Live with the Ride Along Partners at the US National Genealogical Society Annual Meeting

Projectkin Live with Paul Chiddicks: Previewing “The Story Finds You.”

Thank you Linda Teather [https://substack.com/profile/185449888-linda-teather], Jim the Historian [https://substack.com/profile/25723678-jim-the-historian], Brahna Derr [https://substack.com/profile/437508879-brahna-derr], Mark Lane [https://substack.com/profile/17997581-mark-lane], Lisa Maguire [https://substack.com/profile/29373378-lisa-maguire], Rain Aldous [https://substack.com/profile/430036630-rain-aldous], Kristin Rapinac [https://substack.com/profile/322547068-kristin-rapinac], Jill Swenson [https://substack.com/profile/17281869-jill-swenson], Kyla Bayang [https://substack.com/profile/316733498-kyla-bayang], The Wicked Sommelier [https://substack.com/profile/477392485-the-wicked-sommelier], Roland Millward [https://substack.com/profile/64005320-roland-millward], Jennifer Ann Blair [https://substack.com/profile/20992200-jennifer-ann-blair], Steve Bowbrick [https://substack.com/profile/1450308-steve-bowbrick], Country Girl [https://substack.com/profile/109441254-country-girl] and so many more of you for joining Paul Chiddicks [https://substack.com/profile/152592061-paul-chiddicks] and me today. I can’t tell you how much it means to us to see you join us from around the continent. Thank you for your added ❤️s to help others see this conversation, too. Thank you. Did I miss you? Add your thoughts in the comments below. Projectkin [http://projectkin.org] programming is offered free with the kind support of our Patrons [http://projectkin.org/patrons] worldwide. Explore our story and join us 👇. Listening for the Story with “sir” Paul 🥐 I’ve been chasing Paul Chiddicks to join me in a Projetkin event for a year or more. We’d never quite been able to find a time that worked. As I’ve gotten to know him, his personal story of coaching has added a richness to the whole that he adds to our family history community. It’s an honor to have made the calendar adjustments to make both today’s program and to arrange for our special episode on Adelaide’s story on Wednesday this week. If you haven’t already, take a moment to register. We’ll wait. Well done. In our conversation this morning, Paul talked about how he’s used his research skills since filling out the structural genealogical elements of his family tree to explore the stories that unfold from the limbs. He mentioned several that came to him, among them * The American pilot’s gravestone, he discovered while on his walk: * The Boy Behind The Picture [https://chiddickstree.substack.com/p/the-boy-behind-the-picture], the story of the little newsboy on the day after the Titanic sank: * Finally, Adelaide’s story. There is so much behind this story. Paul referenced a few elements in our conversation, but each is worthy of a little exploration ahead of Wednesday’s program. First, is this piece on Substack about the photograph itself: Next is the original post on his Chiddicks Family Tree site that went viral with the story of Adelaide Springett: On Wednesday, Paul will share the details of this incredible story, the connection to the industrialization of England, Jack-the-Ripper, and a larger story that connects with everyone of us as we witness poverty in our own lives. Is this the kind of post you think your friends and followers might appreciate as well? Kindly add a recommendation so they know how you feel. You’ll be doing us the favor of spreading our work. Thank you. I’m able to share these and all of our programs and posts for free thanks to both the economics of modern platforms and the generous support of our wonderful Projectkin patrons. You’re more than welcome to share this post with friends and family to encourage them to take the time to consider their own stories. Thank you. Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe [https://projectkin.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Live with the Ride Along Partners at the US National Genealogical Society Annual Meeting

This is an update to the post originally published on May 27th, immediately after our livestream from the opening reception in the expo hall at the NGS Family History Conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana [https://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/]. The conference gave us an excuse to build on the Ride Along theme GeneaBloggers [https://substack.com/profile/339561723-geneabloggers] transformed at this year’s RootsTech with DearMYRTLE [https://substack.com/profile/147418052-dearmyrtle] and Kyla Bayang [https://substack.com/profile/316733498-kyla-bayang] chatting with visitors and exploring news and highlights from the show floor. The NGS conference is a very different sort of event, and this expo hall filled with local historical and genealogical societies was a very different kind