Friends of TFT,
We thank you for taking part in our eighth rendezvous, the fourth one at the La Vernia site.
The event is growing, mostly due to your helping us to get the word out about the quality of the event and the beautiful site that a generous landowner allows us to use.
Previous participants will notice that we are constantly improving the facilities and targets. At Rendezvous IX we plan to have installed at least 12 knife and hawk blocks for a separate knife and hawk walk near the present blocks. There will be no pacing off of throwing distances allowed. We will advise that when a competitor walks to the block to retrieve his or her weapon a straight path should not be taken to and from the target block. This is to prevent fellow throwers from counting the steps to the block and gaining an advantage.
We plan to buy 3D archery targets so we can have an archery walk in addition to the matches we now have. However, they are so expensive it will probably not be in the near future. The catalogs I have seen have small game targets starting at around $100. We appreciate “Catfish” Jackson’s loan of his 3D deer.
At Council Fire the informal “vote” to increase registration fees for competitors in order to increase the number of prizes was noted. TFT members will discuss a new approach to awards, keeping the black powder prizes as a basis with options for less valuable prizes. Everyone should appreciate the current retail price of powder, though we buy it in quantity. Current retail price is around $20 per pound. In order to encourage Cuz to continue coming to rendezvous we will consider optional “Trader Bucks” that can be exchanged for his merchandise, probably in $5 and $10 denominations.
Would any ‘skinners be interested in a raffle for a valuable print or book on a fur trade subject?
Until interest and participation increase we will hold Round Robin trading separate from Council Fire activities. Now that you have seen how it works maybe you will come up with an object that you would part with in a trade for an equally priceless historic item.
I’m sure that everyone enjoyed the program that the Living Waters Drum did for us. The members said that they enjoyed being there and would return for Rendezvous IX….and would bring some traditional dancers. This is something I have been trying to do ever since my Taos Free Trappers rendezvous days in New Mexico, 1990-1999. We thank Jacob Nishimura and Jimmy Gonzales, two friends from San Antonio Living History Assn. and fellow reenactors of the battles for Texas Independence, for inviting the Drum and for demonstrating Lipan Apache and Plains Indian dances.
Many thanks are due to Cold Bear and Herb for preparing the meat for potluck supper. They also mow the site a few weeks before each rendezvous and pitch in at our pre-event work days. They do these things for nothing but the love of rendezvous and the many friendships they have formed.
The tentative dates for Rendezvous IX are November 21-23, with early setup day on the 20th. That’s the weekend before Thanksgiving.
One of my hopes is to bring to Council Fire a sharing of knowledge of the era of the fur trade. It is a subject that is almost totally ignored in our schools. The American Revolution gets decent coverage, the War of 1812 a tiny bit, the Lewis & Clark Voyage of Discovery gets some mention because of the passing accent on its 200th anniversary, then history skips to the Civil War. Texas schoolchildren get a small bite of the story of the struggle for creating the Republic of Texas and nothing of the War with Mexico to keep the entire southwestern United States. I have asked TFT members to study the characters of the fur trade and try to bring them to life at Council Fire. I encourage you skinners to do the same. I was inspired by a member of a club in New Mexico who talked for a few minutes about history at its semiannual rendezvous. He would pick a year between 1820 and 1840 and talk about what was happening in the US and the rest of the world that affected our nation. I am an enthusiastic fan of “painless history” that comes through living history reenacting.
Nitty gritty facts:
We don’t do rendezvous for the money, but try to cover expenses.
TFT members (there are 11 of us) do almost all of the work. 7 of us were at R VIII.
Non-member volunteers are welcomed.
Income from R VIII registrations was $230.
Expenses were 14 lbs BP – $168, retrieval rope for flying turkey target – $16, landscape timbers for hawk blocks and future hawk walk – $26, toilet paper for Taj Mahooter – $13, copying of scoresheets, etc. – $17 – total $240
Lost & Found:
Sony camera lens cap
stainless steel cup
stainless steel ladle
linked pair of ¼” x 9” bungee cords
Your thoughts and constructive suggestions are welcome; write, email or call me.
We look forward to seeing many of you at Fritztown Free Trappers Rendezvous in October.
Watch your back trail……………
– From Grey Wolf, 8 June, 2008