2007 AC Forum Event Performance

[Hank Trent]

Re: 2007 AC Forum Event Performance

Dont forget that there are those of us who Uncle Sugar has on current campaign!

The joke is if you read it literally: "None [of these events] this year, but I plan to attend several in 2008." It's sad because some reenactors do think that all events are held on an annual basis, like mainstream ones.

Though I only attended I-600 and will be going to Fredericksburg, I tend to go to smaller civilian-oriented events that don't show up on the general AC radar. But I make the decision on every event as if it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, because in many cases it really is.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[LindaTrent]

Re: 2007 AC Forum Event Performance

None of the above, though I did attend the pre-trial event at Brown's Stand in Tennessee and plan to attend the Trial event in a couple of weeks in Frankfort, KY. Doing the 1888 reunion event in Gettysburg, possibly another event later this fall (carpe eventum). The nice thing is, I'm only responsible for the trial event. :)

I'd love to attend more immersion style civilian events, but who's out there putting them on? I know Annette, but that's the weekend of Gettysburg. Anyone else?

Linda.
starting to think I may become a keyboard campaigner (er, I mean civilian). :cry_smile

[IowaYank]

Re: 2007 AC Forum Event Performance

I have done BGR, Shiloh, and Vicksburg. I would do two more if it wasnt for my football schedule in the fall.

[Charles Heath]

Re: 2007 AC Forum Event Performance

The joke is if you read it literally....

Hank, you got the joke hidden in that line. A heck of a lot of folks think these events are held on an annual basis, and while some are held every few years, the vast majority of truly stellar events are one time offerings.

Linda, feel free to conjure up a similar poll in the civilian section of the AC Forum. The results may be rather interesting, as I'm curious as to just how many civilians support the better events. You don't need to post H.T. and C.H.'s most recent insanity, we get enough mileage out of that as it is. :)

All, I'm positively thrilled folks are listing their own personal hits from the eight possible events they have attended in 2007. Since two are on the same weekend, that really means just seven, unless you happen to own Daddy Warbucks' famous gyrocopter. (Yeah, hey, how about that deconfliction thing....)

My own pitifully slacker hit list for AC Forum events:

1. Banks' Grand Retreat
2. Shiloh NPS LH
3. Wilderness NPS LH
4. Vicksburg NPS LH

Aiming for:

5. ATB/Fredericksburg/Slaughter Pen (this event really needs more names)

I'd also like to hit the Chickamauga NPS LH with the POC'R Boys falling in with the SWB, but that will take some magic wand work with a little extra super duper kitchen pass lubricant. Imagine me and Dusty in gray at the same time...okay blue-gray, but that's splitting hairs.

[LindaTrent]

Re: 2007 AC Forum Event Performance

Linda, feel free to conjure up a similar poll in the civilian section of the AC Forum. The results may be rather interesting, as I'm curious as to just how many civilians support the better events. You don't need to post H.T. and C.H.'s most recent insanity, we get enough mileage out of that as it is. :)

Charles,

I would but there are people out there far smarter than I am when it comes to posting polls. :wink_smil I'll just stick with what I put here, though I didn't vote.

Linda

[AZReenactor]

Re: 2007 AC Forum Event Performance

I made the trip back East for BGR and have registered and purchased airline tickets for Outpost. :-)

[Charles Heath]

Re: 2007 AC Forum Event Performance

That's the style, Troy. That's the style.

Somewhere in one of these cranky old computers, I sorted the 2006 list of "Who Is Us" folks by number of events and name. I found it interesting as heck the number of folks who had three or more events under their belts by mid-Summer. Brian Hicks, of course, remains an over achiever in 2007 as he was in 2006, and probably 2005. By the time the toe-dippers, and try-ones, and maybe-I'll catch twos are lined out, the core group of CPH folks is really rather small. Reminds me of a ten year old essay that began, "The average active reenactor attends four to six events each year including unit meetings, picnics, and Christmas parties."

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: 2007 AC Forum Event Performance

Chas...

That data is showing to be true in the numbers in this poll. As of today, a solid 50.5% of voters** indicated that they will be going to one or two of the listed events. However, the poll I listed a while back ( http://authentic-campaigner.com/foru...ad.php?t=11269 ) shows that only 30% of voters said they could attend 2 or fewer events requiring vacation time -and- 52% say they can attend 4 or more events requiring vacation time.

So why do so many people say they CAN to go to these events, but don't acutally go? ...or am I reading this wrong?

**Oops!! This number neglects the "Keyboard Kampaigner" and "None in '07" votes!!! So, this makes my point even, but even moreso.

For me:
I'm doing two "Listed Events": Vicksburg and TAG
The remainder of the 4-5 events I'm doing this year are more local/regional events like Mills Springs, maybe Perryville, etc. Wish I could've made Chicamauga!!!

[Eric Tipton]

Re: 2007 AC Forum Event Performance

So why do so many people say they CAN to go to these events, but don't acutally go? ...or am I reading this wrong?

John:

I think you are reading it absolutely correctly and there is the rub.

[AZReenactor]

Re: 2007 AC Forum Event Performance

Charles,
Good to know I'm not average, then. Heck, I've attended nearly the average in the last montth.

Three weeks ago, Don Smith and I were at a Prescott museum doing interpretation as the 1st CA Inf which founded the fort that prompted the towns establishment.

