Why Not More Participants?

[Phil McBride]

In thinking about attendance at the Backwaters 65 event just finished and Banks Grand Retreat three years ago and Into the Piney Woods last year, I'm curious why the numbers of participants were roughly the same for all three events. All three were held in mid-March. The two earlier events were both longer by at least 2 days, and were not as centrally located geographically. They were in the sticks of Louisiana and Backwater was on the Tennessee/Kentucky border. The three events had approximately the same demands for daily marching, eating period rations and uniform standards. With the Backwaters event being closer to more people and only a weekend event, I'd have thought it would have attracted twice as many reenactors. Thoughts?

Phil McBride

[Old Reb]

Re: Why Not More Participants?

Professor McBride,
The answer is simple. The same two hundred plus or minus always show up for such events. Others show and never show again and a few new folks pop in now and then. I think we did the percentages before and it was somewhere between 3% and 7% that actually support the EFUBU end of the hobby. Will it ever increase? I doubt it. Why? Who cares? I don't mind seeing the same faces at events over and over again. It makes me proud to know I am in the minority.

[PogueMahone]

Re: Why Not More Participants?

Phil,

In no particular order ...

1) the economy sucks and is keeping some good folks home when they'd rather be in the field
2) there are only X number of people in this hobby who want to do this type of event
3) some people attended one of the longer events because it was longer, but not the weekend event because it was not long enough, and
4) the reverse of 3 is true: some attended the short event because it was more "doable" in their mind because of the physical or time requirements vs the longer events
5) there is always an element of event support based on the location, organizers, scenarios, guidelines, etc., that can influence an event or not, depending on the potential participant's personal attitudes

just .02 on the subject, your mileage may vary,

[Pvt_Sullivan]

Re: Why Not More Participants?

Dog Gone It Joe, you're right again!

Phil, I wasn't in this hobby until after BGR, but I did go to both ITPW and Backwaters. In my case, I'm interested in the experience so I want to go marching several to a dozen miles in a day and live the life of a soldier on the march and on campaign.

In my unscientific opinion, I would say if you took the actual attendence lists of BGR, IPW and Backwaters and layed them next to each other there would be a 60% to 70% commonality of names on them. So it the same 3% or 7% (of the online community) as Tom said that go to these events. I would also hazard that the Backwaters Crew (Brian, Josh, Bill, Art, et al) made a point that this wasn't just going to be a weekend in the woods playing shoot 'em up or laying about doing the living history thing for the public but that during the 36 hours of event time there would be significant ground covered, so it's 'hype' for lack of a better word was the same as BGR and ITPW which kept those who don't feel they can physically handle it or those who don't look for that experience away.

Now the next event of this 'type' is coming with In The Van in August and I'm looking forward to marching with all of my Comrades there too...

[Aubrey]

Re: Why Not More Participants?

Gentlemen,
I'm from France, member of several groups. I entirely agree with you. Friends of mine went to the IPW last year. The fact that the number of living historians is fewer than the past in such events can be understood by the way of reenacting. In the first european "revue" called Civil War campaigner issue 1, http://www.civilwarcampaigner.com/
you find a very good article about The independent Volunteers by Nic Clark. I'm very interested in the way of doing our hobby in America. I'm speaking about hobby but Nic Clark speaks about study. That's a way of studying History. We have the same problem in France with many groups like farbs. If you do reenactement with the exigence of modern comfort, don't want to make effort in studying, you do not have your place in. I'd rather do a march with my comrades and experience the real life of soldier during the war. As Nic Clark shows us, reenacting isn't just a means to get away from your simple life in wearing old timey looking clothes or sitting in a camp fire. It's research. Make me proud also to be in the minority.

Regards,

Adrian

[Dbackfed]

Re: Why Not More Participants?

1. Some people luckily have jobs still, but cannot afford to take the time off.
2. Some people don't have Spring Breaks when they are in Master's programs like they did when a college undergrad.

[Irish Bill]

Re: Why Not More Participants?

My .02:
I wanted to go to LBL but because it landed on the weekend ending my spring break and I could not take off from work I could not go. I really wanted to but oh well work and school come before my hobbies.