Hartford 2007 e-zine #11
THEY’RE COMING FROM NEAR AND FAR!
HOTEL UPDATE
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
TICKETS FOR LUNCHEONS AND BANQUETS STILL AVAILABLE!
NEWS ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS
SOCIETY FAIR DEADLINE EXTENDED UNTIL MARCH 1
LAST CALL FOR QUERIES
COMING TO HARTFORD? WHY NOT VOLUNTEER?
PUBLICIZING THE CONFERENCE
ABOUT THIS EZINE
THEY'RE COMING FROM NEAR AND FAR!
Registration Chair Mary Choppa reports that while most registrations received to date have been by folks from New England, attendees will include folks from California, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. There will also be at least two on hand from the UK!
The Conference Registration Brochure is available for download at the Conference website www.nergc.org. Check out the full conference program and the many lectures and special events to choose from.
If you or someone you know needs a “hard copy” brochure mailed to them, contact Conference Co-Chair Dick Roberts: Rroberts1861@charter.net.
HARTFORD MARRIOTT DOWNTOWN
at the CONVENTION CENTER
200 Columbus Boulevard, Hartford, Connecticut
PLENTY OF HOTEL ROOMS AT OUR CONFERENCE HOTEL,
for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights – 26, 27, 28 April.
Book as many nights as you can at the Conference Hotel; don't be left out of activities by being off-site during the evening hours.We want to fill our originally guaranteed rooms, and preferably the entire hotel, for the conference period.
Special notice from Janet Wallace, your Hospitality Chair
For those wishing to arrive a day early for Librarians’ Day (April 25), or to settle in early for The Conference which begins in earnest on Thursday: should you call the Marriott reservations center and request a room for Wednesday through Saturday nights, they’ll tell you they are “full”. What they mean is that only Wednesday is full! There is plenty of room on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights at our special conference rate, and you need to persevere.
Please read carefully:
When you call Marriott reservations, if you are told the hotel is full, ask about just eliminating Wednesday, and you are likely to find all the room you need. Secure your reservation at the “Hartford Marriott Downtown” – using our special group code of NGCNGCA to get the conference rate for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Toll-free reservations can be reached at 1-866-373-9806.
Next you’ll be looking for a home for yourself on Wednesday night. For starters, some places around Hartford that may have availability are shown below.
Other hotels in Hartford are the Goodwin Hotel Closest town outside Hartford to the Convention Center and Conference Hotel is East Hartford, just across the river. Hotels there include: Other sites include:
You may also wish to visit the individual web sites of the major
hotel chains. Bear in mind, however, you would be driving into Hartford
during the morning rush hour each day, and should allow extra time for
travel and parking.
All in all, the best place to be is our convention hotel!
Manchester, CT, off I-84, is about 15 minutes to the east of Hartford, and has a Courtyard, Residence Inn, Best Value, and Fairfield Inn. Please watch future issues of the E-Zine for:
Kindly note:
NERGC does not sponsor these other listings;
we are just trying to make helpful information available to attendees.
However you put your conference plans together, just be there!
Why attend a genealogical conference? Presentations and lectures by experts give you an opportunity to learn more about all aspects of genealogy. The eight separate tracks at New England CONNECTions are organized around these themes: Ethnic Genealogy, Federal Records at the National Archives, Genealogical Techniques, New England Research, Records and Sources, Skills and Methodology (how to manage your research), Technology, Writing and Documents.! The lectures themselves range from introductory topics to more specialized sessions such as Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak’s presentation, “Trace Your Roots With DNA.” See the full program at www.nergc.org/2007/program2007.htm. TICKETS FOR LUNCHEONS AND BANQUETS STILL AVAILABLE! Did you already register for the conference but passed over the luncheon and banquet tickets? There is still time to sign up for meals. Simply send in a registration form with your personal information filled out, state “ALREADY REGISTERED FOR THE CONFERENCE” and check off and send $26 for each Luncheon, and $37 for each Banquet. Don’t forget to indicate your choice of meal, for example, “Baked Codfish” or “Vegetarian Dish.” Go to www.nergc.org Here are a few reasons why you may want to add the meals to your registration. Are you just now getting your registration in for the conference? Luncheons, with speakers, at noon on Friday and Saturday: Dinner banquets, with speakers, on Friday and Saturday evenings: Kevin Johnson, who is presenting “William Webb: An African-American Civil War Soldier Saturday, April 28 (Session S-330) made his 300th performance as Private Webb on Thursday, January 12. As part of the celebration of that event, the Connecticut State Library has prepared a new online exhibit at www.cslib.org/WmWebb SOCIETY FAIR DEADLINE EXTENDED UNTIL MARCH 1 Society Fair Chair Nancy Pexa reports that organizations already booked for the Society Fair (Thursday, April 26, 5:00 – 7:00 P.M.) include the Genealogy Club of Newtown (Connecticut), the Jewish Genealogical Society of Connecticut, the Plymouth Public Library (Plymouth, Massachusetts), the Southwick (Massachusetts) Historical Society, and the Windsor (Connecticut) Historical Society. Conference registrants as well as the general public will be able to “connect” with society representatives, pick up brochures and registration material, or perhaps even make a more permanent connection by joining the group. And if you’re a member of an organization that has yet to sign up for a table, it’s not too late. The deadline has been extended on a space available basis until March 1, 2007. Just download the Society Fair invitation and form here. Organizations may display