Sunday, August 28, 2011

Unpuzzling Your Past

Celebrate and preserve your own history by building your family tree. At some point in life, people feel compelled to learn more about the individuals in their family who came before them. What makes genealogical research even more interesting is seeing the impact that your ancestors had on history, and on your own life. And just what did you inherit from your ancestors? Your physical appearance, likes or dislikes, health, even your occupation may be traced back to your ancestors. Every person is a part of history. Just by living their lives, they created history. What about you? You, too, are creating history, even as you live it. While you are a descendant of the past, you are a parent of the future.

Records are history's best storytellers. It is therefore necessary to develop research skills and become a good 'detective'. It is also a great deal of fun! These classes are designed to develop your research skills & teach you to think like a researcher. The classes enable you to decide what records to search for, why you need each of these records, how to find them, and then how to use them.

Unpuzzling Your Past is the course you SHOULD start with - whether a beginner or a seasoned researcher! You won't believe what you've been missing! You will NEVER regret building a strong foundation!! What if you had to prove a major event in *your* life? How would you do it? With records. Your ancestors also created records. They did many of the same things you do. Later in their lives they may have married and had children. Some of them hunted for gold, others worked in mills or farmed, still others left their homeland to make a new life in North America. If you had to prove your ancestors had these experiences, that they actually lived, how would you do it? Well, you would become a family history detective.

This class is suitable for beginners and the advanced who’ve hit that ‘brick wall’. This is a good 'starter' class, and the one you should start with, but it is also designed to assist more experienced researchers who are at a stand-still with their current 'brick wall'. I will say again - You will NEVER regret building a strong foundation!!

For most of us the great fun of genealogy & family history research is in the thrill of the chase - the search for new details. We gather reams of photocopies. We have copious numbers of binders full of hard copy. We have too many notes scribbled on too many scraps of paper, and we carry impossible numbers of facts/dates/locations in our heads. Sometimes we are overwhelmed by the amount of information we have collected or inherited. Sometimes we have nothing. Obviously the more we know, the more we have to work with. BUT, Pat started with her parents and grandparents names, two locations (on two different continents), a couple unconfirmed dates, and that was it!! It *is* possible.

This course has been thoughtfully developed to help those with too much or too little information. If your research has progressed over a long period of time, do you still have some spaces you've had to leave blank or are uncertain about? Learn how to start, organize, document and cite your source(s) properly. Discover those missed clues or miscellaneous errors, and learn about new sources recently made available to the public (including many on the Internet - some that are available only on the Internet). Learn how to do all this in the most cost effective manner possible! There are times when you must pay for an official search. There are many *more* times when you can perform that search yourself, if you just knew how. This course will teach you those 'how's'.

Experienced genealogists
Take a look at all the work you've done or inherited and think of what you might yet accomplish! Is part of the reason you do family history research so it will be preserved, passed on and added to? Is your work clear, concise and presented in an organized, understandable format? Will the next person who looks at, or inherits it, be able to understand exactly what you found, and exactly where you found it? Will they be able to, and want to, continue your work? Do you have any recorded information, but are unable to remember where you found it or who told it to you? Have you been given any names, dates, locations but you have no idea where that information was found? If you knew, you could go back to those records, double check for accuracy and perhaps add some new details the original researcher, or story-teller, missed, misread or misinterpreted!

Only you know how much time, expertise, money, frustration, and intense happiness you will or have invested in researching and preserving your family history. Wouldn't it be terrible if it was all disposed of because it's value was not readily apparent? It happens every day. How many precious old photos, books or other memorabilia have you seen in second hand shops or garage sales? Your talents and your hard work need to be preserved and your descendants will thank you - after all, how much would you appreciate even one piece of well documented research?

If you are just getting started, congratulations, as you have no bad habits to break and this class will teach you all the good habits. For those of you who have spent decades doing research, isn't that research worth the investment of a little more time in order to preserve it for future generations? Do not despair if you're body of work needs attention - you are certainly not alone - but Do Not Delay any longer. Get into this class - quick! Student enrollment is kept low to accommodate student/instructor interaction. Students work on their own family research.

