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PGS - California Seminar 2005
by Janice Lipinski and Art Lang

This year’s seminar was held at the Orange Family History Center, a very gracious and accommodating host, on Saturday, August 20.  We’ve heard from several members that this facility has a large collection of films, many covering Poland.  The handouts included a list of these films, which was compiled by Jennie Bonday. Jennie also was a top-notch assistant for the entire seminar. There were many helpers. Setting up on Friday and taking down on Saturday were Marvin Blaski, Art Lang, Kevin Roznowski, Mel and Glen Wasz and Jennie. Noella and Roger Benvenuti handled the check-in Saturday morning and Nancy Stiefeling, Pat Prieve and Karen Harris worked the sales table. All their help created a comfortable atmosphere for everyone and made my job much easier.

Ceil Jensen, our Seminar Speaker

Ceil Jensen was our speaker in her first appearance in California. Everyone felt she was exceptional and that we were treated to one of the best.  Comments on the evaluation forms were so overwhelmingly positive, we’ve asked Ceil to return in 2007. (She is also scheduled to speak at UPGS 2006 in April in Salt Lake City).

The lectures featured were “Roast the Scribe, Brick Wall Solutions Using the Internet and Family History Library, Researching Your International Heritage Online, and The Palace and the Peasant”. They covered research techniques for reading script records, finding solutions on the internet and in the Family History Library, and finding records for families who worked on estates. For those who missed this seminar, you can access the information covered on Ceil’s website -- it will be there for about three months: 

http://mipolonia.net/pgsc_05

Attendees will be glad to hear that many of the future topics suggested on the evaluation forms are covered regularly in our classes and meetings.

There were several new faces in the audience and we added seven new members.  It looks like our publicity in the Orange County area paid off. I think everyone there was energized and encouraged to tackle the road to their ancestors. “Bardzo Dziękuje”, Ceil Jensen, until we meet again!

[Following are additional comments from an enthusiastic attendee, Art Lang]

Having exhausted all my excuses to Jennie Bonday who’s the closer for Janice, and procrastinating as long as possible, I shall attempt this seminar report. For the people who attended, please excuse all my errors.  For the other members who didn’t make it, please excuse my feeble effort at reporting.

After being a member of three other out-of-town PGS Societies for twenty-some years, and reading of their different seminars and famous speakers with envy, it was great to be able to attend a real-live one, although this is my second one with PGS-CA. It was also great because the Orange Family History Center was within ten miles of my home. Heck, I even volunteered to put out tables and chairs – didn’t know I’d have to take them down afterwards, too, but that’s okay.

Seminar crowd at a break

You’re probably wondering when I’m going to get to the report, huh?  Okay, here goes.  The Orange FHC has a great facility and we were given a large room with a stage and screen to use. It also included a kitchen where Teresa Turek and her husband warmed up the “Smaczny” Polish food. I complimented them on the fantastic gołąbki, the like of which I haven’t tasted in many years; also, the kapusta and mushroom pierogis, along with the “to-die-for” blueberry cake! I was in “świnia” heaven [pig heaven]. I asked them to put out their business cards so others like me could use them in the future.