Gladiator XXXV

[sapper]

At the risk of being dull, I should like to bring the thread back to Dave's original theme.

My suggestion for Gladiator XXXV would be a kind of Beer and Pretzels event. We would (ideally) have the room in the North End Club for a whole weekend. The idea is for people to be able to come along as individuals or small groups and join in with games as takes their fancy. We could ask local clubs to let their members know and even open the event to anyone locally who fancies coming along and gaming.

We could have board-games, miniatures and role-playing available. We would need volunteers to be prepared to organise / run the games if necessary; eg. the role-playing. I remember going to the Beer and Pretzels event at Burton on Trent once and joining in a game of Pax Britannica 'cos that's a game which you don't very often get enough people together with enough time to play. Other such offerrings are diplomacy and similar multi-player games. We could have a core of pre-organised games going on, and others which are just on standby for if enough interested people turn up.

Personally I would be in favour of inviting one or two local traders as well. This shouldn't make it a mini-show, as the emphasis would very much be on the turn up and play aspect, but it would add one more level of attraction.

Martyn

[terrywarden]

This is the type of event that imagined when we first started talking about it. We would need to be careful how we planned the games etc to make best use of the space; but a large show piece I think would be important. A trader or two would be welcome but they would need to realise that they aren't likely to make much from sales and space would be limited.

I think that we would need to invite local clubs rather than making it open to all as we will have to be mindful of numbers.

Lets see what our other members think

[Stephen Mawson]

I was presuming that is pretty much what we were talking about. No big organised games as such, unless those who are attending want to play a large multi-player game.

It wouldn't be a bad opportunity to play through one of Mark's wargames, as most of those sound like they want more time to play through than even an all day sunday allows.

[steven]

David

Ypur article sounds good and i dont envy you having to do it.

T shirts - do we really have to have the GCN logo on it? I thinks its our shirt, the clubs celebration - our celebratiom. Putting GCN on it is like having any other commercial logo on it - i dont like this idea - anyone else got a view?

[terrywarden]

Thats the problem when you quickly scan the posts; I missed the bit about the GCN logo on our shirts. I am not sure that I am in favour of this particularly as we would have to pay for the logo to be added; I am quiet happy with the lapel badges that they have already supplied. We may need to bring it up at the AGM for a vote; what do you think?

[Matt]

I like the idea of a serious gaming session with chums from other clubs invited.

Local traders - well there aren't that many but yes seems like a good idea to at least invite them. Relatively they wont make much money but I'm sure people will get carried away and splash out on something. (I'm looking at you Mr Wilkin - and you Sapper the tall thin one at the back there).

As for the GCN logo - I know what your saying but does raise the profile of the club and people would pick up on it at shows etc...
And whether Steven is loath to admit it or not quite a few people at the club do play Games Workshop games and not all of us have hairy palms or walk with a lisp! Oh and of course the club is part of the GCN with two esteemed council members amongst us no less!!

[mike]

Re the proposed XXXV anniversary show/meet
I could waffle on about this for hours, but why bother - Sapper has said it all, so I'll just second all that


Re local traders
I don't really have an opion on that - I certainly have no objections to a few of them turning up
I would be in favour of making the offer, if only because it would polite to do so, so I wouldn't be surpised if one or two to turned up


Re new club shirts
Now for the contentious issue
My veiw is that putting a GCN logo on the shirt kind of implies the GW is only thing we play - and that is most certainly not true
Furthermore, I take the view that if the GCN wants to advertise that's their prerogative, but I don't see why I should pay for it

Let's just make this clear - if the GCN logo is on the new club shirt, I will not be buying one.

[Matt]

ok - How about we get two lots of shirts done. One with GCN logo, one without! Simple enough.

[dave3]

OK, club nicely vocal on this!
Club open day...seems most people are looking at the same idea, pretty much. The upstairs on Saturday, and both upstairs and the majority of the downstairs lounge on Sunday (hey we could even suggest the NEC to put on a BBQ again!!) voluntary partigames, good, big multiplayer 2 day jobbies, good, whatever people want, it is a celebration of our diversity as much as anything else!

Shirts.. OK I get the objections. My thought was it advertises that we are PART of the GCN. the GCN is striving to become THE national body for ALL wargaming, not just GW games. Some of the older members know this is a bit of a thing with me,a National body for the hobby. By advertising and bringing awareness, we can spread the word, improving our hobby for all, and ourselves personally. One of the reasons for my volunteering as a Knight, was to maybe influence the GCN direction to where I think (and hopefully most gamers) it should be going.
Dave

[Matt]

I'm with Dave on this 100%. The rigid belief that GCN is just a Games Workshop things is going to stop GCN from progressing.

The GCN chaps didn't cry heresy when they were forced at rabid badger point to play a non GW game.

If we're at a show and we're (we - the club that is) is playing a demo game of SYW, ACW etc... and we have GCN on our shirts, are people going to assume that we only play GW games despite the evidence contrary in front of their eyes. No they'll think we play a number of games.

Any older gamers will realise that and any younger gamers will be tempted because we're a GCN club and they'll recognise it.

Of course the fact is we are a GCN club now. Resistance is futile you will be assimilated.

[Mark Wightman]

I was a bit surprised at the rather vocal outcry against this. I'd want to be sure that the GCN were happy for us to be using their logo on our shirts, but other than that I really don't see the harm in it.

[dave3]

In fact, the subject of the GCN logo was brought up at the AGM. In fact untill only a few weeks ago, the logo WAS the intellectual property of GW. I for one didn't know that. However they sold it , and all rights to it,to the GCN for £1. The GCN is keen for member clubs to advertise thier participation. Indeed Richard (the President... sorry High Castellain!!) mentioned logo's on tee shirts particularly. Also supplying clubs with banners and what not for use on thier display games. Also if we are the only GCN club at a show, to be the reprasentative of the GCN and spread the word.
Indeed the "partners" of the GCN now include Battlefront ,as well as GW, and they are looking into more. Perhapse we could suggest having benefits in line with bodies such as the SOA or the SOTCW, with trader discounts to members.
Dave

[terrywarden]

At the end of the day I would like a new shirt to celebrate the 35th year of The Bedford Gladiators! Maybe we could consider adding the Logo to the next general purpose shirt; I dont suppose that the GCN would like to sponsor it? The next bit is very tongue it cheek but; how about seeing if any manufactures or traders would like to buy space on our 35th shirt by recording their congratulations on it?
Did you and Steve get any sort of official shirt or regalia for your roles on the council or just a silly name?

[Stephen Mawson]

There should be a GCN shirt in it, but I believe the paperwork has to be completed before we're official as such.

[dave3]

I think people get the wrong end of the stick with the GCN. the whole point of us joining is to spread the word and attract new members, I think we achieved that! We "should" all be wearing our club shirts to any wargame connected event we go to, so advertising the club.
The GCN is only as good as the member clubs in the same way as the club is only as good as it's members, ergo we ARE the GCN, and the advertising of an organisation we are affilliated to can only do our club good!
The usual one off fee for setting up the programme will be the only major cost, with shirts probably a little more expensive per unit because of the extra logos. As for the GCN funding it, I don't think that will happen as our club probably has more money than they do (look up the website www.gamingclubnetwork.org/ the AGM minutes are on now) and they are a National organisation.
Dave