Founded 1991
1500 Shenandoah Road
Alexandria, Virginia 22308
Telephone: (703) 768-4101 |
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Monday, May 20
German Genealogy Research (Special Interest Group)
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm Pohick Regional Library
Speaker: Ashley Abruzzo
A presentation will be given called "Germanna 101," which is an overview of the Germanna Foundation and the early German immigrants to Virginia. Any remaining time will be used for an open discussion.
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Monday, May 20
Writing Family History SIG: (Special Interest Group)
2:00 pm to 3:30 pm Hollin Hall Room 214
Instructor: Paul Phelps
Participants will learn that writing family history is a different and equally challenging proposition, but one with satisfactions and discoveries of its own. The idea is to get something on paper, even if it's just a paragraph or a page, and then have other beginning writers suggest ways to make it clearer and more interesting. The emphasis will be on storytelling rather than scholarship, but we’ll also include questions of evidence and documentation.
More information about this class may be obtained from the instructor, by clicking HERE.
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Tuesday, May 21
Finding a German Heimat (Hometown or Village) Online (General Meeting)
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm Hollin Hall Room 112
Presenter: James M. Beidler
Discussion: This lecture will show researchers how to trace their German roots online and explore their Germanic heritage from the comfort of their computer. This lecture highlights important German genealogy resources on popular websites, including Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org as well as lesser-known sites like Archion.de. Readers will learn how to use each site to its fullest potential for German genealogy, including how to get around language barriers and navigate the various German states that have existed throughout the centuries. Additionally, readers will learn the best websites to consult to help answer key German genealogy questions, from unpuzzling
place-names to locating living relatives in the old country.
Jim Beidler is considered a go-to person for German genealogy articles and lectures. He has written two books on researching the genealogy of German-speaking peoples. He also has expertise in the genealogy of the people of his native Pennsylvania, newspapers, and land records. He has been the editor of Der Kurier , the MAGS quarterly journal, since 2004.
Jim writes for a weekly newspaper column on genealogy that is the only syndicated feature on that topic in Pennsylvania. He is also a columnist for German Life magazine and is editor of Der Kurier, the quarterly journal of the Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society . He is also an instructor for online Family Tree University . He was the President of the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors from 2010 to 2012, and is the former Executive Director for the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. He is also a frequent contributor to other periodicals, such as The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine to popular-interest magazines such as Ancestry Magazine and Family Tree Magazine. He also wrote the chapter on genealogy for Pennsylvania: A History of the Commonwealth, published jointly by the Penn State Press and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
As a lecturer, he was a part of the Pennsylvania Humanities Council’s acclaimed Commonwealth Speakers program and has been a presenter at numerous conferences. In addition to being a member of many genealogical, historical, and lineage societies, he also sits on Pennsylvania’s State Historic Records Advisory Board as well as the selection committee for the Pennsylvania Digital Newspaper Project . He previously was a copy editor for 15 years for The Patriot-News newspaper in Harrisburg, PA.
Jim was born in Reading, PA, and raised in nearby Berks County, where he currently resides. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Hofstra University in Long Island, NY with a BA in Political Science.
Jim’s most recent book, Trace Your German Roots OnLine, is an ideal companion to his Family Tree German Genealogy Guide . This book has the tools you need to take your German genealogy research to the next level. Both books will be available for purchase after the lecture.
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Monday, June 3
Using Familysearch.org Workshop (Training and Education)
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm Hollin Hall room 214
Instructor: Linda MacLachlan.
Purpose of the workshop is to learn how to use the Familysearch.org website more effectively.
Workshop is limited to 10 folks. There are 6 computers in the room to use. If the class is full, at least 4 people will need to bring their laptops. I-Pads and phones don't work for this workshop.
To do anything on Familysearch.org you need a free account. If you don't already have one, please set one up ahead of time and remember to bring the id and password with you to the workshop.
To register, please send an email with your name, phone number, workshop name and date to Amy Breedlove at albreedlove@comcast.net.
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Wednesday, June 5
MVGS Methodology SIG: (Special Interest Group)
1:30 pm to 3:30 pm Hollin Hall Room 214
Instructor: Charles S. Mason, Jr.
