We are a small historic house with a dozen or so volunteers who guide
visitors and work on special events.  As a reward for loyal service all
year, I invite them to the big fund raising black tie event often held in
the NY City in the fall and ask them to do things that make the event
special for those attending, coat checking, greeting, opening the door for
the seniors, etc. with a minimum of physical work on their part and then
include them in the event and dinner, obviously at no charge. They are in
"dinner wear", feel good about themselves and take pride (show pride) in the
site. People that are regular visitors know these volunteers and they make
the visitors feel that all enjoy the site and are supportive of the total
program. The staff and volunteers enjoy this social relationship too.

Once in the spring and sometimes in the fall, we visit another historic site
as a group, and have lunch out locally together. I pick up the tab. I use
the visit as a learning experience to see how and show how others treat the
common problems we all have. My volunteers often compare the visited site
with our own. (And probably their director with me!)

We have a large number of school groups visit each spring. Class after class
one year told us how we were much nicer and how they enjoyed our site more
than a neighboring historic site.  We visited that site as a group that fall
looking for the reasons. We found a docent that insisted - for what seemed
like five minutes - that we actually toe a line (this is for a dozen
adults)to best view a room and later one of my docents was scolded as he
came close to an artifact with the standard speech on how fragile and
breakable objects are in historic houses. I can imagine how these two
related to the children.

Basically, see how you can reward your volunteers by finding out what they
would like to do. Why are they "working" for you and your site? Another good
way to recognize them is to combine with the local umbrella museum group and
have a recognition program where they are "recognized" by their peers with
certificates, awards, lunch and press.

You know, probably the best way to award them is to continually appreciate
them. Let them know what is happening (and why), keep them updated to new
research, and make sure they know that they are a most important part of the
total program that you are offering to the public and without them it would
be impossible. Sounds like the rules for a good marriage.

Bill Maurer
Gomez Mill House
www.gomez.org