Cost:  $5.00 (payable at the door) 

At our September meeting, we had the privilege of hearing Randal Dietrich walk us through the journey of building the museum and share its resources.   Now we have the opportunity take a guided tour of the facility.  As an extra treat, the museum's archivist, Dan Ewer, will take us behind the scenes into the archives.  He will describe their collections, share research tips, and explain how to schedule appointments to review documents with staff.   

Feel free to hang around after the tour to view the museum at your leisure following the tour.  The museum will be open until 5:00 p.m. 

Sign up is required for the event.  

Please fill out the form below.

Many genealogists have tried to solve some of the mysteries in their family history and come up against “brick walls.” Rick Allen will present “The One-Word Key to Solving Most Brick Wall Problems” for the St. Cloud Area Genealogists online on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at 6 p.m. at Whitney Senior Center (1527 Northway Drive, St. Cloud). The presentation will be available remotely and will be recorded for members of SCAG and registered guests.

The owner of Backstory Bloodhound, LLC (www.backstorybloodhound.com), Rick Allen conducts on-site genealogical research at facilities in Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky and Southeast Missouri. He loves to bust through those brick walls and, though he is proficient with online resources, he still believes on-the-ground research in courthouses, archives and libraries is often the best way to make those breakthroughs. Retired from the health insurance industry, Rick taught history at the university level and was editor of the Saga of Southern Illinois for seven years. He is currently a director of the Illinois State Genealogical Society and treasurer for a local historical society. Rick has been researching his personal family history since he was a teenager and has published several family history and genealogical records books.

Speaker: Jay Davidson

Presenter: Jill Morelli

What does a live, in-person conference like North Star offer to family history buffs? Genealogists can learn so much nowadays through “virtual” means—webinars, seminars, classes, even conferences—without ever leaving their homes. Yes, this year’s North Star conference offers the insight and expertise of two nationally known experts in genealogy research and multiple sessions on a wide variety of interesting topics from regional experts all in the span of two days. You might be able to take in these types of sessions at your own pace at home if you sought them out. But you’d miss the conference experience. You’d miss talking with other attendees who may have run into some of the same “brick walls” you have—and have found a solution. You’d miss asking your questions of the experts who are right there, speaking at the conference. You also couldn’t enjoy the networking and camaraderie of like-minded people who love family history as much as you do. We hope you’ll look at the conference schedule to find out all you can learn in two days. Then, also note the times built into the schedule for you to make your own experiences—visiting with vendors, lunch times, the Friday evening social, and bidding on door prizes. Register now to save your spot at the conference, then plan on having a great time exploring family history together. We’ll see you at the end of October!

Speakers: Michelle Klein, Michele Braun-Heurung and Joel Dhein 

Choosing the right genealogy software is an important part of organizing, preserving, and sharing your family history research. This presentation will explore key factors to consider when evaluating genealogy programs, including ease of use, cost, syncing capabilities, data privacy, source citation tools, reporting features, media management, DNA integration, training resources, and long-term data portability. The session will feature demonstrations and insights from users of Family Tree Maker and RootsMagic, while also discussing other genealogy software options available today.