Chinese Genealogy Workshop

[Henry]

Dear Colleagues,

We would like to propose a Chinese Genealogy Workshop for members of the SiYi Forum and their family & friends during the forthcoming 2015 Summer in San Francisco. The goal is to provide a 3 day experience where SiYi Forum members can finally meet one another, attend some presentations and engage in collaborative research in Chinese genealogy, and go on some tours.

We would probably reserve a block of rooms at a hotel in San Francisco that would allow us some complimentary meeting rooms. Everyone would pay their own expenses in terms of hotel & food. The registration fee would just be to cover some morning & afternoon coffee/tea breaks.

The initial plan is to have a couple SiYi members form an organizing committee. Lawrence Jeung has already volunteered to lead the local organizing committee. I will be happy to lead the program committee.

The Workshop would have onsite registration & reception on a Sunday afternoon. Monday would be for presentations. Tuesday would be for doing collaborative Chinese genealogy. Wednesday would be for visits to the US National Archives in San Bruno in the morning, and tours of the Chinese Cultural Center of San Francisco, and the Chinese Historical Society in the afternoon.

Some members may want to continue their research on Thursday and/or do some sightseeing of the San Francisco & the Bay Area. There are some very interesting Chinese American historical sites that provide very nice day trips for those that have time after the Workshop.

Please indicate:

1 your participation in this Workshop: as a member of the organizing committee, presenter, research facilitator, and tour leader. You can volunteer in multiple capacities

2 your availability for this Workshop during the first, second, third, or fourth week during July or August 2015.


Lawrence Jeung & Henry Tom


PS Please reply via a personal message to either of us or just reply to this posting. I hope we can have enough interested members to enable this Chinese Genealogy Workshop. If we are successful, this workshop could become an annual event in different locations.

[helen]

Thanks for proposing this Henry and Lawrence. I would love to come - but you are so far away from NZ. Look forward to following the progress of your workshop. Maybe there can be a skype session.

[msen]

Yes Henry and Lawrence, thank you for proposing a workshop event! I definitely would like to attend and even volunteer where help is needed, if I can even be of help. That said, if there are not enough participants maybe a live web seminar (G hangout or other) for all available would work. And maybe adding an online live component for those overseas : )

[tomjohnson]

Hello Henry

Is your book still available?  Kindly let me know.

Johnson

[Henry]

Hi Tom,

Yes, copies of my book are still available.

I replied to your email inquiry on Monday & again today.

Please contact me directly for details: " [e-mail] "


Henry

[Henry]

Dear Msen,

Thank you for your willingness to participate and to assist your fellow members.

Is your availability for anytime during July & August ?

Please email me directly with your contact information at " [e-mail] " and I will register you for the workshop.

My best regards,


Henry

[chansomvia]

It is a very good idea to hold a Chinese Genealogy Workshop in San Francisco as the members of this forum have a wealth of experience in tracing roots and there is an equally large group of people who have traced their roots through this forum and can added much of the real life human interest to the Workshop. I will be flying out of New Zealand to USA at the wrong date unfortunately, leaving for Atlanta/New Orleans mid-May and returning via Chicago and Los Angeles in mid-June.

I would like to get hold of the proceedings when it is finally available.

Regards

Joe of Christchurch

[philiptancl]

I just had the privilege of meeting Henry once again in Kuala Lumpur yesterday and today (February 11 and 12, 2015) since the last occasion we had met in 2008. Together with Stephen Lim, we took Henry to another state to meet up with the committee of his surname clan association there. Reporters from a few Chinese newspapers were there for the occasion and Henry was interviewed. Henry did a short presentation of Tan/Tham/Tam genealogy to the committee and he showed them the three scrolls of his pedigree lineage that Stephen Lim had just arranged for them to be printed over here in Malaysia. As I also had my set of 4 scrolls (now in Chinese version) printed at the same time, Henry requested that I bring them along as well to show to the committee members there. (I may post the Chinese version of my scrolls elsewhere if there is any interest by Forum members). As the committee of that state in Malaysia is so impressed with how genealogy could made more comprehensible in scroll form, they now are considering printing the relevant scrolls for the Tan/Tham/Tam clan international conference proposed to be held in November this year in Malaysia.

