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PO Box 215
Ashland, MA 01721-0215
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Genealogy Workshop
Saturday, March 30
Genealogy Workshop  (Merrimack Valley)
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Georgetown Peabody Library, 2 Maple St Georgetown MA
In Person ONLY! 
No Zoom session.
 
We will be sharing all things Genealogy during this workshop. Come with questions you may have. Bring a story of one of your researching projects. This time will be for you. Bring along your laptop and anything you might be working on. 
From beginner to advanced   Free and open to the Public.  
Bring a friend or family member.
 
The link below is to connect you to the library and you can check their internet resources and plan ahead.



Person or Persons Unknown by Anthea Fraser
Tuesday, April 2
Person or Persons Unknown by Anthea Fraser  (Book Club)
7:30 pm
Virtual
Biographer and journalist Rona Parish investigates a young woman’s past in this twisty traditional mystery.
 
Rona Parish's last assignment, a series of articles on the town of Buckford, is almost complete, when a young woman approaches her with a request to help her trace her natural parents. Rona's curiosity is aroused - not least because she discovers that the woman's birth mother had been murdered in her bath twenty-five years earlier. (Amazon Review)
 
You must be logged in as a Member to participate in the event. Log-in at https://www.msoginc.org/members.php. Go to "Event Registration" to register for the book club.
 
Upcoming Book Club Readings:
May 7, 2024   A Royal Experiment: The Private Life of King George III by Janice Hadlow 
June 4, 2024  The Good Left Undone by Adriana Trigiani 
July 2, 2024  Bad Ass Librarians of Timbuktu by Joshua Hammer  


Historical Society of the United Methodist Church
Saturday, April 6
Historical Society of the United Methodist Church  (Worcester)
9:30 am to 11:30 am
Virtual
Worcester Chapter Meeting
 
Frances Lyons presents: 
 
Resources at the Historical Society of the United Methodist Church
 
About Frances:
 
Trained as an archivist at University College Dublin following graduation with a degree in History. Worked in museum and corporate archives until appointment as Reference Archivist at the General Commission on Archives and History of The United Methodist Church in 2008. Certified by The Academy of Certified Archivists. 
 
  9:30 am EDT    Socializing
  9:45 am EDT    Business meeting
10:00 am EDT    Presentation
 
This presentation will be Virtual via Zoom.  Pre-registration is required
 
The presentation is free and open to the public.
 
 
 


The American Colonization Society, a Historical Perspective and Related Genealogical Records
Saturday, April 13
The American Colonization Society, a Historical Perspective and Related Genealogical Records  (Middlesex)
10:30 am to 12:00 pm
Virtual
Middlesex Chapter Meeting
 
Presented by Sandy Schaad
The American Colonization Society, a Historical Perspective and Related Genealogical Records
 
The American Colonization Society (ACS), founded in 1816, funded the establishment of the Liberian Colony in Africa through fundraising by private US citizens belonging to Society chapters in every American state. The ACS’s stated goal was to provide free blacks and manumitted enslaved persons a society in which freedom and equality could be realized as opposed to the discrimination faced in both the northern and southern United States of America. The ACS donated its vast collection of records to the Library of Congress upon its dissolution in 1964. The Society’s papers are a treasure trove of genealogical documents identifying ancestors in a specific time and place — including women of antislavery sentiment who donated funds yearly, if not quarterly or monthly. ACS records are in university, state, and national repositories. Learn about the ACS and how its records are of use to genealogists.

Sandra Schaad, MA, CSCS, is a former figure skater turned avid genealogist with deep roots in nine of the American colonies. Sandra specializes in Lineage and Southern genealogical research. She holds an AA in Family History Studies (Genealogy) from Monterey Peninsula College and is in the process of becoming an Accredited Genealogist (AG). She is fluent in German and has traced her father’s paternal German ancestry to 1608. 
 

