Volunteer and Get Involved

To volunteer for the Society, please email us

Here are some of the many opportunities:

  • Assisting with mailings
  • Working in the Archives
  • Host or Hostess at our events
  • Working on or creating programs
  • Publicity
  • Assisting with the gardens at Seven Hearths

Museum Docents

If you love history and meeting people, we’ve got a role for you as a volunteer docent at this year's exhibit, "The Founders of Kent: Starting from Scratch on the Connecticut Frontier." Docents greet exhibit visitors and learn a lot along the way. It is really an education in history for each volunteer docent, and who wouldn’t want to learn more about their own town?

  • Seven Hearths is open annually in the summer months and features a new exhibit. The museum is staffed by volunteer docents on the weekends.
  • Hours: Shifts are usually 11-1:30 and 1:30-4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays July through September
  • Requirements: Willingness to greet people and share information about the exhibit and the Seven Hearths Museum.

Oral History

  • Oral history interviews are conducted of longtime Kent residents.
  • Hours: Whatever time you have available. (Each interview lasts at least an hour.)
  • Requirements: An interest and ability to talk with people.
  • Transcriptions are needed of already recorded interviews.
  • Some interviews need to be converted from analog to digital recordings.

Data entry

  • Special projects to take handwritten information and type it into a spreadsheet.
  • Hours: Whatever time you have available.
  • Requirements: Ability to read handwriting and type. Knowledge of Excel or Google Sheets is helpful.

Archives

Our files are located at the Tallman House, 10 Studio Hill Road, which is open on Tuesday mornings and Friday afternoons.

Jobs:

  • Newspaper clipping and filing
  • Hours: Whatever time you can give
  • Requirements: An understanding of basic filing systems (general topics, cross referencing)

Museum software data entry

  • Hours: Whatever time you can give
  • Requirements: Good comfort level with computers and scanners.
  • Good understanding of database concepts.

Document Inventory

  • We have many old letters, deeds and other documents that are mixed in with our newspaper clippings. They need to be extracted, inventoried and properly stored.
  • Hours: 1 to 2 hours per month (or more)
  • Requirements: Gentle touch, steady hands, good handwriting, ability to work alone on a complex project once the details are explained

Event help

  • Fundraising events and other activities require the assistance of many different kinds of volunteers. Some examples: serving food and beverages, welcoming guests, collecting tickets, poster distribution, set up and clean up.
  • Hours: Whatever time you have available (in conjunction with event date)
  • Requirements: Ability to work with the Fundraising Committee and/or Programs and Outreach Committee

Seven Hearths/Gardens

George Laurence Nelson's gardens at Seven Hearths need regular maintenance.

  • Hours: Anytime on Mondays, or on your own once you are familiar with gardens
  • Requirements: Ability to differentiate weeds from desirable plants, tolerance of heat, humidity and bugs, strong back
  • Rewards: Take home excess perennials when we thin out the gardens

KHS Program Committee

  • We are always looking for fresh ideas for programs as well as worker bees to carry out the ideas.
  • Hours: Committee membership - quarterly meetings at a minimum
  • Requirements: Imagination, enthusiasm, good organizational skills
  • Events: As needed for each event

Fundraising Committee

  • We are always looking for fresh ideas for programs as well as worker bees to carry out the ideas.
  • Hours: Committee membership - Quarterly meetings at a minimum
  • Requirements: Imagination, enthusiasm, good organizational skills

Collections Committee

  • The KHS has a varied collection of textiles, books, furniture, and other objects.
  • Hours: Whatever time you can
  • Requirements:
  • Textiles: Gentle hands! Knowledge of costume history and design a plus.

Books:

  • Good handwriting or your own laptop to create an inventory of all KHS books
  • Furniture: Some knowledge of furniture style, good handwriting or laptop to create an inventory
  • Other objects: Curiosity and patience to work with an eclectic collection of items - photographing, documenting and marking each item. Must be able to work independently.

Schoolhouse

  • Skilled carpentry labor (needs new door).
  • Cleaning services - Dusting, window washing 4 times a year or more if you can (no electricity or running water)

 


Kent Historical Society | PO Box 651 | Kent, CT 06757 | 860.927.4587