PAST CONGRESS EVENTS
In many ways, the CWRT Congress is like a moveable feast. Before any large organization can get off the ground, the theory behind its inception needs to be tested, the product/service needs to be demonstrated and revised and those who spend their time, money and talent need to feel that it is of value to them. Moreover, with the demise of so many CWRTs around the country, organizers aren't certain that they have a sufficient mailing list to reach those without a web presence. So, to reach CWRTs within a region, the CWRT Congress has been changing locations.
2024
This year the Board of Directors agreed to hold two regional, one-day workshops. We used the same agenda for both events. The first workshop was co-hosted by the McCormick Civil War Institute at Shenandoah University on July 27. The second was co-hosted by the Indianapolis Civil War Round Table and held at the Indiana War Memorial on August 17. Participants received some instruction, given assignments, reflected on the related activities of their CWRT, and discussed how their CWRT currently deals with the topic. At the conclusion of the session, they returned to the large group and presented their findings. Topics explored were target market recruitment, the new member experience, partnership types, and out-of-the-box partnership opportunities.
2023
The Fourth CWRT Congress was held August 25-26-27 in Gettysburg at the Seminary Ridge Museum & Education Center, the Adams County Historical Society, and the Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center through the auspices of the Gettysburg Foundation with a tour at the George Spangler Farm and Field Hospital. The actual conference consisted of four panel discussions: Challenges as CWRTs emerge from the pandemic; the Hidden Value of Community Partnerships; the Sustainability Challenge; and Target Marketing for younger members.
2019
The Third CWRT Congress was held on September 20-21-22, 2019 at the Missouri Civil War Museum at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis, Missouri. It was co-hosted by the museum and the CWRT of Saint Louis. It began with a reception in the 1918 Exchange Building and featured a presentation entitled, The Desperate Years by Dr. Curt Fields who portrayed Ulysses S. Grant. The Congress got underway at full steam on Saturday morning. The program included presentations by CWRT Congress staff, Mark Trout, CEO of the MCWM, a trivia contest and several breakout sessions pre-selected by congress attendees. Sunday featured two tours: The Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery and the U. S. Grant National Historic Site.
2018
The Second CWRT Congress was significantly different. It was held on August 17-18-19, 2018 at the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania was hosted by the Harrisburg CWRT and consisted of a reception Friday evening with hors d'oeuvres and a no-host bar, a behind the scenes museum tour and a dynamic speaker. The event followed the next day (Saturday) with twelve Civil War authors signing their tomes and a dinner afterwards. Sunday featured a 3-hour tour of the first day's fighting at the Gettysburg National Military Park.
2017
So, the First CWRT Congress was held on September 16-17-18-19, 2017 in Centreville, Virginia near the Manassas National Park. The Bull Run CWRT hosted the one-day event, but the lion's share of the preparation was taken on by Congress staff. Tours over three days (Sunday, Monday and Tuesday) followed the event…Bull Run Battlefields, Balls Bluff Battlefield Regional Park and the Kernstown Battlefield.
THE FIRST CWRT CONGRESS - 1975
Historically, our CWRT Congress is not the first. On October 2-4, 1975, Jerry Russell and his wife of Little Rock, Arkansas and the Civil War Round Table Associates held the first CWRT Congress Manassas, Virginia. You can read the multipage newsletter account of that first Congress by clicking the link below. It's interesting to note that the first Congress was concerned about preserving battlefields. In fact, they passes eleven (11) resolutions seeking to ring the bell about preservation through the U. S. Congress, the National Park Service and other, more local organizations.
Today, we take for granted the efforts of the American Battlefield Trust, the regional preservationists and all the organizations and men and women who had the same vision as Jerry Russell, et al. Moreover, we are very concerned about the preservation fo the CWRT movement and the many small organizations that maintain the public education banner for themselves and their communities. Times have changed in the nearly 45 years since the first CWRT Congress.
Today, we take for granted the efforts of the American Battlefield Trust, the regional preservationists and all the organizations and men and women who had the same vision as Jerry Russell, et al. Moreover, we are very concerned about the preservation fo the CWRT movement and the many small organizations that maintain the public education banner for themselves and their communities. Times have changed in the nearly 45 years since the first CWRT Congress.
