ABOUT THE
VICTORIA GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY (VGS)
~ WE COVER THE WORLD ~
The Victoria Genealogy Society (VGS) is a non-profit, volunteer-run
organization
that welcomes both young and old, beginners and advanced genealogists,
and family history research queries from both near and far.
Learn more about us ...
Are you interested in researching your heritage and family tree?
Are you looking for others who share your enthusiasm for genealogy?
Are you looking for resources and help with your genealogy research?
We can help!
Aims of the Victoria Genealogical Society
(as defined in the VGS Constitution and Bylaws)
- Further the study of genealogy in the various areas of interest to the members;
- Collect and preserve, by donation or purchase, materials relevant to such genealogical study;
- Advance and encourage public knowledge of genealogical resources in the Greater Victoria area;
- Encourage and instruct members in the ethical principles, scientific methods, and effective techniques of genealogical research;
- Publish and distribute printed and other materials to further the aims of the Society;
- Raise funds for any of the foregoing aims and to accept donations, gifts, legacies and bequests, and;
- Enter into friendly relations with other Societies having similar or related aims in BC, other parts of Canada, or in other countries, and cooperate with them in promotion of our common interests.
VGS Membership
BENEFITS OF JOINING VGS
- Victoria Genealogical Society (VGS) is a great place to meet people who truly care about history and families; people who can teach you wonderful lessons about research and history. You can work directly with these people, learn from them, and help each other as you search for your family.
- Free access is provided to the VGS genealogical Resource Centre and its collections. These include the BC Vital Statistics records on microfilm (BC births, marriages, deaths), information on local history, and books, maps, periodicals, working papers and CDs of genealogical interest (re: Canada, the UK, Eire, the US and other countries). Microfiche/film readers and computers are also available. A nominal fee for each printed page applies. Further information on our collections can be found on our resources and queries pages.
- Free access to the www.ancestry.com library edition.
- Free wireless connection to the internet (bring your laptop and your flash drive).
- Monthly meetings featuring speakers on a variety of topics concerning genealogy, history, and heritage and many more topics.
- Free parking at our Resource Centre and for our General Meetings.
- Contact with other researchers who will share information and ideas.
- Opportunity to join one or more of our SIGs - Special Interest Groups - where members with similar interests and research objectives participate in small, focused meetings and discussions.
- Vote at the Annual General Meeting for the VGS Executive (volunteer positions filled from the general membership) - we are a volunteer run organization.
- Receive a copy each quarter of our VGS Journal (now available in digital format or printed). Members are invited to submit stories about their family research.
- Reduced cost of Seminars and Workshops offered by VGS.
- Free posting of surnames in our Members Surname Interest Index on this website - connect with others researching the same surnames.
- Free opportunities to volunteer and contribute. Some of the ongoing volunteer projects by members of the VGS are the Cemetery indexing and Coroners Indexing. VGS is always looking for people with all kinds of talents, or people with time to do all kinds of tasks. Can you organize, answer phones, research data? Are you interested in transcribing documents, indexing, raising money, promoting the group? Whatever your talents and interests, VGS can use them. Please contact us if you can help out.
HOW TO BECOME A VGS MEMBER
To become a member of the Victoria Genealogical Society, choose the method below that suits you best:
- At VGS Meetings: Membership forms are available at our monthly meetings. Complete and hand in the form along with payment (for amounts, see below), and your membership card will be issued before you leave.
- At VGS Resource Centre: Membership forms are available at our Resource Centre, and volunteers will issue you a membership card once they have received your completed form and payment.
- By Mail: Download the VGS Membership Application, print the page,
complete the form and forward a cheque or money order to the address below :
Victoria Genealogical Society
PO Box 43021
Victoria North P.O.
Victoria BC Canada V8X 3G2
MEMBERSHIP FEES
The VGS membership years runs from July 1 to June 30. VGS annual membership dues are payable in Canadian dollars, by cash or cheque (payable to the Victoria Genealogical Society):
Single membership - $45.00 Canadian per year, OR
Family membership - $70.00 Canadian per year.
After Feb 1 membership fees are 1/2 price.
Questions about Membership?
Email our Membership Director at
VGS Constitution, Bylaws & Executive
As a non-profit organization, the Victoria Genealogical Society is registered with the Province of British Columbia, and as such must comply with the Societies Act. In addition, VGS is also a charity registered with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
In compliance with these requirements, the Victoria Genealogical society has registered its constitution and bylaws, which can be downloaded below as a PDF document, or obtained from the VGS Resource Centre.
VGS Constitution and Bylaws -
to download in PDF format
The VGS Executive positions and names are listed on our contact page. These Directors are responsible for the operations of the VGS Society and Charity.
Support the Victoria Genealogical Society
Your support is needed to help the Victoria Genealogical Society (VGS). At the present time, the Society is not receiving gaming funds from the Province of British Columbia, Canada because the Province has decided that no grants will go to adult cultural organizations this year. In the past, funds from this source took care of almost half of Society annual expenditures.
The Victoria Genealogical Society is a non-profit volunteer society, and is also a charity registered with Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Donations to the Society are eligible for an official receipt for taxation purposes, which can be used to obtain a credit to offset personal income tax owing to the federal government. See the CRA Charities and Giving page for information about the Victoria Genealogical Society (VGS) which has been filed with the CRA.
Donations to the Victoria Genealogical Society can be made by mail, by hand delivery of cash or cheques, or online by credit card:
- Donations by cheque may be mailed to:
Victoria Genealogical Society,
Box 43021, Victoria North Post Office,
Victoria, BC, V8X 3G2. - Cash or cheques may also be given to the Treasurer or any member of the VGS Executive at the monthly general meetings, or left at the front desk of the Resource Centre.
- Online credit card donations may be made through organizations such as Canadahelps.org, designating the donation to be sent to the Victoria Genealogical Society. In such cases, the receipt for taxation purposes is not issued by VGS, but rather by the intermediary organization, which also withholds a processing fee (currently 4% for Canadahelps). If you wish to donate in this way, please visit www.canadahelps.org with our thanks.
Thank you everyone for your efforts to help the Society become strong and vital.
Your efforts are appreciated!
