News---Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Exam in December

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Hear Ye! The entry level exam for a position with the Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guides will be offered on Saturday December 4 in the classrooms of the Harrisburg Community College building in Gettysburg. Fifty bucks will get you a desk, a chair and an exam.

The exam consists of three short essay questions that if you don't get correct, then you fail the test and your answers to the 200+ are not valid. As a matter of fact your 200+ answers are not even checked. Pass the essays and get about 92%+ of the 200+ questions correct and then move to the second level. In January a 16 hour course is offered which includes the 'perfect' tour offered by the guides. The guys who miss zero questions on the test then get first crack to take a NPS ranger on a two hour tour of the battlefield. Fail it and you get a second chance. Fail the second chance and go get in line for the 2012 test.

If you get above a 92% or one of the top 15 scores then you go through the 16 hour course and if the first two guys pass the oral tour exam, then it is over. No GLBG badge for you. You don't take the final oral exam. Go get in line for the 2012 test. The current number of guides at about 165 and the GLBG Association is not looking to add more than two or three guides every other year.

So should you take exam? Of course. CWL took it in 2006 to discover what he knew and didn't know. Mission accomplished in 2006. CWL wanted to improve his score in 2008. Mission accomplished with a 5% increase. Now on to 2010! The goal is to get close to 90% The goal is not to become a GLBG but to test myself against myself. That's it. Improvement. So after 2010 and a 90% score what is next? The Antietam Licensed Battlefield Guide Exam, of course.

By the way small eruptions among the test takers are common during the test. Some of the exam directions and questions are unclear and may be read in two ways. Clyde Bell and assorted GLBGs huddle like NFL refs in the front of the room and decide on what the exam writer wants and then, going room to room, they make an announcement. CWL wonders whether the NPS and the GLBGs need an experienced educator to review the test for clarity.

Photo Source: Clyde Bell, GNMP ranger and exam proctor.Gettysburg Daily

New and Noteworthy----So You Think You Know Gettysburg?

So You Think You Know Gettysburg? : The Stories Behind The Monuments And The Men Who Fought One of America's Epic Battles, James and Suzanne Gindelsperger, J. F. Blair Publishing, index, heavily illustrated, 2010, $18.95.

Yes I do. I've taken the Gettysburg Battlefield Licenced Guide (GLBG) test twice and expect to in December 2010, like in 2008, add 6 percentage points to my first year's score. The Gindlesperger's book is a welcomed addition to my bookshelf. With 200+ entries that are illustrated with recent photographs, So You Think is a fine immersion into the battle's and the park's significant stories.

Comparing the table of contents to possible GLBG exam questions, there is a high correlation between the topics covered and the 200+ exam questions. In eleven chapters, each having its own map, So You Think is organized as both a 'ready reference' guide and tour guide book. Important sites that are usually skipped over but are in the book are the Alms House Cemetery, the Letterman hospital site, David Acheson's grave, Signal Rock, and Timber's Farm. Fortunately, there are no ghost stories and Sach's Bridge merits only a mention that if you visit it in the evening you may find ghosts hunters. Also, the comments on the Triangular Field does not mention ghosts.

Of course, So You Think is not exhaustive. The material on Iverson's Pits does not include that Gettysburg's first airport was built on the North Carolinians' assault path. But the Camp Colt marker on the left flank of the Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble assault path is noted. The Kuhn's Brickyard mural is shown; Jennie Wade's birthplace and the house where she was killed are both presented. Flank markers, building plaques, hospital signs, headquarters' upturned cannon barrels and the variety of markers and tables for corps, brigades and batteries are discussed. Not available from the text are the names of the sculptors of Confederate and Lincoln monuments; they are questions on the GLBG exam.

Blessedly, the Gindelspergers include the battlefield's farms which nearly always receive little recognition. Eleven farms are covered but somehow the Slyder Farm that offered cover to Federal sharpshooters in the path of the Longstreet's assault on the Round Tops. Overall, So You Think is an attractive addition to the bookshelves of those visiting the park or studying for the exam. On the GLBG exam there are 20 black and white photocopies of monuments. They are the bane of this test taker. I suspect that the majority of those monuments that are used for the exam can be found in So You Think.

