Why I Join Genealogical Societies

The first genealogical society I joined was 2,700+ miles from my home AND in a state where I had no family history. I joined the Southern California Genealogical Society to receive a discount on their conference fees and to have access to their webinars. It's been more than 12 years since that first conference. I attended several more conferences, continue to enjoy their webinars, and often take advantage of the external genealogical resources for use from my home. Fold3 Library Edition, Newspaper Archives, and History Geo are just three of several resources I regularly use for a membership fee of only $35. 

For many years I never considered joining a local genealogy society. Big Mistake! With work and family, I didn't know where I would find the time, and I had no research interests in my home state of Virginia. The Virginia Beach Genealogical Society moved everything to Zoom during the pandemic, so I joined. Its meetings and activities are now one of my favorite post-retirement pastimes. 

By joining a local genealogy society, I met nice people who share my addicting hobby. And although the society is based in Virginia, speakers and programs are seldom about Virginia resources. I learn something useful at every meeting.

If you live in or near Virginia Beach, you might want to check-out
this FREE event on April 15th. 

Also, consider joining genealogical societies in the areas you are researching. This allows you to connect with members who may know about your family and be able to answer questions about the area. 

I am a dues-paying member of seven genealogical societies.  I joined these societies for various reasons and have benefited from genealogical education, access to archives and journals, and free look-up services. 

To find a genealogical society near your home or in an area where you research, use the search form at the National Genealogical Society website. Or, as most genealogical societies have a Facebook page, search Facebook. 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

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