Its an old boys club...

[pfarber]

This year for the GAP I decided to volunteer for some of the mid week activities (Recon then call it.. updating maps of the training area). As a pilot, Naval Petty Officer, ROTC cadet and Boy Scout I know a *little bit* about map reading.

So I join up with the 'Allied Command'.. and volunteer my services, and my jeep, for the Thursday-Saturday events.

In part, I am told, that the 'Allied Command' has already been hand picked (nothing was posted on the web site other than they need 'volunteers for the recon portion). So even though every year the Allied/Axis Commands are thoroughly bashed for their lack of, well, everything (communication, tactics, planning) when 'new blood', who want to get their foot in the door to help move the hobby along, is told 'we already picked our buddies to play with us' what do they expect other than the same old bashing, poor planning, and bitching indicative of the FIG event? I am not saying to clean house... but you gotta rotate people into low level positions and put some new ideas into play. FIG is declining in attendance...the 'field exercise' used to be the Grand Finale of the week.... but people are passing because the 'field exercise' is so bad. The major reason being the 'high commands', well, don't.

Having a core group of people is good... it adds stability and knows the limits. Its also bad because of the tunnel vision and the resentment they can harbor due to bad reviews year after year. If the 'Commands' do not have in place a system in induct and train new people for low level slots how do they expect to ever 'get ahead' of the constant criticism of the participants. Yeah, you might get a turd every once in a while.. such is life... but when a person VOLUNTEERS to help (above and beyond the normal 'cap busting' participants) to tell them 'no thanks' is simply unacceptable. It truly does show the lack of planning and foresight that the Commands are constantly being blamed for.

Just about every person in the hobby will say politics are one of, if not THE biggest problems in the hobby..... when the majority of reenactors get together for a large (almost a 'National' event)... its sad that POLITICS is so prevalent.