Why Volunteer with the Colchester Historical Society?
You'll meet like-minded community members.
You don’t have to like history to do it.
You can help for an hour and never come back, quit your job and devote your whole life to CHS, or anything in between. You’ll still make a difference and we’ll be VERY grateful for your help.
You can invite friends to volunteer with you.
You can come by yourself and make new friends.
Lots of help can be done from the comfort of your own home!
Whatever you do—you’ll make a difference and feel good about the contribution you’ve made!
Opportunities
In addition to those listed below, you may have your own ideas—and we welcome those!
Take pictures at a program or event
This can be on a one-time, occasional, or ongoing basis. The pictures don’t have to be perfect—just clear and filled with smiling people!
Documents our story
Provides us with a pool of photos to put on our website, social media and in the newspaper
Shows people who weren’t there how much fun they’re missing!
Help keep our website up-to-date
You can do this at home. How easy is that? We’re all busy, but a job that you can do in the comfort of your own home might be way for you to contribute to our community without stressing yourself out!
Keeps people up-to-date on CHS news, programs, projects, and volunteer opportunities
Provides local students, scouts, and teachers with local history information & inspiration for projects
Helps far-away genealogists connect with the town that launched their families
Be an oral historian
Grab one of our digital recorders, a list of questions, and chat with a town elder for an hour. We’ll tell you what you need to know and connect you to a person with a story. In just a short amount of time, you will see Colchester through new eyes, value someone’s memories of the past, and save them for all time. That’s pretty impressive.
Preserves stories about Colchester that are fresh, fascinating…and destined to be lost forever if someone doesn’t act soon!
Colchester students and newcomers will learn Colchester history by listening to real voices from the past—much more interesting then the ways we usually learn about history!
Transcribe recorded oral histories at home
Transcribing is not hard to do—it can be done at home, at your own pace, and you will really enjoy listening to the recordings while typing them out. It’s a whole new way to experience history, and an important way to share it.
Makes information captured on tape even more accessible for students and researchers.
Easy access means richer content for programs, exhibits and student projects.
Help inventory our collections
Spend a few hours with friends and a laptop looking at really interesting old stuff, writing descriptions down, and taking pictures. If you think looking through an old attic filled with family treasures is fun—wait until you start working on Colchester’s attic! Objects from the 1700s to the recent past are waiting to delight and inform you! No previous experience necessary.
The collections data and photos of our collections will give us a better handle on what we own and enable us to create more exhibitions and programs.
The inventory information is a great help to students and researchers.
The inventory data helps us see the “holes” in our collections: What’s missing from our collections and how can we fill that need?
Provide refreshments for a program
This is another one that you can do on a whim or on a regular basis. It’s up to you!
Food makes everything better! Refreshments after a program encourage community spirit and provide a rare chance for people to unwind, share stories, and absorb what they’ve learned.
Donated goodies enable Colchester Historical Society to use our funds for more programs and preservation.
Post program flyers around town or at work
Incorporate this into your Saturday errands—it couldn’t be easier, but the extra PR will go a long way to help the Society!
Makes people aware of programs and increases attendance—so more people learn about our town’s history and take pride in its past.
Help out with the annual Third Grade Historic Walking Tour
In late spring of the year, Society and community volunteers host Colchester Intermediate School third grade students, teachers and chaperones on a historic walking tour of downtown Colchester. We always need extra people to help the groups navigate their tour. You can help with planning as the event approaches, learn to be a docent or show up on the event day—either way, you’ll make a significant contribution to life in Colchester.
Helps the event run smoothly.
Adds even more community spirit to a fun day.
Enables the CHS to raise awareness among students and educators to the important history of Colchester.
Many students return to the historic sites to share their experience with family members.
Give tours to people who visit our museum
With a bit of training, you can be a guide at the Colchester History Museum. The museum is open April-December on Sundays, 11:00 am- 2:00 pm. Invite your mom, son, daughter, or friend to do it with you, and volunteer time will double as quality time with a loved one!
Enables us to open the museum on a regular basis and teach more people about our town.
