Re-enacting difficulties recruiting?

Sometimes young troops are very enthusiastic in that time period of adulthood before spouses and children. After that, they fade away. We have this cultural ADHD that seems to tell people "you can't do two things at once". So I hear things like "I sold my stuff and now I'm playing Flames of War."
 
Oh, I don't know, we still have fun.
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So, I am pasting here a link to the website for a podcast titled "Uncivil." This particular link is to an episode titled "The Soldiers."

You can download this podcast on the podcast platform of your choice. However, this website provides the option to either listen to the podcast or else reach the transcript.

This episode transcript is about the negative experiences that some females have had at Civil War battlefields as they attempted to participate in re-enactments as soldiers.

For the re-enactors here, are the perspectives presented in this podcast (or the written transcript) consistent with your personal experiences at re-enactments? Are females actively discouraged from participating in re-enactments as soldiers?

There are some groups that will & some groups which will not accept women in military roles but will accept them as civilians.

However, from personal experience I've seen many different groups with female reenactors in a military roles. It's so common a sight I often take it for granted that there will be females on the reenacting battlefield.

The group I belong to has always had females. The 4th Maryland Light Artillery, is a group founded years ago by a husband & wife (Jean & Cindy Buchen)who purchased a 10lb Parret Rifle specifically to reenact on the field & enjoy the experience together. Here's a picture of Cindy as the #2 during a night fire.

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For everything, there is a season.

Civil War reenacting is having it's season of Fall.

Nothing lasts forever and I expect reenacting the Civil War will not last forever either.

In Arizona, I'm seeing more interest... but we, as reenactors, NEED to be more proactive. Today's young people expect (for better or worse) to be invited into the fold rather than inquiring. Of course, cost does have a lot to do with it.
 
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