Volunteer
Since the inception of the Antique Boat Museum, volunteers have been the heart and soul of this institution, and it would not be the same without their dedication. Over the past year volunteers contributed over 9000 hours, helping the Museum uphold its mission to preserve and interpret North American pleasure boating history and the St. Lawrence River's nautical heritage. Working side by side with Museum staff and trustees, volunteers have helped the Museum grow into a significant institution. We are grateful to all of those who have given their time and welcome anyone who wants to become a volunteer.
What happens when you volunteer?
What happens when you volunteer?
- You give the Museum a vital donation
- You meet new people and form friendships with other volunteers
- You learn more about the fascinating history of pleasure boating and the Thousand Islands
- You earn reward discounts in the Museum Store
The Volunteer Council
The Volunteer Council is made up of volunteers who have committed their time and energy to making the whole program run smoothly. The members of the 2007-2008 Volunteer Council are:
Judie Petersen - Coordinator
Bonnie Borrello
Patrick Crosby
Barb Feikert
Esther Frickman
Betty Holm
Carol Richardson
Linda Schmitt
John Simpson
Bonnie Wurster
Lora Nadolski- Staff Liaison
If you are interested in volunteering at the Museum, please contact the Volunteer Council at (315)686-4104 ext. 246 or by emailing volunteers@abm.org.
Volunteer Positions
By volunteering your time to the Museum, you give the institution great gifts: the gifts of your skills, knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm. No prior experience is necessary to be a volunteer, as we will train you to do any job you are interested in doing. You can give as much of your time as you want by selecting a daily, weekly, or monthly time slot throughout the summer. Here are just a few of the jobs that volunteers can do:
Admission: sell admission tickets during special events.
Boat Care and Maintenance: clean, shine, paint, and perform minor restoration tasks to maintain our in-water fleet, as well as care for boats and engines in storage and on display.
Builder: work in one of the Museum workshops building Adirondack chairs, exhibit components, display items, or pieces for special events.
Clerical and Correspondence: the Museum office always needs people to type, file, and photocopy items to prepare packets for special events or mass mailings.
Collections and Exhibits: work with the curatorial department to prepare items for storage or display, work with catalogue records or help to sort, organize and inventory artifacts.
Docent: lead Museum visitors on guided tours of the Museum and/or La Duchesse.
Education: assist education staff with adult and children's programs or event forums.
Gardening: help plant and maintain the flowers around the Museum campus throughout the summer.
Gold Cup Building: act as both a docent for the Gold Cup Exhibit and gift shop person for the small Museum Store located inside the Gold Cup building.
Grounds Maintenance: assist our facilities crew with cleaning and repairs around the Museum grounds.
Library: duties include filing, photocopying, answering research inquiries, compiling inventory of donations and doing research as well as other projects.
Living Exhibit: welcome visitors, conduct demonstrations, and answer questions in the Stone Building boat shop when the Boatbuilder-in-Residence is not on hand.
Museum Host: welcome visitors, answer questions, provide presence in galleries and on campus.
Museum Store: ready items for display and sale in the Museum Store including ticketing, folding, filling display units, inventory counting, etc.
Security: provide presence and safety in and around Museum campus for both visitors and items in the display halls.
Special Events: act as a host, serve food and drink, assist with boat and model making, act as a docker or dockette, sell memberships, admission, boat ride and raffle tickets and more at one of our 4 major summer events.
Click on this PDF link to download a volunteer application form.
Click here to view/download Adobe PDF file.
The Volunteer Voice
Four times a year the Volunteer Council publishes a newsletter, The Volunteer Voice, which highlights the activities happening at the Museum and what the volunteers have been working on. Click on this PDF link to read the current newsletter. Click here to view/download Adobe PDF file.
Click on the link below to read past issues of the Volunteer Voice. Click here to view/download Adobe PDF file.
