Special Interest Groups

HomeSpecial Interest Groups

A BENEFIT FOR CURRENT VGS MEMBERS ONLY

Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are one of the most valuable resources available to VGS members, and are free as a benefit of membership. SIG meetings are an opportunity to discuss your genealogy experiences and challenges with members who are interested in the same kind of research that you are. The specific SIG topics discussed in individual SIG meetings vary based upon the interests and needs of SIG members at the time.

SIG members help point you in the right direction and give you new ways to think about your family history challenges. You can also help them based upon your own experience.

VGS members are welcome to join one or more SIGs at no charge by clicking the "Join a SIG" button below.

SIGs meet under the guidance of a SIG coordinator, usually once a month during the Fall, Winter and Spring. Dates, times and places vary for each SIG. SIG meetings may be held:

in person only at the VGS Centre OR
virtually only (Zoom or Teams) OR
in person with a virtual option (hybrid meetings).

Once you have joined a SIG, you will receive meeting details via email from the SIG Coordinator prior to each meeting.

Please check our Events Calendar for updates to the SIG schedules.

A list of current VGS Special Interest Groups (SIGs) is provided below.

Join a SIG

VGS SIGs

VGS members are welcome to join one or more SIGs at no charge, by clicking the above "Join a SIG" button.

Only members who have joined a SIG will receive meeting details and any applicable links via email from individual SIG coordinators.

SIG meeting schedules are posted in our Events Calendar for your reference. Dates, times and places vary for each SIG.

CSI (Crowd Sourced Intelligence)

The focus will be on researching items that have been donated to the VGS. Learn to identify clues by careful observation and search for answers in the many sources we have available. The aim is to return found items to their families whenever possible.

DNA

Learn how DNA can help you expand your family history and solve family mysteries in the exciting new field of genetic genealogy testing and research.

Eastern Europe

Countries investigated by this SIG include Romania, Belarus, Czechoslovakia, Ukraine, Serbia, Russia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Austria, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Croatia, and Herzegovina.

England

The England SIG welcomes all members who are researching their family history in England.

Family History 101

The goals of this SIG are to introduce and share the fun of doing family history, and to encourage and show members how to do it themselves. Answer questions.
Geared to new members just starting out, and any active members who would like to brush up on their skills.

Ireland

The Ireland SIG welcomes all members who are researching their family history in Ireland.

Netherlands / Belgium / New Netherland

The Netherlands through the ages has been known by different names such as the Low Countries, The Republic of the Seven United Netherlands, United Kingdom of the Netherlands. As the names varied, so did the borders. The SIG will focus on the Netherlands and Flanders (now part of Belgium) and also The New Netherlands (now New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, and Delaware). The Netherlands SIG welcomes all members who are researching their family history in these locations.

Ontario

The Ontario SIG welcomes all members who are researching their family history in Ontario, Canada.

Scotland

The Scottish SIG welcomes all members who are researching their family history in Scotland.

United States

The United States SIG welcomes all members who are researching their family history in the USA.
USA SIG MEETINGS ARE NOT REGULARLY SCHEDULED. ONE-OFF MEETINGS WILL BE HELD IF THERE IS ENOUGH INTEREST.