From a Sandwich to a Self-Service Snack Bar

 In the wee hours when I should have been sleeping I was reflecting on Rootstech and the analogy I drew in a post last year. Here is what I said:

A Scrumptious Sandwich

When reflecting on my week at Rootstech I though of a sandwich, a scrumptious sandwich full of delicious ingredients. 

Image - Pexels 

The bready outer layers of my sandwich represent unofficial pre and post Rootstech activities that have become traditions for my genimates and me. The filling has been the amazing Rootstech Conference and associated events hosted by Familysearch and vendors.

Of course as with all generously filled sandwiches I found some of the ingredients more appealing than others.  Rootstech provides so much variety so that each attendee can customise his or her own sandwich. Some sandwiches were packed with a smorgasbord of ingredients while some were more manageable but from what I could see each attendee enjoyed his or her custom made Rootstech sandwich.

My Road to RootstechConnect

Fellow Official Bloggers - Rootstech 2011 - The Beginning of my Rootstech journey

My journey to RootstechConnect has taken 11 years so far. I have been an Ambassador for each of the previous Rootstech events and I have attended 9 out of the 11 face to face events in person. I'm very excited about the prospect of attending Rootstech from home and avoiding the long journey to Salt Lake City or London but I will miss seeing the friends I have made in the Rootstech family during that time.. 

I am delighted that I will be able to gain entry to all of the sessions at this online event as there will be no restriction on class sizes as there are at the face to face events. I will also be able to avoid the brain overload that I suffer  at each conference as I will be able to access the learning activities on demand over the next 12 months until RootstechConnect 2022.

In years gone by I would have written many blog posts in the days and months leading up to the Rootstech conference but times have changed and I don't blog as often as I once did. In the past week many other bloggers have written excellent guides about the activities at the event. I don't need to reinvent the wheel. 

These bloggers have written some informative posts: Sue at https://kindredpast.com/2021/02/17/ready-set-go-rootstech-connect-2021/, Fran at https://travelgenee.com/tag/rootstechconnect/ are just two of those.

One of the responsibilities of a Rootstech Ambassador is to spread the word about the event. In 2011 when I was first an official blogger/ambassador the folk at Rootstech wanted us share to via blog posts (we were called Official Bloggers then) but times have moved on and the people at Rootstech recognised that there were more avenues available for sharing information about their event so we became Ambassadors who used multiple platforms.

I'm still spreading the word about Rootstech but through those different avenues. I have been sharing and retweeting on Twitter and my Facebook page and  other Facebook groups to which I belong. At the grassroots level I have bombarded the members of our local and other societies with information about Rootstech.

Unfortunately my GeniAus page has been taken down by Facebook as they must deem it to be an Australian news site!!! I don't know whether to be flattered because  my page has value as a news source or to be annoyed because Facebook has taken down a page where a little old volunteer grandmother shares information about family history with her genimates.

With two other Australians who are passionate about the RootstechConnect conference and I have administered for the past five months a Facebook page Australians at RootstechConnect where those who have registered for the event can meet other attendees, chat, ask questions, and share information about the event. I hosted a zoom session last night for members of this group where I shared information I had learned from the ambassadors briefing and we had an opportunity to meet up prior to the event.

Tonight I will be hosting another zoom session for the members of the Society of Australian Genealogists where I will once again share information and answer questions about the RootstechConnect which kicks off on Thursday Australian time.

During the three days that RootstechConnect has a live programme I will be sharing via Twitter as I just won't have time to blog. You can follow me on Twitter with my handle @geniaus, the official hashtag for tweeting about RootstechConnect is #rootstechconnect.

I may not blog again until after the event so I wish you all an inspiring and exhilarating learning experience at  RootstechConnect. 

Savour a Bountiful Buffet at RootstechConnect

 The Rootstech Team and their colleagues at Familysearch have created a sensational selection of  learning experiences for those of us who are attending RootstechConnect in just under two weeks time. 

Click on this image to register

Yesterday these links to the program were published on the Rootstech site. Further information will be available on each session when the event website goes live late next week. Follow these links to see the virtual feast that will be served at the event and prepare you menu for the Greatest Geneashow on Earth:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/.../Main-Stage...

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/.../RootsTech-Connect...

Family History Course at Lake Mac Libraries

Our Group has been involved in a small way with The Society of Australian Genealogists and Lake Mac Libraries in developing a Family History Course to be delivered at the Speers Point Library.

The course which is suitable for beginners or those wanting to have a refresher will run once a month from March until August and will offer a range of activities including lectures, hands on activities and at home exercises. There will be additional IT support available for those not familiar with applications used in the sessions.  Cost for the full course is $80.

The course will be delivered by professional or experienced genealogists from the SAG with  representatives from the Lake Mac Libraries and the Lake Macquarie Family History Group in attendance.

Registrations for the course are now open at https://library.lakemac.com.au/Events/Family-History-Series-2021

So many choices!

As an Ambassador for RootstechConnect  I just received a document that lists all the presentations at RootstechConnect later this month. This closely typed .pdf file runs to 18 pages!

I have already shared this document in several Facebook Groups where I am a member and will continue to explore ways to share it with more Groups in Australia.

A snip from Page 1 of the RootstechConnect program

As all of these presentations will be available from the event website (yet to go live) for the next year I will be able to pace my learning and tune into presentations when I have a particular need. I am not going to punish myself by sitting at my screen for 24 hours per day for the three days of the event.

Of course I will tune in to hear some of the keynote sessions live and I will avail myself of the opportunities the website will allow for connecting via live chats with fellow attendees and presenters.

The beauty of registering for this event is that you do not have to attend and view at times prescribed by the hosts. You will be able to access the presentations at times that suit you. So if you are otherwise engaged between the 25-27 of February register for this event and take advantage of this free online learning opportunity from Familysearch.

If you haven't yet registered yet - Just do it and join around 250,000 family historians from around the world at the Greatest Geneashow on Earth