Main Articles

We have a number of good articles on reenactor.Net and I figured it'd be a good idea to have a place where you could find all of them in one neat spot. So, anywho... here they be:

Moovie Work -- So ya want ta be in the movies huh? Read this first!
Advice on Starting a Living History Group -- If you're even THINKING about starting a reenacting unit or living history group, read this article!
A Cross-disciplinary Glossary of Terms for Historical Hobbyists -- This article is so true and so funny, that for the reenactor, it will truly strike home. If you're not a reenactor, but instead, someone who attends reenactments, well, read it and learn!
Weather Info for the Reenactor -- Well, here ya go... an important thing for many, the WEATHER! For we all know if there is a hint of "ickyness" many will stay at home and not venture forth into inclement weather.

14 Apr 2008 - A Cross-disciplinary Glossary of Terms for Historical Hobbyists

Written by Sturmkatze April 14, 2008, 03:44:00 AM 3172 Views Rating:

(3 Rates)

A Cross-disciplinary Glossary of Terms for Historical Hobbyists

This fine article re-posted here with the kind permission of MacGregor Historic Games

All jokes and insults are just meant in good fun. Since my wife and I appear at a number of historical events portraying a range of eras, I thought it would be fun to define some of the lingo that various historical hobbyists use. I have made note of the "origin" of most terms, these are simply the source where I first heard the term and may not be the definitive origin. Also, usage may vary around the country. I have tried to make some note of this, but some definitions may reflect the "Midwestern usage" since Minnesota is where we are based. Feel free to E-mail with others to add

For the terms that have been submitted to me, I have usually left the definitions in the language in which they were provided to me by the source.
I've also included some serious definitions in regard to historical interpretation.

Latest Additions

Muster Fairies or Muster Pixies: (UK) The providers of the site, beer tent, toilets and firewood which have all appeared as if by magic for the convenience of the average re-enactor.

Essential Idiots: (British, ECW). Those who have an influence on the running of an event.

Donkey-wallopers: (UK) Cavalry (from an infantry viewpoint)

Bog-trotters: (UK) Infantry (from a cavalry viewpoint)

Authentitent: (UK) Any form of accommodation made of canvas, rather than nylon. By extension, ?Authenti-? can be applied to any object to distinguish it from its cheaper modern equivalent (e.g. Authentishoe) From the days when ?Living History? was beginning to take over from pure battle re-enactment in the UK. Also used for the kit vetting expert, known as an AuthentiNazi.

Greybeard: (UK) Long-established member of a society, probably now on the governing body.

Whooshbang mix: (UK) Gunpowder

Main Glossary Act-urbation: Renfaire (TRF) It's the same definition as Mastubation theater, but more acceptable in mixed company or in front of the public.

ACW: American Civil War. That's pronounced "Amurican," also known as the War of Northern Agression., and Not to be confused with ECW.

Apple Pie (Apple Jack): Fur Trade An occasionally flamable concoction of apple cider and alcoholic items spiced to taste deceptively like Mom's/Gramma's/Aunt Betty's State Fair Blue Ribbon Pie.

Authenticity Fachist British- same as costume nazi, authenticity police etc.

Authenticity Police: SCA. An anal-retentive SCA member. Contrary to popular belief among "Serious" re-enactors, that is not always an oxymoron, there are SCA members who are serious about their history -and who don't wear duct tape. See also "Thread Counter" & "Costume Nazi."

Autocrat (s): The organizer/ coordinator for SCA events, as opposed to their "royalty" who are choosen through combat and therefore may lack organizational abilities, as well as common sense.

Beads & Roadkill: A Merchant/Trader who caters mainly to the Furtrade community, i.e. offers little of interest to military Reenactors (who are looking for musket parts/tools, or tinware to take the place of the stuff he left at home, etc.)

Being shown the blue goldfishBritish - once used to a nieve 13 year old who was asked "did he want to go and see the blue goldfish?". He replied yes and was then taken and had his head flushed down a portaloo. Also known as a blue rinse.

Big hats: ECW,Officers at ECW events

Bodice Burn(s): Renfaire. The distinctive sunburn/tanline a woman receives on her chest from wearing a low-cut bodice and chemise.

Booshway: Fur Trade, from the French "bourgeois." The event coordinator, or person who signs the checks, and is responsible for everything that goes wrong, from the weather, to the loud and drunk French Marines' encampment.

Boothie(s): Someone who works for a craftsperson in a booth at a Ren Fair.

