WSGS Conference First Day

Hard to believe after two years of planning and work, that the WSGS conference has started. I did the name tags for everyone, lilac ones for EWGS members (we are the lilac city), yellow ones for the WSGS members, green ones for speakers, red ones for the vendors, and all the rest got white ones. They had two beginners classes at the library, both very full, and three Tours, one to the MAC the home of the Eastern Washington Historical Society, one a walking tour of the Bing Crosby, and Fox Theaters, both recently remodeled, and the third tour of the Washington State Digital Archives. I took the Digital Archives tour. This is the second time I took that tour, the first was when they had the grand opening there. The dinner Friday evening was grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken Breast/Risotto and Washington Apple Tart. We had a little problem there as they came out three dinners short, and my sister and I and one other gentleman on our table were the three without dinner. We had several servers, the head server all came and said it was their fault and would have our dinners out soon, we asked since they were out of chicken if we could order lobster, but they brought chicken, and more apologies for our late dinner. The meal was good. So before we finished dinner Megan started speaking, and her talk on Things that make my Brain Hurt was excellent. Got to get to bed now as breakfast is at 7am.

Be Sure to Bring the Following to the WSGS 2009 State Conference!

I got to thinking about some of the things I want to bring to the Washington State Genealogical Society's 2009 State Conference at The Davenport Hotel in Spokane this coming weekend, and I came up with the following list. If you can think of other items, go ahead and add them in the comments section by clicking on the "Post a Comment" link below (if you are reading this through a feed reader or your email, you'll want to go to the actual blog address for this part). Be sure not to click on the similar link that says "Post Comments (Atom)". Leave your comment, then choose an identity (if this is new for you, choose Name/URL and just leave your name in the box that will appear) and click "Publish Your Comment." You will then have to wait until one of us blog team members approves your comment...this is to protect our blog from those nasty spammers!

Here goes...

• comfortable, casual clothing, shoes, and sunglasses for warm weather. The weekend is expected to be in the mid-to-upper 80's
• more formal clothing for dinner Friday night at the Davenport and possibly for dinner Saturday night if you are expecting to eat in a nicer restaurant
• toiletries and medications
• water bottle with secure lid (again, warm temps expected this weekend!)
  
• change for tips, parking, and photocopies at Spokane Public Library if you plan to do research there on Friday, and raffle tickets!
  
• cell phone (be sure to turn it off or to silent during presentations) to stay in touch with family and friends during the conference, and also to Tweet conference highlights on Twitter!
  
• camera for taking photos of your favorite genealogists, bloggers, presenters, and new friends made at the conference, as well as the beautiful outdoor downtown Spokane scenery and Riverfront Park
• laptop or netbook with your genealogy software, especially RootsMagic, FamilyAtlas, Personal Historian, and/or Family Reunion Organizer...in case you have any questions about these for Bruce Buzbee of RootsMagic. You can take notes on your laptop during the presentations as well as access the Internet with The Davenport Hotel's free wifi (the library has it too)! Many of the presentations are on using technology with genealogy, and you'll probably want to be able to access websites during those sessions.
  
• power cords or backup batteries to charge your cell phone, camera, laptop and other electronics; security cable for your laptop: WSGS, EWGS, and The Davenport Hotel are not responsible for lost or stolen items
  
• thumb drive or CD with your GEDCOM on it to give to Janet Hovorka of GenerationMaps to order a multigenerational family tree chart, and also to test out RootsMagic-to-go
• an iPAC, if you have one and you're planning to attend Gordon Struve's presentation
• notepaper and pen

What else do you suggest?

The WSGS 2009 State Conference: Prizes Galore!

We have an amazing array of door, table, and raffle prizes just waiting to be taken home by some lucky attendees of the Washington State Genealogical Society's 2009 state conference at The Davenport Hotel in Spokane this coming weekend! During the course of the conference, tickets will be drawn each day at various times.

All attendees will be given one blue door prize ticket upon signing in at the registration table on Friday or Saturday. Many of our vendors have donated some very nice door prizes, which we will acknowledge during the drawings. Additionally, we had some individuals and groups who could not be present at our conference donate the following:

• Michael Jon Neill donated a year's subscription to his membership website, Case File Clues - Genealogy How-tos.
• The Southern California Genealogical Society has donated a gift certificate entitling its winner to free registration at their 2010 Jamboree.

