Story by Jon Stalnaker AKA The Studebaker Dude
I retired from my postal career in June of 2006. I struggled with the thought of not having a job, and it kinda scared me a little bit. After all, I had been working since I was in high school, and even though the thought of retirement was appealing to me, the idea of not having anything to do didn’t sound like much fun.
I read something about the volunteer job of being a docent at the auto museum in Sacramento, and it sounded like a worthy use of my time—the perfect retirement activity for any car guy. I signed up for the docent class, a 19-week training opportunity that didn’t cost me any money. I had to commit to two 4-hour shifts each month for two years as a minimum. I could do that even though I was still working as the Postmaster in Dixon. I had just purchased an old Studebaker and planned to get it restored by the time I retired. Working at an auto museum was more fun than work, so not getting paid to do this was a non-issue.
The training was fascinating, and I learned a lot about a lot. That’s when I coined the phrase “I know a lot about a lot, but I don’t know everything about anything”. I made that disclaimer to everyone before I gave them a tour of the museum. I think they all liked it.
By the time I retired from the post office, I was doing more at the museum than just giving docent tours. I was a little disappointed with the Studebaker segment of the docent class, and I volunteered to become a Docent Instructor for Studebaker. I spent some time at the library studying Studebaker and Avanti history. I presented that tidbit of history for the next 15 years, only quitting when I moved to Oklahoma. I almost felt obligated, since I called myself The Studebaker Dude.
There were other fun things to volunteer for, and the Road Crew was another. We were trained to drive some of the more interesting old cars for local events, car shows, and parades. I was assigned to a 1923 air-cooled Franklin. It was a beautiful old sedan and was well-maintained by the mechanic team. I was also part of the Car Club Cavalcade team that helped set up monthly displays for local car clubs. My Studebakers were usually included when our club’s rotation came around. That was a fun job.
I always liked seeing docents with their vests chock full of pins and badges. It didn’t take me long to get mine spruced up. My badge had hanging tags that showed my activities: Road Crew, Docent Instructor, Car Club Cavalcade, and five- and ten-year service badges. I didn’t get my 15-year badge, as that milestone happened during the pandemic. By the time the museum returned to normal, I was already in Oklahoma. Bummer.
We took tours as a group, and I got a few badges to celebrate them. We toured the Edelbrock factory, the Shelby assembly plant, the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and many others identified by my Studebaker and postal pins. I also had a Franklin pin and other museum pins. I even got a pin for being a bus driver.
I might have lost a couple, but I wouldn’t know; there are so many. I’ve still got the vest, but no place to wear it. It’s fun to glance at it in my closet every once in a while. It was a fun volunteer job, and I made many great friends there. I’m sure my best friend Greg is reading this story. Hi Greg. I’m still waiting for the call where he says he’s passing through Oklahoma and needs to stay in the Boyd Suite. The museum is one of the places I miss most about leaving California. If you’re ever in Sacramento, California, it’s a great place to visit if you like cars.
