VOLUNTEER PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Volunteers are an essential part of Shippen Manor museum as they help to enable our guests have an enjoyable and informative visit. Join our dedicated team of volunteers who generously give their time and talent to further the historical legacy of Shippen Manor and Oxford Furnace as well as the town and county.

Mission/Philosophy: The mission for Shippen Manor reflects the Board of County Commissioners' Resolution for the Bicentennial Cultural & Heritage Advisory Board from May 22, 2019, "to develop programs to promote public interest in local and county history, in the arts, and in the cultural values, goals and traditions of the community, the State, and the Nation." It has been our mission to preserve and educate the public regarding its history and impact on local, county, state and national histories.

Philosophy of Volunteer Involvement:  Volunteers are essential to the operation of the museum because they help to preserve the story of the people who lived in or worked at Shippen Manor and Oxford Furnace in addition to keeping the museum visitor-ready. They are essential in keeping history alive at our site.

Goals of Volunteers: When visitors leave our site, they will walk away with a better understanding of the importance of Shippen Manor and Oxford Furnace and how they related to local, county, state and national histories. In turn, it is our desire for our visitors to become more involved in the preservation of local histories.

Schedule & hours: Schedules for the season are posted in spring and are scheduled for the first and second Sundays of the month from April to December, except when it falls on a holiday. Regular museum days are from 1 to 4pm and special full-day events are from 11am to 4pm. Volunteers who are scheduled to be on site for these days are asked to arrive and check in an hour before start time.

Description of Volunteer Roles:

• Museum Greeters are the first interaction visitors will have at Shippen. Those who serve as greeters will need to be personable, friendly, helpful, flexible (you may be needed to help with other things) and dependable They should expect to answer questions pertaining to parking, places to eat, etc. Greeters will present themselves in a professional manner at all times and will dress in beige khakis, a dark green shirt (polo, button-down, blouse) and comfortable shoes. Please do not wear torn, stained or dirty clothing.

• Museum Docents provide historical interpretation for our visitors. Docents must be interested in history, be comfortable speaking before small and large groups, reliable and personable, as well as dependable. They will need to be comfortable asking questions related to the site, but should expect questions pertaining to parking, places to eat, etc. Docents will need to dress in period clothing (colonial or Victorian) and wear comfortable and appropriate footwear. Shippen has a limited supply of costumes available for our docents and are available through the director.

• Museum Event Staff will be needed for days when there are museum days planned that include but are not limited to special presentations, reenactments, or other activities. Event volunteers will help direct visitors to parking (on or off-site), tours, demonstrations and activities. In addition, they will need to help set up and take down on signs, displays, etc. They may also be asked to supervise or lead an activity for children and/or adults.

• Bicentennial Event Staff will be needed for events planned for the County's Bicentennial Celebration. 

• Office & Interior Volunteers will be on an "as needed basis" and will be scheduled by the director during work hours on weekdays between 8am and 4pm. Types of things you can help with are with creating, reorganizing or moving displays, archiving, research, filing, and more.

To apply as a volunteer at Shippen Manor, please contact Gina Rosseland via email or call (908) 453-4381, x 223.

Volunteer Adult Application & Waiver (updated 2023)
Volunteer Youth Application & Waiver available upon request. All minors must be accompanied by an adult.