VGS News & Events: 4 March 2018 through 10 March 2018

Thanks to the Recycle Volunteers assisting at the 2018 Seminar

Coming Events:
Monday: March 5, 2018
Jewish Genealogy SIG Meeting:
10:00 AM in the MacArthur Room at the Eisenhower Recreation Center

Monday: March 5, 2018
Roots Magic SIG Meeting:
2:30 PM in the New Smyrna Room at the Recreation Center
Topic: Staffing for Our SIG Booth at the March 28th "Family History Expo." 

Tuesday: March 6, 2018

Italian Genealogy SIG Meeting

1:00 PM in the Atlanta Room in the Savannah Center

Wednesday: March 7, 2018

French Canadian Genealogy SIG Meeting:

9:00 AM in the Julio Iglesias Room at the La Hacienda Recreation Center

Thursday: March 8, 2018

German Genealogy SIG Meeting

9:30 AM in the Reliance Room at the Late Miona Recreation Center
Topic: "Genealogical Proof for the Everyday Genealogist" presented by VP Annette Burke Lyttle.

Thursday: March 15, 2018

New England SIG Meeting

Topic: A Trip to the Leesburg Library to meet librarian Tom Wilcox who will instruct our group on family researching within the library.
For more information contact Christine Courtwright at: number1cc@gmail.com

Gen News and Announcements:

DNA Quest:

My Heritage
The following was written by My Heritage.

MyHeritage is excited to announce a new pro bono initiative — DNA Quest — to help adoptees and their birth families reunite through DNA testing.
As part of DNA Quest, we are giving out 15,000 MyHeritage DNA kits — worth more than one million dollars — for free, with free shipping, to eligible participants. 

MyHeritage has set up an advisory board of top experts in the fields of genetic genealogy and adoption to guide and support this initiative on a voluntary basis. The advisory board includes: CeCe Moore, founder of The DNA Detectives; Blaine Bettinger, The Genetic Genealogist; Richard Weiss of DNA Adoption; Richard Hill, DNA Testing Adviser; Katharine Tanya, founder of Adopted.com; Brianne Kirkpatrick, founder of Watershed DNA; Pamela Slaton, investigative genealogist; Leah Larkin, The DNA Geek; and Susan Friel-Williams, Vice President, American Adoption Congress.

Participation is open to adoptees seeking to find their biological family members, or anyone looking for a family member who was placed for adoption. Preference will be given to people who are not able to afford genetic testing, and to those who apply first. The first phase of the initiative is open to U.S. residents, involving adoptions that took place in the U.S. Additional phases may be considered in the future based on the success of the first phase, which begins now. Future phases may include other countries as well as additional circumstances, such as children of sperm donors and non-paternity events.

Adoptees and family members searching for their biological relatives can apply for a free MyHeritage DNA kit at DNAQuest.org through April 30, 2018. Participants will be selected, and their free DNA kits will be shipped to them by the end of May 2018. Results are expected as early as July 2018. The DNA Quest website includes additional information about the initiative, and a detailed section with answers to frequently asked questions.

Those who have already taken a DNA test with another company are invited to upload their DNA data to MyHeritage for free and participate in this initiative as well.

We invite you to share the link https://www.dnaquest.org with all your followers, to reach and therefore help as many people as possible.

Please see the press release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180301006043/en

Please see the blog post here:
https://blog.myheritage.com/2018/03/introducing-dna-quest-new-pro-bono-initiative-to-reunite-adoptees-with-their-biological-families/

Please find a visual here:
https://blog.myheritage.com/wp-content/uploads/PR_rootstech_2018_DNA_quest_2-5-875x472.jpg

MyHeritage Releases Chromosome Browser Upgrade to Facilitate Better Exploration and Interpretation of DNA Matches:

My Heritage
"A chromosome browser is a graphical tool that represents a person’s chromosomes. It visualizes DNA segments shared by two people who have matching DNA, that may originate from one or more shared ancestors. By studying those segments and testing the DNA of additional relatives, it is possible to determine who the segments originated from and understand the relationship path between the two people."
Continue reading...

Yes, You CAN Download Your Tree From Ancestry.com – Here’s How

Family History Daily
"We see this question quite a bit so we thought we’d quickly show you how you can easily download a GEDCOM from Ancestry that you can use as a backup, or to import in to virtually any family tree program or family history tree website."
Continue reading...

Why You May Be Reading Your DNA Results All Wrong:

Family History Daily
"Millions of people received DNA tests over the holiday season and, as results start to finally roll in, many of you will be looking at ethnicity reports for the first time  – 39% of this, 22% of that, 2% of something totally surprising…it can all be very exciting. But what does it all mean?
Continue reading...

Offline Vital Records are Critical to Your Research, and Ordering Them is Easier Than You Think:

Family History Daily
"This article explains how to find out where offline vital records are stored and how to order them, often online. For even more help with offline genealogy research, read our guide."
Continue reading...

Technology:

What is the Latest Version of Windows 10?

How-to-Geek
"The latest version of Windows 10 is the Fall Creators Update—version “1709”—and was released in September 2017. Microsoft releases new major updates every six months."
Continue reading...

How to Check if Your Password Has Been Stolen:

How-to-Geek
"Many websites have leaked passwords. Attackers can download databases of usernames and passwords and use them to “hack” your accounts. This is why you shouldn’t reuse passwords for important websites, because a leak by one site can give attackers everything they need to sign into other accounts."
Continue reading...

Education:

GeneFoods: The Pumpkin Pie:

AncestralFindings
"Have you ever wondered who invented pumpkin pie? It wasn't just one person. The story of pumpkin pie is much more interesting than that. Today you’ll learn more about this food on the Ancestral Findings Podcast."
Listen Now... 9.11 minutes 

Webinars:

Overcoming Brick Walls Caused by Record Loss:

Legacy Family Tree Webinars
"Many records have been lost due to climate, poor storage, and war. Often it is possible to find alternative records if you know where to look. Federal records such as the census, and cemetery records both local and national are just two of the many record types to check to find ancestors who lived in areas where records were destroyed or lost."
Wednesday, March 7, 2018 at 2:00 p.m.
Presenter: Mary Hill, AG
Learn more or Register for this webinar...