2005 Fort Atkinson Rendezvous

[Robert Braun]

Looks like we'll have a nice sized contingent to the Rendezvous, May 27-28-29 at the "Old Fort," Rock River Park, on the western outskirts of Fort Atkinson. The OLRHS is pleased to welcome many curent members, old friends and supporters, as well as new members. We are looking forward to an excellent time together!

The "Commiuttee" has been hard at work on this year's edition, including repairing the roof of the blockhouse after last year's rain revealed numerous leaks. A new roof has been placed on the northwest blockhouse-- all of which means that the chance of rain is slim now that we have made prepaprations! ;D

(Plan for rain anyway! )

My sincere thanks to all those members and supporters who have graciously given of their time to help out with our Friday "School Day." If the weather is reasonable, we can expect some 1,200 children!! (This means be sure you answer "nature's call" before 8:15 am, because you will not be able to go again until the onslaught let's up-- around 2:30 p.m.!!)

I will have responsibilities in the "South End" of the event, managing set up of participants and coordinating both the "tommyhawk throw" event and the "flint and steel fire-starting" event Saturday and Sunday. Your help in keeping OLRHS interpretation and programming going is SINCERELY appreciated!

Please bring period-correct clothing, weapons, gunpowder, and spare flints. YES.. we will be firing, at the discretion of the event coordinator on the South End of the event! If you are sleeping overnight, please bring a bedsack, etc. I have room for SOME tents, if that is your choice. An "A tent" will be available for your use, if you don't want to bring a tent. Sleeping in the blockhouse is on a fist-come, fisrt served basis. (This isn't the Apple River Fort blockhouse; we can sleep about eight comfortably, less if the roof continues to leak!)

The OLRHS will provide two meals per day: lunch and supper Friday; Breakfast and Lunch Saturday and Sunday. We will participate in the event-wide feast Saturday night. Your asstance with preparation and clean-up is always welcome! Each participant will be responsible for cleaning their OWN dishes, as we have done in the past...

Please contact me if you need directions.

Note: The SIMPLEST way to get to the parking lot behind the fort is to toake Route 26 north or south to the Route 26 bypass that runs to the west of the city of Fort Atkinson. Take the Route 106 exit off the bypass and head EAST towards the city. Exactly one mile from the exit will be Park Road on your left (there will probably be an event sign or two plus a barracade.) Also look for the sign "Rock River Aquatics Center" near the road junction. You may move the barracade for your vehicle, then replace it behind you. Drive 100+ yards to the first right turn in the road, and go STRAIGHT (instead of following the turn) into the parking lot. Please park courteously (save room for others) and follow the foot trail to the rear of the fort. (Using these directions will avoid having to drive through downtown Fort. If you WANT to do that, please contact me for supplementary instructions!)

Drive safely, and we'll see you there!

Bob Braun
Secretary, OLRHS
Rendezvous Committee, Fort Atkinson Chamber of Commerce

[Robert Braun]

I have been remiss in not soon thanking the large contingent of OLRHS members and supporters that provided some outstanding interpretation during the Fort Atkinson Rendezvous.

First and foremost: our young people-- Rion and Ian Urven, and Rachel and Andrew Braun-- are deserving of particularly meritorious mention. ALL of them organized and offered to hundreds of school children excellent hands-on opportunities that extended from 9 am until 2:30 p.m. almost without a break. The drill and musket/rifle/pistol demonstrations were well recieved, and the topics of several DOZEN acolades and positive comments. Even more important is the fact that these young people developed and delivered these programs ON THEIR OWN. Our historical future, and the future of qualityinterpretation is indeed in excellent hands!**

My profound thanks to Besty Urven , who cooked up a storm Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and did the lion's share of clean-up as well. Along with all this, she still found time to do excellent interpretation and drum up some more potential members!

Special thanks to Jim and Mary Patton, our "friends from Springfield, Illinois" for driving a long way to participate in the rendezvous, and did so with their usual fun and excellence.

I also want to thank our president Pete Shrake for making the trip, and Rich and Michele Worthington, who joined us from the far side of Madison and contributed some wonderful bread and farch fresh eggs! Thanks!

To our militiamen... Joe Kleffmann and Steve Merkel, thank you for an excellent job well done. Special thanks to Steve, who was able to wrangle time off to help us on School Day! Bravo!

The Chamber of Commerce Committee extended their personal thanks and congradulations to our Scoiety at a follow-up meeting this afternoon (6/9/2005). It is my priviledge and pleasure to pass these warm words to each of you!

Well done... and thank you!

Bob.

**It is my hope that persons at historic sites where young people are unecessarily restricted and unreasonably curtailed in their interpretive activities will TAKE HEED of these proceedings! Clearly, young people that are properly motivated, reasonably supervised, and thoroughly schooled in their subjects are more than capable of providing meaningful, memorable, and SAFE instruction.

[Laurel]

This weekend was the annual Civil War Weekend at Wade House. On Monday we received an email from a family in North Dakota thanking us for an enjoyable experience. Of particular note was the young man who was great working with the kids at the family activity area. That young man was none other than Rion. This can be directly attributed to the work he has done with the Old Lead Region. No one else was singled out for praise. Once again we see that young people are an invaluable asset.

Betsy

[Robert Braun]

laurel said:

This weekend was the annual Civil War Weekend at Wade House. On Monday we received an email from a family in North Dakota thanking us for an enjoyable experience. Of particular note was the young man who was great working with the kids at the family activity area. That young man was none other than Rion. This can be directly attributed to the work he has done with the Old Lead Region. No one else was singled out for praise. Once again we see that young people are an invaluable asset.

Betsy

Thanks for this positng, Betsy! It is great to learn of these continued accolades rightfully earned by our young people in the cause of furthering history.

It is indeed gratifying to learn that more and more sites have embraced the contributions of young people in historically recreated settings. Organizations that recognize these contributions will build for themselves not just more "believeable" historical scenarios, but guarantee an interest in future interpretation by the "next generation!"

Congradulations to Rion!

Bob Braun.