Membership

Membership is open to both individuals and reenactment units. Units of Infantry, Artillery and Cavalry from the State of Ohio and neighboring states may join as voting members. Individual reenactors may join as associate members in a non-voting status.

Prospective new members (individuals and units) must be sponsored by an existing member in order to join. The current member units will vote on the acceptability of new units and individuals. A majority affirmative vote is necessary for acceptance.

Unit membership dues shall be (TBD) dollars per year. Individual dues of associate members shall be (TBD) dollars per year.

Unit or individual membership may be revoked for cause. Before revocation action, the individual or unit concerned shall be given a statement of the charges against them and have an opportunity for explanation. A unanimous vote of the current member units shall be necessary for expulsion.

Voting

Each member unit shall have one vote in all elections or questions brought before the membership. A representative of that unit must be present, either physically or on-line, in order to cast a vote. If more than one member of a unit attends a meeting, one will be designated as the unit representative before voting begins.

Associate (individual) members shall have no vote. However, they are welcome to attend business meetings, offer opinions, and submit questions for the member units to vote upon.

All members must be notified in advance of the date and place of business meetings. A quorum of representatives of 51% of the member units must be present for voting to take place.

Elections of officers (both executive and military) shall be held each November. Term of office shall be for the following calendar year for all positions.

Personnel

a. Administrative Personnel

No rank or military office is conferred by administrative positions.

The member units shall elect one individual as Executive Officer of the Association. This person may or may not be the same person as the military commander. He shall conduct all business meetings and manage the business affairs of the Association.

The member units shall elect another individual as Secretary. He shall take and maintain minutes of each business meeting, send correspondence to members, and oversee publication of the unit newsletter.

The member units shall elect an individual as Treasurer, who may or may not hold additional offices. He shall have custody of Association funds, and shall maintain records of all receipts and disbursements. He shall be responsible for all financial records required by any government or legal entities. He shall give a report of the Association's financial status to the Executive Officer at each business meeting.

b. Military Officers

All military officers elected by the Association shall apply themselves to the study of period tactical manuals and regulations in order to perfect their knowledge of authentic drill and military procedures. Every officer should prepare himself to carry out the duties of his own and the next higher position.

The member units shall elect an overall military commander, who will also command the Infantry battalion. He will be the principal instructor of the battalion at drills and will command it in the field. He will insure that the field officers are trained to take his place in his absence.

The member units of Artillery shall elect a Chief of Artillery. This officer will be the principal instructor of the artillery units at drills, and will command the artillery units appearing with the Army of the Ohio in the field.

The member units of Cavalry shall elect a Chief of Cavalry. This officer will be the principal instructor of the Cavalry units at drills, and will command the cavalry units appearing with the Army of the Ohio in the field.

The member units of Infantry shall elect two field officers. These officers will serve as wing commanders when required, and will prepare themselves to command the Infantry battalion in the overall commander's absence.

Each member unit of Infantry may identify, if it so chooses, one candidate to serve as Adjutant, and one to serve as Sergeant Major. These individuals will study the duties of these positions and prepare themselves for service when needed. The Infantry commander shall select his Adjutant and Sergeant Major from among these individuals whenever possible.

Additional staff appointments may be made by the commanders of the respective branches whenever necessary. All such appointments will be temporary in nature. Establishment of additional permanent staff positions will require a majority vote of the member units.

Rank Structure

No fixed military rank structure will be established. Instead, the rank displayed by officers and the number of staff officers will depend upon the number of units present and the scenario depicted. The commanders of the individual branches will determine the rank structure for each branch at each event. However, the maximum rank structure will not exceed the following:

a. Infantry:

If two field companies are present, the Commanding Officer may appear as a Major, and may appoint a Sergeant Major. If four field companies are present, the Commanding Officer may appear as a Lt. Colonel. He may appoint one field officer (Major), a Sergeant Major, and an Adjutant. If five or more field companies are present, the Commanding Officer may appear as a Colonel. He may appoint two field officers (Lt. Colonel and Major), a Sergeant Major, and an Adjutant. Colors will not be carried on the field, except for parades and reviews, unless at least five field companies are present.

