Curator hopes experience piqued the students’ curiosity

By Jessica Breger Special to the Monett Monthly

The Monett Historical Society and Museum is getting work done to connect Monett residents to the town’s history as new displays and projects get underway. 

The museum recently welcomed the help of football players from Monett High School on April 25 to aid in rearranging items in the museum’s collection as part of the team’s community clean up day. 

While some of the teens’ projects were simply moving items to make room for new displays, the young men also helped place heavier items in the new displays themselves. 

On top of moving archived newspapers from The Monett Times out of the school display room to help create more space in the existing school display and begin contemplating a newsroom display for the future, the volunteers also helped with displays already in the works. 

One display will feature an antique barber’s chair which had been waiting to be relocated. The idea in place is a planned barber shop and beauty salon display featuring items used in local shops of the past. 

“They have made the impossible possible for us,” said Jan Rowell, curator. “They have gotten months worth of work done in two hours,” she explained. 

Rowell said she learned that none of the football players had ever visited the museum prior. 

“I thought, you know what, what a great thing for them to come in and see the history of Monett, where they come from,” said Assistant Coach Jonathan Mauk, when he learned the boys had not visited yet. 

“What I really wish is that I had had more time with them to really give them a real tour to tell them all the real stories, because there are tons of stories in here, and it’s one thing to look at old things, it’s another thing to put a story with it,” Rowell said. “And that’s what makes all this come alive.”

She added that her hopes are that this experience piqued the students’ curiosity and will promote the students not only who came to help, but those they talk with, to come experience Monett’s history for themselves. 

This was only one stop the team members made on their Saturday outing as they sought out community members who needed help. 

“Coach Mauk just contacted some people in the community,” said Keith Parris, assistant coach. “See what they needed to help with. Because it’s important for us to give back to the community. He wants the kids to understand that people that’s coming there. 

“The games on Friday night are also the same people that we see every day that we as part of our community, and we’re not just building football players, which, because that’s going to end at some point in time in their life when they have to be citizens, they have to be good community members. So why not help the community?”

Rowell said the whole staff at the museum were thrilled to have the boys help and see the community involvement not only with the museum but all of the places they visited, explaining that this type of involvement is what fosters a sense of community.

The Museum is open five days a week, Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.