Bread and butter event:Napoleonic Association (UK), An undemanding small event, usually a flat battle field and little or no living history scenes required.

Brick Farmhouse:British. The flushie constructed of cinderblock that's convenietly located near your otherwise period camp.

Brick tent: ECW, Hotel

Button Pisser: ACW. A "hard-core" reenactor who uses urine to tarnish brass buttons so they don't look new.

Camp Herpes: (Fur Trade) As in you've "contracted Camp Herpes" -a Rendezvous friend needs a place to sleep "just until I find a new place" because he/she got fired/ split with the spouse/were evicted/truck broke down etc... and it turns into a nine- month stay by a freeloading slob who refuses to help around the house or get a job that pays enough to contribute anything to he household. Renfairs: "you've contracted 'Hippies'".

Century-impaired (Era-impaired): dressing historically accurate for one century and attending an event that portrays another century. A few years ago, while attending a Scottish festival (in civies), I watched a couple dressed in American Civil War clothing trying to "blend in" with a group of Highlanders.

Circuit: The circuit of Renaissance fairs around the country. Except for a gap over the Christmas season (filled in some areas by Dickens Christmas events) these occur around the country throughout the year and vary from one weekend events to 8-weekend runs on semi-permanent sites.

Clobber: a berry derived cousin of apple pie.

Confessional: Renfaires (west coast). Portable toilets. Every morning, 2-3 of our members would plant themselves in the privies as the gates opened, and the first patrons in the area would be treated by confessions between the toilets. "Damn, Padre, this wafer tastes AWFUL!"

Congealed snot British- the Sealed Knot

Costume Nazi: Ren Fair. The Costume Director, or anyone who makes it their business to point out all the historical errors in someone elses clothing or accoutrements, See also "Thread Counter" & "Authenticity Police."

'Dane: Renfaires/SCA. See Mundane.

Deedle: F & I. A Daniel Day Lewis Lookalike. Similar to Moose & Squirrell, a disparaging term for the guys in the hunting frocks and bandanas, toting American long rifles styling themselves as "long hunters".

Dilligaf: British, "Does it look like I give a Fu*k." Pronounced as it's written and used by an over-worked re-enactment organiser.

DismountedCavalryFarbs - (ACW, esp. Confederate) one word, as in damnyankee: Reenactors who free themselves from the bonds of discipline and drill, wear lots of yellow, plumes, and dead animal parts, and carry two or three pistols and a shotgun. No two dressed alike. They've "Jined the cavalry" but not bought a horse.

Documentary interpretation.: The portrayal of an actual historical figure. This is used at some historic sites such as Plimouth Plantation where the interpreters portray the known, historical inhabitants of the settlement. For example, you could research Ben Franklin, his life and writings, and portray Franklin himself. At times, it is closer to acting than interpretation -but that's a debate itself among some "professional" interepreters as to what is the exact relationship between acting and re-enacting. See also Representative Interpretation

Dog Soldiers: Fur Trade. Participants who volunteer to provide overnight security at events. "-I don't know officer... he must have been lurking around camp last night, and tripped and landed on a tent stake -three, or four times..." (comes from a term for Native Americans who worked for the U.S. Army.)

Donkey Derby ShowAlso "Dog & Pony Show." British - any show at a village fete, school fund raiser etc...

Ducks: buckskinners who can be counted on to show up for an event no matter how bad the weather may be. I picked up this term at a rendezvous in Spirit Lake, North Idaho. The best day was when it only rained, there was no hail, and the wind didn't knock any limbs out of the trees!

Dumb Patron Story (question): The universal dumb questions/comments the general public makes when talking to historical hobbyists of all kinds. "Is that a real fire/gun/sword? Aren't you hot in all that clothing?" "They didn't have nails back then!" -"No ma'am they put Christ on the cross with duct tape." The ultimate dumb patron come-back story.

ECW: English Civil War. Not to be confused with ACW, and politically-correct circles sometimes now called the "British Civil War" since it did involve Scotland.

ECWA: English Civil War in America. A loosely associated group of English Civil War re-enactors, mostly based on the East, (or "right") coast.

Edu-tainment: A catch phrase, or buzzword. Used by management of Renfaires when they want to think they provide educational value, or by directors of historic sites who think their presentations are entertaining.

