Bucks County
Genealogical Society
August 2017 Newsletter
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To all BCGS members and Friends:
As the time for BCGS elections approaches, I am reminded of the many times this year persons outside of our membership have talked about how special our organization is. My response is always: it is special because of special people. The members of our Board and our volunteers bring very unique gifts to BCGS. In my tenure as both secretary and president, I am continually amazed at the new things I learn as we all work at BCGS.
At first blush, you might think that people join the Board for the titles they acquire, but that is far from the truth. We work and play hard. Board meetings go for 3 to 4 hours, with dinner and drinks interspersed. As we worked together, we became friends. This year alone we have supported each other through deaths in the family and major illnesses of both Board members and their spouses. Then something truly amazing happens. Board members pick up and carry two, sometimes three jobs so the organization doesn’t suffer, sometimes for months at a time. We laugh and cry together. We ARE BCGS!
So stop to think. Do you care about your organization and want to see it continue? Do you have special skills to contribute or are willing to learn new skills? Then attend a Board meeting. Eat and drink with us and see what makes us work. Then consider adding your new blood to your organization. Say YES to BCGS. And while you’re at it, thank a Board member or volunteer.
Mary C. Butash
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Join us at our meeting on
Saturday, September 9, 2017
10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon
at Council Rock North High School Library
62 Swamp Rd, Newtown, PA
PLEASE NOTE - This is a different Saturday
and different location from our usual meetings!
Park and enter on the right side of the High School building.
Follow BCGS signs and volunteers to direct you to the library.
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BACK 2 SCHOOL 4 GENEALOGY!
Free Online Research and Assistance
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Research your family history with your friendly, experienced peers from Bucks County Genealogical Society. Our September meeting will be a group research session, held in the library of the Council Rock North High School in Newtown. Participants will be able to use the library's computers, which have Ancestry.com library edition available, to do their own research and consult with others who may be able to help, or bring your own laptop and use the school's WiFi.
Admission to this program is free and open to the public.
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GRIP in July
by Nancy Heath
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This summer I attended my first GRIP (Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh) session, after hearing many previous attendees who highly recommended the Institute’s programs. This was a week-long session in July, held at La Roche College outside of Pittsburgh. Of the 6 different courses offered in the July session, I signed up for “New Jersey Research,” since most of my ancestors were residents of New Jersey since before the Revolution.
I drove to the college, about a 6-hour drive from my South Jersey home. I found that other attendees came from all over the country. So many came by plane into Pittsburgh that they set up a system to arrange car-pooling from the airport to the college. Check-in was the Sunday afternoon before classes began on Monday, so there was time to get settled and oriented before the program started. I had chosen to stay in the college dormitory, as did many if not most of the other participants. Single rooms in the dorms went fast, so I had the organizers assign me a roommate, which worked out well. We had our meals in the college cafeteria, where we had the chance to meet and share stories with other genealogists from many different locations and backgrounds.
The schedule was full for the entire week. After dinner and a short program on Sunday evening, we attended our classes from 8:30 am to about 4 pm Monday through Thursday; Friday’s class ended at 11 am. Every evening except one, there was a lecture by an excellent speaker, including David Rencher of FamilySearch and Thomas Jones of New York.
My New Jersey Research program was excellent. Coordinator was Melissa Johnson of the Genealogical Society of New Jersey, who presented an amazing breadth and depth of information in her daily lectures, accompanied by a syllabus of over 100 pages. One of the most useful additional benefits of the course was a treasure trove of public domain reference materials, which Melissa made available to her class for downloading. Melissa did most of the lectures, but there was a session by Judy Russell on Jersey Justice, a session by Karen Mauer Jones on Huguenots in New Amsterdam and New Jersey, and one by Michelle Chubenko on New Jersey libraries, repositories, and must-have resources for New Jersey Genealogy.
The entire GRIP program is extremely well organized and executed. I would highly recommend it to any genealogist who wants to delve into a topic in depth. Next summer there will be three GRIP sessions, two in Pittsburgh and one in Amherst, New York. A description of the offerings at those sessions is available at
www.GRIPitt.org
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2017 Bucks County Ancestry Fair
Saturday, November 11, 2017
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We have a great venue.
We have a group of terrific speakers.
We have lots of exhibitors.
But we don't have enough volunteers!!
Can you help for an hour or two on November 11th? There are lots of spots to fill: checking in the exhibitors, staffing the attendee check-in tables, helping at the BCGS store and table, distributing lunches, directing parking, and lots more. Your volunteer time will be scheduled around any speaker you want to hear, so you won't miss anything.
