SIGs, Toronto Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society

Index:

Workshops
Past Workshops

Special Interest Groups

Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

The creation of Special Interest Groups for Toronto Branch members is an initiative of the Education Committee, inspired by the success of similar groups in other genealogical organizations.

It is important to note that Special Interest Groups are intended to be largely self-administered. There are a number of successful models but all depend on the enthusiasm of members and their willingness to share expertise with each other.

Other considerations:

Group Activities. We expect that the way a group will function will be dictated by the interests and needs of participants in each group. We also recognize that some SIGs may develop subgroups based on the location of members, meeting-time preferences and so on. Some Groups may wish to invite speakers but many will use the opportunity to share successes, brickwalls and interesting findings. Groups have the potential to play a major role in identifying topics for future courses and workshops and field trips to archives.

Venues for meetings. Some groups may want to take it in turns to host the meetings in their homes. There are a number of other venues that might be used; ·

There is room for a small group (up to 15 or so) to huddle in a corner of the Burgundy Room before monthly Branch meetings – from 6pm - and room for a larger group to meet following the Branch meeting - up to 10pm. (Please check with Linda Reid, Program Coordinator, before finalizing any arrangements)
A coffee shop.
A library. Some libraries have “Study Rooms where small groups can get together and talk and work together. For example, the TRL has a study room for 6 people that can booked at the front desk a maximum of 1 week in advance for a maximum of 2 hours. For information about other library options, check out http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/using-the-library/room-theatre-rentals/meeting-rooms.jsp ·
Other locales limited only by your imagination.

Current Special Interest Groups are :

London, England SIG, facilitated by Michele Skehill
Genetic Genealogy SIG facilitated by Elizabeth Kaegi
Huguenot Family History SIG facilitated by Nancy Conn
Advanced Brickwall SIG facilitated by Paul Jones
Scottish SIG facilitated by Jean McNulty
Greater Manchester SIG facilitated by Marion Wilburn

If you are interested in joining one of the above groups please contact us at courses@torontofamilyhistory.org

Would you like to see another SIG created? Please consider volunteering as its Facilitator! You do not have to be an expert in the subject – rather, you just have to be an enthusiastic person willing to arrange for a planning meeting where the group can determine how often and where it may want to meet and then be the email link for the group for subsequent meetings.

Members of the Education Committee will help where we can and certainly we look forward to ongoing communications with all the Groups. Please feel free to contact us at any time with great ideas and any issues of concern relating to Special Interest Groups and other educational activities. We can be reached at courses@torontofamilyhistory.org

Diana Thomson (Chair), Diane Bamberger, Elizabeth Kaegi, Stephen Low, Gwyneth Pearce & Ann Rexe