Who We Are

The Roots Users Group (RUG) provides resources for the now-retired The Master Genealogist (TMG) software program, and explores other genealogy programs for future migration along with other topics of general interest to TMG users and genealogists.

Join the RUG!

The RUG’s ZOOM meetings are typically held the second Saturday of the month, with occasional breaks. Webinars cover software, research, DNA, Artificial Intelligence, and other genealogy-related topics. Meetings are open to the public and free. Webinars are generally recorded and available in our website’s RUG Meeting Presentations section.

UPCOMING RUG ZOOM MEETINGS

Times are US Eastern Time Zone

September 12, 2026 — NO MEETING
October 10, 2026
Time Session Title Presenter
9:00 am Session 1 HRE Testers’ Experiences TMG Users Phil Freund & Mark Scott
~10:30 am Session 2 An Ancient Dynasty That Transformed Europe: Why most European men have direct paternal descent from one man who lived near Vienna in 2700 BCE Bob Spencer PhD
November 14, 2026
Time Session Title Presenter
9:00 am Session 1 RUG Annual Business Meeting  
~10:00 am Session 2 Family Search Catalog: The Christmas Catalog for Genealogists Lianne Kruger
~11:15 am Session 3 Recorded webinar by Thomas MacEntee Thomas MacEntee
Webinars from RUG’s Members Only Library*
December 12, 2026
Time Session Title Presenter
9:00 am Session 1 10 Steps to Researching the History of Your House Marian Pierre-Louise, APG, genealogist, speaker, writer & podcaster
~10:30 am Session 2 Annual Holiday Celebration (Virtual) TBD

Join us for our Zoom meetings. We welcome all members and new users.

* The links to the handouts for this meeting’s webinar will be live in the Members Only Webinar Library soon. The link to the above recorded webinars will be live the morning of the meeting.

Meeting Notices with the link to the meeting will be sent to RUG Members. They will also be sent to the TMG Mailing List. This same Zoom link will be posted for attendees on the TMG Mailing List. (If you are not a member of that list, I Want to Join the TMG Mailing List.)

If you have questions during the presentations, please type them into the Chat window during the sessions or email them in advance to our programs chairperson.

When you join the meeting, please identify yourself by your first name or initial and last name, whether or not you are a RUG member, and your location. For example: Connie Jeremiah, RUG M, VA. In Zoom, rename yourself via the Participants list.