Page 29 - January 2019

In the Archives building, Harry and Greg (yours truly)
Invisible Staff Working in Hidden Jobs
Most visitors to the Commonwealth Air Training Plan
Museum will likely talk, with enthusiasm after a visit,
about the numerous yellow aircraft and large array
of motor vehicles in the hangar, ongoing restoration
work in the workshop, a social event in the World
War II setting of the Canteen or their look at the
small artifacts in the museum’s heated exhibit area.
But these features and accompanying activities are
not the sum-total of the efforts and results of
operating a World War II museum devoted to the
commemoration of the British Commonwealth Air
Training Plan. Many other volunteers and staff, the
invisible ones, work behind the scenes doing hidden
jobs in order to keep the museum functioning.
The first view hint at invisible workers in hidden jobs deceptively simple, but is in fact quite complex and
is the museum grounds which holds an array of
buildings that would be at home on almost any of
the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan schools
in WW II. Our visitor’s first glance includes buildings
in tip-top shape, carefully manicured grass in the
summer and snow plowed aside for easy walking,
travel and parking in the winter. Those who do this
work also take on duties maintaining the interior of
the buildings and redeveloping space within for new
and important uses. It takes considerable labour and
financial resources to maintain the look. There are
three dedicated volunteers devoted to maintaining
our profile with paint, nails, gasoline for the
equipment and two-by-fours. We thank Gerry, Jack
and Angus for this service. We have one part-time
paid staff, Barb, who does an excellent job keeping
the heated display areas clean.
Lyle works with Clem who scans archival materials
(newspapers, magazines, documents) to gather
important details for a database which provides
information on events and people relevant to our
story. We are able to respond to personal inquiries
and research requests with links to the people of
that time thanks to his good efforts.
work with small artifacts and archival materials –
documenting and providing safe storage for them.
Harry also works with BCATP records on microfilm
adapting them to a searchable, digital format making
them accessible by modern computers.
Marlene is our librarian (and membership manager)
who processes and maintains the thousands of books
in our library. This is valuable work, sometimes
unappreciated by others.
The most invisible of our volunteers is Bill, our
Webmaster, who primarily works from home to
maintain the museum’s website. He does get out into
the light for special occasions and the social events at
the museum. Even though we rarely get to meet him
face-to-face, he deserves recognition for his efforts.
Not so invisible as the rest of the group are our front
desk staff who put a face to the museum experience
while collecting entrance fees, answering questions
about the collection and balancing the tally at the end
of their shift. They work a job that appears to be
they do it well. Some of them provide excellent tours
to groups coming to the museum.
(There was no response for a list of names from the
Front Desk Manager).
Jan does a wonderful job running our gift shop which
for many years has been a source of much needed
income.
Overall, our group of invisible staff working in hidden
jobs go about their work unnoticed but finding reward
in the satisfaction of providing a job well done.
The museum would not function well with the loss of
one or two… and not function at all with the loss of a
few more of these valuable workers. John is our
invisible mechanical systems manager who makes sure
the lights are on, the alarm is working, and provides
expert advice and guidance on heating systems. We
would be in trouble if he wasn’t on the job.
Another finds continuous work restoring and
maintaining our motor vehicle collection. We have
Grant volunteering in this job.