How do you motivate others or improve the hobby?

[SCTiger]

Re: Avoiding Burnout

Thanks for the response and I have learned a lot from these posts. I didn't even imagine that folks were doing "Gold Rush" reenacting. Bruce, ever find any nuggets while doing this? Talk about a real return on you investment and leaving the event richer!

One thing I didn't mention is the tendency for everyone to over-study. A little mystery and rationed discovery is a must . Opening all the doors of information at once will overwhelm anyone and the result is "information overload." Concentrate on a few things and switch them around. You can't do everything.

In the future I would like to try Cavalry, Mounted Infantry or Scout. They require a horse , so here I wait. :)

Building a portfolio of a few varied impressions and switching them around helps to "sharpen the saw" and keeps the old creativity going. Being a trans-reenactor (WWII, WBTS, Rev War) might help but,I don't have the financial resources at this point, so I am concentrating on WBTS civilian/artillery/infantry categories. For civilian I am working on a chaplain, who is less than perfect and has too many vices to be a man of the cloth, he eventually becomes a fighting preacher. The civilian gear also helps with those rare early war events and living histories. The civilian impression gives adds background to my military side.

I would still recommend avoiding naval, sharpshooter, zouave, marine, balloon operator (unless you have one), there doesn't seen to be enough venues to showcase those impressions to warrant the expenditures in clothing and equipment.

Anyways great posts and it's amazing to read the various accounts and antidotes to boredom and burnout.

Greg Deese
Hasn't golfed since 1998

[CJSchumacher]

Re: Avoiding Burnout

In the future I would like to try Cavalry, Mounted Infantry or Scout. They require a horse , so here I wait. :)

Greg,

I commend you for recognizing that even in portraying different arms of the service, it is better to do it right...or not at all.

In the meantime...however, it might be a good idea to learn how to ride anyway. Then take the next step. Just become familiar with the beasts and learn their care...you do that, and your ahead of most guys doing cav out there! :wink_smil

For me...I switched to infantry somewhere around '97 for a year to escape the world of bad cavalry outside of national park programming. I continue to mix it up between artillery/cav/infantry when I can.

For me, burnout still exists and I stay away from any "battle"-type scenarios as much as possible. I only want to do something where I know I can hang out with some good friends with top-notch impressions, good attitudes and above all enjoy myself. And besides...if I do get annoyed...I can always ask Weddle to pass another one... :beer_yum: :beer_yum: !!

(appropriate time and place...of coarse... :sarcastic )

Chris

[majdoc]

Re: Avoiding Burnout

I would say for myself I have burnt out in this hobbie.
One thing I do is do several different impressions during the year.
My own unit is Medical. I try and use 1860 ways in medicine when I am taking care of the battalion. I also will put on the infrantry gear and go fight along side of the pards. I will say the only thing I have not done is ride a horse. I was infranty in real life and still am in the hobbie. Like I say try something different once in a while.

Jim "Doc" Bruce Jr.
Chattanooga Academy Field Hospital
Hardee's Guard Battalion

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Too Late!!! :-)

Hallo Kameraden!

I am of the opinion that burn-out, for the majority of lads, in inevitable- as the ultimate end of evolution is extinction. ;-)

For me:
I have, as man and boy, "done" the Civil War for 30 years- various federal and confederate companies/regiments from line to sharpshooters to cavalry to artillery.
I have been a pretty poor "Newbie" in farb's kit, but evolved through the Primordial Ooze from rank newcomer to extreme hardcore/authentic/time warp/time machine.
I have served as privates, corporals, Ordnance, and 2nd sergeants, lieutenants, and captains. I have founded and built a 40 man company once considered at the top of the curve or ladder.
I have done German and Irish impressions.
I have worked as a CW gunmaker and gunsmith from 1986 through 1991. I served as historical consultant to several "sutlers."
I have visited over 35 CW battlefields and sites, some as many as 40 times.
I have examined original documents to actually conduct marches and advances/retreats of specific units at battlefields.
I have edited and help write several large newsletters and monthly journals, having written over a hundred research and "how to articles."
I have left the CW in 1991 after a nasty farb-driven and ugly "mutiny," sat out for four years, and returned in 1995 to find higher standards and much evolved clothing and gear for more folks (but at the same time a massive backward slide from the majority...)
I have done talks, presentations, reenactments, marches, living histories, been in movies and videos, photographs, "dog and pony shows," "craft fares," "harvest festivals," MegaTurbo National farbfests and Farbaramas,
Incubator Companies, EBUFU's, private invites, and been invited to fall in and share a campfire with dozens and dozens of messes.
I have "shot live" in the N-SSA for 17 years. I have tried to update and upgrade uniform standards in the N-SSA and "vendor items" at Sutlers' Row at their Fort Shenandoah.
I have posted over 4,000 various posts and threads on the new medium of the Glowing Screen's numerous fora.

