From: Scherrer, Tim (scherrert@missouri.edu)
Date: Fri May 20 2005 - 07:46:24 PDT
It never amazes me how on email people can get so worked up about
things. The criticism on here about my event is coming from people who
have never met me, never talked to me on email or by the phone, been to
an event I was at or specifically been to the event they are
criticizing.
I think the issue is a lot bigger than me, although I may be the poster
child for it, and that is the future and expansion of the MV hobby. I
know some members of the MV community are unhappy that reenactors are
coming into the hobby for whatever reason; they view us as wannabes,
people who play soldier, not serious about our MVs like they are,
whatever, etc. But they also see that the reenacting side is probably
one of the more dynamic new forces in the hobby, bringing a lot of
people and vehicles to the table as well, thus creating change.
With this, I believe, comes the fear that their hobby will then change
and force them to either change how they approach it. I think this
leads to the venom unleashed at me over my event. Why else would people
who I have never met or had any dealing with call me a messianic Nazi
regime? The language of the people involved always shows their
emotional attachment and level of underlying fear associated with it,
and in this case it seems pretty high.
I think the underlying fear is that with more reenactors getting
involved with MVs are getting nervous about the direction of the hobby.
The MVPA leadership has realized that the MV hobby amongst vehicle
collectors, the "green car club side," is basically static in terms of
numbers and growth. If the MVPA would stay focused on this, it would
also struggle to maintain its existing size, budget, etc. I am not
speaking for them by any means, but I've had some discussions in person
and by email with members of the board. That is why they asked me to be
the reenacting editor for Army Motors; to bring this perspective to the
table.
The new direction they are taking things is actively looking to the
reenacting community to take what the "green car club" has, and add more
it. Look at how many younger people bring MVs to rallies, yet how many
younger reenactors have MVs? This is a generalization, but I bet there
aren't too many MV owners on the car club side of things under the age
of 30, as well as 40. People get into it when they have the resources
do so, and for most that is in their 30s and 40s, if not older. The
intent is to pull in the younger owners for the long term sustainment of
the hobby, as well as provide a new facet to it.
The car club side then looks at this with fear...am I going to have to
get uniforms? Will these young guys take over and do things the way we
don't want them? So then that leads to things getting manifested as
they did on this list.
The point they are missing is one that economic developers make, and
that involves the pie analogy regarding growing an economy. Some view
this as a net sum gain or loss...there is only so much out pie out
there, so we have to maintain or grab a bigger piece of the pie so
someone else doesn't get it. Economic Developers look at it the size of
the pie and ask, how can we make the pie bigger so everyone gets a
bigger piece?
Some view the growing of reenacting as slicing the pie into smaller
pieces, fearing I won't get my piece anymore, or I won't be welcome at
the table. The MVPA board takes the second view, that the path to
success is growing the size of the pie by bringing in a more diverse
group, and thus everyone benefits from it.
Apparently I have become the poster child or symbol of all of this, at
least in some people's minds so they want to attack me for trying to do
something innovative, basically to let off their steam at the
possibility of change in their hobby. It's funny how I also get
criticized by the reenacting community for people so open to different
impressions at the event. I heard in a class on leadership if you are
getting some criticism from both sides of something, you may be taking
the right position.
All I can say is relax. You'll be OK, your hobby is OK. I am also not
anti-M series. The most fun I ever had driving a jeep was a M-38A1 in a
parade about two years ago. I'd love to have M series vehicles, but I'm
just too much of a WWII nut to put my resources elsewhere. I would have
to have M-151, the vehicle I had as a 2LT.
If you want to talk to me in person rather than go off innuendo, email
perceptions and the gut reactions of your own fears, I will be at the
Fort Indiantown Gap event this year...look me up. I will be the
Regimental S-2. I might be at the MVPA convention in Duluth as well.
Also, look for my two upcoming articles in Army Motors, especially the
later one..."Reenacting Politics!"
Tim A. Scherrer
MAJ, MI, USAR
Assistant Professor of Military Science
University of Missouri-Columbia
573-882-0640, fax 0461
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