Tag Archives: North Beach Genealogical Society

Four Societies Awarded Supportive Grants

by Roxanne Lowe

The WSGS Board of Directors awarded Supportive Grants to four local societies. Diane Huckabay, WSGS Education Chair, announced the awards at the Annual Meeting on August 21, 2025.

The grants were awarded to:

Clark County Genealogical Society — Develop and launch a membership initiative. CCGS has seen a 20 percent decline in membership since 2020. Additionally, the COVID 19 pandemic and relocation greatly reduced foot traffic at their research library. Despite this, their volunteers logged more than 6,100 hours in 2024, managing operations and opening the CCGS Library on about 200 days to patrons.

The Supportive Grant will help CCGS:

•           Update and print a new brochure and other materials with appealing layouts and designs.

•           Extend the brochure’s content across platforms, ensuring the monthly newsletter, the weekly email update, their website, Facebook, and YouTube deliver cohesive messaging.

•           Host an Open House or a free beginning genealogy class to attract attention to CCGS, inviting the public to meet their dedicated volunteers and explore the Library.

Lower Columbia Genealogical Society — Provide speakers for on-line meetings.  This small society usually has about 10 speakers per year for their 18 – 25 members.  Because of their location (Southwest Washington), society cost-cutting and the limited number of members who have already spoken, they often need to reach out to outside speakers. With the rise in speaker fee and loss of society income, the Supportive Grant will help them obtain quality speakers with an eye to increasing membership as well as educating their members. 

North Beach Genealogical Society — Purchase a copy of “The Archaeology of Minard: A case study of a late-prehistoric Northwest Coast Procurement system” by Tom E Roll. This doctoral thesis was published in 1974 and refers to archaeological work conducted at the Minard Site, located near Ocean Shores, beginning in 1968. The copy at the Ocean Shores Public Library is falling apart and is kept in the backroom. Owning this book will preserve the local history and allow NBGS to share it with the community.

Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society — Offset the cost of three 3’x6’ vinyl banners. These banners are an important communication tool for the society.

Оne banner will be used to identify their booth at community events.  The eye-catching banner will draw attention to SVGS and encourage community interaction.  The other two banners will mark their building’s location, which is set back from the road. The banners will make it easier for people to find the Library. 

For more information about the Supportive Grants, click here.

Pioneer Pursuit Contest Winner: North Beach Genealogical Society

by Roxanne Lowe

Congratulations to the North Beach Genealogical Society (NBGS) who had a whopping 1,000 percent participation in the Pioneer Pursuit Contest that ended on 31 Oct 2023. The 15-member society submitted 150 individuals who were in Washington Territory on or before 11 Nov 1889. Notably, one member of the society submitted a four-generation genealogy for Chief Tsi-al-la-kum “Noe” Si’ahl Sealth Seattle, aka Chief Seattle. He is listed in the index here.

NBGS of Ocean Shores has been in existence since 1994 and still has one founding member in their society. They meet once a month at the Ocean Shores Public Library. The small, but mighty, society recently hosted three days of Genealogy Cafes in support of the Sons of the American Revolution state convention held in Ocean Shores.

According the NBGS President Carrie Cartwright Bergquest:

We are very grateful to the WSGS and the contest they provided through Pioneer Pursuit. NBGS took the opportunity to learn and explore the early settlers including the Native Americans of the North Beach area. With the winnings, we purchased rack cards to promote NBGS. We are a small town Society – but a fun group – please join us!

Although the contest portion of the Pioneer Pursuit program has closed, we are still collecting genealogies for those living in Washington Territory on or before statehood. More information is available here.

Genealogical Societies Support Patriot Week

by Roxanne Lowe

Volunteers from the Grays Harbor and North Beach Genealogical Societies are hosting Genealogy Cafe’s during Patriot Week from April 23 – 25, 2024, in Ocean Shores. Patriot Week is sponsored by the Washington State Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.

Volunteers will be available by appointment. The sessions will be at the libraries in Ocean Shores and Hoquiam. See the flyer for details.

More information about SAR’s Patriot Week, including a list of events, is available here.