A newspaper article appeared from 1952. Answered a lot of questions."

"At the presidential breakfast lecture, I made a connection from my line through a direct blood link to 4 US presidents and European kings and queens. I finally found ancestors that were something other than a farmer."

"During the world roundtable that you had on Friday morning, I sat at the Portuguese table with Cheri Mello. I was the only one taking advantage of all of Cheri's experience. I couldn't believe it. Anyway she gave me a website and showed me what to look for on Portuguese birth records and I went home and found all my grandmothers brothers and sisters, all 15 of them. Now I'm going back to find birth records for my great- grandparents and beyond."

"Met a cousin I never knew I had at a booth, we share about 8 Hingham immigrants ancestors. :)"

"Drew Smith pointed me to a source I hadn't thought of before. Also found a friend that I haven't seen in 40 years."

"Search strategies for Ancestry led to me making progress with the Newspapers there. I could never find ANYTHING in the papers on Ancestry and since Jamboree, I've solved at least 2 long running mysteries and gathered all kinds of new information."