These courses are not designed to be the cheapest in the world - we all know that you usually get what you pay for. They *are* designed to be the BEST. Pat is most concerned with giving you the best and most recent tools available [including those on the Internet], and equipping you with the knowledge you need to take your research as far as you'd like. She also believes in having fun, and there is always much laughter shared by all. Additionally, following each one of the four class sessions, you will receive a set of complete and comprehensive notes covering the details taught and discussed in that class. This means you will not have to attempt to take notes during the class. Instead, you can devote your full time and attention to listening, learning, participating, and sharing in your own successes. By the end of the Unpuzzling Your Past course, you will have about 75 pages of notes filled with the most important details discussed. Additionally your notes contain live hyperlinks to all the websites we dealt with during the course. This is so helpful because you just need to click on the hyperlink and you are taken directly to that website! No chance of making an error typing some of those very long URL's (location addresses) into your web browser.

Students continually express their gratitude and appreciation to Pat. They do this in words, and by continuing to enroll in Pat's more and more advanced courses. They realize her knowledge is vast, and that she goes 'above and beyond' for her students. They also realize that her notes alone are worth many hundreds of dollars - and appreciate that they can continue to refer to those notes, forever! Pat clearly loves what she does ... and it shows. Instructor Pat Ryan MCCSG. Contact her pryan@sasktel.net or 695-2241 or 533-3941. You can pay your registration fees at the office inside the front doors at 3860 Buckingham Drive East.

Regina
Arcola East Community Association Multi-Purpose Room (upstairs)
Sept. 20, 27, Oct. 4, 11 .............. 7:15 - 9:15pm

WHO DO U THINK U R?

Who Do U Think U R?
So what's all this genealogy fuss about? Why do we care who our ancestors were, or where we came from? I suppose the answer is slightly different for each of us, but we human beings have many things in common. And speaking of humans - anyone ever attempt to follow a registered dog or horse pedigree? Now those breeders could teach us a thing or two about keeping and proving pedigrees!!


Genealogy - A Popular Hobby
Genealogy is the #1 hobby in the world! Well that claim, and other numbers thrown around, may or may not be accurate. But what I *am* sure of is that genealogy is VERY popular on the World Wide Web. Just do a search for "genealogy" and see how many hits you get! As of today I get 231,000,000. That's 23 MILLION folks, and I'd say that qualifies as popular. WHAT an awesome time to be doing genealogy!!!


So What's All The Fuss About?
That has always been a certain segment of the population who were absorbed by family history, some from a very young age. Ahhhhh, how I wish I were one of them. I was probably like most of you, waiting until anyone who could answer my questions was long gone. And I only listened with feigned interest to the few stories that were told around my home. Most of the 'oldsters' answered family history questions with "What do you want to know about that old stuff for?" or "Best just leave it all in the past" - " Let sleeping dogs lie".(sigh) What really got millions and millions of people interested was the TV show called "Roots", and the interest has grown incredibly since then.


What Do We All Have In Common?
So this is what most of us have in common - we waited too long to become interested. Is all lost? Is there no way of finding answers? Is there no way of sorting fact from fiction? Would anyone have fibbed to us? Or have we simply misinterpreted details?
One of our greatest challenges is sorting fact from fiction. There is almost always an element of truth in those old family stories, but be prepared to not hold on to them too tightly! Let's learn the truth as it's *always* much more interesting than fiction.

Never Hopeless!
Anyway, "NO" it is not hopeless! I can promise you it will not be as easy as the ads on TV say - "you don't need to know what you're looking for"! (if only that were true!) But if you do learn the proper steps to take, in the proper sequence, it is definitely possible ................. AND ................... what great fun you are in for!!!!!


You Are A Descendent Of The Past, You Are A Parent Of The Future!
Celebrate and preserve your own history by building your family tree. At some point in life, people feel compelled to learn more about the individuals in their family who came before them. I have students of all ages in my courses. The cool thing is that we can learn from each other!

What makes genealogical research even more interesting is seeing the impact that your ancestors had on history, and on your own life. And just what did you inherit from your ancestors? Your physical appearance, likes or dislikes, health, even your occupation may be traced back to your ancestors. Every person is a part of history. Just by living their lives, they created history. What about you? You, too, are creating history, even as you live it. While you are a descendant of the past, you are a parent of the future.


Records
Records are history's best storytellers. It is therefore necessary to develop research skills and become a good 'detective'. It is also a great deal of fun! These classes are designed to develop your research skills & teach you to think like a researcher. Pat is a certified record searcher, researcher, and instructor. Her classes enable you to decide what records to search for, why you need each of these records, how to find them, and then how to use them. And, perhaps because of her Scottish background (grin), she has learned how to do this in the most economical way possible! (big grin) Genealogy *can* be a very expensive hobby unless you know the secrets.