Under the Federal Reenactor Protection and Relocation Program, I have changed identities and lcoations several times... ;-)

Now, I find myself burned out, cynical, and jaded. :-)
Looking around, seeing myself always looking backwards down the Path as I find that those who "think like me" and "want to do the same things I do" grows smaller and fewer in number ( a mess in the woods, lost from their unit- can only be done so many times before it gets trite and stale...) :-)

I have done only one (1) Civil War "function" in the Past year- other than volunteer to "moderate" on this Forum and answer questions, share
experience(s), and help when and where I can.

Jawohl! I am burned out (and have the wounds and scars to prove it) ;-)

Some days I wear it like a medal; other days I just fret.
Some daze I look to sell off every CW item I have; other daze I just can't quite bring myself to do it (yet). :-)

That is my story, and I'm sticking to it. ;-)

Curt-Heinrich Schmidt
Crispy Critters Mess

[tmdreb]

Re: The $1500 Federal Soldier

Don't forget that quite a bit of money can be saved by purchasing patterns and cloth rather than finished goods. $100 in fabric can be turned into a uniform that would cost $300-$400 if made by someone else. Find someone who has some sewing experience to help out with the first couple projects, and you're off.

[ScottMcKay]

Re: The $1500 Federal Soldier

One more thing: For those of us on a budget, would you more expierenced progresives agree to the idea of buying higher-end mainstream gear, and upgrading it as finances become more abundent?


Definitely Not!

If you know that an item is not up to snuff, why get it knowing you will have to upgrade later??

For someone on a budget, that sounds like some pretty convoluted economics.

If you can't afford a particular item, just do without until you can afford it.

[PrettyBoyDonovan]

Re: The $1500 Federal Soldier

Thanks guys. I almost made some big mistakes.

[RJSamp]

Ouch Scott

So are you advocating turning in all of our non original muskets for the real thing (of which there are many out there), and having a couple of muskets each so we can assort our weaponry by company/battalion instead of having mixed Enfields and Springfields?

And how about tackling some more serious impressions....like a 2nd Wisconsin impression with a real Frock Coat and and the 3rd most abundant fire arm of the war, an Austrian Lorenz....or do we continue to portray the simpler and safer impressions that we can handle with our generic mid war uniforms?

IMHO you get the best you can....AND....time is money. Sometimes doing it yourself is not cheaper.

Time to get past the gear.....

RJ Samp

[John of the Skulkers Mess]

hrmp!

So are you advocating turning in all of our non original muskets for the real thing (of which there are many out there), and having a couple of muskets each so we can assort our weaponry by company/battalion instead of having mixed Enfields and Springfields?

And how about tackling some more serious impressions....like a 2nd Wisconsin impression with a real Frock Coat and and the 3rd most abundant fire arm of the war, an Austrian Lorenz....or do we continue to portray the simpler and safer impressions that we can handle with our generic mid war uniforms?

IMHO you get the best you can....AND....time is money. Sometimes doing it yourself is not cheaper.

Time to get past the gear.....

RJ Samp

- - - - -

And what about those who incur the expense of horseys!

