STANDTO
Your view about the messes not evolving is part way right, however, they haven't really evolved at all.
However, it is an important place, where personnel can socialise without interference from the outside world.
In my experience, so few people use the old folk's home that it is effectively irrelevant. Most members live off camp, forced to by the crap standard of quarters on offer. Consider what the official entitlement is for a married SNCO with one child for example.
The only people using the mess are those who live on camp to go and meet all the others who can't be arsed to go and buy their own house and live like parasites off the money that all the mess members have to pay. I know people forced through circumstances to live in the mess during the week who don't even venture into the bar because of the creatures that virtually live in there.
Do people really believe that a set of silly and outdated mess rules really help to uphold standards ? Instead, a visit away for most if it involves staying in amess, normally means a night out into the local town, and the real world.
Safety_Helmut