VIEWPOINTS McFADDIN-WARD HOUSE
‘THE FLYING ROYALS’ June 2013 Vol. 29/No. 3
Summer time trad itions
BY SAM DALEO
What do a Ford tri-motor airplane and a typewriter have in common? If the typewriter is the Royal portable currently on display in the visitor center, the answer is, “Plenty.” The Royal Typewriter Company was founded in Brooklyn, New York, in 1906, by E. B. Hess and Lewis C. Myers, with the financial backing of Thomas Fortune Ryan. Hess was one of the most prolific typewriter inventors ever, securing more than 200 patents over his lifetime. One of these patents was for an accelerating typebar, which required “less effort per tap,” giving the company its early trademark “light touch” slogan. The real desire of the company, however, was always to make their machines compact and easy to carry, unlike other heavy, cumbersome machines on the market at the time. Royal’s first portable was manufactured in 1906. Though it had a low profile and a leather carrying case, at 22 pounds, this machine was not exactly “portable.” Sales were disappointing, causing the company to redirect its efforts toward large, desktop machines. It was not until 1926 that Royal came out with a truly portable design. The new portables incorporated all the features of larger machines, in a compact and stylish body. The Royal in the visitor center is one of these, produced between 1930 and 1934. Royal’s debut into the portable typewriter market came years after the other leading typewriter companies of the time. To catch up, Royal’s flamboyant president, George Ed Smith, decided on a two-part advertising campaign. First, the focus would
See ROYALS, page 10
Carroll Ward shows off his muscles at the beach, ca. 1918.
WHEN
THE LIVING WAS EASY
BY JUDY LINSLEY Summer brings hot, humid weather to Southeast Texas. In the days before air conditioning, Beaumonters were forced to adapt their activities to the thermometer in order to stay cool. Though still a busy social season, summertime assumed a more leisurely pace, and traditions followed suit. Houses built in the early twentieth century were designed to keep their occupants cool — high ceilings, wraparound porches, interior transoms over doors; but the Southeast Texas days required proactive solutions as well. One “keep-cool” home remedy was bathing — a lot. Ida McFaddin’s granddaughter, Rosine McFaddin Wilson, recalled that Ida and her daughter Mamie Ward: bathed several times a day in the summer:
before dressing in the morning, before dressing to go out for a luncheon, before or after taking a nap, and before retiring. Keeping clean and fresh was a fetish of most upper class southern ladies, but I believe that grandmother and Aunt Mamie were more avid practitioners than most. Another summer tradition was to sit on the porch, a shady spot that usually caught the summer breeze. Porches were considered another room, and even modest homes usually had one. Over time, porch sitting became social ritual as well as survival tactic; people walking by on their way to work, school, or store could stop and exchange the latest news.
See TRADITIONS, page 9
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-- Director’s Desk --
DIGITAL DETOX By ALLEN LEA In a world that shrouds us with technology and innovation, we sometimes forget to take the time, as the old saying goes, to stop and smell the roses. In today’s culture, it is not uncommon to see a group of friends at a restaurant, holding a conversation, not by actually talking, but by texting, Facebooking, tweeting etc. Remember when we didn’t have to take our phones out to have a conversation? An Albert Einstein quote comes to mind: “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.” Just about anywhere you go, free wifi abounds and reigns as a driver to attract visitors. A very few places are free from such technological advances; the McFaddin-Ward House is one of those few escapes. Although we do offer free wifi to the public in our visitor center, the museum itself is void of all technology, except of
course for security and environmental controls. Museum visitors are politely requested to leave cameras, tablets and even cell phones in a locker before they embark on a tour of the museum; and although sometimes initially hesitant, many people find the hour-long tour a relaxing retreat from the busy digital world. From the moment visitors enter the museum they are surrounded, not by fancy computers or digital screens, but by a time capsule of the elegance and grandeur of the lives of a wealthy southeast Texas family. Touring with a docent, guests learn McFaddin family history through seeing and hearing about the collections. They envision just what “those days” were once like and in the process discover new perspectives on their own lives. It might be worth touring the museum someday soon, just to totally immerse yourself in the sights and sounds — the ambience — of a distinctly un-technological place. The experience might be unfamiliar,
DID YOU KNOW: The average American spends 8-12 hours a day living through a screen, while receiving or sending about 400 texts each month, and dedicates approximately 30 percent of leisure time to perusing the Web. but ultimately very rewarding. You may also be left with the vaguely guilty feeling that you are cheating on your smart phone. So if you are ever in the area, do not hesitate to unplug from the noisy world and enjoy a bit of education and mental escape. Go ahead. Cheat on your phone. We won’t tell. Besides, I am sure that Albert Einstein would not be opposed to an hour- long digital detox.
