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On 04/06/2014 03:41 PM, Frank Reed wrote:
 >> How many other surveyor/navigator participants are there at these
gatherings?
 >> How do you meet up with them? Is there a "special interests"
bulletin board of some sort?
 >> Or do you just walk about the encampment looking for people with
octants and such?

Usually they have bulletin board for "todays activities and seminars"
you post your get together there and hope for some takers
I usually get about 6 people showing up for an hour or so.

 >> When I shoot sights at locations with a lot of foot traffic, I often
get questions.
 >> Over the years I've developed a series of explanations ranging from
very short and "pithy"
 >> to rather longer and technical. I try to gauge folks' reactions to a
quickly explanation and then
 >> ramp up if they seem interested. But it's a tough call, of course.
And then if you have multiple
 >> passers by at the same time, you have to go for a the scatter shot
explanation and hope for the best!

You sound like you would be right at home in the Huntington Militia! I
think I've heard you say
you teach at Mystic (?) - do you do period interpretations, or just
teach in a mundane classroom setting?

 >> Right. So Noon Sun is out, but of course you can do other Sun sights
in the morning and afternoon
 >> and explain how they relate to the Sun's position on the globe.
Maybe? Explaining that "zenith distance
 >> tells equals distance from that place where the Sun is straight up"
is usually feasible. And then most
 >> everyone can follow the math that gets from the doubled altitude
(off the A.H.) to the z.d.
 >> That's usually enough math to make people feel comfortable that they
have actually understood something.
 >> And then for those who want more, it's not too hard to do
"latitude=zd+dec" for meridian sights. And that's real navigation.

There are actually two different things that go on at these events:
The first is the get-together for other reenactors who portray a
surveyor or navigator. These people are fellow reenactors,
and I've never had a problem with explanations they tend to be quite
knowledgeable because they have been doing
portrayals and don't ask silly general public questions.

The second thing is the actual "public day" when the general public is
invited to come visit the period camp (we hope they
make a free will donation to the group at the gate) thats when "a series
of explanations ranging from very short and 'pithy'
to rather longer and technical" as you put it comes into play.

 >> And you concluded:
   > "I also have to make time for the highland games ( I consider it a
good meet if I don't drop the caber on myself!)"
 >> Yeah. Don't do that! :) -FER

Yea, I here you. I really am getting to old for this stuff - but every
year I think; I'll give it a rest *next year* :-)

~Greg

PS Do you remember the Whale Boat Races Long Island & CT. had across the
sound about 20 years ago? (It was to commemorate
The Rev war Whale Boat raids by patriots on British forts on LI)

   

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