Ease into the New Year with #FindingYourRoots

Posted on January 8, 2019 by Lynn Broderick @thesingleleaf

It’s been a hectic and joyful holiday season. As many rush to fulfill New Year resolutions, I prefer to ease into the month of January. This year I’ve been looking forward to easing into the new year with Finding Your Roots hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. He’s back with Season 5 of his award-winning PBS show to introduce 25 notable guests and their genealogies over a 10-week period. Each episode has a theme and Dr. Gates will introduce each guest to their “Book of Life.” If you like stories, you’ll love this show. The reveal through the “Book of Life” demonstrates the possibilities of what a person may find when they pursue their family history. Each episode is worth watching!

The show is scheduled to air tonight at 8 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. Central and Mountain Time, but check local listings. I learned this morning that KUED, the PBS station originating from Salt Lake City, will push back its scheduled airing of this episode from 7 p.m. to approximately 7:30 p.m. to allow for the U.S. President’s prime-time address and the U.S. Democratic response, which will be covered by the PBS NewsHour.

Episode 1 is titled, “Grandparents and Other Strangers—The Stories Encoded in Our DNA.” It features Andy Samberg, a member of the comedy music group, Lonely Island (@thelonelyisland), and a former cast member of Saturday Night Live. It also features George R. R. Martin. Mr. Martin, (@GRRMspeaking), tweeted about this episode saying, “…I’m not the man I thought I was …” You might know his work The Game of Thrones, which was awarded the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series in 2018.

The remaining episodes are themed as follows with their featured guests listed:

Episode 2: Mystery Men with Felicity Huffman and Michael K. Williams.
Episode 3: Reporting on Reporters—Truth Tellers with Christiane Amnapour, Ann Curry, and Lisa Ling.
Episode 4: Dreaming of a New Land (Between Worlds) with Marisa Tomei (Italian roots), Sheryl Sandberg (Russian roots), and Kal Penn (Indian roots).
Episode 5: Freedom Tales with S.Epatha Merkerson and Michael Strahan.
Episode 6: Roots in Politics with Paul Ryan, Tulsi Gabbard, and Marco Rubio.
Episode 7: No Laughing Matter with Seth Meyers, Tig Notaro, and Sarah Silverman.
Episode 8: Hard Times with Michael Moore, Laura Linney, and Chlöe Sevigny.
Episode 9: Eye of the Beholder with director Alejandro G. Iñárritu, artist Marina Abramović, and painter Kehinde Wiley.
Episode 10: All in the Family with Ty Burrel and Joe Madison.

The final episode will feature a summer camp for children that uses genetic genealogy. Check out Finding Your Roots: The Seedlings,filmed at Penn State University, and follow 13 youth explore their family histories. A curriculum for teachers is available to download and customize for their classrooms.

Additionally, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. gave the keynote address at RootsTech 2018. It is still available to view at your leisure.

Until next time … All the best in the New Year!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I am designated as an official ambassador for RootsTech and, as such, I am provided complimentary admission and other services to accomplish my duties. Nevertheless, I have been with RootsTech since its inception and with its predecessor for many years as a paid participant. As always, my coverage and opinions are my own and are not affected by my current status. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

It’s Time for the NFL Super Bowl! Now What About Your Family History Bowl?

Posted on February 1, 2018 by Lynn Broderick @thesingleleaf

Warning: Participating in family history and genealogy while watching the NFL Super Bowl with your significant other may cause side effects including distraction, interference with relational bonding, and failure to fully enjoy chips, salsa, and guacamole. Research responsibly.

It’s time for the NFL Super Bowl! The winner of the Lombardi trophy will soon be determined on the field. The New England Patriots secured the AFC Championship and the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Minnesota Vikings to win the NFC Championship. Sunday will be the final game of the year—Super Bowl LII!

As the big game approaches, I think of another “big game,” RootsTech, to be held at the Salt Palace Convention Center this month, beginning Wednesday, February 28 through Saturday, March 3, 2018. This year’s headliners includes Brandon Stanton, Scott Hamilton, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and Natalia Lafourcade. Although their keynotes may inspire and motivate us to pursue our heritage, the actual routes we run for our genealogy touchdowns will be as individual as the ancestors we pursue.

To assist us, RootsTech offers approximately 300 sessions from which to choose to customize a plan of attack to avoid fumbles and interceptions when pursuing our family history goals. Whether you attend the conference onsite or virtually you can download the RootsTech app either from the App Store or Google Play. Once you have downloaded the app you will have access to information about each session and any of the accompanying handouts to enhance your training.

