2. Maury Grays Policy on Attendance
First we will explain the need for a policy on attendance:
1. There is a lot of work behind the lines in running and keeping a company thriving, growing, and active in the reenactment events. The officers and NCO's are responsible to perform all the task, which are relevant to this end, and are not paid but rather volunteer their time and resources and energy to perform these task. The only tribute we ask for our labors is that of attendance. It is not gratifying to them to labor when those for whom they labor do not show up at the events and drills. On the contrary, it is very discouraging for them to labor in vain.
2. The Maury Grays are a very well drilled unit in both company and Battalion drill maneuvers. It takes time and repetition to learn these drills and most of the boys have a lot of pride in performing these maneuvers very well. In our estimation, it is not fair to the boys who are attentive to these requirements; to have others who have been in the company long enough to know these drills and yet have not attended enough drills throughout the year to be proficient in the drill. We constantly have to stop and begin at the beginning all over and the unit as a whole cannot grow but remains doing the basics all the time.
3. Voting- when we have times where we must vote on officers,NCO's or on company policy, we feel it is not fair for those who have not been in reasonable attendance, to be allowed to vote for officers when they don't even know the men who are running for those positions. Also in matters of company policy, it would not be wise to allow those a vote who are not familiar with the direction of the company, and who otherwise throughout the year are not in attendance and therefore not involved nor even aware of the circumstances regarding the decision-making.
4. The 1st Confederate Division expects the Hardee Light Infantry Battalion to support their event efforts with sufficient numbers at events or the Battalion can be dropped by the Division or will be ordered to fall in with another Battalion. Likewise, Hardee's expects each unit to supply sufficient numbers of troops or the Battalion can drop them or we can be made to fall in with other units under another company’s unit designation. Neither one of these options is agreeable to us. Therefore we require your support for the unit, if you cannot or will not support the unit then we will not keep you on the rolls.
5. It is an honor and a privilege to be a member of the Maury Grays, not only because of the fact they were raised up in Maury County but also because of the fighting abilities and bravery of each of the men who comprised the Original Maury Grays. The only way we can honor them is by keeping their memory alive by representing them at living histories and reenactment events. How can you honor if you are never present? You must earn the privilege.
6. In the past, we have had men who only want to attend 1 drill and 1 or 2 events per year and expect that they should receive full membership benefits of voting and running for offices and while we do not want to be inflexible in our policies, we must institute this policy to prevent these abuses plus to relieve ourselves of needless labor for those who do not intend to support us with their attendance.