The San Bernardino Valley Genealogical Society is celebrated its Golden Anniversary LastYear!

In 1957, a group of friends, couples and singles, who enjoyed working with genealogy, banded together to become a formal organization and took the name San Bernardino Valley Genealogical Society.

They first met monthly at each other's homes, collecting a small library by individual purchases and sharing their books and periodicals with other members.

In 1961, they began to publish the Valley Quarterly, a newsletter containing genealogical records found by members doing their personal research. These quarterlies were exchanged with other genealogical societies across the nation, making it possible for them to develop a rapidly expanding library of genealogical research material. Both membership and library holdings needed more space. They began meeting once a month on a Thursday evening on the ground floor of the City of San Bernardino Public Library at Arrowhead and 4th Sts. in San Bernardino. Their library holdings were stored in a large closet there. Exchanged Quarterlies were bound with others of the same publisher and the bound newsletters and books could be borrowed by members at a regular meeting, to be returned at the next meeting after a month's perusal at home.

In September 1985, the city opened a new and spacious library in Pioneer Park, a double block area laid out by the Mormons who bought a portion of Rancho San Bernardino from the Lugo family in 1851. The Lugos had acquired the land by a land grant from the Mexican government in earlier days.

A large room on the second floor was named the "California Room." The Genealogical Society was assigned a wall of cupboards on the north end of the room, and given, as the need arose, double sided book shelves to hold our collection. In return, the Genealogical Society members acted as docents for the entire room.

Our meeting place was a spacious and well appointed meeting room on the ground floor.

This caused vast changes in the functions of the Society. The room, which also contained the Library's valuable collection of California History materials, was designated as a Reference only room. Our collection could no longer be borrowed by members.

Library patrons complained that they could not be used. The bound copies of the Quarterlies, were then dismantled, then the contents sorted and rebound in three-ring binders according to the geographical location of the text by state and subdivided by county. They had to be used there and could not leave the California Room.

Though we had frequent new members join, many old members left for retirement homes near adult children. Our total membership diminished. The publishing of the Valley Quarterly ceased as out of date with the advent of so much genealogical research material available on the internet. A monthly newsletter, called "The Frequent Flier," took is place. A successful program of research for obituaries for pay began.

In 2005, too few members would run for office, and a vote was taken to disband. A few members voted to continue. The By-Laws were rewritten to make it possible to continue with fewer officers and a low membership. The new laws make it possible to return to full membership when wanted.

2006 was an experimental year. All function of the Society have been successfully met with the low membership. Even our monthly meetings have continued. Most of our programs have been discussions, but we did have two speakers. Our goal is to divide the twelve months evenly, with one third of the programs featuring the total membership participation, such as "Show and Tell," our traditional pot-luck picnic, and discussions of various genealogical research problems; programs put on by individual members; and programs by outside speakers. We continue to offer both obituary research and more advanced research for pay.

In this latter case, former Charter Member, Mary L. Lewis, shortly before her death, turned over to the Society which she helped to found, her lifetime extremely extensive and valuable records of early San Bernardino families.

We are looking forward to returning to a full membership, functioning on a social as well as a technical basis.