Subject matter under development
Contact Chuck M for details.
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Thursday, June 6
Essentials of Eastern European Genealogical Research (Training and Education)
10:00 am to 12:00 pm Hollin Hall room 201
Instructor: Mary Ann Evan.
This session begins with necessary background information on history, administration, boundary changes, languages, religions, and ethnicity in Eastern Europe, and their implications for research. The second part covers the information on immigrant ancestors that is needed for conducting genealogical searches in this area, and where to find this information in U.S. records. In the third part, research strategies and resources are covered, as well as the research process itself.
To register, please send an email with your name, phone number, class subject, and date of class to Amy Breedlove at albreedlove@comcast.net.
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Thursday, June 6
New England SIG: Webinar "Raising the Dead" (Special Interest Group)
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm McLean Family History Center, 2034 Great Falls St, Falls Church VA
Moderator: Linda MacLachlan
Full title of the webinar is "Raising the Dead: Finding Clues to Ancestors from Headstones, Family Plots, and Burial Records" and is presented by David Lambert, the NEHGS Chief Genealogist.
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Thursday, June 13
Everything Family Tree Maker [FTM] (Training and Education)
10:00 am to 12:00 pm Hollin Hall room 217
Instructor: Charles Gearhart.
Family Tree Maker [FTM] software makes it easier than ever to "discover" your family story, "preserve" your legacy and "share" your unique heritage with friends and relatives. This class will review the "Windows" version of FTM 2017, demonstrating and discussing the tree-building tools and integrated Web searching methods. If your FTM is on your laptop, bring it to this class and follow along with the instructor as the class discusses their individual techniques. You can be a new user or a seasoned pro, all are welcome.
To register, please send an email with your name, phone number, class subject, and date of class to Amy Breedlove at albreedlove@comcast.net.
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Monday, June 17
German SIG: "Summer Vacation" (Special Interest Group)
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm Pohick Regional Library
Speaker: N/A
No meetings until September
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Monday, June 17
Writing Family History SIG: (Special Interest Group)
2:00 pm to 3:30 pm Hollin Hall Room 214
Instructor: Paul Phelps
Participants will learn that writing family history is a different and equally challenging proposition, but one with satisfactions and discoveries of its own. The idea is to get something on paper, even if it's just a paragraph or a page, and then have other beginning writers suggest ways to make it clearer and more interesting. The emphasis will be on storytelling rather than scholarship, but we’ll also include questions of evidence and documentation.
More information about this class may be obtained from the instructor, by clicking HERE.
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Tuesday, June 18
Philip Reid, Enslaved and Free: Tracing Families of Color in the District of Columbia (General Meeting)
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm Hollin Hall Room 112
Presenter: John Philip Colletta, Ph.D, FUGA
Discussion: In 1860 close to one out of every four residents of the District of Columbia was a man, woman or child of African descent. Of these people of color, about three-quarters were born free, the others were born into lifelong servitude. Discovering their stories poses peculiar challenges…but may result in a surprise ending. Philip Reid assisted Clark Mills in casting the Statue of Freedom in bronze for the dome of the U. S. Capitol. When the casting process began, Philip Reid was enslaved to Clark Mills; by the time Freedom was secured in place Philip Reid was a free man, married, with a baby girl. Two families whose legal status changed from chattel property to free citizens demonstrate a variety of public records for identifying and tracing 19th-century people of color in the District of Columbia.
John has been a previous briefer and is one of America’s most popular genealogical lecturers. Knowledgeable, experienced and entertaining, he resides in Washington, D.C. For twenty years, while laying the foundation for his career in genealogy, he worked at the Library of Congress and taught workshops at the National Archives. He received his Ph.D. from Catholic University.
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Monday, July 1
Entering Information onto Family Search's Family Tree Workshop (Training and Education)
10:00 am to 12:00 pm Hollin Hall room 214
Instructor: Linda MacLachlan.
Purpose of the workshop is to learn how to post information onto the family tree on the Familysearch.org website.
