VGS Genealogy News & Events
Victoria Genealogical Society
No. 160 - April 21, 2024 |
Distributed free of charge to interested subscribers and former members. | Feature Workshop: Researching Swedish Ancestry - Even if You Don’t Speak the Language | | This session will give you the resources to start researching your Swedish ancestry, even if you don’t speak the language. Some historical background will provide the framework for understanding naming practices, record-keeping and emigration patterns and an analysis of the various online sources (free and paid) will give you a choice of tools for finding your family’s records.
Presenter: Joanne Barnard, VGS Ambassador
Date: Saturday, April 27, 2024 PST
Time: 10 AM until 12 PM
| | | Joanne Barnard has been a genealogy enthusiast since 1997 when she conducted an internet search for some of the names contained in a family history compiled by an uncle in the 1970's. Hundreds of hits containing dozens of stories and details about her early American ancestors (including 13 who arrived on the Mayflower) stimulated her interest and led to this consuming passion that has never abated. She has published four family history books for her family: one on her European and American maternal line, the second on her Norwegian paternal line and the third and fourth, based on her blog, are stories featuring specific ancestors.
As an Ambassador with the Victoria Genealogical Society she seeks to promote family history and instill in others the zeal to find their ancestors' stories and get them involved in the genealogy community too. | Upcoming Events
Updated Events List with New Additions
New addition
Speakers Event: Evening Social with Speaker Presentations
Date/Time: Thursday, May 9, 2024, 7 PM until 9 PM PT
Registration information coming soon.
Information Booth: Victoria Highland Games and Celtic Festival
Dates: Saturday and Sunday, May 18 & 19, 2024
Time: 9 AM until 5 PM PT
Location: Clan Tents area, Topaz Park, Victoria, BC
Drop in. No registration required.
Speaker Presentation: Victoria Highland Games and Celtic Festival
Presenter: Lois Chamberlain Thompson, VGS
Dates: Saturday and Sunday, May 18 & 19, 2024
Times: 11:00 AM until 11:50 AM PT
Location: Heritage Hub, Topaz Park, Victoria, BC
Drop in. No registration required.
Workshop: Tracing Descendants of British Home Children
Date/Time: Saturday, June 8, 2024, 10 AM until 12 PM PT
Presenter: Lois Chamberlain Thompson, VGS
For more information or registration visit REGISTER HERE.
To review more details of these events and more, go to our Events Calendar.
| 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 | |