Rungs From the Chair
Janice Elvidge, CILH Section Chair
Winter 1999

The 1998 National Interpreters Workshop in Anchorage, Alaska is now behind us. Thanks to the excellent work of Rich and Diane Pawling, John Luzader and Jerri Spellman the pre-workshop session sponsored by the CILH section was a great success. There were 18 participants and CILH earned $595.75 for our section. Many new ideas came out of that session for the upcoming joint effort with Region 2 in Pipestem, West Virginia in March 1999. These new ideas will greatly enhance the training curriculum our section would like to ultimately present at a section workshop in 2000 or 2001. As former Training Committee Chair, and the new Section Chair, I am very excited about the direction our section is taking with the variety of sessions and topics. There are many people out there who are interpreting history and culture through a variety of venues (not just 1st person) and each of us needs resources, professional contacts and mentors to help develop outstanding interpretive programs and exhibits. The training program our section is developing promises to offer a wide variety of opportunities for both the new interpreter as well as the "old" hand at living history.

The upcoming year looks to be very promising for our young section. If you have any ideas, thoughts or are willing to help in any way, please contact me, or any section officer. It is through the input and ideas of people like you that this section will excell!

Hope you all have a very special, and safe, holiday season!