of experience. It’s an insiders’ event that allows all of us bitten by the genealogy bug to celebrate and inspire each other. This event created a number of very special opportunities we may be talking about in the coming months, but I wanted to take a moment to thank not only my buddy and roomie, Kyla, but also those who, as active Geneabloggers [http://geneabloggers.com], were supporting our mission in their conversations with everyone at the conference. Without Paul’s tap on the shoulder, the crazy livestream never would have happened. In fact, two of our members received awards during the opening session recognizing their work over the years: Randy Seaver, Geneaholic [https://substack.com/profile/17919500-randy-seaver-geneaholic], and Ron Chan [https://substack.com/profile/185449847-ron-chan]. * As a well-known voice on Monday’s with Myrt, DearMYRTLE [https://substack.com/profile/147418052-dearmyrtle?utm_source=mention] posted an article about Randy’s award of recognition [https://dearmyrtle.substack.com/p/ngs-randy-seaver-is-honored] on Thursday.) * You might recognize Ron for his extensive work in Chinese-American genealogy. Though most of his programming is with local groups here in the Bay Area, he’s also joined us as a guest at Projectkin for several posts and events [http://projectkin.org/ron-chan]. I’ll take responsibility for some minor technical glitches, but I’m also proud that we tried. You’ll see these lessons weave their way into the success of future programs and events. As community members and participants from Projectkin and Geneabloggers, we were honored to meet so many new people and to thank our kind supporters. I’m grateful to our host, Rick Voight, who went out of his way to make space for us in his platinum-sponsor booth space at the show, Vivid-Pix [http://vivid-pix.com]. In the video, you’ll see me chatting with founder Bruce Ha [https://nanofiche.com/team/] at Nanofiche [https://nanofiche.com/], a fascinating solution for long-term image storage. We came away from the conference with hundreds of notes, document scans, and inspired ideas. It’s going to take weeks to absorb them all. Thanks for coming along with Kyla and me. If any of you, as members and supporters of our Projectkin and Geneabloggers, have an upcoming public event, we just might have some materials you can use to help share the story. I’ve tried to capture our joint mission to encourage family history storytelling at RideAlongPartners.org [http://RideAlongPartners.org]: That domain property also gives us a quick and easy way to share photos, stories, and encouragement with organizations. You can see the update for the NGS conference here [http://RideAlongPartners.org]. We also shared little blue pencils and bookmarks (convenient for use at the ACPL Genealogy Center), but they are inexpensive and generic precisely so that we can keep using them at local events. Add your thoughts in the comments below or just reach out to Kyla [http://substack.com/@rootsquadroundup] or me [http://substack.com/@projectkin] directly. Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe [https://projectkin.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Projectkin Live: The View from Kathy's Corner

Thank you Kyla Bayang [https://substack.com/profile/316733498-kyla-bayang], Marian Beaman [https://substack.com/profile/49691247-marian-beaman], Danine [https://substack.com/profile/3142548-danine], Laurie MacIntosh [https://substack.com/profile/182484229-laurie-macintosh], Jim the Historian [https://substack.com/profile/25723678-jim-the-historian], Linda Teather [https://substack.com/profile/185449888-linda-teather], Traveling Close to Home [https://substack.com/profile/350254096-traveling-close-to-home], Lori Olson White [https://substack.com/profile/61971012-lori-olson-white], Jason Stephenson [https://substack.com/profile/150447927-jason-stephenson], Jill Swenson [https://substack.com/profile/17281869-jill-swenson], Gwendolyn Copeland [https://substack.com/profile/79261291-gwendolyn-copeland], Dr. Mary M. Marshall [https://substack.com/profile/21244770-dr-mary-m-marshall], Lisa Rex [https://substack.com/profile/17961514-lisa-rex] and so many more of you for joining Kathy Stone [https://substack.com/profile/177868959-kathy-stone] and me today. I can’t tell you how much it means to us to see you join us from around the continent. Thank you for your added ❤️s to help others see this conversation, too. Thank you. Did I miss you? Add your thoughts in the comments below. Projectkin [http://projectkin.org/] programming is offered free with the kind support of our Patrons [http://projectkin.org/patrons] worldwide. Explore our story and join us 👇. This Week Kathy Looks Back to the Future Our conversation today gave us a preview of Thursday’s special program with Kathy’s guest, Lori Olson White [http://substack.com/@loriolsonwhite] of The Lost and Found