The initial constitution of 1946 established annual meetings of CGS, which was known at that time as the California Council of Geography Teachers. The first meeting was held on Saturday, June 21, 1947, in the San Diego Hotel in conjunction with the APCG meeting. Since the inaugural conference, meetings have been held in almost every corner of the state, in urban settings and in rural settings.

The annual spring conference is generally held the last weekend in April or the first weekend in May, and average attendance hovers around 350 geographers and friends.

The conferences feature high quality scholarship from student geographers, professors and professional geographers from the public and private sectors in a supportive environment. 

Fabulous field trips, lead by local geographers and historians are always a highlight, but many conference attendees claim the camaraderie and fellowship makes each year's conference memorable.