Does any body feel like the ranks are getting less and less or older? I can't say much for myself, I have been to only one event Norlands which I was not quite impress with. I have six or so good friend that love reenacting but the keep saying that civil war reenacting is getting old, And I can see why. I had a chance this summer to go to a ( LARP ) Live Action Role Playing, event in maine and they don't give u a love tap when they come after u. And the secound thing I notice is all the girls, and no I was not checking them out, I was trying to stay alive. They had huge numbers there, just as the men. Some of my friends are into the midevil combat roll fighting and they say its better then civil war. I have two friend that are into ww1 reenacting and they love it. They go off to Penn.. two or three times a year for a great big battle that is bigger than any New England event. and the cost are still the same, they tell me. and last I have another friend into ww2 reenacting, he even said they play with TANKS yup TANKS. He even said that ww2 reencting is growing becouse u can get almost every thing at a Army surplus store evey cheap. I wish I had more time myself, but I chose to get into dairy farming when the price of milk was good and now they say, there is to much milk and no one is buying it like they did before 2008. so it is hard for me to get out. The past few months I surfed around the other civil war sites and read thing like that. does any one have any thoughts?
Yours truely
Cheevers
Subscribe to Recent Stories
I have been A Civil War
I have been A Civil War Reenactor since 1982, so 28 years more or less so guess that makes me somewhat of a veteran. Yes some of the ranks are getting older, myself included, and yes women do tend to show up in the ranks, but that is one of the things that make this hobby so great anyone can participate.
For years at the battle of Fort Myers Florida we had a gentleman in a wheel chair on the field with us. We would either locate him where the chair could not be seen (in the fort behind the works) or out on the field on the ground behind a tree. Let see that happen at other reenacting venues!
I also have Civil War friends that reenact other time periods as well, and they always come back to the 1860's Our hobby is geared to family and friends whereas some other time periods are not. Also don't believe everything you hear about "cheaper" goods at an Army Navy surpluss store. I think that you will find that the surplus from WW2 was sold many years ago, and what you will be fielding with is not correct!
The numbers in Maine may be small but they are dedicated. instead of complaining about the numbers why not go out and recruit more for the cause? I am very fortunate I reenact primarily out of Florida a small event for us is normally a couple of hundred soldiers on the field. I also make it up to Maine whenever I can and participate in as many events as I can while there. I was at Norlands and fell in with the 15th, they treated me like family, and I consider myself very lucky to be able to call them my friends! Yes the event could use some "tweaks" But for a first time event I thought that it was very well done!
I will be at Fort Knox in July come by the Sutlery and pull up a chair we can talk over the problems of the world and our hobby!
Tophat
Old Hobby?
Personal Enjoyment
Hi Nate,
Is it getting old or are you looking for more and just not finding what you want the events?
You mention friends who do WW1and they travel once or twice a year to PA to their events. So, with that I poise this question – have you seen what is beyond New England? (Granted, I know your time is limited) I have done just that and there are some really unique opportunities within our hobby. If you dig back through the threads here you should find a couple AAR’s I posted. One being Death March 10 (2008 - PA) and the other was School of the Sharpshooter (2007 - VA). Both were very small events, but very fulfilling to me personally. Neshaminy (2009 - PA) was another good event for me (except for the ticks), but I never got around to writing an AAR.
Norlands was a first year event and with that there are growing pains to be felt. This year is sounds like the staff is opening the place up to artillery and cavalry, thus it may draw more people. Overall I think Norlands ‘09 went good, but more importantly: a new venue for reenacting has opened. Hopefully the event continues to draw people and it helps Norlands out – so it is a win-win situation. Maybe in coming years we’ll see pickets, patrols and my personal favorite subject (or passion?): CS Sharpshooters and their proper use as skirmishers (including pickets & scouting) and maybe conducting some raids to capture prisoners. he he he
One thing that I do is to strive for my own enjoyment when attending events – by putting myself into the mindset as best possible. Yes, I am a campaigner at heart, but believe I can go bare bones to any event; live out of my haversack and get some of what I want out of it.
