Newtown Historical Society Volunteer Spotlight: Lauren Smiley

Lauren Smiley began volunteering as a Junior Docent in 2018 and has assisted at History Camp. She first became interested in the historical society when her second-grade class took the Newtown Walking Tour. The Matthew Curtiss House was one of the stops on the tour. When she attended history camp herself at 8 years old, that experience reconfirmed her desire to become a volunteer, when she was old enough.
 
Lauren is a rising sophomore at Newtown High where she enjoys being a member of the swim team. She also competes on the Makos Team at the Brookfield Y. Competitions in the fall of 2020 were virtual, so she is hoping this fall they will be back to in-person competitions.
In addition to volunteering with the society, and swimming, she is a Senior Girl Scout. Troop 50594 has eight scouts. They are currently working on their Outdoor Journey, which includes three badges culminating in a take-action project. They haven’t decided yet what that project will be. For her Bronze Award, she taught a younger troop about bullying. For her Silver Award, she created a lending library at the Community Center and a Gaga Ball Pit at Dickenson Park. Next, she will be working on her Gold Award.
 
Lauren was born in Virginia but then moved to Newtown in November 2007, where she attended Hawley Elementary School. She lives with her Mom and Dad, Karen and David, brother, Andrew, and their Golden Retriever, Willow. Her Grandparents live in Williamsburg, VA, so as you can imagine, Lauren is a regular visitor to Colonial Williamsburg.
 
When asked why she volunteers with the society, Lauren responded “I like learning about history.” And her favorite part about volunteering is giving tours and teaching the visitors about our collections and the meaning behind common says such as “Sleep tight. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.”
 
Learn more by visiting Newtown Historical Society on Facebook here.
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Submitted by Newtown, CT

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