Donations

For the times when the Blanchard House is open for public visits, as well as special tour groups, school classes, and “by appointment” visits, volunteers are needed to welcome our guests at the house. This entails monitoring the front door as people come and go, greeting folks as they arrive, asking them to sign the guest book, and inviting them to wait for the next available docent for their tour. (Depending on special seasonal exhibits or themed displays, from time to time this routine may vary slightly.)

Hosting is generally a three-hour commitment, but any time you can spare is welcomed!

There is a Docent’s Handbook for the Blanchard House / Museum that will give anyone a chance to learn how to guide visitors through the house. Although everyone has their own areas of expertise and ways of presenting information about the House and its contents, this booklet contains the basics. With it, anyone can deliver a fairly complete tour of the Blanchard House and Museum.

To enhance what’s in the Docent’s Guide, we encourage any interested member to take tours of the House with other Docents and learn additional bits of information that can be shared – stories about the Blanchards, about the furnishings and artifacts, the late-19th-century lifestyle, and Ionia’s fascinating history. As with most things, experience is the best teacher.

The Historical Society provides several opportunities throughout the year that are geared towards raising money to support the organization, maintain the Blanchard House, and provide funds for specific projects. It all takes someone’s time, and “more hands make light work.”

For example:

• Upstairs/Downtown Tours — Held annually, usually in May, there are positions available for tour guides in Ionia’s historic downtown buildings. People are needed to help research the history behind each location on the tour, helping to write the scripts for the tour guides, and being an assistant to the tour guides on duty if they need a break during the 4-hour event. We also need volunteers to set up and take down our signs, sell tickets and hand out programs, as well as organizing and advertising the event itself.
• “Spirits of Ionia” Cemetery Tour — This annual event requires a bit more “immersion” for each of our presenters than the Upstairs/Downtown Tour. Around six presenters each year are asked to portray a citizen from Ionia’s past in costume and (if you’re comfortable with the idea) in character. There’s a chance to research our various subjects and compile a 10-minute biographical, first-person script to share their life stories with our guests at the cemetery. The event also needs folks to park cars, sell tickets, set up and take down the signs and shelters, and help with the advance promotion of the event.
• The Annual Yard Sale — This event’s time changes from year to year, but generally requires people to accept donations to the sale, sort and price the items, set up tents and tables, handle the sale itself, and put it all away once the sale is complete.
• Other Sales Events – Includes the annual Mrs. Claus Bazaar, and other such opportunities at community events throughout the year.
• Other Community Events — In addition to our own events, the ICHS participates in many other community activities, including parades and socials, helping in several areas at the Free Fair, and in support of other non-profits in the area. We also work with the Ionia Community Library to bring special presentations and programs to the area.

The ICHS has a handful of standing committees that can always use a helping hand. Some are more demanding than others, but all are vital to our success!

They are:

• Program Committee — The Historical Society has hosted monthly public meetings for decades. The first Wednesday of every month, folks can count on some sort of special program or presentation at the Blanchard House. Finding presenters is what this committee does – from local folks and their special interests, to authors and actors with historic subjects to share, or representatives from other historic organizations. With suggestions from the members and other program resources, this is a vital link between the Historical Society and our community.
• Accessions Committee — The folks in charge of cataloging the artifacts and documents in the ICHS collections into the computer database, and preparing them for storage or display. In addition to newly donated items (which come in continually), there are thousands of things already in the collections that have not been properly recorded. Working with Accessions gives you a first-hand chance to see all the wonderful history represented by these precious items entrusted to us to preserve and share with the community. If you enjoy antiques and research, and you’re a detail-oriented person, you’ll enjoy helping this committee!
• Refreshments Committee — Yes, we do like our cookies during the monthly meetings! This committee is in charge of the arrangements, simple or sophisticated.
• Building and Grounds Committee — Keeping up the Blanchard House – or any house over 140 years old – is an ongoing task. There are always projects large and small to be addressed, from changing light bulbs to trimming the grass, plus managing issues that might require professional help from contractors or historic preservation specialists.
• Housekeeping Committee — The name pretty well says what this committee does! But there’s more to it than keeping the House clean. This committee does do the cleaning, and also works with professional services for some of the chores. In addition to caring for the valuable and unique antiques on display are the household wares such as cleaning supplies, garbage collection, table settings, serving utensils, beverages, etc. When there are special events at the house, it’s the Housekeeping Committee that ensures that the tables are set, the chairs are arranged, and (sometimes) that the caterers have everything they need.
• Membership Committee — Every organization needs a solid membership to make things work. This committee keeps in touch with members to be sure their expectations are met, maintains the membership list, and provides information that members might request from time to time. They also work on the recruiting side to grow the membership at every opportunity, and retain those members already on the list.
• Museum Committee — The lower level of the Blanchard House is our local history museum. As part of a tour of the Blanchard House, this area includes the summer kitchen, cistern, furnace room and cellar. But it also houses a host of displays conveying a glimpse at the history of the Ionia area over the past 200 years. From log cabins to towering factories, the Free Fair and Movie Theatre, military service and school houses — Ionia’s place in the world is reflected here in these four small rooms. Arranging the displays, caring for the artifacts, and telling the story of our community is what this committee does. This committee is also growing to accommodate new displays and public areas in the Carriage House, and also manages the off-site storage of artifacts and ICHS property.
• Rental Committee — Making all the arrangements for a rental include not only filling out a form and collecting the rent. Every event is unique and requires a certain amount of preparation. The Rental Committee works very closely with Housekeeping to fulfill our guests’ expectations. Occasionally an event will require a projector screen, podium, or other special arrangements, too. It’s a vital part of supporting our guests who rent the House to be sure their experience is outstanding every time.
• Publicity Committee — Letting the world know what we’re all about, this committee provides a communication link to our community and beyond. When an event or activity has been planned, the Publicity machine goes to work. From Facebook posts to media interviews, distributing posters and fliers around town, and working with state-wide historic and tourism organizations, there are plenty of opportunities to help the ICHS be a success.