May 22, 2010 - AAGS welcomes Diana Crisman Smith
It’s pretty much a ‘no-brainer’ to embark on a research trip – just pick a date, grab your pencil/paper with a few pertinent notes and off you go! Well, not exactly – as Diana Crisman Smith aptly made clear at the May AAGS meeting. Setting off on a productive research trip calls for some up-front investigation, good resource planning, clear objectives, handy checklists and workable strategies – as well as a ‘Plan B’ if initial expectations are unachievable. Sometimes researchers are eager to dash off to explore new ground without taking the time to fully prepare. Ms. Smith ground home the importance of following a well-thought out plan to make each research trip as rewarding as possible.

April 21, 2010 – AAGS visits Robin Swoboda’s “That’s Life”
AAGS President Deborah Abbott participated as a guest on the Robin Swoboda morning show, “That’s Life.” After covering family history basics and sharing information about Cleveland’s great local resources, Deborah presented documents relating to Robin’s grandfather that she uncovered during preliminary genealogical research (which was much appreciated by Ms. Swoboda).

April 17, 2010 – Conference held at Westlake Family History Center
The LDS Family History Center delivered another effective conference in Westlake that was attended by many interested researchers, including a number of AAGS members. The day offered fine program and speaker variety and strongly added to the knowledge base of the attendees. (Photo of presenter Betty Franklin).

March 27, 2010 – Alan Rabe of Family History Center visits AAGS
One of our visitors at the March meeting was Alan Rabe, Area Family History Advisor for the LDS Church Family History Centers in Northeast Ohio. He took the opportunity to inform the group about features of the FamilySearch web site and upcoming classes in 2010. Examples include Research Principles & Tools, Descendancy Research, Research Logs, Pension Records, and Military Records. He noted that FamilySearch includes complete census indexes, unlike some other databases that only include head of household. FHC partners with the downtown Cleveland Public Library and Akron Public Library on microfilm orders and is working on digitizing books and more film. He also added his own personal stories to our monthly sharing corner.

March 7, 2010 – AAGS Heritage Celebration
The theme of this year’s heritage celebration was “A Light in the Dark.” AAGS members brought historical trailblazers to life as a tribute to their past accomplishments and as an inspirational message for the youths that attended the program. We encourage youths to ‘pick up the torch,’ not only with regard to the pursuit of their forebears, but also as it relates to their future pursuits in life.

February 27, 2010 - Preparing for a Salt Lake City Research Trip
Whether you’ve been to the LDS Family History Library in Utah before -- or whether it would be your first trip – it’s beneficial to take the time to focus on how to make the most of the research excursion. At the February 27th AAGS general meeting, Deborah Abbott gave a thorough overview of planning techniques, resources to consult prior to taking the trip, and do’s & don’ts of worthwhile researching. To read more, click here.

February 19, 2010 – Black History Month Presentation
The AAGS Education Committee participated in a Black History Month program at the Cuyahoga County Virgil Brown Building in downtown Cleveland, providing beginning genealogy information to social services employees. Other presenters included a Cleveland Municipal Judge and an educator from Rainey Institute .

Year 2009

October 29-November 1, 2009 – First International Black Genealogy Summit

October 24, 2009 – Activist Joan Southgate recounts historic walk for AAGS

October 17, 2009 – Cleveland Public Library Genealogy Clinic

September 26, 2009 – Digitalizing and Storage of Documents

July 25, 2009 – East Cleveland Cemetery History

June 27, 2009 – Hospice Care & Cuyahoga County Archives at AAGS

March 8, 2009 – AAGS Annual Heritage Dinner

February 28, 2009 – Roger Cram and Afi Scruggs visit AAGS

February 25, 2009 – Reception for AAGS Call & Post Index Project

February 5, 2009 - Education Committee presents at Warrensville Hts. Library

January 24, 2009 - Ancestors on the Internet

Year 2008

November 22, 2008 - Appreciating Milestones

October 25, 2008 - Visit by American Sickle Cell Anemia Association

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

August 16, 2008 - OGS Management Seminar

July 26, 2008 – Tuskegee Airman visits AAGS

May 10, 2008 - Cemetery Clearing Project continues at Highland Park

April 26, 2008 - Westlake Ohio Family History Center holds 5th annual conference

February 23, 2008 - Getting Started in African-American Genealogy (by Fairview Park Library)

February 23, 2008 - Preparing for a Research Trip

February 14, 2008 - Plain Dealer spotlights genealogy research effort

February 2, 2008 - American Legacy Magazine "Know Your History" Exhibit

January 30-31, 2008 - WVIZ/PBS sponsors initiative centered on "African American Lives II"

January 26, 2008 - Organization techniques from the AAGS Education Committee