Jamboree Extension Series

Jamboree Webinars

Down load the 2012 Brochure

The Southern California Genealogical Society's popular Jamboree Extension Series provides family history and genealogy educational webinar (web-based seminar) sessions for genealogists around the world.

The Southern California Genealogical Society (SCGS) launched its Jamboree Extension Series (JES) webinars in March 2011. SCGS was the first genealogical society to offer regularly scheduled webinar sessions, and the popular series will continue through 2012. The series was developed to fulfill SCGS’s mission "to foster interest in family history and genealogy, preserve genealogical materials, and provide instruction in accepted and effective research techniques." The webinar series helps us deliver membership benefits to SCGS members who live outside the LA area and helps spread awareness of SCGS and Jamboree around the world. In the first year of the program, we did just that. We reached genealogists from 48 US states and 7 Canadian provinces, as well as England, Wales, Ireland, France, United Kingdom, Algeria, Uganda, Australia, New Zealand and Israel.

While the original webcasts are available to all genealogists, SCGS members will be able to review archived sessions at any time by accessing the SCGS members-only section of this website. Archive sessions will be available approximately three days following the webinar. To view the webinar, you will need a computer with audio speakers or a headset. Those persons with a fast Internet connection (either broadband or DSL) will have the most satisfactory experience.

Jamboree Extension Series presentations will be scheduled on the first Saturday and third Wednesday of each month. Saturday sessions will be held at 10am Pacific time / 1pm Eastern time; Wednesday sessions will be scheduled at 6pm Pacific time / 9pm Eastern time.

What’s a webinar?

Don’t be daunted by the name. A webinar is an educational class. (That’s the “-inar” part, as in the word “seminar.”) It’s led by a professional or specialist in the topic and is delivered over the Internet. (That’s the “web-” part.) Speakers typically provide a handout or article to accompany the slideshow. Sessions include a Q&A period and some include special offers or drawings for door prizes.

How much does it cost?

The live broadcast of each session is open to the public and FREE to all everyone (space is limited to 1000 attendees). Webinars are recorded, archived, and available for the next twelve months day or night, in the members-only section of the SCGS website. A 1-year individual membership costs only $35 and affords access to all JES webinars.

We welcome personal, foundation and corporate contributions of any amount to help fund this popular program. Donations can be made online www.scgsgenealogy.com or through PayPal. Those who wish to donate by check or money order may send their contribution to:

How do I sign up?

Step 1
Review the list of sessions below. To sign up for a session, click on the link (the title of the webinar) for the program you want to attend.

Step 2
The link will take you to an registration page on our partner website, GoToWebinar.com. Enter your name and email address and answer a couple of questions. You will receive confirmation of your registration by email. You’ll also receive reminders before the webinar. The reminder email will have information on accessing the handout material.

Step 3
On the day of the session, click the link that you received in your invitation to GoToWebinar.com to join the online session.

By the way, you can participate in a webinar even if you don't have a computer, iPad or other equipment. You may also phone in to the session and listen to the presentation. You won’t be able to see the screen but you will be able to hear the speaker. Long distance charges may apply.

How do I watch a webinar?

To watch the speaker’s material and listen to the presentation, you will need computer equipment with speakers and a broadband Internet connection.

Review the technical requirements to verify whether your computer will work to watch the webinar. If you have broadband (DSL or cable) you will have a much better experience.

Technical requirements include:

PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer

DAY	START TIME	SPEAKER	DESCRIPTION
Saturday 7-Jan	10:00 AM - P 11:00 AM - M 12:00 PM - C 1:00 PM - E	Linda Woodward Geiger, CG, CGL lwgeiger@gmail.com	Me and My Laptop: Getting the Most out of your Laptop while Researching Onsite Tips for making onsite research more efficient and productive using DropBox (or similar cloud) in conjunction with spreadsheets, word processing programs, genealogy software, and more.
Wednesday 18-Jan	6:00 PM - P 7:00 PM - M 8:00 PM - C 9:00 PM - E	Jean Wilcox Hibben, PhD, CG jean@circlemending.org	The Two Sides of Interviewing While most of us know the basics of interviewing, this presentation looks at it from a couple of different angles: from the fields of speech communication and folklore; more specifically, oral history gathering techniques. Also included is a discussion of the “other side” of interviewing: responding as the interviewee. Some suggestions for before, during, and after the interview, for those on both sides, are covered.
Saturday 4-Feb	10:00 AM - P 11:00 AM - M 12:00 PM - C 1:00 PM - E	Michael John Neill mjnrootdig@gmail.com	Seeing the Patterns: Organizing Your Information This presentation will look at a variety of ways to organize information with the intent on noticing information and trends that were not obvious, preparing the researcher to present their information to others, and assisting the researching in seeing gaps in their research.
Wednesday 15-Feb	6:00 PM - P 7:00 PM - M 8:00 PM - C 9:00 PM - E	Jana Sloan Broglin, CG jana@janabroglin.com	The Key to the Courthouse Do you want the magic key? The key to the courthouse? The way to unlock all the records within? Discussion includes books helpful in planning a courthouse trip; what the different names are for the court office; types of records; even what to wear and how to “pack” for the courthouse.
Saturday 3-Mar Just in time for St. Patrick's Day	10:00 AM - P 11:00 AM - M 12:00 PM - C 1:00 PM - E	Michael Brophy mbrophy@brophygen.com	Irish-American Catholic Genealogy The lecture will start with the central event in the history of Irish genealogy, the destruction of the Public records Office in Dublin on June 30, 1922 near the end of the Irish Civil War. As a result unique challenges and realistic expectations for Irish ancestral research will be discussed. Existing vital records and census records along with unique census substitutes for 19th century Ireland will be presented. Research materials available on-line and through film rental will be shown with examples available without the time and expense necessary to travel to Ireland. Examples are used for to emphasize key principals and record holdings such as the lineage of notable Irish-American Grace Kelly. Repositories including the holdings of the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, New England Historic and Genealogical! Society, the National Archives, and other repositories will be presented. The overall goal of the lecture is to give attendees a practical guide to finding the origins of their Irish ancestors in a broad overview lecture. Irish Protestants and resources and record repositories in Ireland will not be covered.
Wednesday 21-Mar	6:00 PM - P 7:00 PM - M 8:00 PM - C 9:00 PM - E	Barry J. Ewell bj57barry@msn.com	Top 20 Lessons Genealogists Need to Know Whether you are a beginner or a 40-year-veteran in family history, learn what genealogists from around the world consider to be the top 20 lessons every genealogist should learn and how to effectively apply these lessons in everyday research.
Saturday 7-Apr	10:00 AM - P 11:00 AM - M 12:00 PM - C 1:00 PM - E	Lisa Louise Cooke genealogygemspodcast@gmail.com	Turn iGoogle into your Personal Genealogy Research Homepage Google’s blank white page is very misleading. In this session Lisa Louise Cooke, host of the Genealogy Gems Podcast will show you how to covert Google.com into a rich, powerful genealogy research homepage that will keep you organized and moving forward online.
Wednesday 18-Apr	6:00 PM - P 7:00 PM - M 8:00 PM - C 9:00 PM - E	Janet Hovorka janet@familychartmasters.com	Grandma’s Flak Jacket: Why Your Children Need You To Do Family History Why would your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews want to know about their family’s heritage? And how do you share it with them so that they are interested? The benefits illustrated in this class include emotional healing from understanding the past, inspiration from knowing the greatness in your heritage, the perspective of knowing what was sacrificed for you, and knowing you are part of a greater whole. You are going to want to go home and start sharing and this class will show you how.
Saturday 5-May	10:00 AM - P 11:00 AM - M 12:00 PM - C 1:00 PM - E	Chris Pomery pomery@pobox.com	The Effect of the Founders: Why It's Useful to DNA Test People Living Outside the USA Only a small percentage of the bearers of any surname ever emigrated to the USA. Yet today there are often more name bearers alive in the US than in the original host country. If you want to identify the origin of a surname, you need to DNA test name bearers outside the USA.
Wednesday	6:00 PM - P 7:00 PM - M 8:00 PM - C 9:00 PM - E	Thomas MacEntee tmacentee@gmail.com	Building a Research Toolbox Are you overwhelmed with the number of online resources for genealogical research? Are you constantly working with unorganized bookmarks or favorites? Printing out lists of websites you use most? Learn how to build a research toolbox that is organized, easy-to-use, and can be accessed from almost anywhere.
Saturday 2-Jun	10:00 AM - P 11:00 AM - M 12:00 PM - C 1:00 PM - E	Paula Hinkel Leo Myers	Sneak Peek at Jamboree Jamboree is just around the corner. Check in with Leo, Paula, and other members of the Jamboree Committee to learn the last-minute details. Where to park? What's the scoop on food? What should you bring with you? Whether you're a first-timer or a Jamboree veteran, you'll have a chance to ask questions and hear the answers. Even if you won't be there in person, join us to learn about the streamed video sessions and video- and audio-recorded sessions. We'll also review the features of the app.
