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Statement of Purpose |
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It shall be the purpose of the Ships' Companys forming this association to preserve and present history in an authentic and dignified manner. It shall be our purpose to recreate the daily life of those Seamen and Marines who once served aboard His Majesty's Ships in the British Royal Navy. This will be accomplished through "living history" and hands on demonstrations
of basic seamanship of the period, naval small arms, ship's guns, preparation of period foods, the use of period correct clothing & tools, marine & naval land encampments & historical reenactments. Also it shall be our purpose to provide a resource of information & to assist various historical sites & the tall ships community in promoting education of the publick. The association shall be a resource for the tall ships & coastal historic site community to draw upon for creditable living history presentations. |
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To achieve our goal of portraying our British naval maritime heritage in an authentic & proper manner, we bind ourselves to the following Articles of Association, to be strictly adhered to by all of our Ships' Companys. Any member or member Ship's Company exhibiting repeated disregard or open defiance to the following articles is subject to dismissal from the association. |
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THE ARTICLES |
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1.} The association, to be known as THE NORTH AMERICAN SQUADRON of His Britannic Majesty's Navy 1775~1783, herein referred to as NAS will be a non-incorporated, non profit association of individual living history ships' companys. By becoming a member of NAS the ship's company so doing agrees to bind themselves to these Articles of association to strictly adhere to them & to the quality portrayal so stated in the Statement of Purpose. |
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2.} A. Membership is open to any ship�s company that agrees to the Articles of association & has satisfied the NAS administration with the quality of their historic impression. |
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B. Composition of Ship's Companys can be persons of any ethic background or sex, as would be historically appropriate. The Royal Navy was a truly diverse group of various nationalities & was not a segregated service. NAS does not & will not tolerate any philosophy of racial superiority. Though the association strives to promote & preserve our British naval traditions & heritage it does not exclude any other person of other nationality. Many persons of various ethnic backgrounds during the 18th century choose to join up with the King's Navy just as various nationalities became citizens of Great Britain & contributed some of their own culture to the fabric of British society. This process started in the naval service. The Jack Tars and officers of the navy were truly men who had seen the world & were used to association with the various people that comprise it. |
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C. Women's Roles: portrayals of 18th-century life, especially in the sea-service would be incomplete without the presence of women and children. Females can cross-dress to portray a seaman or marine. This practice can be documented. A good case in point is the story of Hannah Snell, the woman who ran away to sea in 1743 disguised as a male British Marine & also served as a seaman. |
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D. Minors (under the age of 18) must have a parent or legal guardian in the ship's company as a member & must be under their supervision at all times. The NAS cannot take responsibility for minor children who are at events with us. |
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3.} Seamen are required to develop the essential maritime skills required to safely and properly operate a vessel whether it be a boat or a ship. Such skills include marlinspike seamanship, nautical terminology, the ships bells, understanding Bosun pipes, and being able to "box" the compass. This also applies to Marines, however to a somewhat lesser extent. Proper seaman-like appearance and conduct shall be maintained at all times. The attire & traits of a landsman are inappropriate & lubberly. |
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4.} Historical authenticity is paramount! All clothing, weapons & gear must be thoroughly researched documented as authentic for the time period as well as its use aboard ship. If you are unsure about anything, ask the Ships' Officers prior to usage. This is highly recommended prior to making a purchase. Our research is at your disposal. Failure to comply with such standards of authenticity is a deliberate act of deception upon the publick. It is also highly offensive to your shipmates who put much time, money & effort into doing a proper portrayal. |
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Anything modern or inappropriate for the time period shall be stowed & kept out of sight. The wearing of modern footwear, wristwatches, glasses that are obviously modern and obtrusive, modern jewelry, &c. is strictly forbidden. Modern glasses that are made to the period style & are unobtrusive are permitted. Likewise, although period-correct shoes are mandatory, rubber soles may be used & are encouraged for use aboard a vessel. Shoes with protruding nails or cleats are typically forbidden on wooden-decked vessels. |