The past 4 years or so I have made it to one or two events each year as something (usually Drill Weekend) is going on with events I’d to attend. 2010 is looking like there may be 3 or 4 I will make, but have already had to scratch one at the top of my “OOOOOH – I want to go!!!!” events list (With Pick and Spade). Most of my time & enjoyment with CW reenacting comes from in between events: Sewing, reading, researching, etc. If it were not for that, there would be no hobby for me.
With the 150th coming up, I am sure some new life will flow into the hobby.
I’ll be at Norlands for sure in June, come on out and try it again.
Marc
I shouldn't have use the word
I shouldn't have use the word old. Not a good word. What I geuss I was trying to point out was the younger generation my generation are not interrested in this time line, How does one recruit more for the cause, when the younger group of people have a bigger imagination. How can I recruit some one to the 1860"s when there is no action.. Dont get me wrong I love civil war reeacting. But has any one seen first hand these other periods? I know civil war is a very family friendly period. My whole family did in once. in NH ( sister, brother in laws, father, uncles,) and now that group is now down to four. I have been to most of all the big events down south and there great. And I am not complaining about the numbers. the numbers are not there. or am I wrong. How many has the 3rd ME gotten say in the past two year? How about the 15 Ab that are new not form another units? How about the 20th ME? . I seen most of this units from the sidelines of parades and i see few new faces.
Please dot get me wrong, that Im Complaining, I have never been much of an infantymen, that is, my love is for the artillery and hopefully Cpt Cotton will help with that.
I have been to the 145's the number didn't rise,
I have been to the 140's the numbers didn't rise
and so on.
I think there has been a
I think there has been a small amount of new blood infused into the hobby during the past year here in the State. I think the 15th has added 4-6 (Maybe more) completely new troops to the ranks in the last two seasons, which is pretty good. Overall, it think it is fair to say that there have been more people who have left the hobby, then joined it.
One factor for small growth is the lack of local events – that is truly the best way to attract new people. Basically those who have an interest in what reenacting may be, and then when they first see it for the first time, they decide to try. I first thought of reenacting around 1993, but it wasn’t until 9 years later that I attended an event as a spectator at Ft. Knox and jumped in. Gaining Norlands as a venue will surely help the groups to attract some new blood.
The second factor is the economy – some people just don’t have the ability to spend that kind of money to get going. Luckily, lots of units and people have extra gear to loan a potential new person.
Third, New England is removed from the Civil War, no local battle fields to visit (Well, technically you have Portland Harbor (Revenue Cutter Caleb Cushing hijacking) and Calais (Bank Robbery by CS Agents) – the Revolutionary war is more closer to people’s hearts where a good chuck of the early battles were in this corner of the country. WW2 has appeal as Grand Pappy or Great Granddad fought in it and they are still around to tell about it.
Action – yes someone who wants more action may not get it at the little local event: drill, battle & ball. Unfortunately, “Death March” is now history, 2009 was the last one (11th). That was 36 hours of marching, fighting, picket duty, interactions with civilians and finally glad to make camp the second night and care for the wounded. Some similar events have occurred occasionly in New England. That kind of event may be the excitement you speak of to attract the 20-somethings – something that puts you in the moment for the entire weekend.
Have you checked out the Liberty Greys or New England Brigades website and their links to the artillery units?
i would have to agree with
i would have to agree with marc on all factors, and the bigest one is cost. ive been reenacting since 1988 and the one thing ive seen with units that get the most recruits is when a unit already has extra uniforms and gear for more then just one person. some units spend unit funds on getting extra gear and appoint a quatermaster to keep track of it. that way when a person shows interest they can pretty much outfit them right there and it gives them the more drive to join. one big one is the 12th GVI, they have done it and if you notice they have the most numbers at any givin event. i belive the intrest is there but the money is not. maybe if more units can do it i belive you will start seeing more. but thats only opinion.
and so it goes
The hobby has taken a hit recently. Things have kinda died down during the 145th cycle. I think the economy has played a major hand in the situation. For New England based units it's even worse. We are so away from all the battlefields and interest. You look at units down south, and most of them aren't having the same amount of problems we are. For years our unit has discussed how to recruit, and didn't have much luck. This past year though, I have noticed new found interest in the hobby from people. Six new members to our unit this year, and 3 of them being young blood. So hopefullyit's coming back around.
