CGSI ANNOUNCES 2008 GENEALOGY SYMPOSIUM IN SEATTLE, WA
An interesting educational opportunity awaits all with an interest in Czech and Slovak Genealogy. The Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International, of St. Paul, Minnesota, has selected the Doubletree Guest Suites Seattle Airport Southcenter, 16500 Southcenter Pkwy, as site of their 2008 Genealogical and Cultural Symposium. The dates are Friday April 11 and Saturday April 12, 2008. Registration for the event is open to the public. Friday’s events include a deluxe motor coach tour of the Seattle area, including ethnic stops at the Little Prague European Bakery and Kusak’s Cut Glass Works. Other stops include the Pike’s Market Pier area and the Museum of History and Industry.
On Friday evening a dinner at the Doubletree will be highlighted by local and nationally known genealogist and author, Cyndi Howells, of Cyndi’s List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet. Her talk is entitled, “The Internet Made Me an Expert on Everything”. Saturday’s program at the Doubletree offers 10 presentations over 5 one-hour time slots given by expert speakers in the fields of genealogy, history, language and folk art. Professor James Felak, from the University of Washington will speak on Slovak history and the relations between Czechs and Slovaks during the 20th century. Shon Edwards, East European Specialist for the Genealogical Society of Utah will speak on Beginning Genealogy Research and progress of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Czech Republic Vital Record Digitization Project, as well as an update on microfilms of Slovak vital records. Leo Baca of Dallas, Texas, a well-known Czech genealogist will speak about Czech Immigration Passenger Arrivals and Genetics in Genealogy. Other speakers include Chuck Kusak on the History of the Kusak Cut Glass Works, founded in Seattle by his immigrant Moravian grandfather Anton Kusak, Daniela Sipkova Mahoney of Portland, on Czech and Slovak Easter Traditions, and Jaroslava Soldanova from the University of Washington’s Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures on the Czech language.
The Symposium will be capped off late Saturday afternoon and evening with a tour to Tillicum Village on Blake Island State Park for their famous Indian salmon bake, native dance performance, and folk art demonstrations. For additional information on the 2008 Genealogy Symposium contact Paul Makousky or visit http://www.cgsi.org/
ABOUT CZECHOSLOVAK GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL
The CGSI is a non-profit educational corporation which collects and disseminates genealogical, historical and related information about persons with ancestry from the Czech and Slovak lands. They provide a 40-48 page quarterly called Nase rodina (Our family), hold quarterly membership meetings and hold a National Conference at least every other year. The society will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2008.
