Attending "Good" events

[csabugler]

Re: Attending "Good" events

John's original post asks for a number value of events per year. Due to the logistics of getting a horse across atlanta, usually on a friday, traffic going up I-75 starts getting bad about 2:00 p.m., and stays that way until about 7:00.
So I take at least a half day for virtually every event to get in front of all the bad things that can happen in that traffic. We probably do about5- 6 events a year on average. I usually do the same for drill, which is another 3-4, does that count? so that makes 8-10 "vacation" incidents a year. About half of those occurances require a full day.
Multiple "vacation" day events max is probably 2-3. Now how many of those 8-10events are defined as "good" varies widely year to year depending on what is offered.

By the way, as a commercial plumber, most of that time was without pay, or some sort of 4/10 arrangement.
Patrick

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Attending "Good" events

Hallo!

I cannot vote as neither my wife or I get vacation time.

Curt

[majdoc]

Re: Attending "Good" events

I probably should'nt say this but with about 22 days off a year I take days off just to take them sometimes. Thats what you get for being at one job for so long and have one good contract.:)

[Drygoods]

Re: Attending "Good" events

Moving one's schedule or vacation time around for events? Some folks rotate their entire lives around events, why I know some folks who don't say the month, but rather give the time of year by the various events. Getting the children to the dentist has to be scheduled around this or that event and when you do this, the person at the desk looks at you either with awe or annoyance.

Some folks, perhaps not too unlike myself, if they can't get a future event penciled in a year ahead of time, well, you just might as well hurry up and wait 'cause if it ain't on the books early, it ain't gonna happen. Really fellas, show a little scope with this discussion.:p

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Attending "Good" events

Hallo!

When I did have vacation and personal daze, I once went eight years straight without any extended vacation off except for some Friday's and Monday's to make long weakends to hit 12-16 events in six states for those nearly 17 years.
Which was nice, as one job increased vacation time with every so many years of service so two ended up as five.
Then I did none for four years.
And trickled back to 4-5 a year of the type of events that still appealed to me.


But, for me personally, as the so-called H/A Movement reached a peak with the EBUFU and Mess Concept between 2000 and 2004, IMHO, and zenithed to see so many lads and pards evolve to extinction, burn-out, frustrate-out, choose to return to Missionary Work and Islands-In-The-Mainstream Efforts, migrate, quit, or actually become broken-down or even die- I developed a dislike for driving 6, 8, 10, 12, 14+ hours by myself to do Missionary Work and Islands-In-The-Mainstream Efforts.

Personally, I struggle to define or redefine myself and my Mental Picture these daze.

But that's me, and others' mileage may vary....

Curt

[BenjaminLDavis]

Re: Attending "Good" events

Hey all,

In 2007, I took an entire week of vacation for Each of two events: Shiloh and Vicksburg - I
was forced to take the entire week off for each, or I would have been unable to attend
(as the vacation calender at work would have been "full.")
And I found I was not dissappointed by either event (I personally had an unfortunate turn
of fate at Vicksburg, but it had nothing to do with the event, the Rangers and Mr. Landrum
moved Heaven and Earth to make this event the very best it could be.)
We who live in the upper Midwest have little choice but to take vacation time to travel to
quality events on original battlefields - the battles fought in Wisconsin happened long
before the 1860s! And I have never yet regretted taking the days for this. And I will
continue to do this until my health says that's the end of your days carrying a musket!
At which time I will take up more vigorously my civilian impression and sip cool water
while the boys sweat in the sun - not the worst of fates for a living historian!
But UNTIL that day, I hope to see all my comrades again soon on the fields of honor.
Until then, I remain

[Charles Heath]

Re: Attending "Good" events

It doesn't really matter where one lives, as long as they realize they may have to invest some travel time and expense to get their arses to higher quality events. The fellows on the geographic fringes mostly say about the same thing when it comes to those long drives (or flights) to the better events. Living in the mid-Atlantic, there is nothing like the luxury of a quick zip to Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Georgia, or even New York to get to a high quality event. This VA/MD/PA region often known as "the seat of the war" has been all but barren, and otherwise unable to produce more than one or two events worth attending in recent years.

That means folks unable or unwilling to travel either make do with the local ham-n-yam fest, battle of something local, or encampment & skirmish, or do without. Considering the vast majority of the better events are posted for public consumption two, three, and sometimes four years out, I'm not sure why folks aren't able to schedule a little time to attend. That being said, we did have some real confidence busters with the demise of Ream's Station, Lee's Final Retreat, and some other events that simply didn't reach their potential.

What this amounts to is about 400 people support this end of the hobby by actually attending at least one event per year, if the 2006 numbers are any indication. The 2007 numbers are running a little less (the year isn't over yet) with about the same names on the list. These fellows show up at events time and time again.

Other folks -- well, where are they?

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Attending "Good" events

Other folks -- well, where are they?

That was one of the things I was shooting for in the poll. It would be interesting to try to figure out, of the X,000 members of the AC...
1) How many go to events at all?
2) How many only go to mainstream events?

Presumably the remainder would be able to represent some cross-section of "us" in the hobby generally. From them, there might be some information to help us figure out what keeps folks away.

[IowaYank]

Re: Attending "Good" events

I think there is the factor that I think a sizeable amount of people that are registered users here could be mainstreamers that don't attend the better events, but just like to read the discussion and research shared on here. I know I was registered on this site for a couple years before I upgraded my kit.

[Charles Heath]

Re: Attending "Good" events

That was one of the things I was shooting for in the poll. It would be interesting to try to figure out, of the X,000 members of the AC...
1) How many go to events at all?
2) How many only go to mainstream events?

Presumably the remainder would be able to represent some cross-section of "us" in the hobby generally. From them, there might be some information to help us figure out what keeps folks away.

1. Anywhere you go in the country, you see pretty much the same faces at the better events.

2. Too many.

I find it funny the same folks who water down events are often the first ones to flee when it rains.

How's that for concise? :p

[Old Reb]

Re: Attending "Good" events

How many are afraid of crossing big rivers or high mountains?

[Charles Heath]

Re: Attending "Good" events

Uncle Tom,

I'm thinking the Bayou Yeti scares them most of all, but you may be on to something about folks who can't venture beyond a half tank of gas.

[Spinster]

Re: Attending "Good" events

A half tank of gas will not get me out of Alabama in anything but Darling Daughter's cute little car. And that thing is hard to drive when wearing 3 starched petticoats. :D

With the recent influx, and the fact that we are seeing some repetitive questions, it may be time again for the What Do These People Have in Common? list

[csabugler]

Re: Attending "Good" events

Half a tank does get you all that far with 8-10,00 lbs behind you...