I'm happy to report that HMGS Great Lakes' flagship convention Advance the Colors '99 was quite a success. This year's convention had marked increases in attendance and vendors, and a number of great gaming opportunities. Paid attendance (attendees and visitors) reached a total of 209 -- a new record! Fifteen vendors were present offering a diverse mix of wares and services.

The heart of the convention continues to be the gaming. More than 40 events occurred, including:

• DBA tournament hosted by Dennis Frank (NASAMW sanctioned)
• DBM tournament hosted by Jeff Fletcher (NASAMW sanctioned)
• The WW II "Race to Tunis" Command Decision 3 campaign, hosted by Jerry Merrell, Greg Novak and Matt Davidson
• Craig Lechner's Okinawa kamikaze game
• Rich Smethurst's third annual Sunday Zulu game

The tournaments and CD3 game were all well attended and provided some exciting gaming, Paul Ohtonen won the DBA tournament. The DBM tourney's winner was not reported to me, but congratulations, whoever you were! We continue to benefit from the efforts of talented gamemasters, such as Gavin Tovrea, Mark Milcetich, Phil Fry, Scott Jeske, Bill Weber, Richard Hurchanik, Jim Thomasson, Tim Weber and crew from The Colby Street Irregulars (including Doug and Steve Johnsonl), Mark Lauber, Robert Sternberg and the gang at the Greater Dayton Wargamers Club, Eric Adamaszak; C.J. Suchtya, Henry Lubbers, Nick Yankosky, Jeff Knudson, Chris Engle, Scott Mingus, Doug Rogers and the North Coast Garners, and last but by no means least, Patrick Hreachmark and his awe inspiring 25mm 1870s steamboat! All our gamemasters contributed to the success of Advance the Colors'99 and I thank you all for your support. ATC would not be possible without you!

The perfect complement to our great games was the diverse range of vendors present for Advance the Colors'99. Fifteen vendors were present, providing all sorts of great buys. Old faces included Division after Division, The Soldiery, George Nafziger, The Colour Sergeant, Dayton Painting Consortium, Imperialist Enterprises, Old Battlefields Press, Outland Games (with new 15mm Italians), Star Books and Games, and Sidney Hobbies and Gifts. New vendors for 1999 included: Crusader Games out of Cleveland, Gaming Models from Canton, The Quartermaster from Ontario, Tommy Gunner 15s from Normal, IL, and Game Figures Inc. (the new Minigfigs) from Aurora, CO. Overall, our dealer room was the best ever at an Advance the Colors, offering attendees more choices and opportunities than in years past.

The Herald "Memorial" raffle had a fantastic year, raising $400 to support the newsletter. Scott Savory's organization and execution resulted a smooth, timely event. Watching the half hour drawings was great entertainment. Because of all the individuals and vendors who contributed items to the raffle, the quality and quantity of material reached new heights this year. Next year, look for the raffle to transform into a silent auction under the direction of Jim Robinson. This will allow folks to focus their bids on the items they most desire.

Lastly, the HMGS Great Lakes membership meeting was held Sunday morning. Five percent of the membership attended the meeting and received a review of Great Lakes past performance and our plans for the future. Building on 1999's success, Great Lakes is proud to announce not one, but two new gaming events for the next millennium. "Warpartyl," a one day gaming event, will be held April 8 in Sharonville, OH. "Drums along the Maumee" -- a two day mini-convention -- will be held May 19-20 in Toledo, OH.

The preliminary financial audit of the convention indicates that the show had a positive cash flow. Scott Savory will perform a more detailed audit of income and expenses. T-shirts did not hold us back this year, as we sold all 40 shirts. If you want a shirt, but were unable to acquire one at the con, don't clespairl We'll have more shirts for "Warpartyl" and "Drums along the Maumee," Special thanks to Brian O'Leary, Darryl Smith and all the volunteers that made the show a success. I had a great time at ATC'99. See you at Advance the Colors 20001