Date: March 11th 2010

How is your docent program structured or organized, and what are the
structure's strengths and weaknesses? For example, our docents are
organized by day of the week, so there is a Wednesday team who only conducts
tours on Wednesday, etc.

Presently we have docent led tours Tuesday - Saturday every 15 minutes.

Tuesday / Thursday. 9-10 (mostly school tours)

Wed / Fri / Sat 9-11:15. We are also open 1st Sundays for docent led tours
at least every 30 minutes but more frequently if docents sign up. That
Sunday is free for local residents with local ID.

We have a base crew schedule. In other words barring illness or travel (or
better things to do like go on a field trip with a grandchild) a docent has
a set day and time every week. Many of our volunteers do 2 tours a day or
two days a week. If there are holes in the schedule a docent might pick up
an extra tour on a different day if they aren't already committed elsewhere.

If your docent program has bylaws or guidelines, how and by whom were these
created? How are changes made to the bylaws, and how often are they
updated?

Guidelines were set up in the beginning 1977 / 1978 with changes made as
circumstances dictate. For instance: At first docents did 3 tours per shift
now a minimum of one.

Do your docents sign a contract committing to particular
expectations/responsibilities? If not, how else are they held accountable?

We ask that they sign an agreement at the time they start their training.
The request is that in return for the low cost of training and all the
materials they get they give at least one tour a week or an equal number of
hours in a different volunteer position for one year after their training
ends. We realize that circumstances sometime prohibits them from complying
which is OK. The agreement was crafted to get trainees to take the training
seriously and not participate just for the 'information'.

Zita Cup Choy
Iolani Palace Docent Educator
808-522-0841
educator@iolanipalace.org
http://www.facebook.com/iolanipalace