Faire: Renaissance Fair(e) also RenFair(e), or RenFest depending on the name of the local event. In Minnesota it's more commonly RenFest after the "MN Renaissance Festival", whereas on the " Left Coast" it is Renfaire, due to the large "Renaissance Pleasure Faires" in California. Most should NOT be confused with historical re-enactments or re-creations, but are best considered Renaissance "theme fairs."

Faire Brat: Renfaire The brood that were conceived, born, and raised with a pewter spoon in their mouths, invariably running around pell mell, weaned on Watney's and bread, usually covered head to toe in dust and burlap fibers. Never found less than 1/2 mile from their parents.

Fair Weather Mountain Man Association (FWMMA): an unofficial group of buckskinners who refuse to attend events that coincide with rain, snow, hail, or any other sort of inclement weather. At rendezvous, they are usually the ones with spotless, gleaming-white lodges (even the smoke flaps are white). Mud is to the FWMMA as kryptonite is to Superman. They are despised by ducks.

Farb: Civil War. An anachronism. Comes from a phrase used by thread counters starting with the phrase "FAR Be it for me to say anything, but..." Also "To FARB," -as in those who, no matter how often they are told, seem oblivious to major errors in their dress and equipment. For example: percussion cap weapons on an 1812 field; "furtrade" types with a mixture of clothing dating from mid-18th Century to ACW.

Farberware: F & I (French & Indian war) The touristy junk trinkets some merchants sell on sutler's row at any given event. Wooden swords, "dream catchers". See also FARB

Farbie Dolls:: Civil War. Women who wear elaborate ball gowns in the woods where there are no houses and no roads bigger than a footpath. See also FARB

Festie: See Rennie.

Filing Cabinet - Portaloo

Filk(song): SCA. A parody of a traditional folksong, also common at "Cons": science fiction, or gaming conventions.

First-Person Interprtation:Portraying a person from the past who has no knowledge of modern life, and without dropping character.

Flatlanders: Furtrade. The visiting public.

Flushies:Furtrade/CivWar. Toilets that actually flush, offering those who otherwise "hold it" for the entire weekend a chance to relieve themselves.

Fuzzies: Term used by military re-enactors for those portraying Fur Traders, Mountain Men, etc.

Garb:SCA. Historical clothing, or "costuming" among Renfaire participants. "Serious" re-enactors and costumers avoid the term garb so they are not mistaken for SCAdians.

Garb Snark: SCA. Someone who picks out all the inaccuracies in your historical clothing. See also "Thread Counter" & "Costume Nazi," Authenticity Police

Gig: Napoleonic Association(UK), Battle. (ie 'It's a 40 minute gig) .

Grid: Renfaire. The overall schedule of performers at a Renfaire including actual stages, as as well as "informal" locations around the site. -Its what keeps musicians who are not big enough to perform on a stage from coming to blows over the best informal performing spots.

Hard Faire:Renfair. An event that has permanent buildings as opposed to a Soft Faire.

Harvey: Renfaire. See Privie Monster

Hat-Pass: Renfaire. Contrary to public opinion not everybody passes the hat for tips at a Renfaire. It is a privilage at most faires, not a right. Often only performers who have approval in their contracts have the right to "pass the hat" after performing. For rookie performers, this is sometimes the only pay they receive for a ten-hour day.

Hey Noney Nonies::a British WW2 re-enactor term to all groups from pre 1850.

Hooter(s): Civil War/Fur Trade. a non-flushing portable toilet / portalet / satellite. See "War of the Hooters"

Jameson's Disease: Renfaire. The after-effects of an overdose of Irish whiskey, aka, the "bottle flu."

Jubbly or jubblies British - used as a term for women's breasts (as "a lovely pair of jubberlies) but later came to mean anyone in inauthentic clothing
The origin of this word is the title of a product in the UK at the end of the 1950s and 60s. It started as an orange drink in a pyramid shaped carton. Not too successful until someone had the bright idea of freezing it, when it became absolutely lovely for kids. Lovely Jubbly was the advertising catch phrase. It later moved into (mainly) London slang for anything that was excellent (Jubblies for breasts seems a good example of this!). It was popularised throughout the rest of the UK by being used in the TV show "Only Fools and Horses".

K-Mart:Fur Trade. The discount store of fur trade merchants who sells everything from tourist trinkets and pseudo-Native American junk made in Taiwan, to Pakistani knives to cheap get-you-started period clothing.

Knotters: See Sealed Knot Society

Magic Lantern Show: SCA. Also "Puppet show," -the entertainment provided by watching the silhouettes that the neighbors camped next door unknowngly cast on the wall of their tent by candlelight.

