New Recruits

For the past 2 years we’ve been gathering information about the hobby from the best resources. ”The Reenactors” they are the best resource when it comes to learning all about the hobby. We’ve made it possibly for the public and new recruits to learn more about the hobby through our facebook community and blog. We know how hard it is to search for on-line and written resources that tell you all you want to know about a particular time. We also know how difficult it can be get in contact with the right person.

The following information was created to help beginning and experience reenactor to connect with each other and find information that at time seems a challenge to find. Here are some helpful sites to find information you need and would like to learn about. This will also help you navigate within our site, blog and facebook community to find the information you’re looking for. Good luck!

10 Things You Should Know About Reenacting before you JOIN!

Preparing for the Hobby:

I’ve had friends who’ve started a hobby/project and ended up not completing it. The worst thing you can do to yourself is starting something and not completing it. The following are just five helpful steps that will help you on your journey of reenacting. This entry is in regards to reenacting but it can help and prepare you with any of your life’s journeys and goals.

1. Figure out your Finances: If you are finding it difficult to spend on necessary needs >> food, shelter and a tank of gas to go to work, joining a reenacting group will actually make your situation worse not better.

2. Figure out a budget: Do this before joining a group unless you are the type of person who can budget their money well. Figure out roughly how much it would cost you to buy your equipment at a sutler versus if you sew your own clothing yourself. You will find by making your own clothing will save you more money than buying it from a sutler.

3. Figure out the benefits: Write a list of things you hope to achieve and benefit from the hobby. If you do not like camping than you have to remember that most of reenacting is during a three-day weekend and you will have to add a hotel room as part of your budget. But you will finding that the benefits exceed the amount of money and energy you put into the hobby.

4. Prepare to Research: Now that I’ve prepared you financially now here comes the difficult and most hated part of the hobby. If you hate researching, there is no way around it in this hobby. The best way to research is to ask questions and then find the answers to your questions. It is likely that people will ask you the same questions you asked before you began the journey. And it will help you think “like the public” whom you are educating about the period you’re interested in.

5. Take your Time: I don’t know if it is the time or just we Americans are used to rushing from one place to another or it’s just the generations of technology. What ever it is we currently just focus on one thing at a time and therefore we rush into life decisions. It took me two years before I decided that this hobby was beneficial to my continued growth. Take your time in learning about the history you are about to relive, take time in deciding what group to join and take time in gathering your equipment.

> Gathering Information: ask When, What, Why, Who and how. Then find out the answers to your questions. It’s a great way to learn about the time period you’re interested in. Then find out when an event is happening and where it is happening so that you can personally experience the time period you hope to portray.

> Joining a Group: Go to events for at least a year and become familiar with a few groups before deciding on a group. I was interested in two periods and became familiar with many of the groups within the time periods I was interested in portraying. I was unfortunately unlucky due to the fact that by the time I had enough time and money to consider the hobby one of the groups discontinued.

> Gathering Equipment: The best time to do this is during the late fall and early winter season. That way you have no choice but to make your own clothing and you won’t have to worry about spending your money quickly on gear that you may never use. The worst time is early Spring because you will have a relatively short time to do your research and gather your equipment. And you are more likely to get tempted to buying equipment from sutlers at random events.

~ That is all my words of wisdom. Thank you to all those who shared their advice with me so that I could forward it to others.

Helpful Websites:

Last spring 2009 we started a facebook community that discusses a wide arrangement of topics. From the clothing people wear to the events people have gone. Much of the information we have typed up on our blog has come from those who’ve posted comments within this community. If there is a question you would like to know the answer to these are the people who can answer it and give the information you’re looking for.

Periodically we’ve posted some of the discussion from the two groups we’ve create below within our blog. Both are helpful resources to gain information and also give access to the public to communicate with historians, reenactors and others who have the same interests.

Reenactors United Community: If you would like to know what events are happening in your area or want to gain information about the hobby this is where you should go. It is a place where the public can learn more about the hobby as a whole and interact with the people who help make history easily accessed by everyone.

Living History Community: This community recently formed on November 2009. We felt there was no place for those who portray the regular civilians of any time period. Most people think of reenacting as a way to portray important battles instead of portraying the people who stayed behind and watch their loved ones go off to war. These are the people whose stories needs to be heard as well as those who fought the wars. So if you’re interested in how people lived this is where to gain information.

Reenactors Network: Below are the top pages that will help you find the information you’re looking for. We focus from the early Medieval era to WWII. We also have links to historical societies and other organizations of interests.

Events throughout the year: http://www.wereenact/events.html
Journal: http://reenactorsjournal.wordpress.com/
Organizations (HS, Infantry,Regiment,etc): http://www.wereenact.net/organizations.html
Written Works (LH help, books,magazines,etc): http://www.wereenact.net/resources.html
Web Sources ( LH help, Guides on Literature, Clothing,etc): http://www.www.wereenact.net /websources.html
Reenactors Network.com on MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/reenactors06
Rennies on MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/rennies06
Shops (Clothing, Art, Instruments,etc) : http://www.wereenact.net/shops.html
Site Map: http://www.wereenact.net/sitemap.html

Information: Travel & Reenacting tips

Be a Civil War Reenactor: http://www.beacivilwarreenactor.com
Fanny & Vera’s Guide: http://www.shasta.com/suesgoodco/newcivilians/index.htm
Friends of Fore Frederick: http://friendsoffortfrederick.info/
Friends of Md Renaissance Fest: http://www.friendsofmdrf.org/
Gettysburg Pa Museum: http://www.gettysburgmuseum.com/
History & Re-enacting Resources: http://www.historyandreenacting.com
Ladies of Reenacting: http://www.ladiesofreenacting.com/
Living History: http://www.reenact.com
Pirate & Renaissance Fest: http://www.privateerdragons.com/links2.html
Reenactor Fest: http://www.reenactorfest.com/
Reenacting.net: http://www.reenacting.net/
Reenacting Tips: Equipment: http://www.geocities.com/heartland/woods/3501/re-enact.htm
Sarah’s 18th Century Living History: http://reenacting.net/sfmlh.html
The Ladies Parlor Book List: http://www.theladiesparlor.com/booklist.html
The Ladies Parlor Links: http://www.theladiesparlor.com/links.html
We Make History: http://www.wemakehistory.com/
Williamsburg History: http://www.history.org/history/
Williamsburg Welcome Center Shop: http://www.williamsburgmarketplace.com/

Recruiting Guide or Beginners guide to Reenacting: Here are some sites we found from reenacting communities or groups who publish their guide online for new members of their regiment, infantry and etc. For further help contact the group you would like to join for more details.

1st Tennessee Infantry Guidelines: http://www.first-tennessee.co.uk/articles/guidelines.htm
9th Pennsylvania Civil War Unit: http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~jw3u/NewRecruits.htm
69th Pennsylvania Civil War Unit: http://69pvi.com/rulesregulations.htm
71st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry: http://www.snlha.org/Flyers/71st_Membership_JGC.pdf
Canadians Grand Army of the Republic: http://www.cgar.ca/equip.html
Civil War Reenacting Handbook: http://www.1861reenactors.com/
Equipment Guidelines for Civil War: http://www.cwreenactors.com/faq.htm
Guidelines for Native Portrayals: http://www.first-tennessee.co.uk/articles/guidelines.htm
World War 2 Guidelines: http://www.hardscrabblefarm.com/ww2/