As for other time periods, it all depends on what really interests you. A lot of people got into Civil War reenacting in the early 90's when Glory and Gettysburg were released. As time went by theydiscovered other time periods that interested them more. If taking on a Panzer with a M1 is someone's style, then standing shoulder to shoulder in battle formations isn't going to do it for you. The rev war hobby went through the same thing after thebicentennial , and after Band of Brothers was released, the WWII community gained massive new interest. I'm just waiting for Crimean War to pick up in the states.
The hobby does have it's hills and valleys, and as we hit the 150th cycle, there could be a resurgence of interest in the Civil War.
understanding
Nate,
The cannon is mounted and waiting painting. It is difficult to explain what you are trying to explain but I know what you are talking about. It is also difficult to explain anything without bending somebody's nose out of joint.
Some of the key elements that made many of the home units successful was that they were working for a common goal, in achieveing the feeling that they were a part of an actual unit and not just a group of people that put on a uniform that usually doesn't match (blue or gray) and pretend that they do. They trained and learned their roles, learned the drill and put forth the common goal of the unit before themselves.
There were very few women in ranks (actually none when I started) and those that were in the ranks actually fit the role. This just doesn't happen like it should today. The hobby has become to a large extent a social feel good organization. We as a society have abandoned the idea that life isn't fair so if a 10 year old wants to join the men in ranks, "sorry you aren't old enough" won't do and some how he makes it on to the field.
The old ways are gone. This isn't good nor bad, it just is. In the 30 plus year of doing, I understand what you mean by "got old" it has "got old" for me several times over. Ten years from now you and I will be sitting back with a beer on some new battlefield wondering where this present group of re-enactors have gone to. Again, it's not good or bad...it just is.
Will
I can tell you that
I can tell you that reenacting beyond Maine is a whole new ball game. That said the units down here still have the same problems as the units in Maine. Politics, splits, politics, recruiting, getting people on the field and did I mention politics? The major difference is the number of people involved. A unit in Maine may have 20 members while one down here has 60 to deal with. We even have the same issue with having equal numbers of soldiers on the other side to fight. Hell I have had to play Federal more times since moving here than I did in 5 years in Maine.
While it's true that events in Maine are small in size, it doesn't mean they always stink. I have been to several events in NC that have sucked. The last one we went to, we had a tacticle on Sunday, and not one shot was fired. The armies completely missed one another. Talk about crappy leadership...lol
Reenactors are a special breed, we spend a LOT of money to go camping and shoot at each other, all the while wearing at times some damn uncomfortable clothes. We need more young people in the hobby or it will die out, the big problem we face is we don't have ipods and PS3 systems to keep kids around. The schools aren't teaching the civil war like they did just 10 years ago. They have no interest in it, and if a kid does show interest, the parents would rather buy them a $300 video game system and a $50 civil war game rather than spend $1500 on a civil war impression.
havent been on
I havent been on because of computer problems and the fixing of said computer with problems...I have considered WWI Myself and WWII as well but by and large my investment in Time and effort has been in the Civil war, I feel you pain as often I hear from a potential new recruit and two question come to mind.....how old and what is your physical Ailment? the parade ground aspects of the hobby gets old real quick when you spend most of your day either hanging out in Camp or at drill for 45minutes when you would rather spend the bulk of the day ion the field....I want to do more imersion type events and hopefully the future of reenacting will see them, problem is we dont have enough FRBR events as we need some kind of bank roll to cover sanitation or insurance....there are some times I would love to do an event and never see soomeone in Modern dress asking if we stayed in those tents.....but we have to do parades and the harvest festivals to get a few small donations to cover expenses. but the way of it is, what you get out of a hobby is inverse to what you put into it....multiplied by a factor of 10 and divided by the square root of tolerance.....Marc has the right attitude, he learns, sews and by his demenor also teaches....this hobby is a fine balance betwen the carnival and hard core......its how we deal with it that effects our enjoyment.
Now as far as Panzers are concerned, ive looked and the one that comes out is the converted t-34 that the 9th SS panzers have, but thats the toy of one person...hell just eh purchase price of a half track from Cz costs $40,000 and thats not running and you have to ship it over here....now I am not saying we all have to have a panzer but the point is there is as much chance of a less than "real" moment.....if its excitement you are after I think it would be better to form up Paintball Militias based on our quasi military orgs and go out from time to time and hammer away at each others groups with some kind of real tactics, to have fun and blow off steam....
Historically all groups go through ebbs and flows, as do hobbies. look at ski clubs and Snowmobile clubs. Now add ATV groups, and the agriculture society of cutting horses, team penning and trailriding...
I mostly had fun at the Norlands event, the big problem there was the union was using it as a big School of the soldier while the confederate side of things was left to its own devices....I wanted to do pickets and patrols but without a real OPFOR it was kinda pointless....hopefully this year plans like that can pan out more....
we are in a slack time,approaching a historical milestone, with some planning on all our parts we can move things forward....
Seamus
imersion
Fellow reenactors,
I fear I have been incapcitated of late and not as active here as I would like. Contrary to some of your comfort levels, I am feeling much better and have returned. LOL
Seamus, I concur to your feelings on Norlands. Your feelings are not just those of the confederate troops, but of Union soldiers as well. In Norland's defense, it was their first time dealing with such an event and I truly hope reenactors will participate again and Norlands will correct any unfortunate missed opportunities.
To address some of the other issues mentioned here, a good opportunity for all involved will be the Battle At Fort Knox (shameless plug). As you know, we are attempting to not necessarily rewrite history, but create an all inclusive event. Anyone wanting to particiapte will be able to do so. As long as we keep within historical guidelines, even if a bit askew. No "hokie" activities are allowed, but there will be anything from ships to landing parties to courts-martials to weddings and burials at sea. We have a line of artillery for defending the fort and preachers to bless the troops. You want to play without public spectators? You have that, too! There is a 2 hour tactical taking place in the field and woods not open to the public. The only missing element will be any of you who do not attend. Let's make this the event that makes everyone happy... the public will get theirs and we will have ours.
We are open to any and all suggestions.
Please feel free to send them to me at BattleAtFtKnox@aol.com. Also, if you go to the website ftknox.mainemilitia.com and sign up for official updates, you will not miss out on any new happenings!
If we act now, we can make the change needed to perpetuate the "hobby" (I still have a hard time calling it that!)
~Miss Rose
CS sharpshooters
My Dear Marc~
We need to chat a bit. I have Berdan's info and even a few who may join us at Knox, but my CS contacts are few, even if growing. As you know, bringing the Southern Perspective to Maine is one of my primary objectives. Do you have info on the sharpshooters? Know any or a direction to point me?
I am reading the other info you forwarded to me today. Down to 161 days, so we need to get on this quickly. I have it on good accord we have CS Dismounted cav coming to augment the landing parties. Turning into quite the all inclusive event. More than I even dared to dream.
~Miss Rose
my random thoughts
I am relatively new compared to most having started in 2006. Yearly I go into my local 5th grade and do education on life in 1860 in my home town here in NH. As Cpl Portor pointed out, our schools don't teach the civil war as it once did. I find 2 issue in this. The first is that I am not even allowed to bring a picture of a civil war era weapon into the school. The second issue is that only the Northern side is presented here. I looked at my kid's books and they in no way presented the Confederate side fairly. I feel it's important that both sides are presented fairly, regardless of personal feelings about the matter.
Miss Deb aka Lady of the Blue and Gray
Civilian 3rd Maine/15th Alabama