Volunteer Spotlight: Dylan Radcliff
Looking for something to occupy his newly acquired free time and a way to give back amidst the pandemic, Dylan’s interest was piqued when he came across St. George’s Society New York (SGSNY) on social media. Soon after, he began volunteering with the Society and has since worked on a variety of fascinating projects including what is affectionately called “The Stanton Collection”.
How did you first become involved with St. George’s Society?
I first learned about SGSNY this summer when I came across a social media post from Myers of Keswick, a British grocery store in Manhattan. I had recently gained more free time—as many did due to COVID-19—and wanted to positively contribute to New York in some way.
The Society stood out to me, because I currently attend Hunter College and had previously heard of the great work it does by providing scholarships to students in need. I also hope to attend grad school in the UK and thought this would be a great organization to get involved with to meet people who have similar passions to me.
I reached out about volunteer opportunities, and right away, I was introduced to so many great people. The SGSNY team was so wonderful and welcoming. I felt comfortable and at home from the start.
What kinds of projects have you been working on?
I originally started working on membership outreach with Hastings. More recently, I have been organizing what we now call “the Stanton Collection”.
Tell us a bit more about the Stanton Collection.
It is a collection of royal memorabilia that was gifted to the Society by the late Ellsworth Stanton III MBE who sadly passed away in 2018. My task was to organize, catalog and evaluate the 100+ items in preparation for a fundraising tag sale for SGSNY’s charitable programs. This has been a fantastic project for me, because I plan to study library sciences which entails cataloging, archiving and history.
What have you learned about the Society in your time as a volunteer?
During my time as a volunteer, I have really come to appreciate its history. SGSNY is now 250 years old, so I have loved being a link in the chain of good work this organization has been doing for so long. My appreciation for British culture has grown as well. The Society really encapsulated their members’ heritage and is a great thing to be involved in.
How would you recommend others to get involved?
I would suggest to anyone wanting to get involved to do exactly what I did: REACH OUT! There are always so many things happening and opportunities to support so reaching out is the perfect way to find something you are interested in. I’d also suggest following SGSNY on social media to stay up to date on everything going on.
Interested in volunteering with St. George’s Society of New York?
Get more information on opportunities by completing our Volunteer Interest Form.