Great Adventures at the NGS Conference 2022

The 2022 conference of the National Genealogical Society ended at 5 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. I attended five days of presentations given by genealogy experts from around the country. The conference was held at the SAFE convention center in Sacramento.

This was the first in-person NGS conference since the beginning of the pandemic. The ground rules by NGS for attending made this conference feel pretty safe. We had to show our updated vaccination cards to receive a wristband and wear a mask the entire time we were in the convention center unless eating or drinking. The rooms were large enough that people could sit in every other seat and have that comfort of distance. The presenters took off their masks while presenting but they were far from the first row.

There were fewer people than expected, so the halls and restrooms were not too crowded between classes. When we picked up our badges, we were given the option to place colored dots on our name badge to signify our comfort level with other attendees. Green dot signified that hugging was okay. Yellow dots were for fist or elbow bumps. Red dots mean to keep your distance.

My first day on Tuesday was to attend the BCG Education Fund classes with Rebecca Koford in the morning and Karen Jones in the afternoon. We had a nice chicken salad for lunch. Our topics for the classes were writing. In the evening the exhibit hall opened and they had drinks and hors d’oeuvres for everyone.

On Wednesday, the conference began with announcements of awards and then the keynote speaker, Gordon Chang gave a talk about the Chinese railroad workers. It was very informative and I purchased his book, Ghosts of Gold Mountain which I have begun reading. There were then 4 presentations that I attended:

• Las Leyes de California: Spanish Colonial Laws and the Records They Produced – Judy G. Russell
• Private Land Claims in California, New Mexico, and other Western States—Rick Sayre
• More Questions Than Answers? Consider Conducting a Broad Contextual Study—Jill Morelli
• It Gets Even Better Offline—Tom Jones

I also attended two events: The BCG Board meeting and the Taste of California Welcome Reception, where I met quite a few BCG associates. It was extremely hot that evening, but finally a cool breeze began to come in and the next day was easily 20 degrees cooler than the 100-degree days we had experienced the previous two days.

Thursday, I attended these presentations:

• Document Analysis: Digging into the Details—Angela McGhie
• This Worthy Brother: Bringing a Gold Rush Immigrant’s Story to Life—Sharon Hoyt
• Follow the Trail of Records and DNA from Ireland to Oregon—Karen Stanbury
• Finding Sophia’s Family: A Case of Fratricide and Forgotten Identity—Nancy Peters
• Recreating Your Ancestor’s World—Mary Kircher Roddy

I also volunteered at the information desk with Beth Daugherty for two hours over the lunch time. Stewart set up dinner at a Greek Restaurant.

Friday, I worked the BCG booth in the exhibit hall during the lunch hour. Quite a few people came to look at portfolios. In the evening, we attended the banquet and carefully sat at an outside edge table as far from others as possible. Too many people did not return their masks after eating.

The sessions I attended on Friday were:

• What Happened to Uncle Walter? Evidence Analysis and Correlation Uncover a Man’s Dual Identities—Sharon Hoyt
• Write it Now, Get it Right Later: Start-to-Finish Tips for Genealogy Writing—Jay Fonkert
• What’s in a Name: Name Changes and the Law—Judy G. Russell
• Her Piece of the Prairie: Women Homesteaders of the West—Rebecca Koford

Lastly, we viewed a film titled “Far East Deep South” about a Chinese family rediscovering their Mississippi roots. It was both interesting and moving. We gave it a standing ovation!

Saturday was the last day. I worked the CGS booth from 11 to 1 pm with Linda Edwards. It was not busy there. Jacqueline and I ate lunch out at a Japanese restaurant which was delicious. The sessions on Saturday I attended were:

• Irish Miners Across America—David Rencher
• Why They Left, Where They Went, and What Their Journeys Can Reveal—Pam Vestal
• Death or Bigamy? Tracking an Elusive Man Across the United States—Trish Nicola
• From ProGen Case Study to Published NGSQ Article—Mary Kircher Roddy

We stayed one more night and had dinner at a Mexican restaurant with Judy G. Russell and Nikki LaRue. Great meal and great company we had!

Overall, I had a great time. It was wonderful seeing people in person and learning from some great genealogists.

Jacqueline and my stay at the Hyatt was enjoyable. We were able to keep the room cool, work out a bathroom schedule, and share the use of the iron and tea kettle. We’re off to home on Sunday after breakfast.

Copyright © 2022 by Lisa S. Gorrell, My Trails into the Past. All Rights Reserved.