Hancock
Shaker Village
Community
Service Program
Ages 13-16
If you like lending a hand, working as a team, being part
of a giving community, and helping the environment at the same
time then this program is for you. Check-in is Sunday
between 2:00 and 3:00 PM. The program ends Friday at
3:00 PM.
The Shakers are one of the most intriguing social and
religious movements in American history. They are also one of
the longest lived, and are considered by many to be the most
successful of the hundreds of communal groups and utopian
societies that have flourished in this country since before
the Revolutionary War. They became known as Shakers because of
the trembling, whirling, and shaking that affected them during
their spiritually ecstatic worship services. Eventually
developing an alternative lifestyle based on simplicity
including a closeness with the environment, the Shakers have
made important contributions to American culture including
art, science, architecture, craftsmanship, business, music,
education, government, medicine, agriculture, and commerce.
Hancock Shaker Village, is a private, not-for-profit
educational organization dedicated to bringing the Shaker
story to life and preserve it for future generations. The
Shakers closed the Hancock community in 1960 and sold the
buildings and surrounding 900 acres to a group of Shaker
enthusiasts, collectors and scholars who formed the
not-for-profit corporation that eventually became Hancock
Shaker Village and museum. Over its history, the Village has
restored the site and buildings, acquired and preserved
adjacent land, assembled and cared for the premier Shaker
collection, and added innovative educational programs for the
public. The Village was designated a National Historic
Landmark in 1968 and is accredited by the American Association
of Museums.
Sunday afternoon is spent checking in, settling in to your
screen house, getting to know your fellow group members and
leaders, and taking a swim test at the lake. After
eating a hot meal at the Poor Farm picnic area there will be
an all-group orientation to the programs and some group
time. An all-expeditions game is followed by a campfire
by the barn and bed time.
After breakfast Monday morning, we will travel by 12 passenger
extended van to the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, about a
3 hour drive. Here we will help repair, paint, and do trail work
to the restored village which is set on 1,200 acres of farm,
woodland and pasture. Upon arrival you will have an
orientation by the Shaker Village facilities staff followed by
a light day of maintenance. On Tuesday you will work
from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. After working 8:00 AM to noon
on Wednesday, you will take the afternoon off to go whitewater
rafting on the Deerfield River. Thursday will be another 8:00
AM to noon work day. Thursday after lunch you will get a
chance to find out about the Shakers by joining the
staff on a historic tour of the village. After that you will say your goodbyes
and head back to Alton Jones.
Volunteer work may include extending and reclaiming a
wheelchair accessible pathway, reclaiming old pavestones that
have been overgrown for years, restoring old cast iron
fencing, repairing and painting white-board fencing, building
bridges over vernal pools, and refurbishing an old tanning
shed. The exact type of work
won't be determined until the week of the program. We will put in
a total of about 20 community service hours. Each
evening, we will return to our campsite for showers, dinner,
campfires, and rest. Sleeping will be in a historic
building on the property.
In preparing for your week, you may want to spend some
time thinking about why you chose the Hancock Shaker Village
Expedition and what you
hope to learn from this experience. Everyone is expected to
do their best, participate fully, encourage each other, and
help out with chores on a rotating basis such as cooking meals
and
cleaning up. If you have never helped to build a house, relax.
Professionals will be on hand to teach you everything you need
to know. Experience is not a requirement,
but a positive attitude and a willingness to have fun while
learning is!
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