The following is extracted from a letter recently received from Donald Greenwood.

Consider this your official invitation to partake in the activities newest and (we hope) best wargaming convention. We have dubbed our gathering ORIGINS I because it is taking place in the city that gave rise to commercial wargaming 16 years ago with the birth of the Avalon Hill Company. We think it only fair then that Avalon Hill take a part finally sponsoring a premier gathering recognized as official by one of the founding fathers of the industry.

Who are "we"? "We" are 10 members of I.G.B. (Interest Group Baltimore), a club of approximately 150 Baltimore area gamers who in conjunction with Avalon Hill are undertaking what we think will be the gala event of the year in wargaming circles. Our site is the best ever. We have almost unlimited access to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore including inexpensive lodging and food facilities.

We expect a turnout of over 500+ gamers plus whatever public response we can generate from local newspaper, radio and TV exposure. The feature event will be a $500 national boardgaming championship tournament sponsored by the Professional Wargamers Association. Other events will include armor minatures judged by the Johns Hopkins Historical Society, Fantasy trips through Dungeons & Dragons, Diplomacy, and a host of smaller spin-off events such as the Richthofen's War Demolition Derby judged by Randall Reed (the Game's designer).

But we of I.G.B. do not want this to be all there is to ORIGINS I. We want it to be the marketplace of wargaming where all gaming products are shown, sold, and played in competition.

All proceeds will be used to defray operating expenses. Surplus funds will be deposited in the IGB account for a bigger and better ORIGINS II. Make plans to join us on the weekend of July 25-27, 1975.