The Jacksonville Garrison

Club Profile

by Edgar Pabon

The Jacksonville Garrison is a group of people interested in promoting wargaming and related activities in the Jacksonville area. In order to attain this, we sponsor game days, game demos, tournaments, and other activities that promote gaming. What separates us from other gaming clubs is the fact that we are not simply satisfied with playing games together. Our main goal is anchored in the belief that there is a need to promote wargaming as a hobby and, together, we have the means to make this happen.

Top: Arc of Fire Game at the Jacksonville Garrison Micro-Con, Borderlands Hobby Shop

Members of the Jacksonville Garrison have a variety of interests within the gaming hobby. Many of us are historical garners but our group includes `experts' in various sci-fi, fantasy, card, board, and role-playing games. A typical game night has games ranging from Napoleonic miniatures to Formula One racing (NASCAR too!). We believe that the inclusion of many, if not all, gaming preferences is vital to the survival of the hobby. That belief is the driving force behind our efforts.

Bottom: Saturday at the November Micro-Con at Borderlands. Edgar is at the center with other members playing AIRDROME. I missed the Age of Sail game held earlier, but it was similar to the game at HURRICON where Jacksonville Garrison members sometimes had three game tables going at once during our recent convention.

Like almost any other organization, the Jacksonville Garrison is composed of active and not-so-active members. Some of us can be found at every event the club is a part of, while others lack that ability and make it to whatever they can. We understand that different people will have a different level of commitment; we expect it! As a matter of fact, our gaming club has no membership dues. We have no bank account and serve no purpose with financing any enterprise. Whenever there is need to make a purchase, a collection is made from the members who wish to contribute. And that is how simple we keep it!

In order to fulfill our commitment to the hobby, we have adopted a policy of full participation in events that serve that purpose. We manage a game night the third Wednesday of each month and a 4-event mini-con (QuarterCon) quarterly at Borderlands, a Jacksonville gaming store. We also are increasing our participation in local venues such as the Museum of Science and History and a local gaming convention named Grail Quest. Our attendance to staple events such as Historicon, Cold Wars, Recon, Hurricon, Origins, and JonesCon have helped place us in the map, you may have seen our club shirts! A greater number of our members have become more involved with time. As a matter of fact, we are planning to run several sessions of games at JonesCon, Recon, Hurricon, and Historicon.

Although our name shows the original link to the Garrison game clubs, we have concentrated on our own initiatives. Several of our members have dedicated a great deal of time and effort to ensure that others have the best possible time while gaming. Our efforts have been rewarded time and again. Therefore, we continue with the same level of commitment and enthusiasm that has always been our most important asset. We look forward to future contributions to HMGS-South and its publications, and welcome any comments or questions from throughout the region. Our two main points of contact are Edgar Pabon, president- espabon@hotmail.com Jim Duke, secretary- duke7403@vahoo.com


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