VGS Genealogy News & Events
No. 146 - October 6, 2023 |
Distributed free of charge to interested subscribers and former members.
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| Inside This Edition
Scroll down for more information on each of these topics:
Special Announcement: In Person Speaker Events are Back
Upcoming Events
Looking Ahead
VGS News
Three Steps for Beginners
| SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: 'IN PERSON' SPEAKER EVENTS ARE BACK
2023/24 Season Kick Off - Evening Social and Presentation by John Azar
The Victoria Genealogical Society proudly announces the launch of a series of monthly, in person Speaker Events for the Fall and Winter 2023/24. We have booked a full schedule of wonderful speakers, a new venue with top of the line audio/visual equipment, and if you can't join us in person you can still enjoy the presentation via Zoom. Another new feature this season is that presentations will be recorded and made available for 30 days to REGISTRANTS ONLY. Don't delay, Register Now.
Presentation by John Azar: Legacy - On Becoming an Ancestor
The majority of genealogists/family historians have collected considerable data, information and stories related to their families or historical communities of interest. What happens to this data/information when the collector becomes an ancestor? John Azar will explore what often happens to this information and offers some suggestions on how to ensure the collector's legacy is safeguarded.
John Azar is a retired business and organization consultant with a strong interest in social history and the stories of the people who shaped the history. This interest is assisted by his membership in organizations such as the VGS, the Old Cemeteries Society and the Victoria Historical Society. John is also an avid amateur military historian and is a member of various military history and military affairs organizations.
Date and Time: Thursday, 12 Oct. 2023, 7PM until 9PM
Location: both via Zoom and in person at Norway House, 1110 Hillside Ave, Victoria, BC V8T 2A7 An accessible building with access to bus service, on-site parking for approximately 30 vehicles and additional on-street parking nearby.
Price: members free; non-members $10; REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Refreshments, sales tables, Norway House library and archives tour and more. For more information or registration visit Event View
|  | Upcoming Events
The following VGS events are now open for registration via our Events Calendar:
Seminar: Family History 101
Join four experienced family historians on an engaging half-day journey through the most important topics and tools in family history. They will help you build good habits early that will set you up for success for years to come. This seminar is designed specifically for people new to family history and for people returning to family history after a break from their research. No prior experience is required.
Date and Time: Saturday, 14 Oct. 2023, 9AM until 2:30PM
Speakers: Pat Acton, Heather Shave, Gerry Poulton, Mark Thompson
Location: In person only at VGS Learning & Research Centre, Royal Oak Shopping Centre, Victoria
Price: members $30; non-members $50; REGISTRATION REQUIRED
For more information or registration visit Event View.
Workshop: Beginning Research Scotland
Using both the census from 1841 to 1921 and Civil Registration means most families can be traced back to the early 1800’s.
Date and Time: Saturday, 21 Oct. 2023, 10AM until 12 noon
Speaker: Heather Shave
Location: both via Zoom and in person at the VGS Learning & Research Centre are offered
Price: members $14; non-members $21; REGISTRATION REQUIRED
For more information or registration visit Event View.
Workshop: Mastering Genealogy Hints - A Guide To Navigating Shaky Leaves, Thrulines and More
Join Mark Thompson for an eye-opening workshop that will demystify popular hint tools like Shaky Leaves, Thrulines, and the Theory of Family Relativity, as well as several other lesser-known gems.
Date: Saturday, 4 Nov. 2023
Speaker: Mark Thompson
Location: both via Zoom and in person at the VGS Learning & Research Centre are offered
Price: members $14; non-members $21; REGISTRATION REQUIRED
For more information or registration visit Event View.
| Looking Ahead
The following VGS events are now open for registration via our Events Calendar:
Speaker Event: Wartime Women
Date: Thursday, 9 Nov. 2023
For more information or registration visit Event View.
Workshop: Northern Irish Research
Date: Saturday, 18 Nov. 2023
For more information or registration visit Event View.
Workshop: Visualizing Complex Family Relationships
Date: Saturday, 2 Dec. 2023
For more information or registration visit Event View.
Workshop: Analyzing Historic Family Photographs
Date: Saturday, 6 Jan. 2024
For more information or registration visit Event View.
