NCOWS TERRITORIAL CONGRESS

Ann Birk

I have been a member of the Kansas Vigilance Committee for 13 years. I have attended multiple NCOWS Annual Conventions and competed in multiple Annual Matches. I hold a deep commitment to our organization's founding principles.

MY PLATFORM

1. Authenticity First — Upholding the historical accuracy and costuming standards that define NCOWS and distinguish us from other shooting organizations. Our heritage is our identity.

2. Youth Involvement — We need to actively recruit and mentor young shooters-to ensure NCOWS thrives for generations to come. The future of our sport depends on inspiring the next generation.

3. Club Cooperation — Fostering open communication and collaboration between NCOWS clubs and regions to strengthen our national community. Together we are stronger.

4. Women's Participation — Celebrating and expanding opportunities for women in NCOWS competition, leadership, and fellowship. Every voice matters and counts.

5. NCOWS Spirit — Preserving the camaraderie, sportsmanship, and joy that make every match and convention a memorable experience. This is more than a sport...it is a way of life.

Bryan Buck

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. I served four years as National Judge Currently, as a Senator, I am serving my second term as the National Deputy Marshal and I am serving in the Authenticity Committee. During these last thirteen years, I have been extremely active with NCOWS carrying out the duties of Secretary, Judge, and Deputy Marshal. I have only missed attending one of the national events in seventeen years. I also go to as many of the regional events that I have been able to. I am a member of four 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 as 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 assisting the National Judge when called upon in 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 need and 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 the four years I was 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, Deputy Marshal, NCOWS L-172
Better known as Oklahoma Tom or Tom Dunphy within our extended family
OklaTom@att.net
214-801-4476

Joe Ray

Howdy All,

My name is Joe Ray, aka Tascosa Joe. I am a retired Texas Army National Guard Brigade Operations Sergeant Major and Command Sergeant Major. I served my country for a little over 40 years. As with most of us in this sport, I grew up watching western movies at the local “picture show” and on TV. My Grandfather had a Colt SA in 38 WCF, when I was 3 years old my dad held the old Colt and I pulled the trigger. I have been addicted to “cowboy” guns ever since.

I have been a NCOWS member since November 1994. I discovered NCOWS when a copy of “The Shootists” was included in the registration packet of an annual SASS shoot in North Texas. Coming to CAS from a rendezvous background, I decided this was my kind of organization. I believe as an organization we should adhere to our principles and goals of being as historically accurate as possible to the period of 1866-1899. Personally, I have attempted to keep my persona as accurate to our period as I possibly could.

I have been a member of the Congress since 2012 and the NCOWS Banker since 2013. During the period of 2013-2026, I have assisted the EC in keeping the organization in the “black” for most of those years.

I am soliciting your vote for Senator. As a senator I plan on to continue as the Banker for another term.

Reed Van Ness

This is Reed “Two-Bit Charlie” Van Ness, and I’m been asked again to represent you, the NCOWS Membership, as your Senator. For those that don’t know me, I’m an Endowment Life Member of the National Rifle Association, a Life Member of WIForce (The Wisconsin Rifle and Pistol Association) and a Life Member of NCOWS. I have held leadership positions from local club (past president), State Organizations (State Pistol Director) to National Organizations (Past NCOWS Senator). We might have crossed trails from shooting at the NCOWS National Shoot, or the Mid-Western Regional in Wisconsin, or the Eastern Regional in Indiana. Or we may have crossed trails at the National Conventions. I’m active in NCOWS and would like to represent you for another three years as your NCOWS Senator.

Reed “Two-Bit Charlie” Van Ness

Theresa Scott

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 of Nebraska posse. The Grand Army of the Frontier is another group that I support to and participate with. The main annual shoot for the GAR, the Grand Muster is held here in Sargent, Nebraska.

My husband Mike aka 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. Whether it’s a shoot, banquet gathering or the trip there and back, each activity has provided us with special and unique memories.

The focus on the history of our country’s old west era is mostly what drew me to become involved with this group. Mike was already a member and I knew that he enjoyed it so I joined also. The emphasis on safety first and marksmanship are a big part of our shoots which I hope never changes. I do not consider myself a top notch shooter, but I do enjoy the challenge.

Quite a few years ago I heard a couple of shooters stress about being able to afford our period appropriate attire. I figured that something could be done about that, so I started rounding up good clean new and used period clothing and other assorted goods. My efforts were well received and that was the beginning of my vendors booth called “A Bird In The Hand”. That meant that if there was only one of something on the table, that most likely was all I had. This has turned out to be what I think is a really good way to support the membership of NCOWS.

As a young girl growing up on a farm a little less than a mile south of Raccoon Forks I was a 4H member, but only for a few years. I learned how to sew, I had my own little garden and found out that I wasn’t a very good baker. Those few years left an impression on me, one that I have not shaken off to this day. I support the 4H Western Heritage Program. These young people are not only learning about American pioneer era history, they are being taught respect for firearms and are learning the discipline it takes to handle them in a safe and responsible manner. The youth in all communities city and rural are the future. They are the future of shooting sports like ours.

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