Our visitors of the week were members of a tour group from the USS Consolation, a hospital ship that was positioned in the Pacific during the Korean War in 1951. This was the first hospital ship to have a heliport to receive wounded soldiers by helicopter. This group of visitors totaled 59, and I had a group of about 20. They were most impressed with The Mariners’ Museum and appreciative of the tour. This was very consoling to me, since this WAS a group from the USS CONSOLATION!

I know there are many who missed my weekly blog, (LOL) but I have been busy connecting with our nine grandchildren before they return to school. (3 in college)

I had a cordial conversation with a visitor from Missouri and Civil War buff.  He had retired as a pharmaceutical rep and had attended William and Mary (yeah!).  He said that his family can be traced back to 1774 in New Kent County.  I said “‘don’t you think you should move back to your roots, because they must have shown you everything worth seeing in the “show me state” of Missouri by now?”  This was  a friendly exchange and he couldn’t wait to get into The Monitor Center.

On Friday I had the pleasure of giving a tour of the museum to Jordan and Bryce, “baseball stars of the future”, and their mother, Sydney from Atlanta.  They seemed to really enjoy the experience, as did I.  I think, like many school children of today, American history is somewhat not a priority.  I stressed the importance of this subject, and encouraged them to go to the Atlanta History Museum for a more extensive lesson, since they live in the heart of the history of the Civil War!  I believe that their viewing of “The Battle of Hampton Roads” really got their attention.  Sidney grew up in Newport News and was visiting her mother here.  I told Sidney that if today’s experience didn’t plant seeds of history in the minds of her sons, I didn’t know what would.

This entry is to focus on the challenges of we docents at TMM face in meeting time restraints of visitors.  I recently greeted a nice couple with four children, ages 8-15, from outside of Westchester, N.Y.  I  asked them what their time allowance was, and they said “ an hour and a half!”  (a challenge persists).  I offered them a 1 hour tour, or so, of the museum galleries, excluding The Monitor Center and The Chesapeake Bay Gallery.  They willingly accepted and were most interested  throughout the tour. It seems that their 14 year-old son had a basketball tournament nearby. They were most interested during the tour. While in the Great Hall of Steam, I noticed that the 10-year-old son was lingering in front of one of the working  model steam engines.  I said “it seems we have future engineer among us.”  The mother replied, “that is what he wants to be”. At the completion of the gallery tour, we entered the museum back by The Monitor Center and I was able to convince them that the remaining part of their time would be best used by watching the Battle of Hampton Roads, which was showing  just at the time we arrived at the entrance to the Battle Theater!

As I was escorting  them out,  the entire family was most gracious and said how impressed they were with the museum.  The father said it was “incredible” what we had achieved  in “only 90 minutes”.  They will not long forget their “whirlwind” visit to The Mariners’ Museum. (nor will I)

Yes, Californians are coming to The Mariners’ Museum.  Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of greeting three different families form California. These visitors had been exposed to our museum via the internet and another from a hotel at which they were staying. One of the families was from San Diego and had a teenage son who was a Civil War buff.  What a delight to meet teenagers and students who are interested in history!!  He couldn’t wait to get started in The Monitor center!  We hope to see a lot more far away visitors this summer.

When I greet these Californians, it gives me the opportunity to share with them the museum connection with the Huntington’s from there.  They are not aware of Collis P. Huntington and how he brought the C&O railroad from West Virginia to Newport News.

A different twist this week: a phone-a-visitor.  In conjunction with my volunteering at the Chris-Craft Archives at The Mariners’ Museum library at Christopher Newport University, we receive phone calls from all over the world concerning various Chris-Craft boats.  The mode of reference for research and responses to the callers usually hinges on the hull number of the boat as given at the time of construction.  This is the basic requirement.  I  took a call from a gentlemen from New Hampshire who said that he had a hull plate from a Chris-Craft, but that is all!  He did not know if the boat still existed, as it may have sunk, wrecked, or just died.  At any rate,  he wants plans and drawing so that he can build  the boat around the hull number, as he is a boat builder and can use CAD (computer aided design) to accomplish this effort.  ( 37-foot boat)  While we may never know the end of this story, but I can assure you this will be “one hull of a boat”!

The visitor of the week has somewhat of a personal anecdote, but focuses on a charming leittle lady who was part of a group of senoir citizens from Charlottesville
touring the museum. This charming and petite lady was dressed in a fire engine red outfit and a classy matching hat, and walked with a cane. Somewhere during the tour, she mentioned a Curtiss airplane, and I said we do not have any here, but there was a Curtiss air museum in upstate Ne York. She replied that she knew of it, and that she was from Penn Yann, N.Y. I asked her if she knew of the name “Warder” of Geneva, N.Y. (which is just a few miles from Penn Yann , Senator Warder having been wife’s father and 18 year State Senator from N.Y. She said she must have left N.Y. before the Warder name became known to the public.

So, I recounted this story to my wife, who said that her family went back to 1876 in Geneva. She said to me “do you think that lady left before then! ?”

The benefits of technology are far reaching, as expressed in an experience with a couple from Hampton, Va. who were visiting the museum for the first time!  (can you believe it?)   I said, “let me show you the treasure that exists in your own “back yard”.  I gave them the usual 3 minute greeting and an overview of the museum via our new innovative slide presentation.  Which, if you have not experienced it, is a brief docent manually controlled slide showing several views highlighting features of the galleries of the museum.  After I had finished this greeting and slide presentation, the gentleman said “may I get my money back?”  With astonishment, I remarked “why would you want that?”  He said.”well, I feel like that we have just had a TOUR OF THE MUSEUM”, His request for a refund was in jest, of course.  Naturally, I was pleased with the acceptance and reception by this greeting delivery.

Once again, the joys of being a docent continue with each passing day.

I recently gave an educational tour to second graders from Stonebridge School in Chesapeake, Va.  We are in the International Small Craft Center, and I am explaining to them about the Sampan boat from the Far East.  This boat would be used for a water taxi or small cargo, (like a UPS driver) and that the boat was like a houseboat for the family.  I explained that the family gathered back in the boat for the evening.  I asked them “what did the family do for entertainment?  Did they play Scrabble or Apples-to-Apples or watch TV?”  They remarked “no TV!”  At that point, a bright little boy said ” I DON’T HAVE A TV, AND I AM FINE!”  At that moment, I felt like Art Linkletter!

Just another example how being Docent/Educator can be fun and surprising!

I recently had the pleasure of greeting ladies from The Library of Congress, (Juretta, Susan, & Kris) who were in town for the Virginia Forum at Christopher Newport University.  They had  been to The Mariners’ Museum on Thursday for a meeting and dinner and had time for a small sampling of the treasures of the museum. They decided it would be a good opportunity for a further look.  They were especially interested in The Monitor Center, and I was pleased to provide them with a few of the in-depth aspects of the center and the historic Battle of Hampton Roads.  I also gave them a view of our new and innovative slide-show highlighting the other galleries.  What a joy to have real scholars who are interested in what the museum has to offer.  I expect to see them on a return visit in the future.