When I was little I used to recite words without actually knowing what they meant.  Like the old gospel hymn we sang in Sunday School, “…a volunteer for Jesus, a soldier true, others have enlisted, why not you ”

I had absolutely no idea what a volunteer was…I certainly do now.

Anyone who has invested in the spirit of Chadds Ford knows what a volunteer is.

Ginger Tucker, Executive Director of the Chadds Ford Historical Society, says,
“Volunteers are the engine that keeps this train going!”

“In 1968 when the Chads House was in danger of collapsing [volunteers] raised the funds to purchase the house and restore it” she said.

“We have volunteers curating exhibits, organizing and caring for our collections, guiding at our historic houses. For us, it's the volunteers that enable us to exist!”

And according to Michael Harris, Museum Educator at the Brandywine Battlefield, "Brandywine Battlefield State Historic Site is not capable of operating without its many dedicated volunteers. Our volunteers assist with school programs, guided house tours, special events, working in our gift shop, and helping to raise money to support the historic site”

Linda Kaat is the President of the Brandywine Battlefield Park Associates group of volunteers, founded in 1979, celebrating its 30th year, of support to the site.

Donna Gormel, Coordinator of Volunteers at the Brandywine River Museum, related, “Over 200 works of art have been acquired for the Brandywine River Museum’s permanent collection through the Volunteers’ Art Purchase Fund which was created in 1975”

"Since the doors opened in 1971, volunteers have been an important part of this organization. The energy in which they guide groups through the galleries, work in the gardens, support special events and host the spring Antiques Show is extraordinary. Without them it would be a very different place indeed."

And without volunteers, the eight-room Sanderson Museum on Creek Road, which has a free admission policy, would not exist at all.

Sanderson Vice President Chip Lohmann oversees a group of 17 enthusiastic museum guides who welcome visitors to see one man’s amazing life collection including Civil War artifacts and original Wyeth art, as well as the purely odd.

According to Executive Board member Susan M. Minarchi, “The Sanderson Museum has operated as a 100% volunteer museum since 1967, and is managed by a group of individuals who give their time and expertise in the areas of collection management, event-planning, museum administration, marketing, finance and legal counsel.”  

What would Chadds Ford be without its volunteers? Perhaps little more than the sleepy intersection on US Route 1, as it was prior to the growth of the mid 1960’s.

Jan Feltz, Susan, Hauser, Fred Reiter, Lisë Taylor, Kathy Wandersee and more recently the awesome Thomas R. Thompson are the dedicated Chadds Ford leaders who inspired me many years ago. And my life has been all the richer for it.

In an era where Wall Street bankers and Detroit automotive executives, amass, swindle and steal, there is indeed a place where history, land and art are preserved and a village thrives because good people work for free!

And once again, I hear the old words of that gospel hymn –“others have enlisted… why not you?”