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How do I join the Napoleonic Association (NA)? Contact the Membership Secretary membership@napoleonicassociation.org and give your name, address, age and interest (see below). New membership applications can usually also be made in person at most NA events, but please contact the Membership Secretary in advance to check it will be possible. You must decide where your interest lies. Do you want to be a Research, Wargaming or Re-enacting member of the NA? Members can be part of all three sections. Re-enacting members must also be a member of an affiliated unit. Anyone can join more than one unit but must decide which is going to be the primary unit as that’s the one that appears on the membership card. Unit membership rules vary, and you will need to contact the unit to arrange joining. Details of affiliated units can be found on the NA website (British, French and Allied). In the event of difficulties, the Membership Secretary can help you make contact with individual units, but joining must be arranged directly with them. Once you have
decided what you want to do as a member, complete the form and send it with
the appropriate fee and photographs to the Membership Secretary at the
address on the form. Is there a unit in my area? Some units are based in particular geographical locations, but most are spread over a wide area. In general we believe it is best to join a unit that feels right for you over and above geographical location. Different units operate in different ways and have their own aims and character. For example, some are very family friendly while others may have more single members. Affiliated NA units cover a broad spectrum, and finding the unit that best fits your situation will make an enormous difference to your enjoyment of the hobby. In the first instance, contact as many units as you like and discuss their way of working before making your decision.
What are the membership fees? The membership categories are as follows. Individual - the rate for a single person over the age of 18 years old. Junior - for members up to age 18 in any section. Family - for members living at a single address as one household (in a relationship or family). Young people living at home may be included in a family membership up to the age of 25 or until they are no longer in full-time education. All children that are going to take part in NA events should be included, irrespective of age.
Introductory membership - valid for one event only for a new member and the fee paid will be discounted on application for full membership during the same year (up to 31 March).
There are two types of Overseas membership - Europe and Rest of World.
Details of the current annual fees can be found on the Membership page of the website, on the membership form or by enquiry to the Membership Secretary.
The membership year runs from 1 April to 31 March and all new members receive a discount if they join during the year. There is no discount for renewing members who rejoin later in the year.
Voting members of the Association are Individual or Family members over the age of 18 and both types of Overseas members. Honorary Life Members, Introductory and Junior members do not have a vote at an AGM.
How long does it take to get my membership card? Memberships are generally processed within a week to 10 days – depending on how many other memberships are being processed at the time. The Membership Secretary’s workload gets heavier when there are events, for example. After a member’s details have been added to the database and their card produced, the card is then mailed using second-class post (to save costs, second-class post is used by committee members). If you need your membership ahead of an event, please bear this in mind and apply at least 10 days ahead of the event, longer if your card will have to be posted rather than picked up in person from the Membership Secretary.
What about the email discount that’s mentioned on the membership form? From 1 April 2010, there will also be a discount for UK members who are happy to read the NA newsletter The Adjutant online rather than receiving a copy by post. The discount is given in recognition that the member is helping to reduce the costs involved in mailing out information. To receive the discount, members will need to supply a valid email address. The discount also currently applies only to full UK memberships (Individual, Junior or Family). As it’s an option, the discount is not automatically calculated on the renewal form and you will instead have to subtract the discount from your payment.
Why does my card expire in late March, when I’ve paid for a full year’s membership? All new members pay a full year’s fee in their first year of joining. The second year, there will be a discount based on the month you joined in and you won’t pay the full fee if you renew your membership. The discount is automatically subtracted from the fee payable when the next year’s membership forms are run off from the database.
Why do I have to fill in an accreditation form? The forms are certification by the unit that the member has received training and attained a basic safe standard for the role they take during events. It does not replace any training records held within the unit. This information is added to the database by the Membership Secretary from the forms. This then allows the Association to produce the lists that Unit Commanders and the Powder Officer require at events. The accreditation forms also provide proof of competency in case of any incidents.
For example, the accreditation forms record the licences a member holds (eg shotgun, firearms, powder). Those details are used to produce powder returns for each event. This in turn means that the Powder Officer has to make fewer manual updates at events, and it keeps the powder issue and return paper trail within legal requirements and helps to keep the process running smoothly and efficiently.
Accreditation forms need to be returned to the Membership Secretary as early as possible in the membership year in order to keep the system working well.
Forms are signed by the Unit Commander or other nominated Accreditors for the unit, but can be returned by each member or in bulk from the unit.
All members should fill in the form if you attend events and spend time in camp or with the public and should be accredited to NC1 level or beyond, as appropriate. In the case of Research and Wargames sections, the head of your section should sign the form and can advise on whether you need a form.