This program is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

This meeting will be online via Zoom.
Register at  https://tinyurl.com/z7u6wjrk 


Genealogy Fun While Developing New Genealogists
Saturday, April 20
Genealogy Fun While Developing New Genealogists  (Bristol)
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Attend in Person or Virtually via Zoom
Presented by Sindi Broussard Terrien
 
Sindi was inspired to write "Genealogy Fun While Developing New Genealogists" and "Fun with Genealogy Activity Book 1" when she learned that fellow genealogists were discouraged by family members' lack of interest in genealogy and family history. As one of the organizers for family events, she looks for fun ways to include the family history and genealogy at parties and get-togethers.
 
Sindi's presentation will be how to engage family members with family history and genealogy that may lead them to adopt the genealogy pastime. She will discuss her personal experiences as well as examples from her two books.
 
Sindi Broussard Terrien is a research genealogist, specializing in Acadian and Cajun women. Her blog MyManyMothers.com features biographies of her many great-grandmothers. She recently published "Genealogy Fun While Developing New Genealogists" and "Fun with Genealogy Activity Book 1". She has written nine articles for the American-French Genealogical Society’s publication Je Me Souviens Magazine where she is an associate editor. Sindi Broussard Terrien received a certificate in genealogical research from Boston University. Her passion for genealogy spans over twenty years.
 
SOMERSET PUBLIC LIBRARY
1464 County Street
Somerset, MA 02726
 
Business Meeting   11:00-11:30 am
Member Sharing     11:30-11:55 am
Presentation Begins at Noon. 
 
This program is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
For more information contact: bristol@msoginc.org
Schedule of Events Available at: https://msoginc.org
 
Those who wish to attend virtually, can pre-register at https://tinyurl.com/BristolApr2024


MSOG Members only - DNA SIG
Wednesday, April 24
MSOG Members only - DNA SIG  (DNA)
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Virtual Only
 
Breeds, Traits, & Matches: A Look at Ancestry's Pet DNA Testing
 
Join us for an informative presentation where we delve into the world of pet genetics, revealing breed composition, unique traits, and potential genetic matches through Ancestry's Pet DNA testing.
 
 
Bonnie Croteau is a genealogist with over thirty years of experience researching in the United States and Ireland. She specializes in New England research, lineage society applications, and writing and sharing her ancestral history. Bonnie is a member and lineage researcher for Daughters of the American Revolution and the treasurer and board member of the Merrimack Valley Chapter of MSOG. On her website, www.beyondthetreegenealogy.com, she shares her DAR education projects, family genealogy, and ancestral history.
 
You must be logged in as a Member to participate in this event. Log-in at https://www.msoginc.org/members.phpGo to "Event Registration" to register for the DNA Special Interest Group meeting.


18th Century Massachusetts Research
Saturday, April 27
18th Century Massachusetts Research  (Merrimack Valley)
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Georgetown Peabody Libary
Hybrid meeting, Meet us in person or Virtually by Zoom
        Preregistration: https://tinyurl.com/MVAPR2024
 
Presented by Melanie McComb of American Ancestors and NEHGS
 

The 18th century was a transformative and foundational period for Massachusetts: continued colonial conflicts, movement westward, revolution, the abolition of slavery, and ultimately statehood. This session will look at just some of the many records of the era—pre and post American independence—including military records, tax lists, census records, newspapers, city directories, and more.

 

Melanie McComb, Senior Genealogist, assists library visitors, both on-site and online, with their family history research. She is an international lecturer who teaches on a variety of topics. Melanie holds a B.S. degree from the State University of New York at Oswego. She previously served as the social media coordinator for the NextGen Genealogy Network, a non-profit that creates a community for younger genealogists, where she managed the Facebook and Twitter accounts. She continues her interest in helping younger genealogists get involved at American Ancestors by assisting with educational programs from local schools, scout groups, and universities. Her areas of expertise include Irish genealogy, DNA, Atlantic Canada, Jewish genealogy, and military records.

 

Free and Open to the Public.
 
