Hosting

The House of Germany is a non-profit organization. Its mission is to represent Germany and its culture in the Balboa Park Cottages and to unite Germans, people of German descent and their families, and others interested in the German culture and heritage. It is our duty as members to support this mission and to inform visitors about the events and activities that the House of Germany offers.

Our cottage is open to the public Saturdays and Sundays. On Sundays, cake, coffee, and lemonade are served to the general public. Saturdays are a bit more informal and no refreshments are provided.

Normal volunteering, or “hosting”, as we call it in the House of Germany, occurs on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. When you volunteer for the first time, it is recommended that you serve on a Sunday with a board member, so you can get a feel for it and also to get to know some other House of Germany members.

Hosting consists of arriving on time, greeting the public, and sharing the House of Germany and your interest for Germany and its culture with the visitors of Balboa Park. We ask that you wear clean clothing. German or Germany-related attire is always fun if you have it, but not a prerequisite.

Once you are at the House of Germany cottage you will need to set up. There is a detailed folder with all of the instructions. Everything is explained in it: how to turn on and off lights, how to make coffee, how and where to hang up the posters and flags as well as detailed instructions on how to deal with the donation monies and the break-down and clean-up procedure before leaving.

We ask that our members serve as hosts once a year. Sign up for a day that works for you.