The Wargames community is made up of a variety of hobbyists interested in military history. We enjoy each others company and friendship within the context of destroying each others miniature military forces on a table set for war. We thrill at the exploits of historical forces and emulate the recreation of such martial feats when luck and skill is on our side.

What I think we as hobbyists are pursuing is the shared experience of camaraderie. Camaraderie is a very good word for what I want to discuss. A comrade is someone who has shared the same experiences and fortunes as another; a companion. There are other definitions but this is the aspect of friendship I want to portray. When we read military history one of the undercurrents present in any recounting of military experience is the shared fortunes. We as hobbyists recognize this and the visual product of this results in the period we decide to portray in miniatures.

We project our feelings into the miniatures we collect. We like the shared experiences of the era of a specific time and place within military history. Ask a wargamer what periods he collects and they will be able to recount stories from history and from wargames that will resonate with the feelings and theme of camaraderie!

Wargaming clubs are another product of this theme. We congregate with like-minded individuals for the shared imaginary military experiences. Through discussion, gaming, painting, collecting, sharing and recording we develop a sense of community. This is a very good thing. When our gaming buddies participate in scenarios and projects that span greater lengths of time it reflects will on the health of the wargames club. This is a treasure that must not be neglected because time is precious.

In an Effort To Cheat Time and Space

Time can be cheated to reach a level of friendship that resides in the printed word. If you are reading this you have used your imagination, a collection of toy soldiers and the printed word to travel in time. For many of us the luxury of a weekly gaming night does not happen. For many of us the gaming convention fills the gap of a community of gamers. For many of us a newsletter is the contact and doorway into the realm of shared experiences and camaraderie!

Please value your clubs newsletter. This is the editorial message I am laboring to relate. A newsletter is an important document that measures a clubs life blood. It sends a critical message to its' readers that "All is well." I have been a member of organizations that are required by charter to provide news and information to their members. Often times the newsletter falls short or is abandoned in favor of more critical or supposed more important items.

There is no more important rallying point than a clubs newsletter! A newsletter cheats time and space. It brings together friends from far away and creates a sense of community. Support your clubs newsletter by writing articles and sharing ideas. Demand attention to this barometer of club success. A newsletter is often the first introduction an outsider sees and a letter of welcome to new membership.