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COMPREHENSIVE CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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The calendar is frequently updated and includes events from all over the country. Be sure to check it every month to see what is happening.
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Bucks County Genealogical Society
is selling as a fundraiser:
25% Off Shopping Passes*
for just $5 for use at any Boscov's location on Tuesday, October 17, 2017
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BCGS receives 100% profit from shopping pass sales.
You
receive a great day of savings, plus entertainments, refreshments, and a register-to-win chance for prizes, including a shopping spree! Passes will be sold at our Aug. 5th, Sept 9th, and October 7th meetings, and on Oct17th at Neshaminy Mall Boscov's!
Special offer to our Readers: If you are unable to purchase the shopping passes in person, you can order them by mail until 9/30/17! Simply mail a check payable to Bucks County Genealogical Society for $5 for each shopping pass to Bucks County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 826, Washington Crossing, PA 18977.
*Passes are good in-store (online sales excluded) on October 17, 2017 only. Shopping pass discount is 25% off most departments, others 10-15% off. See shopping pass for specific departments.
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ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
Cathy Ivins, BCGS Publicity Director, is ready to take us on the road to other locations.
You will find Bucksgen at these terrific events:
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Mercer County Italian-American Festival -
Celebrate Your Italian Roots!
Fri, Sep. 22, 3 pm to 11 pm
Sat, Sep. 23, 12 pm to 11 pm
Sun, Sep. 24, 12 pm to 9:30 pm
Find Bucksgen in the Heritage Pavilion assisting festival guests in their family research in the US and Italy.
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64th Historic Fallsington Day
Sat, Oct. 14, 10 am to 4:30 pm
Bucksgen will be on hand to assist guests in their family research.
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OUR DATABASE HAS GROWN AGAIN!
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We recently completed the addition to our free, searchable database of the church records from St. Andrew’s Reformed Church in South Perkasie. The St. Andrew’s collection includes over 9,800 names, comprised of baptisms, marriages, burials, confirmations, membership records, and pastors and church officers.
We are continuing to add records as they are transcribed by volunteers. Our database index now has a total of
361,944
names, with dates ranging from the 1700's to the 20th century. If you think you may have Bucks County ancestors, search the database using this link:
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Have you been scratching your head trying to figure out how to organize your genealogy?
From Family Tree Magazine: "Proper family history organization is the foundation of every successful genealogist. Whether that means having a squeaky clean office, carefully color-coded file folders or a digitized and dutifully labeled hard drive, having all of your materials systemized and searchable will make your genealogy research more efficient and effective. But how exactly, you may ask, do I reach this paradise of of perfectly organized genealogy?..."
Family Tree Magazine offers a free downloadable e-book:
Family Tree Tips: 23 Tips to Organize Your Genealogy
Click on this link and enter your email address to get your own copy:
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View our introduction to genealogy video: "We're Rooting For You" originally shared during Pecha Kucha Night at the Newtown Theatre and our August 5th meeting (or pass along to a friend new to genealogy):
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Researching Jewish Genealogy
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From RootsTech blog: “Researching Jewish genealogy has unique twists and turns that make it tricky, but don’t give up. Just because it’s hard doesn’t mean it’s impossible, advised Lara Diamond, president of the Jewish Genealogy Society of Maryland (JGSMD) during her RootsTech 2017 presentation.”
The RootsTech blog has a three-part series exploring Jewish genealogy. Here is a link to the series:
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Did you forget your sweatshirt on August 5th?
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We found a light blue hooded sweatshirt on a bench following the BCGS meeting on Saturday, August 5th. If it is yours, please contact Pat Gessner at
newsletter@bucksgen.org
so that we can make arrangements to get it back to you.
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BCGS Fees for One Year Membership
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Individual $20 Dual/Household $35 Lifetime $250 Organization $75
Our membership fees help to pay for speakers, facility rental, website costs, insurance and more. Membership in BCGS is on a rolling basis and lasts one year from the month you join.
You don't have to have Bucks County ancestors to enjoy the benefits of membership! Won't you join and help us continue to grow?
Join or renew by mail using our membership application/renewal form, on line on the Society's website via PayPal or by paying with cash or check at our next meeting.
If you have questions and to get access to the discounts, contact Peg Felter, VP-Membership at
membership@bucksgen.org
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Stay connected with us on Facebook!
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