26 - Sunday, Nov.-22, 1992 — North Shore News

Volunteering helps ease winter doldrums

HAVING A tussle with the old-age syn-
drome? Winter coming cn and you’re thinking
“*bleak’?? All your friends moved to Mexico

or Parksville or
disabilities?

I have just the thing to
help you deal with those
depressing feelings of being
out of it, missing some-
thing, unloved, adrift in a
sea of cold shoulders.

It doesn’t cost, this thing;
let me tell you that first.
And you won't be expected
to dress funny or stand out
in the rain or lift heavy
burdens.

You will be required to
open doors to the past, to
do some studying, to use
your imagination, to talk
with littl kids as well as
with seniors who may be
older than you are.

You'll be learning and
helping them to learn how
North Vancouver City and
Worth Vancouver District
got the way they are today.

’. It’s our museum calling,
see. li needs heip.

Yes, we do have a
museum, and it contains
treasures both pretentious
and un-, but what we have
mostly is masses of artifacts
and journals and_ receipt-
books and photographs and
minute-books and maps
and a uniform from one of
the North Vancouver Ferry
Captains and some stuffed
owls and I’m out of breath
but there’s all manner and
confusion of things.

.. Work is afoot to bring it
into the light, where it can
be arranged to best advan-
tage, and thus can be used
. to- unravel and display the
dreams and visions of the
people -whe came. before
and started it all.
* Nobody’s :asking you to

become. a curator, dcn’t

fallen prey to crippling

Eleanor

THE VINTAGE YEARS

wotry about that. There are
numercus qualified people
already beavering away at
the aforementioned cellec-
tion. What you are needed
for, though, is the guiding
part — to prepare yourself
to show and tell things like
what is known about the
colony of Hawaiians who
were amongst our first set-
tiers, after the local aborig-
ines.

To tell children about
gold doubloons found in
the cutbank above what us-
ed to be called The
Sawdust. To learn enough
about our past to conduct
tours of memory and
nostalgia in any part of the

“museum, by using the newly

organized resources.

You'll learn how to gain
access to and make use of
the old maps and the old
manuscripts, and be able to
identify the old buildings
that housed and served our

‘pioneers.

If you were born here
you have an advantage, but

as a newcomer you’ll have
the tools to satisfy your cu-
riosity as well as enrich
your pleasure in your new
community.

This place where we live

‘has fascinating and roman-

tic origins, the examination
of which wil} make your
eyes shine with surprise and
your lips tremble with com-
passion. Sometimes with
laughter. But a heck of a
lot of it is presently all box-
ed and hidden and stacked
against walls where it’s do-
ing avsolutely to one any
gocd.

Your help would be much
appreciated, and from your
involvement you wili reap
gobs of pleasure and pride
and understanding. You’ll
see these streets and houses
in new fight, transformed,
and you'll be in a position
to point with pride.

Six people are already
enrolled in weekly training,
but come January there will
be another beginners’ class,
and Shirley Sutherland, the
present education curator, is
Jooking for another six at
that time. One of the cur-
rent learners is a retired
professional who fancies
putting his talents to
carpentry work, restorative
and otherwise.

It makes me think there
may be needlewomen who
would enjoy repairing some
of the lovely old gowns and
robes that have been ac-
cumulated.

There is also a Friends of
the Museum group, plan-
ning soon a newsletter and
hoping for contributions to
that.

The already-established
historical society is another
source of background and
color, and when you think
about it, for us seniors it’s
right down our alley. Not to
mention the pleasure of
helping interpret tools and
references that belong to
our past.

So where is all this going
on, you want to kaow?

In our museum is where
your training wil! take

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place, and when you come
round to join you'll see ex-
actly why it needs friends.

You know where Pres-
entation House is, eh? On
the property between Third
Street and Fourth Street ad-
jacent to Chesterfield? Used
to be city hall? Well, that’s
where the museum is hous-
ed — go in off Fourth, or
go in via the Presentation.
House entrance that faces
Chesterfield and ask your
way from there. |

There’s loads of work to
be done.

Call 987-5618, and ask
for Shirley.

aes

(with this ad)

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0

988-7778
925-9994

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Seniors Special

October 25 to April 12,1993. —

like this OF)

purchase a second of equal! or greater
value at Criffins Restaurant (minimum
order of $10 requested for this offer). ..
Call cotiect (604) 684-3131. Please ask
for Room Reservations and the.

B.C. Seniors Rate.

A tradition of service since 1886.

Early morning coffee, tea and
newspaper —on the house.

50% off your food bill at the famous
Roof Restaurant and/or one
complimentary dinner entree when you

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