COLUMN: Village News – Special interest groups at MHV

Mennonite Heritage Village counts on several hundred volunteers each year to assist us with hosting school groups, guiding adult tour groups, maintaining our grounds, greeting visitors in admissions, and serving food at festivals. Without these community-minded people who support the museum, we would be limited in the programs and events that we offer to guests. But there is another category of volunteers that are an integral part of MHV, and they have their own organization that they belong to. They meet monthly as their own club or organization, usually at the museum and they have programs and activities that are particular to their group.

If you are looking for a way to be involved with a club or organization with a special focus, here are some examples of groups that are looking for new members:

The South East Manitoba Draft Horse Association (Horse Club) promotes and plans activities for people who care for horses that are trained to be harnessed for pulling activities, like plowing a field in summer or pulling a sleigh in winter. Their members are active at community events throughout southeastern Manitoba, and some members participate in draft horse competitions in other parts of the province. The Horse Club members provide horse-drawn demonstrations, and they give wagon and sleigh rides at MHV in summer and winter.

The South East Implement Collectors group (Tractor Club) promotes the activity of restoring, maintaining, and using antique and vintage engines, equipment, and tractors. They welcome anyone who appreciates the development of the internal combustion engine in its many forms over the last 100 years. Whether you maintain a tractor that has been in your family for several generations, or whether you have taken up a hobby of collecting a certain brand of antique farm equipment, or whether you restore old snowmobiles, this group provides support for your hobby and assists you in sourcing vintage parts to help you in your restoration projects. Tractor Club members participate in parades in many local communities, and they plan a Tractor Show at MHV each summer.

The Steinbach & Area Garden Club promotes gardening and plant care in your backyard and in the community. Each month they host guest speakers to share their knowledge and experiences in horticulture. They plan field trips to garden projects in other parts of Manitoba, and they share plant care tips to promote healthy gardens on patios, in backyards and in the community. Check out their website for details on their next meeting topic (https://sagardenclub.com/). Their biggest project each year is preparing and maintaining the flower beds, gardens and orchard at MHV. If you like plants, this may be the group for you.

The MHV Auxiliary group meets every month to plan activities that support the work of the museum. Many of the members are regular volunteers in the museum school programs and summer festivals, but their primary goal is to raise money for special projects at the museum. They raise many thousands of dollars each year so that they can support the education program for school field trips, they can support the creation of new exhibits in our galleries, and they can improve the museum with upgrades to MHV meeting rooms and kitchens. They plan interesting events that complement the work of the museum program staff by hosting film nights, fashion shows, and Low German entertainment evenings. They also make and sell Roll Kuchen at all MHV summer festivals and bake stone ground bread in the outdoor oven to serve with rhubarb jam during Pioneer Days and Fall on the Farm. Their group also includes some quilters who do custom hand quilting and create a new quilt each year for a raffle draw at the end of summer.

Each of these four groups has its own special interest area and they have chosen to share their talents and passions with the community by supporting Mennonite Heritage Village. The fall and winter seasons are a great time to join a new group or club. Each of these groups meets monthly to share stories and to plan ways to grow their particular hobby and interest. If you would like more information about when they meet or how to get involved, contact the museum on our website or by calling 204-326-9661.

Upcoming events

Nov. 8 – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Christmas Market Extravaganza. Local vendors, horse drawn wagon rides, kids’ crafts, and waffles with white sauce.

Nov. 9 – 7 p.m. – Community Vespers Service at MHV. A meditative evening of choral music and scripture readings.

Nov. 10 – 7 p.m. – Steinbach and Area Garden Club monthly meeting at MHV.

Nov. 14 – 7 p.m. – MHV Auxiliary presents a Low German evening, featuring special music by Heischraitje & Willa Honich.