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MCC Daily Tribune Archive

Volunteer Month Spotlight - The Landmark Society of Western New York and Genesee Country Village and Museum


Marian Straight, who works in the STAGE program at DCC, volunteers for the Landmark Society of Western New York, filling a small variety of roles.  One of them is to serve as co-chairperson of Ghost Walk, an annual event that presents true stories from Rochester’s past in the form of one act plays.  The plays are performed on porches of homes in the Arnold Park neighborhood.  Ghost Walk has become a Rochester Tradition for the Halloween season.  For over a decade they have been leading folks along behind their “lantern guides” to find the ghosts and hear their stories.  About 2,000 people attend the event each year.

Her other volunteer activity is with Genesee Country Village and Museum.  There she serves as the announcer for the Women’s Base Ball Program. (Base Ball is two words, as it was in the 19th Century)  Folks in the 19th Century played many games for their recreational pleasure.  The games were much more casual and spontaneous than our scheduled league-oriented sports.  Women definitely played the game of base ball.  They played at private women’s colleges.  They played casually with their friends.  And they played in Barnstorming Teams that traveled among cities.  If there are any 21st Century women who are interested in joining the fun at GCVM, Marian would love to connect with them.

Marian hopes everyone is enjoying their volunteering.

Barbara Connolly
Academic Services, DCC
04/13/2006