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Special Interest Groups at SGS
Special Interest Groups (SIGs) provide an opportunity for members to meet with others who have similar genealogical interests. Each group has a chair (or co-chairs) who faciitates and coordinates with the Director of Education to set a schedule of meetings for the year. Meetings focus on specific topics or questions, with lots of time for discussion and interaction. SGS strives to provide a safe, comfortable environment for participants to share their research and knowledge.
SGS programs, including Special Interest Groups, are for the use of human participants. If the individual controlling an SGS Zoom meeting believes that a meeting participant is not a person, they are permitted to ask the participant to identify themself. If the participant does not respond to queries, the SGS meeting controller has the authority to remove that participant from the meeting.
NEW in March 2025!
Publishing Special Interest Group
Participate in writing and publishing the SGS Journal twice a year. Join the team responsible for generating and gathering content, editing, proofreading, formatting, and distributing this important publication.
Several libraries across the nation, including the Allen County Public Library, subscribe to the Journal of the Seattle Genealogical Society (formerly the SGS Bulletin). Online access to current and recent issues is limited to SGS members. Older issues of the SGS Bulletin are available to the public through the Seattle Public Library.
This SIG meets monthly on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 7:00PM Pacific, 10:00PM Eastern.
SGS membership is encouraged but not required.
New in April 2025!
AI for Genealogy Special Interest Group
Welcome to the AI for Genealogy SIG, a dedicated community for exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence and genealogical research.
This group is a space for genealogy enthusiasts, researchers, historians, and technologists interested in leveraging AI to enhance their family history research. Whether you are a seasoned genealogist or just starting, this community provides a collaborative environment to discuss AI-powered tools, share best practices, and navigate the ethical considerations of using AI in genealogy.
This SIG meets monthly on the 1st Thursday of the month at 6:30PM Pacific, 9:30PM Eastern.
SGS membership is encouraged but not required.
New in April 2025!
Organizing for Genealogy Special Interest Group
Share information and discuss organization tips, techniques, and habits to enhance your genealogical journey.
This SIG meets monthly on the 1st Monday of the month at 7:00PM Pacific, 10:00PM Eastern via Zoom.
SGS membership is encouraged but not required.
To participate you need to be on the SGS Organizing SIG email list.
Susan will email you the Zoom link for the monthly meetings.
New! Mexican Special Interest Group
Share information and discuss Indigenous North American, Spanish, Cuban, and Hispanic genealogical research.
This SIG meets monthly on the 4th Wednesday of the month at 7:00PM Pacific, 10:00PM Eastern, via Zoom
SGS membership is encouraged but not required.
To participate you need to be on the SGS Mexican SIG email list.
Diane will email you the Zoom link for the monthly meetings.
New! Ancestry.com Users Special Interest Group
The Ancestry Users Special Interest Group is for people who use Ancestry.com (and AncestryDNA) to research their family histories. Members will share research strategies, exchange tips on using Ancestry's resources effectively, and collaborate to enhance their understanding of Ancestry's tools, features, and databases.
This SIG meets monthly on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 6:30PM Pacific, 9:30PM Eastern.
SGS membership is encouraged but not required.
New! Eastern Europe Special Interest Group
Eastern Europe is a region with a rich and complex history and diverse ethnic groups. Its frequent border changes, language barriers, and influences from several powerful empires can lead to challenges when researching family history. If you are researching people from the Baltics to Balkans come join this exciting new SIG.
This SIG meets quarterly (Feb, May, Aug, Nov) on the 4th Thursday of the month at 7:00PM Pacific, 10:00PM Eastern. This meeting is hybrid. Please feel free to either join via Zoom or meet us in-person at the SGS library.
For more information or to express interest in this SIG, email sgseasterneuropesig@seagensoc.org.
SGS membership is encouraged but not required.
