Dear Valued Members of the Division,
I would like to begin by offering you my warmest greetings and wishing a Happy Holidays to the Officers, NCO’s, soldiers and civilians of Birney’s Division. I hope that everyone is comfortable in their winter quarters. This time, for many of us, is to break bread with friends and family, get our kits refitted and updated for next year. This is also a time to reflect on the year’s events and reflect on the many special moments and fellowship enjoyed while in camp and on the field. Many units are beginning to hold their unit meetings. More importantly, the reason for this correspondence, it’s time to begin looking to the event schedule for 2018.
The leadership of the Division plans on using the same method to develop our 2018 schedule as was done last year. Your unit’s input is crucial to ensuring that the Divisional staff is aware of what events (battle reenactments) your unit plans to attend. From this input, the Divisional Staff will establish the schedule and determine, by a majority of those Divisional Units attending, which and at what level the Birney’s staff will support those events. This method allows the schedule to be built from the events our members want, as opposed to the Division dictating the schedule. Please ensure that your unit leadership participates in the building of our 2018 Divisional schedule.
Shortly, the staff will be publishing the spreadsheet on our website and Face book. Keep checking from time to time to see the updated spreadsheet and what the other unit’s are doing. Again, the events on the spreadsheet ARE NOT the 2018 Divisional schedule, but merely those events that are out there to attend; and will be used, as said above, to determine at the annual meeting our 2018 schedule. Your unit leadership needs to provide the Divisional staff with your schedule so that this spreadsheet is an accurate representation of what you plan on supporting.
Two events of focus that we very much need your unit’s support and attendance are Old Bedford Village in Bedford, PA, June 8-10 and the 155th Gettysburg Reenactment in Gettysburg, PA, July 6-8. We realize that these two are further than you may usually travel. Old Bedford Village is an event that the Division is the overall command of and need a strong battalion(s) showing. The 155th Gettysburg is one of those special anniversary years and General Maffei has made efforts to cooperate with battalions of the West under the name of the GAR, Grand Army of the Republic. So we should not be lost in the mega-event routine of being overlooked or left behind. When registering for this event, indicate on the registration form Organization Affiliation put “GAR”. I hope you will seriously consider attending these two events, placing a priority to your fellow unit members that the Division is kindly asking for your attendance.
The events we are aware of for 2018 are listed below. Again, I must stress that these are not the 2018 schedule, but the known events that we are aware of. From these and the ones you may provide, we will develop the Birney’s Division schedule.
May 26-28 Painesville, OH (Would like to use this weekend as a camp of instruction)
June 8-10 Old Bedford Village, Bedford, PA
June Prelude to Gettysburg, near Cleveland, OH
July 6-8 155th Gettysburg, Gettysburg, PA
August Hale Farm and Village, Bath, OH
September 8-10 Beaver Creek
October ?? Mesopotamia, OH (still waiting on details to be sure)
November 17-19 Remembrance Day, Gettysburg, PA
Also, there are plans for holding the Birney’s Division Annual Meeting in March near New Stanton, PA. It will be held at Hoss’ Steak and Seafood Restaurant. More details to come. We hope you will send a unit representative to provide your input.
Warmest Regards,
Paul Baltzer, Brigadier General
Executive Officer
Birney’s Division
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