Although far from being a fancy smart phone, this rotary phone, located near the stairs on the first floor, was the main phone in the house and is complete with a sterling silver handle.
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Artifacts in the Administrative Office BY ARLENE CHRISTIANSEN For all the years we’ve been in the administrative office building, I have known there were many light fixtures in the attic. I decided it would be interesting not only to find out what was up there but to learn about the turn-of-the century fixtures that are (or were) still hanging in the building. That hasn’t been as easy as it sounds. I can get very close, but make no exact matches on identification; I think most of our fixtures must be one-of-a-kind. The fixture still hanging in the front office, where Sandy works, is ca. 1910, but it’s
not actually original to the building. When we moved into these offices in 1990, some friends, former docents who had moved to Waco, brought that fixture as a gift, thinking it was the same vintage as the house. The house was actually built in 1902-03 — but close enough. The fixture that hung in the director’s office until recently (replaced by a ceiling fan) is also ca. 1900-1910. It is a very cool piece, with a cut-glass cone between the ceiling mount and the actual lamp. It also has an arrow adornment just below the chain. Upstairs in the attic were two handpainted Art Deco glass bowl chandeliers (also
Art Deco hanging glass bowl chandeliers, ca. 1940, top, are among the artifacts in the administrative office, along with a ca. 1900-1910 chandelier, above, which was originally in the director’s office., and a 1930s swag lamp with red velvet shade, right, which now hangs in the director’s office.
called three-chain glass shade hanging pendants), ca. 1940. These two pieces are very similar in style to those made by Muller Freres of Luneville, France. They are pressed glass with a hand-painted exterior and are made to hang from a ceramic ceiling fixture by three chains that pass through holes in the glass bowl. I doubt ours came from France, more likely the Sears & Roebuck catalog; but they look just as pretty. I also found a swag lamp with a velvet shade that dates from the 1930s. The shade has been sitting on the floor in the attic for no
See ARTIFACTS, page 10
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Volunteer Gloria Ayres and Carol Cuccio teach children how to make their own vegetable appetizer recipe at a Green Thumbs event in 2010.