Collaboration, Education and Preserve



Tour of the Worcester Room and Presentation on the Family Search Library
Saturday, May 4
Tour of the Worcester Room and Presentation on the Family Search Library  (Worcester)
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
In Person
Join us for a tour of the Worcester Room at the Worcester Public Library, which contains many valuable and fragile resources of interest to genealogists and historians.  Our guide will be Alex London, reference librarian and genealogy specialist.  After the tour, we'll also hear a presentation on the Family Search Library in Salt Lake City, given by Seema-Jayne Kenney.
 
   9:00 am EDT    Library opens
 10:00 am EDT    Tour of the Worcester Room on the 3rd floor
 11:00 am EDT     Business Meeting in the Saxe Room on the 1st floor
 11:15 am EDT     Presentation on the Family Search Library in the Saxe Room on the 1st floor
 
Parking is available in the McGrath Parking Lot next to the library.  Bring your ticket to the Welcome Desk to be validated.  The cost is $1/hour with validation.
 
Join us for lunch at a local restaurant after the presentation.
 
This presentation will be In Person.  It is free and open to the public.
 
Location:
Worcester Public Library
3 Salem St
Worcester, MA
 
Alex London is a Reference Librarian and subject specialist in Local History and Genealogy at the Worcester Public Library.  He holds an MLIS degree from the Simmons College School of Library and Information Science.
 
Seema-Jayne Kenney is an experienced software instructor and a professional genealogist.  Her known roots are deep in New England as well as England, Germany, and Sweden, with DNA research adding a line in the Netherlands.  She has a certificate in Genealogical Research from BU, completed ProGen and is an active member and officer of several societies.  She has served as Treasurer and President of the Worcester Chapter of MSOG as well as at the State level as past President and is currently co-editor of the MASSOG Journal.
 
Presentation:  First Trip to the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City
 
Description:  The mecca of genealogy is the library in Salt Lake City. Let’s review the preparation, researching, and wrapping up of Seema’s first trip there in order to be more prepared for our own research trip.
 
 


A Royal Experiment: The Private Life of King George III by Janice Hadlow
Tuesday, May 7
A Royal Experiment: The Private Life of King George III by Janice Hadlow  (Book Club)
7:30 pm
Virtual
The surprising, deliciously dramatic, and ultimately heartbreaking story of King George III's radical pursuit of happiness in his private life with Queen Charlotte and their 15 children
 
In the U.S., Britain's George III, the protagonist of A Royal Experiment, is known as the king from whom Americans won their independence and as "the mad king," but in Janice Hadlow's groundbreaking and entertaining new biography, he is another character altogether―compelling and relatable.
 
He was the first of Britain's three Hanoverian kings to be born in England, the first to identify as native of the nation he ruled. But this was far from the only difference between him and his predecessors. Neither of the previous Georges was faithful to his wife, nor to his mistresses. Both hated their own sons. And, overall, their children were angry, jealous, and disaffected schemers, whose palace shenanigans kick off Hadlow's juicy narrative and also made their lives unhappy ones.
 
Pained by his childhood amid this cruel and feuding family, George came to the throne aspiring to be a new kind of king―a force for moral good. And to be that new kind of king, he had to be a new kind of man. Against his irresistibly awful family background―of brutal royal intrigue, infidelity, and betrayal―George fervently pursued a radical domestic dream: he would have a faithful marriage and raise loving, educated, and resilient children.
 
The struggle of King George―along with his wife, Queen Charlotte, and their 15 children―to pursue a passion for family will surprise history buffs and delight a broad swath of biography readers and royal watchers. (Amazon Review)
 
You must be logged in as a Member to participate in the event. Log-in at https://www.msoginc.org/members.php. Go to "Event Registration" to register for the book club.
 
Upcoming Book Club Readings:
June 4, 2024  The Good Left Undone by Adriana Trigiani 
July 2, 2024  Bad Ass Librarians of Timbuktu by Joshua Hammer 
August 6. 2024  The Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni  


She Did What? Putting Your Ancestor in Historic Context
Saturday, May 11
She Did What? Putting Your Ancestor in Historic Context  (Middlesex)
10:30 am to 12:00 pm
Virtual
Middlesex Chapter Meeting
 
She Did What? Putting Your Ancestor In Historic Context discusses how to research and document your ancestors beyond vital records and relationships. Sara describes how to discover more about your ancestors' lives by weaving broad historic themes and conflicts (e.g., war, disease, etc.) with everyday life. Understanding the historic context in which they lived can help us bridge the gap where no documents exist.
 
