Throughout the history of this illustrious magazine, even back to the days photo-copied/stapled editions, we wargamers have addressed the issue of bringing our devoted hobby to the huddled masses. How to bring in new blood, and thereby avoid the graying of the membership is continually rehashed, not only in these pages, but also at every convention, club meeting, and internet conversation. We often read of fellow "leadpushers" who, as school teachers, are fervently enmeshing their students on history, the addiction of lead collecting, figure painting, and Osprey book acquisitions.
What comes to my mind is that most teens, with tongues practically hanging out, a direct symptom of raging hormones by the way, will be attracted to anything that is new, especially if it is unique, as our hobby certainly is. The problem with this group is that nothing will hold their attention very long, unless it is coated with female pheromones. It has been my observation that most (not all) young people we introduce to the hobby, will have an initial interest, even bordering on fanaticism in a few cases. However, the vast majority of them we will lose quickly, due to their overriding need to conform to the social structure of their peers. Even so, a number of these "indoctrinated" will return to the hobby in say their mid to late twenties, when they have matured, married, and are desperately seeking a way to get out of the house that their wives will not veto. "It's cheaper than playing Golf every weekend, Dear." But, once the little woman enters the testosterone filled halls of a wargames convention, she realizes she should never have given in to this, even if it does keep her man out of those single women-filled, sports bar "fishing" galleries. For these individuals, there will always be the struggle between family commitments and hobby desires. Most of us have gone through this very difficult period, and must be very patient with and nurturing of these individuals. With a little tender care, they can/will become Wargamers emeritus.
A second scenario, is that for some of us there is an inherent military history gene imbedded deep inside our DNA. This proclivity is just laying there dormant until we see our first wargame, read our first issue of MWAN, attend our first convention, or paint our first group of figures. Once released, this gene takes over every facet of our lives. We begin collecting books, magazines, rules, figures, terrain, build tables, turn basements into gamerooms, cover the walls of our living room with framed military prints (taking down the wife's beloved print of Monet's garden, and replacing it with our four foot by six foot copy of Napoleon's attack on the Pratzen heights at Austerlitz). This gene has a radar like attraction for other wargamers of similar ilk. Now, we are at the local wargarne club every week, conventioning as often as "she who must be obeyed" will allow, and hiding the secret wargame fund from the prying eyes of the children ( "no, you don't need school clothes this month; daddy needs to field the third battalion of the ole 65th").
By the time the kids are driving, dating, and its no longer cool to spend time with their parents, the wargamer can look forward to experiencing more free time spent painting figures, constructing that terrain board of Solferino, surfing the internet for wargame websites, and just hanging around the local wargame shop. It is here that spendable income goes up, and the freedom to utilize it for luxuries(i.e. more toys), reaches its zenith. Perhaps we should be brainstorming ways to re-engage these thirty something-ish individuals rather than concentrating our efforts on teenagers we are destined to lose... at least until their libidinous period has passed. How about a beer commercial... "Wargaming is less filling! No, it tastes great.
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© Copyright 1999 Hal Thinglum
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