News---Gettysburg Battlefield Guide Prez Steps Down, Dissatisfaction of Members Cited

Battlefield Guide Chief Resigns Under Pressure, Scot Andrew Pitzer, Gettysburg Times, Monday, March 23, 2009

The two-year leader of the Licensed Battlefield Guide Association in Gettysburg has resigned, citing internal pressure from the 118-member group. “For the good of the organization, I feel that I have no choice but to step down,” said Rick Hohmann. “If you took a vote of the organization, I think I would have the support of the majority. But we’re at the point where the minority has power.”

Hohmann’s resignation stems from a Feb. 26 newspaper letter to the editor, and subsequent letters to two federal Pennsylvania officials, in which he called for oversight of Gettysburg National Military Park Supt. Dr. John Latschar. The letters, signed by Hohmann, cite “possible ethics violations” by Latschar. Hohmann signed the letters using his title of president, upsetting other guides.

“To some, the resignation might look like a win for Latschar, but I think he’s got other problems,” said Hohmann, naming an ongoing U.S. Inspector General’s probe as an example. He announced his resignation during the group’s membership meeting Friday night. “I’ve stood up for the guides for two years,” says Hohmann. “I just don’t think there’s anything else that I can do for the organization.”

Reportedly, some guides threatened to leave the organization if Hohmann didn’t step down, which would have resulted in a loss of membership dues. According to Hohmann, proceeds from a book — written by former ALBG President Frederick Hawthorne — may have also been pulled if he didn’t resign. The proceeds generate about $5,000 annually, representing the group’s largest source of income. Hawthorne did not immediately return a call Sunday seeking comment. “I’m not going to be blackmailed,” said Hohmann, adding that he didn’t leave the association. He did, however, resign as president. “I don’t quit,” Hohmann says.

Association member Roy Frampton is replacing Hohmann as president. The group will appoint a vice president at its executive board meeting in April. “That’s the way our bylaws work,” says ALBG Treasurer Phil Lechak. “(Frampton) was our vice president, so he automatically becomes the new president.” Even though he represented the group as president, the views expressed in Hohmann’s letters did not please other guides. Hohmann asked Congress to explore possible “abuses” and “malfeasance” related to Latschar’s role in creating the new $103 million Battlefield Visitor Center.

The U.S. Inspector General (IG) is reviewing the issue, as well as many other allegations. His letters were written when the IG investigation became public. Hohmann also wrote letters to two federal officials, U.S. Rep. Todd Platts and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, seeking congressional hearings. Hohmann and Latschar have clashed over the years on matters such as a new tour reservation system, park rules and regulations, and Latschar’s wife taking notes at association meetings. Hohmann led the group during a period of growth and change.

In Jan. 2008, the membership voted to vacate its headquarters at the old park visitor center on Taneytown Road, after voicing displeasure about the park’s new scheduling system. The group branched out to sub-locations, and now has an office at Patriots Point along Steinwehr Avenue.

Text and Picture Source: Gettysburg Times

CWL: Yep, that's right. It is 'of the people, by the people, and for the people' and is not 'I am the one that I've been waiting for.'

Forthcoming This Spring: Complete Guide To Touring the Gettysburg Battlefield

The Complete Gettysburg Guide: Walking and Driving Tours of the Battlefield, Town, Cemeteries, Field Hospital Sites, and other Topics of Historical Interest, J. David Petruzzi, Savas Beattie Publishing, 320 pp, maps, May 2009, $39.95.

Some two million people visit the battlefield at Gettysburg each year. It is one of the most popular historical destinations in the United States. Most visitors tour the field by following the National Park Service's suggested auto tour that however, skips crucial monuments, markers, battle actions, town sites, hospital locations, and other hidden historical gems that should be experienced by everyone. These serious oversights are fully rectified in The Complete Gettysburg Guide, penned by noted Gettysburg historian J. David Petruzzi and illustrated with the lavish, full-color photography and maps (70) of Civil War cartographer Steven Stanley.

