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Camarillo Ranch House Docents
The Camarillo Ranch docents are 63 men and women who demonstrate their love of the Camarillo Ranch House by donating time to the historic house and grounds. The docents are involved in giving tours of the house and the grounds, working with school children and giving educational tours, raising awareness of Adolfo Camarillo in the county, and continuing to learn about the history of the Camarillo Ranch, as well as historical points in Ventura County. Docents are trained in the spring. Training consists of three days of classes, reading materials, and shadowing other docents. The training classes are scheduled for two evenings and a Saturday to accommodate those who have work schedules. Pat Craig and Beverly Pearson coordinate training. Anyone who is interested in becoming a docent should contact the Ranch at 389-8182 to request an application. Once the application has been completed and submitted to the office, the prospective docent is invited to the meetings and functions of the docents. School tours are given Tuesday mornings. Children from Camarillo and surrounding areas visit the Camarillo Ranch and learn what it was like to live in the late nineteenth century. The docents work with the school children on roping, making butter, planting lima beans, and learning about the life of Adolfo Camarillo and the history of the House and the area. Docents commit to a two-hour shift once a month to give tours of the House and gardens to visitors during the hours when the House is open (Wednesday and Sunday – 12:00 – 4:00 PM; Saturday – 10:00 – 2:00 PM). Docents also give tours to those guests who have scheduled a group tour at a specific time. Docents put in a total of 16 hours of volunteer time at the Ranch in each quarter. The docents coordinate the Camarillo Ranch House exhibit in the Ventura County Fair. Louise Fortner has chaired this program for the four years that the docents have entered – and all four years CRF was awarded a first place ribbon. On the second Thursday of the month, the docents hold a business meeting and have a special program. The programs involve living history and other presentations, as well as visits to other museums. The vice chairman, Barbara Blois, coordinates the programs. Some of the past special programs are presentations on the Camarillo White horses by Laura McAvoy and Meliton Ortiz, discussions with family members – Geraldine Fitzgerald and Carmelita Nicholson, a “visit” from the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, a talk from one of the Augustinian brothers who lived at the Ranch, an explanation of hair art pieces, which are on display in the House, and even a Victorian strip tease. Docents have also taken field trips to the Dudley House in Ventura, the Fernald Mansion in Santa Barbara, the Stage Coach Inn in Newbury Park, Rancho Camulos in Piru, the Strathearn Museum in Simi Valley, and the Adamson House in Malibu. The docents decorate the House according to the seasons. Cynthia Simpson coordinates the decorations and the acquisition of items to enhance the home’s appearance and make our guests’ visits memorable. At Christmas time the House is beautifully decorated with different themed trees, garlands, and holiday décor throughout all the rooms. Docents offer special tours at Christmas time to show off the glory of the House. In August the docents recognized three important members as Docents Emeritus due to their outstanding contributions to the Camarillo Ranch House and to the docent program. They are Gary Blum, the first Ranch manager and a trainer for docents; Ned Chatfield, a member of the founding CRF Board and the first scheduling coordinator for the docents; and Pat Distad, president of the original CRF board and the person who had the vision for taking Adolfo Camarillo’s home and making it into an historic site for visitors and for the community. The officers for the docents are chair Susan Andrews, vice chair Barbara Blois, corresponding secretary Linda Packham, recording secretary Dodie Wilhite, treasurer Charlean Wakefield, and scheduling coordinator Virginia Cordell. For more information on volunteering with our docent program, please email the docents directly at:
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