Canal volunteer call-out meeting set
Comet staff report

A meeting has been set for Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. at the Canal Center for all interested in being involved with the Wabash and Erie Canal.

The call-out is for current volunteers and those who would like to become volunteers.

The meeting is scheduled to last about an hour, and refreshments will be served. Door prizes will be awarded.

Dan McCain, Canal Board president, lists the general and specific ways people can volunteer:

In general, he said the canal association can find a place for volunteers who "enjoy working with an enthusiastic group or by themselves, prefer to be indoors or prefer to be outdoors, want to work with visitors or only people they know, are available one hour a year or eight hours a day." "You don't even need to be at the canal for some of the volunteering," he said.

He said specific needs for volunteers include canal boat captains, docents in the Center, teaching assistants for school groups, archival data entry, trail walk narrators, and a seamstress to make 1850 clothing.

The above-mentioned and other areas of volunteering will be discussed at the meeting. More information is given below.

Canal boat captains: These volunteers guide the pontoon boat along the canal. They can expect to operate the new replica canal boat in 2009.

Historical docents: - These are volunteers who work with visitors, as docents in the Interpretive Center, Case House, and old log school house. Other volunteers lead school and group tours through the center or walks along the canal or on a canal boat trip.

Community activities: This group plans and leads the trail walks and trolley tours. Other activities include Canal Days in July, Halloween children's party in October, and Christmas open house in December.

Projects and maintenance: Craftsmen volunteers create exhibits, build bridges, move buildings, and maintain the facilities. They generally work on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and on designated Saturday workdays.

Support activities: These volunteers include gardeners for the flowerbeds, seamstresses for costumes, computer input for the archives, publicity, apple dumpling cooks, and bakers for the holiday bake sale.

"All ages, all skill levels, all talents are wanted, needed and welcomed. Come and make a difference with your spare time," McCain said.

For more information, call the Canal Center, 564-2870.