Instead of Hibernating This Winter

Instead of hibernating during the winter here are somethings to do during the off season.

Take inventory of what your group possesses.  Fix what can be fixed, buy new if there is a budget for it and for God’s sake do not be afraid to get rid of items broken beyond repair or are no longer needed.

Do a post mortem of the past year.  What worked?  What didn’t?  What areas need improvement? What mistakes were made and what was learnt from them?

Think about the group’s goals for the coming year.  Then make a plan to achieve them.

Winter is a good time to clean up files, contact lists, your website.  Take a look at your public relations/ad materials.  Do they need updating or freshening up?

For the individuals:

Look at your garb.  Mend what’s torn, sell or give away what you don’t wear anymore.  Does your look need updating?

Do I really have to tell you to look at your weapons to make sure they’re clean and in working order?

Update your skill set.  Is there a skill or art form you wanted to explore?  Now’s the time to do it.  It’s also a good time to catch up on your reading, research or film viewing.

Reflect on the past year’s reenactment experience.  What did or didn’t you enjoy? Is it still fun or did it feel more like work?  If it felt more like work what can you do to make it fun again?

Wishing you a fun fill year of reenacting.