BRUNSWICK
Pejepscot Historical Society conducts its annual training for new volunteers on Wednesday, April 11, from 4-7 p.m. and Thursday, April 12, from 9 a.m. to noon. The society seeks volunteer tour guides for its two historic house museums – the Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum and Skolfield-Whittier House – as well as volunteers to work in the offices, collections, and doing light maintenance.
“From day one, PHS has relied on the hard work and commitment of a large corps of volunteers in all areas of the organization,” Executive Director Larissa Vigue Picard said. “We couldn’t operate without them. Their contributions are priceless.”
Prospective volunteers must attend one of the two training sessions, and must register for the trainings by April 9 by emailing [email protected] . Those interested may also wish to complete the online PHS volunteer form at www.pejepscothistorical.org /about-us/volunteer/application. Trainings include an introduction to the organization and properties, tours of the museums, first-person accounts from veteran volunteers, small group discussion, resource materials, and refreshments.
Volunteer tour guides, or docents, receive a training manual and must shadow experienced guides in the spring before escorting their own tours. Both house museums open on Memorial Day Weekend and are open through the fall. Standard tours are 45-60 minutes in length. Docents must have an interest in history, a desire to work with the public and people of all ages, good presentation skills, and be able to climb stairs and be on their feet for at least an hour at a time.
Volunteers in the PHS offices and collections do not need any prior experience, but must be enthusiastic about local history and supporting a community organization. Tasks may include data entry, organizing collection items and working on exhibits, light maintenance or grounds work, assisting with hanging posters in town or other errands, helping at programs, and more.
All volunteers receive free admission to the museums, free access to archival research, and an invitation to an annual volunteer celebration in the fall.
For more information on volunteering at PHS, visit pejepscothistorical.org/about-us/volunteer.
The Pejepscot Historical Society preserves, interprets, and promotes the rich history of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, through its collections, programs, and historic house museums.
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