If you are new to the world of family history and DNA, you might not be aware of one of the best offline resources at your disposal – family history societies.
Societies have been around for decades and have always been a haven for those of us looking for our ancestors. Prior to the boom in online research, they gave us access to materials and a place to share knowledge – and as technology changed, family history societies changed too.
Today’s societies continue to provide world class support for traditional genealogy, but increasingly they are becoming learning centres for those entering family history via DNA.
Many societies now have “DNA working groups” – a collection of like-minded individuals who meet regularly to help each other interpret their results and solve their DNA mysteries. These groups also offer regular workshops that run the gamut from ‘beginner’ to ‘advanced genetic genealogy’.
Many family history societies have open days where you can explore their room and experience some of their offerings so why not pop into your local group and see what you’re missing!
Brad Argent
Ancestry’s Brad Argent manages many projects in his role as International Senior Programming Director, but the best part of his job is helping people to discover their own stories.