Why consider a guided genealogy research trip?

Linda Okazaki and Brenton Simons, President and CEO of NEHGS.
What a fun coincidence that he and I would be color-coordinated twins for the day!

Rather than bore you with a long list of why CGS-led trips are so great, please take a look at what happened on our most recent genealogy research excursion to Boston's prestigious New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS).

What happened? 

We received a welcoming presentation by internationally recognized Chief Genealogist, David Allen Lambert. 

Next, we encountered Gary Boyd Roberts. According to Wikipedia, he is a “genealogist known for researching Americans of royal descent, the ancestors of American presidents, and notable kin" and is a retired NEHGS Senior Research Scholar. Gary dedicated three full days to our group, graciously spending several hours with each of the attendees.

Sandy Fryer and Gary Boyd Roberts

Susanne Mori and Gary Boyd Roberts

Gary Boyd Roberts and Pam Brett

From books to microfilm to manuscripts, the vast collection of materials fascinated us.

Sandy Fryer and Shirley Thomson

Carolyn Nash and Jane Knowles Lindsey

We also had an opportunity to share research tips with NEHGS' Alice Kane. Alice is the Library Patron Services and Consultations Manager. Her many genealogical specialties include Massachusetts and New England genealogy, Chinese-American genealogy, cluster research, maps and migration.

Alice Kane and Linda Okazaki

Jane Lindsey and Shirley Thomson

Jane Lindsey, Sandy Fryer, Vicky Kolakowski

Working with Jane Lindsey at the library was a real treat. As a former trustee with NEHGS, Jane has incredible research expertise that proved helpful for all of our trip attendees.  

We strive to make sure that all our trip leaders have exceptional research abilities, so that you can feel confident that you'll accomplish as much as possible on one of our research trips.

Jane Lindsey and Shirley Thomson

Vicky Kolakowski 

Susanne Mori

We had a great time doing our own research and getting to know each other during the group meals. We shared our research successes, compared tips, and commiserated over our various brick-walls.

Thank you NEHGS for such a rewarding experience. Our group really enjoyed being part of a research trip that provided a friendly, hands-on approach to family history. 

Ready to come along on our next adventure to Salt Lake City? Book now and experience all the magic of a genealogy research trip to the mecca of genealogy, The Family History Library. Deadline to register is fast approaching!

Also, save the date for our inaugural research trip to the National Archives in Washington, D.C. It's scheduled for November 13th - November 20th. If you would like to attend or have questions, please email me. We'll have more information on our Eventbrite page soon.

We hope you join us on one of our adventures!

Photos courtesy of Linda Okazaki and Jane Lindsey

Copyright © 2016 by California Genealogical Society

Addicted to genealogy? Volunteer at California Genealogical Society!

written by Kathleen Beitiks

Years ago, when I thought about the word “addiction,” I never even considered pairing it up with the word “genealogy.” However, since I became a volunteer at CGS, I find that I want to introduce myself by saying, “Hello, my name is Kathleen Beitiks and I am a genealogy addict.”

Photo courtesy of Ron Madson

The California Genealogy Society is staffed with volunteers who would probably freely admit that they, too, are hooked on genealogy. And it’s those volunteers who have kept our organization chugging along since 1898.

Volunteers are the heart of CGS – and we always need more. Our loyal volunteers bring with them a variety of skills and interests that keep CGS alive and thriving. Sometimes they teach us and other times we teach them.

Life moves on, however – some volunteers “retire,” or they pass away or other commitments take them away from CGS.

When that happens, we need to “fill the gaps” with another generation of genealogy “addicts” who want to donate their time and talents to the organization that has provided them with the tools to dig up the stories and lives of their own ancestors.

Currently, we are looking for members who can donate a few hours a month to help us with some of the following volunteer positions:

Website Development – If you love working on websites and have some experience, then we need you to update content and oversee the maintenance and development of our website.

Computer Maintenance – Join our team of volunteers who spend a few hours, once a month, keeping our computer systems up and running.

Tech Steering Committee – Help create a vision of how we integrate and leverage technology to strengthen our brand and keep us on the cutting edge in the world of genealogy.

Desk Duty – One of the best ways to learn about us is to volunteer for Desk Duty once a month. Basically, volunteers staff the reception desk to answer questions from library patrons and answer the phone.

Events Committee (Marketing, Eventbrite Manager, Offsite Events Assistant) – The Events Committee is looking for several volunteers: Marketing - Help us put out the word about our events and classes; Eventbrite.com Manager - Work remotely as the manager of our online sign-up site for classes and events; Offsite Events Assistant - Help us with special offsite events, held 2-3 times a year.

Digital Historian – We could use a generous volunteer to spend some time digitally scanning our historical records and preserve them for our archives.

120th CGS Anniversary Historian – In 2018, CGS will be 120-years-old! Champagne, party hats and noisemakers will be in good supply, but we also need a volunteer now to help us compile the glorious history of the organization that has helped thousands of people compile their own family histories!

Remember - all of these volunteer jobs come with training. If you are a current member, please don’t be shy about asking for details. 

Contact me (kbeitiks@californiaancestors.org) for more information. I look forward to meeting more of you genealogy “addicts!”

Copyright © 2016 by California Genealogical Society