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Here are the final four submissions for the Shining Star award. They include two tales of tours with a single guest by Erica Myles (2019) and Ed McDevitt (2010) and two unexpected tours, one on the ‘L’ by Quentin Kossnar (2019) and one on the river by Russ Seward (2005). The award honors the memory of Leanne Star (2011). It was given at DAN last year to Barbara Weiner (2011).  

Beginning in March, Short Tales will showcase all of the delightful, disastrous, demanding, and disappointing experiences of docents, exhibit hosts, education guides, and guest services volunteers. Are there any special Covid stories out there? Share your stories. Please send your “short tale” to Jill Carlson at an***************@gm***.com.

Walk Through Time, from Erica Miles, Class of 2019

I was preparing to lead a Walk Through Time tour. One guest was present with ten minutes to go. While we waited for the party of two that had signed up, I chatted with the guest to ask him what brought him to CAC. He was visiting from out of town for work and just wanted a friendly introduction to the city.

As the start time neared, he sheepishly mentioned that he really hoped the others would appear before it was time to leave. He said he felt guilty being the sole guest to require me to give the tour. I assured him that single guest tours can often be even more fun because I can cater to the interests of an individual.

He relaxed a bit. When it reached the top of the hour, he and I ventured out as a dynamic duo. In the back of my mind, I saw an added benefit of expecting to return a couple of minutes early as I had arranged a coffee chat with my tour sponsor after the tour.

The guest and I got along royally, and it became one of my most memorable tour experiences. He learned from me, and I learned from him. It became less of a tour and more of a real conversation (solidly based on covering the core concepts, just in case anyone from Standards Committee is reading).

The guest was so excited about listening and sharing at each stop that I had to be more cognizant of watching my time than if I was leading a crowd. I was able to get us back just a few minutes overdue.

The one challenge? How on earth do you explain to your sponsor that you returned late from an official tour because your single touree was over-enthused about Chicago architecture? Ahh, the perils of being a docent. Wouldn’t trade it for the world.

A Memorable Tour, from Ed McDevitt, Class of 2010

Perhaps you’ve never heard the Doric accent of Scotland, a pattern of speech that is centered in Aberdeen. I had never heard it in its full flower until I gave a tour in my second or third docent year.

The tour I had signed up for was a Historic Skyscraper tour. I arrived early at 224 South Michigan that winter day and inquired about the number of people signed up for the tour.

“None,” said the box office person. “You might be heading home.”

I waited and watched the clock tick by 10 AM, then to 10:15. I was about to call it a day, when in came a young woman who hustled to the desk and bought a ticket to my tour.

“Great,” I thought, because having spent all the time to get there I wanted to give the tour.

I greeted the young woman and, as we did at 224, took her out into the main lobby to do the preliminaries for the tour.

I asked where she was from. “Scotland,” she said. “AH-ber-DEEN!” I asked if this was her first visit to Chicago. It was. I asked her a couple of other questions and, frankly, wasn’t quite sure what she said, so I pressed on with my intro.

She nodded at my points, smiled occasionally at my humor, and we got ready to go outside.

As the tour progressed, I asked her a few questions but soon realized that she didn’t quite get what I was asking. Being the affable docent I am, and loving giving the tour, I continued on with it, pointing, describing, shaping, touching (that’s what we did with the Marquette terra cotta, if you recall), waxing eloquent about the fine marble in the Field Building, just having a grand old time. My Scottish interlocutor nodded a lot and seemed to be enjoying herself.

We wound our way back to the shop and she turned in her listening device. I asked how she liked the tour.

Now understand that I pride myself a bit on being able to hear and parse all sorts of versions of English. I have often helped my wife, for example, to discern what’s being said on a British mystery program (before we could use captioning).

So, I listened carefully to the Aberdeen woman’s short disquisition on the tour. And I didn’t understand a word of it. I realized, at the same time, to my horror, that she might not have caught much of what I’d said out on the tour.

Undaunted, I asked where she was going next. “Boston,” she said.

It was close to the first word (after “AH-ber-DEEN”) that I had understood.

Barbershop Quartet Proposal, from Russ Seward, Class of 2005

While greeting guests for a cruise in pre-Covid days, four guys accompanied by two gals announced they were a barber shop quartet. Later, one of them returned to dock asking permission and requesting a spot in the tour where another quartet member could “pop the question.”  Granting permission, I responded the best spot would be on North Branch right after the boat turns around.

When boat got to that spot, I announced that we were in for a little entertainment. Taking over the mike, the quartet began singing a typical barber shop song in four-part harmony. The   hopeful groom-to-be soloed final verse, spelling out his intention. After returning mike, he strolled over to his intended and got on his knees to ask her to marry him. Through joyous tears, she said yes. As many on boat could not see or hear what was happening, I announced to entire boat that we had just participated in a successful marriage proposal. Loud enthusiastic applause followed.

Unexpected Experience, from Quentin Kossnar, Class of 2019

Pulling into the Quincy ‘L’ station with a group of tourees last fall, the door we were trying to exit failed to open. I motioned to the station attendant with, I’m sure, fear on my face, as the train was pulling out of the station. What to do? Quincy is my favorite stop on the Elevated Downtown Tour and I didn’t want to skip it. 

I quickly decided to exit at the Washington/Wells stop and head back to Quincy on the Brown line. As we arrived back at Quincy, the attendants recognized who we were and invited us inside the ticket booth. As we huddled inside, the attendant discussed how the system used to work and shared her experiences of many years working at the stop. The attendants couldn’t have been more gracious and welcoming to our group. 

As we moved from the west side of the station to the east side for our return trip, we were given the unexpected pleasure of exploring the walkways below the platforms. This provided us with a unique perspective of the station, something we don’t usually experience on the tour. On the east platform I then gave my usual presentation. But in order to stay on time with the tour I decided to skip the Clinton stop. I apologized to the tour group for the mixup and was treated with responses such as: “No, that was awesome! Best experience ever!” Sometimes the unexpected glitch opens up possibilities for one-of-a-kind experiences.

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