REMPART: Rehabilitation et Entretien des Monuments et du Patrimoine 
Artistique (Restoration and Preservation of Monuments and Artistic Heritage), 
founded 1966, France.

On Monday, October 4, 1999 a small conference on volunteers for historic 
preservation was held at the French Embassy, NYC. Event organized by Everett 
Ortner, Chairman: Brownstone Revival Coalition (retired after 35 yrs Popular 
Science writer, brownstone owner for 36 yrs. BRC 31 yrs. existing, "we have 
wine, we have people, so the show will go on") in partnership with NY 
Landmarks Conservancy and Office of Cultural Services of the French Embassy. 

Following brief panel discussion on "Volunteerism in America", Ms. Sabine 
Guilbert, International Officer of REMPART, spoke.

I attended as representative of Preservation Trades Network with mission to 
discern effect an interest in volunteerism will have on livelihood of skilled 
preservation trades. Though there is existing American volunteerism related 
to historic preservation, it is mainly as docents, tour guides, and 
information booth staff. Exceptions are involvement of students (88 from 
Cornell Univ. at Ellis Island 4 days), and on occasion professionals, 
architects and engineers for profile projects. Consensus is availability of 
skilled craftspeople as well as project management are missing in volunteer 
projects. There are more volunteers available than there are technical 
instructors or managers to handle volunteer efforts. A comment was made that 
there is no organization of the preservation trades… which gave an 
opportunity to speak up on behalf of the PTN, APT and upcoming IPTW.

REMPART is supported by French government through Ministry of Culture and 
Ministry of Youth and Sports. Organization consists of 150 local non-profit 
preservation groups throughout France with 4,000 volunteers per year. 
Application of program is 2-3 week, weekend, and yearly work camps for youth 
volunteers (age 13-18) with supervisors. Camps are organized on local basis 
consisting of 15 youth and two supervisors (1 technical direction, 1 group 
life support - cooking etc.). Group self-sufficient, either staying in local 
homes, or in some cases sleeping in castles they are repairing. Some adult 
supervisors are paid, whearas others are retired from trades as unpaid 
volunteers. Position of paid supervision presents a source of income for 
experienced preservation trades.

REMPART volunteers are taught variety of preservation skills, including stone 
carving. There are youth that find their professional way through the program 
and pursue preservation trades as a career, moving into Guilds. A youth 
program that familiarizes 4,000 children annually with dignity of hands-on 
work is a benefit to well being of the preservation trades.

Implementation of a REMPART program in America is interesting challenge as 
existing mainstream American youth programs (Boy/Girl Scouts) are 
de-emphasizing hands-on construction work as career option.

Stonemason I mentored under taught several youth at the school (George Junior 
Republic) where he and his wife were employed. They doubled as dorm 
supervisors. As a result of teaching kids his trade my mentor was 
permanently, with lingering bitterness, booted out of the union. As a result 
of accusation of a female student they were both booted out of their jobs at 
the school. The end result was the building of a lot of back-country 
fireplaces at rural farms.

][<en Follett