Press Release: Volunteer Recognition, April 2017

NM Historical Society volunteers honored for 100 hours of service:

Kathy Prater, Jack Schuler and Kay Barnett.  (Not pictured:  David Waas).

2017 NM Historical Society Volunteers of the Year

Nancy and Jack Schuler with NM Historical Society President

Mary Chrastil.

The two pictures above would seem to me to be the most important ones to use, if possible.  The one below can be used or not.  It’s just a nice group shot!

NMHS volunteers who earned their 100-hour t-shirts in past years.  Seated:  Carolyn Underwood, Nancy Reed, Gladys Airgood, Jane Ann Airgood, Mary Chrastil.   Standing:  Nancy Schuler, Jack Schuler, Jo Ann Schall, Jeanne Andersen, Joyce Joy, Kathy Prater, Mary Miller, Tom Brown, Kay Barnett, John Knarr, and Bonnie Hileman. 

NM Historical Society Honors Volunteers

April is National Volunteer Month.  On April 18, the North Manchester Historical Society honored 68 volunteers at a reception at the NM Center for History.  The volunteers served as docents, researchers, exhibit planners, fabricators and artists, Thomas Marshall House docents, board members, program planners, preservation group members, school day volunteers, administrators, and in many other capacities.  NMHS is virtually all-volunteer run organization, so its operations depend heavily on volunteer support.

NMHS President Mary Chrastil first honored two long-time volunteers who passed away last year, Ferne Baldwin and Ralph Naragon.  Both had been Historical Society volunteers for decades, and had helped the Society immensely.   She also noted highlights from the past year that were achieved with the help of volunteers, including the new Center for History façade and many Indiana Bicentennial projects and events. 

A highlight of the evening was honoring volunteers who have accumulated 100 hours of service.  These milestone volunteers received a polo shirt with the North Manchester Center for History logo.  Those reaching the 100 hour mark this year were Kay Barnett, Kathy Prater, Jack Schuler and David Waas.

The Volunteer of the Year awards were given to Nancy Schuler and Jack Schuler.  According to Chrastil, Nancy has worked as a docent at the Center for History every week for many years.  She has also taken on the task of recording all the volunteer hours in our data base, and recently became Chrastil’s assistant in bookkeeping and finance.  “And she’s helped with everything from window displays to organizing events.”  Jack was recruited as a volunteer by wife Nancy.  Says Chrastil, “Jack can make just about anything, from a wall covered with barn siding to the fence around the critters in our early settlers display to cabinets for our clothing collection.”  He has joined the Center’s Building and Maintenance Committee and made valuable contributions.  

This year, volunteers recorded 8,210 hours of service from April 31, 2016 through March 31, 2017, the equivalent of 3.9 Full Time Employees. Total volunteer hours since the Center opened are 71,692.  Using the guidelines provided by The Independent Sector volunteer website, the 71,692 hours translate into volunteer services valued at $1,689,064.  In other words, Historical Society volunteers have donated almost 1.7 million dollars of service since the Society began keeping records in 2000.

The North Manchester Historical Society includes the North Manchester Center for History, the Thomas Marshall House Museum and the Historic Homes Preservation Group.  These groups are all not-for-profits who depend almost exclusively on volunteer support.