As an MHS volunteer, you can match your skills and interests to our needs while making new friends and helping us complete our goals. Please consider these ways to assist us:

Antiques Fair
Fourth Saturday in August
Locally known as Madison's best antiques show, this event is our major fund-raiser. Here are some ways you might be helpful:

• We are in currently in need of at least a dozen volunteers to mark out the vendor spaces and set up the MHS tents on Friday afternoon before the Fair. Adults and teens are welcome. (August 28, 2009, 2:00 to 6:00 p.m.) Please call us as soon as possible to offer an hour or more of your time.
• We need a team of volunteers to help park our vendors on Saturday morning (August 29, 2009, 6:00 to 9:00 a.m.)
• We need volunteers to take tickets from patrons throughout the day on Saturday (shifts from 8:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.)
• We need a clean-up and take-down crew on Saturday afternoon. Adults and teens are welcome. (4:30 to 6:00 p.m.)

Buildings and Grounds
Time commitment varies.
Help with overseeing upkeep and improvements of our buildings. This could involve meeting with contractors, getting quotes, and overseeing workers.

Children's Education
May through early June. Weekday mornings (9:00 to 11:30 a.m.)
Give guided tours of the Allis-Bushnell House to elementary-school children. You sign up for any number of days to fit your schedule; we provide an easy script and a few practice sessions.

Historic Building Plaque Program
Time commitment varies.
The building plaque program offers several volunteer opportunities:

• In-depth primary-source deed research and documentation
• Supplementary research at the Tax Assessor's Office (copying tax maps and collecting deed references from tax cards), the Charlotte L. Evarts Memorial Archives and Library, and the Allis-Bushnell House (copying related information on subject buildings)
• Compilation of research and supplementary information to create duplicate books for building owner and MHS archives.

Hospitality
Time commitment varies.
Help with refreshments for such events and programs as the Annual Meeting, the Summer Members' Celebration, and the Holiday Party. Sign up as often as you like.

Library
Time commitment is flexible.
The MHS research library includes books relating to local, regional, and state history as well as local genealogies; it also contains files on Madison historic homes and families, as well as local history manuscripts. We need a volunteer to oversee the library and add to the collection.

Membership
Time commitment varies.
Help maintain and encourage membership at each MHS event or program; assist with membership mailings.

Preservation
Time commitment varies.
Work on local preservation issues with group of like-minded volunteers.

Adult Education
Various times throughout the year. Participate as often as you like.
Help us create interesting and informative programs for our membership and the public. Tasks include securing speakers/presenters/performers; arranging for meeting space; planning publicity; creating flyers; and coordinating with the hospitality committee.

Publicity
Time commitment varies.We are currently actively searching for a volunteer to write press releases, create flyers and postcards, maintain contact with a distribution list of local newspapers, and place publicity flyers and posters in various locations around Madison to advertise events and programs.