NCOWS TERRITORIAL CONGRESS

My name is Dan Borer, I also go by the name of Durango in our local posse of the Blue River Regulators in Nebraska. I have been a member of NCOWS since about 2005 and have been active in our local club, by working at our range and serving in an officer position. I am currently serving as our Secretary/Scribe and provide a newsletter on a monthly basis.

I got into cowboy shooting because I have a fascination for the old west guns. Old side by side shotguns have always been a favorite of mine, so a few old Parker Bros SXS have followed me home. Also, I have managed to collect a few old Smith & Wessons as well as a few Colts and even a few Winchesters. I have written several articles for The Shootist magazine, although it has been awhile since I submitted one.

The folks I have met at NCOWS conventions and national shoots over the years are the kind you like to be around. The annual conventions are a great place to meet folks of like interest. I have attended most of the annual conventions and have been a vendor there multiple times. You will not find a better group of folks anywhere.

I support the historical aspect of NCOWS, and support safe cowboy action shooting in general. It would be great if we could get more young folks involved in our sport. I want to see NCOWS grow and keep going for many years to come. I would ask for your support and vote, and I would be honored to serve as an NCOWS Senator.

My Friends,

I have decided to run for NCOWS Senator for yet another term. As way of introduction to those that do not know me, allow me to give a brief biography.

My mold was cast when the last of the Oklahoma gunfighters, Frank “Pistol Pete” Eaton allowed me to shoot his old Colt’s 44-40 sixgun when I was 4 years old. I was hooked. I’ve been a firearm collector for over 5 decades. I’ve been involved in different competitive shooting sports since I was a teen, as well as an “eat what you shot” hunter. The last eighteen years have been exclusively involved in Western Action Shooting as a competitor, though I like shooting just about any kind of firearm. I’m a life member of the National Rifle Association and a member of the Texas State Rifle Association. I am also a life member of NCOWS (L-172) and have served as both a Senator and the National Secretary for six years. While the Secretary, I served on the Authenticity Committee. Currently, as a Senator, I am serving my fourth term as the National Judge and I chair the Authenticity Committee. During these last eleven years, I have been extremely active with NCOWS carrying out the duties of Secretary and Judge. I have only missed attending one of the national events in fifteen years. I also go to as many of the regional events that I have been able to. I am member of 4 NCOWS posses. My home posse is The Berger Sharpshooters. I am also a member of the Kansas Vigilance Committee, the Johnson County Rangers, and the Blue River Regulators.

I choose NCOWS because the organization embraces things historical. I enjoy shooting in an environment where it is important to be historically accurate as possible and still have to use the sights that are on the guns. It is that simple. I am also happy with our democratic governance, which provides checks and balances to assure we maintain a strong level of authenticity while providing a fair and enjoyable level of competition. With the historically enriched people we have in this group, I can only see our organization growing and attracting more like-minded individuals to join our ranks.

Where I stand on some issues:

1) Growth: I want to see NCOWS grow with a membership that embraces our principles, especially young people that will keep the torch lit. I will not bend our rules in order to attract more members or become more appealing to the masses. Recruiting more members needs to be done with care. We need to work to get the NCOWS principles known to the masses of other Western Action Shooters and let the positive influence of what we are about do the recruiting. A large percentage of current Western Action Shooters are potential NCOWS members that just don’t know it yet. We need to groom those potential shooters and show them what NCOWS is really about. We also need to focus on recruiting the 30 and under age members, as they will be our future

2) Shooting classes: I support changes to the shooting classes where appropriate. However, those changes need to be made only to improve or more accurately reflect the way it was or might have been in the 19th century. I do not necessarily approve of removing shooting classes – those that are long established. But I do favor adding additional classes to reflect the arms and shooting styles people from different walks of life may have experienced. However, with the current number of shooting classes NCOWS now offers, we need to be particularly selective on adding any others to ascertain that they are representative of the way things were in the 19th Century.

3) Authenticity: Maintaining a level of authenticity is what sets our organization apart from other Western Action Shooting organizations. We must continue this, and I shall do my best as Chair of the Authenticity Committee. We must also actively strive to hold onto that standard of authenticity at local events flying the NCOWS banner. We all must offer our newer members the guidance and mentoring they desire as they, too, strive toward better historical accuracy within the context of our regulations. Personally, I enjoy when a member at an NCOWS event does not break character into the 21st century, be it during a congressional meeting, a National Convention, the National Shoot, or even a local competition.

