MISSION

            The Iron Scouts are a troop of interpretive historians dedicated to educating the public and themselves through research, integration and interpretation of the American experience and particularly the experience of the War Between the States soldier.

ORGANIZATION

            The Iron Scouts, Inc. is a South Carolina not for profit corporation which will seek IRS Code Section 501(c)(3) status for the purposes contained in its mission statement and those included in its Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws.  Its initial members and board of directors include Mac Brown, Ron Crawley, Edward Harrelson, Henry McMillan, Dan Murphy and Neill Rose.  Its members and board of directors shall serve one year terms, the minimum number of directors shall be four and the maximum shall be twenty-four.  The officers shall be President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer and such others and committee chairs as shall be authorized by the By-Laws.  A quorum of the voting board membership shall be one more than fifty per cent of the current board of directors.

MEMBERSHIP

            Membership shall be from four to twenty-four members until altered by changes to the By-Laws.  A member shall attend at least fifty per cent of the annual events as determined by the membership/board of directors at the corporation annual meeting in order to enjoy voting privileges at the meetings.  The fifty per cent attendance requirement shall be determined based upon a fiscal year established by the board. 

            While actual membership is restricted with requirements described herein, guests are encouraged either by formal invitation by the board, by one member or on an ad hoc per event basis.  The Iron Scouts will endeavor to create lasting cooperative arrangements with other like-minded organizations in order to further their purposes in different venues.  Any person who it is believed shares the general membership’s attitudes toward historical interpretation may be invited by a member of the Iron Scouts to participate at an event.  A vote of 2/3 of the membership is required to invite a prospective member to provisionally join and begins, upon acceptance of the board’s invitation, a twelve month probationary membership without voting privileges.  After completion of the probationary period, a unanimous consensus of the voting membership/board is required to elect the probationary member to full member status.  During the twelve month probationary period, a prospective or probationary member shall be required to attend at least fifty per cent of scheduled events.  If a probationary member shall fail to attend the requisite number of events, nothing shall prohibit the extension of probationary status for additional time, i.e. an additional twelve month period, to establish the prospective member’s intent to join as a full member.  The board is also empowered to withdraw its invitation without expressing any reason upon vote by the board.

PARTICIPATION AT EVENTS

            The full board, or a quorum of the board, shall determine the annual events at least annually, though additional events may be added as the board deems appropriate.  The unit initially seeks to attend four units each year, though members are encouraged to attend other events as they see fit outside of the organization of the Iron Scouts.  Attendance at non-scheduled events shall not affect a member’s voting status.

UNIT AFFILIATIONS

            At present the Iron Scouts intends to affiliate itself with the Palmetto Battalion of South Carolina and its Palmetto Living History Association.

VENDORS

            The Iron Scouts will endeavor wherever possible to fashion their own accurate reproductions of period artifacts.  The Iron Scouts will further endeavor to establish a list of Vendors outside of the unit which produce quality products for a reasonable price and within a reasonable delivery time.  This list shall be provided upon request to members or prospective members to aid in their acquisition of equipment.  New members shall be allowed to use surplus equipment owned by the membership.  Priority for borrowing surplus equipment shall be inversely related to the time the prospective member has participated with the group.