BRUNSWICK — Pejepscot History Center is set to welcome those interested in volunteering at one or more of its three museum facilities to attend an open house and workshop on Saturday, April 6.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and includes a light lunch provided by Wild Oats.
The morning will feature a talk about early Bowdoin and Brunswick history by John Cross, secretary of development and college relations. Cross is the de facto historian of the college.
Following lunch, volunteers will be broken up into interest groups to hear talks at either the Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum on the period when Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and his wife, Mary, lived in the house, or at the Skolfield-Whittier House Museum on the forensic career of Dr. Frank Whittier.
Prospective volunteers will receive a welcome packet and meet and hear from veteran volunteers in a variety of roles, such as tour guides, those that work managing collections, buildings and grounds/garden crew members, and office helpers.
“Working with our volunteers is one of the best parts of my job,” says outreach manager Sarah Sharpton, who oversees the volunteer program, in a news release she sent. “We have such an amazing group who bring all kinds of talents and experiences to PHC, and we’re always excited to welcome new folks.”
Following the open house, docents go through a specific series of steps before leading their first tours. Collections volunteers also attend a follow-up session to tour the archives and object storage, learn about the collections database, and understand proper handling and housing techniques. Buildings and grounds and office volunteers can begin volunteer shifts immediately.
The April 6 event is free, but RSVPs are required. Email [email protected] by Monday, April 1. Those interested are asked to complete a form at pejepscothistorical.org/volunteer.
All PHC volunteers receive free admission to the museums, free access to research, a t-shirt, the PHC print newsletter, field trip opportunities, and an annual volunteer celebration in the fall.
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less