Sept. 12-13, 2008 - AAGS 2008 Fall Conference

A delightful weekend experience – that’s the condensed summary of the 2008 Fall Conference hosted by the African-American Genealogical Society, Cleveland at the Downtown Cleveland Public Library. From start (Friday workshops, speaker presentation, and reception) to finish (Saturday sessions), the pace was ideal and so was the variety. The full selection of topics (16) had participants wishing they could attend more than one session at a time. “Documenting the Past: A Journey to the Heart of the Future” rewardingly led researchers on a journey…learning more about effective research tools and strategies, discovering the great resources in our own back yard (Cleveland Public Library and LDS Family History Centers), networking with fellow ancestor seekers, and having loads of fun along the way.

Syllabus copies are available for $12, plus $4 mailing.

Speakers, J. Mark Lowe, Dr. Deborah Abbott, Jana Broglin & Tim Pinnick	Speaker, Casandra Brown	Speaker, Alison Hulsinger
Conference Co-Chairs, Pat Arnwine & Mary Brothers-Johnson	Ron Burdick & Michael Ruffing – CPL (not shown Thomas Edwards)	Phil & Betty Franklin – Family History Center-Westlake
Judith Smith & Sharon Amos, Buffalo Genealogical Society of African Descent (NY)	LaUna Ewing (TN) & AAGS member Anita Payne

August 16, 2008 - OGS Management Seminar
There are so many seminars available to elevate the skills of researchers, it’s easy to overlook the fact that leaders of genealogy groups need to be knowledgeable in other areas as well. Areas that deal with successfully managing and improving their organization. For knowledge/ refresher, some of our AAGS officers and committee chairs/members attended the fruitful Ohio Genealogical Society Chapter Management Seminar in Elyria (host chapter Lorain County-OGS). The agenda consisted of: selecting group projects; developing quality programs; compiling/reviewing lineage applications; attracting new members; deciding what/how to publish; ownership of materials; generating quality newsletters; maintaining volunteers, and discussion of OGS issues. The information was very useful. Photo of AAGS members with OGS President Paul Morehouse.

July 26, 2008 – Tuskegee Airman visits AAGS
What a treat, having the opportunity to converse with someone who contributed first-hand to U.S. history as one of the first black military pilots in WWII. Joining AAGS at its July meeting was Retired 1st Lt. Arthur Saunders, who served as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps 1943-1947. He was assigned to Tuskegee Airmen 477th Bombardment Group. He shared the rich tales of his life, including being the stepson of a Buffalo Soldier. Roger Cram, director of special projects and community relations for Hiram College, attended with Mr. Saunders. He teaches a course entitled, “Modeling Future Heroes – A Practical Application of Human Values” gleaned from the successful approaches of Tuskegee Airmen.

May 10, 2008 - Cemetery Clearing Project continues at Highland Park
AAGS members took advantage of another weather-accommodating day to resume headstone clearing efforts at Highland Park Cemetery. If you would like to participate in this activity, contact Alfreda Barnes: ganniebarnes@yahoo.com.

April 26, 2008 - Westlake Ohio Family History Center holds 5th annual conference
AAGS members are regularly encouraged to attend seminars, conferences, and workshops to gain a variety of genealogy perspectives. And you can't beat three of the best reasons to attend: local, free, and full of great material. The conference held at the LDS facility in Westlake, OH themed, "How Can You Find Your Ancestors?" fit the bill perfectly. Well-qualified presenters equipped participants through an excellent selection of topics that will go a long way in elevating research skills.

Dr. Stephen McDonald
Topics: DNA & Genealogy

Jann Pflieger
Topics: Record-keeping; Cemetery Research

Diana Smith
Topics: Documentation; Civil War Pension Records

Gary Smith
Topics: Internet Accuracy; Interviewing; Essential References

Casandra Brown
Topics: Land Records; Census Records

Presenters not shown:
Lynda McDonald - Topic: The FamilySearch Portal

Dorothy Titera - Topic: Indexing: Accessing Documents by Name

February 2008 - AAGS is active during Black History Month
In February, members of AAGS were all over the greater Cleveland area passing along their research expertise. Whether conducting sessions or participating in panel discussions at a college, library, church, or senior community, the AAGS group broadened the knowledge of a wide range of interested individuals. This included: Cleveland State University Black Studies roundtable, hands-on computer research with Glenville Heights High students, and presentations for American Greetings and the Geauga County Genealogical Society.

