The New Volunteerism Project

The Archival Collection of
Ivan Henry Scheier

Getting Ready For The Opening 

The VOLUNTAS Time Capsule
on Volunteerism
1990 – 2050
@ -- permission for use-with-acknowledgment

In celebration of International Year of the Volunteers, 2001
the Time Capsule will be rededicated on Sept 20, 2001 at Regis University in Denver, Colorado

Getting ready for the opening of the Time Capsule

Suggestions from a long-dead busy body.

The nightmare, of course, is that no one will remember. It might help to keep in touch witH the Association for Volunteer Administration; the Points of Light Foundation and their successors. These two organizations are in a line of development about 30 years as of 1996, and might last 50 plus more years. An association with an historical society or museum could be very helpful in remembering. (See July 2000 comments)

As the time approaches, it might help to try to track down some of the (the descendants of) contributors of messages or objects. Having their social security numbers and place of birth (in the samples provided in the Archival Collection) should help. It might be tempting to sneak a look inside the Capsule first, for more such "leads," but that would certainly dampen the drama in the opening.

I do hope the Capsule opening can take some note of the words and faces that sixty years earlier helped send the capsule on its way.

Peace,
Ivan Scheier
April 1996
Madrid, New Mexico, U.S.
Voluntas

 July 2000 Comments

It now looks as if the Time Capsule from now on will be in the care of the Regis University Library System 3333 Regis Blvd., Denver, CO 80221), probably in association with the Archives of Ivan Henry Scheier. It is hard to imagine a site more favorable for careful preservation of the Capsule, and observance of the opening date in 2050.

As for that date, the first preference for us in 1990 was Thanksgiving Day in the year 2050, which would be in the later part of November of that year, if the Thanksgiving date is calculated in the same way it is today.

If Thanksgiving Day is no longer (widely observed in 2050, or if that date is difficult for any reason, then the second preferred date is December 2, 2050, which is 60 years to the day after the formal ceremony sealing the Capsule in December 2, 1990.