Pacific Northwest Interest Group
Share information and discuss Pacific Northwest genealogical research. This new SGS-sponsored special interest group meets monthly on the first Wednesday of the month at 6:30PM Pacific, 9:30PM Eastern, via Zoom. SGS membership is encouraged but not required. For more information, contact sgsPNWsig@seagensoc.org.
DNA Interest Group.jpg)
We seek to determine how best to use DNA test results in our family history research: which test to use, who to test. Each meeting begins with a review of currently available DNA tests followed by a presentation of “What’s New” and a presentation on select DNA research topics.
Resource-rich handouts are provided at each meeting. The archive of DNA Interest Group handouts may be viewed here (SGS Members only).
Meetings are held quarterly, online using Zoom. SGS membership is encouraged but not required.
DNA Workshops - The DNA Interest Group also sponsors monthly workshops, online using Zoom, to explore tools for genealogical analysis of DNA test results, such as GEDmatch, DNA Painter, and GDAT (formerly GenomeMate Pro).
All meetings are virtual via Zoom.
Pass It On Writers' Group
We encourage attendees to create their family histories and share their compositions with others in an effort to improve their writing. This group is historically smaller than other SIGs to encourage camaraderies and sharing of effort. Meetings are virtual via Zoom until in-person meetings can resume. This group is currently considering new members. Contact: Linda Laing, SGSPassItOn@seagensoc.org
Write It Up! Writers' Group
Whether you are writing an article for a scholarly journal, recording family stories, or compiling a genealogy, all are welcome to share your work with others. This group meets virtually on the third Monday of each month at 7PM Pacific. Members are encouraged to post their work in a shared folder by the beginning of the month to give others a chance to read in advance. SGS membership is encouraged but not required.
For more information or to get on the mailing list, contact SGSWriteItUpSIG@seagensoc.org.
 FamilySearch Users Group
Meeting the first Saturday of the month September through June, this group explores use of the free universal online Family Tree maintained by FamilySearch. Meetings are virtual via Zoom. SGS membership is encouraged but not required. For more information, contact SGSFamilySearchSIG@seagensoc.org.
View video recordings of recent meetings here. (You must first be signed in as an SGS member.)
MAC Computer Interest Group
Jointly sponsored by SGS and Fiske Genealogical Library, this group meets every other month on the second Wednesday from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Meetings are open to the public and address topics and resources helpful for those using MacIntosh (Apple) computers and the Reunion program in their genealogy research. Meetings are virtual via Zoom. SGS membership is encouraged but not required.
For more information, contact MacUsersSIG@seagensoc.org.
German Interest Group
Meetings, which were usually held in-person on the third Saturday of the month from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at the SGS Library, are now virtual via Zoom, same day and time. SGS membership is encouraged but not required. For more information, contact sgsGermansig@seagensoc.org.
Irish Interest Group
Each year during March members of this group support SGS outreach at Irish Week community events held in Seattle. Meetings, which were formerly held in-person on the third Saturday of each month from 10:15 am to 12:15 pm at the SGS Library, are now virtual via Zoom, same day and time. SGS membership is encouraged but not required. For more information, contact sgsIrishsig@seagensoc.org.
To participate you need to be on the SGS Irish Interest Group email list. Contact Susan McKee at sgsirishsig@seagensoc.org to join.
Scandinavian Interest Group
This group meets quarterly (Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct) on the second Sunday of the month from 1:00 to 3:00. Meetings are virtual via Zoom. Occasional in-person meetings may be scheduled. See calendar. SGS membership is encouraged but not required. For more information, contact sgsSCANsig@seagensoc.org.
Japanese-American Interest Group
This group has been suspended pending a search for a group leader (or two).
Meetings were held quarterly on the fourth Sunday of the month (January, April, July, October) from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm. Meetings are virtual via Zoom until in-person meetings can resume.
Start a new special interest group!
Are you interested in a particular topic or geographical area for which SGS does not yet have a special interest group? Contact the Director of Education, education@seagensoc.org, to discuss your idea. If other members are interested, including someone willing to chair the group, a new special interest group can be formed.
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