Authentic ACW Enacting in the Post Sesquicentennial Era

[LibertyHallVols]

This thread seemed to get a lot of people thinking about our current state of affairs:

http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?42002-Pickett-s-Mill-AAR

I started this thread to continue the discussion about how to keep our side of the hobby thriving and get it growing, without messing up that thread.

Have at it, folks!

...but keep it constructive!

[Spinster]

Re: Authentic ACW Enacting in the Post Sesquicentennial Era

I don't know about you folks, but the lands burned over, the stock stolen, the money's no good, and there's no help to be hired at a price to be afforded.


I hear tell there is good land in the west. These young folks want to go out there and there's nothing binding me here but graves and gloom. If we can get one crop in, we can get some stock for a new team. The wagon's still sound. We've built from scratch before.

[coastaltrash]

Re: Authentic ACW Enacting in the Post Sesquicentennial Era

I'll still be doing it. I hate golf.

Here is a bad statistic though. The majority of the EBUFU events in the west over the last 10 years have been hosted by a very small number of guys. Of that, many of them have either faded away, given up hosting events, or in my case have more and more obligations and are just plain tired of putting events together.

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Authentic ACW Enacting in the Post Sesquicentennial Era

I'll still be doing it. I hate golf.

I can't tell you how many times I've said that. I'd rather be kicked in my shins than play golf.

[Hairy Nation Boys]

Re: Authentic ACW Enacting in the Post Sesquicentennial Era

After a few years off(maybe 1-2 events a year) to recover from back surgeries I am looking at going to events again. I agree with Pat that after hosting a few living histories and events I am ready for someone else to take that role. I hate golf too. A few of us Hairy Nation Boys have put together Great War impressions but we plan on doing both.

[Ambrose Bierce]

Re: Authentic ACW Enacting in the Post Sesquicentennial Era

Okay, so we have established that people are burned out from putting events together, looking to other periods to supplement the hobby (as happened at the end of the 125th, actually) and that golf is not enjoyed by the majority of respondents thus far.

Still doesn't answer the question: how to get the hobby to grow and thrive? Ebb and flow in the hobby are constants with different periods and events creating competition with authentics who apply their same standards to other periods.

I feel that less is more. Fewer events with a greater emphasis on participation, but it is the attendees who have to define what they want out of events or what expectations they may have that have not been reached in the past. Unique events like Picket Posts (both opposed and unopposed) are good venues, but if they are out of the public eye--again, preferred--then growing the hobby has to come by word-of-mouth or aggressive marketing in some capacity. I leave that to the business-savvy; we are selling an expensive product where the return on investment is directly proportional to the quality of the event.

As I mentioned, I think event saturation is a key factor here, and it is hard to plan events where there is just not that much interest and putting a lot of time and effort into doing so, only to have participant bases reduced because of competing priorities causes further frustration and leads to a "why try?" mentality. Going to other periods to get away from the things that drag us down in our own area is an escape, but doesn't solve the problem.

I admit that I am not offering much in the way of solutions in this post, but want to keep the discussion going. It comes down to what a participant wants out of the event and further defining what makes an event good merits investigation. People's answers will run the gamut, I imagine, depending on perspective.

[Hairy Nation Boys]

Re: Authentic ACW Enacting in the Post Sesquicentennial Era

I have talked to a lot of my students who would like to re-enact but Civil War is the bottom of the list. WWI and WWII have more interest with many young people. When I do talk about CW the cost of items really put them out. If a person is a certain size they can buy a complete WWI or WWII uniform on EBAY for the cost of a frock coat. Many young people don't want to give up their phones etc. When I mention that I do not carry a cell phone with me they are amazed I can survive. Than again some in this hobby can't either...:wink_smil We have had this discussion before. How to get more people involved? All of us old farts have to keep going to events and keep trying to get young people into the hobby.

[robwall1861]

Re: Authentic ACW Enacting in the Post Sesquicentennial Era

Well...I play golf (not as well as I'd like...I'm a lefty :)) and reenact so I have the best of both worlds.

My .02 worth...

[coastaltrash]

Re: Authentic ACW Enacting in the Post Sesquicentennial Era

Ivan,
I think back to 2001 for comparison when I got into the authentic side of the hobby and there were not nearly as many options on authentic stuff to do. I remember maybe 2-4 in the west a year aside from maybe some company muster stuff. That was when the economy was somewhat decent. Guys had the money to drive and do stuff. There was a year not that long ago that there was an authentic event a month, in some cases two and guys were wondering where the numbers were. I'm all about groups communicating and multi hosting events. That's the way the Independent Rifles are going. Instead of us throwing events and spreading numbers, we're working with other groups to do larger events. I think having 2-4 events a year that are good is better than having 12 a year that have 20 guys attending. Getting back to some mainstream stuff and dragging guys out of their comfort zone is another way to build our ranks.