Complete, detailed, and up-to-date,The Complete Gettysburg Guide: Walking and Driving Tours of the Battlefield, Town, Cemeteries, Field Hospital Sites, and other Topics of Historical Interest includes:

Several of the detailed driving and walking tours of the entire battlefield include:
A tour of many identified field hospital sites for both armies;
Tours of the National Cemetery and the town's Evergreen Cemetery;
A tour of Gettysburg borough's sites of historical interest before and after the battle;
Outlying battlefields including the June 26, 1863 skirmish site, East Cavalry Field, South Cavalry Field, Hunterstown, and Fairfield;
A tour of the various rock carvings on the battlefield, many of which were created by returning veterans and pre-date most of the monuments.

About the Authors: J. David Petruzzi is widely recognized as one of the country's leading Gettysburg experts. In addition to his numerous articles for a wide variety of publications, he is the author (with Eric Wittenberg) of bestsellers Plenty of Blame to Go Around: Jeb Stuart's Controversial Ride to Gettysburg (Savas Beatie, 2006) and (with Wittenberg and Michael Nugent) One Continuous Fight: The Retreat From Gettysburg and the Pursuit of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, July 4-14, 1863 (Savas Beatie, 2008). Petruzzi is also a popular speaker on the Civil War Roundtable circuit and regularly conducts tours of Civil War battlefields. His website is www.jdpetruzzi.com.

Steven Stanley lives in Gettysburg and is a graphic artist specializing in historical map design and battlefield photography. His maps, considered among the best in historical cartography, have been a longtime staple of the Civil War Preservation Trust and have helped raised millions of dollars for the Trust through their preservation appeals and interpretation projects. Steve's maps have appeared in a wide variety of publications.

Text Supplied by publisher and author with slight CWL edits.
CWL will be pre-ordering this book and pack it for every trip to Gettysburg. Without seeing it yet, The Complete Guide appears that it may be essential for the Licensed Battlefield Guide Exam.

CWL--The Rock On Which Longstreet's July 2nd Tide Broke: The Bliss Farm

The Bliss Farm, John Archer, GLBG, PCN Gettysburg Battlewalks, 75 minutes, dvd, 2007, $19.95

John Archer sets out the key elements and effects of the nearly continuous fight for the Bliss Farm on July 1-3. Having lost two sons to western New York state's harsh winters, John Bliss sold his farm and moved his family to Adams County, Pennsylvania in 1857. There within six years he would lose everything except his life and the lives of his family.

Located on the west side of the Emmitsburg Pike and opposite of the Brian Farm on Cemetery Ridge, Bliss' 59 acres were in the path of Longstreet's July 2nd assault and the Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble Assault of July 3rd. Noting the arrival of Buford's Division on June 30 and Reynold's Corps on July 1st, the Bliss family fled with nothing except the clothes on their backs. Around noon on July 1st the flight was so hasty that a prepared meal was left in the kitchen the homes' front doors doors were left open. Confederate skirmishers were ensconced in the buildings by late evening of July 1st.

As Longstreet's July 2nd en eschelon attack rolled from south to north, Wright's Georgia brigade's left wing encountered the Cordori farmstead and pushed aside the 82nd New York, the 15th Massachusetts and Brown's battery. The brigade crested Cemetery Ridge, then forced the 13th Vermont, the 7th Michigan and the 59th New York back. On Wright's brigade(Anderson's division) left, Wilcox's and Lang's brigade were trading volleys with the 1st Minnesota and the 19th Maine. On Wright's right Posey's brigade (Pender's division) engulfed the Bliss farmstead held by the 12th New Jersey. Posey's brigade were nearly fought to a standstill who had turned the the barn and house into a bastion. Though Posey's brigade pushed the New Jersey soldiers out of the farmstead, the Mississippians appeared to be fought out and stayed on the west side of Emmitsburg Road while Wright briefly held a portion of the crest of Cemetery Ridge.

During the course of the battle, LBG John Archer states that the Bliss farmstead exchanged hands 10 times. In this respect, the Bliss Farm is quite similar to the Wheatfield which was probably exchanged 8 times. On the morning of July 3rd, the buildings exchanged hands at least twice before Union general Alexander Hays ordered both the barn and the house burned. During the Grand Assault, Brockenbrough's brigade marched past the smoking ruins but also, like Posey's brigade, stopped short of the Emmitsburg Road.

