MY EXPERIENCES AT THE JAMBOREE

I was excited to attend my 1st Southern California Genealogy Jamboree on Friday but also had some concerns? Would I be able to attend my first choice sessions or would they be too crowded? Would I learn a lot from the speakers?  How would I fare as a volunteer room monitor?

I am very happy to report that the speakers were very informative.  I attended 2 sessions on Legacy Family Tree presented by Geoff Rasmussen. Not only did I learn a lot of "tricks" about Legacy but Geoff was very entertaining too!

I attended sessions on both Eastern Europe research and Irish research. I learned some specific tips and lots of websites to visit for help with my research.  I can't believe how much information was presented in the Irish research session.  I think I have enough tips to keep me busy for at least a few months!

I was very happy to see that while the Jamboree was well attended, it wasn't too crowded. I got into all my 1st choice sessions.  It was very easy volunteering as a room monitor.  I would definitely do it again.

I would definitely recommend to those who are passionate about genealogy and have never attended the Jamboree to take the plunge next year.  You will be happy you did!

Oops! I need to give credit to the speakers of two of the sessions I talked about in this post.  Lisa Alzo taught the very informative "10 Ways to Jump Start Your Eastern European Research".  Dr. Maurice Gleeson presented the information-packed "Researching Your Irish Ancestry Online and at Minimal Cost".  I will be very busy following all of their tips!

SCGS Genealogy Jamboree

For the past several years, I have contemplated attending the Southern California Genealogical Society's Genealogy Jamboree.  Two of the years, the dates of the Jamboree coincided with the day that I was supposed to pick up my daughter from college for the summer and one of the other years, it was the week prior and I didn't know if I wanted to drive from San Diego to Los Angeles two weekends in a row.  Well, this year, I decided to "bite the bullet" and attend the conference.  Yes, I still have to drive up to LA next weekend to get my daughter, but this weekend is about me and my passion for genealogy.

I am very excited about attending this event that I have heard so much about.  I am trying not to have too high of expectations.  Instead, I would like to just "soak up" the experience and gain whatever I can.  I have decided to volunteer for a few hours each day, too.  Besides, that I am known for my "raising my hand" to volunteer, I thought this would not only be a way to give back but also to be more involved.  I think it is rather symbolic that the conference is held in Burbank (which is located in the San Fernando Valley) since I grew up not far from there in the town of Van Nuys.  My dad worked in Burbank for most of his adult life at Lockheed Aircraft.

So, my adventure begins tomorrow ... stay tuned to hear how it goes!