Hrmp! Hrmp! Hrmp!
John Pillers
TSM

[JACKSONVC]

Re: The $1500 Federal Soldier

Since rejoining the Civil War community, I have researched original patterns, traveled to museums to see original uniforms, budgeted my money, compared costs and styles, and purchased uniforms and equipment that are "period correct". I live on a modest budget and end up giving most of what I earn in child support, however, like every thing you purchase, you save and put yourself in position to buy the items you want. Would anyone of us go out a buy a moped if what we really wanted was a harley? Then why do this in our hobby. Improvements can be made without much effort. Simply create a "Uniform Saving Account" at your local bank, contribute the $25 a week you spend on lunches at the local burger place and pretty soon, the $500 you saved can be sent off to Lodgewood for that nice new defarbed Enfield. Like everything in life, one must be disciplined to meet ones goals.

Buy the Correct item first, bypass the incorrect, and you will like yourself one heck of alot better in the morning.

[jskeys]

Re: The biggest roadblock to authenticity...

Greg has made the point very well. Those who are able to teach and instruct without lecturing are often the most effective. All too often the approach to an issue (a correction of an obvious error) sets the stage for how well received the "instruction" is by the intended (and unintended, those within ear shot). The saying, "you can catch more flies with honey...." comes to mind.
There will always be a % of the folks who will never listen or learn (maybe 15%). There will always be a % that will be the leaders (mabe 15%). Then there are the rest of the pack that can be influenced to go either way. The task is to develop the "teachers" who guide that masses. If people think that everyone will become authentic, then you are unrealistic.
Change does not occur over night, but it does occur. For that matter change is the only thing that we can count on in life. If I understand Greg's points correctly, we need leaders/teachers in this hobby who understand and have the right attitude. The attitude that will gain peoples respect and make them silent role models that others will see to learn from. This hobby has changed over the years and will continue to change. The direction it takes depends on the skill and involvement of those who care about it and the people skills that they employ.

John Shaw

[Linda_Trent]

Re: The biggest roadblock to authenticity...

I know everyone has their own ideas about the hobby, but IMHO there are only two groups of reenactors, and they're divided up by attitude, the farbs and the progressives. The farbs know what they can do to improve and just don't want to, while the progressives continue to study and learn and continually wonder what they can do to improve the level of accuracy; but ironically enough there comes a time when even progressives can become farbs, if they reach a point of complacency.

Linda Trent
lindatrent@zoomnet.net

http://struggleforstatehood.homestead.com/index.html

[SCTiger]

Re: Avoiding Burnout

Curt:

I hope we never lose you. I appreciate your dedication and the contributions you have given to the hobby.
If no one has ever said so, THANKS!

[marlin teat]

Re: Avoiding Burnout

I went through my first burnout around the time of 125th Shiloh and still keep a regular burnout schedule. The simple fact of the matter is that I enjoy the camraderie of the campfire and enjoy the company of like-minded individuals.

A little burnout from time to time is a good thing, else we would be content with the status quo.

"...quaeque ipse miserrima vidi et quorum pars magna fui."
(I saw these terrible things, and took great part in them --Vigil, The Aeneid, Book II)

[10nycav]

Re: The biggest roadblock to authenticity...

. . . is laziness! At least that is the constant refrain from folks I have met who engage in extreme farbiness. Very often the excuse I see for farb is that it's less work. After that the need for physical comfort is the second most popular justification for farb. Doing an accurate (I like that word!) impression is hard work, plain and simple. Hard mental work in doing the research, hard physical work in doing the impression correctly. Doing anything really well, whether it's riding a horse, playing an instrument, doing great drill, or making a truly great uniform, involves work. Hopefully if you love doing it enough, you won't mind the work it takes. The constant refrain "I don't have the time" really means "It's not important enough to me to make the time," or often, "It's too much work."

Third greatest roadblock to authenticity is conceit. Maybe that's not the right word for it, but what I mean is people who would rather create their own "look" and persona, no matter how inaccurate it is, than put in the time to understand and emulate the ones who went before.

Note that none of these issues involve money!

Maybe I am being harsh but that's my 2 cents.

Ken Morris
10th Regt of Cavalry NYSV.