How do you motivate others or improve the hobby?

[Poor Private]

Re: Reenactor w/Health Problems......Fitting in..

Being a member of the vet reserve corp is what I do when weather is unkind or when my knees are acting up.
And guess what you get asked alot of questions by the spectators on why my jacket is so different A perfect time to teach and inform the public of history.
But you have to be time specific since the VRC didn't come into being until the spring of '63'

[RudyN]

Re: Reenactor w/Health Problems......Fitting in..

I know what problems can do to you. I have an artifical right leg (below the knee) which wasn't to bad, however I then had to have back surgery which really messed things up. I have helped with the artillery units as an "attached Infantryman" amonsgt other things. I just received my VRC jack from Don Smith of Trans-Mississippi Depot (plug for good work) and will do that when the scenario is appropriate. As an aside I am the treasurer for my unit and was thinking of maybe paymaster also.

[Farmboy]

Re: Hearing aids & hearing protection

This is a good discussion. I am glad to hear safety prevails and is authentic as well.
I have abused my hearing and at 60 am paying the price.
Tinnitus and difficulty understanding voices is increasing. Not cool.

[flattop32355]

Re: Reenactor w/Health Problems......Fitting in..

Is it the distance of a march, or the speed needed for short bursts (double timing into position) that is the problem? Possibly both?

One option to remain in the ranks is to meet the company on the field as they appear, if the general maneuvering in line of battle is not a problem. If the company is acceptable to the idea, you can get a head start for the scenario site.

HQ is always in need of quality enlisted help. Proximity to command can give you new insights into how a reenacting HQ operates. Good for both sides of the equation.

Staying with your company at the camp and guarding the site can also have its benefits. As already noted, cooking for your comrades is greatly appreciated, if you have any talent for that.

There's always a shortage of good buglers, though they move quite a bit at certain events.

The largest question needs to be: Given your limitations, what do you want to do, and what do you feel capable of doing, within the hobby? There are jobs to do; are there ones you are interested in doing beyond rifleman?

[weed]

Re: Hearing aids & hearing protection

Could you guy tell my wife to "shut up" when she yells at me every time I ask her to repeat what she said, even thu she knows I have lost almost 70 % of my hearing?

"You did you say?":(

Weed

[oldsecesh]

Re: Hearing aids & hearing protection

It would be interesting to know how many participants have developed Tinnitus, from years of cannon and musket fire? Might be a good survey and a caution for hearing protection.

[weed]

Re: Hearing aids & hearing protection

It would be interesting to know how many participants have developed Tinnitus, from years of cannon and musket fire? Might be a good survey and a caution for hearing protection.

That is a GREAT idea for a poll!!!! I know that both hearing loss AND Tinnitus it has effected my quality of life, sometime to the point of suicidal.


For Tinnitus ("just learn to live with it" - for anybody that has gotten that answer and needs relief, I have had some gotten some GREAT doctors over the years, yhat prescribed medicine that ACCTUALLY does work and REALLY DOES help! Just PM me)

John W

[Todd Watts]

Re: Reenactor w/Health Problems......Fitting in..

We need signal corpsmen as well. This was a very important posistion which is rarely seen today. Pioneers and engineers also are under represented. A company/regimental armorer is also almost unheard of today. As a gunsmith in my normal life, I act as one of these so I have a place in camp even when I no longer feel like marching. But, there is hardly any information on this posistion so pretty much anything I do is based on common/professional sense and not on historical data.

[SCTiger]

Re: What is an elitist?

Every day I listen customers come into my store or into my tent telling me how much the elitism on the AC has pushed them away from the forums. But I've seen most of these elitist snobs. I've been in the ranks with them, I've seen thier impressions and I've seen them drill and cook and camp. I've seen their weight and their age and you know what...thy ain't that great. But I don't need to point them out in public and say so. I don't need to ban them from my events and I certainly don't tell them that my way of doing things is the best way.

Chris:

I would like more of an explanation on this quote. As far as I can see, the weight & age is a problem for both sides of the hobby. Your statement about our drill, impressions and cooking in camp was without merit or supported by any exact facts.
I actually would admire someone if they that did examine our flaws in public, as we do in our AAR's and critical self reviews, we are far from smug and satisfied with our impressions. No one has said, "I am perfect in my impression."

Your statement smacks of the old farb argument, that since perfection can't be achieved, why even try? I believe those unnamed and anonymous customers are actually anti-campaigners in the mainstream hobby that are determined to discredit this side of the hobby and you are a straight dope for their lies They are threatened by change, improvement, standards, excellence and a real time military scenario. They are threatened by an actual ACW camping environment, not elitist campaigners. They are afraid of losing the social environment and the comfort of the mainstream experience. Throw a few rocks at their direction, before you crush us with those boulders. We can take, and want, constructive criticism. Does the mainstream side tolerate that?

Chris, I think you need to take a step back and look again at what our goals our and how we really treat mainstream reenactors that actually make it to our events. I invited one for the first time to Outpost this weekend and we helped him with gear and welcomed him aboard. He had a blast and enjoyed the event. It wasn't comfortable, we didn't get to meet everyone, there was no Saturday Ball or Hot Dog stand to run to when you became hungry; however, there was a challenge and a better environment to be an actual Civil War reenactor, not just a comfortable camper, snoozing on a aluminum cot in a heated A-Frame.

I believe your statement about our "ain't that great" impressions, is a lowly and unfounded insult to many of the people of this board and the campaigner movement as a whole. The same people who have purchased your products in the past and worked extremely hard to produce better events and living history programs. If any of our rank and file had made that kind of statement, they would be banned.

Without apology,

[Charles Heath]

Re: What is an elitist?