John Bliss filed a claim for $2,500 to $3,500 in damages three different times. The federal government turned him down twice because the farm buildings were used by the Rebels. The Pennsylvania legislature passed a bill for the amount to be paid but a check was never written. Bliss lost about $2,500 in buildings, improvements, tools, equipment crops, cattle and personal belongs when he sold the farm to Nicholas Cordori for $1,000 in 1866. Archer quotes Bliss as later saying "Let it go. I would give twenty farms for such a victory." The family returned to western New York stay where it maintained a meager existence.

Archer recommends Woodrow Christ's book on the Bliss Farm and several articles in Gettysburg Magazine. He notes that the fighting and the importance of the Bliss Farm was generally overlooked until Christ's book, Over a White Hot Crimson Plain, appeared in the mid-1990s. Archer's descriptions include many remarks made by the soldiers. Of course, the viewer would do well to have the McElfresh Watercolor Maps or the Friends of the National Parks at Gettysburg maps handy.


Top Image Source: Brothers' War Relief from the monument to the 12th New Jersey on Cemetery Ridge which depicts one of the Union assaults on the Bliss Farm. Gettysburg National Military Park, Pennsylvania.

Bottom Image Source: Gettysburg NMP Virtual Tour, Day Three The Bliss Farm is across the Emmitsburg Road and below the right foot of the 111th New York monument. Note the tip of the roof of the Brian barn at the right of the monument.

CWL Takes Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Exam

CWL arrived in Gettysburg Thursday 12.04.08 in the late afternoon for the Saturday test. Bivouacking in the Travelodge on Steinwehr, CWL took meals at The Avenue Diner. Twelve hundred flashcards, a three hour hike, one Guinness draft and 42 hours later, the test was wrapped up. In 2006, the test took CWL the full three hours; in 2008 2.5 hours. Maybe I know more than I did the first time through in 2006but maybe not enough in 2008 to get that 92% which would probably advance me to the oral exam. The 2006 score was 82%. This year I am hoping to get close to within a couple of points 90%.

In 2006, CWL probably identified two of the 21 monument pictures; this year 12 to 14 are probably right. It's tough; they are black and white photographs, with most of the text digitally chiseled off the monument, then photocopied. Pick from a list of possible answers; the list contains 4 more answers than monuments. So was it the 2nd or the 6th New Jersey monument? The 9th or the 11th Pennsylvania Reserves monument. (It was the 9th's monument; I am a reenactor in Co. A, 9th Pennsylvania Reserves.) In 2006, CWL aced the map and the portraits; ditto in 2008. Did well on the true and false, multiple choice and okay on the completion without a work bank.

About 250 people asked the Gettysburg NPS for materials to be mailed to them. Of those Close to 145 sent in the $50 registration fee and 135 showed up today to take the test. Less than 20 of the top scorers will be asked to attend a two and a half day seminar regarding the contents and style of tour giving. These then will be listed for the 2 hour oral exam in which they present their tour of the battlefield. In 2006, 21 people were eligible to take the oral exam, and only 10 of those passed the exam . Therefore, of the 250 people who requested information to take the test this year, possibly 10 will become Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guides before the December, 2010 examination.

In the top picture, NPS test creator and administrator Clyde Bell displays the 25+/- page test. In the middle picture (left) CWL is sitting in the aisle seat of the fourth table on the left, a furrowed brow resting on his left hand. In the bottom picture CWL is at the fourth table, in the black long sleeve tee shirt. To CWL's right and in the blue sweatshirt is police officer and firearms instructor Thaddeus Comer, whom used CWL's flashcards which were shared on the internet.

Image and Numbers Source: Gettysburg Daily.com, December 6th, 2008.

CWL---Studying for the LBG Exam's Questions on Monuments

On the 2006 Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide exam, there were 20 black and white, photocopied photos with all lettering digitally chiseled off the image. Test takers had to pick the name of the monument from a list of 22 or 24 monument names. I identified one equestrian monument and that was due to the tree in the background. I took the full amount of time on the Saturday morning test of 200+ questions.

