All About BIGS

Welcome to the Bainbridge Island Genealogical Society

Bainbridge Grand Forest Trail

Bainbridge Island is both a city and an island in Puget Sound, a 35-minute ferry ride west of Seattle. Our primary service area is the island and the area that makes up the northern half of Kitsap County. That said, we are proud to have members currently residing all over the U.S., researching our family histories all over the world.

BIGS was founded in 2005 and is run by members for members. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, registered in the state of Washington. Our mission is to bring people together to experience and teach the various aspects of genealogical research.

Please join us as a guest at any Monthly Meeting and check us out! Everyone is welcome to visit and become a member.

Our Goals

Discussion Groups

These are focused discussion groups open to all members which are facilitated by members. Some meet monthly, some quarterly, others are as scheduled. The topics are subject to change over time depending on members’ interests and volunteers to facilitate. Meeting schedules are updated monthly in the events section of this website.

BIGS currently offers the following Discussion Groups:

DNA Workshop

Skill Building

Great Britain

Writer's Workshop

Online Q&A

As part of our outreach efforts BIGS offers online coaching sessions for members of the public who request them. These are staffed by members of all experience levels who are interested in sharing their knowledge with others.

2021-2022 Board of Directors

  • Andrea (Andy) Hoskins, President
  • Larry Noedel, Vice President
  • Joyce Oswald, Treasurer
  • Holly Ardinger, Secretary
  • Betty Wiese, Director
  • Sue Hassenmiller, Director
  • Sylvia Nelson, Director
  • Susan Palmer, Director

To learn more about us, read the “All in the Family” story from the fall 2019 issue of the Bainbridge Island Magazine here