The Citizen’s Forum of the 1860s Conference in Michigan - March 2017

North of the Mason-Dixon Line, the three or four month following Christmas - you know, the dreaded months of winter cold and gray - are great times to prepare for the upcoming reenacting season. This is the time of year for meetings, to mend old clothes or make new ones, research, plan out any scenarios, and, of course, head out to a conference to help improve our impressions.
Now, for the first time in recent memory, reenactors in the State of Michigan are going to hold their first 1860s conference, headed up by the 21st Michigan's own Kristen Mzozek!
And everybody's welcome!!
This will be taking place March 24, 25, and 26.
I asked this vivacious young lady to write something out that I can post here - - we'd love to see our friends from all over come and take part.
Plus...heh heh...my living history family and I (Larissa and Jackie) will be speaking on, what else? immersion!
Anyhow, here...let's read what Kris has to say:

My two living history daughters

You may know me as Ken’s daughter at numerous events. You may have seen me setting up my jewelry tent at Greenfield Village, or pounding away at a keyboard with my blog, The Victorian Needle. However, today I am the director of a conference, an educator promoting learning experiences for people of all ages.

The Citizen’s Forum of the 1860s will be just that: a non-profit conference for all history-lovers. I think our mission statement sums up our attitude best:

Our mission is to organize The Citizen’s Forum of the 1860s to provide educational speakers and workshops for men, women, and teen Civil War reenactors, along with vendors who offer quality reenacting goods. We will create a welcoming environment for sharing knowledge and personal growth as a living historian.

I am spoiled by such a positive learning environment here in Michigan. I’ve never felt stupid or ashamed for my mistakes, despite the fact that at my first event, I wore my dress backwards! (Ken’s wife, Patty, gently took me aside to fix the problem and all was well). This conference is our way of opening our arms to all historians, despite age or experience, to participate in a research-based discussion of history.

And we go beyond clothing, digging into the deeper why of history. Our topic list appeals to different age groups, and certainly men as well as women! These include:

-Wedding Customs

-Maternity

-Creating a Civilian Male Impression

-Mourning

-The Trial of the Lincoln Conspirators

-19th Century Dolls

-Games and Other Parlor Amusements

-Warm Weather Menswear

-Civil War Collections at The Clements Library

-Recruiting Young People

-Pineapple Purses Workshop

-Apron Workshop

-Free Tour of The Clements Library

-Creating Immersion...by Ken, Larissa and Jackie!

~Immersed in the 1860s~

That’s right! Ken will be speaking along with Larissa Fleishman and Jackie Schubert about working from 3rd person all the way to in-depth immersive experiences. I’ve recently participated in a discussion concerning their presentation, and I sincerely believe it will benefit the reenacting community as a whole. If you’ve read this blog before, you’d also know how serious Ken is about representing the past. As a participant in these events, I can say that immersion can’t happen overnight, and their presentation will give easy tips to get started.

But there’s so much more than presentations. Friday night will boast a soiree in an 1873 Italianate style house. 

The 1873 Sawyer House - - and you get to go inside!

Imagine 19th century music by the Peace Jubilee Band floating in the air, with delicious period snacks and amusing games. Feel free to “dress to the nines” or wear modern clothing; we want everyone to feel welcome, even our most beginning of beginners! Items original to the era will be available for your perusal, in case you find yourself wandering away from the food, dancing, and polite conversation.
For those of you looking to improve your impression, the following research-based vendors will be on site the entire weekend, with reproductions to die for:

-The Dressmaker’s Shop

-Miller’s Millinery

-Sullivan Press

-James Country Mercantile

-Ensembles of the Past

-Lucy’s Hairworks

-The Victorian Needle

What a great price!!

The final piece of the puzzle remains: How much will it cost? I’m very aware of budget and savings, so we’ve set the adult registration cost at $110 for the entire weekend, and only $45 for young people (11-18 yrs). Can’t pay all at once? We have a flexible payment plan available through the website. Sitting down with the math, one can attend an entire 19th century conference with an affordable price tag:

Registration $110 (Saturday Lunch/Dinner Included)
Hotel 2x60: $130 (Breakfast Included)
Travel Exp: Depends on you!

Ask us about carpooling and room shares, as we’re always looking for ways to help others save money. Just think - - one can now participate in a national conference for under $300! And I do mean national; we currently have OH, PA, ME, MD, TN, MN, TX, KS, WV, KY, WI, VA, oh! and MI represented by attendees, and we still have months left until the conference date. Save your spot now, especially if you’re interested in workshops.

As a reenactor, business owner, and teacher, I am aware that events such as these are difficult to find. Please support our learning opportunity by sharing this post online, or signing up to attend. While this is the first year for The Citizen’s Forum of the 1860s, we have the potential to create generations of learning and personal growth.

If you have any questions or would like to sign up, go online today at:

http://www.citizensforumofthe1860s.com/

Thanks to Ken, my reenacting Dad, for his advice, sympathetic ear, presentation, and the use of his blog/pictures. This wouldn’t be possible without my dearest Father!

~Kristen

Well, there you have it. A wonderful opportunity to check out a brand new conference being held, for the first time, in my wonderful home state of Michigan. And a great time to add to your reenacting skills.
Kristen is a die-hard purist when it comes to authenticity, and she has ensured that nothing but the best will be here for her guests.
But please make your move and sign up soon, for it is filling up, and I believe that the closer we get to the to the conference dates of March 24, 25, and 26, we're going to see a flood of guests signing up!

Mine eyes have see the glory of the coming of the Lord...

And, for those of you who are regular readers of Passion for the Past, won't you please stop by and say hi? I would love to meet you!

Until next time, I'll see you in time....

To go to the Citizens Forum of the 1860s website, click HERE

To go their Facebook page, click HERE










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