2012 Minnesota Genealogical Society North Star Conference Call for Papers
Deadline for Submissions is March 1, 2012

February 9, 2012—South St. Paul, MN. The Minnesota Genealogical Society (MGS) announces a Call for Papers for breakout sessions of the 5th annual MGS North Star Conference, “New Approaches and Old Sources,” to be held October 5–6, 2012 in Edina, Minnesota. The deadline for submission of proposals is Thursday, March 1, 2012.

The conference will feature keynote presentations by Joshua Taylor, as well as 12–16 one-hour breakout sessions. Because MGS can offer only a modest honorarium, this call will be most attractive to genealogists in the Upper Midwest, but MGS welcomes proposals from any genealogists who would like to join us in the Twin Cities in October.

The program committee will give strong consideration to presentations relating to 18th- and 19th-century genealogy, along with emerging technology and Internet tools for genealogists, with a focus on the Upper Midwest. The Committee encourages proposals for educational presentations on:
Genealogy records and genealogical sources
Libraries and archives
Genealogical research on the Internet
Software for managing genealogy research
Technology for creating, capturing and managing images
Researching Civil War-era ancestors
Upper Midwest immigration and settlement, including the role of railroads and federal land policy
Native American genealogy
Genealogy research methods (including application of DNA and case studies that illustrate successful problem-solving)
Audience: The North Star Genealogy Conference is a small conference with high standards for program content. Expected attendance is approximately 125–175. The audience includes beginning, intermediate and advanced genealogists.

Format: Standard sessions are approximately 50–60 minutes. Illustrated talks are preferred. Proposals for longer workshop-type sessions will be considered for inclusion in the program.

Compensation: MGS offers a $50 speaker honorarium, plus free Friday–Saturday conference registration and Saturday lunch. Travel expenses are the responsibility of the speaker.

Handouts: MGS will provide handouts to registrants in digital format (.pdf or .doc). Handout material, limited to four pages per talk, is required for every lecture presentation. Handouts should be submitted in .doc or .pdf format . Speakers who do not submit handouts by 15 August 2012 will be replaced on the program.

Technology: Speakers must provide their own laptop computer. MGS will attempt to make overhead projectors and digital projectors available as needed, but speakers are encouraged to provide their own projector when possible.

Key dates for presenters:
1 March 2012: Lecture proposals due
15 April 2012: Notification of acceptance of proposals
15 August 2012: Handouts due to MGS
5–6 October 2012: Conference
Submission Requirements:

Submit proposals by 1 March 2012 on MGS’ PDF speaker proposal form, available at http://www.mngs.org/pdf/NorthStar2012proposalform.pdf. Use a separate form for each lecture submitted, and fill it out in Adobe Reader (downloadable here) for best results. After filling out the form, save it with your name and lecture title and send it to the address below.

Submit proposals to:
MGS Education Committee
c/o Tom K. Rice
3976 Hazel St.
White Bear Lake, MN 55110
Email: info@heritagehunters.com

About the Minnesota Genealogical Society (MGS)

The Minnesota Genealogical Society (MGS) was organized in 1969 to help Minnesotans and people with Minnesota connections research and discover their family history. MGS collects and publishes genealogical, biographical, and historical material, offers educational classes and conferences to support interest in family history, and promotes family history and genealogy as a rewarding hobby and area of lifelong learning.