By-Laws; 1st VA CAV & 2nd US Dragoon’s

Section I- Mission Statement

  1. The Regiment of Cavalry is dedicated to the preservation of the memory of those men who have served our nation in units of the United States and ConfederateArmies, under the designation of “Cavalry.”
  2. The unit participates in living history programs for public groups, schools and in historic reenactments throughout the Northwest. It is affiliated with the Washington Civil War Association.

Section II- Membership Classification

  1. Probationary Membership- New membership applicants may be accepted as Probationary Members upon presentation of a completed membership application and attendance at least one of the regimental drills or scheduled events. Upon completion of these conditions a vote of the membership present at the event will be taken and the applicant may be offered probationary membership. The probationary period lasts for one year. During that period the probationer will be required to join the Washington Civil War Association and take the WCWA Safety Tests and, if applicable, all Regimental Riding Tests and Certifications. In addition the probationer must attend at least 4 regimental events (either drills or living history events during the course of his/her probation.
  2. General Membership- The General membership is composed of all individual and family groups who are in good standing in the Regiment and the WCWA. Members can be either military or civilian.
  3. Voting Membership- The Voting Membership includes those persons who are in good standing the Regiment and the WCWA and who have attended the requisite number of events to maintain good standing and who have reached the age of 14 years.
  4. Honorary Membership-Honorary Membership may be conferred upon individuals or groups who have been nominated for such honorarium by members of the Regiment or Officer Corps and approved by the Officer Corps. Honorary membership confers no privileges within the Regiment, unless identified at time of nomination.

Section III. Regimental Leadership Positions- The Regimental leadership is composed of the following: commanding officer, executive officer, 1st Sergeant, Quartermaster,Sergeant and one or more Corporals as dictated by the size of the unit.

  1. Commanding Officer/ Executive Officer
  2. Must have been a member of the Regiment for at least two years and be currently in good standing with the Regiment and the WCWA.
  3. Must be mounted and have attained a Level Three battlefieldcertification.
  4. Must have attended all drills designated as “Regimental” drills and at leastseventy-five percent of the Regimental living history events.
  1. 1st Sergeant
  2. Must have been a member of the Regiment for at leasttwo years and be currently in good standing with theRegiment and the WCWA.

2. Must be mounted and have attained a Level Three battlefield certification. Unless, primary Duty is Dismounted CAV

a. under special circumstances, a NCO who is certifiedbattlefield level two may be elected 1st Sergeant

3. Must have attended all drills designated as “Regimental”Drills and at least seventy-five percent of the RegimentalLiving history events.

  1. Corporal

1. Must have been a member of the Regiment for at least One year and be currently in good standing with theRegiment and the WCWA. Reenacted for at least 2 years.

2, Must be mounted and have attained a Level three battlefield certification. Unless, primary Duty is Dismounted CAV

3. Must have attended all “Regimental Drills” and at Least seventy-five percent of the Regimental Living history events.

  1. Lieutenant & Sergeants may be promoted and assigned for leadership roles for Dismount or Mounted, based on units needs and growth.
  2. For example, for every 4 troops we need another Corporal, and for every 8 troops we need a Sergeant or a 1st SGT and perhaps a LT. This should be at the behest of the Commander and preceded by a group consensus.
  3. Removal from Leadership or membership for cause.
  4. An Officer or NCO or a member may be removed prematurely from their respective position, or unit membership based on the following conditions.
  5. Failure to meet the minimum duties as prescribed below in Section IV.
  6. Misconduct under the Unit and WCWA Bylaws & Rules
  7. Being un-safe or willfully Violating the Safety Rules of the Unit.
  8. Actions or attitudes that are disruptive to unit cohesion.
  9. Having too few troops for many Officers/SGT’s
  10. Any member may level a charge with-in the confines of this section.
  11. Members will first try to handle their concerns at the lowest level first.
  12. Second step is to bring concern or issue to their leader. Or if the issue is with the Leader, they should go one step higher.
  13. A committee should be formed, of 1 officer or 1 NCO and one member. They should review complaint and with-in 30 days make recommendations to change the behavior, to the membership and the commander. If Commander is the offending person, then the XO or the Senior NCO should be the head of the committee.
  14. If punishment or removal from Unit or Position is deemed necessary. The complaint should be in writing and offending person should have a chance to defend their actions a special Meeting.
  15. A meeting of all members should be called, and a majority vote of all active members 14 or older should be performed based on the recommendations of the discipline Board.

