Demonstration for Cub Scouts

On Saturday Capt. Pitchell and I spoke to my son's Cub Scout den.  We showed the boys and their parents the gear and weapons of the Frontier Guard...

 

We demonstrated fire starting, and let the boys and parents try for themselves.

We fired off our firelocks...

...and also the small swivel.

The boys played some of the colonial games, and we finished up by letting them try their hand at throwing tomahawks.  Several of the boys managed to stick a hawk on one try, and one young man managed to stick it twice in a row (I think he has a future in hawk-throwing).

I'll finish up by tooting our own horn a bit - copying some of the feedback we received from the event...

"A great big thank you to you!   We have been discussing how much fun we had tonight.  What a fantastic presentation you gave!"

"That was a lot of fun and really entertaining.   It was just enough teaching,   With the right  amount of hands on.  The adults had as good as time as the boys.  We will be asking your service again for sure."

"It was a wonderful afternoon for both kids and adults. We look forward to Quiet Valley in the fall.  Thank you again!"

More Pictures from the State History Fair

 

The NJ State History Fair at Monmouth Battlefield State Park

On Saturday the Frontier Guard set up an exhibit at the Spirit of the Jerseys State History Fair.  While we were slightly confused that event organizers decided not to place us in the Military Timeline, it actually worked out very well.  Our tent was located in the 18th Century area, right as the public entered, so we were busy all day.  Despite the weather report, the day started off rainy and chilly.  Luckily, it did brighten up mid-afternoon and get a bit warmer.

 

 

 

 

More to come!

NJ State History Fair 2015

The Frontier Guard will be at the Spirit of the Jerseys State History Fair on Saturday at Monmouth Battlefield State Park.  The event runs 11:00am - 5:00pm.  Hope to see you there!

Highland Park

Last weekend the Frontier Guard took part in a military timeline at the Senior Center in Highland Park.

 

It was a small event, but as Captain Pitchell noted, there were great people and dedicated reenactors from a wide variety of eras.

 

 

 

Ron's Cabin

Our newest  member, Ron, sent me these pictures of his cabin.  It's a Swedish-influenced
structure, built of rough-hewn 6x6 squared logs.

 Even the chinking is a lime/sand mix in order to keep the cabin as authentic as possible.

Like originals, Ron used no nails in the construction of the walls. The end result looks cozy and a step back in time.  This is a small cabin - 8' x 10' - so it would be a bit small for a family, even with the different standards of privacy and space in the eighteenth century, but for a lone hunter or settler, it would make a beginning until something larger could be built.  The Daniel Boone birthplace near Reading, PA, has an original cabin that is, I believe, 14' x 19', so even family cabins tended to be far smaller than what we regard as minimum requirements today.  

Kidding Around at Hoff Vannatta

Our younger members were at Hoff Vannatta on Sunday, showing off kids' toys and games to a large number of younger visitors.

The toys and games were a hit, even with some of our adult members...

 

...who took part in the games, acquitting themselves with the best of graces.

Firing Demonstrations at the Hoff Vannatta House

One of the most popular demonstrations that the Frontier Guard does is firing volleys, or in this case rolling volleys.  Many visitors are unfamiliar with flintlocks, and the noise, flame, and smoke are always a crowd-pleaser.

A Busy Week

The members of the Frontier Guard had a busy week, with presentations on both Friday and Saturday.  On Friday, Capt. Doug Pitchell gave a presentation to elementary school children at the Oak Street School in Basking Ridge.

   

 The Frontier Guard has been doing presentations at the Oak Street School for several years now, as part of the school's Colonial Day activities, and it has been a hit with students and faculty alike.

Saturday was the Spring Open House at the Hoff Vannatta Farmstead in Harmony.  The Guard set up an extensive display, and members were busy with large numbers of visitors all day.

Our newest member, Ron, joined us with his kit and gear already assembled. He looks great.

 

Eric, Bobby, and Doug kept a steady stream of visitors both entertained and informed, while I gave long-winded discourses on topics that I found interesting; I hope one or two visitors did as well.

 

Hoff Vannatta Farmstead this Saturday

We will be at the Hoff Vannatta Farmstead in Harmony, NJ this Saturday, 10AM - 4PM for their spring Open House.

This historic farmstead is located on Route 519 in Harmony, NJ, near Belvedere.  For directions see here: Google Map

For the Hoff Vannatta website and for more information, click here!

Hope to see you there!