Carlton "Tobey" Barrett is 44 years old has a BA in history from Rhode Island College and served in the US Military for 8 years as an Artillery Officer. He saw service in the U.S. and Germany. He is a professional Sculptor and Model Designer, Toby owns Thoroughbred Figures. He is married to Rachel who is a probation and Parole Officer in Virginia Beach where they reside.
Tobey's first miniatures game was in 1971 and his favorite Periods are ACW, Napoleonics, Naval (ACW & WWII) and 7YW. He supported wargaming groups in RI, Germany, Kansas and Virginia, has been a member of HMGS East for 5 years and of The Miniature Figure Collectors of America for 3 years. "My attraction to the hobby is that it incorporates creativity, competition, formal study, artistry, history, military tactics, and camaraderie in one activity." Tobey has written many articles for The Courier magazine amoung which is the introduction to the Barrett Measure a method of accurately comparing figure compatibility and now used as a basis for figure reviews by The Courier.
PLATFORM
In recent years, the inner workings of HMGS East have attracted me and I, like many other members, have reached the conclusion that the society needs a few changes in order to accomplish its purpose of furthering the development of historical miniature gaming.
We must continue to clean up the membership registry process. I advocate that all membership renewals be collected at one time each year versus twice. To better inform individuals of their membership status a program of written acknowledgment or notification of delinquency should be implemented. Too many individuals are not formal members, but believe themselves to be.
The conventions are the best promotion of our hobby. To keep them popular we must pay close attention to the gaming, the dealers, and the social climate. I would seek to reward the best volunteers, game presentations, dealers, and demonstrations. After action reports delineating what works and what doesn't would enable the directors to better plan future conventions and ensure that they remain financially sound.
For too long the biting tone of our newsletter has been a source of embarrassment for HMGS East. The newsletter was designed to be a platform for the civil exchange of ideas and opinions. Rude bickering and vicious allegations should best be solved by the parties involved between themselves or, if need be, by a special committee for investigation and action.
Many former and present members believe a greater return for their dues is warranted. Ideas in this regard need to be implemented in order to keep the current membership numbers up, to attract new members, and to bring back past members. An important part of this action would state and define our purpose as a Society in clear terms. Too many don't know or think we are adrift.
Our record as a Society has been poor when it comes to providing financial or material support to similar hobby activities as described in our By-laws.
Our qualifying criteria must be stated clearly and in detail. Applicatns must know how to request our aid. Our decision-making process must be flexible and timely in order to support favorable projects.
The board of directors to date has been a reactive body. It shold be more proactive when conducting the business of our hobby. Communication with the membership must improve so we can operate intelligently.
Annual meetings should have a posted agenda that needs to be adhered to. Reports must be rendered in complete formats. Accounting medthods should change to better reflect a truer picture of the Society's financial status. Directors should be fully compensated, within reason, for out-of-pocket expenses spent on conducting matters on behalf of the Society.
Barring family crisis, directors should attend all Board meetings and our two conventions. Reports should be printed in the newsletter.
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