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Special Interests - Groups & Societies => The Barracks => Topic started by: Major Matt Lewis on June 26, 2006, 06:14:27 PM

Title: GAF Strikes Gold at End of Trail!!!
Post by: Major Matt Lewis on June 26, 2006, 06:14:27 PM
Brothers and Sisters of the Grand Army of the Frontier,

It is my pleasure to report to you that I have met the impressive standard set by Sgt. Drydock at the SASS Convention last December.  I was lucky enough to win the Military Costume catagory at End of Trail and am indeed the recipeint of a Championship Buckle.  My uniform of choice was the Federal Cavalry Major's uniform that I put together for the GAF Muster this fall.  The entire decision was based on the fact that as a Federal Major, I decided to wear my Crimson Sash with the uniform.  I was told by Captain George Baylor, one of the Judges, that my winning was based on the fact that I had not over looked the detail of the crimson sash. 

I am embarrased of my shooting school and will be fixing that shortly....

I was also lucky enough to win an IAC Winchester 87 as a door prize.  The shoot was fun and challenging.  It was not the basic stand and deliver shoot.  Lots of movement, but it was possible to shoot it clean and well.  All in all, I give it a 10. 

This concludes my report.

Major Matt Lewis
Grand Army of the Frontier
Title: Re: GAF Strikes Gold at End of Trail!!!
Post by: Pawnee Bill on June 26, 2006, 06:34:45 PM
Brothers and Sisters of the Grand Army of the Frontier,

.  I was lucky enough to win the Military Costume catagory at End of Trail and am indeed the recipeint of a Championship Buckle.  .

Major Matt Lewis
Grand Army of the Frontier
Congrats on your Trophy Buckel. I got one of them from EOT 5, I was proud you outa be too.
Cheers
Pawnee Bill
Title: Re: GAF Strikes Gold at End of Trail!!!
Post by: Chantilly on June 26, 2006, 08:06:49 PM
CONGRATULATIONS MAJOR!  WOOO HOOO!!  Good job with the costume contest and you won an 87 too! 



Chantilly (who advocates looking good when you shoot so if you don't shoot so well, you atleast look good!  8))
Title: Re: GAF Strikes Gold at End of Trail!!!
Post by: Chantilly on June 26, 2006, 09:04:56 PM
PS....Major....where are the pictures?????   ??? ??? ???  Pictures....we need pictures!!
Title: Re: GAF Strikes Gold at End of Trail!!!
Post by: Lou Graham on June 26, 2006, 09:19:04 PM
Major, glad to hear you did well enough to earn a buckle even after your recent health problems! 
In uniform and then you went and won a gun, too.
I'd call that a good trip!
Title: Re: GAF Strikes Gold at End of Trail!!!
Post by: Major Matt Lewis on June 26, 2006, 09:35:19 PM
I will post pictures when I get them from Lit Rhodes.  Also, they will be in The Chronical....

Thanks Lou....It was a GREAT trip.  The only problem is I have to go back to work tomorrow.... ::)
Title: Re: GAF Strikes Gold at End of Trail!!!
Post by: Hedley Lamarr on June 26, 2006, 10:33:41 PM
Now that I am home, I should have a photo up tomorrow of the Major and his award.
Title: Re: GAF Strikes Gold at End of Trail!!!
Post by: Major Matt Lewis on June 26, 2006, 10:39:20 PM
Thanks Hedley...

It was great meeting you....
Title: Re: GAF Strikes Gold at End of Trail!!!
Post by: Bull Schmitt on June 26, 2006, 11:41:19 PM
Congratulations Major on your fine achievement!!! The GAF is proud of you!

Bvt Col Bull Schmitt
Commander Department of the Atlantic
Title: Re: GAF Strikes Gold at End of Trail!!!
Post by: Drydock on June 27, 2006, 12:10:31 AM
Wellll, he cleans up purty good,  fer an occifer an sich' . . .

'Course, neither me ner Rattlesnake Jack was there, so how hard could it have been  ;D

Seriously, congratulations.  Its a sure enough honor,  I know how good it felt at the convention, got to be at least that good at EOT.  Ya dun good Major!  Headquarters staff salutes you!
Title: Re: GAF Strikes Gold at End of Trail!!!
Post by: Hedley Lamarr on June 27, 2006, 04:36:11 PM
Here it is: (It was really dark in the back of the tent)

Title: Re: GAF Strikes Gold at End of Trail!!!
Post by: Hill Beachy on June 27, 2006, 07:50:30 PM
Job well done, Major!  Especially good to hear that you were sufficiently recovered to shoot the match.  Regardless of where you may have finished, remember how you finished -- upright!

(Now before you let all this go to your head, remember that it's the prize for best dressed not best looking!)
;D
Title: Re: GAF Strikes Gold at End of Trail!!!
Post by: Major Matt Lewis on June 27, 2006, 08:17:52 PM
Why Hill Beachy,

Don't you know if it had been a contest for Best Looking, I would not have had to be dressed :o ;D ;)
Title: Re: GAF Strikes Gold at End of Trail!!!
Post by: Pitspitr on June 28, 2006, 07:24:21 AM
Congratulations Major!
Title: Re: GAF Strikes Gold at End of Trail!!!
Post by: Hill Beachy on June 28, 2006, 09:20:17 PM
Don't you know if it had been a contest for Best Looking, I would not have had to be dressed :o ;D ;)

I fear that it's already too late for the boy..... :o ::)
Title: Re: GAF Strikes Gold at End of Trail!!!
Post by: Chance on June 29, 2006, 03:23:46 AM
Congratulations, Major. Good to see you up and running again. I kinda knew you'd be famous one day!
Title: Re: GAF Strikes Gold at End of Trail!!!
Post by: Major Matt Lewis on June 29, 2006, 08:48:22 AM
Congratulations, Major. Good to see you up and running again. I kinda knew you'd be famous one day!

