TO ALL MEMBERS OF BIRNEY’S DIVISION
A MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL:
This past reenacting season we have seen many changes and celebrated some historical events together. Talk around the hobby was “all I want to do is make the 150th Gettysburg and then I’ll call it quits” and there were some who did leave the hobby. Understandably health issues took precedence over any desires of those who wanted to remain in the hobby and for others age and mobility might have caught up with them.
The question that I often wonder about is how do you leave the hobby? After so many years of doing what we do, planning your vacations, free time and family outings around a schedule of events and functions unrelated to anything in today’s world. Over the long season of winter quarters we look for any reason to put on the wool and spend some time with our reenactor friends, planning our next great adventure and reminiscing all the great battles and events of the past. Many of us have been in the hobby for most of our adult lives (some even longer) and we continue year after year to enjoy the hobby and the company of our friends.
For those who have left the hobby we wish them the best and hope that the transition from reenacting to civilian life goes easy for them, as they should always remember our special brotherhood of Civil War reenactors will never forget them.
2014 will be another special season with 150th year events and we hope that all our members will be there to commemorate them with us.
May all of you and you’re families have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Healthy and Prosperous New Year.
Respectfully,
Michael D. Maffei
Commanding General Birney’s Division
