The Gen-Fed Registration Drawing will be held this Saturday, 17 February at 1:00 ET

 

 

After reading the FAQ at https://www.gen-fed.org/advantageous-accidents-gen-fed-drawing-2024/, use this link to enter your name in the drawing, https://airtable.com/app89NTnfxcLGjVIM/shrEBtczX6ITPEa6S .

Gen-Fed will send an email to entrants after the form closes on 16 February with the Zoom link for the live drawing on Saturday, 17 February at 1:00 p.m. ET / noon CT / 11:00 a.m. MT / 10:00 a.m. PT.  You do not need to attend the drawing to be awarded the registration seat.  Registrants will be contacted between Saturday and Monday, 19 February with final registration materials.

If you have already entered the drawing, you may not have completed all the questions and your entry was not complete.  Emails have been sent.  Please check your email including spam folders.

We are looking forward to seeing you on Saturday!

Rebecca & Mary

 

The Gen-Fed entries are ALREADY being collected for the registration drawing to be held Saturday, 17 February at 1:00 ET.

In the excitement of creating the previous news post, and the admittedly new-to-making-Airtable-wow-this-is-fun glow, I accidentally already posted the link for entering names into the drawing for registration seats, instead of waiting to post it the week of February 10th through February 16th, 2024 as stated. So we asked ourselves, what’s the harm? We are interested to see how this advantageous accident – having the link up for longer than one week – will affect the ability of people to become aware of this unique educational experience. The link will stay up from now until the form closes at 9:00 p.m. ET on Friday, 16 February 2024.  The FAQ about registration is repeated below and has been expanded.

Use this link to enter your name in the drawing, after reading the FAQ below: https://airtable.com/app89NTnfxcLGjVIM/shrEBtczX6ITPEa6S 

Gen-Fed will send an email to entrants after the form closes on 16 February with the Zoom link for the live drawing on Saturday, 17 February at 1:00 p.m. ET / noon CT / 11:00 a.m. MT / 10:00 a.m. PT.  You do not need to attend to be awarded the registration seat.

READ THE F.A.Q. FIRST 

Q: When and where is Gen-Fed held this year?
A: The Genealogical Institute on Federal Records will be held in-person at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., from Sunday, August 4th through Saturday, August 10th, 2024.

Q: Am I ready for Gen-Fed?
A: This is an important question. Gen-Fed is a week of advanced-level courses on federal records in a complex facility.  It is best to have at least intermediate to higher-intermediate level skills and education before going into this week.  Try this self-evaluation test here.

Q: Why hold a drawing for registration, why can’t I just register?
A: More people want to attend Gen-Fed than we can accommodate at NARA. For that reason, we use a random selection process to even the playing field.  After entries are collected, they will be entered for a random drawing to select registrants. If you are selected, you must be prepared to pay the fee, agree to policies, and attend the week of Gen-Fed.

Q: How many seats are available?
A: In 2024 we will be drawing 35 seats. This is determined by (a) the number of persons allowed in the space reserved for us at Archives I, plus (b) the number of 2023 scholarship winners or sponsored students who selected Gen-Fed as their institute of choice. Twenty additional names, above and beyond the remaining available seats, will be drawn for waitlist status for 2024 only.  Those on the waitlist will be registered if people selected for the drawing need to withdraw and a seat becomes open.

Q: How will I know if I won a Gen-Fed seat?
A: Winners will be randomly drawn on Saturday, 17 February 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET during a live session, viewable by all, via Zoom (you don’t need to be present to win).

Q: How many times can I enter?
A: Once, please. Duplicates will not be included in the drawing.

Q: When will waitlist entrants be notified that they’re “in?”
A: ASAP, if/when seats become open.

Q: Will waitlist entrants be on the list for next year?
A: No, the list starts fresh next year with a new drawing.

Q: When do I pay tuition?
A: Payment ($650) will be due, in full, upon email notification that you’ve won a seat and are officially registered.

Q: What if I’m attending on a scholarship (ex: Lackey, ASG, BCG, other sponsorship, etc.)?
A: No need to fill out the form–your seat has already been reserved.

