The future of reenactment

[Anonymous]

I'm very impressed with Bernard Van Daele's calvary impression. The horse gear looks like it was modeled after the Dura Europos finds. <p></p><i></i>

[Marcus Mummius]

The Teuxandria group is dutch indeed, not Belgian. II Herculia appears to be partly a wallon group and partly french. It also seems to reenact a later time period than our group is going to do...<br>
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We know Bernard Van Daele and we'll be working together. He will probably act as centurio in our group.<br>
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Perhaps we're not the first in Belgium but the first in Flanders.<br>
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Best regards,<br>
Marcus Mummius <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p200.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=marcusmummius@romanarmytalk>Marcus Mummius</A> at: 1/20/05 3:44 pm<br></i>

[Anonymous]

Yes, Van Daele is really good. I've met him already quite a lot, was one of the first to buy his book and it reads easily. Here in Belgium you meet few people who know that much about Roman warfare. He's a re-enactor himself, going to schools etc. and it's quite easy when you're a re-enactor to ask advise or to explain something you don't know. <p></p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

Quote:</em></strong><hr>Although It does often seem that less young people are drawn to reenacting, It does not seem like the auxiliaries in the Leg XXIV have any trouble with this, with no one over 21 we have, probably one of the youngst cross sections around. <hr><br>
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Wow didn't realize we were that young, I guess we can get that group photo at Marching through Time if we are ready for it. I guess I'm one of the old men in the group now, I just turned 21 today. <p></p><i></i>

[Tarbicus]

If somebody leaves you should take a photo of them lying on the ground with a sword held up from a clenched armpit and put it in the album with an inscription, something like this:<br>
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'MARCUS - MILITES - PENNSYLVANIA - DIES IOVIS A.D. VII ID. IAN. MMDCCLVIII A.U.C.'<br>
<br>
<p></p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

Dear Felows,<br>
<br>
I want transmit you, in the few words, the humble Portuguese experience, who have resolved the majority of re-enactment problems actually existents in the Nordic and Anglo-American countries:<br>
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The re-enactment context in Portugal:<br>
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Portugal it was a country whit thousands years history and the Portuguese people have a great proud on is pass history.<br>
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The problem is we do not have the Anglo-American and Nordic cultural tradition for re-enact the pass in the adult and old generations (who have lived in the fascism period during half-century, when 50% of the Portuguese population, in the 60`s during the XX Century, never rote a letter because they don’t know the right and their civil rights…).<br>
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This means only the youth people are open at this kind of cultural activities!<br>
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But, the problem has arrived: they have no money to buy her staffs and materials…<br>
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What’s happened?:<br>
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In 1991, a schoolteacher was the idea to create the first re-enactment society in Portugal (a medieval society, see at [url=http://www.ocsp.pt" target="top]www.ocsp.pt[/url] ) when actually the large majority (82%) of is half-hundred members have 15 to 30 years old!<br>
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After 13 years of existence, this society have inspired the two other Portuguese’s societies, like the Lusitanis, about the roman occupation of Portugal (see at [url=http://www.lusitanis.org" target="top]www.lusitanis.org[/url] - soon in English) and the Al-Andaluz (one of the world first of this kind?? we imagine that…) an Arabian re-enactment society about the Arabian period in the Portuguese territory (see at [url=http://www.al-andaluz.net" target="top]www.al-andaluz.net[/url] - soon in English).<br>
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Actually the lusitanis have 18 members, divided between Iberian and roman peoples, whit girls and boys, majority between 17 years old to 30 years old, and only 3 members whit more of 35 years old…<br>
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The strategy to the Victory:<br>
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People and materials are the re-enactment society most big problem and what we have do (in the general guide lines) to fight this was:<br>
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1st: the Lusitanis need be an active and cooperative re-enactment group like a military unity / family (each other works more to the group and not only to the individual person);<br>
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2nd: the Lusitanis have fallow a kind of active re-enactment based on a general training of a weekend by month (when the majority of the people join together and chare opinions, methods, experiences, etc) and activities for all kind (example: civil, military and studies - the 3 organization departments).<br>
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The meaning is: if someone has an idea and want to do that and if it’s a good one we support him!;<br>
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3: the group try very hard to have is on basics materials for the recruits (and where start part of the “secretâ€ÂÂ

[Anonymous]

