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chatrbug wrote: being new to it all, i dont want to step into an event that we know absolutely noone. there are many events that want you as a unit, not as an individual. that causes problems right there... but how many events will take a woman with 4 children and no unit?... i guess another problem would be me trying to figure out how to put up our tent on my own

If you're ever interested in something besides mainstream, some of those problems will disappear. Most c/p/h events for civilians require individual registration, and are set up so that you'll be put with a mentor, so having a unit is irrelevant and you'll have someone there you "know" at least from online contact.

And if the kids can handle the situation, the more kids the better. Like the military never having enough 20-somethings, the civilian demographic is always short of kids because we just don't have those seven or ten kids in a family anymore.

If you were living in a tent, you'd most likely be given 1860s friends or neighbors to help, but in most cases, you'd be expected to have housing closer to what historically occurred, which might mean anything from being given a bed in a house to carrying everything. Again, though, with experienced people around you to help.

Of course, that still doesn't solve the problems of travel, time off, etc., and in fact probably makes them worse, since c/p/h events are fewer and farther away. Which is why we were really hoping you and/or any family members could get down to Loudoun county in October if you wanted to try one, because that's as close as I know of in the upcoming future. There might be a very small all-civilian event in Tennessee after that, then next year I'm off to New York, Missouri, Indiana, Georgia, etc...

Personally, I've found the c/p/h civilian atmosphere to be more friendly and welcoming than the mainsteram atmosphere, but I think that's got more to do with the fact that people with similar goals are generally more cooperative and open to each other, so it's more a matter of attending events where you share common interests, whatever they are, than any particular segment of the hobby.

As far as where to look for c/p/h events, I'd recommend the Authentic Campaigner forum, but they really are few and far between, compared to the many mainstream events, so it's not like there are lots of them hiding out there.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

Dulcie,

It was my son who was first interested in this hobby and dear old dad came along as a glorified chaperone.  It took a good bit of looking before finding an organization willing to take kids as members.  That is the reason I remain attached to this mainstream outfit to which I belong.  Now, my son has grown up and gone.  Dear old dad did not grow up.  He grew outward but is still here.  My wife and daughter no longer participate.  I’m the only one.  We still have a few young members but most of us have grown rather long in the tooth.  This long in the tooth business is mixed in with a combination of being hard of hearing and hard of headed.  We still take kids, but not as many as in days gone by.  It’s not because we have become choosy.  There are not that many interested.  At present, we have two participating.  There are three more that will be able to take a more active role in less than a couple of years, maybe much less.  We make them wait.  Being basically a bunch of slow moving old goats we are not willing to fib to event hosts telling them our kids are the minimum age to carry firearms.  We train them and get them ready so when they do reach the appropriate age they have been properly prepared.  Several of these kids from the not so distant past moms were single head of households.  Moms were taken in, shown how to dress appropriately, placed in a tent, and generally made to feel welcome by our other ladies.  One of those moms is still with us and her two boys have married and are long gone.  A reenactor once derisively referred to our unit as a “Civil War day care unit.”  We have also been scathingly called a “starter unit.”  That’s OK.  When those kids take a notion to do so, they will have the materials and methods part of the campaigner triptych in hand.  In spite of being associated with a bunch of old guys, they will also have the better portion of the attitude necessary to go on and do other things.  

oh trust me... i am trying to see if i can make it in everyway. if it were almost any other weekend, i would be there... but unfortunately my boys have football games on both sat and sun.. if they were just sun i would be there!

i have found some in the mainstream to be harsh to put it nicely. there were many "ladies" that refused to even talk to me because i was wearing my hoops and corset in camp. who would have known that would be a major dividing factor!

i would love to do more than mainstream (though im not sure dh is as willing!! he has a rough time with mainstream). now my kids... they dont mind sleeping on the ground (they do want blankets and pillows though!).  we ended up with mainstream because it was a way to ease us (especially dh!) into the hobby. and to be honest.. he enjoys some, but he does like the air mattress.

any events next summer... let me know and ill put them on the calender. i have already gotten the okay to go without dh. kids and i could spend every weekend at an event.. hes not so willing!

Dulcie,

Sure, you can spend a few hundred hours picking through the approximately 2,200 events, winnow them down to the most likely looking 450, carve out a half dozen primary events, another dozen and a half secondary efforts, and another dozen tertiary events, or just visit the AC Forum from time to time.

To give you an example of how many events are out there, I thought until this weekend we only had 48 Gettysburg events each year, but then we sat down and did the math and the figure is closer to 125. Given darn near every crossroads in Penna and Maryland has an encampment and skirmish anymore, it is entirely possible for a person to drive less than 2 hours each weekend to get to any number of events.

Like a restaurant with "billions and billions served" out front, does anyone really want the majority of those events? 'Tis the question.

Don't feel bad Dulcie, we've only gone over this about 2,500 times.

hey.. i have a few hundred hrs i could do that now that the kids are off to school..though to be honest i rather spend it sewing my dresses!!