[Jboring]

Re: Authentic ACW Enacting in the Post Sesquicentennial Era

After what likely my last 150th event (Wilderness), I had a long conversation with my CO (who was driving me and my kit back to the airport to fly back to Arizona...yes...Arizona) about what we can expect just within the unit moving forward. The unit is mixed with some leaning progressive and some whom haven't crossed over yet. We both agreed we would see a participation drop off and we spent about 3 hours taking a good long look at how we do business specifically in regards to bringing new blood into the ranks and embracing interest. This precipitated a complete overhaul of our website (in progress) and a formalized recruitment and mentoring process which is still being formed. Having had some experience with recruiting for another unit and with some success, I took the lead on that and have been actively pursuing leads and when we are ready with the new website, will be gin aggressively marketing the unit.

To me the key to participation isn't as much the events being planned, is the good order of the units attending. If it's the difference of several units bringing 15 or 40+ members...it's going to show on the field. The sticker shock can be mitigated if the soldier is taken under wing. There are less expensive ways to ease into the purchase of your kit and incorporating that into the recruiting and mentoring program will hopefully help us to keep from scaring away new prospects.

[Cumpston1862]

Re: Authentic ACW Enacting in the Post Sesquicentennial Era

Gents-

Each year when I give a presentation to an 8th grade class (in uniform) about the Civil War I go in a couple of months early and ask for a few volunteers to submit their family trees and I find their CW ancestors for them. I figure this will make it more interesting and personal to them knowing their people were there. It is also my hope that by doing this it will plant some seeds of interest in these kids. I present to each of these kids and sometimes their parents their family trees as far back as I can take it. Civil War ancestors are the high priority but whatever I find in their tree they get. I explain where their ancestors were, what battles they fought in and in some cases where they died. When I speak to the entire class I mention the ancestors that I found and detail different experiences their classmates ancestors had or might have had. Although I haven't recruited any to my SUVCW Camp or into reenacting to my knowledge they are interested and it is my sincere hope those seeds will grow at some point.

Just as a point of interest nothing grabs a kid's attention more by telling her she is lucky to be here. And when you explain how their 3rd great grandfather was captured and sent to Andersonville and what that meant it does make them stop and think about it.

All we can do is keep trying.

[Brent Dacus]

Re: Authentic ACW Enacting in the Post Sesquicentennial Era

Ok I will bite..
I hate golf.. dad tried to make me play..
I love enacting and I only do Civil War. I am pretty New about 5 years not 15 + years. Now I can only tell you my opinion. I wish I had know this existed 15 years ago but I didn't my fault most likely. My dad was a WWII vet so heard those stories... I can tell you having a website has brought in 5 people in the last 2 years. Now 5 might not be a lot but its a 3rd or more add to our before web strength. Facebook is good but we use it of more like keeping up with folks and events in out group. Go to google and type in "your city civil war reenactors" or something similar Does your group come up on the first page? If not you don't exist..

Also I learned a phrase that works to " Farbs become Authentics not Authentics become Farbs. Now I don't mean the extreme farbtastic... The meaning is they are like the Lost we need to be the Apostles. We need to find the ones that can be Saved if you will and help them. Example attend more Adjuncts mingle with talk to others. They know we are different they can tell. Not convinced we are approchable.

I also think education a great thing. Like Jim Butlers Campaigner college. We need to reproduce that at adjuncts a lot.

Living Histories are good for recruitment to. The public walks right up and asks to join sometime.

Now I will add I have interest in organizing events (mainly because I am nuts and I love organizing). I am hesitant because I am more like rank and file and would like to learn before I hurt myself and others. So some of you big super event dudes might want to consider training up someone to be the next super event dude... just a thought.

A lot of my statements are general and meant to be thought of that way.

PS I don't like the Beatles or Golf.

[marktaylor]

Re: Authentic ACW Enacting in the Post Sesquicentennial Era

For me...
There is way too much butthurt in this hobby. Way too many chiefs, and not enough Indians. I will be focusing on other time periods, or just doing less altogether. I guess I am just at a point in my life where the bad outweighs the good. I have made several life long friends in the hobby, but spending time with them doing this hobby isn't nearly as much fun as doing something non re-enacting, or at least non CW period with them.
MaT

[Coatsy]

Re: Authentic ACW Enacting in the Post Sesquicentennial Era

I'm not done yet. Too many ideas still dance around in my head for events, small and larger-ish.

Folks can leave all they want, I saw young men at Pickett's Mill enjoy themselves, and I had men younger than me as my support staff by and large.

[Ambrose Bierce]

Re: Authentic ACW Enacting in the Post Sesquicentennial Era

I agree, Herb. This is an interesting thread. I have found one period is not better than another; they are each different but largely have the same problems. Once you go to a "there" it becomes a "here" really fast.

Recruiting, approachability to others, and quality events seems to be the trends today. Okay, now we are getting somewhere with this. I agree with Mr. Zenti; keep trying, be part of the solution.

I am scheming an event as I type this. One that hasn't been seen in a long time and in keeping with Mr. Landrum 's post. Those days aren't gone, just need a little stoking. More to follow...