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December is traditionally a month to look back and reflect on the past year, and I am enough of a traditionalist to abide by that theory, at least for purposes of this letter to you. If you looked at the Docents as a sales team, we’d be congratulating ourselves on a good year, with numbers up in some areas and holding their own in others. Our own ranks expanded with the graduation of a new docent class, each of whom learned two tours, and a new river docent class that now bumps their number to just over 100. Combined efforts of the Tour Roster and Scheduling task forces rationalized both the number of tours we offered and their frequency/docents needed, to result in average attendance per tour per docent increasing and cancellations/byes decreasing markedly. While performance by the numbers is an established metric, one quick visit to Trip Advisor will tell you that we continue to be the best game in town when it comes to authoritativeness and expertise.

Most remarkable is that, in the face of this success, we have also chosen to embrace change on a level not seen since the Docent Program Redesign several years back. Some of that change was unavoidable: we signed a lease for a new location. But much of it was not: witness the widespread enthusiasm for the principles enumerated by the Project Fresh team. Running like a tapestry thread throughout all of this has been the extraordinary and continuing work of our governmental bodies: the legislative side of things, our standing committees and task forces, and the deliberative body that is Docent Council. I would like to take a moment here to salute and acknowledge the tireless efforts of these very dedicated people, who are serving over and above daily expectations. Collectively, they make docent life efficacious, gracious, and a hell of a lot of fun.

The Move Task Force of volunteers and staff is still hard at work. Ellen Shubart has written the most recent update on their work, which is now shifting to oversee the massive training effort that will unspool starting January 10th. Tour Committee is in overdrive, evaluating revised manuals and observing ten demo tours. Education Committee is providing manpower and design for the almost-thirty separate training sessions that will take place. And you, dear colleagues, are demonstrating the dedication and cooperation that characterize our cadre. Of the approximately 400 people who are active docents, around 340 of them will be touched by the changes to the ten Core Tours. In order to adequately and rationally plan training, the MTF designed and sent out a survey. I am delighted to report that about 90% of you responded. (If Caroline is stalking you, it’s because we did not hear from you.) This is fantastic news that will enable the schedulers to grasp the magnitude of their challenge.

I would like to end this holiday note by saying that I wish I were able to personally acknowledge and thank each and every one of you. You have responded to a tumultuous year in a spirit of renewed commitment to our Statement of Purpose:

Chicago Architecture Foundation docents, a select corps of self-governing volunteers, create and conduct tours and programs in support of CAF’s mission. We make Chicago’s architecture and built environment come alive by inspiring wonder, enthusiasm, and the thrill of discovery.

Congratulate yourselves on a job well done. Enjoy your family and friends. Rest up – we’ll need all our energy and enthusiasm to get our work done in 2018.

My best to you all,

Constance