Teaching Sustainable Living to the Next Generation By CAROL CUCCIO In the last issue of Viewpoints, we mentioned some of the recent physical changes made to the Victory Garden. We are pleased to announce changes to the garden’s programming as well. The museum’s “Green Thumbs” program, which started in 2009 and was developed to educate six- to twelveyear-olds about nature, conservation, and organic gardening, will be evolving into a new activity with an expanded scope, mission, and target audience. Community gardening has risen in popularity throughout the United States since the Victory Garden’s beginnings, and a few gardens have even been started locally. Interest has increased in the ways food affects health and the environment, causing a shift in thinking and values regarding the quality of food available. More and more people are demanding to know where food comes from, who grew it, and how it was grown. Thankfully, around the time the gaden began, the Beaumont Farmers Market got its start, offering Southeast Texans a variety of options in fresh and sustainably
grown food. The McFaddin-Ward House collaborated with the market, teaching gardening techniques during market days and inviting volunteers to get involved with the Victory Garden. With the shift in food tastes and ideals, McFaddin-Ward House staff began thinking about the past — of course — that’s what we do at a history museum. We saw the current trend harking back to a time when our parents and grandparents, and the McFaddins, lived more sustainable, simple lives. They knew how to grow their own, and make their own, causing — in a time before they knew the terminology — their carbon footprint to be much smaller than ours is today. For many now, eating food that has been grown in unnatural habitats, kept alive with antibiotics, artificial hormones, and chemical applications, and trucked in from miles away, is unsettling and unsustainable, and they are throwing up their hands, or shovels, in protest. This trend led us to rethink the Victory Garden’s outreach programming. In recent months, more and more people have approached us to get tips on starting back-
yard gardens and switching from chemical to organic agriculture. So we feel that the timing is ripe for a new program. In June, “Roots and Shoots: Teaching Sustainable Living to the Next Generation” will begin. It’s open to everyone; participants are invited to bring a picnic and dine al fresco on specified days on the carriage house lawn, while they learn traditional recipes and gardening techniques that may have been lost over time. “Roots and Shoots” will teach participants how to start organic backyard gardens, how to cook healthy and nutritious meals with homegrown produce, and how to make common household products (such as laundry detergents and toothpaste), to become less reliant on store-bought, plastic-packaged goods. We encourage families who take part to enjoy an outdoor meal together and learn ways to incorporate family time into food production, by either starting a garden or simply cooking a meal together. For more details on the project, stay tuned to our website for updates or contact ccuccio@mcfaddin-ward.org. E-mail updates and announcements on planned events will be sent in the coming weeks.
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Our Pride and Joy By BECKY FERTITTA It is not only moms and dads, grandmothers and grandfathers who are proud of their high school graduates this year. At the McFaddin-Ward House (MWH), a host of folks are taking pride in the accomplishments of several great kids who are setting their sights on the future, continuing their education — growing up! And why shouldn’t we be proud? We often joke that we’ve
helped rear these kids, these junior interpreters. It is, of course, a little tongue in cheek, because although we do spend time with them, grow to care about them and wish for them the brightest future possible, we leave the actual rearing to the parents. We had lots of JIs who persevered with our museum program and graduated from high school while still in the JI program. We’ve actually had several who continued to volunteer while in college. That says vol-
Sarah Gerstenberg, a 2012 high school graduate, as Ida McFaddin in “A Morning with the McFaddins.”
umes about our program. But this year we have quite a few graduates with such a wide variety of backgrounds and high school experiences that it seems important to call them by name and share their plans for the future. In alphabetical order meet Christina Abel, a homeschool graduate, who has a long history with the McFaddin-Ward House. She started as one of our “kids” coming for afterschool programs and eventually became a junior interpreter. It has been the museum’s good fortune that Christina’s homeschooling enabled her to volunteer much more than the average middle and high school student; so she’s devoted more than 300 hours to the MWH since becoming a JI. Now Christina plans to pursue other avenues: beginning an internship with a local independent film company, self-publishing three novels, and attending Lamar Institute of Technology to pursue a degree in graphic design. It will be so much fun to continue to watch this amazing young lady follow her dreams. Hannah Colletti will graduate valedictorian of her class at Legacy Christian Academy this May. She is very bright, to say the least, and very personable as well. This young lady will go far. She actually served as an intern for the museum’s collections department the summer she completed her junior interpreter training. I’m not sure if that was the hook, but she will be enrolling in the Honors College at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas this fall, majoring in History and minoring in Anthropology. Sarah Gerstenberg completed her homeschool course work in December of 2012, ahead of schedule. She entered the junior interpreter program after she participated in a joint project with the museum through her 4-H group. After several years as a JI she’s become invaluable to our group. She’s a natural leader and quite an actress too; she’s portrayed Ida McFaddin in our play “A Morning with the McFaddins” for Odom Middle School students for two years. Sarah plans to pursue a career in the graphic design field, sharing that experience with her brother Joah, who is an accom-
See PRIDE, page 8
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PICNIC BRINGS COMMUNITY TOGETHER The museum’s spring community picnic, held at the carriage house grounds, was a rousing success, with live music, beautiful weather, and demos at the Victory Garden. Picknickers relaxed, ate, listened to live music, and tasted homemade gazpacho made with fresh herbs from
the garden. The Victory Garden was restructured over the winter to reflect recycling as well as McFaddin history; the flagstones around the border came from the former site of the pond between the historic oaks, and the wine bottles hark to the beer bottles that once lined the kitchen
garden beds. The event inspired a new museum program: “Roots ‘N Shoots” combines a family picnic with educational foodways programs at the Victory Garden. The first Roots ‘N Shoots event will be June 28, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., on the carriage house grounds.
