OUHRS Code of Conduct

Introduction

1. The OUHRS will endeavour to act according to the Society's Constitution, the Risk Assessment (xlsx), and the rules set out below.
2. The Society will also obey all rules and guidelines laid down by the University.
3. The Society will organise both re-enactment and social activities, including, but not limited to:
   • Battle practices
   • Kit-making
   • Trips to re-enactors' markets
   • Feasts
   • Celebrations of the Celtic Festivals
   • Pub evenings
   • Participating in national re-enactment shows
4. A Committee will be appointed, as specified in the Constitution, to be responsible for the running of the society, and to uphold and review the operating procedures of the society.
5. The Society's appointed Senior Member is Stuart Lee (stuart.leeAToucs.ox.ac.uk).
6. The Society will remain independent from national re-enactment societies, but will collaborate where appropriate to maintain similar standards of fighting skill and safety.
7. The official documents relating to the Society (Constitution, Code of Conduct and Risk Assessment) will be available from the Society's web page at http://users.ox.ac.uk/~wychwood/

Committee

1. For the academic year 2019-2020 the Society's Officers shall be:
   

   President
   Tessa Brunt
   Mansfield College

   Secretary
   Pia Kaden
   Mansfield College

   Treasurer
   Cameron Spalding
   St Anne's College

2. The Society's Committee shall also include:
   

   Mister Mistress of the Revels
   Anna Nowinski
   Kammy Osoba

   Quartermaster
   Thorulf Vargsen

   Webmaster
   Cynthia Zhang

   Membership

   1. On joining, members must complete a membership form (available from Committee members or downloadable from the web site).
   2. All members must be made aware that the Code of Conduct, Risk Assessment and Constitution are available on the internet, and must agree to be bound by them.
   3. The fee for membership is set at £15 a year, to be paid by all members.
   4. Membership entitles members to attend Battle Practices, and to receive a discount (as decided by the committee) on charged events.

   Safety

   The Society commits to maintaining a high standard of safety in all its operations. To this end, the rules outlined below will be followed as a minimum. These will be reviewed and updated regularly.

   First Aid

   1. The first aid kit must contain at least:
      • Triangular Bandage   (x2)
      • Medium Dressing   (x2)
      • Small Dressing   (x2)
      • Eye Bandages (x2)
      • Instant Ice Pack
      • Skin Closures  (e.g. steri-strips)
      • Plasters  (assorted sizes, fabric & hypoallergenic)
      • Antiseptic Wipes/Tissues  (alcohol free)
      • Disposable Latex Gloves (x3 pairs)
      • Scissors
      • Sun cream
   2. The first aid kit must not contain any pills/tablets or medicine of any kind, nor any equipment with which the first aider is not familiar.
   3. The first aider must be either be qualified by a recognised external body, or have completed an appropriate course run by the OUFAU.
   4. All accidents requiring first aid must be recorded. This should include:
   • Injured persons name and college / address
   • Nature and location of injury
   • Cause of injury
   • Person causing injury
   • Treatment given or action recommended
   • Treating persons name
   • Time and date
   • Any other information felt relevant at the time of the incident.
   5. The first aider should always have, or have access to, a telephone.
   6. The first aider must be aware of any relevant medical conditions, and these should be declared by members upon joining.
   7. The first aider is responsible for making the committee aware of any individuals who either cause or receive a significant number of injuries.

   Festivals

   1. Fires must only take place where permission is given.
   2. No fire is to be left burning unattended.
   3. All fires must be properly extinguished. It is the responsibility of the last person to leave the fire site to ensure this.
   4. A good supply of water must be available for use in controlling fires.

   Shows

   1. All participants in shows must be of a good fighting standard.
   2. Participants must be separated from the audience by a double rope barrier with a width of at least 2m.
   3. If fighting at night, the area should be well floodlit to allow similar visibility to daytime.
   4. If appearing at national shows, all rules supplied by the organisers must be obeyed in order to comply with their insurance regulations.

   Craft Days

   1. Appropriate safety equipment must be worn when using power tools.
   2. All tools should be used as specified.
   3. First aid equipment must be readily available.
   4. Where possible, cordless tools should be used.

   Social Activities

   1. No weapons may be carried/worn without good reason in public.
   2. No weapons may be worn for any reason while on pub crawls / at feasts.
   3. For any activities involving the use of a minibus, the driver must satisfy all legally required conditions to drive, and must have not consumed alcohol for at least 12 hours prior to driving.

   Battle Practices

   General

   1. A battle captain shall be appointed at the start of all practices, and shall assume responsibility for the practice.
   2. The first aid regulations above must be adhered to at all practices.
   3. The leader may refuse to permit any member to fight if they are felt to be unsafe and/or order them to be retrained.
   4. The leader may stop the practice if they judge the conditions to be dangerous.
   5. Any member may call a halt to the practice at any time using a signal agreed prior to commencing the practice, and known by all participants.
   6. No member may fight while under, or judged to be under by the battle captain, the influence of alcohol or drugs.
   7. The battle captain should organise a warm up and warm down session at the start and end of practices.
   8. Any participant may request that the battle captain inspect the equipment and/or technique of any other.
   9. The battle captain is responsible for ensuring that all weapons are collected after practices, and not available for use by the general public.

   Guests

   1. Members may invite guests to a maximum of two battle practices for the purpose of trying the activities. Subsequent sessions will require the guest to become a member.
   2. Specific sessions will also be held for the recruitment of new members, especially freshers.
   3. All guests will be treated as members, and must be made aware of, and agree to, this Code of Conduct before being permitted to fight.
   4. The Committee may also invite similar societies to participate in practices, or may join sessions organised by other societies. In these cases, the visiting society will agree to abide by the rules of the host society.

   Training

   1. Training may only be performed by experienced members of a known high safety standard, to be appointed by the President in consultation with the Committee.
   2. All members will receive continued training to ensure maintenance of safety levels.
   3. Trainers should make every effort to be aware of any violations of the standards set out below.
   4. Trainers should only train others with weapons with which they are familiar.
   5. Training should include correct use of armour and other safety equipment as well as weaponry.

   Hand to hand combat

   1. All blows must use minimal force at the point of contact (i.e. shots are "pulled").
   2. Only the agreed targets below may be used:
      • Head shot (with verbal warning given, and not during free fighting), stopping with plenty of clearance above the head
      • Left/Right Shoulders
      • Left/Right Sides
      • Left/Right Thighs
      • Buttocks (with flat of weapon)
      • Chest (using the edge rather than point of weapon)
   3. Only weapons approved by the battle captain, according to the following rules, may be used:
      • Must have no sharp burrs
      • Must not have a sharp edge, but be appropriately blunted
      • Must have a rounded tip (not smaller than a 5 pence coin)
      • Spears must be less than 7ft long
      • Must be in good condition, with blades securely attached to handles
   4. Participants may only use steel weaponry in free fights if known by the battle captain to be of sufficient standard.
   5. When fighting with steel weaponry, all participants must wear steel helmets and strong gloves, as approved by the battle captain.
   6. Shields must be free of splinters and protruding nails, and the boss free of sharp edges / points.
   7. If any weapons are damaged during use, combat must be stopped and the weapons discarded.

   Archery

   1. Archers may only shoot into a designated area until of a high enough level of proficiency to take part in battles.
   2. No arrows may be shot unless target area is entirely clear.
   3. When shooting at other fighters:
      • Bows must be of a low draw weight (<35lbs)
      • Arrows must be fitted with rubber blunts, and in good condition
      • Targets must be aware that they will be receiving arrows, and be properly instructed in the correct way to do so before shooting commences.