May! Wow! It’s been a long stretch and we continue to make progress. Training sessions are nearing the end and lots of certifications are happening. You have to admit, it’s nice doing certification tours in 70-degree weather. We’ve been waiting for this.
OK, here’s the update for the past few weeks:
- Construction delays are postponing our intended open date until after July 1. As a result, the only calendars that will open for July sign-ups are River Cruises, neighborhood tours and/or building tours. We will alert you as soon as we can when you can sign up for July core tours. It should be no later than May 20.
- If you are getting curious about how things will go at the new location – you’re like everyone else. Docent Council members got a peek at the hard hat area this week, and other orientations will be coming. We promise you’ll get to see the inside of the CAC prior to doing tours. Exact dates will be upcoming.
- If you’d like to imagine a bit, take a look at the renderings in the Docent & VEV Library. Under the heading PLACE there are 3 views of the Orientation and Box Office areas.
- As guests enter, staff will be stationed at a red desk and selling tickets for the tours. GTS equipment will be near the Orientation Hall.
- The Orientation Hall is where docents will meet guests. They will get GTS equipment from the volunteers at a station nearby. It’s the gathering spot for the new, shorter introductions. (5 minutes only, remember)
- The map on the floor is behind the major staircase that goes to the east and up to the exhibition area.
- As we all get ready to leave 224 S. Michigan, please notice that Donna Gabanski and her library committee staff are culling the book shelves, eliminating those books that are duplicates, unrelated to our mission or otherwise not needed. A box sits in the Docent Library with these books and the volumes change almost by the day as docents and VEVs can take any ones they would like for their own library. Please help yourself.
- By the numbers. As of this week, 246 Docents are certified for the core tours.
- Over 85 people have applied to become a VEV at the new center. Interviews are currently taking place. Training sessions are expected to start in June.
- The Food & Architecture tour, which we previously said would be a neighborhood tour, has morphed once more. It will now join the roster of those tours that begin at CAC.
- Looking ahead: We are foreseeing some programs that will help orient everyone to the new location and to the new procedures. Keep an eye out for announcements of those. Most will be held in June. We’ll let you know when we get firm dates.