Henry’s 5 sets of scrolls (totaling 15 scrolls in all) weigh around 8 kilograms while the 6 scrolls of Gene Chin (of New York) weigh 4.5 kilograms could not be conveniently carried along with Henry and wife to their next destination (Thailand), I had just completed arranging the scrolls to be sent via surface parcels to Henry and Gene. They would take about 2 months to arrive in US.

As to the Chinese Genealogy Workshop proposed by Henry, I would able to attend if it could be arranged in such a way that I can depart from Kuala Lumpur on August 4, 2015 or after, and to arrive back to Kuala Lumpur on August 14, 2015 or before. Though it is long way for me to travel just to attend a genealogy workshop, it would however be great to meet up with members of this Forum with whom I had the privilege to interact in the past. Beyond that, I do not know what value I could add to the Workshop proposed by Henry.

[FayChee]

That's a wonderful idea Henry and Lawrence. Although it is too early for me to say whether or not I can attend, I certainly will try my best.

Fay Chee

[Henry]

Dear Members,

To facilitate planning, the Chinese Genealogy Workshop will be from August 9 - 12, 2015 in San Francisco:

Sunday - August 9 - Afternoon - Registration and Meet & Greet

Monday - August 10 - Presentations from local organizations providing research sources and presentations by people with extensive experiences in successful Chinese genealogy research.

Tuesday - August 11 - Collaborate open research - mutual assistance in researching and tracing Chinese lineages.

Wednesday - August 12 - Visit US National Archives in San Bruno, CA in the morning and Chinese Historical Society & Chinese Cultural Center of San Francisco during the afternoon. Workshop ends.

Thursday & beyond - Day trips to very interesting Chinese American sites in the Bay Area and surrounding region.

We will try to video tape the presentations & sessions, this depends upon people that volunteer to help and/or attend the workshop.

Please email me: Henry Tom [ [e-mail] ] if you are planning to attend and we can finalize our planning.


Henry

[Henry]

My dear friend Philip,

Your contributions to this Chinese Genealogy Workshop would be invaluable ! You could provide a very informative presentation and during the collaborative research - your help would advance the research considerably.

Most Chinese genealogy researchers generally focus on one or two clan surnames ( parents ), however, you have helped so many people from all over the world in various clan surnames. So, instead of being an expert in 1 or 2 clan surnames you have a very wide range of experiences and can provide a lot of information. You have served as the Moderator of the Chen/Chan Thread with approximately 29,000 views - which I would say is the most viewed thread on the SiYi Forum.

Since tutorials in Chinese genealogy research are so rare - those that have the most exposure & experience, especially to numerous clan surnames become the "expert". In-depth expertise is certainly more a matter of experience & exposure than any kind of formal education or training.

It would be quite an honor to have you attend this Chinese Genealogy Workshop.

Henry

[philiptancl]

My dear friend Henry,

You flattered me with your remarks. Let us see how the response from Forum members and others going to be on your proposed Chinese Genealogy Workshop. As it is to be in San Francisco, my wife wants to come along as well to visit the place again in spite of the long journey. She was at Berkeley on sabbatical for four months way back in 1986.

Philip

[amy]

Henry,
That sounds like a terrific idea. I'd be interested in attending and happy to volunteer.
Amy Chin

[Henry]

Hi Amy,

Thank you for your participation.

Please email me at " [e-mail] " and provide me with your contact information, including your personal email address and I will be delighted to register you.

As a registered workshop attendee, you will receive all the workshop details directly.

As Lawrence finalizes the local arrangements - we may ask you to assist us.

My best regards,


Henry

[chansomvia]

Dear Philip

Where is the Malaysian Tan/Chan conference to be held (KL?) and what are the proposed dates? I missed meeting with you when I was last in KL and will be attending a 50 years school reunion in Sabah on November 27-29th this year, I could divert to KL on the way to Kota Kinabalu, as being a Chan, to be at the conference if the dates are suitable.

Joe