So, that Saturday afternoon I started shopping in Gettysburg for photo album books, compact disks, and maps. Here's a short list of what I have bought in the past two years; the list is ranked from most helpful for test preparation.

1. Monumental Battlefields: Monuments and Markers at Gettysburg, Monumental Battlefields, Inc., 2002. The set consists of four compact disks, maps, and a booklet with lists of the monuments and markers with map and compact disk coordinates. The 3500 color photographs of all monuments taken from four sides, the avenue markers, the flank markers, the hospitals' markers, the headquarters' markers, distinct topographic features, artillery pieces and buildings and other miscellaneous items is probably the most comprehensive collection of all the many collections of Gettysburg battlefield.

Distinctive features include zoom-in features to read the engravings and moderately extensive maps with the locations of the monuments. Recalling that the price was a round $20, it is also probably the best buy. Relative to exam preparation, it is easy to use and allows for a quick review. I plan to spend a half an hour a night for three weeks compiling a list of the likely monuments to appear on the exam.

2. Stephen Recker's Virtual Gettysburg, by Stephen Recker, Another Software Miracle Inc., 2002. Is truly a marvelous preparation resource for the LBG exam. One compact disk is packed with tours, period photographs, and battlefield preservation history. The guided tour of the battlefield with LBG Gary Kross who gives the tour while you are looking at what he is point to. The tour also contains 99 panoramic (360 degrees) views of the battlefield. It is as if the viewer is standing beside Garry Kross and is able to turn completely around to see what is to the right, rear and left of the Kross. Also, There is an extensive collection of period photographs of the battlefield, the monuments, and maps. The entire Kross tour is also on three audio compact disks; CWL used them for a two hour automobile tour of the battlefield and then returned to the motel room, booted up the computer and took the same tour and reviewed the period photographs at the same time. A spiral bound book is included which contains the transcript of the tour and a map of the tour stops. For this exam taker, Virtual Gettysburg is essential. The price is $129 and for the dollar investment gives ample returns.

3.Gettysburg: The Complete Pictorial of Battlefield Monuments, D. Scott Hartwig and Ann Marie Hartwig, Thomas Publications, 2007. A reprint of the 1988 Granite House publication that was updated in 2003, this 72 page stable bound magazine size booklet has the essentials. All of the many monuments and markers are pictured: bronzes, Union and Confederate state memorials, commemorative monuments, regimental monuments, as well as the more recent additions up to 2003. Regimental markers are pictured by state. At $8.95 its a good buy. CWL has turned the book into a flashcard resource by using a bookmark to cover the photograph titles. Also, CWL notes that the photographs do not have the clarity of digital images and suspects that the photographs were take in the mid-1980s.


Top Image Source: William Bretzger, Gettysburg 365

CWL---2008's Licensed Guide Exam For Gettysburg

After sending a formal request to Clyde R. Bell, Supervisory Park Ranger/Licensed Battlefield Guides, my name has been placed on the list of prospects wishing to take the GNMP's Licensed Battlefield Guide Exam that is scheduled for December 6. Sometime after October 1, I'll be receiving an application form and a request for a registration fee of $50. The GNMP expects over 125 individuals to take the test and will select the top 20 scorers for a list. Some on this list of 20 may be called to attended a two day training session then later an oral exam. In 2006, 128 took the cut and the top 21 scorers were placed on a list.

If you are on list of fewer than 20 and don't receive an invitation to take the oral, then you remain on the list for two years. After two years the list expires and you go back to the pool of 125 test takers. It sounds like the ranks of the GLBG are full and no retirements expected.

Though the contents of the test haven't changed, it appears that several conditions of employment have changed. Somewhere is my copy the 2006 letter. These items seem to have changed: Full-time guides must give 175 tours and part-time guides must give 90 tours. It appears the personal income generated by tours is between something less than $9,000 upon which taxes must be paid, dues of $360 must be paid, and a uniform purchased. Of course, 175 bus tours would double the amount of earnings.

