JACK SCRUBY It is with great sadness that I heard of lack's passing After H.G. Wells wrote LITTLE WARS in 1913 the hobby of Wargaming lay stagnant until reincarnated by lack Scruby, an American living in California who breathed new life into it through his homely magazine WARGAMES DIGEST. Whatever else has happened since those halcyon days in the 1 1950s it is doubtful if our hobby would haw taken off so vigorously without this inspired stimulus provided by Jack Scruby. At our very first meeting, Tony Bath, the English pioneer wargamer, loaned me the first five copies of this magazine and, after staying up almost all night reading them, I knew that here was what became the abiding interest of my life. All that I have done in the hobby, all the magical moments, the wonderful friends I have made - everything is initially owed to Jack Scruby, a far seem gman seemingly big in every way. The word 'seemingly' is used because alas - I never actually met lack in the flesh and it is a sad thought that he marched away early in September 1988 when steps were being taken for us both to be present in a Golden Oldies' Wargame and Seminar at next year's H ISTORICON Miniatures Convention in U.S.A. The name lack Scruby might not be familiar to today's generation of wargamers but, as I do, they owe him more than they know! -- DON FEATHERSTONE DON FEATHERSTONE ON ORIGINS At midday yesterday - eight days after leaving CEN/CON - I arrived home here, encling what was undoubtedly one of the most memorable happenings of my life, so filled with unique occasions that it seems far more than a mere 13 days since I left England. Meeting so many old friends and making so many new ones at Milwaukee - all warm and likeable - caused me to be almost overwhelmed by goodwill and hospitality allied to acute awareness of whatever part I - an Englishman in their country - had played in our mutual hobby of wargaming I bitterly regret that the pressures of the programme set me did not allow time to walk around the colourful trade stands, to linger at the spectacular exhibition wargames, or meet even more people! Picking me up at Chicago Airport, Mark Olson set the friendly scene and capped it at the end by getting up very early to take me to the airport for my Right to Washington. At first, until meeting Bob Bigelow next morning at breakfast, Mark's was the only face I knew in the whole of your continent, then laid-back Harold Johnson breezed into my life and I knew three Americans by sight - but that quickly altered! Bob and his brother John were marvelous guardian-angels, looking after me like long-lost sons; later Jim Butters and the one-and-only Duke Selfried gave me hospitality in their homes, Jim took it all far beyond the call of duty by giving me a bed and a fine meal then showing me around Antietam and Manassas, besides meeting and driving to their hotel in Downtown Washington my son-in-law and two small grandchildren arriving late at Dulles Airport. It would be a gross understatement to say I was impressed by Jim's huge collection of board wargames and his prowess on the computor, and Duke's incredible abilities at making and painting superb terrain and what must be among the world's largest collections of war games armies made me wonder how I got by with a mere 25,000 or so figures. Duke and Jeff Perren I had met below in England and we took up where we left off many years ago and it was like renewing acquaintances with old friends to meet for the first time such renowned wargaming personalities as Hal Thinglum. Dick Bryant, Lynn Win, Scotty Bowden, Ken Bunger, Pat Condray, Dale Ridder, Todd Fisher, Jim Getz, Jayson Gralewicz, Gary Gygax, Keith Leidy, Michael Montemarono, John Mansfield, Bill Protz, Bob Pavlik and Darren Sheldon to name but a few and I apologize for any left out - there was such a kaleidoscope of friendly faces! Charm and glamour entered the picture when I met Duke's wife Billie, Jim Getz's recently-wed Ann,,and Jim Butter's Shirley, who all made me feel young again! Those attending my seminars and wargames will recall my insistence on Wargaming being a social exercise, beginning when armies face each other across tabletop battlefields and inevitably becoming lifelong friendships. CEN/CON emphasized this and I can recall little that has impressed me More than the friendly cooperation and competitiveness across the table, without a hint of acrimony or argument, of a varied assortment of American wargamers fighting to very basic and unknown rules, under the direction of an Englishman they had never before met, own under such disturbing circumstances as when the non-arrival of wargames armies mean; fighting a Peninsular War Battle with American Revolution troops! It was all quite admirable and the hobby of wargaming could ask for no better advertisement - it was the complete answer to those who see wargaming as an encouragement to violence and warlike attitudes. And when it had all ended, any sense of loneliness at leaving the crowded atmosphere of GEN/CON rapidly diminished when Jim Butters took me round the battlefields of Antietam and Manassas. And, in the week that followed I dragged a quite unmilitary son-on-law around Gettysburg, Harpers Ferry, Shenandoah Valley, The Wilderness, Spotsylva nia, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, via a host of motels of varying qualities. It was a highlight of my life to be on those hallowed fields that for much of my life had provided so many hours of reading and wargam ng. Everythingi did and saw in America was glowingly hallmarked by the warmth and friendship offered by so many American people, some of them ranking with the nicest and most likeable I haw ever met i n my I ife. To everyone - and to those who had the idea of bringing me over - I say a sincere 'Thank You' - I hope we can do it again! --DON Featherstone Don has been invited to participate in Historicon '89 to be held in Harrisburg in Ju ly, 1989. He has accepted. -- DICK BRYANT A LETTER OF JUSTIFIED IRRITATION In VIII-2 of THE COURIER, there is, on page 53, a mention of the Spring 1988 "Practical Wargamer" by person unknown. I do not object to the greater part of the item, but I do take exception to the phrase "Some articles are staff-written fluff', Whilst I'm not totally sure that is implied by this rather odd comment, I would wish to take issue on two points. Firstly, I can state quite categorically that with the exception of the editorial, NOT ONE of the articles in that issue of "Practical Wargamer" was mitten by a member of' the staff. The editodal staff of the magazine consists of myself working evenings and week-ends (I have a regular 9-5 job in the telecommuncations industry), with some occasional oversight and help from the Group editor when he can find the time. All the articles were submitted boy private individuals - the names of by far ,he greater proportion of these will already be familiar to TH E COUR IER readers - as can be readily checked by looking at the issue in question. Secondly, the use of the word "flu if' is rather condescending to say the least. Do not be scornful of the efforts of others, for we all wish to obtain something different from the hobby and it is just th is type of snobbery that can ruin wargaming finally, I ask that you supply the common courtesy of checking that your people's facts, or as in this case, assumptions, are correct before going to print. --STUART ASQUITH Greg Rice writes our "Product News " and "Gleanings " columns. No one knows better than I that thew efforts are done by staffs of one for two at the most) nor do we intend to be scornful of the efforts Stu Asquith has made in this hobby. Mr. Asquith is justified in his irritation at my inference that his publication has people who write for it on a regular basis. It does share several characteristics of the other British commercial wargaming and miniatures magazines; it is beautifully and expensively printed in four colors on glossy stock, loaded with advertisements from the trade; its articles are free of the often clumsy writing of wargamers with good ideas but without first-rate writing skills; it is produced by a publishing house, and it seems to appear on schedule. Please amend my c comment to read" Some articles, while written in polished prose and nicely illustrated, have a fairly low information content. The difference between "snobberiy" and what I thought was rather mild criticism within a verypositive paragraph Which It recommend purchase) may of course be clearer when the fire is Or oming. Mr. Asquith's standing in the hobby is widely respected, and his opinions are welc welcome I suspe, I, however, that he somewhat overstates my ability to ruin wargaming. I suggest that readers pit k up a copy of Practical Wargamer and form their own opinions. - GREG RICE Back to Table of Contents -- Courier Vol. VIII No. 4 To Courier List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1988 by The Courier Publishing Company. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com