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Pride Continued from page 5 plished web designer. For now, along with all her career-focused goals, Sarah is learning the violin, working as the keyboardist for her church and working in her father’s medical office. Sarah isn’t driven to decide on her future right this minute. Her goal at this time is “to work wholeheartedly wherever I am and seek glory for God in whatever I do.”
Montshonae “Katy” Lowe is her mom and dad’s pride and joy. I’ve seen that from the first moment I met the family. She is special. Hard-working, fun-loving and anxious to grow up, Katy is graduating a year early from Central Medical Magnet High School. Katy admits that she started the admission process a little late but plans to attend Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama. It is hard to imagine Katy off at school, because I know her parents and little brothers will miss her terribly. But she is a determined young lady who can do what-
Recent high school graduate Christina Abel, left, plans out the spring garden with public relations coordinator Carol Cuccio.
The McFaddin-Ward House Victory Garden springs into life after the winter and radishes begin to push their way through the soil. The garden is lined with bottles to tie in with this year’s “Traditions” theme. Mamie McFaddin had her kitchen garden lined with bottles, and Ida McFaddin kept chickens and a milk cow on that site.
ever she sets her mind to. Tori McGuire entered the junior interpreter program a little older than most teenagers. Even when she first began you sensed a quiet maturity about her. She could drive herself — that was a big deal — and soon began working after school and on the weekends. Tori is very interested in history and old “stuff.” She likes to write about that subject and others. That must be why this West Brook High School honor graduate is entering the Communications College at Texas A & M University; not only is she smart as a whip, but she knows, at the tender age of 18, what kind of career she wants to pursue. Finally we have Kirk Schiesler who’s been a junior interpreter for five years. He has always been in the minority — most of our JIs are girls, but he never seemed to mind. Kirk has always been devoted to his church and to his country. For more than a few years he’s been a member of ROTC at West Brook High School. In pursuit of his dream of a military connection in his life, Kirk is enlisting in the Naval Reserves upon graduation. He will start at Stephen F. Austin University in the fall majoring in agricultural mechanics — sounds hard! These young people are, one and all, the best and the brightest, because fortunately our junior interpreter program attracts excellence. We congratulate each of them on their hard work and support them in the decisions they make about their bright futures. You are all our pride and joy. Thanks so much for sharing your time with us over these special years.
