Genealogy Jottings

Here in the Denver area, genealogy programs abound. This week offered me two:

1. Megan Koepsell, President of the Colorado Genealogical Society, spoke to the Highlands Ranch Genealogical Society on Tuesday about how to search for Irish roots. Since I identified my most recent Irish ancestor last summer, I have been working to fill in his family tree. Megan gave me a good list of sources to try.
2. Professor Neil Price, one of the leading authorities on Viking history, will present to the Swedish Genealogical Society of Colorado this weekend on research in this field. I am not Swedish, but the club has graciously opened this meeting to everyone with Scandinavian heritage.

Both these meetings offered hybrid options.

I opted for the Zoom call on the Irish program. I was disappointed that the organizers chose to mute the business portion of the meeting, which they conducted first. It left those of us online, including the speaker, twiddling our thumbs for 20 minutes or so of dead air. I would not recommend this approach going forward. First, as a member of the club, I would have liked to hear the business meeting. Second, if it is a problem to let those online hear the meeting, why not have the speaker go first and then let the online attendees leave when the business meeting begins? Or at least schedule the program to begin at a specific time?

For the Swedish meeting, I have registered to attend in person. I am still leery of Covid exposure, but this program will take place in a large, high-ceilinged venue where I know I can keep my distance from others.

It is great to live in an area where so many people work so hard to schedule numerous events for the genealogy community. Without all this continuing education, I would not have had the expertise to compile the large family trees I have.