In order to become a member of The General Society of Mayflower Descendants, an applicant must be able to prove their lineage from one of the above individuals, using primary documentation.  To learn more about the process for genealogical research, as well as the nature of primary documentation, visit our research page.  For many people, the investigative work, as well as the documentation, has been accomplished, in whole or part, by another family member.  Utilize all sources at your disposal.

The process for becoming a member is simple, straightforward, and enjoyable.  Our society Historian is ready to help you in any way possible, and will endeavor to point you in the right direction when necessary.  The following steps are necessary for membership:

Step One:  Contact our Historian by email and express your interest in membership.  You can reach the Historian by clicking here.

Step Two:  When you receive your preliminary application form, (a very simple one-page form), you will mail it back to the Historian with a non-refundable application fee of $80.00.  When our Historian receives your preliminary application and check, he or she will mail you a Worksheet.  With each mailing you receive, there will be a letter clearly expressing your next step.

Step Three:  When you receive the Worksheet from our Historian, he or she will have filled in the first four or five generations from your Mayflower ancestor.  The documentation for these lines is well-established and accepted by the General Historian of the Society.  It will be your job now to fill out the remainder of the Worksheet.  Clear directions will be included with the Worksheet.  You will return your Worksheet to the society Historian with a copy of your documentation for every line in each generation beyond the first few which were filled in by the Historian.

Step Four:  After you return your Worksheet, our Historian will review it and advise you if there is anything lacking.  When everything seems to be in order, the society Historian will type the final Application and send it to you for review and your signature.  When the signed final Application arrives back to our Historian, he or she will send it, with all your documentation, to the Historian General of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants. 

Step Five:  Wait until you hear back from us!  If and when approved and elected, you will receive both a Colorado membership number and General Society membership number, and will be contacted by our society shortly thereafter.

That may sound like quite a bit of work, and to some degree it is, but membership in the Society of Mayflower Descendants is very prestigious.  It is a great honor to obtain membership in our society, and part of the reason for that is the high standard we hold in verifying the accuracy of our candidates' applications.

The contact information for our society Historian can be found on our Contact page.  Good luck as you begin your research.