Contest Details

Contest Dates

The competition opens today, Tuesday, June 26, 2012, and ends on Monday, July 9, 2012, at 5 pm Eastern Daylight Savings Time.

What's Involved?

Here's what you have to do.

Choose one (or more) of the following topics:

1. Your Trip to the Ancestral Homeland/Village

   Tell us about this journey - what did you learn? Who did you meet? What things did you see that would have been there when your ancestors were there? How did it affect you? Would you recommend such a journey to others? And so on.

   (Those are only suggestions to help you get started; you don't necessarily have to answer them in your story)







2. DNA Testing for Genealogy Purposes

   Tell us about your experiences with DNA testing. Were you able to find relatives, discover birth parents, break down a brick wall in your family tree, or determine what your true ancestral heritage is? How did it make you feel to make this discovery? Has it answered any questions you had?







3. Archived Newspapers

   Tell us about interesting or unexpected things you discovered about your ancestors (or about their neighbours!) in the local newspapers of their day. This could be just one item, or a series of anecdotes, amusing or otherwise, in story format.

How to Enter

Write up your story in the Invitation box, below. Post photos, if you like - you can add up to 4 photos to your story.

If you're shy, you don't have to add you name or location; you can post anonymously.

However, if you want your entry to count for the competition, and you post anonymously, you will need to send me a message, through the 'Contact Me' function on the Home Page, and tell me who you are, and which entry is yours, by providing me with the title of your article.

All entries will be posted to the appropriate subject area on the www.familyhistoryalive.com website, once the contest is over.

How Many Times can I Enter?

One entry per person, per category. That is, you can submit one entry to each of the categories, for a total of 3 entries.

You cannot, however, submit more than one entry to a particular category. If you do, none of your entries will count - unless you write to me (through the Contact Me form on the Home Page to tell me that you want to substitute the newer story for the old.

In that case, the first story will be removed from the contest, but, depending on its content, may still be posted to the appropriate category on the website after the contest has ended.

Only one substitution per person!

What's the Prize?

• A $15 Starbucks gift card, which, I am told, can be used in either Canada or the US; and


• "Featured Article" status for one month on the www.familyhistoryalive.com website.

How and When will Judging Occur?

Judging will occur at some point after the closing date on July 9, 2012.

Whether I will handle that on my own, or will enlist the assistance of your aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, parents, and various other folk, to vote for the entries, remains to be seen, and depends upon the number of entries received.

The higher the number of entries, the more likely it is that I will enlist the assistance of others. So keep the entries rolling in!

If I handle the judging on my own, it will occur within a day or two of July 9. If it goes out to the 'masses' for voting, it may take a few extra days.

What if I Don't Have a Contribution for any of the Categories?

For those who have no experience with any of the above categories, don't despair! Head for your local library, and ask for archived newspapers from the early- to mid-1900s. (Earlier, if you like!)

Or go online and check out some archived newspapers - some are online and searchable for free, without a subscription. See what you can find about someone back then that would be of interest to the genealogy community in general, and submit it!

Or, browse the papers, and write about your general impressions about how life has changed, as reflected in the old newspapers.

Just a few suggestions ...

Have fun! Enjoy writing your stories!

I'm looking forward to reading your stories! I can tell already that it will be a tough job deciding which one wins!

Go from 'Contest Details' to FamilyHistoryAlive Home Page