FALL 2002
Other River Rat Newsletter Articles:
Local Business Gets Involved :: To be a Young Friend, or not to be :: The Mini Millstone

To be a Young Friend, or not to be
By Tara Wood

The motivation to volunteer for any organization is extremely personal. For the experience to be rewarding and fulfilling, your heart should be unabashedly dedicated to the activity. Such dedication usually develops over time to the point where your desire to support the cause becomes irrepressible and the values of the organization become second nature to you. At its very best, volunteering is effortless and altruistic.

For me, volunteering as a Young Friend of the Brandywine Conservancy has been one of the most rewarding and fun-filled experiences of my life. Shortly before I joined the Young Friends, I was newly married and exploring ways to get involved in the community. My husband Rich and I both grew up in the Brandywine Valley and we love the area so much that we decided to settle down here. Whenever we get the chance, we go mountain biking on the Woodlawn Trustees' trails, fishing in the Brandywine River, or hiking through the Laurels Reserve. We also enjoy the many cultural, artistic and historic events that make the Brandywine Valley unique, more than just pretty countryside.

Rich took me to my first two Young Friends events, the infamous Allhallows Eve Costume Ball at the Brandywine River Museum and the wild Tip-A-Canoe and Barbecue, Too! party at The Big Bend, both of which I will never forget. On top of having a wonderful time, I met lots of great people who felt strongly about preserving the art and the environment of the Brandywine Valley. The two events had such a positive effect on me that I could not wait to join this energetic and committed group of people my age. So, when Stephanie Cooke-Jablow asked me to help organize the next Tip-A-Canoe and Barbecue, Too! party, I jumped at the chance.

Two years later, I have absolutely no regrets. I have truly enjoyed every minute of volunteering with the Young Friends. There are so many wonderful opportunities to match almost anyone's interests. For those who want to protect the environment, the Young Friends offer the Brandywine River Cleanup and the Laurels Tree Planting events. For those who want to get involved in social events, the Young Friends host the Allhallows Eve Costume Ball, the Children's Concert with Tom Chapin, Tip-A-Canoe and Barbecue, Too! and the Yuletide Reunion. These annual events are a blast to attend and raise important funds to support the Conservancy's Brandywine River Museum and Environmental Management Center.

Volunteers are needed for a wide range of tasks, from stuffing envelopes and helping with mailings to organizing events to writing for the River Rat. The only prerequisites are a love of the Brandywine Valley and a desire to save it for future generations. To quote Gandhi, "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."

Now that you are as inspired as I am, please visit the Young Friends website. The address is easy to remember, youngfriends.org. On the site you can find out all about upcoming events and browse through photo albums of events that have been recently held. The site also has links to the Brandywine River Museum and Environmental Management Center where you can learn more about the Conservancy's programs.

Best of all, on the site you can sign up to become a Young Friend. It's only $55 for individuals and $75 for families. As a Young Friend, you will be invited to special exhibition openings at the museum, get free admission to the museum, be eligible for discounts in the Museum Shop and at Young Friends events, and receive Conservancy newsletters such as the River Rat News.

If you're tired of surfing the web or if your computer crashes, you can usually rely on the trusty telephone. Tessa Fontaine, our Young Friends coordinator, can always answer questions at (610) 388-8315. And if your computer gets back up and running, you can send her an email at tfontaine@brandywine.org.
To me, the Brandywine is a special place worth protecting. Come lend a hand by volunteering with the Young Friends. It's fun, I promise!


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