Classes and Research Trips in the September webinar!

The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) is pleased to announce the September 2018 webinar, "Using Classes and Research Trips to Expand Your Membership," presented by Pat Stamm.

Societies are always looking for ways to expand their membership. One of the best ways is to offer benefits. Two potential added values are educational classes and research trips. Learn how to establish these types of programs.

This webinar will be held on Thursday, September 20, 2018, at 7:00 p.m. Central Time, and will be recorded for viewing on the FGS website shortly after its conclusion. Please register in advance.

About the Speaker

Pat Stamm is a professional researcher with over 30 years of experience. Besides lecturing across the country, she is a course coordinator at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) and teaches at St. Louis Community College. She specializes in Missouri, Catholic Church records, government documents, problem-solving, and computer research topics. She is currently serving as NGS Research Trip Coordinator.

In the past, Pat served as the Education Manager for St. Louis Genealogical and the National Genealogical Society.

Coming Up Next Month

Our October webinar will feature Amy Johnson Crow who will present “Finding and Creating Images for Your Blog and Social Media.” Register in advance for this highly requested and popular topic from one of our community's best online marketers! 

About the Webinar Series

Each month, the FGS Webinar Series features a new and interesting topic, ranging from recruitment and volunteer management to technology, publications, and working with your local tourism board.

Webinars are held on the 3rd Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. Central Time. The webinars are free to watch live, but advance registration is required. Regular updates will be shared via the FGS Voice blog, FGS Voice Newsletter, and social media.

Are you looking for a rewarding and beneficial way to volunteer? The Education Committee at FGS could use your expertise! Please contact Jen Baldwin at education@fgs.org,

FGSCruise2015: My Perfect Vacation

Do you remember when you were a child being asked to write an essay entitled “what I did on my summer vacation?”  Next year I plan to write that essay and it will include all my favorite things: genealogy, a cruise, time with my friends, and enjoying some of the best genealogy speakers on the planet (not that I’m prejudiced!).

Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas

My husband and I started cruising about twenty years ago and since then have been all over the world on more than 40 cruises.  Yes, we’re addicted.  We love to walk into our cabin, unpack our bags, and be taken care of for the duration of our trip.  We travel from place to place without being cramped in a seat on an airplane or motor coach; we can go see a show, attend a class, have a massage, read a book, take a nap, visit with a friend, play a game . . . well, you get the idea.  We enjoy not only the wide variety of activities, but the scrumptious selection of food, the amazing shows, and of course the glorious ports.  Alaska is definitely one of our favorites.  The 2015 FGS cruise to Alaska will be our third cruise to this beautiful state.

Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas Centrum

The ports on this cruise are amazing.  I love Juneau and I love Victoria, but Skagway is my favorite.  It is a charming little village packed with history and cute shops.  FGS plans to offer tours at each of the ports designed with genealogists in mind; but non-genealogists (like my husband) will also find them very interesting.

Spending a week with old and new friends who all love genealogy is a dream come true.  Two years ago my husband and I sailed from Auckland, New Zealand, around Australia from Melbourne up to Darwin and then up to the Far East, ending in the port for Beijing.  It was a 38-night cruise, so I decided to ask the cruise director if we could gather together any interested genealogists on the ship to see if we might share our love of family history.  Judging by the place they gave us to meet, I think they thought we might have 6 or 8 individuals, but our first meeting had 50 folks, and eventually our group grew to 75.  The attendees wanted to know why cruises didn’t offer this type of activity all the time.  

Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas Tides Dining Room

You have the opportunity to join us for a week with four top-notch speakers.  Not only will you get to attend classes with them, but we will offer the chance for you to have dinners with them and some lucky folks will win some free individual consultations.

I am so looking forward to seeing all my friends on this cruise and I’m looking forward to meeting you – if I haven’t already.  I love new friends and want you to join us on the very first FGS Conference Cruise.  Sometime in the spring we will start giving you more details about the cruise and we will answer questions.  If you’re a first-time cruiser, my goal is for you to walk on the ship and feel like you know all there is to know about cruising, so you can relax, learn from the classes, and have fun!

Please join us!  The FGS 2015 Alaskan Cruise will offer a full genealogy conference during sea days that does not encroach on time to enjoy mainland excursions.  Register for the cruise at https://www.fgsconference.org/cruise/.

--Pat Oxley, FGS Cruise Coordinator