Wednesday 20-Jun	6:00 PM - P 7:00 PM - M 8:00 PM - C 9:00 PM - E	Rick Crume rick@onelibrary.com	Genealogy Hacks: Tricks to Crack the Top Genealogy Web Sites If you regularly return to the same Web sites and repeat the same old searches without finding much, it’s time to give your search an overhaul. Get out of that rut—and finally find your ancestors—with these “hacks” for effectively mining the Internet’s most-frequented family history stops.
Saturday 7-Jul	10:00 AM - P 11:00 AM - M 12:00 PM - C 1:00 PM - E	Ugo Perego, PhD ugo@smgf.org	Native American Ancestry: A DNA Standpoint Many genealogists from the Americas wonder if they have Native American ancestry, but are often unable to confirm it based on genealogical records. DNA might provide such evidence.
Wednesday 18-Jul	6:00 PM - P 7:00 PM - M 8:00 PM - C 9:00 PM - E	Kerry Bartels kerry.bartels@NARA.org	Neither Filmed or Scanned: NARA Treasurers Await This session will discuss examples of originial records with great genealogical value in the National Archives that exist only in their original format. Most of these records are rarely used by genealogists and some have never been used for genealogy. The discussion will also provide information about obtaining copies of the records.
Saturday 4-Aug	10:00 AM - P 11:00 AM - M 12:00 PM - C 1:00 PM - E	George G. Morgan aha@ahaseminars.com	The Genealogist as CSI Modern genealogists are much like the crime scene investigators - CSIs - that we see on television. They must be skilled investigators. They must use all available tools to locate clues and evidence. And they must employ proven methodologies and their critical thinking skills to document and evaluate every type of resource they find. They must be able to communicate their findings. This seminar analogizes genealogists with CSIs and describes the genealogical research and evaluation process. It provides a methodological framework for all types of research.
Wednesday 15-Aug	6:00 PM - P 7:00 PM - M 8:00 PM - C 9:00 PM - E	Gena Philibert-Ortega genaortega@gmail.com	Women’s Work There's no doubt that tracing female ancestors can be difficult. We make a lot of assumptions about the lives of women, some of which may not be true. In this presentation we will look at the occupations, including volunteer work, women held in 19th century America and what records they left behind. Whether your ancestress was employed or not, the repositories and collections we discuss will help you research your female ancestor.
Saturday 1-Sep	10:00 AM - P 11:00 AM - M 12:00 PM - C 1:00 PM - E	Denise Spurlock dspurlock@ancestraltrees.com	Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker. Researching Your Ancestors’ Occupations Labor Day Special: It’s likely not all your ancestors were farmers. This session will explore strategies for researching how your ancestors made a living: what they did, where, why, and for whom.
Wednesday 19-Sep	6:00 PM - P 7:00 PM - M 8:00 PM - C 9:00 PM - E	Janet Hovorka janet@familychartmasters.com	Playground Rules for Genealogy on the Internet The internet creates an exciting gathering place where we can find distant cousins and fast friends to help us research our family tree. It’s never too late to play by the rules and have fun. Be sure to follow these three basic safety rules and you’ll have a great time.
Saturday 6-Oct	10:00 AM - P 11:00 AM - M 12:00 PM - C 1:00 PM - E	Linda Woodward Geiger, CG, CGL lwgeiger@gmail.com	Hark! That Tombstone is Talking to Me! You CAN get blood from a stone. Learn about wringing the tombstone dry and learning more about your ancestors.
Wednesday 17-Oct	6:00 PM - P 7:00 PM - M 8:00 PM - C 9:00 PM - E	Lisa A. Alzo lisa.alzo@gmail.com	Family History Writing Made Easier: Cloud-based Tools Every Genealogist Can Use Telling your family’s story just got a whole lot easier thanks to a number of cloud-based notetaking and writing tools and apps you can access from home, your netbook or iPad, and even your smartphone. Learn about the latest tech tools and writing apps for bringing your family’s story to life!
Saturday 3-Nov	10:00 AM - P 11:00 AM - M 12:00 PM - C 1:00 PM - E	D. Joshua Taylor djoshuataylor@gmail.com	Thanksgiving Special: Online Resources for Colonial America Discover web sites, online databases, university projects, online archives, and other resources for researching your Colonial American ancestors online. Learn how to use Early American Imprints, JSTOR, and other resources.
Wednesday 21-Nov			No Session. Enjoy the Thanksgiving Holiday
Saturday 1-Dec	10:00 AM - P 11:00 AM - M 12:00 PM - C 1:00 PM - E	Daniel Horowitz daniel@myheritage.com	Sharing and Preserving Memories in a Digital Era Today you have a lot of options to store and share all your research material, including text, images, videos, documents or sound. Options start from the capture tools (audio recorders, cameras, cellular and scanners) and extend to sharing physical products (CD’s, DVD’s, portable disc, electronic photo frames) or the Internet itself. Internet is the perfect place to share and preserve all your memories. You have the option to publish your material from a completely private to a completely public way, and all the levels in between. You can ask for collaboration or simply display the information, people can only see or download a copy of your material; you can control every aspect. There are all kind of easy-to-use tools and resources that facilitates the work of setting up websites, blogs, wikis or any other way you decide to publish the information.
Wednesday 19-Dec	6:00 PM - P 7:00 PM - M 8:00 PM - C 9:00 PM - E	Schelly Talalay Dardashti schelly@tracingthetribe.com	Jewish Genealogy 101