Duty to the Public?

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

You know, Maximio put it in a nutshell for me!
Although in my case, I am hoping to learn newskills in craftsmanship!

[Aurelia]

As many others have already said, we do this for FUN. And, for some of us, it IS fun to share our knowledge with others.

I really enjoy nurturing enthusiasm for Roman History in others. Sometimes we get to do this at schools, sometimes at museums, sometimes just over email. I wouldn't say it's a duty, but more of an honor.

[Marcus Mummius]

As many others have already said, we do this for FUN.

For most people this is the case butI personaly know people who don't do it for fun, but more as a bussines.

Vale,

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Well, I too would like to eventually make a business out of it, but it is more for the learning and the fun.......big kid plays with real toys etc.... 8)

[Robert]

As a total newbie to re-enactment, I have found it has as many sides as the people involved. I was touched by the message Aurelia posted

I wouldn't say it's a duty, but more of an honor

, it has been these moments that have stood out for me so far. Having said that, it's great fun to hang out with the "gang" (male and female), especially when the public has gone and its just "us" around the fire. I feel the main reason one goes through a lot of trouble to put together a Roman kit is escapism and to belong. I do have trouble with the internal strife between groups and dogmatic rhetoric.
Sharing knowledge, to fellow re-enactors and the public alike, is what has powered the rise of mankind, knowledge being, after life and respect, one of the greatest gifts you can convey. If this sharing is called "education", so be it.

[P. Clodius Secundus]

Like most of you, there are many reasons why I reenact. Escapism, intellectual curiosity, camraderie, and a desire to educate future generations are important to me. Foremost is my desire to honor the common soldier of all ages. Compared to other pastimes/hobbies reenactment, by it's nature, seems to contain a much higher percentage of real-life veterans. In my experience this "talent-pool" provides the backbone of most units. Well, at least the ones I enjoy being around. There are however two subcultures within our community I have trouble relating to.
The first, is the type of person that we in American Civil War reenacting call the "threadcounter". This is a person for whom accuracy of impression has become an all-consuming passion. While this is certainly an admirable goal it should be a journey not a destination. Most real-life veterans have learned fatalism and pragmatism at the hands of NCOs for whom no spit-shine or drill manouver will ever be good enough. The impression they wind up giving is that of Gollum sitting all alone in a cave fondling their "precious".
The second group are those we call "hardcores" or "campaigners". They eat nothing but hardtack and coffee and would never dream of washing during an event or experiencing anything other than hardship. Again, I admire their goal and passion, but it often leads to arrogance. While not an attractive trait in any of us, it is especially galling coming from a calone. If they really want to be hardcore there are several armies currently hiring. This past weekend I witnessed a particularly sorry display at a reenactment of the battles of Petersburg/Cold Harbor. There was one group who spent the night in the trenches enduring a violent storm, but they lost all their credibility when it came time to form up for battle. They felt that they could ignore the commander's invitation to join us for weapons safety inspection. Then when they did finally show up nearly half their weapons failed. In the past they have shown up with weapons so filthy that the ramrods got stuck in the barrels. Such a lack of basic discipline would have gotten them beaten or or executed in any decent army, past or present. To those who I may have offended by these depictions, let me qualify that I don't mean to tar eveyone with the same brush. Only to point out the pitfalls that accompany excess.

[Tarbicus]

To paraphrase an editor of New Scientist on science:

Roman history is interesting and if you don't agree, you can **** off!

[A_Volpe]

I'm in agreement with the majority.

Although I'll soon no longer be a "paid employee" with Higgins Armory Museum, I still seek to continue giving educational programs to the public and schools. The primary goal of this kind of profession is indeed to educate and be accurate.

Much as Matt Amt said so clearly - even without directly "lecturing" or demonstrating to the public, we are all inherently educating them. Those people who come to our events and really enjoy themselves learning from us are a huge support for our hobby, and I am both happy and honored to be one educating them.

It may not be all of our "duty", and certainly not everyone's choice to be educating - but for those of us who do so, it is our "duty" to educate properly. That includes being accurate to several different degrees of the word, and it also means being 'accurate' as a person - attentive, polite, and well-versed to be able to answer questions clearly and concisely.

It doesn't mean I have to be presenting at every single encampment or event, and I don't want to be doing that every single time. Part of the "education" is letting the audience learn from (group) presentations - like massed tactical drills for instance, or 'camp life' - we don't *need* to interact with the public directly every minute.

On the same token with Clodius Secundus - There is an 'education' of sorts with groups/individuals who do not conduct themselves maturely or safely, and those who refuse or won't acknowledge historical record and research, will hopefully steer the public away from them towards those of us who do strive for accuracy as best as we can do.

As for the "hardcores" out there who look down on us "weekenders", well, tough love...Sorry I'm not *perfect* like they are. :wink:

[Aurelia]

Those people who come to our events and really enjoy themselves learning from us are a huge support for our hobby, and I am both happy and honored to be one educating them.

This made me smile. There's a moment during any conversation with a young student or family, when you can see by the look on their face(s) that they have found something about the history that excites them. Something unexpected. Maybe they've asked a question, and they weren't really expecting the answer, but they go home with new knowledge and enthusiasm. Or, when I ask the question and get an unexpected answer.

That's the stuff that makes it fun for me.

[richsc]

OK, I like both aspects. I really love interacting with the public: being immersed in the details we forget how little they actually are aware of and how much just us showing up actually does for them in terms of learning. The act of showing up is itself a positive thing for most of them: who else will do it?
But I also enjoy and respect the rest of you: getting together is a great incentive in itself. Stuff that will stay with me: my son running down to Matt L and Tony and asking if they really say 'eh'; creating the Clan Neon totem of the pink flamingo for our resident celt Steve Peffley.

Which reminds me: next RD on the Saturday night get together. I"m sure Peffley will have a response to the pink flamingo, so I think we all need to make a contest of this.

[MARCVS]

Impossible for me to speak of roman reenacting, because I am not yet a roman reenactor but I can speak of civil war and medieval reenactments !

What I search in reenacting ? Friends ? Yes, of course friendship is very important but I can find friends in sports associations or others less expensives hobbies activities. To have fun ? Yes, also. I don’t do that to have disagreements !
No. I had always interest in history and reenactment is the only one activity where it is possible to find a total immersion in another period. Altogether for me and all my family.
In that way, I don’t need public and even, it is possible to say that public is for me more a nuisance that a pleasure ! My best reenactments reminds are for without public events.

Anyway, I often goes to public events. But as I don’t accept to be paid, until now, as public don’t help me to buy my gear, don’t paid for my travel to coming the event - very expensive and I am not rich - I think I have no duty for the public. It is sometime very interesting to explain that or this to public, but reenactment is a hobby, not a job : if I don’t like what I do, I stop and go…

After that, if I’ll decide to attend an event where my unit or me be paid, of course, I’ll consider to have duty !

Whoua !!! Sorry, but it is very difficult for me to write in English…. :wink: