The Genealogy Club is organized to promote interest and proficiency in genealogical research and to make available records of interest to genealogists. While some programs discuss records for a specific area, the main focus of the club is to help researchers develop skills and become aware of sources that can be used wherever their ancestors lived.

Genealogy Club membership is available as a free benefit to all MCHS members.  Membership benefits include:

• Regular monthly meetings, September through June, with informative speakers
• First notice of all genealogy classes sponsored by MCHS
• Assistance with research questions pertaining to genealogy and other historical topics

Join a knowledgeable and interested group of people dedicated to researching their family histories!  To contact a club officer email montmdgenealogy@yahoo.com.

On-going Programs

Genealogy Clinic. 1st Friday of month; 10:30-12:30. MCHS Jane C. Sween Library (Free to members, $5. non-member fee).  Research help on individual problems provided by experienced Genealogy Club members and MCHS Librarian.

Upcoming Meetings

Genealogy Club meetings, unless otherwise noted, are held at the Rockville Senior Center, 1150 Carnation Dr., Rockville, MD. Call 240-314-5019 for directions. There is ample free parking. Meetings are always held on Wednesdays at 7:30, with refreshments following.

Wednesday, January 27 at 7:30pm
Evidence! Creating a Reliable Family History, by Adrian Gravelle, former appellate judge.  Based on courtroom experience, he will discuss kinds of evidence, and how to judge the reliability of each, and then relate the whole to genealogy.  How does evidence create "proof?"

Wednesday, February 24 at 7:30pm
The Scots: Who are They, and How can We Learn about Them?, by Robert McLaren.   He will discuss the who, what, when, and why of Scottish identity and emigration, and provide information on where the research sources can be found. 

Wednesday, March 24 at 7:30pm
The GRC and Digitization Projects at the DAR Library, by Steve Davidson, assistant director of the Library.  We will learn what the DAR has done about digitizing special records available at the Library. A tour of the Library and the Seimes center will take place on March 27th.

Wednesday, April 28 at 7:30pm
Getting Published and Beyond, by Allen Beatty, author.  He will discuss various approaches to writing a family history and then much of the nuts and bolts of getting your work to press, and in people's hands.

Wednesday, May 26 at 7:30pm
Footnote: An Introduction, by Laura Prescott.  Ms. Prescott comes to us from Footnote.com itself and will cover what kinds of documents are available and some tips on how to search for what you want.

Other Genealogy Programs in the DC Area

Family History Conference
The Washington DC Family History Center in Kensington is sponsoring a Genealogy Conference on Saturday, April 17th. For more information and to register, go to http://wdcfhc.org/conf2010. 

Newsletter
The Genealogy Club newsletter is now being printed as part of the MCHS bi-monthly newsletter. The new Genealogy Club: Between the Lines is available in print as part of the general membership newsletter (a benefit of membership) or here on the website.

Click here for the Current Genealogy Club Newsletter

Click here for the most recent Genealogy Club Meeting Minutes

For past issues of Genealogy Club: Between the Lines, use the following links:

Fall 2009 edition click here

June-July 2009 edition click here

April-May 2009 edition click here

February-March 2009 edition click here

November-December 2008 edition click here

September-October 2008 edition click here

July-August 2008 edition click here

For other genealogy events in the Washington DC area, click here.