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Dear docent family,

The single most important thing about any tour we give is…….

Not getting all the architects correct.

Not getting all the dates and styles correct.

Not having a great theme.

No, the single most important thing about any tour we give is YOUR health and the health of your tourees. (It is true those other things above are important, just not AS important.) CAC staff has consistently worked to help us make our tours as safe as possible.

Weather is certainly an issue. On any walking tour you give, it is ok to take a cooling break in a friendly lobby. I remember giving the old Modern tour years ago and asking my group if they’d like to stop at Walgreens to buy a cool drink. Everyone did, and no one knew the building I had to drop to make up the time! On the river, sunshades are available and required breaks are mandatory. No tour takers know the story that you must leave out. River docents may feel like their tour is not as good without the deleted story, but again, no one else knows it. I promise, the tour takers will still love your River Cruise.

And COVID……sigh. I just read an article in The Atlantic–my favorite source for COVID news– on the newest Omicron variant, BA.5. It is much more contagious than the previous variants. While most infections are to those of us who have not yet had COVID about 15% of infections are re-infections. Protection? Vaccines and masks.

If you find yourself ill, with COVID or anything else, and you will not be able to give a tour, IMMEDIATELY contact Caroline and Lexie, and then try to find a sub. You should NOT give a tour if you are ill.

And remember, if you get ill at the last minute, or have any other sort of emergency that stops you from getting to your tour, please call the CAC emergency phone number: 312-330-3432. If this number is not programmed into your phone, I would urge you to do this right now! You do not want to have to search for it when you need it.

I have been away from Chicago for a couple of months. When I left, my CAC backpack had hand warmers, gloves, and a knit cap inside. For my tours this week, I am dumping out the contents of my backpack and replacing the winter gear with sunscreen, a towel, water bottles, and a rain slicker.

I hope we all have some good weather tours mixed in among our blisteringly hot or rainy tours.

Stay safe and have fun!

Kent