LOL!  Just remember, the on difference between famous and infamous is a syllable.... ;) ::)
Title: Re: GAF Strikes Gold at End of Trail!!!
Post by: Kayleen on June 29, 2006, 02:59:43 PM
Major Matt,
  Congratulations on your award. We all knew you were holding out on the Originals thing. Right????
  Great job by a great guy.
Latter,
Kayleen
Title: Re: GAF Strikes Gold at End of Trail!!!
Post by: Sweetwater Jack on June 30, 2006, 12:42:08 AM
Good work Major! You've made us all proud!
Title: Re: GAF Strikes Gold at End of Trail!!!
Post by: Capt. George Baylor on July 01, 2006, 10:16:51 AM
Actually, I said that because someone remembered you said you were on the staff you won.  The sash that I saw as maroon wouldn't be appropriate for a cavalry officer of the line.  This is why the presentation is so important. 

It should be noted that the entered uniforms were so close together that we had to break the tie on some of the most nit picking items.  This is a problem with the military category.  It is usually solved by having someone on the judging staff who knows what should be on the uniform and what shouldn't, which is why I was there.  It was a good judging crew.  Mad Mountain Mike conferred with me on military matters, and I conferred with him on his areas of expertise, and the ladies kept us straight on hairstyles, etc.  We both knew which hats were wrong.  I believe we both qualify as what Bob Boze Bell calls "Hat Nazis."  That didn't apply in the military category as both were right.

The good news is you won.  Congratulations.  The bad news is now you can't enter that uniform again at EOT or the Convention or at Mule Camp, possibly other regionals.  This means you don't get to see how well it would stack up against Sergeant Drydock or Colonel Baylor.  I fear this rule will lead to mediocrity in this category particularly.  Those who make the rules don't agree, but somehow I feel the field would be better with Sergeant Drydock, Captain Bacon, Calvin N Hobbs (as Custer), yourself, and myself in the field.  Then the winner would know he'd fought a good fight.

I would also like to take this opportunity to say one thing to all of the military costume wearers at EOT who didn't enter the costume contest:

YOU CAN'T WIN IF YOU DON'T ENTER.  ONE TROPHY WENT BEGGING.
Title: Re: GAF Strikes Gold at End of Trail!!!
Post by: Major Matt Lewis on July 01, 2006, 03:25:28 PM
Captain Baylor,

Thanks for the words and the point on the little details that turned out to be the margin of victory.  The Chaplain was decked out to the nines....Oh, I am quite aware of the difficulty of competing against yourself, or Sgt Drydock.  It was my pleasure to see Sgt Drydock awarded such honors last year at the Grand Army of the Frontiers National Championship.  Man, was he impressive.  US Scout cleans up good too! 

To your point though, you are correct and I agree whole-heartedly, you can't win if you don't play and the more folks who dress military in Best Dressed competitions and the actual shooting portions takes us towards the fulfillment of a Military shooting class that I pitched to Tex. (He was receptive to what I was pitching too.)  For those interested PM me or email me and I will send you the guidelines which I sent to Tex. 

Now Captain Baylor on to your point about not being able to compete in that uniform is a good one.  However, it gives me the opportunity to put some other uniforms together.  I have a Civil War Marine Outfit I can roll out.  There is also the Berdan Sharpshooter outfit I am toying with putting together, or some of my Spanish - American War Outfits.....
Title: Re: GAF Strikes Gold at End of Trail!!!
Post by: US Scout on July 04, 2006, 07:21:47 AM
GAF follows the same general rule with regard to the uniform competion.  If you win in a GAF competiion, the uniform can't be worn in another GAF competion (which so far is only the GAF Muster, but I see this expanding before long).

However, winning in a SASS or NCOWS competion, does not prohibit wearing the same uniform in a GAF competion.  Nor does winning in a GAF Competion prohibit it from being worn in a SASS or NCOWS competion. 

Too bad SASS and NCOWS don't have a rule that once a set of guns have been used to win a competion, they can't be used to win again!  :o ;D

All that said, Well Done to Bvt Lt Col and Maj Matt Lewis for his excellent accomplishment. 

This achievement entitles Maj Lewis to a Star of Merit.  However, until the website can be brought back up to date, you'll just have to hold on to that information until then.


US Scout
GAF, Commanding
Title: Re: GAF Strikes Gold at End of Trail!!!
Post by: Pitspitr on July 07, 2006, 02:32:45 PM
GAF follows the same general rule with regard to the uniform competion.  If you win in a GAF competiion, the uniform can't be worn in another GAF competion (which so far is only the GAF Muster, but I see this expanding before long).

OH GOOD! I was desparing of ever beating Rattlesnake Jack and that great big tall hat of his! ;)