Check out the following program offered by our friends at Southern California Genealogical Society and FamilyTreeDNA:

DNA Interest Group Meeting

Saturday, March 31, 2012

10:00a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Southern California Genealogical Society Library

417 Irving Drive, Burbank, California

Sat, March 31, 2012 – Genetics, Genealogy, and Ethics

Presenter: David Dowell, Ph.D,Genealogist and Research Librarian

• 10:00-10:30             Answeringquestions about DNA testing.
• 10:30-12:00             Bioethicistsconcerns versus the public’s right to know.
• 12:00-1:00               Lunch
• 1:00-2:00                 Individualized help.

$5.00 donation is suggested for attendance. Individualizedhelp will be available after the formal presentation for those who want to order DNA tests or who have received DNA results and need help managing theirpersonal page or interpreting their results. A drawing will be held for a $30 discount certificate for ordering a DNA test. Brown bag or join us for pizza for an additional $5.00.

For additional information contact Kathy Johnston at kjohns7900@aol.com or phone (310) 213-1207.

Following the regular meeting from 2:00-3:00 p.m., those whoare Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) Project Administrators or Project Co-administratorsare invited to remain to discuss how they are managing group projects.  The Roundtable format allows people to share expertise and create solutions to issues.

Future Meetings:

Sat., June 30, 2012 – AliceFairhurst, Understanding Deep Clade Testing

Sat., Sept. 29, 2012 – Douglas Neslund, An Adoptee’s Quest

From geneablog Tracing the Tribe (Schelly Talalay Dardashti):

Have you been putting off testing for your DNA genetic genealogy? Perhaps this deal, which starts today, will prompt you to get moving.

Every summer, FamilyTreeDNA (FTDNA) offers great pricing which helps people get off the fence. Last summer’s special was the most successful in the history of the company.

The offer is for FTDNA group administrators to persuade people to test, grow the projects and also grow the largest industry database. The more samples in the database, the more probability you may find genetic matches.

If you’ve needed an impetus to start a DNA project, this may help you get it off the ground.

The special price starts today, June 5, and ends June 25. Kits must be paid for by June 30.

The prices for this short period are:

Y-DNA37 for $119 (normally $149)
Y-DNA67 for $199 (normally $239)
Y-DNA37+mtDNA for $159 (normally $238)

Now’s the time to learn more about your family!

And remember, FamilyTreeDNA will be at the JGSLA Conference in July. Bring your questions and talk directly to Bennett Greenspan!

2009 is coming to a close at Family Tree DNA and we’re finishing it off with an end-of-the-year promotion!

Our Holiday Season promotion will bring back the discount that we offered this summer for the Y-DNA37.

Y-DNA37 – promotional price $119 (reg. price $149)
Y-DNA67 – promotional price $209 (reg. price $239)
mtDNAPlus – promotional price $139 (reg. price $149)
SuperDNA – promotional price $488 (reg. price $665)

Orders for the above tests need to be placed and paid for by December 31, 2009 to receive the sale price.

IMPORTANT: since this promotion will run through the months of November and December, we encourage you to spread the word starting now, as the natural tendency is for people to order at the last minute, and we will not extend it beyond 12/31/2009.

In addition here are the newly released permanent prices for the Full Mitochondria Sequence:

New kit (mtDNA Full Sequence) … $279
Upgrade from HVR1 … $229
Upgrade from HVR2 … $209
mtDNA Full Sequence after testing Y-DNA … $249

Thank you for your continued support. We appreciate your contribution to the sustained growth of the Family Tree DNA matching database, the best genealogical matching tool of its kind.

Bennett Greenspan
President
Family Tree DNA