Us fellow Geeks who do military reenacting (or living history/reenacting in general) will have our ups and downs not only in attendance but in members as well. It's just bound to happen. Those of us who really are serious and are having a blast doing what we're doing we'll all stick around and support one another. When "younguns" come by and see how passionate we are and get to see the cool sharp shiny pointy stuff we get to "play" with, we will hook some of them, not all of them. And some will come back when they do have more money and time to devot to it.<br>
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Yes, it IS an expensive hobby, but only as expensive as other military reenactments and other hobbies. Can Amer. CW reenactors here vouch for spending less than $1K on thier kit, how about thier "first" kit? I don't really remember how I started to find out about Roman groups, but I found them (thank goodness for the Internet, huh?!) And I have only been doing this for the last 3 years, when I was 23 or something...And I *Never* thought I would get into something like this. When I was a teenager I thought it might be kinda neat to do (Amer. CW or Rev War) but always thought it was a bit "odd" or "extreme" ("I like history, but not *that* much")<br>
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Leg. XX and Leg. IX Hispana were the first I did find, and I use thier experience and suggestions as much as I can, and I'm happy to have gotten to know Miles from XX, XXIV, XXX and now III Cyrenaica. What I like about III Cyrenaica is that they know fully it's expensive, but they're willing to take the heat when using sub-par stuff, only as they are constantly working to improving thier kits as best they can when they can, as am I (you should see my first kit - Museum Rep's Newstead, RGZM Balteus, currently in the process of making my very own Herculaneum Balteus...At least I was able to avoid the Trooper helmet *shudder*). That's part of the hobby.<br>
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Another thing to keep in mind is that if you feel like you're [going to] be labeled as a "Geek" or a "Loser" for spending your time and money with other Geeks with [swords], think about this:<br>
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How different is our Reenactment hobby from the new fads of Poker, Fanatsy Football/Baseball, Collectible Card Games, and even Sport Car/Motorcycle Modifiying/Racing/Customizing?<br>
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- All of those can be hiedously expensive and time consuming if you allow it to be, but in the end it's a bunch of buddies passionate about an interest spending money and time together as a group in thier various pursuits.<br>
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...And think how we Geeks label those other Geeks as Gear Heads or Fantasy Sport Jocks, et cetera (I have even seen a WWF/WWE/WCW Wrestling CCG Game...Yeah, a Card Game for Wrestling...I mean, seriously...how blatantly Geek can you get there? "My Randy-Savage-Mon uses his Flying- Butt-Pliers with +3 attack level from the turnbuckles to defeat your Steve-Austin-Yu-Gi-Go 3:16 Modified Six-Pack-Attack! Take That!")....What happened to Baseball and Hockey cards, huh?<br>
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As long as we're willing to go out there and have a blast, the new kids interested in this will somehow find us, and we will somehow find them....And as MUCH as I HATE to admit it, as long as there are movies like "Gladiator" made, and half-a$$ed videogames made, or even pretty good games like "Rome: Total War" - this means there will always be some sort of interest, and as long as someone playing those games or seeing those movies wants to "learn more", or do the research for a new game/movie - we shall be there to Tempt Them To The Dark Side...Muahahhaahha <p>Titus Vulpius Dominicus ~ Your Friendly Neighborhood Roman Dude.<br>
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Svaviter in Modo, Fortiter in Re (Soft in Manner, Strong in Deed)<br>
<br>
www.higgins.org <br>
www.higginssword.org </p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

<br>
Hi,<br>
I'm new to this site ( but not to the hobby)and thought I might add something to this thread.<br>
I am a leading member of the norwegian group LEGIO XV (not to be confused with the austrian group), and in our group we experience the exact opposite "problem". Most of our currently active members are quite young ( 19-25). I myself am 21, and enlisted at the tender age of 16.<br>
Our group was founded about eight years ago as a student group at the university of oslo. After some years of hectic productivity (mass production of gear for 40+members and big roleplay events), most of the old members moved on to other stuff (wifes, kids, mortgages etc) and the legion was assumed dead.<br>
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The group was started up again last year by a few of the youngsters, and after vigourous recruiting we are well on our way to emulating the glories of the past! More than a few of the older members are also coming back, provided they can fit into their armour and that they do not have to do much heavy lifting.<br>
Lots of students (male and female) think roman reenactment is really neat, and when we go to fight the medieval and viking groups in the neighbourhood, they usually think so too. I agree with Andy Volpe that other hobbies can be just as time-consuming, expensive, and geeky. Reenactment is actually quite popular in scandinavia, though the roman groups are few and far between. Recruiting young people is not hard, though keeping them can be. And it really does not have to be excrutiatingly expensive. (money helps, though .)<br>
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That was the report from (I think) the worlds' northernmost legion. We will be back soon with a new website, complete with pics of young romans wading through snow and icy rivers with ice in their beards and frosted tears on their cheeks. Till then, so long, all you other groups are an inspiration to us all. Keep it up!<br>
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Greetings,<br>
Magnus HÃ¥kenstad<br>
Magister Arma<br>
LEGIO XV<br>
[email protected] <p></p><i></i>

[richsc]

Salve Magnus!<br>
Magnificent effort! You are certainly an example of how to do things, especially for the younger group. We're looking forward to the photos. Welcome! <p>Legio XX<br>
Caput dolet, pedes fetent, Iesum non amo<br>
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</p><i></i>