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Traditions Continued from page 1 Mamie’s diaries attest to the coolness of the McFaddins’ massive porch and to their enjoyment of it: in 1938 she recorded in May that “Mother & I sat on porch” before going to bed, while in June she noted that it had been “a hot day — 91 — cooler on porch.” Annual summer trips to cooler climes, often for weeks or months, also provided relief from summer heat. Ida made extended visits to Huntington to see her family. Bolivar Peninsula, on the Gulf of Mexico, was a popular summer destination for Beaumonters, who called it simply “the beach.” In 1915 the McFaddins bought a beach home at Rollover, but lost it to a hurricane in August of that same year. After that, Ida, determined to have a cool summer retreat, rented a house in Winslow, Arkansas, in the Ozark Mountains, and in 1930 the family rebuilt at the beach. Travel meant keeping in touch with home, and summer correspondence could be accomplished in the heat of the day. At that time, letter writing was both tradition and social obligation; it was also a mixed media art form crafted with pen, ink, elegant stationery, and the perfect word or phrase. Postcards might contain hastily scrawled messages, but letters were more carefully written. Ida was noted for her letters; her handwriting is striking, though sometimes difficult to read, and her turn of phrase anything but ordinary. Sometimes she dictated letters to a secretary to type; and in 1936, she typed some herself, lamenting, “In the last few weeks I have tried to master this infernal machine as I have
no one to write for me,” but feeling that she was “getting worse with every letter.” Clearly, she was more at home with pen and paper. Weddings were part of summer tradition, during the social season that ramped up when young people got home from finishing school or college. Mamie jumped the gun slightly by marrying in May instead of June, but stuck with tradition for the rest of her nuptials. Her fiancé, Carroll Ward, very properly asked her father for her hand; but Mamie actually beat him to it. In her diary on April 6, 1919, she wrote, “I asked Mama’s permission to marry;” two days later, “Carroll came out & asked Papa’s permission to marry me.” Mamie and Ida then plunged into wedding plans: shopping for her dress and trousseau in Houston and Dallas, addressing and mailing invitations. Mamie’s social calendar promptly filled up, beginning with an engagement luncheon and followed by a whirlwind of luncheons, teas, dinner parties, bridge parties, buffet suppers, and lawn parties — at least 17 — that went right up to the wedding day. Like many brides of her day, Mamie was married at home, in what one newspaper called “a brilliant wedding.” She came down the central staircase, carrying her mother’s rose point fan, while 12 little flower girls lined the path to the parlor. The vocalist sang “Call Me Thine Own,” a selection sung at both Ida’s and Ida’s mother’s weddings. When Mamie and Carroll cut the wedding cake at the reception, she got the four-leaf clover in her slice and Carroll the horse-shoe, both of which signified good luck. The couple later changed into their “goingaway” clothing and caught the night train to Huntington, West Virginia, for an extended
Mamie McFaddin Ward poses in her swimming costume at the beach, ca. 1918.
Ida McFaddin relaxes on a porch swing in Winslow, Arkansas, ca. 1917. honeymoon with Mamie’s family. Mamie took her wedding dress along, to have her formal wedding photo made in Huntington and, according to custom, to show off her ensemble to the Huntington clan, who might have missed the actual ceremony. Mamie and Carroll returned from their honeymoon June 17 and had the rest of the summer to relax and settle in at the McFaddin house. A lifelong sports aficionado, whether as player or spectator, Carroll often played golf at the Beaumont Country Club. He and Mamie also attended Beaumont Exporter baseball games at the old Magnolia Ballpark, located on Magnolia between Hazel and Long. (After 1929, the Exporters, a Texas League team, moved to the new Stuart Stadium in South Park.) As long as Carroll’s bachelor brothers-inlaw still lived at home, the third floor was an ideal spot for informal gatherings, to play pool, cards, or records, carrying on the McFaddin tradition for entertaining and hospitality. Throughout the long summer days and the warm summer nights, the McFaddins and Wards went about their lives, traveling, reading, entertaining, listening to music, sitting on their porch, and generally trying to stay cool. Whatever their activities, tradition had an important role. The museum’s latest interpretation of “Tried and True: Traditions of a Southeast Texas Family,” featuring social and leisure traditions, opened May 22 and will run through November.
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Royals Continued from page 1 be on the nation’s fifteen million homes and the housewives who ran those households and made furnishing and decorating decisions. Smith would attract their attention with color. The new portables would be painted in a “duotone” paint scheme. A total of more than five hundred color combinations were used, in the hope of satisfying every taste and personality. There was even a black-on-black color scheme for the “ultra conservative housewife, or the women who did a great deal of formal entertaining.” We have a black-on-black in our collection. The second part of the campaign was directed at the husbands, who actually paid for their wives’ decorating endeavors. To convince them that these new portables were not only beautiful, but rugged as well, Smith came up with a revolutionary idea. Royal would parachute the portables out of an airplane to dealers around the country. Smith felt that if the portables could survive a parachute drop, crated no differently than if they were going by truck or train, they would certainly be deemed rugged. Enter the just-introduced Tri-motor airplane, built by the Ford Motor Company. It was the largest commercial airplane in the world and one that had definitely caught the public’s attention. Smith purchased a new Trimotor for $75,000, named it the “Royal Air
This striking emerald green-colored portable Royal typewriter, ca. 1930 was one of over 500 color options the company offered in the hope of satisfying every taste and personality.
