Spring Volunteer Recruitment a Big Success

Docent trainer Gordon Uppman leads a discussion on Helen Hunt Jackson and Ramona with new volunteers.

Please welcome the following new volunteers to our ranks. Many of these individuals have already begun participating in RCM events, helping with school tours, special events and shadowing experienced docents on Saturday tours. Kathy Bosner, a Santa Clarita resident, is a local history enthusiast and has already assisted with several RCM events. Fillmore resident  Sandy Butts is an elementary school teacher, who has been active in the Girl Scouts and assisted with the planting of the Mary Rubel garden. Newhall resident Sandy Frommer learned of RCM through Kathi Marsden. A native of Guatemala and fluent in Spanish, Sandy works in the dental industry, and plans to volunteer on Saturdays. Tina Levy is a trained accountant and worked for Pierce College. Tina discovered her love of California history through COC professor and RCM volunteer  Connie Tripp. She is enthusiastic about putting her new interest in local history to work on behalf of RCM. Mary Helen Miller is an attorney and legal editor, who also has grant writing and fundraising experience. A Santa Clarita resident, Mary Helen is also an avid family historian and Disney Buff. Newhall resident Delores Pilling discovered RCM at this year’s Cowboy Festival and “loved” her tour with Gordon. Delores has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and the Senior Golf PGA tour. Fillmore resident Hazel Rettig came to RCM through friend and neighbor Marion Schuck. Hazel, a native of Pennsylvania, ran her family’s farm for 15years and enjoys floral arranging, decorating, crafts and history. Pamela Smith, who discovered Rancho Camulos through Marie Wren, formerly owned a Fillmore florist shop, and has been active with the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and the Fillmore Women’s Club.

Several veteran docents have signed up as mentors for our newest recruits. Many thanks to Diane Babko, Maria Christopher, Dianne Gay Cox, Kathi Marsden,  and Hillary Weireter for volunteering to assist our docents in training. We will be hosting another training class for additional recruits in the near future. If you know of anyone who would like to volunteer at RCM please let Kathi Marsden or Susan know.

  

Thanks to the hard work of a dedicated crew of docents, this year’s school tour program earned an A+ from students, teachers and parents. More than 1,300 students participated in the program that ran from the Fall of 2013 through early June of this year. An additional 110 middle schoolers participated in a Civil War re-enactment in May (see below). This year’s school tour program generated $4,785 in admissions, plus more than $3,000 in gift shop sales from our young, enthusiastic shoppers who loved buying sombreros, erasers, pens, stuffed animals, etc.! As one pleased fourth grader wrote of his field trip experience, “I was entirely satisfied with my visit to Rancho Camulos.” Other “satisfied” young guests expressed appreciation for the opportunity to make adobe bricks and tortillas, doing the laundry and shopping.

Please plan to attend a late afternoon picnic at RCM for volunteers and their families on Sunday, July 20th. The museum and board will be hosting the event, serving up hamburgers, hot dogs and beverages. Watch for your invitation in early July with more details.

RCM’s annual Artists Day, one of the museum’s most popular offerings, attracted 51 enthusiastic painters on May 16th. Most came early to stake out a spot to paint Camulos’ scenic buildings and grounds. A highlight of the day was the delicious docent- prepared lunch buffet of delicious tasty  salads, topped off with a Hagen Daz ice cream bar and fresh strawberries. Due to the very warm temperatures guests were invited to eat their lunch in either the main adobe living room, parlor or school house, creating the delightful ambience of an old-fashioned tea room. Many thanks to Hillary Weireter for coordinating this successful event and the docents who shared their culinary talents with our artists.

 

 

Dressed in military uniforms, top hats, and an array of lovely hoop skirt gowns, RCM hosted more than 100 middle schoolers for SCVI Charter School’s Civil War re-enactment on May 22. “Abraham Lincoln” delivered the Gettysburg Address, soldiers practiced military drills, while others performed the Virginia Reel for an enthusiastic audience of students, parents and teachers. The event raised more than $1,400 for the museum and attracted many first time visitors. Special thanks to volunteers Kathy Bosner, Kathi Marsden, Dorothea Phelan Hazel Rettig, Martha Richardson, Marion Schuck, and Carmen and John Zermeno for assisting with this educational and  fun event.

A young sutler (merchant) sells students’ handmade wares at the Civil War re-enactment.

 Several individuals associated with RCM recently celebrated graduations. Congratulations are in order for docent Kristin Contreras, who graduated with a Masters in History from Cal State Northridge. Kristin’s research focused on marriage patterns among rancho era Californios. I had the pleasure to attend a presentation Kristin made of her research findings at CSUN earlier this spring. We wish Kristin well in her job search.

Carmen and John Zermeno’s son, John Paul, graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry in May. He will be joining a dental practice in San Diego after completing a humanitarian trip to Nepal this summer.

Susan’s son, Ryan, completed a Masters in Public Health at the University of South Carolina last month. He has been accepted to the Ph.D. program at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver to conduct neuroscience research. Best wishes to all of our grads!