Event Researching Calendar for Genealogists

Seems many are commenting on what we are going to do for the New Year. So thought I would post some of my in the past not written agenda for the year. I find this works well and may help others to be more on top of items and topics they want to tackle.

I am going to start with the month of October. That should be easy to determine why, :>).

October is Family History Month so our genealogy should reflect that theme. We should be checking for events at the libraries, historical societies or schools both High School or Grammar. We should if we belong to a genealogical society be involved in the event by our society, even if we just set there and listen to story by a person about their past.
If we blog there should be a theme regarding families in the month of October.

November brings the preparation for the Holidays, so we should be putting together the data and pictures we want to share with family and friends during the coming holidays. We should be reviewing the societies we are going to renew for the coming year. We do this by reviewing our tree to learn what area we will need the most help in, and fill in the blank spots on our charts. That is a busy month for us if done this way. You can also start to pay your dues that are due by January to spread the fees out over a space of time.

Remember the dues you pay cover so much more than being a member in name, generally you get a quarterly
magazine, a monthly newsletter, access to data at discount for research purposes, the knowledge of whom in that area may be the researcher you need to ask for assistance from, also at a discount. The sharing of surname files in that region you want to research. It is much less expensive than a trip. Sure we would all love a trip but it is not practical in these times always to pick up and run there. It generally takes planning and funds to do so unless it is near you already.

December is the gift to your self month, paying of the dues to the societies you want to retain for the coming year.
I yearly ask for the payment of dues to societies, some times it really happens too. But if not and you started in November the fees are split out to be less expensive. You send your newsy notes and pictures out to family and friends and maybe include a five generation chart if it is family you have found this year and they haven't reciprocated with a 5 Generation chart yet. After all we have to start somewhere.

January is Review Month for me. I think it falls in line with the previous months events and helps us pick up data we received and have not put in the right place yet. It helps us to go to the boxes of genealogy we had created prior to the computer and add at least one more box. It helps us to finally determine what new society you may want to join new this year. You may have gotten a letter that now fits into the lineage that did not before, that will answer questions you had forgotten you have received. Our brains just do not always keep that data to the forefront when
we wished it did.

February is Black History Month and we should all talk and discuss this topic whether we think it is important or not.
If your family has been in this country USA for the last 300 to 200+ years the chances of having some of this lineage is very high. It is higher if you have Indian in your lineage. I wonder when the Congress will choose a month for Indian Heritage in USA?
Due to the many changes of laws, many early Americans married into the Indian tribes, before many (White) women were here. England sent many men as service men to cover many outposts early before we really settled various areas. We also had trappers and fur traders whom married into various tribes. Then remember many states then changed the rules and marriage was taboo between Indian and white. So they married into the other peoples here which were the (black) races. Blacks also were not allowed to marry whites so they married Indians also. Laws created changes and changes created movement. But the bottom line is if earlier your lines here the greater the chance for inter mix races. So do not think it did not happen it happened far more than most are aware unless you have already done major research on this situation.

March is time to plan your trips to various Seminars for the coming summer, if you did not do it, at the time of the last seminar or event. This gives you a couple of months to choose which one may be of the most beneficial to your needs. You also should be busy answering the 5 Generation Chart people with data you have or have not received.

There are many seminars held by various groups, NEHGS, NGS, OGS, FGS, CGS, SCGS, some of the Latter Day Saints groups are doing seminars now also that you may want to attend. You can find a event or seminar probably near you, ie within 600miles. Many local societies have a seminar type event about four times a year or a speaker at least every other month. Some have trips every other month, these mostly happen in areas that are in midwest or east coast near major historical sites. We west coasties have trips to major libraries in our region. They can range anything from NARA, LOS ANGELES Library, Carlsbad Library, Family History Centers, ( they very in data that each one has. We also cover large local libraries that have a genealogical section.

April we generally have a seminar or event. If not we go to the LDS Library or Carlsbad for research. I am hoping we are going to be able to make a trip to Los Angeles Library really soon again. It has a terrific area of resources for New York and New England area. So one wants to have the data your hunting for set up, and aligned to be able to
know the new things your are going to need since you upgraded your genealogy program with the review you had in January. Always go back over the Genealgoy program, PAF, Reunion, FTM, etc to see what blank spots you have so that you can check to see if the event place will have more data for you regarding these blank spaces. It helps you to plan whether you want this venue or that venue to attend.

May is generally the start of the larger seminars through out the USA. Plan to go to a library and learn more on what you may need to fill in a blank. Make going to the Library a more constant habit is important. On Line research is nice but the books in the stacks have more to tell you than what is on line. Do not forget to look at the Reference section, Who's Who's books, and many other titles in that area. Some of the older Encylopedia's have data that they leave out today but it still applied to that time.

June, July, and August, it seems that the researchers are traveling all over the states and world to learn new things.
So if you can not afford a big trip plan a mini trip to some event near you as your research trip. If your near a NARA
in the midwest or east you can really learn lots, Allen County Library in Indiana, Lincoln County Library in Nebraska several years ago had some awesome books on their shelves in the genealogical section, St. Louis, and other areas in midwest have lots to be learned within their walls. Many larger societies on the west coast especially in California have large genealogical libraries you can research in to assist you. I suspect most Societies or HIstorical Groups have sections in the local libraries that would help you in your research. Some have private collections open to the members, and to the public on specific days for research and sharing.

September brings many are home and we settle in to prepare for the Family History Month in October. I
continue my reading of blogs, posting to webpages and rootslists and usgenweb.org and worldgenweb.org for assistance in those places.

That is my basic calendar of events. It helps me to stay focused and be able to assist our society with our various functions during the year. Maybe you can adapt some of this to your calendar to stay focused and on track during the year. SusiCP@cox.net