Section IV: Duties and Obligations of Regimental Officers & NCO’s

All Terms of Service will be one year.

  1. Commanding Officer

The Commanding Officer is in charge of all Civilian & Military personnel of the regiment during all events and Activities.

He is ultimately responsible for the supervisionTraining, conduct and Safety Testing of all members.

He must know and be able to use proper Cavalry Tacticsappropriate to theperiod.

He must ensure all reports anddocuments are completed and filed with the appropriate authorities. He is to report to all Brigade Officer Calls and to see that the Regiment is represented at WCWA Board meetings.

The commander may delegate such duties asnecessary.

B. Executive Officer

The Executive Officer is the second-in-command of theRegiment and will assume all duties assigned by the Commanding Officer. The executive officer will, in the absenceor incapacity of the Commander, assume command of the Regiment. TheExecutive Officermay be assigned such duties as the commanding officer may deem appropriate.

C. Senior NCOs

The 1st Sergeant is the principle Senior NCO and is responsible for the training and testing of all members of theRegiment. He will file the daily reports, assign camp dutiesand supervise the lay-out of the camp and picket lines.

If necessary, the Commander may appoint other senior level NCO’s to relievethe 1st Sergeant of some of his administrative responsibilities. Those appointed serve at the pleasure of the commander and are not subject toelection.

D. Junior NCOs

Junior NCOs take their duties as delegated to them by theirsuperiors. They must be able to take command in the event their superior are absent or incapacitated.

Section V: Membership Rules and Regulations

  1. Only members will participate in reenactments. All members will adhere to WCWA By-Laws and pass the Written Safety Test.
  2. To be Mounted on the Battlefield, Members and their mount must take and pass riding skills Test
  3. IAW; Rider Basic, Level 1-3 Safety in Appendix A.
  4. If they fail or struggle with any area, they may be granted Event and Battlefield participation, but with limitations agreed upon by the Safety Officer/NCO and the Commander.
  5. Members will adopt a persona appropriate to the period of history involved.
  6. All WCWA and Regiment dues must be current in order to participate in Regimental events.
  7. All Regimental dues are established by the Officer & NCO Corp and will be based on the financial needs of the Regiment.
  8. All members are expected to assist with the set-up and tear-down of the Regimental camp.
  9. The Regiment is a family organization, children are welcome. All members need to be aware of their actions and language. Parents are responsible for the actions and whereabouts of their children. If safety issue arise and a parent is not available, an officer or NCO will intervene and deal with the situation.(Not required) After hours,it should be a matter of prudence, too send the children to bed,
  10. Unaccompanied Minors (those whose parents are not present in camp and at the event) will not be permitted either in camp or to participate in the event, unlessprior coordination, with another adult assuming responsibility for them.
  11. Alcohol usage (where permitted) is acceptable in moderation. An individual deemed by the commander to be in an unsafe condition will be relieved of duty and not permitted on the battlefield. If this becomes a repeated problem, it will be remanded to the Commander for review and appropriate action.
  12. Striking a member or abuse of a horse is grounds for dismissal
  13. All members will accepts such duties as are assignedBy the Officers or NCOs relative to the maintenance of the camp and its environs.
  14. Dogs are authorized, with group consensus. Dogs will be safe and under control at all times. Zero tolerance if they bite someone un-provoked or causes a problem for the horses.

Section VI. Membership Transfers

1. Members from other WCWA units who are in goodstanding with that unit may apply for transfer to the 1stVA. Regiment of Cavalry upon the approval

of the previous unit and submission of appropriatepaper work. Upon receipt of the proper paperworkthe applicant will be placed on probationary status.

SECTION VII- AMENDING THE BYLAWS

  1. Amendments to these bylaws may be proposed by any member of the Association, Affiliated Groups or the Executive Board.
  2. Proposed amendments must be submitted in writing to the Executive Board and will be published to the membership by the Executive Board and will be voted on at the Annual Meeting in October.
  3. Amendments must be approved by a two-thirds majority of those members present and voting at the annual meeting.

SECTION VIII- PROXY VOTING

1. Proxy voting will be allowed during all elections

Proxies must be submitted in writing to a member of the unit who will then

cast the vote per the instruction in the proxy.