b. Artillery:

If one or two guns are present for action, the Chief of Artillery may appear as a Lieutenant, commanding the Section. If three guns are present, the Chief of Artillery may appear as a Captain, commanding the Battery. He may appoint one Section commander (Lieutenant). If four to six guns are present, the Chief of Artillery may appear as a Captain, and may appoint up to three Section commanders (Lieutenants). If more than six guns are present, the Chief of Artillery may appear as a Major, commanding the Battalion. He will establish an appropriate rank structure, with Captains commanding batteries of at least three guns, and Lieutenants commanding Sections of one or two guns.

c. Cavalry:

(TBD. An appropriate historical model should be followed.)

Selection of Events

A scheduling meeting shall be held as soon as possible after the start of each calendar year. The association's activities for that year shall be determined at that meeting. Any additions or deletions will require the approval of a majority of the member units.

The member units shall choose one or two maximum effort events each year. All military officers of the Association and member units are expected to attend, and to encourage as many of their members as possible to attend.

Additionally, the member units shall choose a number (not to exceed four) of sanctioned events each year. In general, these events will be chosen at least 30 days apart. All military officers of the Association and all member units are strongly encouraged to attend.

When attending national-level events, the Association will attend as part of the Western Brigade. However, member units who are not members of the Western Brigade may elect to attend with their parent battalions, at their option.

Uniforms, Camp Styles, and Authenticity

The intention of the Association is to present a high quality impression of the life of Civil War soldiers in the field or in garrison. Accordingly, a high degree of authenticity is encouraged.

Civilian members of reenactment units will not camp in military camps.

Member units who permit women to portray soldiers may continue to do so when appearing with the Association. However, any woman whose gender is discovered while portraying a soldier will be liable to removal from the ranks, as her historical counterpart would have been.

Military camps will be laid out according to regulations and in a manner appropriate to the scenario being portrayed. All non-period-appropriate items within military camps will be effectively concealed during duty hours.

Members portraying officers and soldiers may stay overnight in modern or civilian camps if they so desire. However, they are expected to be present with their units during duty hours, unless excused. Officers leaving their commands during duty hours will leave someone in charge, and will advise him of their destination and the time they expect to return.

Uniforms and equipment will be appropriate for the time period and scenario portrayed. A mid-to-late war, "generic" Western Federal impression is appropriate unless otherwise specified. A plain and functional appearance appropriate to soldiers in the field is generally desired

It is not intended to require member units or individuals to acquire their gear from specific suppliers, nor to require expensive handcrafted uniforms and equipment. However, the Association may compile a list of recommended vendors and suppliers for the benefit of new members and those who wish to upgrade their impressions.

Authentic drill procedures as prescribed in original manuals and regulations will be followed, with any necessary changes due to safety considerations. The commanders of the various branches will specify the particular manuals to be used for reference and instruction. They will also specify any deviations required by safety and any procedures not covered by manuals and regulations. The intention is to provide unit commanders enough information to drill their units to Association standards before appearing with the Association.

Safety

Safety will be stressed in all operations conducted by the Association.

All safety procedures and regulations prescribed by event hosts will be observed and strictly enforced.

All weapons carried on the field or discharged will be inspected by a competent individual before being carried or loaded.

Non-members (individuals or units) appearing with the Association will be certified as competent in weapon handling procedures by an Association member or officer, before being permitted to take the field.

The Commanding Officer will appoint a safety officer for each event.

Civilians

Members of reenactment units are encouraged to have their spouses, children, and friends participate in Association activities as authentic civilians. However, civilians appearing in modern dress during the times in which camps are open to the public are encouraged to camp in modern facilities.

Civilian and military camps will be separated. However, civilians in appropriate dress and following appropriate etiquette are encouraged to visit military camps. Likewise, soldiers are permitted to visit the civilian camps when off duty.

Civilians are encouraged to develop authentic impressions reflecting the life and conditions of 19th century people in order to assist the Association's overall impression.

The Association executive officer may appoint a civilian coordinator on a temporary or permanent basis. This person will assist civilians with camp layout and setup, coordinate civilian activities, and serve as liaison with the military officers.