January 09, 2001

THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR GRAND ENCAMPMENT CONFEDERATION

January 10, 2001

 

GREETINGS FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR LIVING HISTORIAN,

At the end of 2000, "The French and Indian War Grand Encampment Confederation" was formed to promote and manage a true Grand Encampment for the summer of 2002. Working toward this purpose, the Confederation consists of 18 reenactors, spread out from Illinois to Quebec, representing our widely dispersed reenactor population. What do we hope to accomplish?

(a) We hope that 100% of all F&I French, Woodland Indian and British portrayals in North America and Europe will try very hard to gather together once every two years in what we hope will become "THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR GRAND ENCAMPMENT" Numbers do make a difference in terms of the success of large scale reenactment events. Imagine almost all of us at one family friendly place at the same time.

 

(b) We want to do more things that are otherwise impossible to do at other events. For example an opportunity will be provided for the type of massive historical military battle formations, chains of command and authentic camps/villages we are unable to form anywhere else. (With sufficient space for same)

(c) We want to energize the hobby by providing a significantly different French and Indian War Grand Encampment offering many of the usual activities and formats PLUS newly innovative ones never tried before.

 

I have been asked to write to you for two reasons. The first is to let you know about the event described above. The second is to ask for your kind help in these three ways.

1. We seek your advice about a date and location you think would be feasible for the event. Please think this over with reenactors in your unit or area and tell me your findings before January 28, 2001. We would also welcome ideas for activities you think others would enjoy at the event.

2. Provide me with unit contact persons, postal addresses, telephone numbers and E-mail addresses to help us build a database of F&I reenactor units in your locale. (Information about individuals not affiliated with units is needed too.)

3. Help spread the news about this new and exciting event for 2002.

 

Note About Communication:

We plan on doing the majority of our communication via e-mail. Traditional correspondence via the US Postal Service will be possible if correspondents provide self-addressed and stamped envelopes for our replies. We will also hand out flyers during 2001 events and provide information in "Smoke and Fire News."

With your kind help we can put on the absolute largest quality F&I reenactment ever. Imagine people from all over North America and Europe combining in three camps over a three to four day period. With the right site, the right date, enough usual activities plus some truly innovative ones, we will inspire and motivate huge numbers of people to participate in an unforgettable experience and memory. If you have any questions, I will be glad to answer them as well as be your information pipeline to the council. Meanwhile I and the other members of "The French and Indian War Grand Encampment Confederation" look forward to hearing from you very soon as I have the honor to be,

Your humble and obedient servant,

 Michael Malecki     mandmmalecki@enter.net

"The French and Indian War Grand Encampment Confederation"

Council Member (Eastern Representative)

Regiment de la Reine

 

 

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More Information:

MISSION

1. Organize a combined French, Woodland Indian and British Grand Encampment every other year.

2. Choose a family friendly site and date normally between mid June and before mid August starting in 2002.

3. Portrayal Time Period: 1754-1763 - The French and Indian War.

F& I RELEVANT FIRST PRIORITY SITES SUGGESTED SO FAR ARE:

1. Piqua, OH

2. Presque Isle, PA

3. Bushy Run, PA

4. Fort Le Bouef, PA

5. Fort de Chartres IL

6. Fort Frederick, MD

7. Fort Loudoun, PA

8. Fort Loudoun, TN

9. Crown Point, NY

10. Fort Toulouse, AL

11. Please add your suggestion to the above list and/or tell us which you like.

SECOND PRIORITY SUGGESTED SITES NOT RELEVANT TO THE F&I BUT HAVE OTHER ADVANTAGES SO FAR ARE:

The sites below are all huge (we need huge). If F&I relevant sites fail to work out for us, these are possible fallback sites.

1.Yingling Farm, Gettysburg, PA

2. Boone Homestead, PA

3. Fort Meigs, OH

4. Racoon State Park, PA

5. Hunting Club in PA

6. An 1812 site in Canada

7. Schoharie, NY

8. Please add your suggestion to the above list and/or tell us which you like.

Western Region Council Members Are:

 

French

1. Bill Protz (WI)

2. Donald (Doc) Shaffer (OH)

3. John Francis (IL)

 

British

1. Nick Hoffman (WI)

2. Brent Kemmer (MI)

3. Jim Winter (IL)

 

Woodland Indian

1. Mary Papp (OH)

2. John Van Sickle (OH)

3. Paul Ignagni (MI)

Eastern Region Council Members Are:

French

1. Ray Washlaski (PA)

2. Andre' Gousse (Quebec)

3. Mike Malecki (PA)

British

1. Bud Miner (NY)

2. Steve Nuckles (PA)

3. Karl Schulmeister (PA)

Woodland Indian

1. David Wells (MD)

2. Ken Hamilton (NH)

3. Nate Kobuck (PA)