Keeping Group Members Interested

In reenactment groups we’re used to seeing people who come once, maybe twice, then are never seen again. And that’s okay because sometimes people think an activity is for them and upon further investigation they realize it’s not.

What goes wrong when a group member of a few years drops out? What happened to cause the member to lose interest?

Sometimes real life take over. As hard as it is to imagine for the enthusiasts, maybe the person simply got bored and wanted to try something new.

What if the cause of the departure was dissatisfaction with the group? What is very frustrating for group leaders is that a member will simply fade away without communicating what is driving them away. So if you’re about to fade away from your group, give it one last try by letting your group know how you feel and what they can do to improve your experience.

The group itself needs to listen to its members, but more importantly they must let the members feel that they are being listened to, that their opinions count. The group needs to make sure that everyone feels involved. Very often a handful of people are the “stars” of the group—they are always in the spotlight. There is nothing wrong with this as the naturally outgoing or talented people are the ones in the spotlight. But what about the rest of the group? Not everyone can be the best singer, actor, sword fighter, shooter in the group, but they do have other talents that can be used and it’s up to the group to get to know these talents and skills and put them to some use.

The group must have an atmosphere of encouragement to share ideas, to encourage members to try new things and grow, to learn not to be afraid to make mistakes and to learn from their mistakes. Members should be made to feel comfortable enough to ask for help in their assigned task, and comfortable enough to ask for help in doing their time period correctly.

Reenactment needs to know its place. For the majority it’s a hobby, few people are making a living at this game of dress up. If it stops being fun and feels more like a second job then people will leave. A hobby should relieve stress, not cause it.