Now is a good time to consider joining our Smith surname DNA project if you are a male Smith or have male Smith relatives. The holidays are approaching, when you are likely to be getting together with family and can recruit male Smiths to join or persuade others in your family to chip in toward the cost of the DNA testing. For more information about our project, see our updated web page at: http://www.smithconnections.com. If your Smiths lived in Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, or New York and you are hitting brick walls in trying to trace them back in time, you may want to participate in this project. We aim to identify Smith (Smithe, Smyth, and Smythe) families that lived in these states before the 20th Century. Because this is a Y-chromosome DNA study, participants who contribute the DNA sample (a simple cheek swab) need to be male Smiths. If you'd like more information, please contact me at cgaziano@prodigy.net. You may also join by clicking on http://www.familytreedna.com/surname_join.asp?code=J83140. Note that there also is a Southern Smiths DNA project at http://www.southernsmiths.org. These projects can be helpful in ruling suspected relationships in or out and in determining new geographic areas in which to search. Cecilie Smith Gaziano Administrator Smiths of New England & New York cgaziano@prodigy.net