Gribble,

An entire cottage industry exists with the express purpose of painting the campaigners, progressives, and hardcores as elitists, but the plain truth is very few events truly shut out those who want to make the effort to attend. Amongst us geriatrics this past weekend, I noticed a good number of young people. This is highly encouraging.

[RudyN]

Re: Reenactor w/Health Problems......Fitting in..

I just thought of another thing to do. How about a telegraph operator? I may try that sometime as I do know the morse code (have a amateur radion license).

[flattop32355]

Re: What is an elitist?

I believe those unnamed and anonymous customers are actually anti-campaigners in the mainstream hobby that are determined to discredit this side of the hobby and you are a straight dope for their lies They are threatened by change, improvement, standards, excellence and a real time military scenario. They are threatened by an actual ACW camping environment, not elitist campaigners. They are afraid of losing the social environment and the comfort of the mainstream experience.

You're probably correct about some of them, but not all of them. Please keep in mind that non-campaigners fall into a wide range of accuracy of impression and interest with the hobby. Simply being a non-campaigner with a bad experience with a campaigner does not necessarily make one an anti-campaigner. That brush paints too broadly.

I'd also say that a number of campaigners feel some sort of threat from mainstreamer and farb reenactors (for example, the need to post video of bad reenacting), while a number of them do not. Go figure.

Having been labeled by someone as a "militant farb in campaigner clothing" a while back, I think I can look at some things from a perspective of neither extreme, similar to some of those from whom Mr. Daley has heard comment.

Some of the individuals Mr. Daley mentions probably have some legitimate complaints about treatment from campaigner types (real or posers), just as some could be said to have them about certain farb or mainstream ones. The campaigner movement is no more immune to such people than the great unwashed masses of the non-campaigners. Human Anal Openings inhabit the entire spectrum of the hobby, and are a cause of much of the animosity seen between the various elements of the hobby.

Since the campaigner side of the spectrum is seen as being the "good" or "better" side of the hobby, it follows that any experience of perceived maltreatment from that direction is magnified compared to any similar ill treatment from the other direction, and so more worthy of notice and comment. Unfortunate, perhaps, but not unexpected.

BTW, it was interesting to finally see you in the field at Outpost III.

[SCTiger]

Re: Why cant we form 100 man companies?

Bernie I am sorry about the "militant farb in campaigner clothing" comment, you really aren't and the frustration goes in many directions. I may poke fun at you or razz people on some wild ideas, but I will always support a genuine effort by a progressive reenactor on the Ebufu side, and you are right that the attacks have to cease loading on all fronts.

Although the campaigner-progressive model isn't perfect, it's serves a different purpose outside the spectator driven, battle reenactments. All we are asking is that our rules and ideas are respected, no one on this side is trying to destroy the mainstream, but we have our own "school of thought'. We are not a threat, we are really a dedicated group of reenactors, thats all.

Alright I am through, no way to cap a good year, I am sure you will see more campaigners at NSA events to "boost the numbers" and more adjunct efforts, so they ought to be happy about that! We need to look forward, but I still want people with open minds to experience a good Ebufu event. Is that middle of the road enough??? :)

It was good seeing you as well Bernie, we should have talked more.

Kumbaya,

[PvtShot]

Re: Why cant we form 100 man companies?

I may not be a smart man but,

The reason we can't form 100 man companies is because there are too many roosters out there that can't fathom the idea of not having bars on their shoulders or stripes on their arms! This is what pissed me off about the mainstream side of our hobby, and one of the reasons I'm pissed now.

I support the comments of Chris Daley... There are some influential elitists out there, and it tends to make the rest of us, who are just trying to progress; look like the classic bunch of "snobs in the woods". I've seen several fellas that talk a big game over the internet and don't back it up!

I remember when I was a wee little farb, I always knew that I never looked the part. I always kept trying the next crap wool hat, the next crap Frock coat, etc... I would have never saw the light if it wasn't for a few c/p/h guys coming to our local farb-fest down here in FL, and setting up shop in the midst of our tent city. Looking at these guys, you knew they had their s%&t together, and I finally had the courage to start talking to these dudes!! A couple years later, I have never looked back.

We need to have some element of our side at these circus events. I remember Franklin in '04, I was in a mainstream battalion with all my good gear on, and saw the AOP column march by! Needless to say I knew my next event would be with a more accurate group. I was hooked without even knowing it!

THE BEST WAY TO RECRIUT IS TO PUT OURSELVES INFRONT OF THESE MAINSTREAMERS THAT ARE ON THE FENCE! There are whole units out there that just need some guidance and one good event to show them the light!

Can we not consolidate the hundreds of messes out there into one grand organization? It's the roosters with the big chests that prevent that. Hell I think being a Private has got to be so much more fun anyhow! Learn how to drop the ego/rank. If you want all the power all the time become a freaking CEO or something!

Lets not forget why we all started doing this in the first place... FUN!!!!

Best Regards!
Eliot Toscano

The Buckras
SCAR
SRR

[Rev]

Re: Why cant we form 100 man companies?

PvtShot hit the nail on the head, I think. I'm in the nether world between campaining and mainstream. I'm continually trying to improve my impression, but I love the ability to connect with the mass of spectators and teach them a little bit of real history. I wouldn't have known about real progressive reenacting and L/H if it had not been for some fellows at a mainstream event. When I was younger and in arty we tried hard to be a legitimate flying unit. It was tough, and expensive. There didn't seem to be as much of a divide between those of us who were trying really hard to 'get it right' and the others. Getting back in now as infantry I find a great deal of division, confusion, and hubris on all sides. It hurts the cause. It damages our abiblity to keep history alive.