The American Civil War Shooting Association, Inc.

DRAFT Minutes of the February 13, 2011, Annual Board Meeting

1)    The meeting was called to
order shortly after 9:00 a.m.
at the Steven & Elaine Sherry residence, 513 Storle Avenue, Burlington
Wisconsin.

2)    Roll call was held.  The members of the Board of Directors
present were:

Commander:                         Bob
Chabalowski

Deputy Commander:           Dan
Gibson

Adjutant:                                Rob
Weber

Paymaster:                            Darlene
Van Kauwenbergh

Judge Advocate General:   Dan
Graff

Absent

Inspector General:                           Les
Knutsen

Immediate Past Commander:        Pat
Kobosky

3)    Team Commanders present:

1st U.S. Sharpshooters – by proxy (Steven Sherry)

15th Wis. Volunteer Infantry – Steven Sherry (also
Dan Christianson, adjutant)

2nd Wis.
Volunteer Infantry – Gary Van Kauwenbergh

56th Virginia
– by proxy (Bob Chabalowski)

6th Wis.
Volunteers – Bob Jaburek

66th North
Carolina – Bob Chabalowski

Iron Brigade Guard – Lance Herdegen

8th Wisconsin
– Dick Tessmann

Also present from Michigan
were Norm Gibson and Dan Gibson, members of the 1st Regiment, South Carolina Volunteer
Infantry.

Others present included Gene Hass, Dick Fritz, Mary Borcic, Elaine
Sherry, Fran Fritz, Linda Tessmann, Diane Gibson, and Karen Gibson.

4)    Gary Van
Kauwenbergh’s minutes of the meeting on September 19, 2010, were approved without
reading.

5)    Copies of the membership
roster as of February 2, 2011,
were distributed, showing 327 members.
However, membership rosters for several teams were submitted at the
meeting and additional changes were anticipated, as more teams meet and filed
their rosters.   NOTE:  Rosters received, non-renewals and other
post-meeting updates have brought the total membership down to 285 in 23 teams.

6)    Paymaster Darlene Van
Kauwenbergh reported on the income and expenditures for 2010, and the year-end
balance of $2,539.80.  Her report
was approved (see Paymaster’s written report, attached, for details).

7)    The 2011 Budget was
approved, including the purchase of a new battery for the defibulator (see Paymaster’s
separate budget document).

8)    Elections were held and
Bob Chabalowski was re-elected Commander, Dan Gibson was elected Deputy
Commander, Rob Weber was elected Adjutant and Darlene Van Kauwenbergh was
re-elected Paymaster.

9)    The ACWSA 2011 skirmish
schedule for the Illinois/Wisconsin area was approved:

a)    June 11-12,
2011 – Appleton, WI

b)    July
16-17, 2011
– Bristol, WI (Joint skirmish with N-SSA)

c)    August
6-7, 2011
– Boscobel, WI

d)    September
3-5, 2011
– Rhinelander, WI

e)    September
17-18, 2011
– Bristol, WI

10) Old Business.

a)    Discussion about a championship
match was led by Dan Gibson.  There
will be none this year, although members from Wisconsin and Illinois are
invited to participate in the August 13-14 “Crossover Shoot” to be
held by the Michigan region at Bluewater MI.  The future goal is to include an annual championship
match between regions, probably beginning in June 2012.  Use of ranges in Bristol, IN
or Bluewater, MI is being researched.

b)    Bob Chabalowski reported
that a night-time Gatling gun demonstration is being organized for the Boscobel
skirmish.

c)    Lance Herdegen reported on
anticipated Civil War sesquicentennial events including an event at Camp Randall.

