Dear future TALH student

Dear future TALH student,

            The Art Muesum of Southeast Texas is a nice place to volunteer. The building, for instance, is freshly painted and white-washed as nicely as Tom Sawyer's aunt could have ever wanted. The people inside are nice as well. The security guard, whose name-I believe- is Grant, stops following you around after your first couple of visits. The children, if you should happen to work with children, do not care who you are, or what you do. Andy, who is in charge of the volunteers, is loud and rather large, like Hagrid, but is lacking in the necessary facial hair. Much like Hagrid, he isn’t mean, and has little sense of personal space. This is not a problem, although I wish I had been aware of it when I started volunteering there. He presides over the children, and instructs them in the general study of art. He likes volunteers, and teases them. Sandy, who is in charge of the Museum, seems nice, although she is very busy, and seldom seen. She is in charge of the library, should it ever be organized to the point of allowing you to further organize it.

            Should you volunteer at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas, you should be aware of the following things. The first is that the museum closes at five. This means that you must get there by three in order to complete your two hours of service (required weekly. The second is that there will be children, any and every day but Friday. I volunteer on Wednesdays and Fridays, both days supposedly without children, but every Wednesday there are children. This is due to the Museum’s familiarity with having volunteers for the children. If you attend the museum on Friday, you generally get arbitrary work, such as making sugar skulls, or cleaning out the room. Though chance, and generally unrelated to whatever you thought you were going to do, this is important because it frees the few paid employees of the building from having to do it.

            It is not just Wednesday when there are children. They appear all days, barring Friday & the weekend. You don’t actually work with them, either. We usually work at the back of the room they’re in, finishing their projects, or cutting out their papers. They can talk to you, should they wish to, but Andy discourages talking amongst them. Interestingly enough, volunteers can talk, or even play music all the time. If you really want to work with children, the Art Museum probably is not for you.

            There is little ‘etiquette’ necessary for this job. When you arrive, you put on the name tag at the front desk, and await assignment. Andy will generally give you something to do. If you are making sugar skulls, and have plans for afterward, you probably should not wear black, although I did every day. If you are printing, you probably should not wear clothes you do not want to get dirty. Additionally, you should eat beforehand, although they will sell you food there.

            I helped the employees of AMSET lessen their load, so to speak.
Through cleaning, and manual work, I allowed them to get more done in the time allotted them, which is truthfully all you can ever wish for. In this manner, I, as an unskilled laborer, did what unskilled laborers do. I learned various small things, that ironing acrylic paint makes it permanent, that small children are the same everywhere. I swept, although I hate sweeping, and never volunteered to do it at home. I worked to the end of my two hours, finding things to do if we ran out at an hour and a half. AMSET will doubtless become more adept at using its volunteers the more opportunities it is given, so I urge you to volunteer there.

Sincerely,

Simone