Ageism

I suppose it is no surprise a tinge of ageism creeps in when quilting with this group of women.  Our ages stretch from mid sixties to mid nineties.  Besides piecing, hand quilting and putting on bindings, these women also set up wooden quilt frames which are large enough to hold a queen size quilt.  They schlep boxes with fabrics and other odds and ends when there is a rummage sale.  They schlep boxes of books when there is a book sale. They move furniture around in the museum as needed, set up displays and archive the treasures.  They trim bushes on the grounds, pick up trash and shovel snow – whatever the season requires.  They keep accounts, run membership campaigns, and sell raffle tickets.  They oversee construction projects in the Historical Village and often do some of these projects themselves.  Two of the quilters recently helped to replace broken slats in the boardwalk.

When there is work to be done, especially this time of year, we look around at our ranks and wonder where some younger people are.  Not so much because we can’t manage, but because it seems there are things young people might learn about maintaining their valley’s heritage and running a museum, picking up skills along the way such as grant writing and chinking an old log building. And this is where ageism slips out, while sitting over the quilt stitching. Remarks are made about ‘those’ people who spend too much screen time, or time constantly checking messages on their phones.  Or those people who say they would like to help out but it is just too difficult for them to find time on a Wednesday morning or a Saturday afternoon or any other time when help might be needed at the Historical Village.

Thus that tricky sneer of ageism, the shrug of shoulders, the roll of eyes at the group – those young people – who are summarily dismissed.  And of course it isn’t true as of course there are some young people who do make an effort, who do show up.  Magdalena, delightfully middle aged, stepped up to help on a regular basis at the museum.  Madison, who  graduates from high school this June, is bringing a group of her high school friends over next week to weed. But as some of the current quilters started helping at the Historical Village back in the 1970s, they wonder where the young people are who will pick up the torch to carry it forward.  And young doesn’t necessarily mean teens or twenties. Middle aged is fine for learning the skills we can teach, or bringing skills already honed.  As we keep our eyes open for individuals willing to step up, ready to take the torch, we also are going to try hard not to fall prey to ageism.

 

 

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The wonders

This quilting season is nearly over. Only a few more weeks and the old school house will be transformed into part of the museum.  Tourists will reminisce about the small wooden desks, the old maps showing countries that no longer exist.  Children visiting will pull hard on the rope to ring the school bell high up in the belfry.  Volunteer docents will open the historical buildings everyday from Memorial Day through Labor Day.  The quilters will take a break from their Friday routine.  Some will continue to sew at home. Others will put their energy into gardening.  And of course with summer in Montana, there are always plenty of out of town guests.

Although there is a symmetry to the quilting that happens every Friday from September til May, there are also changes.  Renata had the awesome idea to display quilts in the old church over Rendezvous weekend.  We received many compliments and one of the quilts sold.  A few new people to town have become great volunteers to help with displays in the museum and to help keep the grounds neat.  Bev is taking over scheduling docents for the museum. No easy feat to have a schedule that includes having someone knowledgeable to work there every single day of summer.  Dianne and a few others are putting together a mass mailing – the first time we have done anything like this.  We know we need to find more support for keeping the buildings in good shape, for having volunteers help with projects, for paying bills.

Often we roll our eyes – how many times do we need to explain that Lincoln County owns the land under the Historical Village, but the buildings, grounds and upkeep are managed by the Tobacco Valley Board of History? Since the 1970s, a stalwart group of volunteers have kept this lovely area of Eureka in tact.  Items are carefully archived. Old photos filed. Questions answered when someone stops by to ask about the early days.

As you attend Shakespeare in the Park or the Eureka Montana Quilt Show this summer (both events held at the Historical Village), appreciate the grounds, this lovely public space that is so valuable to our community.  Consider some small way you might help us maintain it.