Story Box [http://loriolsonwhite.substack.com/], to talk about preserving today's stories and being a better ancestor. This is a perfect fit for her new series, “Building My Bridge to 2076 [https://loriolsonwhite.substack.com/p/building-my-bridge-to-2076-episode-34c?r=10w950],” which shares how she is implementing a new approach, the Century Safe Method [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GW5N89D5/ref=cm_sw_r_as_gl_api_gl_i_PGP62MEHZNPT5JM53RBS?linkCode=ml1&tag=houstonnewmom-20&linkId=e7a25fd6d2a905edf2d9313945e8825e], which Lori developed while researching Annie Diehm, a Civil War widow who sealed a safe containing stories at the American Centennial. Remember, Thursday’s program is held via Zoom, so you will need to register for your personal link. Because this is a “Preview” series on Sundays, we get to wander into other related… and not so related topics. As my cat Zarabeth swished her way back and forth, we hit on a few topics I wanted to provide references to: * Historical events & our personal memories: This is a topic that comes up frequently in conversations among family historians. Events like the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 conjure strong memories for many Americans. Recalling where they were at the time brings up a great deal of context about their lives leading up to that moment that aren’t captured in textbooks. This conversation today was in response to Denyse Allen [https://substack.com/profile/200267749-denyse-allen]’s moving post, “Your Bicentennial Memories Are Here: The Ones Who Didn’t Come Home [https://open.substack.com/pub/bicentennialmemoryproject/p/vietnam-war-memorial-day-1976-the-ones-who-didnt-come-home?r=2tc6pc&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web],” in the context of tomorrow’s Memorial Day here in the US. * Technologies & storage devices As human beings, we’re “wet ware” in the sense that we are made of flesh and blood. Our input media are simple eyes and brains. The devices we use to store our stories for future generations need to anticipate mediation to reach their intended audience. Does that mean, as Jill Swenson asked, that media like USB drives are a bad idea? Well, yes, and no. Yes, because you can’t count on any input format we use today (floppy disk, diskette, CD, DVD, or USB) to be used or even accessible 50 years from now. The same goes for file formats (WordPerfect, anyone?) Factors include * Physical media (electronic, parchment, ordinary paper, ink, magnetic media, analog media like celluloid film, glass negatives). * Applications, file formats, even .doc, .xls, or .pdf * Writing styles, languages, and more. * Then there’s the larger topic of what future generations might be interested in. * Historical topics (e.g. Vietnam War) * Cultural topics (what we wore, what they thought, believed, and did) * News topics (current news events) There are so many ways to spin this and get motivated to start being a better ancestor. Is this the kind of post you think your friends and followers might appreciate as well? Kindly add a recommendation so they know how you feel. You’ll be doing us the favor of spreading our work. Thank you. I truly wish I could be there on Thursday to join in on the fun. As I shared in the program, I’ll have to catch up by watching the recording. You’ll find them at Kathy’s Corner: Projectkin.org/kathys-corner [http://Projectkin.org/kathys-corner]. About Kathy Stone Kathy has been the “cornerstone” of Projectkin [http://projectkin.org/] since we were a “Rōnin [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C5%8Dnin]” gang called “PostPonga.” That was just over three years ago, just after RootsTech 2023. Her commitment to the physical artifacts of family history now inspires our whole community. Learn more about what Kathy is doing today at her own publication: As Projectkin, we’re here to help families tell their stories in any form. I feel strongly that our collections of photos and other artifacts are key to our memories and, in turn, our stories. Do you have friends or family members who may benefit from this? Please share our work and invite friends and family to join us: Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe [https://projectkin.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Stories250 with Anne Wendel of Grandma's Granny's Family Album

