Hermosa Beach historical society searches for help
The Hermosa Beach Historical Society is desperately searching for locals who have knowledge and a love of Hermosa Beach, a little time on their hands and who play well with others.
“There are a lot of dedicated people in our organization as board members, but our docents are our ambassadors, the people that the public meet, and we’re in dire need of more people to go through the docent program,” Hermosa Beach Historical Society President Rick Koenig said. “Plus they get their own parking spot at the Community Center.”
The Historical Society, that is located in the Community Center at 710 Pier Ave, is open every Wednesday from 10 a.m. until noon and every Saturday and Sunday from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. The HBHS is looking for more people to volunteer so they can be open more frequently.
“The nice thing is that people come in and tell you their stories and you learn as much from the residents that come in to see the museum as they get from being in the museum,” HBHS Director and Docent Chair Janice Brittain said. “There’s a lot of history here that people have not written down, and it’s a chance for people to come talk and share their stories.”
Docent Laura Doyle volunteers once a month on Saturday with her mother, Georgia Spencer.
“There’s a lot of interesting artifacts,” said Doyle. “There’s a whole volleyball display and surfing display and it has lots of things from old businesses. You can even walk through the old 16th Street lifeguard tower.”
Becoming a docent includes a short training session that includes learning how to operate the historical society’s locks and lights and about the artifacts on display.
“The people we have as docents love it,” said Koenig. “We need somebody with more than just a pulse, we need somebody who’s been around for awhile and [has] a love for our community and all the magic that’s taken place here. ER