The SecondLife Virtual Genealogical Society is off to a great start already this year! We held our very first meeting of 2017 on January 8, the second Sunday of the month at 5:30pm – our regular meeting time. With bylaws, elected officers, and several dues-paying members, we’ve been able to join the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) already!
The SLVGS now has a Clubhouse just a bit away from the fire pit, with information cards in the bookcase. Just touch the bookcase and choose the information you’d like. Our bylaws, officers, and meeting minutes are currently available.
Our first new discussion group was formed as well. Anyone interested in learning about DNA and how to use it in genealogy research is welcome to attend our book study of “Genetic Genealogy in Practice,” by Blaine Bettinger and Debbie Parker Wayne. The plan for this group is to help extreme beginners get an understanding of DNA . For me, up til now, it pretty much has stood for “Don’t kNow Anything” 🙂 If you’ve been wanting to figure it out, but felt a bit overwhelmed, join us! The book is available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle edition, and through the National Genealogical Society’s website. The book study group will meet on the 3rd Sunday of each month, at 5:30 pm at the Family History Centre in SecondLife. The first meeting will be Sunday, February 19. Please read Chapter 1 prior to the meeting and come prepared to discuss, share, and learn together!
Coming up in January on our monthly calendar on Thursday, January 26 at 6pm at the Just Genealogy Fire pit, is the National Genealogical Society Quarterly Study Group, led by Ellington Sweeney. As always, everyone is invited to attend. This month’s discussion will be on Elizabeth Shown Mills’, “Frontier Research Strategies—Weaving a Web to Snare a Birth Family: John Watts (ca. 1749-ca.1822),” National Genealogical Society Quarterly 104 (September 2016): 165-190. Optional listening, Elizabeth Shown Mills, “Reasonably Exhaustive Research: The First Criteria of the Genealogical Proof Standard,” NGS 2016, F302, available at PlaybackNGS: http://www.playbackngs.com/2016-family-history-conference.
Our next SLVGS meeting will be Sunday, February 12 at 5:30 pm. We realize many people may be travelling or just plain exhausted after RootsTech, but do try to join us for our “RootsTech Rehash,” while it’s all still fresh in our memories. What were your favorite moments/classes/vendors? Come share your thoughts, or see what you missed.
The next evening, Monday, February 13, Clarise Beaumont is graciously hosting a Valentine’s Dance for the genealogists in SecondLife, at Just Genealogy. Our favorite DJ, Jaffee Gaffer, will be playing the music, and there will be prizes for best Valentines-themed costumes. Dances are great fun, and in SecondLife, everyone is a Fred Astaire and/or Ginger Rogers! Our social events like this are wonderful opportunities to get to know one another better, and share our research challenges and triumphs.
Hope to see you soon! Leave a message here or on the Genealogists in SecondLife Facebook page if you’d like more information, or need some SecondLife help.
We hope everyone is having a great holiday season. SLVGS met on December 11 to review and adopt the official by-laws for the organization. The by-laws have now been approved and we are ready to start 2017 as an official organization. We have established a dues structure of $5 (1200L$) per year due in January. Our next meeting will be Sunday, Janury 8 at 5:30pm SLT (Pacific Time). Our topics for this meeting will be about special interest/discussion groups that members want to establish. The meeting will be held in SecondLife at the fire pit in Just Genealogy. If you need directions, log in to SecondLife and type Just Genealogy in the search bar. We invite all who are interested to attend and look forward to seeing you.
SLVGS members selected our official logo. There were four logos submitted prior to the vote and all were posted to Facebook prior to the meeting. As you can see, the logo is very impressive. We also discussed having an official mascot, a slug in pajamas doing research.
