Begin forwarded message: > From: OKGenSoc@aol.com > Date: January 10, 2008 4:55:11 PM CST > To: OKGenSoc@aol.com > Subject: Announcing a special program for OGS on February 4 > > The Oklahoma Genealogical Society is bringing in a special guest > presenter for our February 4th meeting and we want you to know > about it in plenty of time to plan to attend. > > Demystifying DNA Testing for the Genealogist will be the topic for > February meeting of the Oklahoma Genealogical Society. The speaker > will be Eileen Krause, Quality Assurance Manager for FamilyTree DNA > of Houston, Texas. Family Tree DNA is one of the foremost testing > companies for genealogists who wish to use this technology. > > DNA testing has been employed by genealogists around the globe for > several years to help determine who is related to whom. Hundreds > of surname projects and thousands of individuals have used DNA > testing to authenticate their lineages and to discover relatives > who have not been firmly documented through a paper trail. > > Before one performs a DNA test it’s a good idea to know what you > are trying to achieve. The more one knows about what can and > cannot be resolved, the more likely that one will obtain a result > that is of genuine value. DNA can confirm lineage questions both > recent and distant. > > This lecture seeks to highlight both the limitations and the > benefits of DNA testing and to translate the scientific jargon into > plain everyday English. The presentation will cover: 1) When > someone should consider DNA testing, 2)What one can expect to gain > from this testing, 3) Differences between results obtained from > testing males versus females, 4) DNA databases that exist today, > and 5) What’s on the Horizon. > > The meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. Monday, February 4, 2008, in > the Chesapeake Event Center, Oklahoma History Center, 2401 N. Laird > Ave., Oklahoma City. Experienced researchers will be available at > 5 pm to assist with your brick walls and questions about FFTT. The > meeting is free and open to the public. Parking may be limited due > to another event scheduled for the History Center. Come early, get > a parking space, and get in some research time in the library > before this special program. > > ***Note - There is a great article in the Genealogy Pointers e- > newsletter of 8 Jan 2008. It is titled "THE BASICS OF GENETIC > GENEALOGY," by Guido Deboeck, Ph.D. It gives a description in > plain English of DNA, chromosomes, genes, mutations, and DNA > testing. If you would like to read the article, just send an email > with that request to okgensoc@aol.com. I will forward it to you. > ******************************** > Finally -- some GOOD news for researchers at the National Archives! > > The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) will > receive $411.1 million in funding for the current fiscal year under > the omnibus appropriations bill signed by President George W. Bush > on December 26. The funding level represents an increase of 20.5 > percent over the Fiscal Year 2007 level of $341.1 million. > The legislation provides $2.1 million to restore important customer > services: $1.3 million to return to the public research hours that > were reduced in October 2006 and $800,000 to hire more staff > archivists to replace those who have left the agency in the past > few years. The agency has 30 days to report to Congress on its > progress in these two areas. > > "I am very pleased that the Congress and the President have > recognized the importance of the work of the National Archives and > the urgency of our needs for increased staffing and greater public > access," said Allen Weinstein, Archivist of the United States. "We > will restore our regular research hours and bring on more > trained archivists as soon as possible." Professor Weinstein > added, "The resources being provided to us reflect a recognition of > the dedicated and professional work of Archives' staff during this > period of fiscal austerity. They not only have worked to maintain > access to records of our democracy, but they also have expanded > that access." > > For continued work on the Electronic Records Archives (ERA), the > legislation also provides full funding of $58 million, compared to > last year's funding level of $45.2 million. However, the spending > measure requires the agency to submit to Congress a spending plan > before any multi-year funds are obligated. The ERA is being built > by the Archives to preserve and make accessible all the electronic > records being produced by the federal government now and in the > future. It is to allow access to these records to anyone, > anywhere at any time. > > The National Archives and Records Administration is the record > keeper for the federal government and operates not only major > facilities in downtown Washington, DC, and College Park, MD, but > also at locations in 17 states and an additional facility in the > District of Columbia. It also publishes the Federal Register and > other official government publications and has on permanent display > the nation's founding documents and many other records of > importance to the history of the nation. > ******************************** > Remember to pay your 2008 OGS dues now > > It is that time again. If you have not done so, please send your > dues check to OGS, P. O. Box 12986, Oklahoma City, OK 73157-2986. > Individual memberships are only $20 and family memberships (one > Quarterly, one seminar discount, same address) are only $25. Your > membership dues include a subscription to the OGS Quarterly, a $10 > discount to the Spring Seminar, free publication of queries in the > Quarterly and online, and the satisfaction that you are helping > purchase more research materials for the Library, providing > numerous educational opportunities for all, and aiding in the > publication of genealogical materials about Oklahoma. Best of all, > you will be a part of the voice for genealogy in the state of > Oklahoma! Be a part of something great! Join today! > > ******************************** > About the Spring Seminar > > We are now taking reservations for the Special Seminar on Military > Reserch by Craig R. Scott, CG, one of the nation's leading experts > in researching military service by our ancestors. The all day > event will be Saturday, April 5th, at the Oklahoma History Center. > Space is limited so register today to reserve your place. (Don't > forget to claim your OGS member discount!) Details and > registration forms are now online at our website at www.okgensoc.org. > > ********************************** > This occasional e-newsletter is published by the Oklahoma > Genealogical Society, P. O. Box 19286, Oklahoma City, OK > 73157-2986. If you no longer wish to be on our mail list, please > send us an email asking that we remove you to okgensoc@aol.com. If > you wish to share this information, permission is granted provided > that proper credit is given. > > > > > Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape in the new year.