I noticed on another forum this morning, someone was asking a question, basically, "have our events improved?" over the last five years. Cars in camps, folks doing what they want reguardless of history, loud boozers etc.: we've all seen/herd about it over and over again. Are event "hosts" doing a better job of setting rules and enforcing them then they were 5 years ago? Or like the poster writes, (paraphrasing of course) "it's all good as long as we're making a profit." Are units policing themselves? What's your honest opinion?

Some do a good job of policing themselves while others have no intention of doing so. The constant in the equation is those who don’t continue to overshadow those who do.  

The car wreck always makes the news but the safe driver never does.

  Hallo!

 Since this is the "Mainstream" folder, I will reply in a mainstream vein.

 IMHO...

 Yes and no.

 IMHO still, and speaking only for the few mainstream events I have attended or attend...

  Man and boy, little has changed in three decades.

  People do what works for them.

 HOWEVER, on an individual basis, I believe some of the "material culture" in terms of the uniform, gear, and weapons changes some lads have made for themselves- has improved.

 Beyond that, "we" seem to be, at times, reenacting reenacting and preserviving reenacting culture.  (Not that is necessarily a bad or negative thing, nor a criticism.)

 And, some "events" have a nature, a complexion, an identity all their own.

 I believe what sometimes happen is that where there is lack of "improvement"  (a controversial concept often without concensus as to definition), lads desiring, in need of, or frustrated with "improvement" who do not find it seek it elsewhere at other "events" and leave the status quo to continue on as before.

 Of course, others' mileage will vary...

 Curt
 Heretic

 

 

I think things are improving (now mind you I wasn't around in the bad old days) because individuals are improving faster than the event.

Let's face it, what is tolerated in camp or on the company street is a function of the reenactor more than the event organizers.

Guys with modern stuff are making more of an effort to hide or 'repackage' it.  I've noticed less heavy camping among the youger guys.  In my unit and the ones I reenact with men are trying to look and act more like soldiers.

Our civilians run a tight ship and the kids and women on the street are there during very limited time periods and always in period dress.  the Dad's are spending their 'off duty' time in the civilian camp and discouraging the kids from bugging the 'soldiers' all day long yet still completing thier militray duties.

And bad soldiers and units stand out more than they used to.

Are there still people staying up all night drinking and making noise.  Yes there are do but quite honestly we aren't expecting them to hold up thier end of the bargain as soldiers anyway.

But I think is it a function of the reenactor improving and events following along more than events leading.

I'm involved with organizing and commanding three Mainstream events. We have pretty simple rules at all three events. In the Confederate camps, at least, we enforce those simple rules. Oh yeah, I make it a point not to have rules that we all know won't be enforced.

It's always been my experience that roughly ten percent of the folks, who attend, figure they are special cases and the rules apply to everybody but them. The Event Staff will spend ninty percent of their time, dealing with this ten percent of the participants.    

Don't know have not been to an event in 2 years.