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Good Afternoon Members of the Authentic Community:
I wanted to write to you today about the current situation we are all experiencing - the Coronavirus, or COVID-19. Obviously, all of us are enduring a myriad of emotions and challenges during this time and before I get into the main point, I want to express that I am heartened to see all of the support we are giving each other, whether it is through phone calls, Reenactor Challenge posts or just general encouragement between friends, comrades and members of the larger Civil War community. I think I can speak for most when I say that during a time like this, having each other to lean on is invaluable and I hope your families are safe and that you are weathering this as well as can be expected. My prayers go out to all of you.
Having said that, I want to talk about the effect all of this has had on our hobby. There have been four event cancellations on the EBUFU calendar so far plus the cancellation of the Bentonville Adjunct. Obviously, this is just a hobby and what is happening to us isn't any different than what is occurring to events, travel, and regular life all over the country.
What I want to express to you today is that we WILL move forward and that despite what is going on, we cannot let ourselves become so mired in despair and distress that we forget that we will begin again and when that happens, we will be ready. During times like these, all of us need some hope or at the very least, something to look forward to in the future. That is the best asset we have at the moment aside from supporting each other every day.
So, what I really want to say is that in my capacity with Mess No. 1 and 40 Rounds, and as the Owner of the Authentic Campaigner, I have been talking to people about events later this year and into 2021. There will be an announcement from 40 Rounds very soon about the event we are planning for September of 2021. The 36th Illinois announced their "Last Letter Home" event last night. The Liberty Rifles Event, Silent Machines is still happening as I write this and if it is going to happen, we need to offer them our full support. Click Here to Register.
I have updated the front page of the AC with all of the 2021 events that are planned. You can find them here. Please take a moment to look ahead. Please try to keep your spirits up and help others in the Living History Community who are nervous, scared, or dealing with life-altering events associated with the virus, or because of it. People are being laid-off. People are stuck at home. I think I speak for many of you when I say that we are all going a little stir-crazy.
But, let's use the time we have right now to look forward and to plan where we are when this is all over. Whatever the situation is in the world around us, all we can control is our personal space and what we do in our own community and for what it is worth in my capacity here, I am personally going to re-double my efforts in promoting our hobby as we look to the days, weeks and months ahead.
Let's give ourselves something to look forward to. Let's provide hope and support. Work on your kit. Do your research. Help others get into the authentic hobby. And lastly, let's be ready for what we do next, because as a community, and for our own mental health, it's the best thing to do.
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