Blog | California Genealogical Society

by Debbie Mascot (8/18/2025)

To register for an event or for more information, click the link for any event. All times are Pacific Time.
Questions? Email [email protected]

I do my volunteer time on Friday nights and Sundays. But do you have some free Thursdays? Our CGS Library could really use your expertise, no matter what that expertise is. Not only can you learn, but you can HELP. Trust me; nothing feels better. Please read the below plea and give us a holler.

California Genealogical Society Looks to the Future
Seeking volunteers to help

CGS is looking forward to the next generation of genealogists. Methods and resources are dramatically changing in our world. Our library is working very hard to take the best advantage of the many digital resources now available for research. For example, we are updating our inventory by de-accessioning those books easily available on the internet while still growing what we have with some new material.

If you would like to help out for a couple of hours a week (or where you can), please come join us. You will find a fun group of dedicated people happy to work with you. An additional benefit is you can also learn more about how the library works (what tremendous resources we have) and even do some of your own research as well. Some of the work can be done from home or other times, but much is done every Thursday inside the library.

If you are interested, or have any questions, please contact: [email protected]

Helpful Links
Events: https://www.californiaancestors.org/events-and-education/
Special Interest Groups: https://www.californiaancestors.org/special-interest-groups-for-members/
Calendar view: https://www.californiaancestors.org/cgs_calendar/
Tips & Talk: Oakland FamilySearch Center Family History Classes: https://www.familysearch.org/en/centers/oakland_california/classes

Upcoming at CGS

by Debbie Mascot (8/15/2025)

To register for an event or for more information, click the link for any event. All times are Pacific Time.
Questions? Email [email protected]

Local Meet-ups
Members gather together in homes, public libraries, cafes and even community rooms in condominium units. A facilitator leads the discussion as members share research topics, common interests, new resources discovered in an informal setting. Friendships have developed along with partnerships in resources and a better understanding of the many benefits available to CGS members.
• Walnut Creek – September 25, 2025 10:30 a.m.
• Lamorinda – October 14, 2025 10:30 a.m.

If interested in one of these or another Regional Gathering in your area, please contact Kim Farnham-Flom ([email protected]).

San Francisco Special Interest Group (SIG)
San Francisco has so many nuances to genealogical research that it helps to know an expert. Join this SIG to meet several! It doesn’t matter if you are new to genealogy or an old hat, find your family story in the City of Love.
When: Saturday, August 16, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Where: Virtually via Zoom
Cost: Free to CGS members
How to Register: Contact [email protected]

Family Tree Maker Special Interest Group (SIG)
Are you using the popular Family Tree Maker software to keep track of your genealogy findings? Are you new and looking for a program to use? Are you just wanting to know more about it? Join this great SIG for a plethora of topics this January, including a new release, and all things cemetery, including citations (which some may find more frightening than a cemetery!).
When: Saturday, August 16, 2025 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Where: Virtually via Zoom or in person at the CGS Library
Cost: Free to CGS members
How to Register: Register through the FTM-SIG website: https://ftm-sig.org/index.html

Eastern European Special Interest Group (SIG)
Description: Discussion focused on Eastern European genealogy. Join a community of enthusiastic researchers and genealogists who meet on a quarterly basis to support and learn from each other’s contributions and expertise in the areas of Central and Eastern Europe.
When: Saturday, August 23, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Where: Virtually via Zoom
Cost: Free to CGS members
How to Register: Register through the EESIG registration link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/eastern-european-special-interest-group-registration-1141790348669

Special Events:

The Promised Land: How Pioneer Jews Helped Shape California
The California Gold Rush transformed California. The influx of people from all over the world created a unique social experiment and culture. As part of our series on California immigrants, Frances Dinkelspiel will cover the important role Jewish immigrants played in developing the state. Frances will draw on the extensive research carried out for her two books to provide stories of how members of the Jewish community influenced the economic, political and culturallandscape of late 19th and early 20th century San Francisco and environs.
When: Saturday, August 23, 2025 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Where: Online via Zoom
Cost: Free to CGS members
How to Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-promised-land-how-pioneer-jews-helped-shape-california-registration-1404467332599

Using Artificial Intelligence on FamilySearh: Some Amazing Discoveries and Broken Brick Walls
Kelvin Brewer of the Oakland FamilySearch Center will give a talk about using AI with FamilySearch.
When: Wednesday, September 10, 2025 at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Online via Zoom
Cost: Free to CGS members
How to Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/artificial-intelligence-with-familysearch-for-discoveries-and-breakthroughs-registration-1485534446519

CGS Members Report: DNA Surprises
DNA has become an exciting, if sometimes baffling, tool for genealogists. The results of matching may give us just the clue we need to break through a brick wall or introduce us to cousins we otherwise would never have known. Other times, we find something that leads to a whole new understanding and evaluation of our family history and ancestors. Hear three stories from CGS members illustrating these occasions.
When: Saturday, September 12, 2025 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Where: Online via Zoom
Cost: Free to CGS members
How to Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cgs-members-report-dna-surprises-registration-1485591035779

2026 CGS Research Trip to Boston, Massachusetts
CGS returns to Boston for a week of research led by Matthew Blaine Berry, CG. The Charlesmark Hotel is 1 minute from the Boston Public Library, 6 minutes from American Ancestors, and 15 minutes from the Massachusetts Historical Society.
The trip, led by Matt Berry, includes:
• A seven-night stay at the Charlesmark Hotel
• Orientation and tour of the Massachusetts Historical Society
• Orientation and tour of American Ancestors
• Six days of uninterrupted research at your choice of top Boston research facilities
• Pre-trip meeting and consultation
• Research assistance by Matt Berry
• Daily continental breakfast (pastry and coffee)
• Two group dinners at local restaurants
When: Sunday, February 1, 2026-Sunday, February 8, 2026
Where: Boston, MA
Cost: $1,399 single occupancy (airfare not included).
How to Register: Deadline October 31, 2025. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2026-cgs-boston-research-trip-registration-1415983146709

Helpful Links
Events: https://www.californiaancestors.org/events-and-education/
Special Interest Groups: https://www.californiaancestors.org/special-interest-groups-for-members/
Calendar view: https://www.californiaancestors.org/cgs_calendar/
Recordings for Members: https://www.californiaancestors.org/videos_for_cgs_members/
Tips & Talk: Oakland FamilySearch Center Family History Classes: https://www.familysearch.org/en/centers/oakland_california/classes

Path to Belonging Volunteer Request

by Debbie Mascot (8/13/2025)

To register for an event or for more information, click the link for any event. All times are Pacific Time.
Questions? Email [email protected]

CGS seeks volunteers to help residents of Albany learn about their roots for the Path to Belonging program (https://pathtobelonging.net/). The program will take current and vintage photographs from residents and create a giant collage at the Albany Community Center. It will be a time capsule of who is living in Albany now, with stories of all the many places residents have come from. CGS has been asked to help residents find some of these photographs and historic documents.

On Sunday, September 21, at 2 p.m. CGS board member Grant Din will provide a brief overview of examples of what can be found from family and online and how some work can be done at home. Then for a couple of hours we hope to have many volunteer genealogists helping Albany residents learn about their family histories and search for documents and images about their ancestors.

The Portrait of Albany will be a collective community portrait, and people have already begun to come together to explore themes of home and belonging. It’s a fascinating project and it’s exciting that CGS will be a part of it. If you would like to volunteer or know of others, please contact Grant Din at [email protected] as soon as possible!