NextGen Special Interest Group

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Our SIG's Mission & Purpose

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Created in 2024, the NextGen Special Interest Group aims to provide a place for younger individuals interested in genealogy to collaborate and meet one another while having fun doing it. Our objectives are:

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• Bridge together digital and physical research to create a more complete picture of available genealogical records.

• Bring awareness to resources that are either free to use or more affordable to further accessibility.

• Actively listen to our members to ensure we are focusing on the areas and activities that interest them most.

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Plans and Possibilities for 2025

Want to have your voice heard on what we plan for 2025? Please review our flyer with tentative meeting topics and complete our short survey by clicking the images on this page.

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Save The Date: Virtual Meetings

 

NextGen SIG Meeting: "Free Websites & How To Use Them"

Sun., February 23, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. EST  (Open to General Public)

• Join us for the first NextGen meeting where Gabrielle Kandefer, our chair, will delve into free genealogy websites including FamilySearch and FindAGrave and Jeanette Sheliga, WNYGS’s Program and Event’s chair, will demo FultonHistory!  

• Register using the link on the Meetings & Programs page.

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Family Tree Maker SIG Meeting with Mark Olsen

Thurs., March 20, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. EST  (Members Only)

• Join Mark Olsen, Family Tree Maker Ambassador, to discover all of the potential benefits in using the program to support your family history journey.  

• Registration link available in Members Area or by emailing nextgen@wnygs.org .​

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Presenter Profile: Mark Olsen is the Family Tree Maker Ambassador to historical and genealogical societies around the world working to support their members as they use Family Tree Maker. Mark is a graduate of Brigham Young University and holds a bachelor's degree in Family History with a Spanish records emphasis. He has been working in the genealogy industry since 2007 and has been the Family Tree Maker Ambassador since 2016. 

 

 

NextGen SIG Meeting: "Digital Media and Organization Strategies"

Sun., April 27, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. EST (Members Only)

 

 

Family Tree Maker SIG Meeting with John Fassbender

​Sat., May 31, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. EST  (Members Only)

• Join John Fassbender, an administrator from the Family Tree Maker Users group, to learn more about what the Family Tree Maker program can do for your genealogy research. From keeping your documents, photos and notes organized to syncing to your Ancestry.com tree; FTM is a robust tool that can help.​

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Family Tree Maker Savings

Because the first objective of the NextGen SIG is the bridging together of digital and physical research, incorporating Family Tree Maker (FTM) in our research seemed like a natural second step. So, in addition to our NextGen Special Interest Group we’d like to add a Family Tree Maker Special Interest Group for our members. The NextGen SIG and FTM SIG would be held on alternate months.

 

Some features of FTM include:

 

• Endless report generating capabilities

• The ability to merge data with existing Ancestry accounts (including media!)

• Can be saved to your personal computer

• Allows photos, documents and research notes to be added to profiles

 

A new version of FTM will be coming out later this year with even more features!  There will be a FTM discount for WNYGS members prior to the start of the FTM SIG. The discount code for members will be in the Members Area.

 

If interested in learning more, see the FTM page on MacKiev's website and the FTM Facebook users group. 

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