Message from the Founders 120718

Please read the message from Drew and me concerning OHC membership and dialing in on the requirements.

A message from the founders:

Let us be direct in this message so there is no misunderstanding…

First off, we consider you to all be our brothers.  You wouldn’t have received this letter (or your ring) if we believed otherwise.  That’s what OHC is, a true brotherhood…not some goddamn best friends club.  Our Declaration of Commitment (DOC) is a contract that each of you need to understand is a real obligation to those of us that have chosen to fully participate.

We are sure you all know how rare it is to find real friends; those in which you can develop true trust and faith.  In today’s world it doesn’t happen often, if ever.  Lots of people are friends, until shit gets real and becomes more advantageous for them to betray your trust.  Or when it’s not convenient for them to put you before themselves, or even make you a priority when you need their support.  Again, this is a brotherhood and not that kind of bullshit.

We also understand that you have busy lives with responsibilities to serval people as well as time sensitive and operationally essential requirements.  No shit, we are busy AF too.  It is essential to establish the required outside relationships and assets to make that “get away” time feasible while still meeting your additional commitments.  If it’s not a priority, it will never happen.

It’s not always convenient for us to step away from being directly in front of our responsibilities.  However, it is essential to our mental heath as well as our membership in this organization to make time for OHC…it is part of who we are and why we founded this clan in the first place.

While we enjoy hanging out with all of you and welcome your “buddy time” whenever you are available, OHC isn’t [just] about getting together to do epic shit.  It’s also about having a cohesive unit of Vikings, craftsman, predators and scholars committed to supporting one another on a primal, tribal level.  This group consist of individuals with skill sets, resources and perspective from a variety of disciplines and experiences.  That diversity provides us with an extraordinary ability to respond in support of our fellow members.

The trust in our commitment to one another to actually respond in a time of need must be finite and have real meaning between each and every member, regardless of direct social affiliation.  We must equally trust that the discretion and measure of that support is based on the needs of our brothers, and not bound by the standards and limits of normal society.

In other words, everyone has been invited to this clan for strategic tactical reasons as well as because we like drinking beer with you.  Though some of us know each other better than we may know others, we must trust that we are all committed to this brotherhood and that each of us are committed at the same level.  That is one of the reasons for the DOC.  That declaration, in combination with our Bylaws, clearly defines the requirements and expectations for membership.  Anything less is unacceptable.

We must also have the confidence in knowing that each member is personally and professionally squared away, responsible to their other commitments and individual communities.  This attribute ensures that if a need for support arises, the supporting members won’t be unnecessarily or recklessly called upon for help.

We originally provided 2019’s full calendar in July ’18 so you would have ample time to properly plan for being present at the mandatory gatherings as well as any other events you wanted to attend.  These mandatory gatherings should and do matter for a number of reasons.  Not the least of which being…

…if, with plenty of advanced notice, you can’t make the proper arrangements to show up and drink beer with your brothers for a few days a couple of times per year…

…then, there is no way you are going to be able (or maybe even willing) to show up with a moment’s notice, tools in hand and ready to work, should the need arise.

While you will always be our friends, and some true brothers to one or more of us, you need to decide if you are committed to OHC at this level.  If not, not a problem.  Just return your ring and any logoed gear.  No hard feelings…truly no problem.  You are always welcome to come hang out but this clan is more than a drinking buddies deal, so step up or simply step out.

For those that are and have always been committed, we thank you for that brotherhood and are excited to have you with us as we take OHC to the next level.  We look forward to seeing you all at the gathering in February.  Bring your spears and be ready to do some killin’!

So with that, please read through the documents in this packet and make sure you are ALL IN.  Bring your DOC to the February gathering and we will all reaffirm our commitments at that meeting.

Otherwise, please shred these docs and delete any electronic copies, emails or other OHC information.  I still look forward to having a cold beer with you sometime soon.