Atlanta Campaign Inc expands vision in the Southeast
Finalizes plans for regional 2008 event and National 2009 event
Dacula, Ga May 31, 2008
The Board of Directors of the Atlanta Campaign met on Saturday to discuss the upcoming event and to plan for the future. For the past seven years the Atlanta Campaign has designed, organized and presented living histories and reenactments to commemorate the period surrounding the American Civil War. Its goal has been to provide educational and entertaining events to help raise funds for preservation of Civil War related concerns. Since its inception the Board has donated annually to this effort.
As part of this mission they provide school day programs preceding these events to bring that time period “to life’ for local school children. Over the past years they have hosted over 12,000 students and teachers at our events. Please see a copies of email we received from teacher’s after our recent events.
The focus of the meeting was to discuss the upcoming events and to plan for the future. After reviewing current trends in the hobby the Board determined that it would expand its current efforts and by request, extend its resources and capabilities to others within the hobby. The Atlanta Campaign Board is comprised of members from all aspects of the hobby and owns physical resources such as activity tents, administrative tools and support products that can be used by others. The current focus will be on this year’s upcoming event in November and the National event planned for Labor Day 2009, both to be held at Nash Farm. As to the future it was decided to begin plans on anniversary events and to help coordinate others. As the 150th Anniversary approaches the Board feels that it can provide services beyond its current scope and help to increase public awareness of this period of American history. A meeting has been tentatively scheduled for August 2008 to bring together interested leaders within the hobby to discuss the upcoming events and to tour the Nash Farm facility.
The Board members of the Atlanta Campaign are committed to continuing its effort to preserve and commemorate this period in American history and look forward to the future.
For further information contact:
Atlanta Campaign, Inc
P.O. Box 1335
Dacula, GA 30019
770 614 8616
1 877 206 4044
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Greetings,
My students, teachers, parent chaperones and I had a wonderful experienceat Nash Farms. We will never forget what we learned and would like to beadded to your contact list. We look forward to coming next year.
Thanks,
Helen D. McGrady,
Ed.S.Narvie J. Harris School
3981 McGill Dr.
Decatur, GA 30034
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Dear Walter Compton,
We had a fantastic time. One of my students on the way home actually said, "that may be the best field trip I have ever been on." Our students go on field trips every single month, so for a sixth grader who has been at our school since kindergarten to say that is a big deal! All of the people knew so much and told the most interesting stories. They were patient with the students and eager to talk with them. My students learned more in one day about the Civil War than I could ever hope to teach them in the classroom during our two week unit. I can't thank all of you enough! Keep it up!
In Him,
Melanie Tillman
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ATLANTA CAMPAIGN, INC.
P. O. BOX 1335
DACULA, GA 30019
July 21, 2008
School Principal
Re: School Day at Nash Farm, November 7, 2008
Dear Principal:
We ask that you please pass the information in this letter on to your Social Studies or History Chairperson as well as any teachers in your school who have classes that go on field days from your school. For more information they can visit our website at www.atlantacampaign.com which will have a copy of this letter on it.
This year we are having our eighth annual school day on Friday, November 7, 2008, from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. It is our second year at Nash Farm, which is located on an actual Civil War battlesite. Last year, our first at this venu, we had 1,521 students from 11 schools attend. We expect around 2,000 this year.
Atlanta Campaign, Inc. is a Georgia nonprofit IRS designated 501(c)3 corporation. Our purposes are education and historical preservation. We receive no grants or money from any governmental source. Our only income for this event is from reenactors and spectators at this event. Every year we have donated money to Civil War historical sites ijn Georgia such as Ft. MacAllister, Resaca, Pickett's MIll, Alatoona, Nash Farm, and others.
Every year we run a school program on the Friday of our weekend Civil War Reenactment. We usually have between 1,400 to 2,000 students attend on that day. One year we had 2,500 students attend and one year we had to cancel due to hurricane weather. Our program is an outdoors program and it is not structured but consists of various living history presentations. Some of these involve firing of replica weapons and for those the students are kept a safe distance away but close enough to ask and have questions answered. Some of the presentations are:
Cannon firing every half hour on the hour. The crews explain and go through the loading routine and answer questions before each firing.
Mortar firing alternated between the cannon firing. A small mortar shoots a small golfball size shot into the air about 300 feet and it falls about 300 feet away. The velocity is slow and the shot can be seen with the naked eye as it rises and falls.
Cavalry demonstration with cavalrymen from both sides.
Military camps where the Headquarters with guards that can be visited.
Soldiers drilling and performing various field duties.
Living histories with reenactors explaining what they are doing such as blacksmithing, engineers making maps, spinning, musicians, etc.
The only indoors presentation is in an auditorium with reenactors giving talks about ladies clothing, life during the era, cooking, etc.
A sutlers area where period reproduction clothing and military gear are sold.
Exhibits from the Civil War Naval Museum at Columbus and other specialties.
We ask $5 for each student that attends our school program day. Some schools just pay from their field day funds and those that ask the students' parents to pay for the field day usually ask for a little more to cover the cost of the bus drivers and gasoline. All teachers and accompanying adults are admitted free on that day. Also, there is no parking fee collected on our school day so many come in cars or vans instead of the school buses.
For those schools that have students coming we ask that the contact person who is arranging the field day notifiy us by Friday, October 3, 2008, the approximate number of students that are coming and an estimate of the number of buses that will be bringing those students. Then, on Friday, October 24, two weeks before the School Program Day I will e-mail them for the final headcount and send an invoice to the school based on that. The school bursar will want the invoice for issuing the check and we need the bus estimate to allocate parking space as we park the buses as near the entrance as possible.
There are concessionairs who have food for sale on the site or the students can bring their own lunches. Some schools have their cafeterias prepare box lunches for the students. This is an outdoor event and runs from 9:00 a.m. (Some schools arrive as early as 8:30 a.m.) until 1:00 p.m. This gives the students enough time to see everything, have their lunch and permit the buses can get them back to school that afternoon. We usually have some kind of featured demonstration by the soldiers at noon and it is over by 12:30.
We look forward to having some of your students at our School Program and if you or the teachers interested need more information than what is on our website they can call us at 1-877-206-4044 or 770-760-7508 or e-mail me at
wcompton@earthlink.net
Thank you,
Walter Compton, Treasurer
Atlanta Campaign, Inc.