Speaker Event: Reading the Past in Old Cemeteries
Date: Thursday, 11 Jan. 2024
For more information or registration visit Event View.
Workshop: Excel for Genealogists: Unleash the Power of Spreadsheets In Your Family Research
Date: Saturday, 27 Jan. 2024
For more information or registration visit Event View.
Workshop: How to Use Notion to Plan and Organize Your Research
Date: Saturday, 3 Feb. 2024
For more information or registration visit Event View.
Speaker Event: Eleanor's Letters - 7,000 pages of Family and Cultural History
Date: Thursday, 8 Feb. 2024
For more information or registration visit Event View.
Workshop: Beyond the Basics of Scottish Research
Date: Saturday, 24 Feb. 2024
For more information or registration visit Event View.
Workshop: 10 Steps To Success - An Introduction to Genealogy
Date: Saturday 9 Mar. 2024
For more information or registration visit Event View.
Workshop: Researching Historic Letters
Date: Saturday, 16 Mar. 2024
For more information or registration visit Event View
To review more details of these events and more, go to our Events Calendar.
| VGS News
Excerpts and highlights from recent VGS Members Update newsletter distributed approximately biweekly to VGS members only.
My United Empire Loyalist (UEL) Ancestors by M. Woodcock
Excerpt: Once I joined the Victoria branch, our local genealogist was able to guide me in proving my ancestral linkages to my 4th great grandfather Loyalist Abraham Woodcock. The records were clear that Abraham was a private in the Kings Royal Regiment...
Event Recordings Now Available for 30 Days!
Starting in September, our workshops and speaker meetings are now being recorded. If registered attendees can't join live or want to revisit an event, they can access the recording online for 30 days afterward. This ensures no one misses out on valuable insights. Following each recorded event, links to the video recording will be sent exclusively to those who registered. We're dedicated to making our events as accessible and beneficial as possible.
VGS in Your Community - Royal Oak Burial Park "Open House"
The Royal Oak Burial Park will be hosting an Open House on October 7th from 12 noon to 4 pm., as part of their 100th Anniversary celebrations. The Victoria Genealogical Society is supporting the event by providing volunteers to answer your genealogy questions. We'd like to meet you so please drop into the Garden Chapel where we'll have an information desk. While you are there you can also pick up some of our printed materials and enter a draw for a free membership. Hope to see you there!
| New to Genealogy Research?
3 Steps for Beginners
The VGS offers several benefits of membership for those new to genealogy research and for those who would like to brush up on their skills. Check these 3 easy steps below:
Step 1 - The Centre. If you haven't already visited our Genealogy Learning & Research Centre, we recommend you do. It's a great place to start and our friendly and experienced volunteers are available to help you with your questions and show you the basic research tools, techniques and resources. The Centre is located in Royal Oak Shopping Centre and is free for members. Free parking, free wifi, free computers, a large library collection, and access to Ancestry library edition. Check our Location page for open hours.
Step 2 - Family History 101 and other SIGs. After becoming oriented to genealogy research at the Centre, members often find it a smooth transition to join a discussion group that focuses on their area of research. We call these Special Interest Groups or SIGs for short. Currently there are 9 SIGs that meet regularly either by zoom, in person or in combination. Our most recently added SIG was designed for those who are new to genealogy. It's called Family History 101, which was introduced last season and proved to be very popular. Once you get basics in the Family History 101 SIG, you may want to start signing up for one or more of the other SIGs. They are all free to members. Click on SIGs to learn more about them.
Step 3 - Workshops, Seminars and Speaker Events. Another benefit of membership is the price breaks for our regular workshops and seminars, and access to our monthly Speaker presentations. These events not only offer the opportunity to learn about a topic, but they also provide members the opportunity to meet other members who may be researching in the same geographic area or the same surname. These are important networking opportunities and often prove useful in breaking down research brick walls. To learn more, go to our Events Calendar.
We believe that by following these 3 steps you will have the opportunity to learn about the genealogy research tools and techniques more quickly than by reading or surfing the web. For membership details, please go to Membership Options.
| Visit our VGS Website often to get updated information about us and our upcoming events.
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