Monday, March 27, 2006

The Battle is Almost Won!

It's been a while since my last post (almost 2 months! sorry about that), but a great deal has happened in that time.

The York Garrison Wargaming Club has established itself with a regular clientele and we now have a membership approaching 20, with about 12 players regularly attending every Tuesday. I've started collecting subs to fund improvements and investment in the club infrastructure, the club Yahoo! group is being effectively used to manage lifts, games, campaigns and role-play and we've even set up a Discussion Forum (which is, as yet, unused).

We've completed our application process for GCN affiliation. This was slowed by one of my club councillors getting a job down South, so I had to get the paperwork re-signed, but Lawrie Stewart, Secretary of the GCN, is a hero and got our club approved in principle following sight of the club rules. Hopefully, I will soon receive the membership pack that will include the CRB forms for our councillors.

Our main shortfalls now are - as implied - infrastructure.

We have a few boards, donated by a key member (thanks, Postie!) and a good number of tables. But we really need more tables and more scenery. But before we can get those, we need MORE SPACE!

Storage is becoming the crunch issue. The managed of the Hurst Hall Community Centre has been more than helpful - he's acquired a couple of old wooden football dugouts that could be converted to be storage - but they'd still have to be outside, potentially exposed to some pretty Yorkshire weather. There is a fabulous storage space inside the Hall, but it's almost entirely occupied by the Rainbows and the Little Fishes toddler group.

So what are my options?

1) Weather-proof the dugouts -
Advantages: cheap(ish) and uses existing resources
Disadvantages: at least a day's work

2) Move venue -
Advantages: more space, more storage
Disadvantages: more money, may lose members

3) Assassinate the Rainbows -
Advantages: more space within existing resources
Disadvantages: illegal and not in keeping with a "children friendly" policy

*sigh* I guess I'd better dig out the DIY handbook, eh?