The Kennedy Center honors volunteers who have been here for five years, and every
five years you get a ruby. I have nine rubies and I don't believe there's a
place for a tenth.
Geri was a tour guide before the building opened—she gave the
tours in hard hats, which I always thought was great.
In 1968, I belonged to an organization called Service Guild of Washington,
and there were about a hundred women who provided a volunteer service all over
the city. I decided to speak to Lily Guest, who was head of the Friends at the
Kennedy Center, and I made an appointment, went to her office, and I said that
you've heard of Service Guild of Washington, she said, "yes, of course," and I said,
"could you use us in three years when the Kennedy Center opens?" and she said,
"I can use you today," so that's how it started.
She hired 12 volunteers from Service Guild of Washington
and we worked in a little trailer on the side of the
construction area watching the building go up, and this is where 12 of us worked
until the building opened, and it was an exciting time. The supervisor gave us 12
pieces of marble and I put on here, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,
1970, and I gave it to the 12 volunteers that worked.
My children think I have two voices:
a mother voice and a tour guide voice, so...
And even to this day, my grandchildren think
I have a tour guide voice. I don't know what that means, but
that's what it is.
Well, I think it is quite an accomplishment—she's certainly
very devoted and she's certainly very good at what she does. She's probably our
best tour guide, of course.
We've become a family— you laugh together, you cry together.
She mentored all of us. She was willing to share her knowledge with us
and stories from years before we came. I'm still learning from Geri.
Well, we've been friends since 1976— that's when I came, that's when I met her.
She has so much energy, more energy than I think anybody in the group. I have
many memorable moments—I will always treasure her friendship. She's a
wonderful tour guide, too.
Brings tears to my eyes.
There's an attachment you develop, I think, to Kennedy Center, and so she's
here—50 years.
I'm putting this hard hat on because 50 years ago, in 1968,
Lily Guest called me to see if I would take a tour and give princess Sofia
a tour of the Kennedy Center—her husband was going to be at the White House, four
o'clock, and she asked if I would be here at 4 o'clock to take her on a hard hat tour,
which I did. She was an amazing woman; it was exciting to
take her around, and we walked around The Kennedy Center telling her what would be
there, and here I am 50 years later with a hard hat, waiting to go into the REACH.
I hope to be one of the first tour guides there to give a tour in September.
So, that's my hat.
Three months before The Kennedy Center was to open, they had a special gala to
thank the ambassadors whose countries gave gifts to The Kennedy Center.
My husband and I were asked to help that evening, and after we were finished, we
could walk around and see what was going on, and you will see a picture of
Joan Kennedy and Peter Duchin playing the piano—and there's a some lady standing
like this, and guess who it was.
Picture of me at age 35, standing and watching
Joan Kennedy and Peter Duchin.
In those days, we didn't have social
media, and our neighbor came over with this magazine and said, "Geri, you're in
this magazine!"
What does 50 years feel like to me?
When I started at age 35, I
had absolutely no idea where this would take me, but it's been an amazing
adventure being part of The Kennedy Center, being part of its opening.
It's been a beautiful adventure, beautiful.