Editing Mess (section)

== United Kingdom ==
[[File:The Women's Royal Naval Service during the First World War in the United Kingdom Q19750.jpg|thumb|Ratings are served dinner in their mess room at the [[Women's Royal Naval Service]] base on [[Osea Island]], [[England]], during the First World War.]] 
On a naval or military establishment there are usually two or three messes:
* The Officers' Mess, for [[Officer (armed forces)|Commissioned Officers]];
* The [[Chief Petty Officer]]'s or Warrant Officers' and Sergeants' Mess, for Senior [[Non-Commissioned Officer]]s (SNCOs) and [[Warrant Officer]]s (WOs);
* The Junior Rates' or Junior Ranks Mess, for Junior NCOs, Rates, Airmen and Privates.

Officers and SNCOs are required under [[King's Regulations]] to be a member of a mess<ref name="hmrc">{{cite news|title=VBNB60860 - Clubs and associations: general information about service messes and service funds for junior ranks|url=http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/vbnbmanual/VBNB60860.htm|publisher=[[HM Revenue and Customs]]|access-date=23 March 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140323075230/http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/vbnbmanual/VBNB60860.htm|archive-date=23 March 2014}}</ref> and unmarried members usually live, eat, and socialise in them. Members of the Officers’ and SNCO mess are also required to pay a subscription fee for supplies and upkeep. The amount is decided upon by the commanding officer within the limits stipulated by the Regulations.<ref name="hmrc"/>

Soldiers, sailors or airmen are welcome in any mess for their rank or equivalent, should they be away from their home unit, as long as they are paying dues in at least one mess.{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}} For the Warrant Officers' and Sergeants' Mess the highest ranking (normally the regimental sergeant major) member is known as the Presiding Member.

A mess is run by the Mess Committee, a group democratically elected by the members of the mess (except wardrooms), but normally agreed by the commanding officer or regimental sergeant major.
# President Mess Committee (PMC) - (Officers' Mess) or Chairman of the Mess Committee{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}} (Sergeants'/Petty Officers' Mess)
# Vice President of the Mess Committee (Mr Vice), who is responsible for toasts during mess dinners. He or she is rarely the deputy of the PMC (normally this is the Secretary) but instead the most junior person in the mess.
# Treasurer
# Secretary (Sec), who is responsible for records and minutes, etc.
# Wines Member, who is responsible for keeping the bar stocked.
# House Member, who is responsible for furniture and infrastructure.
# Entertainments (Ents) Member, for any special events or parties in the mess.

Some messes also have a Senior Living-In Member (SLIM) who represents the living-in members and supervises their conduct.

The commanding officer of the unit has right of [[veto]] over the mess, and any changes or events must have his approval. The CO is allowed into any mess (because they are legally all his), but it is often considered an abuse of power, unbecoming conduct or disturbing the order for a CO to drink in a lower rank mess,{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}} except when invited on special occasions.

The Officers' Mess in a [[Royal Navy]] ship or base is called the [[wardroom]]. Associated with the wardroom is a [[gunroom]], the mess for [[midshipmen]] and occasionally junior [[sub-lieutenant]]s. The captain of a vessel is not normally a member of the wardroom, which is always run by the first lieutenant or executive officer (XO), thereby known as the Mess President ("Mess Prez"). This post is part of the job of being a ship's XO. Other committee members are generally appointed (voluntarily or otherwise) by the XO.

[[Mess dress]] is the military term for the formal [[:wikt:evening dress|evening dress]] worn in the mess or at other formal occasions. It is also known as mess kit. Mess dress would be worn at occasions requiring [[white tie]] or [[black tie]].