Red raffle tickets will be sold throughout the conference for $5 each. The cost of the tickets will help EWGS offset its costs to host the conference. Some of the prizes that will be available for raffle are:

• A lovely, cream-colored hand-knit afghan made and donated by EWGS member Doris Woodward.
• A basket of tea-making supplies and tea by Jody Hurd of Let's Do Tea. Jody also very generously donated tea bags for each of our goodie bags (free to every attendee) and table prizes!
• Miscellaneous genealogical supplies and home decor items donated by EWGS members Donna Potter Phillips, Cecily Kelly, Juanita McBride, and Pat Ewers.

Additionally, there will be table prizes awarded at every table at each of the conference meals at The Davenport over the course of the weekend. And don't forget that each attendee receives a goodie bag chock full of freebies generously donated by area and genealogical businesses and organizations!

If you have an item or service which you would like to donate as a door or raffle prize, please contact Miriam Robbins Midkiff.

Spokane Area Legacy Users Group to Meet Wednesday

If you are a Legacy Family Tree genealogy software user, or are simply curious about this genealogy software program, you may be interested in the Legacy Users Group (LUG), which will meet next Wednesday, September 16th, from 1:30 to 3:30 PM in the meeting room of the Shadle Park Branch of the Spokane Public Library at 2111 W. Wellesley. Regular attendees will take turns in the role of moderator for each meeting. If you have more questions, please contact Donna Potter Phillips here.

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Vendor Spotlight: Creative Memories

Melode Hall of Creative Memories will be hosting a vendor table at the Washington State Genealogical Society's 2009 state conference at The Davenport Hotel in Spokane this coming weekend.

Creative Memories is dedicated to preserving the stories of a lifetime in a way that brings people together to socialize, have fun and create their own masterpieces. Over the last 20 years they've earned the trust of people in nine countries around the world by helping them protect and celebrate their stories.

Not only is Melode a Creative Memories consultant, she is a member of the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society and thus understands the importance of preserving one's heritage. If you're looking for quality archival supplies to protect and display your heritage and modern photographs and to enhance your family stories and traditions, you'll want to be sure to stop by and chat with Melode about your options.

Click on the link below to register.

Online Registration
(need help with the online registration? read our tutorial here)

Brochure and Saturday Schedule
(to help you choose your classes and activities)

Mail-in Registration Form
(for those who prefer registering offline - or you may prefer to fill out and use this form to register in person at the conference to ensure your registration is received before the conference begins)

If you are interested in being a vendor at the Washington State Genealogical Society's 2009 State Conference, would like to advertise in our syllabus, or if you have an item or service which you would like to donate as a door or raffle prize, please contact Miriam Robbins Midkiff.

Vendor Spotlight: U.S. Census Bureau

A representative from the U.S. Census Bureau will be hosting a vendor table at the Washington State Genealogical Society's 2009 state conference at The Davenport Hotel in Spokane this coming weekend. James Brewczynski will be on hand to answer questions about the 2010 U.S. Federal Census that will take place next April. Since genealogists know the historical value of the census, the Bureau is hoping to connect with the many genealogical societies on hand to assist them in getting out the word to the public about the importance of participating in the next census. WSGS and EWGS welcome the U.S. Census Bureau to the state conference!

Click on the link below to register.

Online Registration
(need help with the online registration? read our tutorial here)

Brochure and Saturday Schedule
(to help you choose your classes and activities)

Mail-in Registration Form
(for those who prefer registering offline - or you may prefer to fill out and use this form to register in person at the conference to ensure your registration is received before the conference begins)

If you are interested in being a vendor at the Washington State Genealogical Society's 2009 State Conference, would like to advertise in our syllabus, or if you have an item or service which you would like to donate as a door or raffle prize, please contact Miriam Robbins Midkiff.

Last-Minute Registration for the WSGS 2009 State Conference

With only four(!) more days until the Washington State Genealogical Society's 2009 state conference at The Davenport Hotel here in Spokane, we have some suggestions for those of you who have made a decision to register this week. Since registering by mail at this point may cause your registration form and payment to not be received at our post office box until the day the conference begins (or later!), we suggest you either 1) register online; or 2) register in person at the conference.

Here are some links to assist you:

Online Registration
(need help with the online registration? read our tutorial here)

Brochure and Saturday Schedule
(to help you choose your classes and activities - click here for more details on the conference, including descriptions of the speakers and their presentations)

Registration Form
(you may prefer to print up this form and fill out ahead of time, bringing it with you to register in person at the conference)

You can register for the conference in person for the whole weekend at 5:00 PM on Friday, September 11th at The Davenport Hotel. If you are only planning to attend Saturday's events, our registration table will be open from 7:0 0 - 8:00 AM. If you have any questions, please contact us.

Don't forget...The Davenport is offering special discounts on their rooms for the weekend. Call 509-344-8888 or toll free 800-899-1482 for reservations and mention WSGS for best rates.