2021 Docent Meeting
California Missions and Presidios Docent Meeting
Successfully Presented Virtually by California Missions Foundation
Held on Thursday, February 11, 2021, 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
On Thursday, February, 11, Docents from the throughout the state took center stage as CMF brought this important group together for the third straight year to discuss challenges and successes in their endeavors bringing the Mission and Presidio story to countless visitors, tourists and students. Hospitality, Covid, and Virtual Tours will be among the topics.
All Mission and Presidio Docents, as well as those from other related historic sites, were invited to attend this meeting free of charge. More than 50 docents registered and participated.
Schedule
CMF Welcome
3:00 pm
Michael H. Imwalle, Board Chairman, California Missions Foundation
David A. Bolton, Executive Director, California Missions Foundation
Session I: Guest Engagement and Covid Challenges
3:05 pm
Dr. Donna Friess, Volunteer Docent at Mission San Juan Capistrano and CMF Board Member
Teress Weber, Docent at Mission San Juan Capistrano
Session II: Curriculum Changes
3:30 pm
Damian Bacich, Professor of Colonial Latin American Literature at San Jose State University and CMF Board Member
Session III: Living History at the Museums
3:45 pm
Rob Glasgow, Prelado Padre at Mission La Purísima
Session IV: La Huerta, the Orchard:
Plants and Foods Helping to Tell the Mission Story
4:00 pm
Maria Cabrera, Docent at Old Mission Santa Barbara
Session V: Virtual Tours Moving Forward
4:15 pm
David A. Bolton, Executive Director, California Missions Foundation
Lisa Knox Burns, Docent at Old Mission Santa Barbara
Jewel Gentry, Mission San Juan Bautista Preservation Fund
Docent Introductions
4:30 pm
A chance for each participant to introduce themselves, their site and briefly update the group regarding the challenges and successes during Covid.
Docents: Their Important Role
At every historic site, docents are vital to the experience, telling the story from Missions to Presidios, including Indians, Franciscans and Soldados. CMF board member Donna Friess volunteers as a docent at Mission San Juan Capistrano. She is chairing the committee planning the upcoming Docents Roundtable, and shares her story as a docent, "You are old but you are fast!"