11) New Business.

a)    Plaques:  It was decided to
continue the annual award plaques and to display them in the clubhouses at
Appleton and/or Boscobel.

b)    Dues: The “first year free” dues program was continued for
2011.

c)    National Commander idea:  Bob Chabalowski
discussed his proposal to reorganize ACWSA on a strong regional basis with a National
Commander and Deputy Commander having very limited authority, and with the
office of Commander shifting between the two existing regions. A motion was
approved to create (as a temporary measure to be in effect for no more than three
years) and pending the revision of the Bylaws, the offices of National Commander
and Deputy National Commander, each serving a three year term, to be
responsible for overseeing national meetings and such additional duties as the
future revised Bylaws shall specify.
The National Commander and Deputy Commander shall be from different
regions of the ACWSA and the Deputy Commander shall become National Commander
at the end of the National Commander’s term.  The Michigan area regional commander and Deputy
National Commander is Dan Gibson.
The Wisconsin/Illinois regional commander and National Commander is Bob
Chabalowski.

d)    Bylaws:  The Commander
designated Adjutant Rob Weber and JAG Dan Graff to draft a re-write of the 1999
Bylaws.

e)    Artillery rules.

i)     The go-ahead was given for Norm Gibson
to proceed to draft the final Artillery Rules for Cannon.

ii)    Draft Artillery Rules for Mortars were
also tentatively approved, except for articles II, V and XV.  The mortar team commanders will work out
differences and reach a consensus before the skirmish season begins.  Norm Gibson may proceed to draft the
final rules, with the exceptions noted until a consensus is reached.

f)     Skirmish rules:

i)     Individual votes were held on several
specific rule proposals with the following results:

·
The
term “weapon” SHALL be replaced throughout the skirmish rules by
“arm” or “firearm.”

·
A
team in the top three for the current season SHALL NOT be allowed to shoot with
reduced or enlarged numbers and pro-rated targets. [1.4e - Limits on who may shoot long or short on shooters.]

·
A
team with enough members present and shooting at a match to make a full team
SHALL NOT be allowed to send shooter(s) to another team and shoot short or
substitute from outside the team. [1.4i
– Limits on substitution.]

·
The
skirmish director SHALL have the
discretion to allow timers and safeties from a team which includes members of
the official’s team. [1.10c &
1.10d – duties of timer and safety.]

·
The
skirmish director SHALL have the discretion to allow timers and safeties to be
the same person in repeater and handgun matches. [1.10c & 1.10d – duties of timer and safety.]

·
The
skirmish director SHALL have unlimited discretion in setting individual and
team targeting distances different than 50 and 100 yards (with pre-skirmish
notice). [2.2 through 2.8 –
Distances.]

·
A
bullet mark on a target SHALL count as a hit, even if target material is not
removed. [3.1e – Hits.]  NOTE: considerable discussion took
place on this rule and a clarification was made that the rule refers to a mark
left by the bullet itself, not grease.

·
Steel
targets SHALL be knocked down to count as a hit. [3.1e – Hits.]  That
is, a bullet mark on a steel target is not a hit.  As for being “knocked down”
see Rule 3.1e2 which provides that hitting and distorting the wire hanger (or
other target support) so that the target cannot fall does count as a hit
on the target (the “Nate Brown“ rule).

·
Self
contained cartridges SHALL NOT be allowed to be carried except in cartridge
boxes. [6.4d, 6.12a4 & 6.8c –
Cartridge gun safety.]

·
It
SHALL NOT be required that Henry rifles be required to clear with a rod through
the barrel. [6.4d, 6.12a4 & 6.8c
– Cartridge gun safety.]

·
Cartridge
gun shooters SHALL be required to keep the action open to and from the firing
line. [6.4d, 6.12a4 & 6.8c –
Cartridge gun safety.]

