Membership
"Getting started in the hobby is a lot like heroin — the first time's free! "
—Jim Schumann, Mess No. 3
What is the right attitude?
- It is an eagerness to learn from those who have experience in the hobby.
- It is a willingness to develop and improve your first-person impression.
- It is a willingness to conform to the standards of the mess group and to that of the ONV.
- It is an understanding that what you do at events effects everyone at the event.
- It is the willingness to purchase correct clothing and equipment from approved vendors within a two-year period.
- It is a willingness to acknowledge and correct those aspects of your current kit that are considered sub-standard.
- It is a desire to experience history for yourself and to help your comrades with their experiences via first-person.
Your Kit
When we refer to your "kit", we are referring to all material items that you use in the field. This covers all clothing, leather accoutrements, weapons, mess gear and camping gear. We have very high authenticity standards that we adhere to. Showing up at an event with sub-standard or undocumented clothing and equipment can jeopardize the experience for the other participants and, therefore, ruin the event for everyone.
If you are new to the hobby, don't worry about your kit. Everything you will need will be loaned to you by members of our mess or by members of other mess groups within the fold of the ONV. We want to help newcomers experience our level of living history first hand before making the decision to commit to purchasing what they need.
When you have decided that you want to continue in the hobby and are ready to build your own kit, we will help you by directing you to specific vendors who specialize in reproduction clothing and equipment. You will, therefore, have two years to complete building your own kit as best as you can.
If you are a hobby veteran who wants to move up from the mainstream, we will help you by evaluating your current kit and show you what is usable and what needs to be replaced. As with a new recruit, we will gladly loan you any articles that you will need to participate at an event. We also want you to experience the hobby the way we do.
Organization and Politics
Unlike most mainstream "units", we really don't have any organization or political structure at all. Our meetings are more like gatherings to discuss upcoming events, travel arrangements, and other group-related topics. There are no elections as there is no need. If there needs to be a vote taken for any reason, the vote is decided by a simple majority. The concept of a mess group is different from an organized unit that has to adhere to bylaws.
The purpose of a mess group is to offer a group of individual living historians an identity within the larger scope of the hobby. The reputation of the mess group is what helps identify you as a quality living historian — especially when participating in events hosted by organizations outside of the ONV. It also serves to facilitate travel arrangements to out-of-state events. Just like original mess groups, we travel together, sleep together, eat together, and watch out for each other.
Mentorship
Those wishing to join the Ol' Sipley Mess will be assigned a mentor from the group. This individual will be responsible for helping you with learning basic drill, instructing you in the basics of the hobby, and will help you with purchasing your kit components by advising you what to purchase and from which vendor. Your mentor will generally be based upon your geographical location.
Join Online
You can get the ball rolling by sending in a request for membership online. By doing so, you are showing that you are interested in our way of enjoying the living history hobby and would like to be contacted by one of our members. The purpose of the form is to offer us contact information so that one of our mess members can open the lines of communication with you. You are under no obligation and your information will remain confidential. To access the online form, click on the link below.
1. Joe Aldstadt
2. Dan Barker
3. Ryan Borgwardt
4. Brian Brenner
5. Dan Chmelar
6. Tim Duescher
7. Dave Frohmader
8. Rob Gobtop
9. Scott Gutzke
10. Dan McGraw
11. Karl Pasch
12. Terry Sorchy
13. Brian Staples
14. Bob Taylor
