Newsletter of the Rancho Los Alamitos Volunteer Service Council

Co-editors Doug Cox and Roxanne Patmor

In this issue

VSC Perspectives
Volunteer Enrichment
Cottonwood 2024 Highlights
Prom Season Comes to the Rancho
Upcoming Community Events

May 2024

In the Spotlight

Volunteer Lori Holley
Volunteer Kaj Malmsten

VSC Perspectives

Doug Cox, VSC President

We'll be seeing some new faces around the Rancho pretty soon, as our new volunteer recruitment efforts refocus on an approach that's worked so well for us in the past: a regular series of volunteer recruitment fairs.

The idea's a simple one: invite interested people up to the Rancho for an hour or two to meet people, get an insider's look at all the volunteer opportunities we offer, and have a chance to talk things over with the volunteer leaders in the respective service areas.

The focus will be a very positive one: putting our prospective new colleagues' interests first by matching them with the activities where we need them most.

The idea of a recruitment fair goes back many years, according to VSC Community Outreach chair Roberta Rogoff. "It was Nina Taweepong, the Rancho Volunteer Coordinator and administrative secretary who had the brilliant idea of the recruitment event," Roberta remembers.

Our Community Engagement and Education Manager, Chris Fountain, will be working closely on developing the ongoing project with volunteer coordinator Steve Squire and veteran Rancho volunteer Nancy Schwartz, our Friday lead docent, as well as with each of the VSC Steering Committee representatives.

Nancy has many years of high-level experience with adult and youth leader training with Scouting America (formerly the Boy Scouts of America) and will be the principal volunteer liaison with Rancho staff and volunteer leadership.

The first recruitment fair is slated for mid-July.

Volunteer Spotlight

Lori Holley

Lori Holley is retired educator and treasured docent.

What made you decide to become a Rancho volunteer?

I used to bring my kids to the Rancho when they were little and I always loved being there. I was also a 3rd-grade teacher in Santa Ana. I taught the Rancho Period in our Social Studies curriculum. I planned and coordinated a Rancho Days Field Day with the other 3rd grade teachers to culminate our lessons. I thought I would like to be a docent one day after I retired. And, that's what I did.

How long have you been volunteering with us?

I started volunteering here in February 2023 while I was taking the Docent Training Class. My first volunteer experience was working with the Crafters Group, helping with the craft for Footprints tours. I was hooked!

What do you like best about the time you spend here?

I enjoy socializing with my fellow volunteers and the staff. Everyone is so kind and welcoming. I also really enjoy interacting with our guests, whether it be on the house tours, school tours, or just around the grounds. I have met so many interesting people here.

What’s your favorite thing to hear from visitors?

I love to hear them talk about how much they enjoyed a tour or just wandering around our lovely site. I enjoy hearing from some of the adult guests who tell me about the time they came here as children on school tours.

What do you like to do when you're not at the Rancho?

When I'm not at the Rancho you will find me doing mixed media collage art and bookmaking in my tiny home studio, scouring charity shops for books and paper I can use in my art, playing with my two cats, walking around my neighborhood or the El Dorado Nature Center, and spending time with my husband and my adult child.

What's the one word your friends and family would use to describe you?

I guess that word would be "friendly."

What else do you want us to know?

I love spending time at the Rancho. It has enriched my life in many ways.

Lori's cats, Vader and Lotus, like to hang out on her art table while she works.

Volunteer Spotlight

Kaj Malmsten

Kaj Malmsten is a world-traveler and devoted school docent.

What made you decide to become a Rancho volunteer?

Having been a 4th grade teacher for many years I became interested in California history, it's part of 4th-grade curriculum. When I heard of RLA I decided to check it out and fell instantly in love with it. Like many others I was amazed to find out that Long Beach has such a long history. So, just before I retired I decided to volunteer here.

How long have you been volunteering with us?

I have been here since 2015 and since that was before my retirement, I worked weekends. Since my retirement in 2016, I have worked as a Thursday docent and doing Footprints tours.

What do you like best about the time you spend here?

I love the people at the Rancho, we're more of a family than just workmates. I love to walk the site just to see the week-to-week changes. I love doing the house tours, hearing how much the visitors enjoy it and how amazed they are seeing how pristine it is.

What’s your favorite thing to hear from visitors?

I love to hear "Wow, I'm bringing my family and friends here, this is so amazing."

What do you like to do when you're not at the Rancho?

When I'm not at the Rancho I love to read, I can do that for hours. I like to travel, my wife and I went to many places both in the U.S. and in Scandinavia. And I watch a lot of sports, live if I have the time and money.