Thank you, Jennifer Jones [https://substack.com/profile/260013785-jennifer-jones], Linda Teather [https://substack.com/profile/185449888-linda-teather], Mary Boehm [https://substack.com/profile/256047081-mary-boehm], Jim the Historian [https://substack.com/profile/25723678-jim-the-historian], Kyla Bayang [https://substack.com/profile/316733498-kyla-bayang], Diane Burley [https://substack.com/profile/183003391-diane-burley], Kristin Rapinac [https://substack.com/profile/322547068-kristin-rapinac], Anne’s Family History [https://substack.com/profile/177362406-annes-family-history], The Wicked Sommelier [https://substack.com/profile/477392485-the-wicked-sommelier], Jane Chapman [https://substack.com/profile/99426408-jane-chapman], Becky Hetchler [https://substack.com/profile/186505689-becky-hetchler], Phyllis Robinson [https://substack.com/profile/117078498-phyllis-robinson], and so many more for joining Anne Wendel [https://substack.com/profile/278076361-anne-wendel] and me today. I can’t tell you how much it means to me here on the American West coast to see all of you joining from across the Pacific in Australia and New Zealand, across the American states and Canadian provinces. The little ❤️s you drop keep us motivated and give this series a little more visibility. Feel free to create clips from this post to share with your friends. Projectkin [http://projectkin.org/] programming is offered free thanks to the kind support of our generous patrons [http://projectkin.org/patrons] around 🌏 the 🌍 world 🌎. The War of American Independence Today’s story pulls us into exactly the kinds of personal perspectives on this bitter British civil war that some of us call the American Revolution. From her home in Virginia, Anne Wendel [http://Substack.com/@https://grandmasgrannysfamilyalbum] of Grandma’s Granny’s Family Album [https://grandmasgrannysfamilyalbum.substack.com/] shares just a few of the many stories she’s collected in her family history with deep roots on both sides of this war. From the start, Anne took us down the rabbit hole to turn the tables on the close of the war as she shared her personal connection to Shelburne, Nova Scotia. Her post about Captain Joseph Durfee captured a kid’s perspective on this incredible place and how she was able to make it part of her family again. The pictures perfectly set the stage for the story she tells in the recording. Other Stories250 posts from Anne Anne has been among our most prolific storytellers in this series. She touched on several of the stories in our conversation, in addition to the tale of Captain Joseph Durfee, 1725 - 1801 [https://grandmasgrannysfamilyalbum.substack.com/p/captain-joseph-durfee-1725-1801]. Among the other stories: * A German Teenager in the American Revolution [https://grandmasgrannysfamilyalbum.substack.com/p/a-german-teenager-in-the-american] * The Map Our Ancestors Forgot [https://grandmasgrannysfamilyalbum.substack.com/p/the-map-our-ancestors-forgot] * Attack! and Fall [https://grandmasgrannysfamilyalbum.substack.com/p/attack-and-fall] * Isaac Van Wart, 1762-1828, Revolutionary War Hero [https://grandmasgrannysfamilyalbum.substack.com/p/isaac-van-wart-1762-1828-revolutionary] * Revolutionary War Cowboy [https://grandmasgrannysfamilyalbum.substack.com/] * My 5th Great-Grandparents, Mary Coon and John Rushton, in the Revolutionary War [https://grandmasgrannysfamilyalbum.substack.com/p/my-5th-great-grandparents-mary-coon] If you’re not already familiar with her publication, here’s an easy link to subscribe: About Stories250 Learn more about the series at Projectkin.org/stories250 [http://projectkin.org/stories250], view all recordings and posts, then explore the posts in an interactive timeline [http://projectkin.org/stories250-timeline]. You’ll find this post of Anne’s here: Last week, I shared more details about our two special programs on July 9th. This is in addition to the commemorative magazine I’m producing to include all articles in the series. Learn more: If you have stories to share, please join us. More at Projectkin.org/stories250 [http://projectkin.org/stories250]. The window to submit posts will remain open until June 30th. As Projectkin, we’re here to help families tell their stories in any form. I feel strongly that our collections of photos and other artifacts are key to our memories and, in turn, our stories. If you have a publication of your own, and you think your friends might find this interesting, why not let your friends know with a recommendation? This nifty button, “your.substack.com/publish/recommendations [http://your.substack.com/publish/recommendations],” takes you to your own recommendations dashboard. (Seriously, try it!) Naturally, I’d love a recommendation, but I also encourage everyone to be generous in sharing recommendations for the publications you enjoy. It helps us find each other as family history buffs in the nicest possible way. 🥰 Oh, one more thing — if you think this post might interest a friend or colleague, why not just pass it along? These are public posts, and our events are free because sharing your stories is that important. Let’s get this started! See all coming events in our calendar at Projectkin.org/events [http://projectkin.org/events]. Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe [https://projectkin.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Projectkin Live: Emma Explores Preview » Our Theme This Month: Twos!

