How do you motivate others or improve the hobby?

[KarinTimour]

Re: First Person

Cullen:

Additional things I'd want to think about regarding your family are:

1. Who paid for your brother to attend Harvard? Has that strapped the family for every dime, or was there a wealthier person in town or in your parent's families who decided to give him a great education?

2. What's your take on this? Did you resent that he got the good school and you got the state one or were you happier not going so far away to school?

3. If you're planning to become a writer, what are you reading on campaign? are you starved for something to read, to the point of looting books from houses along the way (i.e. Fredericksburg's houses had many libraries that were gutted, at least a few of these for reading matter)?

4. If you were born in '43, are you planning or hoping to vote in the '64 elections? Are you following politics? Did you have an opinion about the election of 1860?

5. Where were you born? Where is your family living now? Are your grandparents living close to them? Or are they far away -- in a more Eastern state or even your parent's homeland?

6. What type of thing are you planning to write? Are you sending letters to the local newspaper so as to gain a name for yourself? Do your parents think that being a writer is dumb idea or a great one? Have you even told them? If they are respectively a schoolteacher and a seamstress, they have jobs that are pretty concrete and produce a certain amount of money on a regular basis. Writer can be much more tenuous. Do they worry that you'll not be able to support yourself, or are they happy to think that you may be earning too little after the war to move out and leave them without your help around the place?

7. If you want background on dealing with publishers, Louisa May Alcott in "Little Women" made mention of Jo March's difficulties getting started and selling stories, both Walt Whitman and Mark Twain talked about their difficulties with publishers, albiet more post-war.

Hope that's helpful,
Karin Timour
Period Knitting -- Socks, Camp Hats, Balaclavas
Atlantic Guard Soldiers' Aid Society
Email: Ktimour@aol.com

[Charlie]

Re: What is your attitude towards first person?

It's clear that everyone has pretty strong feelings about first person. The only thing I can add in humble opinion is that, it seems to me, first person, when done as a group, so that everyone is on the same page, opens up the possibility for natural first person interaction. One person trying to do a first person impression while other folks are talking about upcoming events and gear makes the person attempting the the first person feel like a foob, and the folks who aren't playing that game feel uncomfortable. However, if everyone is doing it (good or bad first person) the apprehension one would feel in using Curt's #1, #2 or#3 would be almost non existant. Then in turn folks would fall into a rhythm of first person (almost naturally) and then it truly becomes effortless first person. But I truly believe doing first person alone is like swimming up a waterfall.
However, this is just my two cents.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: What is your attitude towards first person?

Hallo Kameraden!

Boogerman here...

"It's clear that everyone has pretty strong feelings about first person"

Likely because ALL of us are in different hobbies together.

"One person trying to do a first person impression while other folks are talking about upcoming events and gear makes the person attempting the the first person feel like a foob, and the folks who aren't playing that game feel uncomfortable"

Yes, indeed, because ALL of us are in different hobbies together, and people do what works.
Strategy: "First Person" is a skeleton kit with some assembly required, not for those under three years of age. Build the skeleton a few parts and pieces over time.. then get to the organs and muscles, and other things to "flesh" it out. It starts small, it grows, it moves forward.

Strategy. Get (hopefully with at least ONE other Like-minded Pard) away from the Crowd or Mainstream (no pun intended or implied) for even just a few minutes.
DO "first person" between oneself and comrades while talking a few minute walk, while looking for firewood, while going to fill canteens, while going to empty bladder or bowel, while reading a letter from home out loud to one's comrades or they to you.
Even just "stuff" that takes up a minute or two. (It will grow and develop, as well as getting easier.

"But I truly believe doing first person alone is like swimming up a waterfall."

Going Zen-like here... become the salmon not the waterfall...
And sometimes appreciate that other folks' cups may already be full, and have no room for your added ideas- so another tea house might be in order.

Going Biblical here... don't sow your seeds on rocky and thorny ground.

Curt-Heinrich Schmidt
Boogerman Mess

[JimKindred]

Re: What is your attitude towards first person?

Folks,

This poll has far exceeded it's shelf life so it is past time to close it.

Should any one see other old polls pop up please let me know and I will see to it that they are closed.

Thanks

[JacobReichwein]

Overweight?

Recently, in my quest for the 'real' uniforms, I've been beginning to notcie something which strikes me as quite odd. I'm talking about uniforms that are correct period made, from the correct fabric, and fully handsewn; yet they are made up to size 50+. Strange huh? I understand that there were a few heavy guys back in the day, but don't you think that a 130 guy with a semi-authentic jacket would in reality be more authentic than a 250 pound guy with the 500$ jacket?

It just confuses me, that people who are so worried about being 'authentic' don't even bother to lose some weight first. I mean if you're going to go through all the trouble of saving your money for the good stuff, why not do the whole thing?

Eh, maybe it's just me?

[dixiecowboy25550]

Re: Overweight?

Maybe its just that I'm a young guy (18) and am not overweight, but I agree. I don't recall seeing too many photos or hearing too many accounts of food that allows for 300-400 lbs soldiers. A bad hat, jacket, etc obviously stand out as farbish in the ranks, but weight is that something can be just as bad. I realize that some people can't "control" their weight and its really no ones business but their own. But if we are going to count stiches with authenticity then maybe we should start counting lbs ;).

Maybe as said before, we are attending the wrong events. In events that require much movement, theres a tendency for more weight conscious people, but even at these you occasionally see a big person.

