About SCCGS
Who we are and what we do
SCCGS is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3), all-volunteer group of genealogists founded in 1977 and incorporated in 1978.
SCCGS funds every resource on this public website which is shared at no cost to site visitors. Fees charged by speakers, and the ability to present these virtual program events for free each month are also fully funded by SCCGS. A portion of each Member’s annual dues supports these efforts and helps maintain SCCGS’s virtual office and storage unit.
Our members abstract, transcribe, translate, and index many, many, St. Clair County records of genealogical importance. These resources are preserved in our award-winning Quarterly, and in books, for purchase or perusal at the Belleville Public Library Archives during its operating hours. Here are some of the Society’s holdings. Timely topics reach Members in the eNews and Facebook page. We showcase SCCGS at national or regional conferences when held within driving distance and host an all-day conference of our own on occasion. Together, these are ways SCCGS fulfills its educational purpose.
Our members reside across the United States and a few countries abroad. Annual membership is the basis for significant acquisitions of genealogical importance, again, which we fund and share at the Belleville Public Library. Whether new to genealogy or seasoned researchers, our members are passionate about preserving and safeguarding records of genealogical value.
SCCGS is a member of the National Genealogical Society (NGS), and an associate society of the Illinois State Genealogical Society (ISGS).
Board Members 2023
SCCGS is entirely staffed by volunteers. Email representatives of the Society at
- sccgsoffice@stclair-ilgs.org or
- click Contact Us on the main menu above.
Elected Officers
President: Samantha Bailey
1st VP / Programs: open
2nd VP: Allyson Tilton
Secretary: Nancy Guenther
Treasurer: Michelle Danis
Committee Chairpersons
Budget and Finance: open
Education Chair: open
Membership Chair: Elizabeth Brown; surname index
Parliamentarian: Diane Walsh
Publicity Chair: Janice Carlson
Publication Processing Coordinator Chair: Kim Lunte; Dennis Koch, distribution
Projects: Kris Wade
Quarterly Editor: Greg Wade
Research Chair: Mary Parker
Subcommittees
Non-voting positions
Historian: Donna Watson
Quarterly Mailing Coordinator and Hospitality: Janice Carlson
Webmaster: Diane Walsh
History
This history of SCCGS’s early years was taken from a history published in the St. Clair County Genealogical Society Quarterly (1987).
Milestones achieved by the Society’s volunteers continue to grow from the efforts expended by a few enthusiastic genealogists back in 1977. Here are more recent achievements.
1977: 19 May – Eighteen people gathered to explore organizing a St. Clair County Genealogical Society; temporary officers selected. June – 40 persons were present. 7 July – First public lecture held. September – Post office box 431 rented; Society bylaws adopted. November, December – officers elected and installed for 1978.
1978: January – dues set at $7.00. June – First issue of the St. Clair County Genealogical Society Quarterly published (48 pages). August – society incorporated with State of Illinois, membership 176.
1979: Non-profit mailing permit received in February. March – SCCGS – Belleville Public Library agreement formulated. July – membership 262. September: First workshop (conference) held.
1980: July – Code of Ethics adopted; Cemetery Committee formed.
1981: June – Masthead with courthouse created. Membership 381 that December.
1982: March – joined the Federation of Genealogical Societies. ISGS award received in October. Membership reached 400.
1983: August – first visit and lecture by Roland Paul, then associate director of the Heimatstelle Pfalz in Kaiserslautern, Germany. 259 cemeteries identified in the county.
1984: Six cemetery books published. Society begins major project to publish St. Clair County History book (completed in 1988).
1985: ISSN -0882-6528 (International Standard Serial Number) received; second workshop held.
1986: July – SCCGS, with five other groups, provide funding to microfilm the WPA Index to East St. Louis Newspapers located at the East St. Louis Public Library. Quarterly editor received ISGS award.
1987: Two more cemetery books published during the Society’s 10th anniversary year.
Here are more recent achievements.
Logo
The old nostalgic courthouse with its four tall, stone columns, is the St. Clair County Genealogical Society logo. Built in 1861, some genealogically valuable old record books were discarded when the building was demolished in 1972.
The logo serves as a tribute to our past, reminds us of the records lost, and silently urges us to achieve some of the purposes set forth by the Society.
Colors
The green and yellow colors of the Society reflect colors found in flags of both the St. Clair County the city of Belleville. They remind us of the fertile fields that drew many of our ancestors to the area and crops produced by their labor.
Purpose
As defined in our Bylaws, the St. Clair County Genealogical Society aspires to:
- preserve, safeguard, and perpetuate genealogical records, data, and information for educational and historical purposes;
- encourage the genealogical study and tracing of families and family history;
- teach and promote the use of effective research methodology and practices in genealogy research, analysis, and documentation;
- encourage adherence to good research principles, including accuracy, objectivity, and thoroughness;
- receive and hold gifts and devises of real and personal estate from any source for the benefit and purposes of the Society; and
- promote publications on genealogical or related subjects.
We invite you to help us sustain this mission by becoming a member.
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St. Clair County Genealogical Society, PO Box 431, Belleville, IL 62222-0431.
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