J. Matthew Davidson
Born: 1964, Manchester, Connecticut.
Education: Miami University, double majoring in Political Science/History.
Personal: Single, Present address: 193 Rosemarie Dr. Lebanon, Ohio 450361239, e-mail: jmd a@your-net.com. 
Profession: Division of Parks and Cemeteries, City of Lebanon.

Wargaming: Fist miniatures game in 1981: been hooked ever since. Favorite Periods- ACW, AWI, WW II, Naval(WW II and ACW). One of the founding members and President of Lebanon Military Strategist Association(Lebanon High School).

One of the founding members, and served a term as Vice President and later a term as President of Historical Simulation Club Miami University Middletown Campus. Also sat on the Miami University Student Advisory Council, as a liaison between the University and the aforementioned club. Member for many years of Greater Dayton Wargame Club. Member of Wayne's Legion Historical Gamers. Member of HMGS-E Member of HMGS-GL Member of BoD and Vice President of HMGS-GL Official point of contact for HMGS-GL on the internet

I have run miniatures games of various periods at a variety of conventions including, COGA-CON, CAP-CON, Kettering Game Con., Rally Round The Flag, Advance the Colors, Origins and Cold Wars. I have also run many games for the various clubs to which I have belonged over the years, and continue to do so. I have also written articles for several club newsletters incuding GDWC,WLHG,and HMGS-GL Herald and I have been published in Command Post Quarterly(CPQ) magazine.

As a member of the BoD and Vice President of HMGS-GL, I have (attended all of the BoD, membership, and convention planning meetings in the past two years. I have been directly involved in the Advance the Colors '96, and currently the Advance the Colors '97 conventions, by organizing the raffle, working at the "gate" and other related organizational tasks, as well as running games. Also, I am currently the HMGS-GL official point of contact on the internet. Therefore I have experience on how HMGS works and have established contacts on-line with many of the various other HMGS chapters.

Platform:

I will continue to strive to make HMGS-GL a regional chapter. We need to continue to attract new members from all areas of our region, not just Ohio. We have been making definite progress in this area since my term on the BoD began. We need to get the members involved in organizing events in all these areas, so no area will feel isolated.

I will continue to urge the National HMGS BoD to do more for It's chapters.

I will continue to encourage the membership to organize HMGS-GL game days In their local areas at shops or where ever they can. I have been directly involved as well as several other HMGS-GL members in my local area, with organizing and running HMGS-GL game days at the Tin Soldier hobby shop in Centerville OH. I am pleased to announce that as of August 22nd '97 HMGSGL ran it's 34th consecutive game day at the Tin Soldier since the first one on April 14th '96. We have the rest of the year just about planned out and we will reach the 46th at the end of this year. I would also like to congratulate Eric Adamaszek for his efforts in organizing the HMGS-GL game days at the Soldiery hobby shops in Columbus, and Cleveland OH. That is exactly the type of membership participation we need. The HMGS-GL game days are very valuable in getting the word out about HMGS and it is something tangible that the membership and the general public can see HMGS-GL doing. Not to mention the benefits for the game shops. I know we have gotten many new members as a result and will, continue to do so.

I will continue to seek to add hobby shops to the friends of HMGS-GL list, being a benefit not only to the member but the shops as well.

I will continue to develop HMGS-GL's presence on the internet. Since I started as the POC, the response has been great. For those with access, information can been found much easier and faster than by conventional means. The other chapters are also developing a presence as well. Communication and cooperation between chapters has already been realized to a degree and will undoubtedly improve.

I will continue to work to make Advance the Colors the best convention we can. We need to keep things STRICTLY HISTORICAL MINIATURES RELATED., That is what we are about and that is what we should concentrate on at the exclusion of all else. So far we have done very well in keeping this focus and I will continue to work to keep it that way. At a consistent location, if possible.:,

HMGS-Great Lakes has grown cosiderably since the current BoD was elected and continues to do so. The current BoD has put much effort into making HMGS-GL what it has become, through much personal effort, many times at our own personal expense(time and money). It wasn't that long ago that HMGS-GL was struggling to survive, facing disbanding by the NBoD, and was struggling to scrape together 50 members and lost it's shirt at the first Rally Round the Flag convention. Now we have in the neighborhood of 150 members and climbing at a steady rate and have had a successful convention(AtC'96), sponsoring game days, producing a fine newsletter, and now on the web, and continue to do more for the membership than ever before. I'd say the current BoD deserves a big round of applause. Much work still lay ahead and if you see fit to vote for me, I will continue to do my part in seeing that HMGS-GL doesn't rest on it's laurels, but continues to improve and serve you, the Historical Miniature Gamer.