GDG- -Battlefield Tour Guides

[CWMHTours at aol.com]

After overnight contemplation Sherri I think you've gone off  half cocked 
and loaded for bear.
 
Butr you've misread my posts, which is odd because I don't  usually have a 
problem with clarity.  
 
I have NEVER ever made a detrimental comment about the  tourists visiting 
Gettysburg.  You have apparently conjured that up out of  whole clothe and 
you are just plain wrong.
 
I did, and do believe that most of the LBGs I've had on my  buses were not 
outstanding.  A couple were and there are guides I've  met up there that 
just plain astound me.  I love Wayne Mott.   I  will keep repeating that for 
you  because it just is.  That's my  opinion and I don't usually come by my 
opinions lightly.  There is usually  reason for them.  Usually hard-earned 
experience.  I've had several  dozen over the years.
 
My big stink was the one guide who wouldn't talk about  Gettysburg while we 
were on the battlefield.
 
If you came to DC and were on a tour driving by the Capital or  the White 
House wouldn't you WANT me to talk about those instead of somewhere  like say 
Antietam?
 
I shared the story partly out of light humour for people in  the room as it 
is one of my more unpleasant experiences in 20 years of  guiding.  Why he 
wouldn't stop talking about Sickles and Key I don't know  but I repeatedly 
asked/told him to talk about the battlefield.
 
And if you are new to guiding it may behoove you to listen to  the 
experienced veteran guides.  You might learn stuff from us.  When  I get around 
people who know more than me I usually try to ask lots of questions  and pump 
their brains.  And not resent them for opinions I don't agree  with.
 
You will find, once you start guiding that the quality of your  tourists is 
going to vary widely.
 
You may want to ask some of the senior guides up there and try  to learn.
 
With the kids the only difference between a "good" group and a  "bad" one 
is the adults.  If there are adults with the group who really  care about the 
kids then the kids pay attention and have good manners.  If  you don't have 
any caring responsible adults with the group the kids will have  no 
manners,  will talk loudly constantly, throw pitballs, etc. and  generally make 
your life a nightmare.
 
I  love Catholic and religious schools.   The  kids are great.  Private 
schools are wonderful too.  My favorite are  the Boy Scouts.  They are so cool. 
 You'll have no trouble at all with  them.
 
But the other groups....   Jeez Sherri, good luck,  you'll find yourself 
shouting into the mike because you can't hear yourself and  no one payin g 
attention and you willl be hating life until you can get out of  there.
 
I send these groups up to Gettysburg after I tour with them in  DC and can 
only feel sorry for the LBGs that get them.  Don't listen to  me-  go talk 
to the senior LBGs- they'll tell you.
 
And the tourists in DC.  When I talk about the Civil War  and Lincoln I get 
questions like "Which side won?  The East or the  West?"   You just drop 
your jaw in amazement at how little  Americans know about their heritage.  
They think the President lives in the  Capitol.
 
Did you ever see the bit on Jay Leno where he goes out and  asks people on 
the street about current events and they just don't know what  he's talking 
about?
 
There are a LOT of people who  can't put the American Revolution or the 
Civil War in the right century, much  less the right decade.
 
Any real analysis of the American Education system will put us  way below 
nearly every European country, Japan and even Communist  China.
 
If you want to get mad about it and resent me for sharing my  misadventures 
with the tourists in here I don't know what to tell you.  I  would like to 
think that you have more important things in your life to get all  
kerfluffled about than my hogwash.
 
There is one person in here that I delete when I see his name  in here and 
only see his posts when they are part of someone else's  thread.
 
You may want to keep yourself from getting so upset by just  deleting me 
when you see my stuff come up.
 
But if I were you I'd try to learn from experienced guides and  try to get 
upset about more important things.
 
Your Friend-
 
Peter   

 
In a message dated 1/25/2012 2:06:02 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
sherri410 at aol.com writes:

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Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:

I truly resent the  fact that Peter has to make so many negative comments 
about the tourists or  customers that come to Gettysburg. Also as a Licensed 
Battlefield Guide  Candidate I also resent the way he makes it sound about 
Gettysburg guides. I  have worked my butt off to get to this point and know 
what it takes to become  a guide. I have watched many friends ahead of me 
work hard. You have to know  about the Civil War and everything Gettysburg so 
it's not a popularity  contest. It's about having the knowledge and then 
showing you can put a tour  together that the general public can enjoy and 
hopefully learn something. This  isn't a college class. This is a vacation trip 
where you should be able to  learn, enjoy and not made to feel stupid. To be 
honest, I hope I NEVER EVER go  on a tour with you Peter and am surprised 
you still work at whatever you do.  You seem like a miserable person who had 
nothing nice to say about the people  who are paying you. Instead of calling 
them stupid, may
be you should  appreciate the fact that they want to learn and yes, some 
want to learn more  than others. People should be treated with respect and not 
made fun of  constantly. I'm sure you have a few that may be comical but to 
call all  tourists that is downright mean.  Again, I haven't posted here in 
a long  time and it's because of people like  you.

Sherri



-----Original Message-----
From:  gettysburg-request <gettysburg-request at arthes.com>
To: gettysburg  <gettysburg at arthes.com>
Sent: Wed, Jan 25, 2012 1:02 pm
Subject:  Gettysburg Digest, Vol 18, Issue 25


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