alright, help me out!

it loosk like the c.m. russell museum is going to have a "cowboy culture" event in july of this year. some events are going to be roping demonstrations, old-time music and, of course, cowboy food. this event is going to come directly to my desk for palnning and organizing.

give me some ideas! it will be a one-day event, and i'd appreciate the input!

How about a "write a Cowboy tale" for kids.  It should be in a 'cowboy style' and have a "cowboy subject"Two classes one for kids under 12 and one for 12-18 years old.  Get the local high school English teachers involved.

By announcing the winner at the event, it insures that parents of every kid that entered will attend.

BEAR

Taz;

I'd also contact the local chapter of SASS.  Properly done, they could make a real contribution to the event.  They are the one's who will have clothing & accesories as well as proper period firearms.  Possibly they could provide a speaker who would address the reality of cowboys carrying firearms vs the Hollywood myth of a shoot-out on every Saturday night.

900F

thanks for the replies so far! here is the "blurb" i wrote that will go out to potential sponsors.

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Be a Part of Saddles and Spurs!

What was the daily life of a cowboy really like? Bed, clothes, food, pests, social life, healing, personal care, pests, weather, daily animal care, general ranch or camp life….did they gulp shots of straight whiskey?

The C.M. Russell Museum proposes to provide the answers to some of these questions! We are putting together a good, old-fashioned time for the families of Great Falls and the surrounding area, and we would like you to be a part of it! This event, called “Saddles and Spurs,” will take us back to a time when the spaces were wide open and the prairies were dotted with Longhorn, Hereford and Angus cattle. Charlie Russell himself, as you know, was called “the cowboy artist,” not because he painted and sculpted cowboys, but because he was a cowboy for several years in the Judith Basin. It was the freedom of the old west which inspired him to become an artist, and the life of the cowboy which was depicted in much of his best art. Our aim is to offer some of this experience to children and their parents.

Saddles and Spurs is scheduled to take place on 12 September from 1pm to 5pm, and will focus on introducing families to the daily life of a cowboy in Montana from the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s. Proposed events include roping demonstrations, dutch-oven cooking, exhibitions of cowboy clothing and tools, campfire stories, cowboy poetry and music. A chuck wagon barbecue and an ice cream social are also anticipated. Other “brainstorm” ideas include a “write a cowboy tale” activity, which would give children an opportunity to write their own western adventure, fancy six-gun handling, and an exhibition of cowboy-action rifles. A good addition might also be a speaker who could compare the true life of a cowboy with Hollywood’s depictions of the same.

Saddles and Spurs is an opportunity to teach families about the history of the west and to promote a bit of awareness of the cowboy experience in Montana. for instance, it is not generally known that a large percentage of cowboys in Montana were African or Native American, and that quite a few of them went on to become fairly serious ranchers, especially on the Blackfoot Reservation. This bit of trivia is just a small part of what can be learned by parents and children as they also try their hand at roping a calf or making sourdough biscuits in a dutch oven.

A large part of Saddles and Spurs will be live entertainment, and we have asked Ken Overcast from Chinook to provide this entertainment. He is enthusiastic about the proposal and eager to be a part of this family event. His talents abound in just about anything dealing with cowboy life, including cowboy poetry, music and stories. More information about Ken can be found at his website, www.kenovercast.com.

An event such as saddles and spurs will provide a good, wholesome, old-fashioned diversion for the entire family, and is sure to be a fun way of learning about this very important chapter in Montana’s history. The C.M. Russell Museum invites you to participate in this event, and would be honored to include you as a sponsor.

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still would be happy to see any suggestions or opinions!