Starting a Local Game Club

I Still Own This

When I was in junior high our school was visited by Scott Bizar, the owner of Fantasy Games Unlimited (FGU). FGU published wargames and role playing games and Scott also owned the local game store, Waterloo Hobbies. Those first experiences playing games at school led to literally decades of hobby fun. I would spend hours at Waterloo over the next few years, taking breaks for pizza and Asteroids before going back and playing Car Wars, Villains and Vigilantes, and Star Fleet Battles. It's strange to think back now and realize how one person can have such a role in your life.

Never Played, I Will Always Regret that

I'm pretty content not to be such a formative influence myself, but it looks like I may be involved in a local game club in Pelham. The neighborhood game store has an interest in reaching out to the schools and I think I may be a part of the process, at least until it takes off and becomes self sufficient. Speaking professionally I think (obviously) that games are good for kids and I'm happy to have my office support gaming in the area. Speaking personally, I suppose I don't mind the idea that I might help some young gamer start a fun hobby, or just pass a few hours playing.

Awesome

The next step is probably to come up with some good ideas for games. At the moment I'm thinking Castle Panic, Race for the Galaxy, Game of Thrones Boardgame, and Space Cadets. I imagine the game store people will form an even better list. We'll have to make sure the games are basically inoffensive but also exciting. One thing I do worry about is the stress of competition and winning and losing.  I spoke with the librarians in Bellows Falls, VT on the subject a few years ago and their game Yu-Gi-Oh players at Pandemonium (heh) Games in Boston a few years ago as well. Tempers can run high in passionate gamers!
club kids seemed pretty willing to police their own behaviour. At the same time, there was apparently a roiling brawl between tween

Assuming we can find appropriate games and prevent brawls I have high hopes that this club could be a lot of fun.