Become a Roper

The Will Rogers Memorial Museums docent (“Roper”) program begins September 3.

Roper Dexter Bolin at an event on the banks of Oologah Lake near the Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch. Ropers volunteer at both the Claremore Museum and Birthplace Ranch.

Volunteers are an active part of the mission of Will Rogers Memorial Museums’ daily operations and programs. A training program for a new class of Will Rogers Ropers, the name chosen for volunteers who wear a bandana kerchief, will begin September 3. Classes will meet each Thursday through November 12 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The graduation celebration will be November 19.

Facilitators will be Bob Seay from Owasso, Harriet Kuykendall from Tulsa,  and Karen Tripp and Sherry Whisler from Claremore, all graduates of earlier classes. The volunteer program started in 2008.

Ropers provide invaluable resources through assisting in educational programs and tour groups. There are numous ways to serve at the Memorial Museum and Birthplace Ranch. They aid visitors in many ways, and assist museum staff with behind-the-scenes projects, cataloguing and research.

The training program is not only to acquaint trainees with volunteer opportunities, but to gain knowledge about Will Rogers. “We have so many activities and the Ropers are vital to help us share Will Rogers with others,” said Tad Jones, museum executive director. “Ropers meet people from all over the world, and it is a fun opportunity to volunteer.”

The Will Rogers Memorial Museum Ropers at the Clem and Mary Rogers gravesite in Chelsea on a field trip. In keeping with learning the family history, they have started a tradition of decorating the Chelsea grave as well as the Will Rogers family tomb on the Museum grounds.

Classes will meet at the Ropers Corral, museum-owned property on the north side of Blue Starr, directly across the street from the Memorial.
Persons interested in being a volunteer may visit the website, www.willrogers.com, click on the link “ways to support,” and fill out the on-line form, or pick up an application in the museum’s business office. Call (918) 341-0719 for additional information.