On The Clock – GenealogyAtHeart.com

An Update on Submitting the BCG Portfolio

Originally published on genealogyatheart.blogspot.com 22 May 2016

I’m finishing up with my portfolio for submission to the Board for Certification of Genealogists and I have butterflies in my stomach! Officially, I have until late October but since I selected several papers that I had previously done for clients last fall and winter, I am about finished.

At the National Genealogical Conference in Ft. Lauderdale, I was able to view successful portfolios that were submitted. I also found it useful to be able to pick the brains of some of the Certified Genealogists (CGs) that attended the “On the Clock” dinner. So glad I was able to attend and meet several other “On the Clockers” and those on the other side.

Additionally, the National Genealogical Society conference enabled me to further refine my skills and now I pulled out the Kinship Determination Paper I finished last month and reread it yesterday. I caught one missing comma and changed one sentence. I’m satisfied with the content and the numbering so I just need to take another look at my footnotes. I had bolded a few that I knew weren’t quite right as I was so into the writing I didn’t want to stop and lose the momentum. I also need to make sure I’ve been consistent with my citations. The next few weeks I’m busy with other tasks so I probably won’t revisit it until mid-June.

I’m still uncertain if I should hold off portfolio submission until after an upcoming trip to DC this summer or not. On the one hand, I want to submit before I get extremely busy with my full time job in late July. On the other hand, I have this nagging feeling that the missing record in Pennsylvania will miraculously show up if I look one more time. The document was supposedly misfiled in the 1960’s and hasn’t been found since. Why in the world I think if I look again I’ll find it now I don’t know! I’ve already looked twice over the past 5 years AND hired someone to try to find it. Clearly the “3^rd time’s the charm!” as my mom used to say didn’t happen and a fourth visit would be beyond reasonably exhaustive. My thought process is bordering on irrational and I realize that. This certainly is like the tongue in cheek meaning of insanity – doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result!

Reflecting on my behavior I see this as déjà vu – I did the same thing when I was ready to submit my portfolio to the National Board of Certified Teachers several years ago. One morning I woke up and I knew that there was no more I could do so I just packed it all up and mailed it off. Even so, I stood in Office Depot and just stared at the box. The clerk was nice, though I’m sure she thought I was nuts. She told me to take as long as I wanted. As soon as she said that, I was able to let it go.

Now I have to decide if I’m going to send it snail mail or electronically. Decisions, decisions! Another way to procrastinate finality! Will keep you informed…

Becoming a Certified Genealogist – An Update

A FABULOUS FIND of 15 Jan 2016

Originally published on genealogyatheart.blogspot.com 13 Jan 2016

The clock is still ticking and now that we’re in the new year I’ve got less than 10 months to submit my portfolio requirements. I actually accomplished way more than I thought I would during the holidays. My family kids me that I must be channeling the dead. I don’t know about that but I certainly had some awesome finds that propelled me forward. Here’s where I am and what I have to do:

1. Preliminary application was submitted in October 2015 – DONE

2. Signing the Genealogist’s Code – that’s easy!

3. Background Resume – completed but needs to be reviewed and possibly updated right before submission – Almost Done

4. Document Work – BCG Supplied and Applicant Supplied. All transcribed and written, just need to review and make a final edit. – Almost Done

5. Research Report prepared for another person – started this in late December. This was unexpected but I loved the hunt so decided to switch what I originally had planned to submit that was already finished. Completed the newly started report on December 31st and gave it to client on January 4th – DONE

6. Case Study – used a client’s second report I was working on instead of what I had originally thought I was going to do. I finished it over the holidays with some wonderful documents that simply showed up! Wish I could share this with you – a real twist and turn type of case. – Almost Done (haven’t given it to client yet but have appointment scheduled)

7. Kinship Determination KDP- have a great start but didn’t work on it much in the past month. I’m still assembling documents and my problem is I don’t live anywhere close to the areas that the family lived. I’m planning on a trip in March to one of the states but that still leaves me with a hole on the east coast and I wasn’t planning on being close to that area until July. So, it’ll be slow going with this item. I figure, unless a miracle occurs, I won’t be done with this until September and will just make the deadline but who knows? I put the rest of the requirements together in a much quicker time period than I planned so maybe this will come together, too. KDP 1/3 Done

In hindsight, I’m glad that I had a skeletal idea of what I would be submitting before I actually committed to the process. I’m also thankful that I took the webinar about what certification entails so I had clear expectations of what was expected.

Here’s an update on my 2 past blogs regarding Ancestry.com and member family tree’s that reported a co-worker’s mother as deceased when she isn’t – I received an email from Ancestry staff on Monday directing me to have the deceased email them with her request to correct the records and to provide Ancestry with the URL’s of the trees. I pulled the URL info and included it with the forwarded email to my co-worker who sent it off to her mom. I was impressed that Ancestry responded so quickly, especially after the phone conversations I had with their support staff. I didn’t think there was going to be any resolution! I’m also very pleased that Ancestry stayed true to their confidentiality statement and understood how the problem impacted the affected family. Kudos to Ancestry!

I’m officially OFF the Clock

Originally published on genealogyatheart.blogspot.com on 13 Aug 2016.

I just submitted electronically my portfolio to the Board for Certification of Genealogists so I’m no longer considered “On the Clock.” My husband had made me this cute magnet when I first submitted my application:

I’m going to miss it!

Although, at times, the workload was challenging it was do-able. The Google group for On the Clockers was helpful in clarifying requirements, offering suggestions and providing general support during a stressful time.

I’m most fortunate that my family was very understanding and supportive. They were facing their own challenges over the past year – daughter relocated back to our area and became board certified in two areas – pediatrics and internal medicine. She just finished an acupuncture course and should be certified in that by the end of the year. Son graduated with another degree and is now working as a chemical engineer. Hubby is writing a book besides his full time job as a counselor. I’m proud of their accomplishments and their ability to overcome the obstacles that life threw in their paths.

I also am thankful for the clients – their ancestors and mine – that I researched. The lives of those individuals was inspiring! Whenever I got stuck, be it writer’s block or due to an inaccessible record, I only needed to re-examine their documents for a gentle reminder that my situation was minor. The past certainly put the present in perspective!

I began this blog to follow my journey through the certification process. I’ll continue until I hear – yay or nay – that I’m certified. I’m not quite sure how long that will be. Like the song says, “The waiting is the hardest part…”