Truck,” and began his advertising campaign several hundred feet in the air, at a breathtaking speed of 110 mph. Eleven thousand portables were parachuted to Royal’s dealers, unpacked where they landed, and checked to see if they were in working condition. Only six machines out of the eleven thousand were
damaged, thus proving the toughness of the little machines. Were husbands convinced? And how! Sales quite literally “took off.” Between 1926 and 1947, Royal sold 1,400,000 portables, not only catching its competitors but going on to become the world’s largest typewriter manufacturer.
Artifacts Continued from page 3
Five-arm chandelier with candle-like lamps and glass shades, ca. 1920.
telling how many years. The actual light fixture was hanging on a nail in another part of the attic. I put them together because the tassel on the light chain matched the piping on the shade. Allen and I dusted the shade off and put it back with the light fixture, plugged it in, and it works. Now we can’t get it out of his office — he loves it! Another find was a ca. 1920 five-arm chandelier with candlelike bulb holders, clear glass shades, and a bronze finish. I found one very similar to it in the 1920 GE catalog that sold for $34.00; there was also one with a “Butler silver finish” that sold for $37.50. The fixture on the ceiling fan in my office matches a fixture in the attic, probably also used on a ceiling
fan. When we purchased the house, my office was two rooms, the kitchen and dining room, so it would make sense to have had two ceiling fans. I think they must date from much later, maybe the 1970s, because of the type of shades that are on them. I believe the matching fixture was in another location in my office; I wish they had left it there, because I could really use the light. The attic is hiding some architectural artifacts, too — rosettes (corner blocks) that match the ones on the door frames in the house and spindles, like the ones on the front porch railing. You just never know what may be hiding in the attic. My little search has been very interesting but also sort of frustrating. Maybe if I keep looking, someday I will find out more; I guess research is a never-ending process.
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Viewpoints from the Visitor Center By BECKY FERTITTA It is always very surprising when summer arrives, because one minute it’s spring, then you blink your eyes and BAM, it’s HOT! That certainly holds true for the spring and beginning of summer this year. The spring was an extremely busy one for the McFaddin-Ward House volunteers. Now, as we close in on the official beginning of summer, we don’t expect it to slow down one bit! Spring began just a bit early for the museum staff and volunteers when the McFaddin-Ward House, along with all the museums in the Golden Triangle, hosted the Texas Association of Museums (TAM) Annual Conference at the beginning of April. Conference attendees spent a lovely evening at our museum — most said it was the highlight of the conference! We were able to show off our wonderful museum properties, plus we showed off the 26 volunteers, adult and teenage, who helped with the event. The museum also held several public events in April, where junior interpreters and docents led tours; and our education volunteers stayed active visiting four nursing homes in April and May. Ten volunteers who enjoy working with youngsters traveled to Silsbee with staff to present the museum’s fun program, Old Time School Days, to nearly 70 fourth graders. Just before school ended for the summer, 300 students from Odom Middle School visited the museum over three mornings and kept us hopping. It took 13 adult and teenage volunteers each day, plus staff, to make sure that every student toured the house and the carriage house, watched the play “A Morning with the McFaddins” and enjoyed hands-on activities at the visitor center. It was the second year we have managed to make this really big event happen and it is all because of our amazing volunteers! The Volunteer Service Council (VSC) members enjoyed some fun activities this spring as well. In April, 30, volunteers and staff, took a tour of landmarks in and around Beaumont that were important to the McFaddin and Ward families. Staffer Judy Linsley compiled research on the various locations and shared that information throughout the trip. The volunteers pro-