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5.} One's physical appearance is also important. Beards, mustaches, &c. are inappropriate. Men's whiskers should be kept under three-days growth. Period hair-styles & wigs are encouraged. Members should be physically able to carry out the minimal duties of a period seaman. |
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7.} It shall be the duty of the Ships' Officers to see fit that all hands develop & maintain truly authentic portrayals. Prior to going before the publick, the Ships' Companys will undergo a thorough inspection of their clothing, weapons & gear, for historical authenticity & correctness. |
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8.} If you use tobacco, do so in an authentic manner. Cigarettes & cigars should be smoked where no one can see you. For authenticity's sake, you are encouraged to light your tobacco in an authentic manner, as opposed to using modern lighters or matches. The latter may be used, just be sure to keep them out of sight. Smoking, or the use of any open flames is forbidden while aboard any vessel. |
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9.} Shore Encampments; Tents, shelters & other camp gear must be proper for the time period. The same holds true for cooking & eating utensils. Modern items like coolers, sleeping bags, &c., shall be kept out of sight. Fires shall not be left unattended. |
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10.} Everything is to be kept ship-shape in Man-O-War fashion, whether aboard a vessel or while encamped ashore. Slovenly behaviour is lubberly & inappropriate. |
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11.} Each member is responsible for their own actions. Because of our need to maintain a good reputation with both the publick & the historic maritime community, plus avoid the clutches of land-shark attorneys, all hands are required to act with the utmost propriety at all times, in a safe manner when demonstrating nautical skills & especially while handling weaponry. Drunken or disorderly conduct either before the public or after hours at an event is strictly prohibited. There will be zero tolerance, no warnings, no second chances, of this type of behaviour & such actions will result in immediate expulsion from the event & the NAS. |
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12.} All Hands are required to become proficient in the use of small arms, as well as the exercise of the ship's great guns. All weapons will be kept clean & serviceable. Safety is of utmost importance while handling weaponry. It is the duty of the Ships' Officers to see to it that the above is carried out. Small arms & cannon safety will be governed by The National Park Service safety rules. All members of the ships' companys should be certified by the NPS in the use of both great guns & small arms. |
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13.} As part of our authentic historical portrayal while before the public, all hands will show the proper respect & courtesy due to the Officers & higher ratings. When not before the publick, all hands will treat each other as equals, with respect & dignity as it should be amongst friends & shipmates. Whilst aboard ship, or under way in any vessel, or while manning a ship's gun, as is customary in the naval services or any civilian vessel for that matter; when you are part of a vessel's crew, no matter the size of the vessel, discipline & attention to the orders of your officers or the Coxswain of the vessel are expected, no questions asked. Seamen will respond immediately to any order without bilging or hesitation. If you are incapable of such discipline, then you will not be permitted to participate aboard any vessel. This is a matter of safety, not snobbery or the exercise of dominance. Failure to respond immediately to orders can result in serious injury or jeopardize the safety of your shipmates or the vessel. Obstinate lack of discipline while afloat is a sign of a lubber & will not be tolerated. Also understand that the need may arise for members of the ships' companys to stand watches while aboard a vessel. When handling a gun, whether before the publick or not, because of the safety factors involved, the crew will obey the orders of the gun captain without hesitation. The handling of the ship's great guns & the crewing of a vessel while underway requires strict safety regulations, quick response to orders & the teamwork that goes with it. |
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14.} Concerning Guests: Members are encouraged to invite others to participate with your Ship's Company as guests. However, such invitations are subject to prior approval from the Captain. Be it known that guests must conform in every manner to these Articles. |
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15. } If you are approached by news media, it is best that you direct them to the Ships' Officers. This will assure that accurate information is given out. Media people have a tendacy to set up photos that are not accurate representations of naval life & it is best to let the officers in charge of the event give them some command guidance. Sometimes media will take photos that you are not aware of, so this is another reason to always be at your best. |
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16.} Should the association [NAS] or participating ship's company receive any honorarium, stipend or financial reward for our participation at an event, the funds will be distributed equally, per household membership to those participating. |
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ABACK to MEMBERSHIP INFO |
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ABACK to the MAIN DECK |
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