Interests

The African American Genealogy Special Interest Group The quest to discover African American ancestors poses a set of unique challenges. This group was formed to provide support to those embarked on that quest, wherever you are in your journey, from novice to seasoned researcher.

If you are new to genealogy, this is the group for you! At the Beginner’s SIG, you will work with genealogists and archivists who will teach you the basics, answer your questions, and set you on the path to research success.

Are you done with the research? Have you begun to write? Come to the Writer’s SIG! Learn to create non-fiction genealogic narratives so compelling that your family will crave to read them. Learn to incorporate historical context, tell two stories simultaneously, place your protagonist in the center of the action, add suspense, inject drama, and use dialogue to move your story forward. Benefit from the critical review of your peers. Visit us and check it out.

The focus of the Genetic Genealogy SIG is primarily on the process of DNA testing and applications of test results to the genealogy process.

The German SIG’s mission is to promote historical and genealogical research into the lineage and lives of our German-speaking ancestors. Our area of interest covers all German-speaking countries in Europe, both in today’s Germany and areas formerly part of the 1871 German Empire. We emphasize how to track your German-speaking immigrant ancestor backward through American sources and repositories as well as in European archives.

Genealogists of varying experience meet to share their knowledge of Irish research and Irish history with other members; provide ideas or direction on how members could achieve successes; better understand why relatives left Ireland through the study of Irish history; locate family members the emigrant may have left behind through study of Irish records; encourage members participation in Irish research.

The Mid-Atlantic SIG covers the states of New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia and New York City. To the extent of interest, the SIG will also temporarily cover Virginia and West Virginia in the absence of an Old Dominion SIG leader. SIG meetings will consist of interactive presentations by SIG members of their genealogical research, mostly related to the Mid-Atlantic region, but occasionally wandering further afield if our Mid-Atlantic research leads to other places. We also go on field trips to Mid-Atlantic research facilities.

The special interest group for colonial New England genealogy will no longer meet on alternate months at the Mt. Vernon Genealogical Society Research Center and the McLean Family History Center. Instead, it will meet at whatever time you prefer to discuss colonial New England research with Linda MacLachlan. Just email her at ggggrandmac@gmail.com to make an appointment, or come to one of the Centers while she is staffing it: • Linda is at the McLean Family History Center, 2034 Great Falls Street in Falls Church every Friday between 9:30 am and 1 pm. • She is at the MVGS Research Center, 1500 Shenandoah Avenue in Alexandria on the 2nd or 3rd Wednesday of any month between 10 am and 2 pm.