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The Joys of Being a Docent at SOHO Home Tours
By Linda A. Canada
In this age of instant messages, cell phones, and spam, it's nice to find a volunteer position that puts one face to face with real people! It is even nicer to find a job that lets you be in charge for a day... and then walk away with no further responsibilities! Let me describe some of the joys of being a docent.
If you are a person who enjoys learning new things, volunteering as a docent is a job for you. I cannot even begin to describe the unique (and sometimes completely useless) information I've gained from my many docent assignments. For example, I know why a member of the Jessop family was arrested in Del Mar (Because his bathing trunks didn't have a belt!); what the number of toes on a Chinese dragon signifies (Four toes: a commoner. Five toes: a member of the Emperor's family.); and where Victorian-era ladies bathed in San Diego (Saltwater bathhouses along the shores of the Bay).
Recently, I enjoyed being SOHO's head docent at one of the houses during the Craftsman-Spanish Revival Weekend. To the joy of learning about the history of this beautiful home, I added the pleasure of working with the owners.
One of the best parts of being a docent is meeting the other people who have volunteered. Of course, it doesn't hurt that SOHO takes great care of its docents! If you had been part of the docent team for the Craftsman-Spanish Revival Weekend, you would have received passes for the house tour (with front of the line privileges!), entry to the exhibit hall, and lots of reading material including a copy of San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles magazine.
The next time you receive an email from SOHO requesting volunteers to be docents, give it a try. Meeting people, learning the facts, and telling the story are all part of the joys of being a docent.
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MORE FROM THIS ISSUE
Coronado Railroad Appeal of Designation, Lawsuit Goes Forward
Entropy
Beyond Left and Right Field
Historic Preservation and Transportation Agencies Find Common Ground to Safeguard America's Heritage
Her - i - tage
Milford Wayne Donaldson Appointed as State Historic Preservation Officer
Tecate Depot Mystery Solved
Did You Know?
Ladies and Gentlemen of the 1860s - Clothing & Culture
Grants & Donations to the Whaley House
Volunteer Today at the Whaley House
Gifts of Real Estate to SOHO
Spanish Revival Addition Enlivens Annual Craftsman Weekend
Hillcrest Medical Center
INCENTIVES!
Cliffs Notes for Tax Credits
Join Us for the James Hubbell Homes Tour
ModCom Update
Letter to the Editor
The Joys of Being a Docent at
SOHO Home Tours
Mission Hills Walking Tour
Free "Arch in the Park" Family Event
A Search for San Diego Courtyards
The Mission Hills Garden Club
Old House Fair 2004
The Repair of Historic Wooden Windows
Strength in Numbers
Lost San Diego
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