Some people think that size matters. HMGS is worried by a decline in membership and convention attendance, but they are still the biggest and wealthiest organization in the nation. NOVAG has been growing in both membership and convention attendance, but to make us economically viable, it would not hurt us at all to have a few more wargamers show up at our conventions and enlist in our ranks. (That’s a hint to come to our conventions and bring new recruits into NOVAG.) Having said all of that about wargaming organizations, I’d like to say that for wargamers, size does not matter. (No, I’m not going to go there.)

Who can doubt the value of chain mail?

Wargamers are effectively limited by the size of their tabletop. We gather around the tabletop, and anoint it with the blood of metal miniatures. I’ve rarely seen a game that comfortably hosted more than 6—12 wargamers. Almost every game master I know can accommodate such a gathering. What this means is that whether your organization is a thousand or ten thousand, you can’t get much more than a dozen of them comfortably around the table to game together.

Just as Henry V said to his men on the eve of battle, a wargaming group is truly a band of brothers (with a few sisters showing up here and there). Hence, it is to those bands of brothers that I dedicate my praise, for they are the heart and soul of wargaming.

“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; for he today that sheds his miniatures’ blood with me shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile this day shall gentle his condition: and gentlemen in England, now a-bed shall think themselves accursed they were not here, and hold their manhood cheap whiles any speaks that fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.”

--William Shakespeare: Henry V (sort of)

Within each band of brothers, there is a general. It is he or she that hosts the game, maintains a wargame table, designs the scenarios, and often enables the army to travel on its stomach by providing the logistical tail of all great bands of brothers—a 6 pack & a bag of chips.

Ever since we moved to the D.C. area, and came into closer contact with the government, I have been told that this or that was a ‘necessary evil’. Well, in game masters, we have finally encountered a necessary good. At conventions, it is this same hearty crew who host games, without which a wargaming convention would amount to nothing. Game master hosts are the very core of our hobby, and I salute them.

OK, enough said. Who brought the chips?

NOVAG’s own Walt O’Hara, seen here playing ‘Rake Wars’-—the editors have noted Walt’s penchant for funny hats-—has become the new Director of HMGS East’s Cold Wars. Our congratulations go with Walt!

The Elections

Elections for the NOVAG BOD will be conducted in person at NOVAG's Fall Convention. Those members who wish to run. for office must get their bios to us by; June 1, 2003 for them to be included in our Summer issue of the Newsletter. This way, the membership can read about them and evaluate their choices prior to .the election.

Articles

As you can all see, a fair number of wargamers have made contributions to the NOVAG Newsletter. All contributors to the hobby are welcome. The only thing I do ask for the summer issue is that you get your contributions to jrs by June 1, 2003. You can e-mail them, preferably as MS Word or WordPerfect document.