Okay, so we didn't sign up the hobbit. Origins 2004's special club reception with Media Guest of Honor Sean Astin fell through, so we had no real opportunity to make him a Great Lakes member. As far as gaming goes, though, Origins came through admirably. Great Lakes (and other) GMs ran hundreds of events, once again effectively showcasing our hobby to the public and the board/card gaming and role playing fans that also attend the Columbus show, each summer. In my own niche, I ran three DBA Tournaments and was overwhelmed by the response: 21 players for my Double Size Tourney; 24 for the 15mm Open; A full slate of 16 for Terry Hollern and my Battles from History. The sight of all those armies from the Biblical, Classical, Dark Age and Medieval eras on the tabletop was spectacular. I was also tickled to see so many players using camps purchased from me! There were many, many excellent events. Rick Schirtzinger had to beat players off with a stick that swarmed his WW I Ace of Aces game. James Morrison delighted his players (as usual) with his Vietnam games. Chris and Pat ran gorgeous 25mm Piquet games, while Rich Masse and David Doty staged the Seven Years War spectacle, Leuthen, in the same scale. Derek Johns' Colonial action had players in a frenzy. Phil Viverito let crowd after crowd strap on Achilles' sandals to defend their ships against Trojan counterattack. Although there are too many GMs to mention all, they and the folks who manned the Miniatures HQ truly deserve our thanks. I know I was worn out by my time at the desk, being inundated by waves of people looking for their games, but many GL members took extra turns there: Steve and Mike Cole, the WV Contingent (Buck, Nick, Todd and so on), Greg Crane, Tim Monaghan, Jack Shaw among others. I'd also like to salute the tireless hours put in by HOT Director Steve Smith and his boss, Jodie Panzeri. Great Lakes netted two dozen new members or "Lost Sheep," while selling hundreds of dollars in lanyards, tape measures, T-shirts and rule books. In total, the con funneled $741 to our Treasury. However, it was the people we brought in, intrigued and informed about historical miniatures that are the true windfall. Getting them into the hobby is our mission, our purpose. Even if we DID miss the opportunity to net Great Lakes' first hobbit! Other Opportunities This year's ATC at the Heritage Center is going to be an especially good time to inform the public about our hobby, since they'll likely be walking through, observing and asking questions. GMs & members: Be ready! Back to The Herald 60 Table of Contents Back to The Herald List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2004 by HMGS-GL. This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com