brochures, newsletters, publications, information on membership, research facilities and services, plus any informative material that directly relates to their organization or repository. They may not sell items, but may take orders for such. For additional information, contact Nancy at 8 Monroe Lane, Avon, CT 06001-4524, nanpexa@sbcglobal.net. Don’t miss the opportunity to have your genealogical queries included in the Conference Syllabus at a very nominal cost: $5 each, or 3 for $10. And you are not limited to 3, you could purchase 6 for $20. Even in this day of electronic marvels, the tried and true printed query, which finds its way into hundreds of hands, is one good way to break down your brick walls. For details on submitting your queries, refer to your Conference Brochure or visit the NERGC web site and view page 3 of the online brochure, or email QueryColumn@aol.com. But don’t delay! All queries must be postmarked by 31 January 2007. COMING TO HARTFORD? WHY NOT VOLUNTEER? Don’t just attend the conference! Don’t just hang around while your family member or friend attends the Hartford 2007 New England Regional Genealogical Conference! Become a part of the action and VOLUNTEER! Don’t want to miss a session? VOLUNTEER to host sessions you will be attending anyway. Do you like meeting and greeting people? Help with Hospitality or Registration or “man” the Volunteer Information table for a few hours. Coming in to visit the “open to the public” exhibit hall? Assist in the Ancestry Road Show Triage. Assist exhibitors during set up and break down time, Collect and distribute information. There is a role for everyone. Sit and welcome people, take banquet tickets, proof read signage, be in the “know” assisting with set up before sessions and pick up evaluations after sessions. THERE IS a role for YOU! Your friendly Volunteer Committee Co-Chairs, Cheryl and Pam
will help you match your time and talents with the needs of the conference. Don’t delay contact us NOW! Use your registration brochure or refer to information at www.nergc.org If you need more information on roles and times for specific tasks in order to decide just let us know and we will send you the specific information that has been distributed to each local participating society’s volunteer coordinator. You may also set up your volunteer hours through your society coordinator. Don’t know who it is? Just ask, we’ll hook you up. NOW is the time to contact your "society volunteer coordinator" or a Conference Volunteer Co-Chair with your request for a volunteer assignment. PUBLICIZING THE CONFERENCE AND: Can you help us gain a wider circulation for the Conference e-zines by forwarding each issue to friends, family, members of your Society, and to any others who you think will be interested in attending the Conference? ABOUT THIS E-ZINE Your address will NOT be shared and there will be no advertising as a part of the e-zine. © 2007 New England Regional Genealogical Conference
Holiday Inn East
Wellesley Inn East Hartford (also listed as Day’s Inn East Hartford
Sheraton Hartford Hotel
Best Western Camelot
Courtyard by Marriott
Hawthorne Inn
Hilton Garden Inn
Windsor, CT, to the north of Hartford on I-91 has several, as does Windsor Locks around Bradley International Airport, all about 15-20 minutes from the Convention Center.
1) Further postings on greater Hartford hotels for your Wednesday night
(or full-time) stay.
2) Free Commuter Parking Lots and related bus routes ($) in Hartford’s
outlying areas.
3) Possible Campground and RV Park areas (according to the season)
convenient to Hartford.
· Check out the titles and speakers featured. No one will be disappointed with these informative and entertaining speakers!
· Past conference attendees gave feedback that the sharing, socializing and networking that occurs at the meals was one of the most meaningful parts of the conference.
· Persons who recently attended luncheons and banquets at our conference center in Hartford have raved about the quality, presentation, and service during the events.
Don’t miss the opportunity for convenient, delicious meals, socialization, and networking with other participants in addition to the entertaining and informative presentations.
· Friday: Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak will speak on “Cases That Made My Brain Hurt”. Sponsored by Connecticut Professional Genealogists Council.
· Saturday: Marcia Iannizzi Melnyk will speak on “It’s a Small World After All: Genealogy in the Global Perspective”. Sponsored by Cape Cod Genealogical Society.
· Friday: Patricia Law Hatcher, FASG, will share the hidden secrets of genealogical successes. Sponsored by the New England Historic Genealogical Society.
· Saturday: Henry Z “Hank” Jones, Jr., FASG will share his adventures behind the NBC-TV dramatization of his ground-breaking bestseller Psychic Roots and even more amazing serendipitous experiences contributed by genealogists worldwide for his sequel More Psychic Roots. Sponsored by Connecticut Society of Genealogists.
Name and best way to contact you.
Days and times you can help.
Specific sessions you would be willing to introduce and oversee (script provided).
The kinds of tasks you are willing to do.
To which (if any) participating society your hours should be credited.
Volunteer Co-Chairs:
Cheryl Willis Patten: cwpatten@localnet.com
Tel. (207) 634-2156
Address: 1161 East Pond Road, Smithfield, ME 04978
Pam Roberts: pamela.roberts@uconn.edu
Tel. (860) 429-8751
Address: 596 Gurleyville Rd., Storrs, CT 06268-1408
With just three months until the Conference begins we have a continuing need for volunteers to help distribute publicity material to local libraries, archives and Family History Centers – and to check back at these facilities periodically to re-stock them if necessary. Please send an e-mail to ksb832@verizon.net or harold.odiorne@the-spa.com and include “NERGC Publicity” in the subject line.
This e-zine is sent to you at your request or because of your involvement in NERGC 2007.We welcome your thoughts and suggestions for items to appear in future issues. Please send them to Michael Spellmon, at rootsearcher@email.com.
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