So how can RootsTech assist you? How can you make the most of your time at the conference and in Salt Lake City? Here are a couple of suggestions:

Know why you are attending. This may seem like a strange recommendation but it will make all of the difference because everything you do will center on the why. RootsTech is an amazing conference, but it is impossible to see, hear, and do everything. Knowing your why will help you manage the all the possibilities.

Make SMART—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound— family history and genealogy goals for RootsTech. The more specific you are, the greater the opportunity to achieve your goals during the conference. These goals determine which sessions to choose or if it would be best to skip a session and head to the Expo Hall or Family History Library. The assistance available at RootsTech and the neighboring Family History Library can easily move you closer to a genealogical touchdown, to winning your game, and ultimately to achieving the [insert your ancestral surname here] trophy of your Family History and Genealogy Bowl.

To the players and coaches of the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots who play this year’s Super Bowl, the genealogists and family historians who struggle to find time to play the game (i.e., research), to our ancestors whose lives were rarely blessed more than ours, I close with a quote that I first posted for Super Bowl XLVIII and is known as The Man in the Arena[1]:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Cheering you on in your game to win your Family History and Genealogy Bowl!

1.Roosevelt, Theodore. “Citizenship In A Republic.” Delivered at the Sorbonne, in Paris, France on April 23, 1910. Accessed January 4, 2014. http://www.theodore-roosevelt.com/trsorbonnespeech.html. [For a copy of the complete speech in PDF format click here.]

About RootsTech

RootsTech, hosted by FamilySearch, is a global conference celebrating families across generations, where people of all ages are inspired to discover and share their memories and connections. This annual event has become the largest of its kind in the world, attracting tens of thousands of participants worldwide.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I am designated as an official ambassador to the RootsTech Conference and, as such, I am provided complimentary admission and other services, opportunities, and meals to accomplish my duties. Nevertheless, I have been with RootsTech since its inception and with its predecessor for many years as a paid participant. As always, my coverage and opinions are my own and are not affected by my current status. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

RootsTech 2018 — 3 Reasons to Attend the Largest Genealogy Coaching Conference in the Game

Posted on September 19, 2017 by Lynn Broderick @thesingleleaf

If you have been following me on Twitter @thesingleleaf, you already know that Early Bird registration begins NOW at RootsTech.org. As an official ambassador to the RootsTech Conference and to guarantee the lowest registration price, I provide 3 reasons that RootsTech just might be the perfect family history and genealogy conference for you to attend in 2018:

Keynote addresses from individuals whose life experiences and successes are varied. RootsTech has brought in speakers from the tech industry, the science community, the writer’s circle, the political realm, the entertainment industry, the sports arena, the bloggers’ sphere and of course, the field of family history and genealogy. I have never been disappointed and I can’t wait to find out who our guests will be this coming year!
RootsTech offers 4 days of customized learning with over 200 sessions from which choose. I’ve heard in the past individuals lamenting because there were too many choices and the participants were given the difficult task of choosing one favored session over another. The good news is that if a session fills quickly, there is always another quality session to attend.
The Expo Hall provides the greatest gathering of organizations, societies, and vendors to explore the latest in the field of family history and genealogy. 23andMe is sponsoring the Demo Theater and there will be a Discovery Zone where interactive displays provide opportunities to come to know your heritage in a fun way. Innovation Alley was introduced two years ago, highlighting new tech tools and products. From March 1-3, there will be an encore performance of the Heirloom Show and Tell where you can bring a small item or a photo of a larger item and have an expert tell you more about it. In addition, Coaches’ Corner will return to provide one-to-one mentoring to help you overcome your brick walls.

In addition to these 3 reasons, one cannot forget that the RootsTech venue, the Salt Palace Convention Center, is within walking distance of the Family History Library. Prepare now to access some of the greatest collections on earth to help you find your ancestors!

RootsTech offers great keynote speakers, sensational sessions, and excellent exhibits that provide players of all levels with excellent coaching in their family history and genealogy pursuits. Onsite attendance also provides opportunities for individualized coaching as participants engage with industry leaders. Register early to get into the game and don’t forget to make your hotel reservations if needed.

P.S. There will be a number of ambassador full registration give-aways later in the season. If you purchase your registration at this time and you win a free registration, RootsTech will refund the full price of your registration. So, what do you have to lose? Register early, subscribe to this blog and tell your friends to do the same for the latest about this great conference!

About RootsTech
RootsTech, held February 28 through March 3, 2018, and hosted by FamilySearch, is the largest global family history event in the world! The eighth annual conference—celebrating families across generations—is the perfect place to discover and share your family’s stories and connections through technology. Connect. Belong. :-)