The current committee consists of the instructors (unless they choose to recuse themselves), the three elected office bearers, and any members co-opted to the committee to fulfill roles as needed. The committee’s main purpose is to ensure the club constitution is upheld and that members are enabled as much as possible to continue fencing.
The three office bearers collectively look after the day-to-day running of the club, with the traditional structure of chair, communications and finance. The office runs in a spirit of co-operation and delegates allowable tasks to volunteer assistants where necessary to ensure that all tasks are completed regardless of whose official responsibility they are. Their duties are outlined in brief in their profiles below but decisions are agreed jointly with no one office bearer being autonomous.
President – Jack Fraser
(He/Him)
The President is the official representative of the society and presides over the society, acting as the first point of contact for all external organisations, setting the agenda for and chairing all society meetings.
Jack joined DDS in 2014, and swiftly fell in love with HEMA. After serving as secretary for two years, Jack was elected as president of DDS in 2018.
Jack’s interest in sword-fighting started at an early age. LEGO knights and rolled up newspaper swords were his favourite toys. This developed into an interest in history and fantasy, which led to his current interest in HEMA as an athletic and scholarly pursuit.
Secretary – Alyson Duffy
(She/Her)
The Secretary has responsibility for the Society’s internal communications as well as record keeping, minutes, and insurance documentation.
Treasurer – Alessandro Inguscio
(He/Him)
The Treasurer is responsible for managing the Society’s monetary affairs including budgeting, book-keeping, and ensuring the societies expenses are met and paid.
Additional Members
On secondment to the committee are:
Kat Ferguson (Instructor)
Jean Loup Rebours-Smith (Instructor, website manager)
Rose Jones (Armourer)
Harry Leng (Social Media)