·
A
shooter SHALL get the benefit of the doubt when the scoring officer and/or the
skirmish rules committee cannot tell if a hole was made by more than 4 shots,
and the shooter claims it was. [4.5d,
1.13 & 8.1 – Individual match scoring.]

ii)    Rules 1.7b, 1.14a., 1.14b, 1.14c, and
1.14e and 5.6, are to be moved into the Bylaws because they appear to be less
directly connected with the skirmish event itself.

iii)   Amendments were made to Rules to 1.2a,
1..21a. and c., 2.1b., 2.8e., 3.1, 3.2a. and 3.5d while Rules 1.9f. 1.14d,
2.5e., 4.4b., 4.5b, 6.5a, and 6.12a1. were deleted.

(1)  The most significant amendments for
shooters are probably the following:

(a)  Individual targets will be scored
based on the center of the hole being on or inside the ring, rather than the
edge of the hole breaking the ring.

(b)  Only one cap, rather than two, must be
snapped before a match for shoulder arms (with similar provision for firing the
priming pan of a flintlock).

iv)   Rule 3.5e, pertaining to penalties for
other rule violations 9 (on page 13) was tabled for further development.

v)    With those changes, the draft Skirmish
Rules were approved.  JAG Dan Graff
will complete the final Rules.

g)    Firearms
approval.

i)     Member requests to approve four
specific firearms were discussed:

(1)  The Uberti 1849 Colt Pocket Model (.31
caliber) was approved for use.

(2)  The Cook & Brother carbine, .58
caliber, was approved for use.

(3)  The Spencer Rifle Model 1860, caliber
56-50 was not approved as manufactured, but after modification a firearm may be
submitted for individual inspection and approval.  The modification noted was the removal
of the sling swivel.

(4)  The so-called 1857 “Mauser”
a Pedersoli reproduction of a .54 caliber rifle manufactured by the Wurtemburger
arsenal at Oberndorf was not approved.
However, this firearm and any additional proof of its actual issuance to
troops may be considered by the ACWSA firearms committee in the future.

ii)    Bob Chabalowski authorized each regional
commander to designate one or more members having recognized historical
expertise to serve on a firearms committee to be responsible for approving
firearms for ACWSA use.  The
regional designees shall coordinate their considerations so that approvals are
granted only on a national basis, not region by region.

h)   The meeting adjourned at 2:20 PM.

American Civil War Shooters Association (ACWSA)

Paymaster's Cash Flows for 2010

Prepared by Darlene Van Kauwenbergh

Cash Balance December
31, 2009

$1,772.75

Receipts:

3/6/2010

Dues

3535.00

8/29/2010

Dues

217.50

12/28/2010

Dues

15.00

Interest for the year

2.71

Total Receipts

3,770.21

Subtotal

$5,542.96

Expenses:

3/24/2010

Bank Check Order

14.00

New checks needed with accurate bank info

3/19/2010

#251 Stephen & Elaine Sherry

20.00

Hosting annual meeting

3/25/2010

#252 NRA

1,931.87

Insurance

4/14/2010

#253 Dept of Financial Institutions

10.00

Annual Nonstock Corporate Report

4/21/2010

#254 Brian Haack

60.00

Wire bending jigs

5/26/2010

#255 Geiger Awards

677.31

Award Ribbons

6/10/2010

#256 Eric Platz

50.64

Wire for metal targets

8/29/2010

#257 Gary
Van Kauwenbergh

59.70

Hostek payment (web server)

8/29/2010

#258 Gene Haas

179.64

Sound system repair

Total Expenses

3,003.16

Checkbook Balance 12/31/10

$2,539.80

Bank Balance 12/31/10
Check 258 outstanding

$2,719.44

Summary of Cash Transactions by category

Additions

Subtractions

Retained

Totals

3,770.21

3,003.16

80%

767.05

20%

Dues

3,767.50

100%

Interest

2.71

0%

Insurance

1,931.87

64%

Award Ribbons

677.31

23%

Wire bending jigs

60.00

2%

Wire for metal targeting

50.64

2%

Incorporation Fees

10.00

0%

Web Site

59.70

2%

Sound System Repair

179.64

6%

Other (annual meeting & honorariums)

34.00

1%