4) Competition: We are first and foremost a shooting organization. Our organized matches should be safe, fun, & historically based in dress, atmosphere, behavior and equipment. I do not want to see match attendees bending rules, or altering equipment to gain a personal edge. While it is possible that certain modifications may have been done on a limited basis in the old west – to give the gunfighter the edge that kept him alive – I believe that the vast majority of the 19th century population did not engage in that activity. I have not seen any documentation that this was done. To do such modifications, with the intention of gaining a couple of seconds’ edge over the other shooters hurts the organization and the image we wish to show to the world. I think we all need to live within the both rules and the spirit of those rules.

5) Safety: While Items 1 through 4 are important, none of them mean anything without safety being put first. While it has been my job the last few years as Judge to make sure safety is observed at all of our events by enforcing our Safety Rules and Regulations, it is every person’s job at any event to maintain vigilance for any safety infraction. In the past, I have had judges from other posses contact me to get my reading on safety for their events. My standard answer is always that all the rules of safety as in the Tally Book are literal and are to be followed.

Bryan Buck, Judge, NCOWS L-172

Better known as Oklahoma Tom or Tom Dunphy within our extended family

OklaTom@att.net

214-801-4476

Hello, my name is John Covert, alias River City John. I have been a Life member of NCOWS since 1999 and have served multiple past terms in Congress as either a Senator or a Territorial Representative.

I would appreciate your vote as Senator for the upcoming 2024 term.

While there have been many issues over the years that the Congress has addressed, the only real issue of importance is finding and increasing new membership to ensure the ongoing health of our organization.

If elected I will continue to work towards that goal.

Thank you.

It seems to be election time again. The last 3 years have passed in a blur. I guess that is what happens when you are passed 70. I am running for the NCOWS Senate again. I still live in the South Plains of Texas. I am retired from the US Army. I am an Endowment Life Member of the NRA and a Life member of NCOWS since 2019. I have been a member of NCOWS since November 1994 and the Senate since 2012. I have been the NCOWS Banker since 2013.

I come from a Rendezvous and primitive camping background and did living history and volunteer work at Bent’s Old Fort near La Junta, Colorado. I believe in keeping NCOWS as authentic as possible in modern times.

I first heard about NCOWS in 1994. A copy of “The Shootists” was included in the registration packet of a 3-day SASS shoot. I read it and knew this was an organization that I wanted to be a part of. But for the next 15 years, the “Shootists” was my only contact with NCOWS.

I have been the Banker for NCOWS since 2013. As the Banker, I have been a good steward of the association’s funds, and with the assistance of the members of the EC and congress, we are financially sound.

I would appreciate your vote for another term in the NCOWS senate

Hello to all, my name is Theresa Scott aka Miss Theresa and I am a life long Nebraskan. I am a proud and active member of the Blue River Regulators posse. The Grand Army of the Frontier,' Grand Muster ' also held here in Nebraska is also another group that I support and participate in.

My husband, Broken Nose Scotty and myself since joining NCOWS around 2005 have attended nearly all of the National Shoots and Conventions. To say that we have thoroughly enjoyed each one would be an understatement. What I mostly like about NCOWS is the history. The emphasis on safety first and marksmanship are a big part of our shoots which I hope never changes. I am not a top notch shooter but, I do enjoy the challenge.

Several years ago a couple of shooters were commenting that they "couldn't afford to buy all that special clothes". I figured something could be done about that so, I started to round up good, clean new and preowned period clothing. Prices were kept reasonable and this effort was well recieved. This was the beginning of my vendor table which I called 'A Bird in the Hand'. That means if there is only one of anything on the table, generally it is the only one I have. There were never any intentions of under cutting other vendors it just turned out to be a good way for me to support NCOWS through providing proper period clothing.

As a youth I was in 4H only for a few years but it left an impression on me, therefore I am also a strong supporter of the 4H Western Heritage Program. The youth in our communities are the future. Even if they do not continue on as an active western action shooter they are learning a respect for our country's history and what its people endured during the pioneer era. Most of all they are being taught the respect for and disipline it requires to handle firearms safely and proficiently.

If elected to the NCOWS Senate, I will do my best to support all that NCOWS represents. Thank you for your time and your vote.

Theresa A. Scott
NCOWS # 2430

My name is Paul Weller. Some of you may know me as MoGorilla, or we have met at the National shoot. I have been a single term senator and I would like to continue in that capacity. I am a lifelong fan of westerns and an armchair historian. I have played a bit in other areas, a few SASS shoots and buck skinning way back in the 80s, but truly feel at home with NCOWS. I would like to continue representing you as a senator in NCOWs. We are a great organization, and we have grown in the last few years and added some younger shooters. And while I envy their energy and vision, it is a great trend that I hope to see continue. If you see me at a shoot and I got my camp up, pull up a chair and chances are I will have coffee to share, so sit, have a bit and let me know where you want to see NCOWs go.