February 24, 2008 - Annual Heritage Dinner
The AAGS group enjoyed its annual tribute to African-American ancestry. The program centered on cultural symbols from the Motherland to America.

February 23, 2008 - Getting Started in African-American Genealogy (by Fairview Park Library)
At the Garfield Heights Public Library, Joni Mihelich (Genealogy Specialist from the Cuyahoga County Public Library-Fairview Park Branch) held a well-received beginning genealogy session, with supplemental support from AAGS representatives. Ms. Mihelich provided an easy-to-follow approach to discovering family heritage which applies to all genealogists. She distributed handouts dealing with home resources, books, on-line and local resources, and current news related to genealogy. She also took time to individually respond to questions. The Fairview Park Library has a large genealogy collection, including books, microfilm, and internet resources. There is much in the way of Ohio reference material, along with information from surrounding states and some southern states.
21255 Lorain Road, Fairview Park OH, 440-333-4700, jmihelich@cuyahogalibrary.org

February 23, 2008 - Preparing for a Research Trip
The February AAGS general meeting touched on tons of useful tips to make the most of a research excursion. Beginning with establishing written goals -- all the way through to items to take - the Education Committee provided step-by-step guidance for an effective research outing. Often overlooked is the need to be knowledgeable of county history, and that the "Red Book: American state, county and town resources" is a fundamental resource. The latter portion of the meeting dealt with identifying and maneuvering through on-line resources such as Ancestry.com, Heritage Quest, The Cleveland Public Library, and Allen County Public Library sites.

February 14, 2008 - Plain Dealer spotlights genealogy research effort
A Plain Dealer newspaper article highlighted the genealogical efforts of AAGS's Dr. Deborah Abbott in tracing the family history of Rev. Marvin McMickle, pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in Cleveland. The two-year endeavor uncovered forebears that included a wagon master in the Revolutionary War, an early entrepreneur, and a sergeant in the U.S. Colored Troops during the Civil War. The journey into the past uncovered unknown documentation and stories and affirmed the richness of African American history. For the full text: www.cleveland.com/column, then under the "News" category, click on Elizabeth Sullivan.

February 2, 2008 - American Legacy Magazine "Know Your History" Exhibit
American Legacy, the magazine for African-American history and culture, brought a Black History Mobile Exhibit into the neighborhoods of 12 U.S. cities in February. During the Cleveland visit on Feb. 2, it was interesting to stroll around the mobile unit, soaking in history from the visuals, literature, and kiosk available to search the 1930 census. It was also a pleasure to meet Rodney Reynolds, magazine founder and publisher, along with exhibit staff that are keeping the importance of black history in the forefront.

(Photos of Rodney Reynolds and Cathy Neal, AAGS PR chair, as well as the American Legacy mobile)

January 30-31, 2008 - WVIZ/PBS sponsors initiative centered on "African American Lives II"
At the Idea Center at Playhouse Square, WVIZ/PBS sponsored a reception and teaching initiative to explore family history, raise awareness of contributions of African-Americans in the community, and increase educational use of the PBS broadcast series, "African American Lives II." Discussion panelists during this event were Dr. Bernard Powers (historian and author), Dr. Peter Rutkoff and Dr. Will Scott (local African Diaspora), Joyce Coakley (Gullah traditions), and AAGS's Dr. Deborah Abbott (discovering genealogy with local resources).
(Photo of William B. Scott, Professor of History-Kenyon College and AAGS member Carrie Stokes)

January 26, 2008 - Organization techniques from the AAGS Education Committee
Where to begin? What to use? How to file? When to weed? These questions and others were answered at the January 26 AAGS general meeting. Whether researchers were brand new or have been "at it" for a while, the emphasis was on organization techniques that aid in (1) setting up a comprehensible filing system and (2) being able to retrieve documents when needed.