About Sara Gredler: Sara is a Certified Genealogist® and an Accredited Genealogist® (in the Mid-Atlantic region) with over 25 years of genealogical and historic research experience. She worked nearly five years at AncestryProGenealogists®, the research arm of Ancestry®, before starting her own genealogical research business, Lineage Detectives. She has a Masters in Historic Preservation and previously worked as an architectural historian and GIS specialist for an architecture and engineering firm.
 
Sara finished teaching and mentoring her fifth section of study groups focused on the publication Mastering Genealogical Proof, administered under the umbrella of the ProGen Study Groups this past fall, as well as a class through the Applied Genealogical Institute (AppGen) on Writing Research Reports. She has spoken at local, state, regional, and national-level conferences, with a focus on social history on social history and how it affected our ancestors. She has also taught courses at the local level focusing on social history, DNA research and analysis, organization of genealogical materials, Southern US research, and beginning genealogical research.
 
Sara loves to learn and has attended courses at every genealogical institute (except AppGen), with topics ranging from Native American and African American research to “Law School for Genealogists” and Russian genealogical research. Her personal genealogy is focused on the East Coast of the United States and Western Europe.

This program is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

This meeting will be online via Zoom.
Register at  https://tinyurl.com/z7u6wjrk 


DAR, Understanding the DAR Databases for Genealogy Research
Saturday, May 18
DAR, Understanding the DAR Databases for Genealogy Research  (Bristol)
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Attend in Person or Virtually via Zoom
Presented by Olivia Millunzi
 
Olivia Millunzi, the Reference Librarian at the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Library, will give us an in-depth look at the digital resources available and how to best leverage and understand the DAR databases.  For those who may have attended Olivia’s talk at the Worcester Chapter in February, this will be a continuation of that presentation. She will also touch upon our country’s 250th birthday in 2026 as the DAR is fully involved in this historic event. 
 
Olivia Millunzi is the Reference Librarian at the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Library. She holds a BA in History and Museum Studies with a French minor from Juniata College, and an MLIS focusing in Diversity & Inclusion from the University of Maryland’s iSchool. Before coming to the DAR, Olivia worked at the Middletown Valley Historical Society, Heritage Frederick (formerly the Historical Society of Frederick County), Schifferstadt Architectural Museum (part of the Frederick County Landmarks Foundation), the National Park Service, and the National Anthropological Archives at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. 
 
SOMERSET PUBLIC LIBRARY
1464 County Street
Somerset, MA 02726
 
Business Meeting   11:00-11:30 am
Member Sharing     11:30-11:55 am
Presentation Begins at Noon. 
 
This program is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
For more information contact: bristol@msoginc.org
Schedule of Events Available at: https://msoginc.org
 
Those who wish to attend virtually, can pre-register at https://tinyurl.com/BristolMay2024



Annual Luncheon Meeting
Saturday, June 1
Annual Luncheon Meeting  (Worcester)
11:30 am to 2:00 pm
In Person
Diane Boumenot presents Changing New England Records in the 1800’s.
 
   11:30 am EDT     Restaurant opens
   12:00 noon EDT  Luncheon
     1:00 pm EDT     Business Meeting
     1:15 pm EDT     Presentation
 
Luncheon details coming soon.
 
Diane currently serves as Editor of Rhode Island Roots.  Her self-published book Rhode Island State Census for Genealogists is available on Amazon.  She is an experienced speaker, including speaking at the New England Regional Genealogical Conference, the APG webinar series, Legacy Family Tree Webinars, and around New England, and, remotely, in various parts of the U.S.
 