Masturbation Theater: Renfaires. Skits, pranks, or inside jokes that are only entertaining to other participants, or fail to entertain the public because there is no way they can know the background of the prank without being a participant.

Merchants: Renfaires call them Crafters; Fur Traders call them: Traders; Military re-enactors call them: Sutlers.

Merchantocrat: SCA The person in charge of organizing and taking reservations for the merchants at a SCA event.

Moose & Squirrel: Military reenactors. The rugged individualist buckskinner type, made fun of by militray reenactors for looking like roadies for a heavy metal band and want to join in battle reenactments saying they are "militia."

Motel Militia - equivalent to Ramada Rangers: (ACW) Reenactors who sleep in a motel and not in camp.

Mundane: SCA. Non-members who lead boring, mundane lives with 9-5 jobs and 1.7 children -as opposed to spending weekends believing you are the incarnation of your D&D character. It's not always pejorative, although its use in the phrase "putrid scum-sucking mundanes" comes close.

My time/ Your Time: A form of historical interpretation where the historical character is aware he has a modern audience. "In my time we didn't know as much about the health effects of good sanitaion as you do in your time..." Because they "know" about modern times as well as the past, they are less subject to pilgrim bating as a first person interpreter, and are sometimes better able to communicate to visitors who can't play along with a first person interpretation.

Naugahider(s): A term used by "serious" historical re-enactors for buckskinners, or mountain men, especially those who dress in buckskins and sit in front of a teepee on an aluminum lawn chair drinking beer from a can.

NMP - Not My Problem British (used when informed that the wood/water/porta-loos/keys are not available and the organiser stands there with a helpless expression on their face)

Officer's Quarters Civil War. A non-flushing portable toilet / portalet / satellite.

Our Lady of the Blue Waters: A term coined by your host. a non-flushing portable toilet / portalet / satellite. As in "-Excuse me it's time for my devotions at Our Lady of the Blue Waters..."

PASStapo or PASSholes: Renfaire The inbred maggots hired from the local populace that are armed with a maglite and 3 functioning brain cells, and will demand your driver's license in addition to your gatepass (which HAS a photo and your name on it), to confirm you really belong there (because the 90 pounds of clothing, boots and weapons are how you spend a Sunday fishing in the pond across from the faire. ) Terms coined at the Southern CA Renaissance Pleasure Faire.

Patron(s): Renfaire. The visiting public who have paid to come in. Not to be confused with a "patron of the arts" who is a financial supporter of a museum.

Pilgrim Baiting: A term originating at Plimoth Plantation living history museum. Because the staff uses the First Person interperetive style, certain annoying visitors try to bait the staff into dropping their 17th century characters.

Plank: ECW, Musket of very crude manufacture

Plastic City:A British WW2 re-enactor term for any encampment that is less than 100% authentic.

Playtrons: Renfaire. Patrons who attend in costume, ranging from those who are better dressed than the royalty, to Klingons, vampires, and bunny-fur wearing barbarians.

Polycotton tunic : SCA. Used disparagingly by those who care about the historical aspects of what they do to describe people who have no interest in researching any part of their persona or gear.

Porto-castle SCA. A non-flushing portable toilet / portalet / satellite.

Portillo British (Michael Portillo was a member of the conservative party, who used to run this country ... mainly into the ground.)

Powder magazine: F & I. A brick latrine at the park with running water and flush toilets.

Privie: Renfaires. A non-flushing portable toilet / portalet / satellite.

Privie Monster: Renfaire. The thing living under the seat... Also known as "Harvey." (Watch the "Flukeman" episode of The X-files.) A story behind the term..... Privy Monster: Once upon a time, at the old Southern Faire in Agoura, there were reports of a "privy monster" lurking in the dark depths of the pit toilets. After a few days of the unrest, an individual was finally arrested, armed with a wetsuit, mask, snorkel, and camera, for depositing himself in the sludge, and taking photos for posterior's... er... uh... posterity's sake, to fulfill his personal fetish.

Pubic or Pubes British- General Public

Purse holder: Renfaire. A urinal in a privie Comes from a dumb patron story: "Mary, isn't it nice they have those purse holders on the wall of the portalet so you don't have to put your purse on the dirty floor...?"

