thedrifter
03-16-06, 07:16 AM
Museum seeks Marines to help with operations
March 16, 2006 12:50 am
By PAMELA GOULD
Free Lance-Star
The Marines are looking for a few hundred good men and women.
Relocations and deployments aren't on the horizon.
And combat is out of the question--unless you consider a hail of questions from inquisitive youngsters akin to enemy fire.
The National Museum of the Marine Corps is ready to shift its focus from design, construction and exhibits to operational matters, director Lin Ezell said.
And that means putting out a call for volunteers.
People need not have served in the Marines or even have ties to that branch of the military, Ezell said. The chief requirements are an interest in Marine Corps history and plenty of energy.
"Every museum, public or private, is very dependent on an energetic volunteer force," said Ezell, who opened the Smithsonian Institution's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in December 2003 and will have a staff of 36 for this museum.
"This is something that's not taken lightly," Brig. Gen. Gerald McKay said of the volunteer recruitment effort.
McKay is the chief operating officer of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, the organization raising funds to build the roughly $54 million structure that will tell the story of the nation's Marines.
The museum will be the centerpiece of the Marine Corps Heritage Center, a 135-acre campus that one day is to include a convention center, hotel, IMAX theater, parade grounds and Semper Fidelis Memorial Park.
The museum is being built alongside Interstate 95 near the main gate to Quantico Marine Corps base. Dedication is set for Nov. 10 and McKay said "it's all coming together" to meet that deadline.
"Launching the volunteer program is an important transition," Ezell said.
She hopes to attract 200 to 300 volunteers for three tasks: visitor services, docent roles and gift shop support.
Volunteers will undergo a 10-week training program for both the docent and visitor services positions and will be asked to serve at least eight hours a month.
Docents will provide special tours, answer questions in the galleries depicting different eras of Marine Corps history and help with the museum's interactive exhibits.
Visitor services volunteers will greet visitors and answer general questions about the museum and the surrounding area.
Volunteers in the museum shop will provide customer service.
Visitor services volunteers must be at least 16 years old; the others must be at least 18.
The museum will hold two-hour information sessions on May 19 and 20 for people considering volunteering. Anyone interested in taking part should contact Volunteer Coordinator Tina Noonan at 703/640-7965 or
Email: volunteer@marineheritage.com.
If a volunteer served in the Marines, that will just be a bonus, Ezell said.
"Marines will have stories that might weave neatly into their tours, but it's not a requirement," she said.
To reach PAMELA GOULD: 540/735-1972
Email: pgould@freelancestar.com
Ellie
March 16, 2006 12:50 am
By PAMELA GOULD
Free Lance-Star
The Marines are looking for a few hundred good men and women.
Relocations and deployments aren't on the horizon.
And combat is out of the question--unless you consider a hail of questions from inquisitive youngsters akin to enemy fire.
The National Museum of the Marine Corps is ready to shift its focus from design, construction and exhibits to operational matters, director Lin Ezell said.
And that means putting out a call for volunteers.
People need not have served in the Marines or even have ties to that branch of the military, Ezell said. The chief requirements are an interest in Marine Corps history and plenty of energy.
"Every museum, public or private, is very dependent on an energetic volunteer force," said Ezell, who opened the Smithsonian Institution's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in December 2003 and will have a staff of 36 for this museum.
"This is something that's not taken lightly," Brig. Gen. Gerald McKay said of the volunteer recruitment effort.
McKay is the chief operating officer of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, the organization raising funds to build the roughly $54 million structure that will tell the story of the nation's Marines.
The museum will be the centerpiece of the Marine Corps Heritage Center, a 135-acre campus that one day is to include a convention center, hotel, IMAX theater, parade grounds and Semper Fidelis Memorial Park.
The museum is being built alongside Interstate 95 near the main gate to Quantico Marine Corps base. Dedication is set for Nov. 10 and McKay said "it's all coming together" to meet that deadline.
"Launching the volunteer program is an important transition," Ezell said.
She hopes to attract 200 to 300 volunteers for three tasks: visitor services, docent roles and gift shop support.
Volunteers will undergo a 10-week training program for both the docent and visitor services positions and will be asked to serve at least eight hours a month.
Docents will provide special tours, answer questions in the galleries depicting different eras of Marine Corps history and help with the museum's interactive exhibits.
Visitor services volunteers will greet visitors and answer general questions about the museum and the surrounding area.
Volunteers in the museum shop will provide customer service.
Visitor services volunteers must be at least 16 years old; the others must be at least 18.
The museum will hold two-hour information sessions on May 19 and 20 for people considering volunteering. Anyone interested in taking part should contact Volunteer Coordinator Tina Noonan at 703/640-7965 or
Email: volunteer@marineheritage.com.
If a volunteer served in the Marines, that will just be a bonus, Ezell said.
"Marines will have stories that might weave neatly into their tours, but it's not a requirement," she said.
To reach PAMELA GOULD: 540/735-1972
Email: pgould@freelancestar.com
Ellie