Rachel Wilson, Caldwell McFaddin’s great granddaughter, second left, gives a tour of the ranch formerly owned by Carroll Ward, which is now being used to grow organic vegetables. nounced it one of the best get-togethers ever! In May 42 adult volunteers and guests traveled to Nottoway Plantation in White Oak, Louisiana, where they enjoyed tours and a fantastic lunch. These day trips are a real camaraderie builder for the VSC, and the social hospitality committee makes it even better by serving great refreshments going and coming! Adult volunteers also enjoyed a special preview of the summer and fall exhibit installation in late May. Again the social/hospitality committee of the VSC prepared and served delicious appetizers for the occasion. The curatorial staff explained the interpretation and led the volunteers on a tour through the new exhibit. The McFaddin-Ward House Book Club met in May to discuss “The Lost City of ‘Z.’” The book club continues to be a popular quarterly gathering. Each time, members read a chosen book, one takes the lead in the discussion and everyone enjoys a catered lunch! The next meeting will be in August. In July the VSC will hold a general meeting for all members featuring a local interior designer discussing the use of color in decorating. Members will enjoy a “covered dish” meal (always a huge hit!) and get some insight about interior design, something that Ida McFaddin and Mamie McFaddin-Ward also did many years ago. The social/hospitality committee will be in charge of preparations and decorations for this event. The education committee will be busy this summer presenting “Digging in the Toy Box,” a really fun hands-on look at toys through history, to local libraries.
Volunteer Lisa Hitt shares her insight on children’s kitchen chores, above, with Laura Reeves Elementary students, while Linda Martin looks on. Committee members will also be “hands on” with the museum’s summer camp “Tried and True: Teaching Traditions” in late July and early August. Junior interpreters were most helpful this spring with the TAM Conference — ten teenagers were here on a school night until after 9 p.m. — to share their training with our visitors. Later in April, when the museum participated in the Magnolia Garden Club’s event “Through the Garden Gate,” JIs gave tours of the first floor to dozens of visitors. The museum’s summer Junior Interpreter training class will begin on Monday, June 17. Interested teenagers (13 or older) should call Becky Fertitta for information (409) 832-2134. There is an application process and the deadline for applying is June 10. These well-trained teenagers give tours throughout the year on special JI Guide Days, as well as volunteer for other activities.
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VIEWPOINTS McFADDIN-WARD HOUSE
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE
The McFADDIN-WARD HOUSE
PAID BEAUMONT, TX PERMIT NO. 271
Historic House Museum
725 North Third Street BEAUMONT, TEXAS 77701-1629 Return Service Requested
Vol. 29, No. 3 June 2013 Published quarterly for volunteers of the McFaddin-Ward House and others interested in cultural and educational aspects of the museum. (409) 832-1906, office (409) 832-2134, visitor center http://www.mcfaddin-ward.org
www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums
Volunteer Calendar
Events Calendar
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, June 17, 18 & 20 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, June 24, 25 & 26 Junior Interpreter Training 10 a.m. to noon
Friday, June 28 Roots and Shoots 5:30-7:30 p.m. Victory Garden
Friday, June 7 Digging in the Toy Box Summer Reading Program R.C.Miller Library 10 a.m.
Saturday, June 29 Free Tours 10 a.m.-noon and 1:30-3:30 p.m. Visitor Center
Saturday, June 29 Junior Interpreter Guide Day 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
July 25 Free Movie “You Were Never Lovelier” 6:30 p.m. Visitor Center
Wednesday, July 10 Digging in the Toy Box Summer Reading Program Johns Library 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 16 VSC General Meeting Lecture Hall 6:30 p.m. Monday, August 19 Volunteer Book Club Visitor Center Noon
Thursday, August 15 Free Movie: “The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer” Starring Cary Grant, Myrna Loy and Shirley Temple 6:30 p.m. Visitor Center
July 30-August 1 “Tried and True: Teaching Traditions” Summer Camp 10 a.m-2 p.m. Visitor Center Saturday, August 31 Free Tours 10 a.m.-noon and 1:30-3:30 p.m. Visitor Center