The following announcement was written by the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG):
BCG to Host Joy Reisinger Lecture Series: Five Free Lectures on Friday, 20 October 2023
The Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) will host five live webinars, free and available to the public, as this year’s Reisinger Memorial Lecture Series on 20 October 2023. The hour-long webinars begin at 9:30 a.m. MDT (11:30 a.m. EDT and 4:30 p.m. GMT) and continue throughout the day. Five leading genealogists will speak on topics such as meeting the Genealogical Proof Standard, verifying genealogical stories, and using DNA evidence. The webinars are part of the Joy Reisinger Memorial Lecture Series and are presented in conjunction with Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
The lecture series is presented annually in memory of BCG’s former trustee and vice president, Joy Reisinger, who began this lecture series for Family History Library staff during BCG’s fall board meetings. Joy was an advocate for open records access, a lecturer on research methods, and an expert on Canadian resources, especially those of Quebec.
The lecture series will be in-person and live streamed. To attend in person, lectures will be held in Classrooms B and C on the main floor of the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Friday, 20 October 2023. For address, contact information, and directions to the library, visit their website at https://www.familysearch.org/en/library/.
To view the live stream webinar presented in conjunction with Legacy Family Tree Webinars, registration is available athttps://familytreewebinars.com/Reisinger.
The schedule for Friday, 20 October 2023, is as follows:
9:30 a.m. MDT. "Deconstructing Family Stories: Are They Fact, Fiction, or a Little of Both," Barbara Vines Little, CG
We all have them—family stories—from Indian princesses and three brothers who came to America to “We’re related to Benjamin Franklin.” Some are blatantly false; others wishful thinking. But others may be true or partly true. Discarding even the most outrageous without research is a mistake. Finding the clues in family stories requires careful and thorough research, but that kernel of truth can be worth it.
10:45 a.m. MDT. "Lineage of Land: Tracing Property Without Recorded Deeds,” Shannon Green, CG
This case study traces a piece of property for two hundred years, from the Native Americans to the Dutch, to the English, and through fourteen members of the Hicks family over five generations. Transfer of title occurs through various instruments, including patents, unrecorded deeds, inheritance, escheatment, private laws, entails, deeds of lease and release, life estates, and coverture. Tracing the lineage of the property elucidates family relationships that were otherwise forgotten.
1:30 p.m. MDT. "The Many Wives of Howard William Lowe: Working with Social History to Glean Genealogical Insights," Gary Ball-Kilbourne, CG
Genealogists are expected to conduct research not just reasonably exhaustively but also broadly. Understanding the social milieu of the specific time and place within which an individual lived is an essential element of broad research. A case study focusing on an early twentieth-century blue-collar worker in western Minnesota and his several wives illustrates how social history provides insights illuminating their lives.
2:45 p.m. MDT. "Assumptions: Problem–Solving Friend or Foe?" Jennifer Zinck, CG
Do you have an unsolved research problem? Have you critically examined assumptions made during the research process? Some assumptions are valid, or even fundamental, but incorrect or misguided assumptions can act as mortar for genealogical brick walls. Learn to recognize, categorize, and address various types of assumptions to form sound genealogical conclusions.
4:00 p.m. MDT. "DNA Analysis Methodology: Defeat the Genealogy Gremlin with Pedigree Evaluation, Mitigation, and Reasoning," Karen Stanbary, CG
Learn the tried-and-true methodology to defeat the Genealogy Gremlin and achieve accurate results using DNA for genealogy. This lecture discusses the evaluation of match pedigrees to identify potential snafus and demonstrates mitigation strategies to address the problem. Don’t let researcher confirmation bias pollute your family trees!