As we move into the final days of the 2018 tourism season and into the Thanksgiving holiday here at Lexington Historical Society, I thought I’d reflect a little on the many things for which I am thankful as the Education and Interpretation Manager.

• I am thankful for our wonderful Board of Directors that have allowed the staff at the Historical Society to grow and professionalize throughout the past year.
• I am thankful for my fellow staff members who never bat an eye when I ask for help setting up tables, covering lunches at Buckman, or even covering the occasional greeter shift.  Your constant support and assistance have been lifesavers during busy spring and summer days.
• I am thankful for over 750 Lexington Historical Society members.  Without your involvement and kind donations, we wouldn’t be able to operate as well as we do.  We hope you’ll consider giving one more time during Giving Tuesday - check our Facebook page for updates.
• I am thankful for the close to 17,000 visitors that have come to Lexington and engaged with our wonderful staff at the historic homes.  Whether taking a tour or stopping in for a break from the heat, your curiosity about Lexington’s history is always welcome. I’m also very thankful for the understanding nature of these visitors as they have had to deal with the disappointment of Munroe Tavern being closed this season, but I promise we’ll re-open in the Spring 😊.
• I am thankful for our volunteer committees who help the staff plan and launch our wonderful programs, events, and tours.  Your commitment to making Lexington Historical Society a one of a kind institution can not be stated or praised enough.
• I am thankful for the over 1,500 students and teachers who have chosen to take part in a school program that helps to supplement their teaching curriculum.  Thank you for giving us the chance to share our knowledge.
• I am thankful for our wonderful volunteers.  Lexington Historical Society has long been an organization driven by volunteerism.  Our large group of volunteers help our staff plan events, care for collections, and staff our historic properties during our open season.  I am constantly grateful for the time that our volunteers give to us and am amazed by their dedication to the Historical Society.
• I am especially thankful for our volunteer greeters.   This season our greeters have volunteered over 1,200 hours and welcomed over 5,800 visitors to the Hancock-Clarke House and Munroe Tavern.   Visitors are constantly commenting on TripAdvisor about the “extremely enthusiastic” staff and being “greeted by the most wonderful staff."  When I read these comments, it makes me even more appreciative of the excellent work that our volunteer greeters put in during their shifts at Hancock-Clarke House and Munroe Tavern.
• I am thankful for our staff at Buckman Tavern.  They have told the story of Buckman Tavern to over 10,000 visitors in addition to selling over 1,000 bottles of the now world famous Buckman’s Brew root beer.  Your passion for history and welcoming smiles are a key reason that so many visitors comment on TripAdvisor that “the staff is friendly and well informed. And glad to see you!”
• Finally, I am thankful for all of our wonderful historic house guides that staff our historic properties.  Your subject knowledge and enthusiasm for providing an engaging experience to our visitors never cease to amaze me.  It is this unwavering dedication that prompted one visitor to comment that Hancock-Clarke House is “a MUST see site, when you visit Lexington; you will come away with far greater appreciation, respect and understanding of the history of the American Revolution.”  Without your dedication to Lexington Historical Society we would not be where we are today, and my job would not be as fun and rewarding as it is.

 
Have a great holiday season and we’ll hopefully see some of you in 2019!!!

-Chris Kauffman, Education and Interpretation Manager

You can probably see by now that working at the Historical Society takes a wide variety of skill sets. As professionals, our staff is always working towards improving our skills and learning new ones. This is why we’re always looking for professional development opportunities to attend, such as classes, workshops, webinars, and conferences. (Don’t tell the kids, but school never ends in this line of work!)
 
Topics for these opportunities range far and wide as our positions and expertise require. From webinars on proper archival storage climates to lectures on fundraising, our staff is always looking for learning opportunities.
 
Here’s a taste of what our staff has been learning recently:

• Education Manager Chris is currently taking a class on museum education to keep his techniques for our school programs at their best, and to keep us on the cutting edge of facilitating visitors’ meaningful and memorable experiences.
• Program Manager Sarah recently went to a workshop on writing surveys for visitor feedback. Constructive feedback is key to making programs better every year, so refining the way we get that feedback is always important.
• Collections Manager Stacey is taking a class on royal fashion in the 19th century. Yep, you read that right - royal fashion! No, we didn’t have any royalty in Lexington, but we certainly had fashion, and this class is full of useful information on 19th century textiles.

 


Archives Manager Elizabeth and I attended the New England Archivists conference on ethics in archives a few weeks ago. Did you know that many museum professional organizations have a code of ethics? They are used as standards to create best practices from, as well as guide professionals through tricky situations.

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• Executive Director Erica is in the midst of completing a certificate program in nonprofit management and leadership to ensure she has the most up to date information on how to lead our wonderful organization!  

Next up on our calendar is the New England Museum Association annual conference (their centennial one). Chris, Sarah, and Stacey will all be attending this three-day conference later this week - and you know they’ll have their pencils, phones, and business cards at the ready. Not only does NEMA’s annual conference allow us to learn from our peers, it also provides wonderful networking opportunities. Conferences such as this spark new ideas and create lasting partnerships between staff and organizations.
 
Professional development opportunities abound in our field. We’re lucky to be able to attend many of these sessions for free, and so can you. Though some are paid classes and conferences, there often are free or low-cost webinars and local lectures on a variety of topics related to museums and archives. So, keep an eye peeled for something educational, and don’t forget to bring a notebook!

-Lina Rosenberg, ​Operations Manager and Archivist