If you’d like to broaden your horizons, meet amazing people, and share the joy of discovery with others, the Evanston History Center has a deal for you.
It recommends that you volunteer to spend time at the Charles Gates Dawes House, the center’s headquarters at 225 Greenwood St., as a docent, to give guided tours of the house.
“Our docents, or educational interpreters, are important members of the organization who represent the EHC to all of our guests,” according to Kris Hartzell, the organization’s director of facilities, visitor services, and collections.
She has scheduled an information session for potential docents for Saturday, Jan. 19, at 11 a.m., at the Center, for an informal discussion of what’s involved for volunteers.
Tours conducted by docents encompass the historic architecture of the house, the antique furnishings and art, while also exploring local, national, and international history, Hartzell says.
Accordingly, she adds, “candidates must be able to stand and talk for up to three hours at a time. We are flexible with scheduling, but we do ask for a regular commitment of at least one day a month.”
Hartzell assures candidates that “we will provide all of the training necessary to give the tours, in a low-pressure environment dedicated to encouraging and inspiring docents to share their enthusiasm with visitors.”
The Center is open for tours Thursdays through Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., offering three tours a day on the hour, with no reservations required.
Interested candidates are invited to let Hartzell know by email (khartzell@evanstonhistorycenter.org) that you can attend the Jan. 19 session.
She suspects that you probably already know that the Center’s facility is the former home of Charles Gates Dawes, who was vice president of the United States during the administration of Calvin Coolidge from 1925 to 1929.