Thank you. Pip69 [https://substack.com/profile/410293814-pip69], Jason Stephenson [https://substack.com/profile/150447927-jason-stephenson], Nina Gafni [https://substack.com/profile/330969185-nina-gafni], Kyla Bayang [https://substack.com/profile/316733498-kyla-bayang], David Shaw [https://substack.com/profile/23453968-david-shaw], The Wicked Sommelier [https://substack.com/profile/477392485-the-wicked-sommelier], Diane Burley [https://substack.com/profile/183003391-diane-burley], and so many more of you for joining Emma - Journeys into Genealogy [https://substack.com/profile/174917624-emma-journeys-into-genealogy] and me today. I can’t tell you how much it means to me here on the American Pacific coast to see all of you joining from the UK continent, across the American states and Canadian provinces. Your thoughts, comments, and encouragement are the glue that holds this community together. The little ❤️s you drop keep us motivated and give this series a little more visibility. Feel free to create clips from this post to share with your friends. Projectkin [http://projectkin.org] programming is offered free thanks to the kind support of our generous patrons [http://projectkin.org/patrons] around 🌏 the 🌍 world 🌎. Emma Explores: 2nd Anniversary! After a brief holiday, Emma returns to share more stories woven from themes she’s discovered in her own family story. In homage to the 2nd birthday of the series, she’s weaving stories around “twos,” things she’s discovered in pairs. If Emma Explores is new to you, here’s the archive for the series. In today’s preview, we ended up talking quite a bit about how we arrived at a series for Emma Explores, her Journeys into Genealogy Podcast, and more. The 100th episode of Journeys into Genealogy [https://emmacox.libsyn.com/celebrating-4-years-and-100-episodes-of-journeys-into-genealogy-plus-whats-in-store-for-2025] is a terrific way to survey the podcast. Themes! The genius of a thematic view of family history is that it encourages you to look beyond the strict facts of family history. Picking a theme has you thinking about the deeper ties that can create connections with your audience as a family history storyteller. It has to be a real connection, though, not something contrived by an artificial prompt or driven to a deadline. We talked about the example of Stories250 [http://projectkin.org/stories250], something I’m passionate about because of my own history as an American. It didn’t resonate for Emma, nor was there a story in the different ancestors she explored at the time. Migration stories, however, a new series we’ve planned for this fall, sounds like an interesting hook for many new themes for Emma Explores [http://projectkin.org/emma-explores] later this year. Perhaps with a tie-in to our planned All About That Place [http://projectkin.org/aatp] sponsorship in October 2026 [https://tockify.com/eventscalendar/pinboard?search=aatp&startms=1777618800000], we might even pull a few strings for thematic topics there, too. Join us, Thursday, May 21st You won’t want to miss next week’s program. Our Emma Explores [http://projectkin.org/emma-explores] programs are held via Zoom, which allows you to join in on the conversation that follows each presentation. Zoom requires you to register to get your personal link: I’m able to offer these programs for free because of the generous support of our Projectkin Patrons. Learn more about each of them, their publications, and their work at Projectkin.org/patrons [http://projectkin.org/patrons] To see these livestream posts on the go and keep up with the latest stories and conversations in the community, join us in the Substack app. If it gives you any trouble, just ask. You’re among friends and fellow travelers in the world of family history storytelling. Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe [https://projectkin.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]