Ramada Rangers: Civil War. Re-enactors who "camp out" in the nearest hotel

Rennie: A renaissance festival hippie, often one who travels the circuit. Also sometimes "Festie." In conservative communities they are know by the public as "Long-haired-pot-smokin-daughter-stealin-rennie-hippy-freaks." Although on the West Coast, one of my sources explained that" Rennies" are participants who are interested in the history, whereas "Festies" are those who are just out to party, imbibe recreational substances, and get laid.

Responsibilityitis: a reoccurring condition that can cripple any buckskinner at any time of the year. This ailment is always directly linked to an event or series of events outside of the rendezvous world. For example, taking the kids to softball practice, attending weddings, visits from the in-laws, pulling a fallen tree off your roof, sumping a flooded basement, or having a 9 to 5 job (the most severe case). Among the less politically correct members of the local rendezvous', it is known as "thewifes". As in, "Knapper's a no-show this weekend. The wife's got him retiling the bathroom."

Representative Interpretation: Attempting to accurately portray a character who did not actually exist, but is based on historical research and represents someone who could have existed. Portraying "a colonial silversmith" as opposed to a documented silversmith such as Paul Revere. (See also "Documentary Interpretation")

Roadkill: refers to any period skins (caps, boots, leggins, shirts, etc.) made from the hide of an animal (deer, coyote, skunk, fox, raccoon, etc.) that was peeled off the local state highway.

Rondyflu: furtrade/ F&I That sick feeling you get in the winter when there are no rendezvous to attend, also calling in sick to work so you can go to a rendezvous.

Sabre Fairies: Civil War. Cavalry soldiers - especially when a thousand cavalrymen show up to re-enact a battle that was historically 100% infantry

SCAdian: SCA, or Society for Creative Anachronism (http://www.sca.org) member. Made fun of by "serious" historical re-enactors for using the phrase: "but if they had it at that time they would have used it..." and a reliance on duct tape.

SCArkAn Australian Term for an SCA member

Sealed Knot Society: The huge organization of re-enactors in Great Britain who portray the ECW. Sometimes refer to themselves as "Knotters," and refered to as "Knotties" by other reenactors.

Members of Clann Tartan Historical Re-enactment (in grey) in a Sealed Knot Society-style "Push of Pike" at the Battle of Worcester Re-enactment, Staunton, Virginia, Sept. 1997.

Sharp: ECW, Sharp edged weapon unsuitable for battlefield use

Soap eater - (ACW) Mythical hard-core reenactors who have tried eating soap like starving soldiers.

Soft Faire:Renfair. An event situated in a Florida swamp. - Actually a soft faire and event that is made up only of temporary structures and tents. See also Hard Faire.

Stick/Sword jock: SCA. A sword jock is a Scadian whose interest is only in fighting, not in any gentler art using weapons made of rattan and duct-tape (for safety reasons), and armor made up of everything from full gothic plate to old, used hockey equipment, depending upon their level of ambition (or lack thereof) to look "period"

Sword Blessing: Renfaire. The act of having your sword placed down the front of a woman's Bog dress, driving the point into the ground, and then having her perform a full curtsey. Legend has it that after a Sword Blessing, you'll never get hit in the Battle Pageant (or at the very least, you'll get a group of men offering you a quarter to "sniff your sword")

Sword Waglers::a British WW2 re-enactor term to all groups from pre 1850.

Ten-foot rule: SCA/Westcoast Renfaires, An unwritten but widely-accepted yardstick by which to measure the period appearance of one's clothing/equipment/etc., as in: "from ten feet away, it looks period" Sort of like using vinyl instead of real leather, etc.

Thread Counter: Civil War. An anal-retentive re-enactor, as in "there are too many threads per inch in the weave of the cloth of that uniform," or "Those buttons were not issued to the Union Army until Jan 13, 1861. -The time is not documented, but it was after Grant moved his bowels on that day..." Despite their great declarations of authenticity, they almost invariably are incapable of properly performing the basic Manual of Arms. (They aren't to be found during drill sessions, but will appear in time for the battle - although lately these people find it hard to be accepted into the line.) Also more recently "Stitch Nazi". See also Authenticity Police and Costume Nazi

3-Finger Rule: Renfaire. An unwritten rule at some faires that womens' bodices should not expose more than three finger's width of cleavage. Don't you wish it also applied to plumbers?

Tin Teepee:: Tent Trailer or RV; term used by those who favour the "Period encampment" on weekends.

