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As the beautiful weather rolls into Shaker Heights, exciting things are happening with the Shaker Historical Society Scouting Program!

During my internship at SHS, I am very pleased to work on organizing this unique event. At Scouting Day, we will be offering Girl Scouts of America the opportunity to earn the “Local Lore” badge in just one afternoon. The “Local Lore” badge invites girls to take an active interest in the history of their city – everything from architecture, traditions, to song and dress! The “Local Lore” badge is extremely creative, as it encourages the Girl Scouts to consider the past, present, and future of our city!

In the coming week, I am extremely excited to begin reaching out to local troops about this event. We’re hoping we can gather an active interest in the program to help make it the best it can be. As time rolls on, we hope to expand this program to the Boy Scouts of America, as well.

This program synchronizes nearly perfectly with the Girl Scouts – because not only is it the Shaker Heights centennial, but there’s, too! We’re hoping we can celebrate together. The City of Shaker Heights and surrounding areas has over a dozen Girl Scout troops that we look forward to interacting with.

The Shaker Historical Society is creating truly special programming for Scouting Day. I can’t wait to share it with you in the coming months! If you have any questions about the program, please feel free to e-mail Emily Wicks, Interim Director of Education, at ewicks@shakerhistory.org! We are also extremely open to suggestions!

Talk to you soon,

Lauren

As I walked into The Shaker Historical Society today, our Director of Education was cleaning up after a successful tour with a school group. Being that they were fourth graders, quite a mess was created, and I assisted with the cleanup. Part of this involved sweeping up some seeds that had been spilled on the floor. I remembered that the last time I was labeling artifacts, I came across three miniature flat brooms probably played with by children. Knowing who invented an everyday item that we now view as simple, has always been an interest to me. With some research, I soon found out that the flat broom was invented by none other than the Shakers and more specifically Theodore Bates.

The Shakers did not invent the first broom, but we are lucky they took the time to improve on the older model. The original broom was called a “besom.” Unlike the flat brooms we see today, the base of the besom was round. While they are still made today, many found them to be inefficient, as they seemed to simply push the dust around instead of cleaning anything. In the nineteenth century, the Shakers invented the “flat broom” which was made of a different material called “broom corn.” Broom corn is a type of grass that is also harvested for its grain, which is edible. Although it is cultivated as a source of food, one of its main uses was to make a traditional flat broom. The newer model became very popular due to its user-friendliness. It required less work and simply did a better job of rounding up dirt and dust.  Now many brooms are made with a synthetic substitute in mass quantities.  It probably would be safe to say that almost every household in America has a flat broom.  Thanks to the Shakers, cleaning was made a little easier!

Rent a bike or bring your own to enjoy the beauty and celebrate the history of Shaker Heights!  Read more here or call 216.921.1201 with any questions!

Fair on the Square: Playhouse Square

Browse through field trip and curriculum enhancement opportunities from arts and cultural organizations, attend professional development workshops and network with fellow educators. Join us for this free event, refreshments and prizes! The Shaker Historical Society will be exhibiting.
More details here.

My name is Lauren Kotmel and I am a new special event intern at The Shaker Historical Society. Currently, I am a graduate student at John Carroll University earning my M.A. in Nonprofit Administration. I also hold a B.A. in English from Kent State University with minors in Women’s Studies and International Relations, and a TEFL Certification from Technische Universität Dresden in Germany.

Currently, I work part-time at the Cleveland Museum of Art in the Marketing department, where I help evaluate educational programs and conduct visitor research for the Lifelong Learning Center, an upcoming educational initiative in Cleveland. I also intern part-time at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame + Museum in the Communications department, aiding in the preparations for the 2012 Induction Ceremony!

I have always had a love for educational institutions, which inspired me to build a career in the museum sector. In 2010, I interned in the Office of Public Affairs at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, which sparked my interest in this field. I am now so glad to have the opportunity to work at SHS, a very important local organization. I plan to stay in Cleveland, involved in the arts/museums in any capacity!

When I am not involved with museums, I am a competitive sailor, and have been boating since I was little. I am also a sister of the Greek organization Chi Omega, and enjoy volunteering with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, our national philanthropy. I also adore traveling Europe and foreign films, and plan to be at the Cleveland International Film Festival as much as possible this year!

My primary project at The Shaker Historical Society is the creation of a Scouting Day here at the museum. In August/September, we are inviting local troops from the Cleveland area to earn the “Local Lore” patch at the society— an afternoon filled with crafts, games, history, and of course, fun! I am assisting in the planning, communication, and execution of this 1^st annual Scouting Day for Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops.

I look forward to being able to share my progress with you about this exciting project!

You’ll be hearing from me soon,

Lauren Kotmel