The founders of the Pro-Am Genies network introduce their group of amateur, aspiring and professional genealogists, who are united by one thing: they’ve all taken the Pharos Tutors course ‘Professional Genealogist: become one, become a better one’ with Karen Cummings
The group’s founding members first met on the May 2019 intake of the Pharos Tutors Course (www. pharostutors.com/details. php?coursenumber=941), where they enjoyed their weekly interactions and used the forums regularly. Wanting to ensure their conversations, camaraderie and networking could continue beyond the end of the course, Sophie Kay, Phil Isherwood and Claire Bradley decided to set up a group for course alumni. Phil has an IT background, and it was he who suggested using MeWe, a social networking site, to create a dedicated private space for the cohort. Phil set up a MeWe group immediately after their Pharos Tutors course finished and took on responsibility for adding new members and as site owner.
Group interaction
The pandemic allowed Pro-Am’s digital meetups to flourish, in the form of monthly Zoom meetings which have since become a regular fixture.
Some meetings feature group discussions on practical topics including report writing, developing and using terms and conditions, accounting, and combatting plagiarism, whilst others showcase professional development lectures from members. Recent talks have addressed specialisms such as Irish research, genetic genealogy, asylum records, and how to organise your genealogical notes and files. Periodic ‘skills sharpening’ sessions see attendees
carry out fast-paced collaborative research over the course of an hour, learning from one another’s working practices. A couple of times a year the Pro-Ams also enjoy an open chat session, providing a welcome chance to share anecdotes and have a good laugh.
From the very beginning, the co-founders wanted to ensure the group provided an equal platform for all its members no matter what their career stage, so the sole condition of joining is that you have completed the Pharos Tutors ‘Professional Genealogist’ course. When each course iteration ends, Karen Cummings kindly extends an invitation to the new alumni to join the Pro-Am Genies network. The group now has 52 members, and in addition to a strong UK-based contingent can boast members from the Netherlands, Israel, the US, and Canada, whilst co-founder Claire Bradley is from Ireland. The initiative is volunteer-led and does not charge membership fees.
A friendly community
The invitation-only group has also benefitted from the range of experience its members