What else do you want us to know?

I collect sports memorabilia and signed books, well, books in general, I have way too many for my own good (not enough bookcases). Plus, every year I have a vegetable garden. This year's is coming late but it will be my 47th.

Photos from Kaj's Scandinavian travels.

Norwegian fjord.

Göta kanal, a canal that goes from Stockholm on the east coast to Gothenborg on the west coast of Sweden. This is from one of the many locks.

Behind the Scenes of Volunteer Enrichment

By Janice Wellsteed, Volunteer Enrichment Representative

About the Volunteer Enrichment Team

I have been excited and pleased to be able to organize and participate in VE activities and trips. We are a small team with members available for whatever needs doing. We have visited places both near (Museum of Latin American Art) and far (Catalina).

We are learning which experiences work best and ones that can use a little tweaking. We rely on the VSC Steering Committee for advice and ideas. We are a work in progress and are determined to do our best for our RLA volunteer community.

Volunteer Enrichment Goals

-Give volunteers opportunities to learn and understand the region's history and how the Rancho fits in the larger narrative.

-Instill a sense of pride in the diversity and cross-cultural experience the Rancho provides.

-Support Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) in our field trips and consider what we can learn from other organizations and sites we visit.

-Ensure the activities are fun and joyful.

Identifying and Selecting Activities

In 2022, a task force of volunteers met and organized an extensive and comprehensive list of activities and excursions, locations, and means of transportation. This task force voted on the activities to move forward. These pages are the team's first stop to garner ideas. Volunteers continue to give us ideas both by email and in person and they are added to our kitbag.

Planning and Communicating

After determining an activity or field trip, the fun begins. The proposed activity is reviewed to ensure it supports the goals of Volunteer Enrichment.

The organization is contacted, and a site visit is scheduled. It's important the tour guide or trip leader knows we are Rancho volunteers with a deep understanding of California history and are looking for knowledge to enhance the experience of our guests.

Emails are sent to all volunteers describing upcoming events to make sure all are aware of activities and trips. Questions and concerns are welcome to ensure you are informed and comfortable with the available activities.

Thank you for your participation and feedback. We will continue to look for opportunities to learn and grow as volunteers and as individuals.

Volunteer Enrichment: Coming Attractions

June 8 VSC 9:15 - Noon "Meet & Greet the Animals"

Working with Karen Thompson, Sharon Conner, and Doug Cox to make this smooth, fun, and meaningful.

Sept. 9 South Coast Botanic Gardens.

Carpooling is encouraged. Details coming as we get closer to the field trip.

Oct.14 Rio Bravo Olive Ranch

Jeff Green, RLAF board member and grandson of Fred and Florence Bixby, has invited us for an all-day trip to learn about growing and processing olives and olive oils. A rare opportunity to learn first-hand about California agribusiness.

Meet at RLA and travel by bus to Bakersfield ranch. Limit 25, details coming soon.

"Back of the Napkin"

Ideas for future field trips

Stay tuned for more information

Looking at a December visit to Riverside's Mission Inn.

It began as an adobe boarding house in 1876 and became a full-service hotel in the early 1900s. Opened by Frank Miller, it expanded in 1903 with over 200 guestrooms and the addition of the Mission Wing, built in Mission-Revival style while incorporating architectural features from more than 20 different California missions.

Another possible outing is the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture.

After a successful exhibit of some of Marin's collection at the Riverside Art Museum in early 2017, the city and museum approached Marin about establishing a permanent home for his collection in Riverside.

2024 Cottonwood Awards Luncheon

A celebration of Long Beach leaders and RLA's educational mission

A Beautiful and Unique Historic Site

Mayor Rex Richardson + Guest Speakers

42 Tables and 420 Guests

2 Cottonwood Honorees

3 Cottonwood Scholars

4 Platinum Sponsors

14 Cottonwood Committee Members

RLAF Board of Directors & Staff

Rancho Los Alamitos Volunteers

Thank you for being part of the 2024 Cottonwood Awards Luncheon

High School Seniors Making Memories at RLA

This year we welcome students from 17 local high schools, including Wilson, Millikan, Jordan, Lakewood, St. Anthony, Los Alamitos, and Mayfair, to have their prom photos taken here at the Rancho. By the time the 2024 prom season is over, we expect that nearly 1,000 students with their friends and families will have visited the Rancho to create a lasting keepsake of their special night.

We send them off with our best wishes for an evening to remember!

Photo by Doug Cox