Volunteer Committees at SGS

Seattle Genealogical Society is an all-volunteer organization that requires volunteers to sustain our organization through a wide variety of functions. There are many opportunities to serve the Society and thus help support our mission. There are long-standing committees as well as temporary committees for special projects or initiatives. If you would like to donate your time and talents, here are descriptions of Long-Standing Committees. To sign up for a committee or to learn more, contact volunteers@seattlegenealogicalsociety.org for help in determining a great place for you to help Seattle Genealogical Society.

Archives Committee

When a family no longer wishes to keep a loved one's genealogical research, the SGS Archives Committee will convert the mounds of papers, documents and photos into a collection which becomes part of the SGS Library Family Section. As a member of the Archives Committee you will preserve orginal documents and organize research notes, creating a collection for researchers to examine

Desk Volunteer Desk volunteer greeting visitor

Desk Volunteers are the face of the Society for visitors to the library. They create a welcoming environment to our visitors by greeting visitors when they arrive, answer questions they may have, and provide direction to the various areas of the library that may be of interest. As a Desk Volunteer you will open and close the library and be that welcoming face when a visitor comes in.

Education Committee

The heart and soul of the mission of SGS is Education. This committee schedules the lectures, classes and workshops held at the SGS Library and other venues. As a member of the Education Committee, you will create educational events of all subjects which may be of interest to the genealogical community.

Elections Committee

Each year, the Society conducts an annual election of Officers and Directors for the Board of Directors and other business as may be necessary for voting by the membership. As a member of this committee, you will create and distribute the ballots, and upon close of the election period, count the votes and announce the results. This is normally a short-term commitment that begins at the Spring Membership Meeting and continues until election results are announced in early May. Election Committee members are appointed and approved at the Spring Membership Meeting.

Library Committee

The Library Committee maintains SGS Library. As a member of the committee you will assist the Library Director in all functions and daily operations of the Library including preparation of donations, cataloging, book and document repair and other general tasks relating to the library.

Library Trustees

The Library Trustees set library policies and provides continuity in the operation and content of the Society's library collection in accordance with the overall goals, aims and needs of the Society. Library Trustees are appointed by the Board for terms of three years.

Material Review Committee

Every donation and acquisition to the library is reviewed for retention by the Materials Review Committee. As a member of the committee you will review and evaluate each item for relevance to the genealogical community and recommend retention in the library. The Materials Review Committee meets four or five times a year on an as needed basis.

Nominating Committee
Without leadership, the Society would quickly fail. The Nominating Committee generates a slate of candidates for Society Leadership on the Board of Directors. These candidates are then submitted, along with other candidates, for election at the annual Board elections in April of each year. Members of the following year's nominating committee are elected by the membership during the general election.

Publications Committee

SGS publications include the Journal of the Seattle Genealogical Society, a semi-annual publication, the twice a month eNews!, social media, and website. As a member of the Publications Committee you will generate, edit, design, produce and maintain content on any or all of these platforms.

Seminar Committee

SGS produces two major seminars each year, bringing in national speakers for the Seattle Genealogical Community. This major undertaking requires many hands doing everything from speaker selection to cleanup after the event. The committee arranges venues, coordinates publicity, and registers participants as well as participates in the many various tasks required on the day of the event. All this effort produces a quality all-day seminar on important family history topics.

Technology Committee

The Technology Committee works closely with other Directors to acquire and maintain the Society's hardware/software, website and technology related initiatives for the library facility and the web. Members of this committee maintain equipment in the library and support the technological side of the website, social media and cloud storage. A technical background or a desire to learn about technology is required.

Volunteer today!

Interested in joining a Committee, contact our Director of Volunteers today, volunteers@seattlegenealogicalsociety.org.