Tin tent: ECW, mobile home/recreational vehicle/sleeping in the car

Touron: F & I. tourist-moron...The general public, ie the dumber section of the population. -You need to add a little clorine to that gene pool...

Turdis: ECW, large blue chemical toilet common in the UK (From the TARDIS in Dr Who)

'Voo Babies: Fur trade/F&I As in "rendezvous babies." Those who were concieved at, and raised their entire lives reenacting and can name the event our parents concieved us at.

War of the Hooters: a Civil War battle re-enactment where the hooters were placed on one end of the battlefield so it looked like they were being defended as part of the battle.

War Whores: SCA. Refers (disparagingly) to the people who only live to fight (especially the heavy fighters) and generally have no interest in any historical aspects of what they're doing or making any service contributions to the working of the SCA as a whole. (These are also some of the worst offenders in the polycotton tunic brigade.)

Weekenders: Renfaire participants who live in the area, and are on site only on weekends, as opposed to gypsy Rennies who live on site and travel the circuit, living in their booth, tent, RV, converted school bus, or gypsy vardo.

White House: American, midwestern rendezvous. Refers to the white portable toilets. Has also spawned the phrase, "going to speak to the President" and variations thereof.

Wire weenie: an SCA term for fencing enthusiasts within the SCA.

Yuppie Larva: Furtrade. The children of the visiting public

05 Apr 2008 - Moovie Work

Written by Sturmkatze April 05, 2008, 01:19:00 PM 7386 Views Rating:

(1 Rates)

Reenactors in the movies... for the movie maker, a dream come true: extras that come WITH their uniforms AND equipment AND a weapon. Also, they have knowledge of the period and even may know things like drill that you won't have to teach them (think cost-savings). GREAT!!! But... that doesn't mean you get them for free (welllllll, there are always gonna be a few dorks who just wanna see their mug on screen "Hey Martha, look at meeee, ah'ms is a moooovie staarr"). It means you still need to pay these people, it's just that you will get more for your money.

Read More

6836 Views

Advice on Starting a Living History Group

[This great article was originally written by Matt Amt (a.k.a. Quintus), CO of LEGIO XX, Maryland and it soooo good, I just had to use it! Perhaps people will actually follow some of these guidelines and improve the hobby... Not to sound arrogant, but I look at tons of reenactor websites and agree with pretty much all Matt says here about these sites--they need work. Marsh]

Starting and running a living history group is a lot of work, but it can also be very fun and satisfying. Since I am sometimes asked for my advice about this, here are what I would say are the most important points.

TAKE CHARGE

If it is YOUR group, then YOU decide how things will be done, and you should only enlist people who will cooperate with your vision of how the group should operate. But, you have to pay attention to your members -- don't try to force something on the group that no one wants. You may have to modify your goals and methods now and then, but in a real democracy you and your ideals could be trampled too easily. If your group should eventually become solid and set on a path you like, you might then decide to let someone else lead; but if you start with a democracy and lose control, you will never regain it. A democratic form of rule is also conducive to factionalism and long meetings.

Clearly explain your chosen form of government to all potential members up front, and tell them what they can expect and what is expected of them. Give them the option of just being associate members so that they can still learn and keep in touch. Some aspects of the organization might be left up to the membership, for instance, do you all want to portray the same thing, or have each member portray a different troop type, era, etc. You will also want to get input on who can or will attend what events (but don't expect a LOT of feedback on that subject).

COMMUNICATE

Publish a newsletter regularly, at least every TWO months. If the majority of your members have email you can do an electronic newsletter and save stamps. Or, you can have frequent and regular get-togethers--monthly, weekly, whatever--for eating, making gear, or just talking. Regular contact is essential in keeping the group (and yourself) motivated and informed.
Part of this is helping recruits--hooking them up with patterns, materials, lists of approved suppliers, and construction assistance. Always have flyers, guidelines, and lists handy to give out at events.

If practical, set up a Web page/site--it can be as simple as a brief description, a couple good photographs, and your name, address, and email address. Links to other groups are good, and ask them to add links to your page. People all over the country (and world) will see it and contact you.

ORGANIZE

Keep decent records of members, associates, FINANCES, etc. Keep copies of all your correspondence and email, so you know what you've said to whom.