[BrianHicks]

Re: Overweight?

The concern regarding overweight reenactors has been discussed.

And yes... your concern in particular is what usual starts the debate.

Has this issue ever been resolved? Not that I'm aware of.

My thoughts? What we do is a hobby. Unlike those we strive to represent, reenactors don't live the harsh 1860's military lifestyle between events. In a perfect world, we'd allow no one in the ranks who was over a certain weight limit, or over a certain age.

But then... how many would you have?

The number of heavier reenactors on the campaign end of the hobby is somewhat less than what you find in the tent city type events.

I don't recall seeing too many of the larger fellas at any of the LBL event, or on the Federal side at Rich Mountain, and I don't anticipate too many at Banks Grand Retreat.

[CJDaley]

Re: Overweight?

Good post and a good thread to start especially during the holidays.

I look at this topic from a couple of different perspectives. As a vendor, I'm privy to information that most of us wouldn't share with our wives. It's hard to lie to the tape measure and I've got every one's waist measurement on file. Don't worry, the file is encrypted and the code will die with me.

However, I can come up with a bell curve of sizes and can see weight trends. When I first started, most guys were 42-44 chest, then they expanded in the late 90s to a 44-46 chest, then went back down slightly during the Atkins craze, but we're now back up again. These aren't just guestimates. I can pull up reports on my computer to see how many of each size garment I sold. It's interesting, but doesn't really mean much as one coat (in either a 34 or 63) can throw off the whole bell curve.

I once had a friend tell me "The cheapest part of your impression is staying skinny". That was easy for him to say as his metabolism allowed him to stay as thin as a rail.

Losing weight and keeping weight off isn't easy. I'm a boot camp instructor at our YMCA and know how hard people work every day to lose a single pound. I really admire how much effort the boot campers put into this. I personally will never look at some one's weight as a factor in authenticity. There are too many luxuries in our 21st century life that work against us, coupled with genetics and illness I think it's a struggle that we all deal with in one form or another.

I once had an idea of having a "Reenactor Biggest Loser" contest and would offer uniforms as prizes to those who lost the most percentage of body weight, but in the end, I think the logistics would be too hard.

Anyway, I wish everyone the best of luck this holiday season in keeping off the pounds and make your new year's resolution early and stick with it throughout the winter!

[ChrisM(armyguy)]

Re: Overweight?

or you could just end up with dysentary, and speaking from first hand knowledge that tends to drop 20-25 lbs. PS if ahmed says its beef it prolly isnt.


SGT Christopher Mattingly
4-31 INF IRAQ

[Moose]

Re: Overweight?

As a big guy I feel I should weigh in here.
I take a jacket between a size 50-52. I play rugby, I am a big guy. I just lost about 30 lbs., and even as I continue to loose weight, the only thing shrinking is my waist line not my upper body. So when I go to buy uniforms, I buy 38" trousers and between a 50-52" jacket. I agree, there were not a lot of big fellows out there in the field, but there were some. I like to think I fit in this catogorey.

Cheers,
Joseph "Moose" Caridi
POC'R Boy Mess

[lambrew]

Re: Overweight?

I too am a big fellow. Being a paramedic I am often required to carry people up and down stairs, which in turn requires me to stay in decent shape. (Droping a patient is considered poor form). Over the course of 14 years in the field my upper body has gotten quite broad. A 50-52 coat is all I can fit into. So while I'm not fat, I ain't skinny neither. Also the size of your average human has gotten larger over the last one hundred odd years. Accuracy is important, but your health more so. Being out of shape, and marching in the heat can hurt you, possibly kill you. But starving your self can be just as dangerous.:tounge_sm


Your obedient servant....
Sean Collicott

[Steve Acker]

Re: Overweight?

I'm 6'2", 230 pounds and 44 years old. I did play rugby and have the leftovers of an athletic body.
When it rains I get wet. When it's hot I sweat. I eat, sleep and behave as historically accurately as possible during events.I am in constant pursuit of the best representative material culture and I study the Civil War as my personal passion.

In short, I'm too old and too fat to look like the original soldiers. I love the hobby and will continue to play hard at it.

For those about to attack my post, make sure you go off on the "Play" word being disreptful of those soldiers because even though that is not the intent of the word, it'll be fun to tangent on.

Steve Acker

[john duffer]

Re: Overweight?

I for one am glad to see the older fellows stay with it, hang in there Steve.

[cprljohnivey]

Re: Overweight?

So whats next... Am I going to have to step on a scale before being allowed to attend an event?

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: Overweight?

I'm about 6 feet 1.5 inches tall and last time I weighed myself--maybe a month ago--I was about 177 lbs. Is that too tall or too weighty? Got me.

I'm just short of turning 41. Probably too old.

Got a visual handicap but I reenact anyway. At least I have documentation of some guys in the Army of the Potomac having similar problems so I can keep reenacting on that one.

Whew. Glad I got that stuff out in the open.

There's a lot of things that need improving in reenacting--overweight reenactors, old reenactors, reenactors who take modern medications, etc. But to me, what's worse than a fuctional old, slightly heavy guy taking some meds on the sly at a semi-immersion event is some younger fellow outfitted with great kit and a poor attitude and an extreme lack of knowledge. I say that because I've seen it hundreds of times at "campaigner" events.

There should be equal weight on "man", "methods", and "materials" to make a complete and "authentic" reenactor, at least as I view it.