Then Two weeks ago Martin Aksentowitz and I were down at Fort Bowie for the weekend interpreting the 1st CA Inf for the 145th Anniversary of the battle of Apache Pass and were privileged to spend the night within the foundations the historic stage stop from where the California Column launched their attack.

A week ago I was preparing for this last weekend's event.

And this last weekend just the three of us (Don, Martin, & myself) did a small patrol into a USDAFS Wilderness area here that started with a march of 2.25 miles and a 700 foot gain in elevation. Continued on Saturday morning with a march of 4.5 miles and a drop in elevation of more than 3,000ft into and along a river canyon. This hike was done early and rapidly despite the rugged terrain so that we could reach water before the sun was too high up. We each had only had a single canteen when we started out and the canyon floor was the only place to fill them. Sunday was a hike of just 3.5 miles out along the bottom of the river canyon that necessitated at least a dozen knee to waist deep river crossings following game trails, and making our own path where none could be found. By the time we made it to the main trailhead late Sunday afternoon we were really too fatigued to make the last three miles and 2,300 feet climb back to where we started and hitched a ride to to take us the seven miles around on Forest Service roads back to where we started our circle march. Throughout the event we remained in first person, lived out of our haversacks and bedrolls, boiled our water to drink, followed a period appropriate hand drawn map, and remained on the alert for the opposition force that hunted us as we followed our orders to scout the canyon. (Our events scenarios are crafted by the club president, a private soldier, while the military leadership has little more to go on then the orders they are given, making it much more like a leadership reaction course and forcing everyone to do the job they are supposed to in a very real way.) Though our little detachment only consisted of just three men and we never crossed paths with any adversaries besides Mother Nature in the form of rattle snakes, terrain, and thunderstorms this event was without a doubt one of the hardest and most eye opening events (even compared to BGR) I've ever done.

As one fatigued fellow observed in regards to the need to prepare physically for these events, "Reenacting in the West is an extreme sport." There may not be a lot of hardcore reenactors in Arizona, but the few there are here are truly hard to the core.

We do just six small unit immersion events a year. Our next event will be a much more relaxed mapping expedition near Lebec, CA but there is never any telling what twists or turns might be thrown at the military leadership during it. Anyone who wants to know more about what we are doing (especially quality reenactors on the left coast) are welcome to contact me.

I suppose I went off topic, but I'm still coming off an event high while at the same times suffering the effects of sleep deprivation and fatigue.

[Coatsy]

Re: 2007 AC Forum Event Performance

Real life is beating me up this year, but I managed to get to:

Shiloh Living History
Vicksburg Living History (Landrumapolooza)

This fall will see the OCN at:

Chickamauga Living History

The day of days for me is slowly creeping up and I am still unsure about attending Outpost III, but I hope to go. At least Artius has some research that has been OCN tainted to peruse.

[SCTiger]

Re: 2007 AC Forum Event Performance

Why don't we experiment one day and see if we can pick an optimum time/place for the membership of this forum to show up:

1. Open Event to AC members, well documented and reasonable standards.
2. Put it in a central location, maybe Missouri, Oklahoma??
3. Pick a clear weekend, far from holidays and major sporting events.
4. No conflict + or - 2 weeks from a major mainstream event.
5. Advertise and organize two years out, encourage people to make arrangements, vacation, family etc.
6. Clear the board on this side of the hobby of every other event or small Living History. (never happen)


My theory, you will still have the same 300-400 dedicated individuals that show up for every major c/p/h event. Optimal events don't produce dedicated campaigners, the dedicated types will be there no mater what. It would be nice to get more of those dedicated individuals. Let's keep following the history and quit worrying about what's convenient to the assumed majority. If you can't make this one shoot for the next, such is life. Otherwise you will end up doing the same thing year after year, history gets compromised for the right weekends and we end up doing events at the wrong times and wrong places.

[Spinster]

Re: 2007 AC Forum Event Performance

Why don't we experiment one day and see if we can pick an optimum time/place for the membership of this forum to show up:

1. Open Event to AC members, well documented and reasonable standards.
2. Put it in a central location, maybe Missouri, Oklahoma??
3. Pick a clear weekend, far from holidays and major sporting events.
4. No conflict + or - 2 weeks from a major mainstream event.
5. Advertise and organize two years out, encourage people to make arrangements, vacation, family etc.
6. Clear the board on this side of the hobby of every other event or small Living History. (never happen)


.

Greg, you've just described Athens 2008.

[Coatsy]

Re: 2007 AC Forum Event Performance

Or Marmaduke's Raid 1863. I've been to two Athens events. I loved both of them, ice cream and all, but some new territory needs to be explored. My opinion of course.

[Micah Trent]

Re: 2007 AC Forum Event Performance

So why do so many people say they CAN to go to these events, but don't acutally go? ...or am I reading this wrong?

Here's my two cents...not worth much, but...
I think sometimes too many of us have the habit of committing to an event before even clearing with home or seeing if it interfers with our work schedules. We assume we'll be there and that there won't be no problems, only when it comes time to that event, the wife won't let you go or work says you "have" to be in. (yes...sometimes things can come up at the last minuet....BUT...
Then you have the other handful of people who always say they'll be there and never show up or hear a word from them till a few weeks after the event and you get Heinz 57 version of Excuses on why they couldn't be there{I don't feel sorry for those kind of peole at all.}. Sadly, even though some of them maybe some of our friends, we know they are unreliable and can not be counted on.