It’s a crazy idea thinking about having any sort of social gathering these days, with COVID and all, but this will end one day, and with it, we’ll be getting back to being social. And what’s more social than wargamers at a club, doing what we like to do - game and talk about gaming? There’s a lot of clubs out there, but not everywhere is lucky enough to have a club or is oriented towards a focus you’d like to pursue. Or maybe you just want a club your way? There are a million reasons to form a club. I’ve joined more than a few in my day, and I have some practical advice for those who want to form one.
Why a Wargaming Club?
There’s a lot of good reasons for a club. You can formalize the gaming time and make better use of it. You can rotate who’s running a game on a given week, so nobody winds up being the referee all the time! And, with many hands to make the work light, you can get together on a club project for a convention and really make some rather large and impressive games. Plus, there’s the fellowship of your fellow members that cannot be matched.
Have a Space in Mind
The hardest part for any wargaming club can be finding the space to meet. Some clubs have a dedicated space that members are given keys to, and they pay dues and have tons of formality. This is common in Britain and in urban areas in the United States. In the suburbs, where private homes are larger, it’s often common to meet in a member’s house. Another option is to make use of the gaming areas most hobby shops have available. Many such shops might charge you to use their tables and ask you to spread the good word about their store, but it’s nice to have a place to meet.
There are pros and cons to each way of doing things. Formal clubs that own or rent space can get into pickles about money and membership status and a host of other political to-dos. But the space is yours, and it allows you to do with it as you please. You can leave a game out and not have to worry about pets or spouses in a cleaning frenzy, and you usually have enough room to run several games at once.
When you meet in someone’s home, it’s pretty much their rules, and they’re usually the one hosting the game, which can be a bit of a burden on that person unless he LIKES running games all the time (guilty!) But, things are less formal, and the only dues are putting some money in the kitty for lunch and snacks! You also cannot leave games out often, and usually, there’s a time limit. A hobby shop has the space, and it’s nice to have one-stop shopping, but you always have to keep your public face on, and you’re subject to the rules (and sometimes whims) of the game store in question. There’s nothing like working for weeks on a Civil War game in 10mm, painting the troops, organizing everything, and having it ready, only to find out you got bumped last-minute for the overflow from a Magic tournament (it happened to me, but the game in question was a World War II scenario). Not only that, there’s a definite limit on how long you can have a table or two.
In short, weigh your needs and wants with the space you need. You’ll find that the space is there, and you may have to settle for a sub-optimal space, for now, only to move up to a bigger and better space later.
People. It’s About the People
Clubs are always about the people that make them up. New blood in any club is desired for a variety of reasons—more games for one thing, but also different outlooks. I mean, I have some obscure tastes wargaming-wise, so finding folks at the club who share those tastes are nice. I remember when I ran a popular game based loosely on the British evacuation of the Dutch Gold Reserves from The Hague in 1940. Clubs can help you do that because it’s like a potluck. One person brings the troops you don’t have, you bring the terrain he doesn’t have. This is easier in the hex and counter community, as it’s all self-contained, but still, you can offer to bring Squad Leader if he brings Russian Campaign?
Recruiting people is essential. Even if your club is informal, you want to put a big effort into recruiting. People keep the club alive, and sad to say, but we wargamers, on average, aren’t getting any younger. And, with technology proliferating, there are tons of ways to make slick flyers, mailers, and announcements about doings at the club. Schedule events that are open to the public, organize an event at a convention (Many clubs at cons get their own “con” rooms where they put on several events at once to show off the efforts of their members). In short, be a wargaming P.T. Barnum. Put on a show and make them knock down your door to get in. When you run these public events, make em big and showy. Showmanship…it’s always about the showmanship!
Another idea if you’re willing to spend the money - Swag. One of my most prized possessions is my Potomac Wargamers Polo Shirt. I wear that thing at every Historical Miniatures Gaming Society East event I attend. Swag makes you look like a club, and you can’t go wrong with a polo shirt, a t-shirt, or even a ball cap. Remember Napoleon’s statement about medals “A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon.” And a wargamer will go to great lengths for cool swag.
As for membership itself? You can be as formal or informal as you like. I tend to like informal myself, as I see wargaming as a social activity, not a reenactment of the daily events on C-SPAN. But some people like the formality. I’d just like to say one thing as a pet peeve. Don’t do what a club I tried to get into did. They let you come for a while, collect your dues, then voted on you as a member. If you weren’t voted in, you were blackballed for life. I hate that practice. We’re a small enough hobby, and I think that practice is cruel. If someone’s causing problems, a kind word in private usually solves a lot of issues. But please, consider this a warning. That practice is, to me, quite corrosive and causes a bit of an “old boy’s network” to form. Anyhow, enough of my soapbox.
Starting Out
The first year of any new wargaming club is the hardest, in my opinion. You must put the work in, and you must be consistent. If you get a reputation of flaking on events or meetings not happening for months at a time, you’re going to lose members. A club must be active. A sedentary club is a dead club, and that’s not the point of this, right?
Start small. A half-dozen dedicated members is better than 24 folks whose hearts aren’t really into it. Let people play to their strengths in your club. If you wind up being the one in charge, don’t be afraid to delegate based on people’s strengths.
But whatever you do, this is the most important thing to consider? Have fun! If you don’t do that, then why form the club in the first place?
Further Reading and Viewing
10 Tips for Starting a Gaming Club – This Youtube Video from Little Wars TV is excellent viewing on the subject.
Starting a Boardgaming Club – While this is meant more for broader appeal boardgames, it’s got plenty of good advice for anyone starting a gaming club.
Why Don’t You Start a Wargaming Club? – Another excellent video by Tabletop Minions that anyone starting a club would do well to watch.
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(This article is credited to Jason Weiser. Jason is a long-time wargamer with published works in the Journal of the Society of Twentieth Century Wargamers; Miniature Wargames Magazine; and Wargames, Strategy, and Soldier.)