It is easy to imagine people have fun helping out at the Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin where Judy McLeod is the volunteer coordinator.
At a volunteer appreciation event on July 10, McLeod was sharing her joy at the artifacts and events at the museum and helping to show some love for the volunteers.
There were snacks for volunteers and prospective volunteers to enjoy, as well as coffee and information on what types of opportunities are available for people to come and help with. She and her summer student staff had prepared some information on a range of roles and sign up sheets for folks to show interest.
She highlighted some accessible opportunities for volunteers, from simple cleaning tasks, display design and set up, helping with tea parties, working with historic newspapers, she said there is something for everyone.
A saddle cleaning and talk on July 23 will give folks a chance to learn more about the different parts of saddles and why some design features are on one saddle but not another.
"That one's going to be fun," said McLeod, who appears to appreciate most things about the museum.
Karen Sokolan volunteer treasurer for the museum, was enjoying a visit at the appreciation event.
"It's rewarding," she said. "And you meet a lot of people."
"Everybody's so friendly," said Don Unrau, another volunteer.
McLeod said she tries to have some fun every day when she's at work at the museum, with the philosophy that you spend most of your waking day at your job.
Asked if she had a favourite item in the archives, she said "definitely."
Downstairs, she showed off a foot pedal operated dental drill used in the region in the 1930s and 40s to bring dentistry to the outlying communities. In those days, with rough roads, low-powered vehicles and smaller populations, the dentist would travel to small settlements to provide some dental services.
McLeod marvelled at the possibility her father may have even received dental care with the drill when he lived in Horsefly in the 1940s. She highlighted a few other items in the museum, enthusiastic about each one.
"It's a cool place to work," she said. "I love it here."
