Civil Air Patrol Squadron GA160 to Lead Aerospace Program with Forsyth Students

Cadets and other representatives from Civil Air Patrol Squadron GA160 in Gainesville will lead a 3-hour workshop on aerospace and the science of flight on Saturday, August 4 at 11:00 a.m. at the Cumming Library, 585 Dahlonega Street. The Aerospace Workshop is intended for students in kindergarten through ninth grade and admission is free.

“We first began working with the squadron when McKevor Tatum, a teen patron and volunteer, shared his experiences with the Civil Air Patrol,” explains Julie Boyd, Youth Services Supervisor at the Cumming Library.

Boyd and Tatum worked together to plan the first Aerospace Workshop at the Cumming Library earlier this year.

McKevor Tatum, a Civil Air Patrol cadet, is pictured here (right) watching Aerospace Workshop participants prepare to launch air-powered rockets at the Cumming Library in January 2018.

“Our patrons are very interested in science and technology programming, so we knew McKevor’s idea to host a workshop with the Civil Air Patrol would be well received. More than 70 students and their parents and caregivers participated in January’s workshop and we all had a great time learning about flight and then building and testing our own air-powered rockets,” explains Boyd.

Next weekend’s workshop will focus on flying kites, balloons, and gliders. Participants will learn about the scientific principles and the mechanics of flight, including hands-on experiments to demonstrate Newton’s Laws of Motion and Bernoulli’s Principle. Then, participants can build their own flying machines and test them on the lawn behind the library at the end of the workshop.

Representatives from Squadron GA160 will also explain the purpose of their organization and answer questions from parents and students about ways to get involved. The squadron is part the Georgia Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, U.S. Air Force Auxiliary and operates Cadet and Honor Guard programs, participates in FEMA and Search and Rescue training, and leads local aerospace education efforts.

“We are excited to learn more about aerospace and the opportunities that are open to students who have a passion for science and flight. It will be a pleasure to welcome the cadets and other squadron leaders back to the library and we know our patrons will learn so much from this workshop,” adds Boyd.

For more information about Civil Air Patrol Squadron GA160, please visit www.ga160.org. For more information about the Aerospace Workshop on August 4 or other library programs, please visit www.forsythpl.org.

Find Your Family's Roots with Free Genealogy Workshops at Hampton Park Library

Summer brings families together for backyard barbecues and reunions and we share memories of the generations that came before us. But what about those, like our great-great-grandparents, who are no longer in living memory? Are their stories and the history of our family origins lost forever?

No, the history of our families is not lost, as long as we have a little time to devote to genealogical research. Forsyth County Public Library and professional genealogist Wayne Andrews can help you uncover your family’s roots and record them for future generations.

Andrews will lead a four-part Genealogy 101 workshop at the Hampton Park Library next month. Admission to each 2-hour workshop is free, but advance online registration is required for each session.

A former intelligence analyst, Andrews says he discovered that genealogical research is quite similar and requires finding some hidden truth. He’s been researching his own family history for more than 40 years.

“In 1975 my wife and I were visiting my parents. The subject of my mother’s parents came up. As she talked about them and her grandparents I realized I understood very little of my family history,” explains Andrews of his motivation to embark on genealogical research.

“My mother wrote down everything she could remember, including the town in Germany where her paternal ancestors lived until 1839. She gave me a book written in 1913 which contained my father’s paternal history back to 1821. I was fascinated by how much was known, but I wanted to know more,” says Andrews.

“Next to learning my family history, I love teaching others the techniques and methods to perform effective genealogical research,” adds Andrews, whose first Genealogy session, How to Get Started, will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 4.

During the session, Andrews will demonstrate research techniques by starting with yourself and working backwards to begin mapping your family tree. He’ll discuss the use of personal sources, family records and materials, interviewing relatives, and organizing information.

Creating a Family Tree & Using Censuses, the second session beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 11, will extend family tree research by incorporating primary and secondary sources and learning to identify errors. Andrews will also discuss how to use and understand American, British, Irish, and Canadian census records.

The third workshop, Advanced Record Types, will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 18 and will demonstrate how to locate and use advanced record types such as religious records, obituaries and cemetery records, immigration and naturalization records, and military records to add more detail to the story of your family’s history.

Using the Internet for Research, the final workshop in the Genealogy 101 series, will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 19 and will focus on the successful use of internet resources, including how to structure searches, how to use message boards, and finding a balance between traditional and electronic research.

It’s common to “hit a wall” in genealogical research, says Andrews. His last presentation is intended to help participants learn techniques to overcome those obstacles so they can avoid frustration and continue making progress on their research.

Genealogy 101 is expected to be well-received, so registering early is recommended.

“We get many requests for genealogy programs and any program related to local history always seems to be popular in the Forsyth community,” explains Brooke Rose, Information Services Supervisor at the Hampton Park Library and the workshop’s organizer.

“The library provides several print and online resources to help patrons research their ancestry. Workshops such as Mr. Andrews’s Genealogy 101 series educate people on how to use these resources to dig even deeper into their family’s history,” adds Rose.

For more information or to register for a Genealogy 101 workshop, please visit www.forsythpl.org or call 770-781-9840.

Chatterbooks: A Book Club for Grades K-2

 Chatterbooks is a book club designed for children in grades K-2 that incorporates a story, book discussion and a craft.

Venus Flytraps Eat Bugs! by Barbara Linde is our selection this month. Join us as we learn about one of the world’s weirdest plants and how it attracts insects and then disposes of them. We will explore the plant's structure, habitat and other unique elements of this plant's life cycle. Participants will also have the opportunity to view a live Venus flytrap. Children do not need to read the book prior to the program. Chatterbooks meets on August 30, 2018 at 4:00 p.m.at the Cumming Library. No registration required. 

Lorraine Lane
Information Specialist – Youth Services Cumming Library