Victoria Genealogical Society
PROGRAMS and SERVICES
The Victoria Genealogical Society provides outreach and other programs
and services
designed to introduce and promote genealogy, and the Victoria Genealogical Society,
to VGS members and the general public.
For other VGS activities that are open to members and the public,
please visit our events, and
meetings pages.
VGS Programs
VICTORIA GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY YOUTH PROGRAMS
In December 2010 the Victoria Genealogical Society endorsed the development of a genealogical / family history program for school aged children. Two primary goals for the Youth Program have been accepted as recommended by the project’s Design Committee. They are:
- To introduce young people to the world of genealogy and family history research in a fun and engaging way; and,
- To introduce young people to the tools and techniques they can use to initiate their own research.
To meet these goals the Design Committee developed a series of recommendations which were adopted by the Victoria Genealogical Society Executive Committee. Key amongst these recommendations was “that the programs developed be age appropriate and welcoming to all family types and origins in the world - allowing young people to explore their family in any form they'd like”.
We recognize that a plethora of wonderful youth-focused genealogy programs already exist in one format or another. Therefore, where possible, the objective was to use existing programs (copying, piggy backing on, etc.) and not spend limited time and resources ‘re-inventing the wheel’.
The Victoria Genealogical Society Youth Program includes the following three programs:
Star in your own Detective Story! Hands-on Genealogy for Kids in Grades 4 and 5
The next offering of this program is scheduled for the summer of 2012, and features fun-style, hands-on activities to provide youngsters with a basic understanding of beginning genealogy. These will include finger printing, guessing games, crafting a timeline, collecting family stories and names, computer videos, and assembling a detective’s take-home toolkit.
Genealogy in the Classroom
This new website is accessible by anyone, from anywhere, at any time of the day - a web based Youth Program that was launched in September, 2011. Genealogy in the Classroom provides an introduction to the tools and techniques of genealogy and family history research. This teaching resource has something for everyone: genealogy lesson plans and guides for teachers, family history projects for clubs and youth organizations, family tree activities, research articles, videos for students, forms and charts, games and more.
Written by Merv Scott and published by the Victoria Genealogical Society in 2011, this book leads the reader through an introduction of genealogy, including activities like filling in a family tree chart, interviewing their family, finding the origin of their surname on the internet and more.
Who's in Your Family Tree? A step by step Guide for the Detective in your Family
The book also offers a write in (or e-mail in) ‘Youth Family History Research Challenge’ where those entries selected will be published in our Victoria Genealogical Society Journal. With its 3-generation Family Tree Chart and the 4-generation Youth Ancestor Chart insert, this book is suitable for students of all ages.
The cost of the book is $5 plus postage. To order the book email projects@victoriags.org.
Note that family history societies and youth organizations may be authorized to re-sell this book as part of their own fund raising campaign. Email projects@victoriags.org to request this authorization or for more information on fund raising and volume discounts for bulk orders.
For more information on any of these programs email
vgsprojectdirector@gmail.com.
'ASK GRANNY!' SEMINARS
The Victoria Genealogical Society provides this outreach program which is designed specifically for residents of retirement homes and senior citizen centres. The materials for Ask Granny! were designed to provide senior citizens the opportunity to create a genealogical gift for their children.
The workshop uses the Ask Granny! materials to guide attendees in constructing a simple ancestral chart which is theirs to keep and share with their family. Each participant also receives a folder to store the Ancestral chart and contains information that will help participants conduct further research into their family history.
The Ask Granny! Seminar is based on materials designed by its creators in the U.S.A. Our project team worked closely with these original founders to maintain the principle messaging and approach of their seminar but take on a more Canadian and Victorian focus. “We are so excited to hear of the successful implementation of the Ask Granny materials by the Victoria Genealogical Society” said co-creator Judith Russell. “It is evidence that our program is fulfilling an international need to help senior citizens capture on paper their irreplaceable memories of family names, dates and places”. Genealogical Societies interested in Ask Granny! can contact Judith thru their website at www.askgranny.us .
Thanks to generosity of the Victoria Genealogical Society’s membership the seminar materials are often provided free to retirement home residents.
For more information about scheduling an Ask Granny! Seminar at a senior’s center near Victoria, please contact our Project Director via email at vgsprojectdirector@gmail.com.
VGS Services
The Victoria Genealogical Society offers
a variety of family
history and support services
for the benefit of the public as well as VGS members.
VGS RESEARCH ASSISTANCE ~ 1-ON-1 SERVICES
For those visiting or living in the Victoria BC area, our Victoria Genealogical Society Resource Centre is offering a service to anyone wishing more personal assistance with their genealogy research. Diana Gaiger offers ‘1-ON-1’, a dedicated hour with anyone who wants individual guidance.
Cost of this assistance is $10.00 per hour ($15 per hour for non-members). Contact Diana Gaiger - diana_g@shaw.ca - to make an appointment.
Visit our Resource Centre page
for more information on this research assistance.
QUERIES
Our Victoria Genealogical Society Queries Committee officers a variety of
look up services for members and the public. Please check out our
VGS Queries page for full details.
VGS JOURNAL PUBLISHED ADS & QUERIES
If you wish to place an advertisement in our Victoria Genealogical Society journal (published quarterly), please find further information on our VGS journal page.
If you wish to publish a personal announcement or query, please visit our
VGS queries page for more details.
CERLOX BINDING SERVICE
Have you ever wondered how to bind and publish those memoirs or family history stories that you have in your files? We can help! Take advantage of our Cerlox binding service at the VGS Resource Centre - just $5.00 each. Booklets make excellent gifts and help you share your family research with family members.
