Mark Your Calendars: UVTAGG Meeting!

The next meeting of the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group - UVTAGG (Formerly the Utah Valley PAF Users Group - UVPAFUG) will be on Saturday, 09 May 2015, from 9 am to noon in the LDS "Red Chapel", 4050 North Timpview Drive (650 East), Provo. This is the regular second-Saturday-of-the-month meeting. Information about the Group, meeting location, main presentations, classes, and class notes are available on their websitehttp://uvtagg.org and the press releases are athttp://blog.uvtagg.org . On the blog you can subscribe to receive the press releases via email when they are posted the week before the meetings.

The main presentation this month at UVTAGG will be by Robert Raymond on A GENEALOGICALLY CORRECT FAMILYSEARCH FAMILY TREE. Learn how you can use and help Family Tree increase its genealogical correctness and adherence with industry standards by using genealogical proof, sources, documents, citations, stories, photos, and collaboration. With your help, Family Tree is becoming a genealogically sound reflection of our shared family tree. 

Robert Raymond is a Deputy to FamilySearch Chief Genealogical Officer, David Rencher. He is well-known and works to increase genealogical soundness of FamilySearch products and helps set record acquisition and publication strategy. Robert writes a top ranked genealogy blog (pseudonymically) about Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, records, and methodology. He is a genealogical technologist with more than 30 years' experience in technology and genealogy. He holds over a dozen technology patents and earned a Masters Degree in Electrical (Computer) Engineering from Brigham Young University where he was honored as a Kimball Scholar. Robert has served as a Director of the National Genealogical Society since 2012 and is currently working towards certification from the Board for Certification of Genealogists. He is a volunteer at a FamilySearch Family History Center where he can be found in the trenches every Wednesday night. More information about him is on the website https://www.apgen.org/directory/search_detail.html?mbr_id=4060 .

After the main presentation the following classes are scheduled; check the meetings page at http://uvtagg.org/ for last minute changes or additions. 

1. A Billion+ Hidden Records on FamilySearch, by Robert Raymond
2. The FamilySearch Partner Site: American Ancestors (NEHGS), by Laurie Castillo
3. Ratchet Up Your Research with Evernote, by Liz Miller
4. Ask An Expert (Personal Help), by Don Engstrom & Finn Hansen
5. Video of last month's main presentation: What You May Not Have Noticed About The Census: Look Again!, by Stephen Ehat
6. Ancestral Quest, by Gaylon Findlay
7. Legacy: Fixing Relationships, by Dean Bennett
8. RootsMagic, by Terri Tyler and Diana Olsen.

As you can see, there is something for everyone no matter what their level of family history expertise. This includes youth, those just getting interested in genealogy, long-time genealogists, and Ward Family History Consultants. All meetings of UVTAGG are open to the public, whether members of the Group or not. The Group has the goal of helping individuals use technology to further their family history and there are usually about 100 attending the monthly meetings, most of whom are Family History Consultants. The officers are Gerhard Ruf, President; Laurie Castillo, 1st VP; Don Snow, 2nd VP; Liz Kennington, Newsletter Editor; Don Engstrom and Rayanne Melick, Membership and Finances; Bruce Merrill and Marie Andersen, DVD Library; and Chris Stevenson, Webmaster. Several of these will be at the meeting to answer questions, help with membership, distribute the current issue of the monthly newsletter TAGGology, and check out and sell to members of the Group DVDs of past presentations and classes. Many members don't live close enough to participate in the monthly meetings, but pay the $10 per year online dues to belong so they can receive the monthly newsletter via email and purchase the inexpensive DVDs of the presentations and classes. Gift memberships make great presents for family history-minded relatives, friends, and Family History Consultants, and membership is on a calendar year basis. See more information about the presentations, classes, class notes, and how to join the Group on the websites above. You can also contact President Gerhard Ruf atpres@uvtagg.org (801-225-6106), or 1st VP Laurie Castillo atlaurie@everythingisrelative.net , or 2nd VP Don Snow atsnowd@math.byu.edu .