Workshop is limited to 10 folks. There are 6 computers in the room for folks to use. If the workshop is full, at least 4 people need to bring their laptops. I-Pads and phones don't work for this workshop.
To do anything on Familysearch.org you need a free account. If you don't already have one, please set one up ahead of time and remember to bring the id and password with you to the workshop.
To register, please send an email with your name, phone number, workshop name and date to Amy Breedlove at albreedlove@comcast.net.
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Wednesday, July 3
MVGS Methodology SIG: (Special Interest Group)
1:30 pm to 3:30 pm Hollin Hall Room 214
Instructor: Charles S. Mason, Jr.
Subject matter under development
Contact Chuck M for details.
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Tuesday, July 9
Eastern European Genealogical Research in Poland and Hungary (Training and Education)
10:00 am to 12:00 pm Hollin Hall room 201
Instructor: Mary Ann Evan.
This session provides an in-depth treatment of genealogical research in these two countries. It builds on the session held on 6 June on "Essentials of Eastern European Genealogical Research" and shows how the material covered in that session can be applied to two specific locations within Eastern Europe. Because of the historical changes in administrative boundaries, it may also be helpful to those doing research in countries that border Poland and Hungary. Handouts will list resources for other Eastern European countries not included in the presentation.
To register, please send an email with your name, phone number, class subject, and date of class to Amy Breedlove at albreedlove@comcast.net.
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Monday, July 15
German SIG: "Summer Vacation" (Special Interest Group)
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm Pohick Regional Library
Speaker: N/A
No meetings until September
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Monday, July 15
Writing Family History SIG: (Special Interest Group)
2:00 pm to 3:30 pm Hollin Hall Room 214
Instructor: Paul Phelps
Participants will learn that writing family history is a different and equally challenging proposition, but one with satisfactions and discoveries of its own. The idea is to get something on paper, even if it's just a paragraph or a page, and then have other beginning writers suggest ways to make it clearer and more interesting. The emphasis will be on storytelling rather than scholarship, but we’ll also include questions of evidence and documentation.
More information about this class may be obtained from the instructor, by clicking HERE.
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Tuesday, July 16
There’s More to the Census Than What’s Online (General Meeting)
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm Hollin Hall Room 112
Presenter: Sharon Hodges, Past President, MVGS
Discussion: As researchers we download census records, but do we fully understand what the record says? Learn about the instructions given to the census takers and discover some little-known census records.
Sharon is a professional genealogist, teacher and lecturer, Sharon has been involved in genealogical research for over 25 years. She is the author of several articles for the NGS Magazine as well as being a speaker at monthly meetings for various genealogical societies in the Mid-Atlantic region.
In 1997, Sharon completed the National Genealogical Society Home Study Course for which she was a grader for almost ten years. She is also a graduate of the National Institute on Genealogical Research (Now Gen-Fed) of the National Archives and is a frequent guest on Tracing Your Family Roots on Fairfax Channel 10.
Sharon is a member of the Board of Governors of the Virginia Genealogical Society and Past President of the Mount Vernon Genealogical Society. She specializes in Northern New Jersey, District of Columbia, Southern Maryland, and Northern Virginia research.
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Monday, August 5
Entering Information onto Family Search's Family Tree Workshop (Training and Education)
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm Hollin Hall room 214
Instructor: Linda MacLachlan.
Purpose of the workshop is to learn how to post information onto the family tree on the Familysearch.org website.
Workshop is limited to 10 folks. There are 6 computers in the room for folks to use. If the workshop is full, at least 4 people will need to bring their laptops. I-Pads and phones don't work for this workshop.
To do anything on Familysearch.org you need a free account. If you don't already have one, please set one up ahead of time and remember to bring the id and password with you to the workshop.
To register, please send an email with your name, phone number, workshop name and date to Amy Breedlove at albreedlove@comcast.net.
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Thursday, August 15
Solving Research Problems and Dead Ends Pt 1 (Training and Education)
10:00 am to 12:00 pm Hollin Hall room 201
Instructor: Chuck Mason.
This will be a 2 part class on advanced methodology research.