New guides must present a minimum of 100 car trips and guide for six months before being allowed to guide buses. LBG must buy their own portable public address system for use on bus tours. On the test's bibliography for the battle there are 32 books and volume 27 (three parts) of the Official Records. On the test's bibliography for the war there are 24 general works and eleven memoirs and reminiscences. Surprising to CWL is that Retreat From Gettysburg: Lee, Logistics and the Pennsylvania Campaign by Kent Masterson Brown (2007) and The Stand of the U.S. Army at Gettysburgby Jeffery C. Hall (2003) are not on the battle's bibliography. Also, Eric Wittenberg's books on the cavalry actions are not on the list. CWL will provide a copy of the bibliography upon request.

Photo Source: Gettysburg National Military Park

CWL---The Licensed Battlefield Guide Exam

Three hours long, 200+ true and false, multiple choice, matching, short answers, longer answers, a map, photographs of monuments and generals and a grade curve in which anything less than 94% fails. About 125 take the test and about two-thirds have taken it before. Offered every other even year in December. Yes, its the Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Exam. My first test was in 2006 and my next one will be in 2008. If I recall correctly I missed about forty and got about an 82%; the letter is somewhere closeby.

So, what I am doing for the next one? Starting earlier than I did the first time I took the test. I started in August and took the test in December.

What will I be reading and making flashcards from?

The Battle:
'The First Day', Harry Pfanz
'July One', David Martin
'The Second Day', Harry Pfanz
'The Second Day, Culp's Hill, Harry Pfanz
'Pickett's Charge', Earl Hess

The Campaign:
'Gettysburg', Stephen Sears
'Testing of Courage' Noah Trudeau
'Gettysburg: A Study In Command', William Coddington
'Glory Road', Bruce Catton, the Gettysburg chapters

Battle Segments and Units:
Gettysburg Magazine articles
Brigades of Gettysburg, Bradley Gottfied
Generals of Gettysburg, Larry Tagg

The Tour Guides published by Thomas Publications and White Mane Publishing:
East Cemetery Hill, John Archer
Culp's Hill, John Archer
The Wheatfield, Jay Jorgenson
Little Round Top, Gary Adelmann
Devil's Den, Gary Adelman and Tim Smith

I'll have the history of the park, essential maps, and monument photo books' and Pennsylvania Cable Network's Gettysburg Battlewalks' dvd bibliogrpahica citations posted soon. Today's posting is not being made from my personal library.

Also, I'll be working with Stephen Recker's Virtual Gettysburg which is the creme de la creme of battlefield tours. Gary Kross is the tour guide and Recker has about 20 360 degree photos of the battlefield. This photos are navigable, which means you can, for example, stand near the McPherson Barn and see Oak Hill, the Willoughby Run hollow, Herbst's Woods, Seminary Ridge, and the borough. Virtual Gettysburg has the most period photographs of the battlefield and the monuments (both at their contruction and current day) than any other format, book/compact disk/wwwsite, that I know of.

What will I be doing with all of this? At the end of March, I'll be in Lynchburg, VA at Liberty University's Gettysburg symposium; the second week in April I'll be in Gettysburg at the GNMP's symposium.Well, I've already read everything once or twice in my life time (I see retirement on the horizon). Gettysburg: A Study in Command--once in high school and once in college, ditto with Catton's Glory Road.

In August 2006, I created flashcards on www.flashcardmachine.com and by December had about 1,000. If you want to look at my flashcards, then email me. Anyone looking for a study buddy?

Picture: Ninth Pennsylvania Reserves Monument, located in the saddle between the Round Tops; photographer: Rea Andrew Redd

Other Voices---Bringing The GLBGs Into The 21st Century?

Guides Speak Out On Leader's Remarks, Matt Casey, The Evening Sun, January 6, 2008.

A group of battlefield guides would like you to know Rick Hohmann - the president of the Association of License Battlefield Guides - does not speak for them. Hohmann has been a vocal critic of National Park Service and Gettysburg Foundation plans for a new battlefield tour reservation system that would allow visitors to reserve tours online using credit cards. He also announced the organization would likely relocate its headquarters off park grounds.