Presentation:
Just as some New Englanders left their declining farms and headed west, industrialization arrived in New England and our ancestors’ lives and records changed forever. The days when deeds and probate would solve genealogical problems gave way to a dizzying array of new census collections, state mandated vital records, poorhouse, prison and asylum records, sturdier cemetery markers, and military pensions. Let’s re-teach ourselves as we trace 1800’s ancestors.
 
Location:
O'Connor's Restaurant
1160 W Boylston St
Worcester, MA


The Good Left Undone by Adriana Trigiani
Tuesday, June 4
The Good Left Undone by Adriana Trigiani  (Book Club)
7:30 pm
Virtual
Matelda, the Cabrelli family’s matriarch, has always been brusque and opinionated. Now, as she faces the end of her life, she is determined to share a long-held secret with her family about her own mother’s great love story: with her childhood friend, Silvio, and with dashing Scottish sea captain John Lawrie McVicars, the father Matelda never knew. . . .
 
In the halcyon past, Domenica Cabrelli thrives in the coastal town of Viareggio until her beloved home becomes unsafe when Italy teeters on the brink of World War II. Her journey takes her from the rocky shores of Marseille to the mystical beauty of Scotland to the dangers of wartime Liverpool—where Italian Scots are imprisoned without cause—as Domenica experiences love, loss, and grief while she longs for home. A hundred years later, her daughter, Matelda, and her granddaughter, Anina, face the same big questions about life and their family’s legacy, while Matelda contemplates what is worth fighting for. But Matelda is running out of time, and the two timelines intersect and weave together in unexpected and heartbreaking ways that lead the family to shocking revelations and, ultimately, redemption.(Amazon Review)
 
You must be logged in as a Member to participate in the event. Log-in at https://www.msoginc.org/members.php. Go to "Event Registration" to register for the book club.
 
Upcoming Book Club Readings:
July 2, 2024  Bad Ass Librarians of Timbuktu by Joshua Hammer 
August 6. 2024  The Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni 
 
September 3, 2024  She Has Her Mother's Laugh by Carl Zimmer  


Bristol Chapter Annual Meeting:
Saturday, June 15
Bristol Chapter Annual Meeting: "Famous Collision of the Andrea Doria"  (Bristol)
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Attend in Person or Virtually via Zoom
Presented by Dr. William Hanna 
 
On the night of July 25, 1956, a collision between the ocean liners SS Andrea Doria and MS Stockholm killed 51 people and prompted one of the largest civilian maritime rescues in history, off the Nantucket coastline. 
 
Dighton Community Church
Friendship Hall
2056 Elm St
Dighton, MA 02715
 
Business Meeting   11:00-11:30 am
Member Sharing     11:30-11:55 am
Presentation Begins at Noon
 
This program is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
For more information contact: bristol@msoginc.org
Schedule of Events Available at: https://msoginc.org
 
Those who wish to attend virtually, can pre-register at https://tinyurl.com/BristolJun2024



Bad Ass Librarians of Timbuktu by Joshua Hammer
Tuesday, July 2
Bad Ass Librarians of Timbuktu by Joshua Hammer  (Book Club)
7:30 pm
Virtual
In the 1980s, a young adventurer and collector for a government library, Abdel Kader Haidara, journeyed across the Sahara Desert and along the Niger River, tracking down and salvaging tens of thousands of ancient Islamic and secular manuscripts that were crumbling in the trunks of desert shepherds. His goal: preserve this crucial part of the world’s patrimony in a gorgeous library. But then Al Qaeda showed up at the door.
 
“Part history, part scholarly adventure story, and part journalist survey…Joshua Hammer writes with verve and expertise” (The New York Times Book Review) about how Haidara, a mild-mannered archivist from the legendary city of Timbuktu, became one of the world’s greatest smugglers by saving the texts from sure destruction. With bravery and patience, Haidara organized a dangerous operation to sneak all 350,000 volumes out of the city to the safety of southern Mali. His heroic heist “has all the elements of a classic adventure novel” (The Seattle Times), and is a reminder that ordinary citizens often do the most to protect the beauty of their culture. His the story is one of a man who, through extreme circumstances, discovered his higher calling and was changed forever by it. (Amazon Review)
 
You must be logged in as a Member to participate in the event. Log-in at https://www.msoginc.org/members.php. Go to "Event Registration" to register for the book club.
 
