Around the Island

Shelter Island Time Travelers launch third mission

COURTESY PHOTO Ice cream making the old fashioned way is a popular activity for Shelter Island’s Time Travelers. Members of the Shepherd family demonstrate how it works.
COURTESY PHOTO
Ice cream making the old fashioned way is a popular activity for Shelter Island’s Time Travelers. Members of the Shepherd family demonstrate how it works.

If you’re between the ages of 6 and 11, you’re among the lucky, eligible to participate in the Shelter Island Historical Society’s Third Annual Time Travelers program, one that adults have been clamoring to join.

It’s not that they want to play like kids, but hearing about the activities offered to the children during the week of August 3, they’re sure a similar, slightly more sophisticated program could be offered to them.

That’s the word from Kathleen Gooding who spearheads the program on behalf of the Historical Society. As a former educator, it was a natural fit for her when Time Travelers launched during the summer of 2013.

Sarah Shepherd is coordinator, while Heather Reylek handles the music program, which is a week of morning sessions introducing youngsters to the history of Shelter Island through games, arts and crafts, music, photography, gardening and theater.

One game involves identifying the use of some old tools, some of which look more like items of torture than a steam-driven ice cream maker.

A popular visitor each season is Jim Pugh, who arrives in his Model T to the delight of the young Travelers.

If you’re past a certain age, items like film cameras, typewriters and tape recorders aren’t a mystery. But to these children, they’re “a big hit,” Ms. Gooding said.

“This is so cool — you don’t have to go through a computer,” she quoted one Traveler as saying about a typewriter.

The Travelers learn to play musical instruments thanks to Ms. Reylek. Each leaves the program with a harmonica and the ability to play at least one simple song, Ms. Gooding said.

They also leave with binders filled with memories of the experiences they’ve had during the week and information about the Island’s history.

In the theater workshop, the Travelers re-enact historical characters, including some that were featured in the “Dering Letters” collection compiled by Patricia and Edward Shillingburg.

Roz Dimon teaches digital art incorporating Jim Colligan’s photographic images of animals, birds and landscapes that the children can reproduce on an iPad borrowed from Shelter Island School.

Belle Lareau teaches rug making while John Pagliaro shares Native American artifacts with the Travelers, while Tara Strugats shares her printmaking artistry.

Newly minted archaeologist  Amanda Ciaccio Crowe plans a “modified dig” to demonstrate how treasures are unearthed during excavations.

The program is funded thanks to a grant from the Shelter Island Educational Foundation, the William Desly Havens Educational Fund and Camille and Mike Anglin at Mike’s True Value Hardware.

The cost is $100 for the first child and $90 each for other children from a family. The family also pays a $50 annual membership fee to belong to the Historical Society. About half the 25 children participating are year-round Islanders, while the rest are summer residents staying here with parents or grandparents, Ms. Gooding said.

Group leaders — a number of whom are former program participants who have aged out — receive a small stipend. Volunteers with specific skills receive money for materials.

There are still a few openings for this year’s program and those interested can call the Historical Society at 749-0025 or Ms. Gooding at 749-3359.