Two Deadlines: RootsTelevision and Writing Contest

October 31st isn't just the day that marks Hallowe'en. It also is a deadline for two events important to EWGS.

The first is that the society contest at RootsTelevision ends that day. See their graphic icon over there on the right? Click on it and visit their site for wonderful, helpful, humorous genealogical videos! The society or organization that brings the most traffic to RootsTelevision during this, their one-year-anniversary month, will win a $1,000 prize! We've got a link on our webpage, too!

Last month, I gave some tips on how you can help us win this prize:

• Og recommends that when you click on the link to RootsTelevision from our website and blog, " be sure you let the page load completely (until the video actually begins to play) before you navigate out of the Roots Television website. You may even want to click on an extra page inside of the RTV site for good measure."
• E-mail your family, friends, and good-natured co-workers to help us out! Send them the links to the blog (http://ewgs-spokane.blogspot.com) and the website (http://www.rootsweb.com/~waewgs).
• Put a reminder note on your computer, such as a Post-it note, an index card, etc. that says "Go to EWGS and click on RootsTV!" If you have more than one computer, or a computer at work, put a note on each one. Make a point each day to go to the blog AND website from each computer you have access to and visit RootsTelevision!
• Another idea is to make the website or blog your home page. To do this on Internet Explorer, at the top of your browser window, go to Tools, then choose Internet Options. When the mini-window opens up, make sure it is on the General tab. Under home page, type in the blog and/or website addresses (if you type in both, separate them by a comma). This will make the website or blog (or both) the first page(s) you see when you go online, and hopefully remind you to click on the RootsTelevision link!
  
• If you have Mozilla Firefox, go to Tools, then Options, then select the Main tab. Under "Startup: When Firefox starts:" choose "Show my home page" from the drop-down menu. Then type the blog or website address in the Home Page box. I don't have a Mac, so I can't help you there, but it has to be similar to Explorer and Firefox. Mac users, if you know how to set this up, please leave a comment or send me a message: kidmiffatgmaildotcom (replace the green letters with the correct symbols).

We've just got three more days, folks! C'mon! We can do it!

The other October 31st deadline is for the seventh annual EWGS Literary Competition, the topic of which is "An Ancestor I Wish I Could Talk To and Why." Entries are limited to approximately 1,000 - 2,000 words. Complete documentation is not necessary, but the judges would like you to state the sources of your information. Entries must be typewritten (or published in a word-processing program, such as Microsoft Word) and sent to Doris Woodward (see the member directory for her contact information). First prize is a $100 gift certificate to a genealogical book publisher, while second prize is a $50 gift certificate to the same. All stories will be printed in The Bulletin over the next year (EWGS reserves the right to edit).

This is a lot of fun, folks! I entered last time ("My Favorite Military Ancestor" was the theme) and won second prize, netting me two much-coveted genealogical books. It was so fascinating to read all the interesting stories in The Bulletin, as well! Doris has not gotten a lot of entries so far, so whip up a good story and send it on in!