In choosing a group name, a "society" name (like the Ermine Street Guard) might be a good idea if you have a significant civilian contingent, i.e., what do your wives and girlfriends think of all this? (Also, see 4. below.) It also allows for flexibility in your military impression; Ermine Street Guard usually portrays Legio XX.VV, but on sites associated with the original Legio II Augusta they carry a vexillum marked "Leg.II.Aug". If you do want to pick a particular unit, check to see what units are already recreated. If your favorite is already taken, perhaps your group could affiliate with the already established unit.

Incorporating as a non-profit organization is not essential, but it gives an aura of professionalism, and has advantages regarding legal liability. When you are ready to incorporate, consult your state government and a friendly lawyer. Incorporating can also be a real bureaucratic pain, however, and most sites won't care if your group is an "Inc." or not. You can put the group's money in a separate bank account (you'll have to if incorporated), especially if different people will be doing the job of treasurer.

HAVE EVENTS

No one wants to be in a group that never does anything. If there are no multi-period events accessible, contact local historical sites and ask about holding events on their grounds, either just your group or with others, your period or not ("timeline events" are always popular). Ask any teachers you know, or children in school, if you could do a demo for their class (5th to 6th grade is best, but try anything once). Contact the Classics departments of colleges and universities for demos or any classical fairs or conventions they may sponsor. Before you do, however, find out about local weapon laws--some brilliant politicians would rather arrest teachers and reenactors for carrying swords than punish real criminals. You won't have to advertise much to line up more demos than you have vacation time for.

Find out about parades, Highland games, and other such activities. We have tried a couple local community fairs and found them less than sensational, but fun is whatever you make it. Science fiction conventions are also not the best setting for unit demos, but members who like to attend them anyway might stir up interest by going in their kit.

You might only have one or two major events each year, but little "dog-and-pony shows" can keep interest up and are good for exposure. Any month that has no event should have a party and/or workshop session. Full-kit musters and drills in someone's back yard are good for practice and field-testing new gear.

Warn recruits about the possibility of long "dry spells" of little or no activity. Especially tell members with civilian impressions that they will have to make their own fun or risk boredom and burn-out. The ladies of Legio XX started by having a "Picnic on Vesuvius" at events where the legionaries were marching in the heat, but these got boring after a while. Then my wife portrayed a Roman herb-seller, with home-grown medicinal herbs displayed on a blanket in front of a simple lean-to awning. Many such crafts are possible, and will be far more interesting to members and public alike. Put a couple merchant and craft booths in a row and call it a forum. Two of our members built a portable caupona or street-front tavern, which can even be expanded as desired to add more shops. Keeping soldiers occupied is easy: if you don't have a shovel, just drill.5.

HAVE PATIENCE

Getting a group dressed, equipped, and active takes TIME, money, and effort. Armorers in particular are notoriously slow to fill orders. Some recruits may get frustrated waiting several months for equipment, others may simply lose interest and drift away. As the group becomes more self-sufficient you may be able to entice them back, but generally the people who are serious about the impression will never quit. Alas, very few of the people who contact you about joining your group will actually become active members.

And finally... BE AUTHENTIC!

Authenticity shows professionalism and dedication. It is essential that everything we show to the general public be as accurate as we can reasonably make it. Do your best not only to maintain your historical accuracy, but to improve it. Many people have gone before you, wasting time and money on inaccurate gear, and have ended up replacing it. You can avoid repeating those mistakes by finding out where and how they got their better things. Don't rush out and order junk from a catalog just because it looks "pretty good" and is readily available. RESEARCH, learn what is right, and make the effort to do things right the first time. You won't regret it.

Some Extra Tidbits and General Thoughts:

When choosing a unit number, taking the designation of a unit which actually existed will probably give your group more respectability than making up a number.

Some people believe that it is silly to have dozens of different "legions," "Divisions," or "Regiments" scattered all over the country, and that little groups should all coagulate into larger ones with a single name and number. This certainly makes sense for American Civil War groups, with hundreds or thousands of participants at any event. But it won't really make any difference in how Roman events in the US are run, or how big they are, and often our various impressions are similar enough that we can perform together quite well. If you and one friend are the only Romans in your state, what does it matter if you are your own little Legio IV or part of some bigger national group that you will never get to play with anyway?

By the same token, arguments that units should only have officers if they can field a significant number of troops are not really applicable. This is a hobby, and we are supposed to portray what we like. If your unit has a legatus, a tribune, a centurion, a signifer, and one legionary, that shows the audience much more than five identical legionaries, right?

When just getting started, it is probably a good idea to get your own kit more or less complete before recruiting for new members. This will give you a much better idea of what you are getting into. Know your stuff, too--find out what equipment is good and what is not, and who the good suppliers are.