Upcoming Book Club Readings:
August 6. 2024  The Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni  
September 3, 2024  She Has Her Mother's Laugh by Carl Zimmer 
October 1, 2024   Judge Sewall's Apology by Richard Francis 



The Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni
Tuesday, August 6
The Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni  (Book Club)
7:30 pm
Virtual
After a DNA test reveals that Alberta “Bert” Monte is the sole heir of a wealthy noble family in the Italian Alps, she leaves New York to visit the family estate: Montebianco Castle, a centuries-old compound isolated in the mountains. What appeared to be a fairy tale inheritance, however, soon turns into a nightmare as Bert begins to uncover the dark legacy of her family: the truth about the abandoned village at the base of the castle; the whispers of stolen children; and the rumors of a legendary monster in the mountains. As Bert unravels the truth, she learns that her true inheritance lies not in a noble title or ancestral treasures, but in her very genes, and now she must choose between preserving a secret centuries in the keeping or abandoning it forever. (Amazon Review)
 
You must be logged in as a Member to participate in the event. Log-in at https://www.msoginc.org/members.php. Go to "Event Registration" to register for the book club.
 
Upcoming Book Club Readings:
September 3, 2024  She Has Her Mother's Laugh by Carl Zimmer 
October 1, 2024   Judge Sewall's Apology by Richard Francis 
November 5, 2024  The Mayflower: The Families, the Voyage, and the Founding of America by Rebecca Fraser   



She Has Her Mother's Laugh by Carl Zimmer
Tuesday, September 3
She Has Her Mother's Laugh by Carl Zimmer  (Book Club)
7:30 pm
Virtual
Zimmer writes, “Each of us carries an amalgam of fragments of DNA, stitched together from some of our many ancestors. Each piece has its own ancestry, traveling a different path back through human history. A particular fragment may sometimes be cause for worry, but most of our DNA influences who we are—our appearance, our height, our penchants—in inconceivably subtle ways.” Heredity isn’t just about genes that pass from parent to child. Heredity continues within our own bodies, as a single cell gives rise to trillions of cells that make up our bodies. We say we inherit genes from our ancestors—using a word that once referred to kingdoms and estates—but we inherit other things that matter as much or more to our lives, from microbes to technologies we use to make life more comfortable. We need a new definition of what heredity is and, through Carl Zimmer’s lucid exposition and storytelling, this resounding tour de force delivers it. 
 
Weaving historical and current scientific research, his own experience with his two daughters, and the kind of original reporting expected of one of the world’s best science journalists, Zimmer ultimately unpacks urgent bioethical quandaries arising from new biomedical technologies, but also long-standing presumptions about who we really are and what we can pass on to future generations. (Amazon Review)
 
You must be logged in as a Member to participate in the event. Log-in at https://www.msoginc.org/members.php. Go to "Event Registration" to register for the book club.
 
Upcoming Book Club Readings:
October 1, 2024   Judge Sewall's Apology by Richard Francis 
November 5, 2024  The Mayflower: The Families, the Voyage, and the Founding of America by Rebecca Fraser 
December 3, 2024   The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria Von Trapp 
 



Judge Sewall's Apology by Richard Francis
Tuesday, October 1
Judge Sewall's Apology by Richard Francis  (Book Club)
7:30 pm
Virtual
The Salem witch hunt has entered our vocabulary as the very essence of injustice. Judge Samuel Sewall presided at these trials, passing harsh judgment on the condemned. But five years later, he publicly recanted his guilty verdicts and begged for forgiveness. This extraordinary act was a turning point not only for Sewall but also for America's nascent values and mores.
 