Do you have an ancestor who you cannot find or conflicting evidence about an ancestor? In Session 1 you will learn how to gather and evaluate evidence to solve the problem. Session 2 will include a hands-on problem solving workshop.
To register, please send an email with your name, phone number, class subject, and date of class to Amy Breedlove at albreedlove@comcast.net.
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Monday, August 19
German SIG: "Summer Vacation" (Special Interest Group)
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm Pohick Regional Library
Speaker: N/A
No meetings until September
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Tuesday, August 20
MVGS Writing Contest (Conference)
ONLY ONE MORE DAY UNTIL THE MVGS WRITING CONTEST DEADLINE
10pm on 21 Aug 2019
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Tuesday, August 20
Immigration and Naturalization from 1607 Until Today (General Meeting)
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm Hollin Hall Room 112
Presenter: Sharon MacInnes, Ph.D, CG ®
Discussion: The one and only thing that is shared by every American is that we are either an immigrant or a descendant of an immigrant. If you descended from an early British or Irish ancestor, he/she might appear in a land record as a “headright”? or does he/she appear on an indentured servant or convict list? How about a German ship list? If your ancestor came after 1820, have you checked the Customs Lists? Do you know how to find immigrants who came through Castle Garden and Ellis Island, Galveston and San Francisco? If you haven’t been successful with U.S. records, have you checked Canadian border crossings? Do you know what the dreaded “L.P.C” and “SI” notations on ship manifests meant? And, finally, do you know where your ancestors’ naturalization records might be?
Sharon is a Certified Genealogist with over forty years of family research experience focusing on Pennsylvania and land records. She is the author/compiler of eight volumes in a series covering the earliest landowners of various Pennsylvania counties. She is CEO and maintains a website at http://ancestortracks.com on which is posted 19th-Century Pennsylvania landowner maps and atlases as a service for researchers.
Sharon is an alumna of the National Institute of Genealogical Research (NIGR) at the National Archives (now Gen-Fed); the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR); and the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP) where she also taught the Pennsylvania track for two years. She was awarded her certification from the Board of Certification of Genealogists (BCG) and is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG).
She was Program Chair for Mount Vernon Genealogical Society for three years and coordinated the German SIG and Methodology SIG for Fairfax GS for many years. She currently teaches a 12-week course “Genealogy 101 Boot Camp” in Silver Spring and is on the Education Committee of the National Genealogical Society.
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Monday, September 9
Entering Information onto Find A Grave Workshop (Training and Education)
10:00 am to 12:00 pm Hollin Hall room 214
Instructor: Linda MacLachlan.
Purpose of the workshop is to learn how to add information onto the Find A Grave website.
Workshop is limited to 10 folks. There are 6 computers in the room for folks to use. If the workshop is full, at least 4 people will need to bring their laptops. I-Pads and phones don't work for this workshop.
To enter information on Find A Grave, you need to have a free account. Please set one up ahead of time and remember to bring the id and password with you to the workshop.
To register, please send an email with your name and phone number, workshop name and date to Amy Breedlove at albreedlove@comcast.net. |
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Monday, September 16
German SIG: (Special Interest Group)
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm Pohick Regional Library
Speaker: TBD
Subject matter under development and meetings to resume in September
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Tuesday, September 17
The Books He Wrote for the DAR and Their Importance. (General Meeting)
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm Hollin Hall Room 112
Presenter: Eric G. Grundset, MLS, Former Director, DAR Library
Discussion: An avid genealogist, he has published eleven books including Research in Virginia for the National Genealogical Society, African American and American Indian Patriots of the Revolutionary War (2001) and with Steven B. Rhodes Genealogical Research at the DAR, Washington, D.C., 2nd edition (2004). “Our field’s most important bibliographic work to appear in the past decade is Eric G. Grundset’s series of source guides to the American Revolutionary era. To say that Grundset’s work is comprehensive is an understatement. His lifetime of study, across a career as Library Director and Director of Publications for the National Society Daughters of the American"
Eric joined the staff of the DAR as Library Director in 1983 and retired in 2018 after 35 years service. He has served as a former board member and vice president of the National Genealogical Society, as well as a board member and president of the Virginia Genealogical Society.
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