An Ode to Volunteers: Inspiring Lessons from the ‘July Project’ in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia

What I learned travelling at home for 30 days

by Sandra Phinney

In my first column on slow travel at home, I referred to Mary Oliver’s quote from Our World about finding the ‘heavenly invisibles in the heavenly visibles.’ 

I continue to be amazed at how volunteers play such an enormous role in the world. Yet, they are often invisible. So many things in our travels—museums, libraries, tours, concerts, beautiful parks and trails, art galleries, community meals—are often the visible parts of those heavenly invisibles. But what goes on behind the scenes? Who raises the funds to keep places open? How many people are involved that are not on a payroll? It’s worth taking the time to talk with the locals and learn the backstories of how volunteers are the backbone of our communities, especially in small towns and villages.

Let me illustrate what I mean by recounting a handful of things I did during my 30-day slow travel jaunt while getting up close and personal with nearby towns and villages.

Travel-at-home experiences made possible by volunteers

An afternoon concert at the Argyle Historic Church

During the first couple of days of my July Project, I attended an afternoon concert at the Argyle Historic Church. Walking up the stairs of the church a tad late, I could hear a classical strain from Bach’s Quintet in C Major Op. 11 No. 1. Mind you, before reading the program, didn’t know the exact title, but I did recognize it as a composition from Johann Christian Bach and not the score from a Dr. Seuss movie.

The Argyle Lodge Chamber Players, led by Randy Hiller, were in fine form. Randy hails from Massachusetts in the U.S. and performs with Emmanuel Music, Cantata Singers, and the Lexington Symphony. Several years ago, he and his wife bought an old hunting lodge in Argyle, Nova Scotia, which has become a summer refuge for them and their musical friends. Now, Randy and his guests give a concert every summer, and the proceeds are donated to the Argyle Historic Church Committee to help with restoration and preservation. Dozens of other volunteers organize the event and provide refreshments, keep the grounds spiffy, and do restoration work.

After the concert, I strolled around the old cemetery and learned that Caleb Slocum (1788-1863) is buried here. Caleb was an uncle to Joshua Slocum, the first man to sail alone around the world! I later learned that Joshua Slocum actually spent time in my hometown of Yarmouth before setting sail on his epic journey. In Sailing Alone Around the World, he wrote about buying his “famous tin clock,” in Yarmouth, “… the only time piece I carried on the whole voyage. The price was a dollar and a half but on account of the face being smashed the merchant let me have it for a dollar.” 

Three weeks later, I attended a concert in the coastal community of Port Maitland. A news release said in part, “Boxwood programs combine originality, intelligence, fun, and sheer mastery that have garnered respect from audiences, presenters, and colleagues alike in North America, Europe, and Asia.” They certainly delivered.