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Re: CW Uniforms used by NPS
I ran the LH crew at Vick last year and will be there again this year. Authenticity at the park is a work in progress, dicated by economics and durability. As noted in earlier posts, Rick is a standup guy, and he has given me virtually everything I have asked for in order to improve our impression.
Our greatest resource and biggest challenge is our kids. As mentioned earlier we run the program with a dozen or two 12 to 15 year olds every summer, and they can be heck on uniforms. Needless to say, a handsewn Charlie Childs shirt would last about five minutes in our crew. Not because they do not respect it, but the fact that kids will be kids, and not think before tackling their best friend for an impromptu wrestling match. Likewise, the knowledge that brogans are as slick as glass combined with a rain storm brings out the downhill skier in all of them, resulting in torn trousers.
With those factors in mind, we have to combine economics with authenticity. We cannot afford to put them in $100 shirts and $200 pants. But we are trying to become as authentic as possible. We have done away with the hillbilly hats and are outfitting the crew with Clearwater hats this year, as well as getting more, accurate, leathers with every passing season. Yet, there have been times of trial and error, where a good deal wasn't such a good deal. And rather than throw such junk away, we have to use it because there is no backup. In fact, you could look through our squad room and write a history of the state of reenacting from the last thirty years. I'm not kidding when I say we have some items that are pushing 20 years old.
Last year we received a very generous donation of several uniforms made of FHW material, but we always need more.
The upside, however, is that our kids are well drilled, and well behaved. The day in and day out grind or firing the cannons and rifles, makes them veterans very quickly. We may not get a lot of compliments on our uniforms, but we do get a lot on the professionalism of our crew during artillery demonstrations. A lot of it comes from the fact that Rick is a no nonsense type of guy when it comes to drill, and that many of our kids have four or five years artillery experience under their belts. (They typically put in forty hours a week from Memorial Day to the first week of August every year) Moreover, running a crew of younger folks has its advantages. They seem to be more amenable to military discipline than adults--hurt feelings are shrugged off and easily forgotten, they can handle the Mississippi heat better than most adults, and most importantly, they are not prone to quitting.
Fortunately, most of the progressive reenactors who participate in our encampments are generous in their knowledge of the hobby, and try to help us get better. I know I must get on some them's nerves, constantly asking them questions, but it is all in the spirit of helping my crew look more authentic. Some of the reenacting units are even generous enough to allow some of our more advanced teens to join them in the trenches during infantry demonstrations. It does wonders for my crew's morale and inspires them to dig deeper into the hobby. This year, if all goes well, I hope to have more adult reenactors volunteering with the program, to serve as progressive reenacting role models for the kids as well as assisting us with our artillery and rifle demonstrations for the visitors.
Anon,
David Slay
I ran the LH crew at Vick last year and will be there again this year. Authenticity at the park is a work in progress, dicated by economics and durability. As noted in earlier posts, Rick is a standup guy, and he has given me virtually everything I have asked for in order to improve our impression.
Our greatest resource and biggest challenge is our kids. As mentioned earlier we run the program with a dozen or two 12 to 15 year olds every summer, and they can be heck on uniforms. Needless to say, a handsewn Charlie Childs shirt would last about five minutes in our crew. Not because they do not respect it, but the fact that kids will be kids, and not think before tackling their best friend for an impromptu wrestling match. Likewise, the knowledge that brogans are as slick as glass combined with a rain storm brings out the downhill skier in all of them, resulting in torn trousers.
With those factors in mind, we have to combine economics with authenticity. We cannot afford to put them in $100 shirts and $200 pants. But we are trying to become as authentic as possible. We have done away with the hillbilly hats and are outfitting the crew with Clearwater hats this year, as well as getting more, accurate, leathers with every passing season. Yet, there have been times of trial and error, where a good deal wasn't such a good deal. And rather than throw such junk away, we have to use it because there is no backup. In fact, you could look through our squad room and write a history of the state of reenacting from the last thirty years. I'm not kidding when I say we have some items that are pushing 20 years old.
Last year we received a very generous donation of several uniforms made of FHW material, but we always need more.
The upside, however, is that our kids are well drilled, and well behaved. The day in and day out grind or firing the cannons and rifles, makes them veterans very quickly. We may not get a lot of compliments on our uniforms, but we do get a lot on the professionalism of our crew during artillery demonstrations. A lot of it comes from the fact that Rick is a no nonsense type of guy when it comes to drill, and that many of our kids have four or five years artillery experience under their belts. (They typically put in forty hours a week from Memorial Day to the first week of August every year) Moreover, running a crew of younger folks has its advantages. They seem to be more amenable to military discipline than adults--hurt feelings are shrugged off and easily forgotten, they can handle the Mississippi heat better than most adults, and most importantly, they are not prone to quitting.
Fortunately, most of the progressive reenactors who participate in our encampments are generous in their knowledge of the hobby, and try to help us get better. I know I must get on some them's nerves, constantly asking them questions, but it is all in the spirit of helping my crew look more authentic. Some of the reenacting units are even generous enough to allow some of our more advanced teens to join them in the trenches during infantry demonstrations. It does wonders for my crew's morale and inspires them to dig deeper into the hobby. This year, if all goes well, I hope to have more adult reenactors volunteering with the program, to serve as progressive reenacting role models for the kids as well as assisting us with our artillery and rifle demonstrations for the visitors.
Anon,
David Slay
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