NATIONAL MUSEUM OF HEALTH AND MEDICINE RECOGNIZES DEDICATED DOCENTS

Retirement means different things to different people.

To Marjorie Hughes, a physician now retired for 11 years, it means remaining active in her community, family, and profession.

In addition to her responsibilities as a mother of six and grandmother of eight, Hughes volunteers at the National Museum of Health and Medicine as a docent.

In fact, she has dedicated so much of her time to the museum in the past year that she has been recognized as the volunteer that has logged the most hours.

On average, Hughes gives two tours a month to groups of adults and school-aged children. Each tour lasts for approximately one hour. This year alone, however, she has spent 115 hours providing guided tours at the museum. Although she did not receive this recognition last year, she logged 134 hours in 2002.

"I love giving tours of the exhibits here," Hughes said. "I probably get more out of it than the people on my tours! I get something back personally, and I like the people here. We have fun together."

Before retiring, Hughes worked for 35 years as the director of school health for the Arlington public school system and therefore has a "particular interest in the history of medicine."

As Hughes notes, she and her fellow docents are not in competition with one another, but simply enjoy the work assigned to them.

"Being a docent doesn't interfere with my life at all," she said cheerfully. "It sure doesn't seem like I've put in a lot of hours!"

Hughes hopes that visitor attendance will rise in the coming months so that she will have more assignments. The number of tours she has given in 2003 is notably less than last year, primarily because of tour cancellations.

"I think the main reason that I came out on top this year is because a smaller number of my tours cancelled than those of other docents," she said. "In the last couple of years, visitor cancellation has risen because of the schools closing, whether it be because of the sniper, the rising terror level, the Iraqi war, or the massive amount of snow."

Sporadic cancellations don't leave Hughes with a lot of time on her hands, however. In addition to her job at the museum, Hughes works extensively with the American Cancer Society, judges science fairs for Arlington schools, and serves as the chairman of the Subcommittee for Health in the Arlington school system. She also is a board member of the Marjorie Hughes Fund for Children, an organization created by her co-workers when she retired that now helps impoverished children buy prescription medications, glasses, and other necessities.

Hughes is one of 11 docents that now work at the museum on a volunteer basis.

"Marjorie is representative of the group of docents we now have working for the museum," said Kathy La Plante, the museum's tour program manager. "They are very dedicated and truly enjoy giving tours to our visitors. I think they keep coming back each year because it is just plain fun to share what they know with others and because they love this museum."

The museum is now recruiting more volunteers to provide visitors with guided tours. Hughes encourages people of all ages to join the docent team.

"This is an incredibly fulfilling way to spend your time," Hughes said. "I started doing this in my fourth year of retirement, after my daughter gave me some literature on the program. She thought I would enjoy something like this, and, boy, she was right!"

The qualifications required to become a docent are an eagerness and willingness to learn, enthusiasm, excellent communication skills, ability to walk and stand for up to two hours without a break, and the ability to handle scientific equipment and specimens with care.

"I think becoming a docent is extremely beneficial," La Plante said. "It will allow a person to gain confidence in public speaking, become more comfortable in a teaching setting and enjoy seeing 'the light bulb' go off in a student's or adult's head when they grasp a concept. If someone has in interest in learning, this is the place to do it. I know that anyone interested in becoming a docent would enjoy the camaraderie that develops between docents, staff, and visitors." The museum offers lectures and presentations to keep the docents informed and knowledgeable about the topics they are expected to know. In addition, intensive training is provided for those interested in continuing education throughout the year.

To request an application packet with complete details about becoming a docent, please call 202-782-2456.

The National Museum of Health and Medicine, founded to study and improve medical conditions during the American Civil War, is an element of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. Its specimens and artifacts were the first museum collection in the country and are currently the only in Washington, D.C. to be registered by the U.S. Department of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark. The Secretary of the Interior, who has designated only 2,340 districts, sites, buildings, and structures for listing in the National Register, selected the museum's collection because of its "exceptional value in commemorating and illustrating the history of the United States."

Open daily except Dec. 25 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., the museum is located at Water Reed Army Medical Center, 6900 Georgia Ave. and Elder Street, NW, Washington, D.C. The public telephone number is 202-782-2200 and the website is nmhm.washingtondc.museum. Admission and parking are free.