In Judge Sewall's Apology, Richard Francis draws on the judge's own diaries, which enables us to see the early colonists not as grim ideologues, but as flesh-and-blood idealists, striving for a new society while coming to terms with the desires and imperfections of ordinary life. Through this unsung hero of the American conscience -- a Puritan, an antislavery agitator, a defender of Native American rights, and a Utopian theorist -- we are granted a fresh perspective on a familiar drama. (Amazon Review)
 
You must be logged in as a Member to participate in the event. Log-in at https://www.msoginc.org/members.php. Go to "Event Registration" to register for the book club.
 
Upcoming Book Club Readings:
November 5, 2024  The Mayflower: The Families, the Voyage, and the Founding of America by Rebecca Fraser 
December 3, 2024   The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria Von Trapp 



The Mayflower: The Families, the Voyage, and the Founding of America by Rebecca Fraser
Tuesday, November 5
The Mayflower: The Families, the Voyage, and the Founding of America by Rebecca Fraser  (Book Club)
7:30 pm
Virtual
The voyage of the Mayflower and the founding of Plymouth Colony is one of the seminal events in world history. But the poorly-equipped group of English Puritans who ventured across the Atlantic in the early autumn of 1620 had no sense they would pass into legend. They had eighty casks of butter and two dogs but no cattle for milk, meat, or ploughing. They were ill-prepared for the brutal journey and the new land that few of them could comprehend. But the Mayflower story did not end with these Pilgrims’ arrival on the coast of New England or their first uncertain years as settlers. Rebecca Fraser traces two generations of one ordinary family and their extraordinary response to the challenges of life in America.
 
Edward Winslow, an apprentice printer, fled England and then Holland for a life of religious freedom and opportunity. Despite the intense physical trials of settlement, he found America exotic, enticing, and endlessly interesting. He built a home and a family, and his remarkable friendship with King Massassoit, Chief of the Wampanoags, is part of the legend of Thanksgiving. Yet, fifty years later, Edward’s son Josiah was commanding the New England militias against Massassoit’s son in King Philip’s War.
 
The Mayflower is an intensely human portrait of the Winslow family written with the pace of an epic. Rebecca Fraser details domestic life in the seventeenth century, the histories of brave and vocal Puritan women and the contradictions between generations as fathers and sons made the painful decisions which determined their future in America. (Amazon Review)
 
You must be logged in as a Member to participate in the event. Log-in at https://www.msoginc.org/members.php. Go to "Event Registration" to register for the book club.
 
Upcoming Book Club Readings:
December 3, 2024   The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria Von Trapp 



The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria Von Trapp
Tuesday, December 3
The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria Von Trapp  (Book Club)
7:30 pm
Virtual
With nearly 1,500 Broadway performances, six Tony Awards, more than three million albums sold, and five Academy Awards, The Sound of Music, based on the lives of Maria, the baron, and their singing children, is as familiar to most of us as our own family history. But much about the real-life woman and her family was left untold.
 
Here, Baroness Maria Augusta Trapp tells in her own beautiful, simple words the extraordinary story of her romance with the baron, their escape from Nazi-occupied Austria, and their life in America.
 
Maria Augusta Kutschera was born on a train en route to Vienna just before midnight on January 26, 1905. Her mother died when she was only two years old and her father left her with an elderly cousin so that he could be free to travel. She experienced a lonely and very strict upbringing without any siblings or other children in the household. She was raised a socialist and an atheist and was actively cynical towards all religions. It was during a visit to a church to hear a Bach concert that her mind was changed when she heard the words of a well-known priest, Father Kronseder. Her meeting with him led to her entering a convent to become a nun. While she was devoted to the convent life, she was taken away from the outdoor activities she once thrived on. Her doctor, concerned that her health was failing, helped the nuns to decide to send Maria to the home of retied naval captain Georg Von Trapp, to be governess to his bedridden daughter. On November 26, 1927, Maria and Georg were married. The rest is history. (Amazon Review)
 
You must be logged in as a Member to participate in the event. Log-in at https://www.msoginc.org/members.php. Go to "Event Registration" to register for the book club.