[UVPAFUG] Press Release for meeting on 10 Jan 2009 and new location

31 Dec 2008

Journalists, please run this as a news item and/or in your calendar of events. Ward newsletter editors, please include in your newsletters parts of the first paragraph and mention that there are classes for everyone.

Email me, if you need further information. Thanks.

Don Snow

UTAH VALLEY PAF USERS GROUP MEETING AND NEW LOCATION

The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley PAF (Personal Ancestral File) Users Group will be on Saturday, 10 Jan 2009, from 9 am until noon IN THE EDGEWOOD/RIVERSIDE LDS CHAPEL, 3511 North 180 East, Provo, Utah. NOTE THE CHANGE IN LOCATION. This LDS chapel is within one mile of the old location and is behind the Jamestown shopping plaza on the east side of University Avenue in the "River Bottoms" part of Provo. You get to it by going on 3700 North east from University Avenue and then south on 180 East. See the map showing the new and old locations on our website given below. The main presentation will be by Michael Ritchey on THE FAMILYSEARCH WIKI: HOW IT CAN HELP NOW AND HOW IT WILL GROW THIS YEAR. The FamilySearch wiki at https://wiki.familysearch.org is a free website designed to allow the genealogical community to provide advice on the best strategies and records to use in finding ancestors. The site is free to everyone, but you must register to add or edit information. This community authoring approach enables the creation of objective advice, rapid revision and translation, and coverage of more places worldwide. In 2009 contributors will be working together on a series of "barn raisings" -- short, intensive community efforts to provide information regarding the best sources, methodologies, and strategies for doing genealogical research in a specific location such as a state in the U.S. or a county in England. This talk will preview what the barn raisings are and show some quick and easy ways you can contribute to this great worldwide project. Everyone is invited to log onto the Wiki and sample the types of information you can find there. Michael Ritchey is a former Family History Center Director in Provo, Ward Family History Consultant, and professional genealogist. He has worked for the Family History Department of the LDS Church since 2000 as a U.S. Reference Consultant at the Family History Library, as manager of the Research Support team, and most recently, as community and content coordinator of FamilySearch wiki on the Community Services team.

Following the main presentation there will be several classes taught concerning technology and family history. As usual, there will be something for everyone at all levels of expertise. The classes currently scheduled for this meeting are: (1) Clearing Names for the Temple in 2009, by Duane Dudley; (2) Keeping Your PC Healthy, by Jerry Castillo; (3) Q&A on the Family Search Wiki, by Michael Ritchey; (4) Video of November's Main Presentation on WorldConnect at RootsWeb, by Gerhard Ruf; (5) Ancestral Quest 12.1, by Paul Johnson; (6) RootsMagic 3, by Bruce Buzbee; and (7) Legacy 7, by Dean Bennett.

All meetings of the Users Group are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Users Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually 100-125 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays. Several of the officers, including Gerhard Ruf, President; Don Snow, 1st VP; Brian Cooper, 2nd VP; Beth Ann Wiseman, PAFology Editor; Kay Baker and Gerry Eliason working with finances and membership; and Bruce Merrill, Lynne Shumway, and Marie Andersen, working with the DVD and Video Library, will all be there. They will help with membership, answer questions, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter PAFology, and check out DVD's and videos of past presentations and classes to members of the group. Information about the Users Group, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on the Group's website http://uvpafug.org and the press releases are at http://blog.uvpafug.org/. For further information contact President Gerhard Ruf at pres@uvpafug.org (801-225-6106), VP1 Don Snow at snowd@math.byu.edu, or VP2 Brian Cooper at vp2@uvpafug.org.

Don Snow, 1st Vice President of Utah Valley PAF Users Group

Donald R. Snow, recently returned from the England London Mission, London Family History Centre
Retired Professor of Mathematics, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
snowd@math.byu.edu

Press Release for Utah Valley PAF Users Group meeting 8 Nov 2008

29 Oct 2008
Journalists, please run this as a news item and/or in your calendar
of events. Ward newsletter editors, please include in your newsletters parts of the first paragraph and mention that there are classes for everyone.
Email me, if you need further information. Thanks.

Elder Snow

UTAH VALLEY PAF USERS GROUP
The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley PAF (Personal Ancestral File) Users Group will be on Saturday, 8 Nov 2008, from 9 am until noon in the LDS "Red" Chapel at 4000 North Timpview Drive (650 East), in Provo. The main presentation will be by Gerhad Ruf on USING WORLDCONNECT AT ROOTSWEB FOR PUBLISHING AND BACKUP. The presentation will describe the advantages in using the WorldConnect database to publish your genealogical data online and to use it as a backup for that data. There are many options for controlling your data and these will be detailed in the presentation. Gerhard Ruf has worked with various aspects of computers and technology over the past 25 years and since 1995 he has served in the leadership of the Utah Valley PAF Users Group. He has been its President for many years. Gerhard has been presenting classes on genealogical software for at least 10 years and his topics have included many aspects of using computers and the Internet to enhance your family history research. He has spoken at local, regional, and national genealogical conferences and workshops, and is currently employed at MyFamily.com as a Community Operations Specialist at The Generations Network, the parent company of Ancestry, RootsWeb and other genealogical web sites. He develops and teaches classes to the staff on the application of genealogical principles. Gerhard was born in West Germany, grew up in Utah, and graduated from BYU with a degree in Physics. He and his wife, Deon, reside in Orem, Utah.