Q: What about hotel and transportation?
A: Each student is responsible for their own transportation and board.  Gen-Fed has contracted with a local hotel for a lower group rate.  Go to the Registration FYI page for more.

Q: If I get a registration seat, then I have to withdraw, can I have a seat saved for next year?  If not, can I get a refund?
A: No, seats are not saved for next year.  The drawing starts fresh every year. Exceptions to this are on a case-by-case basis and are exceptionally rare. Gen-Fed offers a full refund less any bank fees incurred.

Q: What else should I know?
A: Students must all agree to abide by the Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct to be allowed to register.  Additionally, the National Archives has COVID regulations in place, and the Gen-Fed Institute has also amended it to include their own recommendations.  Read them; you must agree to the Code of Ethics and confirm that you will comply with the NARA COVID regulations as well as understand what the Institute COVID recommendations are.

Here’s to the Advantageous Accidents that may find their way into your Research!

Thank you to all those who applied for registration to the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records for 2023.  Persons whose names were drawn have been notified by email that they will be able to register for the event.  Additionally a waitlist of 12 people have also been notified by email; the waitlist is for this year only and will not be held over until the next registration.

If you were not able to come this time, we sincerely hope you will be able to join us in the future!

Rebecca & Cinda

Registration will be held between March 11th and 17th for the in-person session of the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed) to be held at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. from August 7th through 12th, 2023.

Applications for available seats will be collected via a registration link to be posted on March 11th at 9:00 am ET, and taken down on March 17th at 9:00 pm ET. The live drawing will be conducted on March 18th at 1:00 pm ET for the limited number of seats and a link to the drawing will be posted here.

Students who held reserved seats from the 2020 cancellation have been notified and their seats confirmed.

For program information and costs, go to our page at https://www.gen-fed.org/home/what-to-know/. Questions may be sent to info@gen-fed.org. Note that there will be no waiting list collected for 2024.

Good luck, and we hope to see you in Washington, D.C.!

 

WE ARE BACK!!

We are delighted to announce that the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records will hold its next session in person at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. from August 7th through 12th, 2023.

Registration will be held between March 11th and 17th. Prospective students may submit an application for a seat, and a live drawing will be conducted on March 18th for the limited number of seats.

Students who held reserved seats from the 2019 cancellation have been notified and should contact the office at info@gen-fed.org to confirm their seat for 2023; a seat will not be held for them past 2023.

Thanks to all at NARA who have worked so hard to make this in person institute possible and for all their support in the last two years of virtual institutes!

Application information for registration will be posted at the beginning of March 2023.

Guess Where I Was Yesterday?

I was lucky enough to have my first appointment for my own research in person at NARA in D.C.  It is a two-hour trip for me, each way, and I do not mind at all.  The staff was amazing and well organized. (Kudos for finding that missing Mexican War pension, Catherine!)

Although unplanned, I had an opportunity to meet yesterday with the gentlemen who liaison with our program at NARA.  I did not have a chance to discuss all this with my Assistant Director, Cinda Baxter before the last chance meeting came up.  The critical information came at the close of the Archives yesterday evening when I met with the head of the archival staff, and was told officially that NARA will definitely not be able to handle a group our size by August. Just can’t happen. We have no option for being in-person.  Gen-Fed will officially be virtual this year.

Now the good news: Last year I took a poll of the instructors and asked that, if we had another virtual session, would they be willing to add students to the list? The response was overwhelmingly positive.  I took a brief testing-the-waters poll of a few instructors yesterday and the feeling was the same.  I am now announcing that we will take 60 students now instead of 50!  I will be contacting those people on the waitlist shortly.

After lengthy discussion while on my long ride home, Cinda and I felt that rather than wait until the end of April to decide, we should announce now. We know people need time to make other arrangements if they need to switch gears. Those students who were on the waitlist from 2019 who want to be put back on the waitlist for an in-person session can email us at info@gen-fed.org.

Thank you so much for your patience as we navigate these still uncertain times. We are excited and gearing up for a strong virtual session.  Staff members have already started volunteering to help me pull records for the promised 2 per person after the institute!