One of the things genealogists miss during the current pandemic is getting together with genealogists. We can attend a virtual event, but we miss out on getting together with old friends and making new ones.
The British Isles family History Society of Greater Ottawa (BIFHSGO) has been trying to re-create the in-person networking opportunities by holding virtual socials for its members.
Now, the society is going a step further by holding two virtual open houses this week for members, and they’re inviting non-members to join them.
While virtual socials and open houses can’t replace in-person get-togethers, they certainly make it easy for people who live far away to participate.
This Wednesday, February 17 at 7:30 p.m. and Friday, February 19, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time, BIFHSGO will throw open its virtual doors to encourage genealogists to come together to meet, greet, and learn from the comfort of their home.
In it’s announcement, the society said, “Since COVID changed our lives a year ago, BIFHSGO’s board of directors has been looking for ways to connect with our members and help our members connect with each other.”
They added, “You’ve been to the big ‘Zoom room’ for our monthly presentations, our workshops and special lectures. Some of you have also attended our socials where participants enter smaller ‘rooms’ to chat for 25 minutes at a time. The open houses will be similar to the socials, but different.”
Here’s how each open house will work.
BIFHSGO has arranged a particular topic for each small room, and members and visitors will be able to choose which rooms you go to. Participants can go into one room, leave when they choose, then enter another room of interest.
So what will you find in these rooms?
- For those who still have questions about Ontario land records, resident expert Ken McKinlay will be there to answer them and perhaps walk you through how to find what you’re looking for.
- BIFHSGO President Duncan Monkhouse and Past-President Barbara Tose will be in another room ready to answer your questions about PowerPoint and show you how to find the things you can’t seem to find.
- Leaders from many of BIFHSGO’s special interest groups (SIG) will each be in their own rooms. If you have a burning DNA question or just want to hear what it’s all about and how the group works, you can get all that from Susan Courage, the current leader of that group. Each of the SIGs operates slightly differently, so you will find each room different but populated by others who are interested in the same thing. The SIG rooms will include DNA (with Susan Courage), London (with John Reid) and British Colonial America (with Marianne Rasmus), and Writing (with Carol Annett).
- Do you want to know more about the databases that BIFHSGO has on its website? Stop in to see John McConkey who can tell you what is there and how to access it.
- If you aren’t interested in any of those activities, there will be rooms where you can go with your genealogical gems or brickwalls to share them with other genial genealogists.
- In the main room you can chat with the remaining members of the board (four of them are in smaller rooms). Find out about upcoming programs or how to use the new etransfer feature to renew your membership or join.
You will be able to move freely from room to room, stay for a short time, or stay for the full 90 minutes. It’s up to you.
BIFHSGO is a welcoming society with an abundance of knowledgeable members, so you’re bound to find friendly discussions, useful information and answers to your burning questions in each and every room.
To attend, members and non-members need to register for this Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. or Friday at 2:00 p.m.
Also, if you usually sip coffee or wine when attending an open house, you’ll need to bring your own.
