VGS Genealogy News & Events
Victoria Genealogical Society
No. 164 - September 1, 2024 |
Distributed free of charge to interested subscribers and former members. |
Visit our Information Booth at the Saanich Fair this weekend
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Featured Upcoming Events:
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Speaker Event: WHO IS GRACE BROWN'S MOTHER?
Presenter: Mark Thompson
Date: Thursday, September 12, 2024
Note: Video recordings of this event will be available online for 30 days to registered attendees only
For more information or registration visit REGISTER HERE
Event description: Mark Thompson demonstrates the power of combining traditional and genetic genealogy in this case study of a family member.
| | | Through this case study, he unravels the mystery of Grace Brown's parentage, navigating conflicting records and overcoming difficult research challenges including:
• How to resolve conflicts and gaps in evidence
• Integrating documentary and DNA evidence
• The importance of gathering DNA from many family linesGrace’s story offers valuable insights, showcasing how research and innovative problem-solving can help break through long-standing brick walls in family history.
Mark Thompson is a professional genealogist and educator who specializes in genetic genealogy and researching personal family archives. He combines genetic and traditional genealogical research to help his clients shed light on their family histories and mysteries. Mark is the President of the Victoria Genealogical Society (VGS) in Victoria, BC and is the chair of their DNA Special Interest Group.
For more information about Mark:
Email: Mark@MakingFamilyHistory.com
Newsletter: www.makingfamilyhistory.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-thompson-04990/
The Family History AI Show : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-family-history-ai-show/id1749873836
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Workshop: INTRODUCTION TO ROOTS MAGIC
Presenter: Gerry Poulton
Date: Saturday September 21, 2024
Time: 10:00 am to 12:00 noon
Note: video recordings of this event will be available online for 30 days to registered attendees only
Event description: RootsMagic is one of the popular family tree software tools that can help both beginners and experienced professionals research, organize, and share their family history.
| | | Gerry will explore the basics of this Roots Magic genealogy program for keeping track of your family history. Roots Magic 9 was released within the past year and he will cover updates and new features that this version offers. If time permits, he will also address Roots Magic 10, which has just come out.
Whether you already have RootMagic, or you want to learn more about it first, this informative workshop will be of help. RootsMagic is inexpensive and is available for Windows and MacOS systems, with a free trial option.
About Gerry (Gerald) Poulton:
I began genealogical searching in the days of microfilms, microfiche and paper records when little was on line or indexed. As information became more and more readily available, I have become more familiar with searching and have been actively involved in research for more than thirty years.
I am a member of several genealogical societies and volunteer at the Victoria Genealogical Society’s Learning and Research Centre every week. I have also been making presentations and workshops on a variety of topics for more than fifteen years. My heritage is England (Devon, London), Ireland, Germany and Ontario, so those are the areas with which I am most familiar. And, no, my tree is not complete!
I was born and raised in Saskatchewan, and in a previous life taught Chemistry at the University of Victoria for nearly 40 years. |
Other Upcoming Seminars, Workshops, Speaker Presentations and more:
The following VGS events are now open for registration via our Events Calendar
Workshop: EXCEL FOR GENETIC GENEALOGISTS
Presenter: Mark Thompson
Date: Saturday September 28th, 2024
Time: 10:00 am to 12: 00 noon
Note: video recordings of this event will be available online for 30 days to registered attendees only
Registration is required.
Outreach: BRITISH HOME CHILD DAY AT THE SHAWNIGAN LAKE MUSEUM
Date: Saturday, September 28, 2024
Time: 11:00 am to 4:00 pm
Location: Shawnigan Lake Museum
No registration required. Entry to the museum by donation.
Lois Chamberlain Thompson will be at the museum to answer questions and help you discover if there is a British Home Child in your family history. There will be a special presentation, from 1:00 pm to 1:45 pm, on the history of British Home Children.
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New Special Interest Group (SIG) announced:
VGS members may now signup for a discussion group focusing on the Netherlands on the VGS Special Interest Groups webpage. Our thanks to VGS member Frans Compeer who will be the coordinator for this new SIG.
Along with the Netherlands SIG we also offer discussion groups on the following topics:
Family History 101
CSI (Crowd Sourced Intelligence)
DNA
Eastern Europe
England
Ireland
Ontario
Scotland
United States
SIG schedules for the coming year are listed on the Events Calendar.
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The Joys of Joining a Special Interest Discussion Group
I facilitate two Special Interest Groups. One is Family History 101 and the other is Eastern Europe.
Family History 101 started as a group to help people get started on their genealogy. All were welcome, the newbies, people who had “lost their way” and the curious. This started out as a weekly meeting, but soon morphed into a monthly SIG. We have a steady group and have drop-ins. We always welcome members with new problems or as I like to call them, new adventures.
Eastern Europe started up again last September. With the war in Ukraine, people have begun to re-think their ancestry. DNA has given us all a wider scope for our searches. This group tries to dig deeper into their heritage. There are lots of problems with languages, shifting borders, wars, finding documents.
Both groups are very interactive, helping each other. We all bring something different to share with others. We always look forward to meeting new people. Any VGS members that would like to join us are welcome to attend.
Learn more about all special interest discussion groups at SIG
- Sarah Hamster, SIG Leader | VGS Social Media Accounts Update
See what's happening in the VGS neighbourhood. Join the discussion with just a click. Register for events with just a click. And so much more....with just a click.
Don't forget to "like" our events posts and "share" them with friends.
VGS FaceBook private group with over 400 members to help you with your genealogy related questions; join the discussion at VGS Facebook Group
VGS FaceBook public page: click Follow (currently 548 followers) for event notices and other VGS news at: vicgs
VGS Instagram: click Follow (currently 170 followers) for event notices with a twist at: victoriagenealogicalsociety
VGS X (formerly Twitter): click Follow (currently 775 followers) for genealogy news from VGS and our friends: vicgenealogy
Free accounts with these social media sites may be required.
| 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. For a modest fee volunteers can provide various personal research services which can be viewed at RESEARCH SERVICES. The Centre is located in Royal Oak Shopping Centre and is free for members. Non-members are welcome and their first visit is free with a nominal fee of $5 for subsequent visits. 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 CSI SIGs are a great place to start. 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. Our CSI SIG (Crowd Sourced Information) is a chance to do research with others, hands on. Once you get basics in the Family History 101 and CSI SIGs 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 | |
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Home Page: Victoria Genealogical Society | | | Visit our VGS Website often to get updated information about us and our upcoming events.
| Copyright © 2023 Victoria Genealogical Society, All rights reserved.
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Distributed by free subscription to non-members and VGS past members | |