I’m a Fusilier and I’ve put that on my form before. But it still lists me as a soldier – why? The roles used on the form come from a pull-down menu and are kept generalised so that the list is easier to manage and use. So there are no Fusiliers, Riflemen, Cantinieres etc but simply a ‘one size fits all’ category such as soldier, NCO etc. If you provide information beyond the basic roles listed on the form, we do try to add those in the notes section on each member’s database entry. Please write any additional information in the space on the form or attach an extra sheet.
Why do I have to have a photograph on my card and how often do I need to replace it? The photo on your membership card proves to event organisers that you are the person you claim to be, a member who is entitled to free entry to events with the NA (not always available to non-participating members). As the Membership Secretary receives many photos each year, please ensure you mark your passport-sized photograph with your name on the reverse in biro or permanent ink.
A fringe benefit is that the card also provides proof of membership. For example, when buying a curved-blade sword that would otherwise be unavailable without proof you are a re-enactor, or it may be asked for by police authorities granting shotgun and powder licences. The photograph on the card should be replaced regularly – every three years is recommended.
The Membership Secretary reserves the right to ask for a replacement photograph in case of a poor-quality or otherwise unusable image (eg an outdated photograph). Under-14s do not have photographs on their membership cards.
What about overseas events, such as bicentennials? The NA does not organise overseas events, but does cover certain events with our insurance so that affiliated units are able to attend. The Overseas Events Officer is responsible for communicating with overseas organisers and passing the relevant information on to members. We have strong links with other organisations like ours in other countries around the world and members often attend bicentennials.
What do I get for my membership fee? You get public liability insurance for events and the chance to take part in events in the UK and overseas alongside other affiliated units.
You also receive a regular newsletter (by post or electronically), containing articles of interest by members as well as warning orders for events. You also get access to the NA website and online forum so that you can get the latest news and join in discussions with other members. The website and forum are particularly valuable resources for new re-enactors – look out for other members selling kit or their recommendations about suppliers.
The NA is also an organisation that campaigns on behalf of its members, both alone and as part of the National Association of Re-enactment Societies (NAReS).
And, last but not least, the NA is about far more than ‘just’ re-enacting – there are the Research and Wargames sections too.
What does the Research Section do and how do I join? The Membership Secretary can put you in touch with the Research Officer.
The Research Section is open to anyone with an interest in the military or social history of the period. You do not have to be a re-enactor or even undertake research.
If you list Research as your first or second interest on your NA membership form, you will receive a monthly electronic newsletter. The newsletter highlights bicentennials of significant historical events and is full of the latest Napoleonic era news, plus details of new books. You can also help answer historical questions submitted to the NA.
In addition the Research section tries to provide talks at a minimum of one of the events during the summer and hosts an Autumn Conference, which is free to members. If you’d like to know more, please contact the Research Officer.
The Research Officer is Keith Oliver and he can be contacted at: keitholiver56@btinternet.com
What about Wargaming – how do I get to take part? The Membership Secretary can put you in touch with the Wargames Officer.
Over 150 of the NA’s members give Wargaming as an interest. While most are primarily members of affiliated re-enactment units, we do have members whose primary interest is wargaming. As a wargames member you can attend Wargames Shows for free as part of the Demo Team, and will be eligible for discounts with some wargame suppliers (details on the Wargames section members’ pages). The section will also try to put you in touch with other wargamers to play with, and from time to time run email games.
Wargames Section members come from all over the UK and some from overseas, so the section doesn’t meet like other clubs. However, the Demo Team attends a number of Wargames Shows each year. The Wargames Officer also maintains a database of members and details that include any local wargames clubs they attend; whether they can host games; what type games they play; and rules used. Although most members are Napoleonic re-enactors, many play other periods such as WWII and Ancients.
Anyone over 18 can take part in games, or a young person under 18 accompanied by a responsible adult. As all games are run on a ‘participation’ basis, the section is always happy for non-members to come along to shows as members of public, take part in games and find out more before joining the NA.
The Napoleonic Association aims to promote interest and knowledge of our period. The Wargames Section furthers this by attending Wargames Shows and putting on Napoleonic Demonstration and Participation games. Help from members to run games is always appreciated.
The Wargames Officer publishes details of the shows the section is attending on the NA website and also in The Adjutant. All we ask is, if you are considering attending a show, you email the Wargames Officer so that complimentary tickets can be arranged.
At least one game a year is run at an event under canvas. Games are normally run on camp in the tent of the Wargames Officer, along with a living history display on military surveying and period maps that fit in very well with wargaming. Games played under canvas at events include ‘Kriegsspiel’ style games, as would have been played by the Prussians at the Berlin Military Academy from 1811 onwards. Efforts are made to ensure everything looks ‘in period’ with nothing modern in sight. Period clothing may be available for members who wish to partake in ‘in period’ games, so please don’t hesitate to ask the Wargames Officer.
The Wargames Officer is John Binmore and he can be contacted at: jrbinmore@hotmail.com
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