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For those of you wondering about 150th cycle events, I attended a "meeting of minds" on this topic in Winchester, VA last weekend. Looks like plans are underway for some truly special experiences. Here's the skinny:
Anders Hosts 150th Cycle Meeting
WINCHESTER, Va.— Whether you call yourself a mainstream reenactor, a progressive reenactor or an authentic campaigner, it’s time to take ownership of the hobby and make the 150th anniversary Civil War events all you want them to be. So said Chesapeake Volunteer Guard Commander S. Christian Anders and 16 other hobby leaders, representing over a thousand troops from New England to Ohio to North Carolina, at a March 21 “meeting of the minds” in Winchester, Virginia.
Anders — who spearheaded “September Storm,” “At High Tide” and other quality reenactments — is currently working on his next event, “Return to Manassas,” scheduled for August of 2010. Also recognizing the unique opportunity that the upcoming sesquicentennial presents, he put the call out to those interested in planning similar events for that cycle. As Dave Pridgeon, Commander of the Shenandoah Legion, noted, “We’ve got to provide ‘magic moments’ for our guys, and we can’t count on someone else to do it.”
With over 27 years of event organizing experience between the attendees, this collective body has set out to make the 150th Cycle all it can and must be.
Topics discussed at the meeting included: the definition of a meaningful Civil War experience, the size, timing and type of events desired, the specific battles to be portrayed, securing appropriate ground for such events, enforcing standards, and even the civilian and sutler components. In an effort to improve the experience for all reenactors, Anders and company also sought to identify what succeeded and what didn’t in past events, from the administrative department to actual on-site logistics.
A Five-Year Plan was discussed and many possibilities proposed, from “immersion” events to large-scale battle reenactments, at locations from Pennsylvania to North Carolina and out to Kentucky.
In the end, it was agreed that “sweat equity” — including commitment and ownership from the troops — would be crucial to the success of these reenactments. This level of dedication, combined with an alliance grounded in the Common Sense Resolution, is expected to create a winning proposition. (For more information on the latter resolution, visit www.chesapeakevolunteerguard.org.)
The response was overwhelming.
“The fact that so many took the time and expense to come together for the betterment of the hobby speaks volumes about the type of leadership we have,” Anders commented. "This effort will provide a truer Civil War experience for not only the men we represent, but the hobby at large. By taking ownership and keeping the ‘moneychangers’ out of the ‘temple,’ we can focus on providing an experience above all others — for the good of all involved, the boys in the ranks, the attending public and the Original Boys of ’61.”
A second meeting is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 22, 2009 in Winchester, Virginia. For more information, e-mail 150thcycle@gmail.com.
Anders Hosts 150th Cycle Meeting
WINCHESTER, Va.— Whether you call yourself a mainstream reenactor, a progressive reenactor or an authentic campaigner, it’s time to take ownership of the hobby and make the 150th anniversary Civil War events all you want them to be. So said Chesapeake Volunteer Guard Commander S. Christian Anders and 16 other hobby leaders, representing over a thousand troops from New England to Ohio to North Carolina, at a March 21 “meeting of the minds” in Winchester, Virginia.
Anders — who spearheaded “September Storm,” “At High Tide” and other quality reenactments — is currently working on his next event, “Return to Manassas,” scheduled for August of 2010. Also recognizing the unique opportunity that the upcoming sesquicentennial presents, he put the call out to those interested in planning similar events for that cycle. As Dave Pridgeon, Commander of the Shenandoah Legion, noted, “We’ve got to provide ‘magic moments’ for our guys, and we can’t count on someone else to do it.”
With over 27 years of event organizing experience between the attendees, this collective body has set out to make the 150th Cycle all it can and must be.
Topics discussed at the meeting included: the definition of a meaningful Civil War experience, the size, timing and type of events desired, the specific battles to be portrayed, securing appropriate ground for such events, enforcing standards, and even the civilian and sutler components. In an effort to improve the experience for all reenactors, Anders and company also sought to identify what succeeded and what didn’t in past events, from the administrative department to actual on-site logistics.
A Five-Year Plan was discussed and many possibilities proposed, from “immersion” events to large-scale battle reenactments, at locations from Pennsylvania to North Carolina and out to Kentucky.
In the end, it was agreed that “sweat equity” — including commitment and ownership from the troops — would be crucial to the success of these reenactments. This level of dedication, combined with an alliance grounded in the Common Sense Resolution, is expected to create a winning proposition. (For more information on the latter resolution, visit www.chesapeakevolunteerguard.org.)
The response was overwhelming.
“The fact that so many took the time and expense to come together for the betterment of the hobby speaks volumes about the type of leadership we have,” Anders commented. "This effort will provide a truer Civil War experience for not only the men we represent, but the hobby at large. By taking ownership and keeping the ‘moneychangers’ out of the ‘temple,’ we can focus on providing an experience above all others — for the good of all involved, the boys in the ranks, the attending public and the Original Boys of ’61.”
A second meeting is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 22, 2009 in Winchester, Virginia. For more information, e-mail 150thcycle@gmail.com.
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