Free Genealogy Conference Registrations

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft announced on July 21 that the Missouri State Archives and Missouri Historical Records Advisory Board (MHRAB) are offering 45 Lite Registration Packages, each valued at $130, to representatives of the state’s genealogical and historical societies interested in attending the Federation of Genealogical Societies’ (FGS) 2020 virtual Family History Conference. These registrations are made possible through support from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), the grants program of the National Archives and Records Administration.

FGS represents the members of hundreds of genealogical societies across the United States and other countries, linking the community and helping these groups strengthen and grow. Their main gathering each year is a Family History Conference, which in 2020 was to be in Kansas City before COVID-19 forced the organizers to switch to an online format. Although a significant change, the virtual conference offers a host of new and exciting opportunities.

Registered attendees of the 2020 virtual Family History Conference can watch live sessions from some of the world’s foremost genealogists on Sept. 2, 2020, while recordings of more than 80 other programs will be available on-demand from Sept. 15, 2020, to March 15, 2021. Topics range from society event planning to research methodology to DNA genealogy and so much more! For more information about the virtual conference, visit the FGS website at https://fgs.org/conferences/registration/.

To receive free registration(s), official representatives of the state’s genealogical and historical societies should contact Missouri State Archives’ Principal Assistant for Boards and Commissions Brian Rogers at brian.rogers@sos.mo.gov, and provide the names and email addresses of no more than two individuals who will attend on their group’s behalf. Awards will occur on a first-come, first-served basis. Recipients will be sent a unique discount code that, when applied during online registration, will reduce the transaction amount by $130 (the Lite Registration Package cost). Recipients may register at a higher level, but are responsible for any added cost. Additionally, they are encouraged to register ahead of the Aug. 15, 2020, early bird registration deadline to avoid additional fees.

The Missouri State Archives works closely with the MHRAB, the central advisory board for projects relating to historic records developed and carried out within Missouri. The board appraises grant proposals submitted to the NHPRC and provides guidance on archival best practices, as well as grant and training opportunities for the state’s records community.

To learn more about the Missouri State Archives and the MHRAB, visit www.sos.mo.gov/archives/mhrab/mhrab.asp.