Group Regulations

FFLHA Regulations

1. General Rules

   1. FFLHA is a non-political entity. Members must not divulge their political beliefs and ideologies when representing the group.

   2. Members must avoid bringing the reputation of the group into disrepute.

   3. Members agree to be bound by all relevant laws and regulations at all times.

   4. Members must show politeness and consideration for others when using the group’s online community/communities.

   5. Members must never falsely claim to be members of the armed or professional services of any nation. While the group portrays military and civil defence forces, it should always be made clear that this is reenactment - playing a role - rather than a genuine state-backed force.

2. Impressions and Authenticity

   1. All members attending an event as reenactors (‘in kit’) must aim to achieve the highest reasonably attainable standard for historical authenticity and accuracy when assembling their impression.

      1. As the group portrays an enormous variety of different forces, units and time periods, it would be impossible to issue standardised, central regulations that accurately reflect the minutiae of each individual force. Thus, it is up to members themselves to self-police their impressions and displays.

         1. However, the overriding principle is that an impression should be based on research into the regulations, fashions and attitudes of the time. Some examples:

            1. Hair should conform to an acceptable style for the country and era. For example, Dutch troops of the Cold War were allowed long hair in any style they liked, whereas British troops had to have it short.

            2. Hair should be a natural colour, or, if dyed, a period-authentic one. For example, women in the 1940s sometimes had bleached blonde or dyed red hair.

            3. Facial hair should comply with fashions and regulations from country and era. For example, WW2-era Italian soldiers often had beards, but post-war Austrian regulations limited soldiers to moustaches. 

            4. Ahistorical tattoos should be covered up, where possible. 

            5. Ahistorical piercings should be removed, replaced with clear retainers, or covered up, where possible.

   2. If members are in kit in a public place (i.e., not at a ticketed event), care should be taken to avoid displaying socially unacceptable insignia, and weapons should not be carried. 

      1. This includes travelling to/from events, etc.

   3. When assembling an impression, members should aim to provide a neutral appearance, regardless of ethnicity, sex, and so on, where the focus is on the uniform and history itself, rather than the person wearing it.

3. Rank, Decorations, Honours and Awards

   1. Military rank insignia, if worn, serves only to complete an impression and does not denote one member having real authority over anybody else.

   2. Members of the group should aim to keep the wearing of rank insignia to the minimum sensible level.

      1. For example, if portraying a regular infantry squad, it does not make sense to have multiple NCOs, or high-ranking officers. However, if portraying a pilot, it rarely makes sense to portray an enlisted rank, and so officers’ insignia makes more sense. 

   3. Decorations (qualification badges, campaign medals, long service awards, etc.) should be avoided, except:

      1. Where it would be implausible for an impression not to include them (e.g. wearing jump wings with a parachutist impression or a long-service badge for a career NCO).

      2. Where they came with a uniform and it would be detrimental from a collecting perspective to remove them.

      3. Where they have been awarded to the member themselves, or a close relative.

      4. When portraying a specific individual or replicating a specific piece of reference material.

   4. Gallantry awards should, almost without exception, not be worn.

4. Event Attendance

   1. Attendance at all events is voluntary, and members cannot expect any compensation from the group (or anybody else) for it.

   2. Any member attending a public event must have valid and relevant Public Liability Insurance, and must provide a copy of the insurance certificate to senior membership prior to their arrival on-site.

   3. Members must abide by organisers’ rules and regulations while at an event.

      1. It is the duty of senior membership to pass on any communication from event organisers to attending members. However, in the event that members have any queries or concerns, they should proactively raise these with the member responsible for organising the event in question.

   4. Any member of the group who is under 18 years of age may not stay overnight at events.

   5. While an event is open to the public, members must not consume alcohol or be intoxicated.

      1. If drinking alcohol after a show has closed to the public, members should avoid over-consumption.

5. Firearms and Ammunition

   1. Ammunition:

      1. Under no circumstances whatsoever are live rounds to be brought to any reenactment event. 

      2. Blank rounds should only be brought to events if it is known in advance that they will be needed as part of the show.

         1. Blank rounds must always be stored separately from blank-firing guns. 

         2. Blank rounds must be kept secured at all times, and should not be handed to the public.

      3. Pellets, BBs, and so on for air guns and airsoft guns should not be brought to events, and must always be stored away from guns capable of firing them.

   2. Firearms:

      1. Firearms (of any sort) must never be held or used in a threatening manner towards anyone, particularly the public. 

6. Bladed Weapons

   1. Members must take due care at all times to ensure bladed weapons are handled safely.

   2. As far as is possible, bladed weapons (e.g. bayonets) should be kept sheathed so as to minimise risk of injury.

   3. Due to restrictions imposed by the group’s C3 insurance policy, bladed weapons must not be handled by members of the public.

7. Public Interaction

   1. When dealing with the public, members must be courteous and respectful at all times. 

      1. Members of the group will likely know more about their specialist topics than members of the public, but should try to avoid being condescending or belittling when passing their information on.

      2. Members must avoid using terms or espousing statements that are racist, sexist, or otherwise bigoted. Portraying the soldiers of the past is no excuse for promoting outdated ideology.

   2. As detailed in Section 1, members must not divulge their political beliefs to the public.

8. Sanctions

   1. Enforcement of these regulations is the prerogative of the group’s senior membership.

   2. The aim is never to implement a system of iron discipline, nor to be petty, but some form of punishment may be warranted depending on the action in question.

      1. Wherever possible, senior membership will refrain from implementing punitive sanctions and will work with the member responsible for the infraction. However, this is done in good faith, and if that is not reciprocated, the group will have little option but to escalate the situation.

   3. In the event of a serious issue, all senior members reserve the right to unilaterally temporarily suspend a member of the group, pending an internal investigation. 

      1. Within a week of the suspension’s implementation, senior membership will vote on whether to extend it. If there is no majority in favour, or the vote does not take place, the suspension should automatically end.

      2. Following the internal investigation, senior membership have three options to deal with the suspended member:

         1. Full readmission: the suspended member is reinstated to full member status without prejudice.

         2. Conditional readmission: in cases where the infraction was not severe enough to warrant expulsion, but did exist and does not deserve to be simply forgotten, senior membership may impose any conditions they see fit for the member to fulfil prior to full readmission. These should be communicated to the member and agreed in principle with them.

         3. Expulsion: in cases of particularly egregious, consistent and/or unrepentant breach of the rules, senior membership may vote to expel a member from the group. 

      3. A member who has been suspended from the group may not participate in the group’s online community/communities, nor attend events as a part of the group.

   4. Members who violate the rules of the group’s online community/communities may be temporarily muted and/or have messages deleted by the moderation teams of those communities.

      1. In the event of a serious breach of the rules, the moderation teams may submit copies of messages to senior membership as evidence, leading to a suspension and investigation process.

   5. Any member of the group may report concerns to senior membership in the knowledge that these concerns will be dealt with fairly, confidentially and anonymously.