I have never actively recruited for Legio XX. At first this was mainly because I had to make most of the gear for new people, and needed to work on my own as well! But now, I prefer to let the recruits come to us of their own free will--I never pester them about getting equipped or turning out. The serious ones will stay around. However, once you are ready to recruit and are actively looking for warm bodies, public exposure in local parades, town fairs, gaming or fantasy conventions, etc., will probably have more effect than pinning up posters. Find out how to get involved in such events, and make stacks of flyers or pamphlets to hand out.

The Unit Website

How did reenacting ever manage without e-mail and the Internet?? It sure is a mystery to me! Having a website is certainly not vital to being a group, but it Definitely does make your group visible world-wide. A growing number of potential reenactors have access to the Net, and they are looking for YOU. So here is some advice from Quintus, author of the Best Roman Site on the Net, on just how to make a great website -- even if you aren't a techno-weanie. Remember though, these are just my personal opinions and taste, but if you peruse my website, you'll see that they add up to a very clean and usable site.

The first key word is SIMPLICITY. You want your site to pop right up onto peoples' screens without any needless delays. If they think they are going to have to wait more than a minute, they'll leave.

Skip the bells and whistles, flaming torches, animated cartoon soldiers, music, etc. Never use Java (whose purpose seems to be only to crash my computer!), and don't force people to download the latest and hottest new browser "plug-in" simply to view your site.
Put the information there in black and white and make it all load as quick as possible.

"In line" photos or graphics (those that are right there on the page) should be no more than 30 or 35 K in size. If you want to use a larger picture, put a clickable smaller version (called a "thumbnail") of it in line that links to the larger version.

There is one group which has a number of very dense, in-line photos on their website, each one being several hundred kilobytes in size even though their physical dimensions are no bigger than the 30k ones on my Legio XX site. Apparently their webmaster has a thing for high-resolution photos, which is a complete waste of effort as they are only going to appear at 72 dpi (dots per inch) to the viewers on ANY computer monitor. Even with the very high-speed connection at my office their site takes forever to load--avoid this--it makes the visitor mad and they leave, never to come back! ;-(

The first page (main, home, index, etc.) should have your group's vital information: name, location, contact name and address/email, and at least a brief description of the group's purpose. Skip the "cover page", it just forces the viewer to wait for a useless image to load before he can click on it and get to the site. Books need covers, websites don't.

Backgrounds, Colours, etc.

Personally, I can't stand black backgrounds, colored text, or complex background images that make it hard to simply read the text. Things like that also make it real hard for the visitor to print the page to read offline! There are some nice subtle backgrounds out there, and they are fine if they add distinction and taste without being distracting. Make sure the text and links on each page are big enough to read easily. I also prefer to use standard blue-hightlighted text for links to other pages, since it stands out very clearly, rather than little clickable images or buttons. Every such image simply adds to the download time for a page, if only a little. There is also a commercial site whose buttons very cleverly mask the names of the pages they go to, so you can't see which one to click for which page! Be careful how you design such features, and don't be a sucker for unnecessary gimmicks.

Frames--Tool of the Devil

I don't really like "frames," either. All they do is reduce the usable area of the screen down to a 3x5 card. And usually the top section is just a gaudy title bar, a complete waste of space. Plus you only see the URL for the main frame, which I find annoying because you can never see (or refer anyone directly to) the URL for the page that you are on. Sidebars for links at least have some use. I always have links on each page so that you can get from it to almost any other page, though there are a few parts accessible only from the main page or one of the Handbook pages. DON'T just put "Next Page" on the bottom each page, forcing the viewer to go from one to the next rather than allowing them to skip around as they please.

Navigation, etc.

Of course you want to put a little thought into a logical organization (though the liberal use of cross-links can make it all tie nicely together anyway). And make SURE everything is spelled right, especially the foreign language terms! Plurals can be particular troublesome, but triple-check them. Errors and confusion give a very amateurish impression.

A Final Note

A number of other people have borrowed pictures and text from my site, and that's fine as long as the credit is readily visible. Let me know what you need. Links are certainly fine, even to specific pages of the Legio XX site. Heck, it saves typing... But really, get photos of yourself, your gear, and your group online as soon as you can, so that viewers of your website will see YOU. (If they want to see me they'll come to MY website, eh?)

Written by Matthew R. Amt, Commander of the Twentieth Legion