Fairfax Genealogical Society of Fairfax County, Virginia A Worldwide Research Group Our 36th Year

2010 Education Program Field Trips

ATTENTION MEMBERS!!

We are looking for someone to arrange Field Trips beginning as soon as possible.  Bobbie Leamer is resigning from this position.  Trips are planned for April and May only.  Bobbie would like to pass on all the information she has in a file to the next Field Trip organizer before she leaves for the summer on May 20th.  If interested, please contact Bobbie directly at dickleam@usa.net or talk to Sabrina Petersen, Education Chair or Lee James Irwin, President about this position and responsibilities.  It is easy and fun, and a great way to meet and get to know other FxGS members!

2ND FXGS TRIP TO SALT LAKE CITY------DATE: WEEK OF AUGUST 29, 2010

Phyllis Legare is planning a trip to the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City for the week of August 29, 2010.  (NOTE: This is a change of date previously announced, since the hotel was full for that time period.)  The first trip the FXGS group took was in November of 2008, and was very successful, so Phyllis decided to do another one!

The group will stay at the super convenient Salt Lake Plaza, which is adjacent to the Family History Library.  (Someone counted 19 steps from the hotel back door!)  The rooms are very nice, with 2 queen sized beds, a desk, table, wireless access, fridge and microwave, ironing board and coffee maker.  There is a nice reasonable restaurant downstairs, plus a little store in which to buy snacks. There is no complimentary breakfast.   Check in/out: 3 p.m.-11 a.m.  It is possible to bring a rollaway bed into a room to accommodate three persons instead of two.

Phyllis will let you know the details about making a reservation ---reservations will have to be made early to get a group rate.  You will also make your own plane reservations. Delta and Southwest and maybe Frontier fly into SLC. There is a free shuttle to the hotel from the airport.  Otherwise, taxis cost about $25.00. 

The Library is open Monday 9 to 5, and Tuesday through Saturday 9 to 9.  Closed Sunday.  In addition to the tremendous availability of microfilmed records, the Library houses many books which are not available to be sent to the local Family History Centers, and they give classes, several a day, which any researcher may take.  It is a great idea to go to www.familysearch.org and search the library catalog before you go, so you can print out the catalog call numbers ahead of time ---you want to hit the ground running when you get there!!  There is so much help available at the desks on every floor, even translation help at the international desk, so don't be deterred from going because you are worried that you have to be an "expert"!

There is great variety of snacks available in the Snack Room of the library, so you don't have to waste time going out, unless you need to come up for air! If so, you can walk through the lovely Temple Square, and eat in the Employees' Cafeteria, great food.  Dinner in the restaurant that overlooks the Temple Square is worthwhile too!  And on Thursday night, there is a free rehearsal of the renowned Mormon Tablenacle Choir, so you wouldn't want to miss that!  As we did on the last trip, Phyllis plans to have everyone go out to dinner together on Monday night, Dutch Treat.  There is a trolley which runs through the downtown area, stopping near the hotel, which is free, and is a way to get to a mall which has all sorts of shopping as well as food.

Phyllis will try to get a speaker for Sunday night, August 29th, to give an introduction to research at the FHL.  She may get a group together here before you go to present a session on "Planning your trip to SLC" if there is sufficient interest.

PLEASE LET PHYLLIS KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN GOING ON THIS TRIP!  She can be reached at 703-787-9458, or pmlegare@yahoo.com.  Call her if you have any questions too!

FIELD TRIP TO THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES AT COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND (NARA II), 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001.  Thursday, May 6, 2010.  Tour and workshop with John Bowen, docent, 10:30 a.m. to about 12:30 p.m.

John Bowen has agreed to give our group an orientation to the research facilities available at NARA II. He is very knowledgeable and experienced, so we are lucky to have him as our guide.  He intends to meet us at 10:30 a.m. to begin the tour.  It is suggested that we carpool, as parking is limited.

Please plan to arrive by 10:00 a.m. at the parking garage.  As I understand from the website, we will have to show photo ID to enter the garage and again when we enter the building.  We also will have to obtain Reader Registration cards (those from NARA I can be used if they have not expired) inside the building.  We need to allow time to walk to the building from the garage, go through security and get registered inside BEFORE the tour begins at 10:30 a.m.

I think we will be able to meet and park at the McLean FHC.  We should meet at 8:30 a.m. I will notify everyone by email about the meeting place and time---there may be more than one meeting place. If you plan to do research and want to stay longer that day (Research rooms are open until 9:00 p.m.) please let me know.  Otherwise, I think carpools would probably plan to drive back to Virginia about 2:30 p.m. to avoid rush hour.  Mr. Bowen has agreed to stay around for a while and help anyone who wants to do research.

The cafeteria is open from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  I thought we could have lunch sometime after our sessions with Mr. Bowen are over.

We are limited to 20 people on this trip, so please sign up at general meetings or ed classes, or email Bobbie Leamer at fieldtrips@fxgs.org.  Please indicate whether you are willing to drive. THIS TRIP IS CONTINGENT ON HAVING DRIVERS.  As always, please let Bobbie know as soon as you can, if you find you cannot attend.  There will definitely be a waiting list on this trip.

To find out more information about what research materials are available at the Archives II, please go on their website, www.archives.gov, and follow leads to "DC facilities".  There is a lot of information  under "National Archives at College Park", including rules, hours, a map, driving
directions and public transportation directions.

OTHER TRIPS BEING PLANNED:

Leslie Bouvier is planning a field trip to the Delaware Archives, Dover, Delaware on 1 May for the Mid Atlantic SIG and anyone else who is
interested.  Please contact Leslie at all4lrb@verizon.net.

Diana Amsbaugh is interested in getting a group to go to York, PA to visit various research facilities including the York Historical Society.  No date is set, please contact Diana at amsdiana@hotmail.com.

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