Every odd-numbered year a consortium of New England genealogy societies puts together the New England Regional Genealogy Conference (NERGC). NERGC 2021 has 84 on-demand presentations available for two months. There will be a banquet speaker together with a Table Talks small groups gathering. In spite of the pandemic, NERGC lives!
While the number of sessions at NERGC is smaller than in previous years, our opportunities as attendees are greater. At past conferences we were able to select only one of the six lectures in every time slot. At this one, we have two months to view every one of the 72 lectures covered by the basic NERGC registration fee. In the past NERGC has offered lectures on aspects of New England genealogy as well as methodology and other general topics.
Even with fewer sessions, NERGC retains its unique New England focus. The Demanding Genealogist counted and there are 28 presentations on aspects unique to New England research.
You must be asking yourself, “How do I structure my time to do all this?”
We are providing an unofficial schedule for viewing the New England presentations that are a part of NERGC 2021. With two months of on-demand streaming, it is easily possible to use the second month to methodically go through the New England presentations. That way, you won’t miss any of the great live content NERGC is presenting during the first month.Strategy to Get the Most Out of NERGC 2021:
- Register for NERGC 2021. You can’t do anything else listed below unless you are registered.
- In April 2021, stream all the great topics, from Irish research to Technology to DNA to African-American research. Attend the three NERGC Gathering Days. Attend the four April NERGC Live Chats.
- Don’t forget to attend the four NERGC Live Chats for May, too. NERGC 2021 has eight live chats. The four in May are germane to New England.
|
Date |
NERGC Live
Chat |
Presenters |
|
11 May 2021 |
New England
Vital Records |
Margaret
Fortier and Barbara Mathews |
|
20 May 2021 |
New England
Land Records |
Sara Campbell
and Carol McCoy |
|
29 May 2021 |
New England
to New York Connections |
Jane Wilcox
and Skip Duett |
|
30 May 2021 |
Canada to New
England Connections |
Michael
Leclerc and David Allen Lambert |
Streaming Strategy for New England Topics:
It is possible to classify the New England topics into four
main categories, then to focus one week on each category. This is a big
commitment because it means averaging a video each day, but you can keep up
with that. If you follow this general path
through the streaming videos, your topics will also relate to the four live
chats that NERGC will provide over the course of May 2021.
- Spend the first week of May looking at the different New England states plus the “seventh state,” i.e., the coastlines.
- Spend the second week of May looking at the records genealogists most often use, and at how they are organized and kept in New England.
- Spend the third week of May expanding your records expertise by streaming church records, manuscripts, and records involving different population groups.
- Spend the fourth week of May looking at population movements within and without New England, from migration routes to the Underground Railroad.
Use the Demanding Genealogist’s suggested streaming agenda for May. Here are suggestions for what to watch each week. To get your copy of the pdf showing the presentation list for each week, click on this download link.
NERGC 2021 Registration:
NERGC registration includes the 28 presentations and 4 Live Chats. (There are additional day-long tracks on Writing, DNA, and Professional Genealogy that you can add to registration if you wish.)
If you are not already registered for NERGC 2021, click here to register.
Photography credit: Ken Lund, Covered Bridge, Bath, New Hampshire, 4 August 2004, used with permission, flickr.com.
NOTICE: This effort to use our NERGC 2021 content effectively is an independent effort. It is not a part of the official NERGC program.
