Local Family History Conference

I had the great opprotunity to participate in my stake's family history conference the Saturday before Easter. The conference consisted of classes as well as an open house with display tables in the cultral hall. They asked me to do a manned display on "Connecting Through Blogging". The idea really excited me and I really enjoyed getting ready for and presenting my display. I did a lot of my plotting while I was in Utah visiting family. I did a lot of bouncing ideas off my mother. I would even email her pictures and files of my ideas after I got home. She was a great help to me.
There were two focuses for my display... General Blogging and Family History Blogging. For some people blogs are a totally unknown thing and I introduced the benifits of blogging and how it can help you connect with family as well as build your personal history. But for those that might already blog I had information on using blogs to help with your family history research as well as sharing what information you have with family.

Overall, I was very pleased with how the day went. I had a lot of interest and think there were a few people who learned something new and left with a desire to start something of their own. If you are interested in information I have my handouts and blog link lists availible to email out.

Pulling together my display spurred me to finally copy and frame some pictures to go on my iron tree. I love the way it turned out and I even had people asking me where I got my cool tree (from my mother of course who was kind enough to pick it up for me from Rod Works in Utah. It was part of their Christmas decor and they had extras on clearance after Christmas.)

Another thing preparing for the conference spurred me to do was start this family history blog. It is still a work in progress. I have big plans for it though. I'm hoping to use it as my research log (when I actually take/have the time to do family history). By putting my research log on a blog I can share what I am doing, what I have found, where I have found it, family stories, family photos, internet sourse links, etc... with my family and also with people who might be searching the same lines. The blog format also allows me to have multiple authors posting and allows for people to comment on my research --great for collaboration! So, that's the plan. I'm excited!


I managed to take a few pictures of the other display tables but when I got home I realized that I missed a few of them and that the picture quality is lacking. Oh well. There were displays on family heirlooms, scrapbooking family history, invloving family in family history, continuing what others have started, digitizing family

photos, digital scrapbooking, as well as how to use PAF and the website new.familysearch.org. A friend of mine had also created a display of art and photos of people in the stake.



Overall, I think the conferece was a sucess and I enjoyed participating. The greatest benifit was it got me back into the "family history groove" again.