"Rick was speaking only for himself and his comments were not approved by either the leadership of the ALBG nor by its membership in whole or in part," Ed Suplee, a full-time guide since 2004, said in an e-mail. "As an individual member of the ALBG, I have been very pleased and gratified by the way the membership and many within our ALBG leadership have responded to the inappropriate, vitriolic and divisive press comments made recently by Rick Hohmann," Suplee said.

The Gettysburg guides have functioned under federal control for nearly a century, and relations have not always been amicable. But some guides said Hohmann crossed the line into personal attacks when he publicly said Terry Latschar - a licensed guide and wife of Park Superintendent John Latschar - aggravated park/guide relations by attending association meetings and intimidating guides from speaking.
The real issues dividing the park and the guides right now are not "that major" said 15-year guide Wayne Wachsmuth. "It's become rather emotional," the retired Air Force pilot said. "Logic seems to not be having a great deal of influence."

"As an old airplane driver, emotions were things that you had to divorce yourself from," Wachsmuth said. Hohmann opposes the online and credit card reservation system on the grounds it would put guides on a two-week pay schedule, could cramp their ability to swap tours with each other and limit tips. Currently, visitors pay for their tours in cash at the end of the tour. Two-year guide Gar Phillips said he would "love" to continue to be paid in cash "but you have to admit, how many jobs are like that?"

Suplee said he thought Hohmann's insistence on cash payment made the guides look "archaic and silly." Wachsmuth said he said he doesn't understand the fear of a regular paycheck. When he served in the Air Force, he said, he only received one paycheck a month. As far as tips, Wachsmuth said, they comprise a small portion of a guide's pay - maybe $10 on top of a $45 tour - and he didn't think paying ahead of time would reduce tips. John Weixel, a recently-licensed part time guide, said he thought the credit card system may actually enhance tips. He doesn't like to carry a lot of cash when traveling, he said, and he would be more likely to give a tip if he weren't paying for the service at the same time.

Joanne Lewis, a guide who splits her time between battlefield and town tours, said she didn't think the new system would cramp guides ability to swap tours with each other. The reservation system, she speculated, would help visitors and guides. She has personally turned visitors away because there were no guides available to accommodate them, she said.

The new system, she said, would help connect customers with guides - especially in an age "when everybody's personal time is at a premium" and visitors tend to research Gettysburg on the Internet before departing for the park. Weixel called that "bringing the visitor service experience into the 21st century," and called the planned opening of the new visitor center "the culmination of a lot of terrific things that have been going on at the park."
Some guides talked to cautioned that their position didn't mean the supported the Park Service on all issues - but they all supported the new visitor center and opposed Hohmann's proposal to move the guides' office off park property. Wachsmuth said he didn't think the association could afford to properly advertise the location to give it as much visibility as a headquarters in the new visitor center would have. Even if the guides do move their headquarters, Superintendent John Latschar said recently that the park would maintain a room for the guides in the new visitor center. The large room includes a kitchenette and access to bathrooms not open to the public.

Susan Boardman, the immediate past president of the organization, said there is also debate over how the association should vote on whether or not to move its headquarters. Hohmann proposed a vote at the association's Jan. 18 business meeting. Guides live in places as far flung as Maine and California, Boardman said, and holding votes at winter meetings grant undue sway to local guides. "It no longer works, our system of voting, because people can no longer come," Boardman said. She said that wasn't intentional. When the organization started, most guides lived within 50 miles of the park. "The bylaws need to be changed," she said, but some member oppose allowing votes cast by proxy through phone calls or email.

But the association's rules do allow for another method of voting. Phil Lechak, a member of the association's executive council, said the council will meet Sunday night to decide if an anonymous mail-in vote would be a more appropriate method for the association to make this decision. Mostly, the guides interviewed said, they'd just like to put this current controversy behind them. "Since the Licensed Battlefield Guide designation was created by the United States Congress in 1915," said Ed Suplee. "The LBGs have had a proud tradition of excellence and public service and I look forward to our continuing this very important mission."

Source: http://www.eveningsun.com/localnews/ci_7894616

Contact: Matt Casey at mcasey@eveningsun.com

Top Picture: Tim Smith and Wayne Mott
Middle Picture: Anthony Nicastro
Bottom Picture: GLBG group in 2006