Emeritus Volunteer Program

The Natural History Museum of Utah’s Volunteer Board in 2018 created a formal retirement system for long-serving and top-contributing volunteers to the Museum. An Emeritus Volunteer Program provides eligible members of the Museum’s Volunteer Program an opportunity to stay connected to the place at which they have dedicated a significant portion of their time, energy, and skill, when they find that they are ready to retire from the rigorous requirements of their original volunteer roles.

A transition to the Emeritus Volunteer Program is a promotion of status that recognizes and honors the service of volunteers who have given a significant amount of time to the Museum. It demonstrates that the Museum values the hard work of these dedicated volunteers, and formally recognizes the contributions they have made to our institution. For volunteers who find that they are no longer capable of participating in their area, this program offers a compassionate response to the challenge of failing abilities, by welcoming emeriti volunteers to maintain the contacts and relationships they have built at the Museum through regular communications and social engagements. The Emeritus Volunteer Program also allows the Museum the opportunity to preserve the institutional and area-specific knowledge that these devoted volunteers hold, and provides pathways for emeriti volunteers to pass that expertise on to current members of the Volunteer Program. 

Qualifications for Eligibility

The Emeritus Volunteer Program is open to volunteers who are ready to retire from their volunteer service (perhaps because they are no longer physically or mentally capable of continuing in their volunteer roles, or because they are relocating from the Salt Lake area, or because they are simply ready to move on to different passions in their life). It is intended for volunteers who have demonstrated a dedication to the Museum, and strongly desire the opportunity to stay connected with NHMU and the Volunteer Program after they leave their long-time roles.

To be eligible for the Emeritus Volunteer Program, the volunteer must be in good standing with the Museum, as determined by their volunteer supervisor(s) and the Volunteer Department. They must also meet one of the following minimum service requirements:

• A minimum of 10 years of service (with no less than 500 hours recorded)

• A minimum of 1,000 hours recorded (with no less than 5 years of service)

In the case of special circumstances, such as the sudden death of a volunteer, the Volunteer Board may elect to grant emeritus status to recognize and honor a volunteer who might otherwise have been eligible for the program.

Ideally, volunteers who are eligible to transition to the Emeritus Volunteer Program will self-select into the program. Ultimately, the Volunteer Program Manager may invite a volunteer to transition into the program, if the volunteer’s supervisor(s) begin to notice and report indicators that a historically consistent volunteer is struggling to maintain a satisfactory level of service. 

Benefits of the Emeritus Volunteer Program

Emeriti volunteers will continue to enjoy many of the benefits that are granted to active members of the Volunteer Program:

• Free admission to the Museum in perpetuity

• Continued access to the Volunteer Lounge

• Invitations to continuing education programs

• Invitations to volunteer social events

• Continued newsletters and communications from the Museum

In addition, emeriti volunteers will be eligible for the following benefits:

• 4 free guest passes per year

• A new nametag indicating their updated status

• Invitations to the annual volunteer recognition and awards dinner each year

As the Emeritus Volunteer Program grows, there may be future opportunities for a yearly luncheon to honor emeriti volunteers.

Roles Emeriti Volunteers Can Fill

There is no service requirement for this program, and volunteers may retain emeritus status without giving any service. Should emeriti volunteers be interested in a reduced role at the Museum, a discussion with the Volunteer Program Manager will help to determine in what ways the volunteer wishes to contribute, and in what ways the Museum can best use the expertise of the volunteer. Some possible roles could include:

• A mentorship role, helping to welcome and support new members to the Volunteer Program

• An advisory role, helping to guide the Volunteer Board in their work supporting the Volunteer Program

• A guest contributor to the Echoes from the Canyon newsletter

Recognizing the Transition to Emeritus Status

The transition to the Emeritus Volunteer Program is an opportunity to recognize and honor the hard work of a dedicated volunteer, and their change in status within the Volunteer Program. There are several ways that this transition can be recognized:

• A status change ceremony at the annual volunteer recognition and awards dinner, recognizing each new emeritus volunteer individually. This may include:

  • Presenting them with a plaque, or a framed/engraved photo of them in their favorite spot in the Museum

  • Showing a video or slide show with pictures of this volunteer through their years of service

• Being added to an “Emeriti Wall of Fame”, potentially located in the Volunteer Lounge

• Being included in the annually-updated volunteer panel that will be displayed to the public next to the elevators on Level 2 of the Museum.

• An article in the Echoes from the Canyon newsletter about the volunteer

• Presenting the volunteer with their new nametag, indicating their updated status

• Notifying their families of this honor by sending them a letter from the Volunteer Program Manager or the Executive Director of the Museum

These may all be optional, and each transitioning volunteer can choose whether or not to participate in any or all of these recognition efforts.