Preliminary Session Choices - Saturday, Day Four at RootsTech / FGS 2015

Life got in the way of completing my preliminary schedule last week and, as such, I am now able to say that this time two weeks hence my first ever RootsTech / FGS conference experience will be OVER and I will be looking to [die of exhaustion] round up all my loose ends and last minute photocopies at the FHL before I fly out on Tuesday evening. I can't believe it's come upon me this fast! I can't believe in just 14 days it will be all over!!

But first, back to business:

So I figure I'll post my preliminary list of choices for sessions and after the conference we'll come back and see how I did. Okay? Okay. Cool. Glad that's sorted.

See my prelim picks for Wednesday's schedule here.
See my prelim picks for Thursday's schedule here.
See my prelim picks for Friday's schedule here.



SATURDAY'S PICKS



8:30am - 10am
(Plenary) General Session - Inspirational Keynote Speakers and Presenters
AJ Jacobs (author)
Tim Sullivan (Ancestry)
Donny Osmond (entertainer -- aka the best Joseph from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat EVER!!!!)

Okay, let's pause just a moment here and get it over with now...

As a musical theatre chickie myself... 

... I can't even deal with this...

... #fangirl-ing

... #SQUEE

... ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

...

... okay, I have to stop thinking about it.

Back to business.

...

......
......... yeah. EEP!



10:30am - 11:30am
WOAH! Only four initial picks for this time slot... Have I missed something? lol

1. She Came From Nowhere... "A Case Study Approach to Solving A Difficult Genealogical Problem" - Michael Lacopo
-- Intermediate to advanced level look at the GPS = excellent, though I'm not sure how much my brain will be able to take in at this point in the conference...

2. A Sense of Belonging - Teresa Clark
-- From the session description: "Research shows knowing the story of your people increases the ability to endure personal trials". Love it.

3. Are You Missing Genealogy Gems in Military Documents? - Anne Mitchell
-- I have some experience with military records but not much with the Fold3 site...

4. Genealogy Wikis: A User's Guide - Kory Meyerink
-- I have used wikis for various purposes but I am hesitant to participate much in wiki trees... Hopefully, this session would alleviate some of my qualms...



11:30am - 1pm (Otherwise known as LUNCH!)
(Paid) Ancestry.com Luncheon: Getting Along with your Genome: AncestryDNA Breaks It Down -- AncestryDNA Expert
-- Chose this luncheon, honestly, in hopes that there might be special swag and/or prizes; additionally, I'm interested in learning more about the DNA side of Ancestry.com having tested at 23andMe
-- Scheduled Eats: Chicken breast stuffed with Provolone and Baked Ham topped with a roasted chicken veloute; rice pilaf; seasonal vegetable; fresh baked breads; house salad; homemade dessert; coffee, tea and chilled beverages



1pm - 2pm

1. Hurdling the Census Chasm - Melissa Tennant
-- Always looking for new ideas about where to look between censuses!

2. Beyond the Census: The Non-Population Schedules - Deena Coutant
-- I've done a lot of census work but not as much with the non-pops; glad to see this is I/A levels

3. An Affection for Our Ancestors: Family History Activities for Kids - Deborah Gamble
-- Always trying to brainstorm ways to get my younger cousins interested in genealogy NOW...

4. Photos: Past, Present and Future - Jens Nielsen
-- I know a bit about preserving old photos at this point. For me, it's a necessary evil as opposed to an enjoyable aspect of this "hobsession". I'm curious about what might be said regarding the future of photos though... Certainly paper versions are no longer in fashion.

5. Conducting Story-Driven Research - Tammy Hepps
-- I need to work on my ability to manipulate record details into narrative points...
-- Another chance to see Ms. Hepps speak IRL

6. Before You Click: Creating Your Online Research Plan - D. Joshua Taylor
-- I'm always looking for planning tips and strategies...
-- Yet another chance to see Mr. Taylor speak IRL



2:30pm - 3:30pm

1. The War Memorial - Reconstructing a Community - Audrey Collins
-- an intermediate case study

2. Manuscripts and More - Pamela Boyer Sayre
-- another opportunity to learn about museum holdings

3. Getting to Know Fold3 - Gordon Atkinson
-- haven't made much use of Fold3 so far but then my interests do not lie much with the wars and military; not to make light of the wealth of information found in those records, I just find I'm first drawn to other types
-- hopefully, this presentation is not just a long advertisement for the website

4. Tumble Your Family History - Kaci Nicks
-- I'm intrigued by Tumblr but hesitant about whether or not I will ever actually use it... It may be a tool with which to appeal to younger generations, though...

5. Maiden Aunts, Bachelors, and Childless Couples: Don't Forget the Dead Ends - Loretta Evans
-- this is a cause near and dear to my heart however, for me, it's "all-level ability" status is a mark against this session simply because I might spend my time at this con listening to more advanced speeches



4pm - 5pm

1. Marth Benschura: Enemy Alien - Judy Russell
-- this is another of Judy's talks which she will be presenting elsewhere so I think, although I am quite interested, I will mark that session on my calendar to free up this session slot and perhaps see a different speaker

2. How the Public Land Survey System Shaped Our Country - Billie Fogarty
-- beginner level session but I found my land records course through NIGS a bit difficult so I think I could use some more information here, presented in a different fashion perhaps it will stick better in the old rotten noggin.

3. We're Here in America, Now What? - Jennifer Alford
-- the first steps taken by immigrants once they arrived in their new homeland fascinates me; any insights here would be helpful... especially anything leading to more info regarding the Masons which feature prominently in the lives of my hubby's ancestors

4. School Daze - Finding the School Records of our Ancestors - Peggy Lauritzen
-- another chance to see Ms. Lauritzen speak
-- I've already attempted to locate some school records in the course of my research, with not a whole heck of a lot of success... interested in this session for student records as well as teacher records

5. Do I Own My Ancestors?: Copyright, Attribution, Plagiarism, Sharing and Claims to Research Ownership - James Tanner
-- copyright issues plague my worries...
-- a chance to see James Tanner of Genealogy's Star (blog) speak in person

6. Make History: A Guide to Helping Teens Connect with their Family History - Brooke Parker & Becca Potter Summers
-- another chance to see what makes the teens tick

7. Fun New Ways to Improve Your Genealogical Research - James Brewster
-- FamilyTreeDNA presentation... hopefully not a long advertising session...



5:15pm - 6:15pm
(Plenary) RootsTech Closing Event
David Archuleta (American Idol finalist!!)
BYUtv's Studio C (heard amazing things about these peeps!!)




MY CLOSING THOUGHTS ABOUT MY PRELIM CHOICES:

I found this exercise of writing out my initial session choices and reasons for interest very enlightening and highly recommend it to others. It has helped me to pinpoint what is most important to me regarding getting the most out of these sessions and this dual-conference. It's helped me develop a list of priorities which should prove helpful when making decisions on the fly - such as when a particular class if full-up.