Courses
Pat's courses are organized in a specific sequence for an important reason. The knowledge gained in one course will give you the tools and wisdom needed to proceed, with confidence and understanding, to the next course. Following these suggestions offers you your greatest chance of successfully tracing your ancestors and subsequently doing the 'genealogy happy dance'.

Of course this is Pat's suggestion only, but she really doesn't want to see you overwhelmed in a course you weren't quite ready for. These classes are very different that any you may have previously taken. They are comprehensive, loaded with detail, and have been described by many students as 'intensive', but fun. Obviously you will be the best judge of where your skill level is at. Alternatively, you are welcome to discuss your needs with Pat by email pryan@sasktel.net or calling 306-695-2241.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Fall 2011 Courses

I can't believe where the summer is going, sooooo fast, but it's time to start thinking about Fall classes. Below is the list of upcoming courses I'm offering this Fall. I'll be posting additional information about each course in the near future so stay tuned. Pre-registrations are always encouraged as the courses fill quickly. You can contact me: pryan@sasktel.net or 533-3941 or 695-2241.


WHO DO U THINK U R?
UNPUZZLING YOUR PAST - Using the Internet
This is the course you should start with - whether a beginning genealogist or a seasoned researcher. You won't believe what you've been missing until you begin using the most up-to-date methods I teach! Learn to locate free reliable records - many available only on the Internet – once you’re taught where to find them and how to use them to their full potential. Extensive Internet use. Students work on their own family research. Pat Ryan MCCSG

Regina
Sept 20 AECC multi-purpose room 7:15 – 9:15pm
Sept 27 AECC multi-purpose room 7:15 – 9:15pm
Oct 04 AECC multi-purpose room 7:15 – 9:15pm
Oct 11 AECC multi-purpose room 7:15 – 9:15pm $160.00

I will also be offering this course in Indian Head, fall 2011. Dates to be posted here soon. Anyone interested should contact me asap so I can figure out appropriate dates/times.



SO U THINK U’R SCOTTISH?
An intensive specialty course delivered online designed to teach you the very specific why’s and how’s of researching your ancestral British Isles homeland. Without leaving your home, and at your convenience, find your family records online: 400+ years old. The core components deal with Scottish records, but this course is valuable for researchers of all British Isles countries. Completion of Unpuzzling Your Past would be MOST beneficial. You should also plan to register in The NEW FAMILYSEARCH.ORG course. Pat Ryan MCCSG
Oct 18, Oct 25, Nov 01, Nov 08 emailed lessons $160.00



The NEW FAMILYSEARCH.ORG
Use the Internet to access the largest genealogical library in the World! Perform searches for your families and locate actual documents, mostly all for FREE! This course is an absolute MUST for all genealogists. This is a totally on-line Internet distance education course with no classroom sessions. Work on this course when it’s convenient for you. Completion of Unpuzzling Your Past would be MOST beneficial. Pat Ryan MCCSG
Nov 15, 22, 29, Dec 06 emailed lessons $160.00


BEST GENEALOGY INTERNET SITES
While the Internet is a magnificent tool for the 21st Century genealogist, I suspect we can all agree that it can be frustrating and, at times, overwhelming. Or do you continue to end up at sites that want money? Do you understand Wikis, Blogs, Podcasts, Webinars, ezines, Facebook, and Twitter AND how these FREE websites can help you further your family history research? Can you find the BEST of the BEST websites, dedicated to your specific area of research? This course offers hundreds of links, separated and easily searchable by YOUR area of interest! I have been compiling, monitoring, and tracking these sites for over three years so you rest assured you really will be pointed in the right direction. Most sites are free, many are obscure and not easily found, and some ‘official’ sites are pay-for-view or subscription based … but well worth the small cost. You will be amazed at what you can find, from your own home computer, any time you wish to search!! Completion of Unpuzzling Your Past and New FamilySearch.org would be MOST beneficial. Pat Ryan MCCSG

Jan 09 emailed lessons & work at your own speed $160.00
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Monday, August 8, 2011

FREE credits at ScotlandsPeople

Ancestral Scotland (www.ancestralscotland.com) is offering 30 free ScotlandsPeople credits, worth £7, to overseas residents in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. The credits can be used at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk to view Scottish vital and census records (about 4 digitised records and two LDS 1881 census transcriptions views - wills and Arms not included). WooHoo!!!!!!!!!!! FREE!!!!

Get going and Happy Searching everyone!
Pat