If you missed our first Western Mass Ancestors Special Interest Group (SIG) meeting in May, another opportunity is just around the corner. Our next session will take place on Thursday, September 17 at 7 p.m.

At our first session, members enjoyed short presentations on local companies and uncovered Quabbin-area ancestors, as well as a demonstration of how AI prompts can
support genealogical research. We also tackled two brick wall challenges submitted by
members with roots in Chester, Massachusetts. The conversation was lively, informative, and could easily have continued well into the night.

As we prepare for our September session, we’re inviting contributions from members.  This gives you time to gather materials, organize your thoughts, and decide how you’d like to participate.

We welcome:

• Short presentations (5–15 minutes). Discuss your Western Mass ancestor, family line, or research topic. Please highlight the resources you used — databases, archives, websites, books, maps, or tools.
• Brick wall challenges. Have a research puzzle you can’t crack? Share a brief summary of the ancestor or problem, along with any clues or documents you’ve
  collected, and we’ll add your challenge to the agenda.
• Helpful resources and tools. If you’ve discovered a useful website, updated database, research technique, or practical tip, we’d love for you to share it with
  the group.

The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, September 9. To offer a presentation, submit a brick wall challenge, share a recent breakthrough, or highlight a resource or
technique, please email us at westmassgen@gmail.com.

If you’re unsure about format, we can provide a suggested outline and are happy to help with creating PowerPoint slides. Submissions will be added to the agenda in the
order received, so if you have something you’d like discussed, now is the time.