Following the main presentation there will be several classes taught concerning technology and family history. As usual, there will be something for everyone at all levels of expertise. The classes currently scheduled for this meeting are the following: (1) Using Google in Genealogy, by Lila Sowards; (2) Free Look-Ups and Free Web Sites, by Laurie Castillo; (3) Q&A on Using WorldConnect by Gerhard Ruf; (4) Individual Mentoring, including a mini-class on using HeritageQuest Online, by Rae Lee Steinacker; (5) Video: (Last month's main presentation) A Practical Guide for Family History Consultants, by DearMYRTLE; (6) Legacy 7, by Joel Graham; (7) An Introduction to RootsMagic 4, by Sue Maxwell; and (8) Ancestral Quest 12, by Gaylon Findlay.

All meetings of the Users Group are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Users Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually 100-125 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays. Several of the officers, including Gerhard Ruf, President; Brian Cooper, 2nd VP; Eileen Phelps, PAFology Editor; Kay Baker and Gerry Eliason working with finances and membership; and Bruce Merrill, Lynne Shumway, and Marie Andersen, working with the DVD & Video Library, will all be there. They will help with membership, answer questions, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter PAFology, and check out DVD's and videos of past presentations and classes to members of the group. Information about the Users Group, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on the Group's website http://uvpafug.org and the past press releases are at http://blog.uvpafug.org/. For further information contact President Gerhard Ruf at pres@uvpafug.org (801-225-6106), VP1 Elder Don Snow at snowd@math.byu.edu, or VP2 Brian Cooper at vp2@uvpafug.org.

Elder Donald R. Snow, 1st Vice President of Utah Valley PAF Users Group

Elder Donald R. Snow, England London Mission London Family History Centre (formerly Hyde Park Family History Centre), http://www.hydeparkfhc.orgRetired Professor of Mathematics, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah; snowd@math.byu.edu

[UVPAFUG] Press Release for UVPAFUG Meeting on 11 Oct 2008

01 Oct 2008
Journalists, please run this as a news item and/or in your calendar of events. Ward newsletter editors, please include in your newsletters parts of the first paragraph and mention that there are classes for everyone. Email me, if you need further information. Thanks.

Elder Snow

UTAH VALLEY PAF USERS GROUP
The next regular, second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting of the Utah Valley PAF (Personal Ancestral File) Users Group will be on Saturday, 11 Oct 2008, from 9 am until noon in the LDS "Red" Chapel at 4000 North Timpview Drive (650 East), in Provo. The main presentation will be by DearMYRTLE (Pat Richley) on A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR FAMILY HISTORY CONSULTANTS. The role of Family History Consultants is crucial to an active FH program in any ward and stake and especially during the much anticipated change-over to new FamilySearch. Many wonder what we can be doing while our long awaited "official" FH manual is still awaiting final signatures? Myrt offers suggestions to build interest among non-genealogists in wards, tackle organization challenges, teach correct research principles even for class participants with diverse ancestral backgrounds, and coordinate with other consultants in the ward and stake. DearMYRTLE is the nom de plume of Pat Richley, a retired post-secondary computer instructor. An active genea-blogger, Myrt is author of DearMYRTLE's Joy of Genealogy (2006), and The Everything Online Genealogy Book (2000), instructor at DearMYRTLE's Salt Lake Study Group, hostess of DearMYRTLE's Family History Hour and the Family History Expos genealogy podcasts, author of the Teach Genealogy Blog, and coordinator for UGG (The Union of Genealogy Groups in Second Life). She recently presented classes at BYU's 2008 Computerized Genealogy Conference, the National Genealogical Society, the Utah Genealogical Association 2008 Fall Conference and will serve as the dinner speaker at UGA's 2009 Salt Lake Institute. Myrt last presented at a Utah Valley PAF Users Group meeting in 2006, where she spoke about "Getting from the Index to the Original". Her website is www.DearMYRTLE.com.

Following the main presentation there will be several classes taught concerning technology and family history. As usual, there will be something for everyone at all levels of expertise. The classes currently scheduled for this meeting are the following: (1) New FamilySearch, by John Blake; (2) Using WorldVitalRecords, by Robert Raymond; (3) Family Pursuit, by Michael Martineau; (4) Q & A: A Practical Guide for FHCons., by DearMyrtle; (5) Individual Mentoring in the FHC; (6) Ancestral Quest, by Gaylon Findlay (author of AQ); (7) Legacy, by Dean Bennett; and (8) RootsMagic, by Bruce Buzbee (author of RM).

All meetings of the Users Group are open to the public whether members of the Group or not. The Users Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually 100-125 attending the monthly meetings on the second Saturdays. Several of the officers, including Gerhard Ruf, President; Brian Cooper, 2nd VP; Eileen Phelps, PAFology Editor; Kay Baker and Gerry Eliason working with finances and membership; and Bruce Merrill, Lynne Shumway, and Marie Andersen, working with the DVD & Video Library, will all be there. They will help with membership, answer questions, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter PAFology, and check out DVD's and videos of past presentations and classes to members of the group. Information about the Users Group, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on the Group's website http://uvpafug.org and the past press releases are at http://blog.uvpafug.org/. For further information contact President Gerhard Ruf at pres@uvpafug.org (801-225-6106), VP1 Elder Don Snow at snowd@math.byu.edu, or VP2 Brian Cooper at vp2@uvpafug.org.

Elder Donald R. Snow, 1st Vice President of Utah Valley PAF Users Group

Elder Donald R. Snow, England London Mission, London Family History Centre, http://www.hydeparkfhc.org
Retired Professor of Mathematics, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, snowd@math.byu.edu