WHO WE ARE

 CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLES

Civil War Round Tables are independent organizations that share a common objective in promoting and expanding interest and knowledge of the military, political and sociological history of the American Civil War.  Located across the US, and, indeed worldwide, their efforts help ensure the preservation of our American heritage - specifically, the study of the Civil War and the preservation of its historic sites and battlefields.  Each Round Table develops its own individual character in its goals, activities, and operations.

THE CIVIL WARRIORS

The Civil Warriors Civil War Round Table was formed in 1994 by Bob Bermant, Michael Blue, and Dr. Jeff Wissot and has operated continuously since its founding.  Our group is non-political and does not espouse any particular historical point of view.  All are welcome and members range in Civil War knowledge from novice to near expert.  The Civil Warriors is based in northwestern Los Angeles, drawing its members primarily from across the San Fernando Valley, as well as the nearby Conejo, Simi, and Santa Clarita Valleys.

The mission of The Civil Warriors is to preserve the heritage and history of the central event of American history and to enrich the understanding of the War Between the States by our members.  To promote these goals, we strive to:

• Provide a meeting environment conducive to attendees’ enjoyment of camaraderie and to the presentation of historical, educational opportunities for our members and guests.

• Support other Round Tables and regional and national organizations in preserving and increasing awareness of the history of the Civil War.

• Promote access to resources to encourage research and learning and promote participation in Civil War-related activities.

As part of our community involvement, Civil Warriors endeavors to disseminate information concerning local civic events, lectures, memorials, conferences, reenactments, and other Civil War related activities.  Along with this website, public outreach is also accomplished through Facebook, as well as local community publications and organizations.

Promoting the preservation of Civil War sites and artifacts is of great interest to Civil Warriors and the public support of organizations such as The American Battlefield Trust and The Friends of the Hunley, and the vital work that they undertake, is encouraged.

The Civil Warriors operates informally and depends on volunteers from our membership to run meetings, arrange speakers, contribute to the website, handle financial matters, and so forth.  As such, no officers or operating board is presently formally elected or appointed by our membership.  There are no membership dues required to participate in Round Table activities.  Donations to help defray our costs are greatly appreciated and may be mailed directly to Civil Warriors.  Donations 

MONTHLY MEETINGS

The major activity of the Civil Warriors in promoting education is hosting an invited speaker at our monthly meeting to address the group on a topic relevant to some aspect of the Civil War.  Our speakers reflect a wide range of contributors, from university professors and authors to our and other Round Tables’ members.  Meetings are normally held on the second Wednesday of every month, with the scheduled presentation starting promptly at 7 PM (Pacific Time).  In-person meetings were discontinued in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, being replaced with on-line meetings by Zoom.  While the camaraderie of meeting together, obviously, suffered, the Zoom environment allowed us to significantly expand our resources of presenters from beyond Southern California to the entire U.S., as well as our cadre of attendees.  In November, 2023, we had our first in-person meeting since COVID, but, at this time, have elected to continue in-person gatherings only on a quarterly basis, with Zoom format as the norm for the other monthly meetings.  We will continue to evaluate the possibility of resuming in-person meetings on a monthly basis, possibly augmented by combining with a Zoom connection.  Given the technical and logistical requirements, this change is not likely to occur before mid-2025.   Meeting Place Map 

Preceding the presentation, a few minutes is devoted to Round Table business, addressing announcements, introduction of new members or visitors, and general questions about Civil War-related activities.  Time is allowed both before and following the meeting to both promote free discussion and foster camaraderie among the speaker, members, and visitors.

Presentations are about an hour in length, usually augmented by audio-visual aids and artifacts.  Questions are usually taken during the talk but may be reserved for a discussion period following the presentation.  You may refer to the “Meetings” section of this website for a summary listing of recent and planned future meeting presentation topics.

Periodically, the monthly meeting will host an open forum discussion of a relevant Civil War or Civil War-related topic.  These discussions are moderated by a knowledgeable CWRT member or an outside expert, with the intent of generating a broad spectrum of thoughts, ideas, and reactions to interesting aspects of the subject.  Past discussions have included, What If the Confederacy Had Achieved Independence?, The Confederate Monument Controversy, and Who Was Responsible for The Civil War?

Reminders about the monthly meeting and presentation topic, as well as meeting on-line connection or location information, are e-mailed to members and those on our mailing list shortly before our meeting day.  If you are a first-time visitor to the Civil Warriors, please contact us at cwrtsfv@gmail.com for meeting information or if you would like to be added to our e-mail mailing list.

Because there are no annual membership dues, Civil Warriors collects a fee from the attendees at each in-person meeting to provide funds to pay for in-person meeting expenses and to support the Round Table’s other activities.  Currently, the fee is $5.