"Running A Wargames Club - The Main Challenges" Topic

For the past eight years Ive been running a wargames club, in that time we have grown to 40 regular members with an average weeky attendance of 25 to 32. It's a smashing club, with an easy going atmosphere and great mix of games and gamers, but quite frankly, I'm getting knackered.

I'd like to ask what are regarded as the biggest challages for club organisers / charmains / chief honchos / benevolent dictators. When it comes to running and organising table top wargames clubs? and how do you tackle the challanges?

do you have an internet discussion group such as Yahoo groups?
ordinary members can organise their own games via that.

I haven't run a wargames club, but have been a member of one. I've run a couple of other volunteer organisations, though.

The biggest problem is that many members want someone else to take the lead in getting things done. As long as you are willing to negotiate to arrange for the space, edit the newsletter, collect fees, arrange special events, publicise the group, keep the website up to date, recruit new members, arrange for discounts with the local gaming store, coordinate with other clubs in your city/province/state/country, and any other minor tasks that come along, you will probably have a group that is willing to attend and complain about how the fees are too high, not enough events are being organised, MY special needs aren't being met, the website and newsletters aren't being kept up to date and so forth.

My solution is to arrange the things that I want to do. If others want to join in, that's fantastic. If they don't, then I won't be offended.

The usual way things work is that one or a few keen people will run the club until they burn out – the trick is to rotate new people through leadership/executive roles at a pace that keeps them from burning out, and to have enough people that one person isn't doing all the work. The toughest challenge is finding people to help.

Good luck

W

From running sports clubs at uni (say 5 teams, so 60-70 members) We had a fairly big committee, probably at least 10 people, all of whom only served for a year or 2.

So this covered having enough people to make sure things happened if people weren't around. And having enough people to ensure that key things happened.

I've been helping to run our club over the past four+ years and things are moving along reasonably well, but I think willthepiper has the nub of it.

A small number of guys will do the majority of the work. I think the key is to shift the load periodically and ensure there is some about the club that meets my needs in terms of gaming. That seems to keep burn out at bay.

So I arrange games and events I want to play in. Other are welcomed to contribute, attend, run other events, etc. as they like. I think this has caused some guys to leave the club and game on their own terms, but such is life; the guys who are regulars are a very nice group and we average about 10-12 guys on games night (up from 6 or so three years ago).

After 4 years of running our annual convention, I finally called it quits as organizer and asked for volunteers. And to my surprise, a very competent guy stepped forward to run it next year. So I'll turn my energies to starting a Remembrance day games day instead.

On balance an enjoyable experience (so far!).

Get others involved and Rotate the positions every few years that way experience runs through the club,fresh ideas come in and those who have held committee positions can recharge their batterys and will probably be willing to stand again later plus others are likely to put themselves forward if they know they are not going to be stuck with the job for ever.And it also avoids the problem of Dynastys
happening where any disagreement with those who run the club is seen as an attempted coup d'tate.:)

If you can do it, keep the politics to a minimum. Our group is in our 38th year (I've been in about 13) and as far as I know have NEVER had any officers or dues for that matter. There has always been a chap that has volunteered as Exchequer, but only because the bank likes to have an offical signature on checks!! We have a core of 15-30 members with another 60-100 who come to the occational game plus our annual convention. If you attend our Con, you are a member of our group with the right to volunteer whenever you want ;o)

With no officers, things are done in the club because people want to do it not because they have to. Folks have always volunteered to do things until they are tired of it or life come in and makes them quit. Then it is "who wants to do X, that needs doing" and someone always steps up. If you don't like how something is done, then volunteer to do it.

It is one of the best groups I have ever been associated with. They all have a love and passion for the hobby and try hard to check their egos at the door. It is an attitude that I have seen 'rub off' on many a fellow and the main reason that I have stuck with the group all these years.

You talk of this club as if it is "yours"
That may be part of the problem with succession planning
Many people who are prepared to put in the amount of work become proprietorial and this may put others off from offering to help because they dont want to offend you or may be a bit intimidated by the prospect of trying to match up to your efforts
Try to expand the admin. of the club and delegate where possible.
Step back a bit from doing everything gradually.
Thereis no point in a one man band continuing after that one man had gone.

You need people with enthusiasm, energy and competence to deal with the paperwork such as collecting dues and paying the bills as well as the fun stuff about planning games and campaigns.

These people are best organised as a committee, democratically elected so all members have a voice. Even the hangers on and free riders need to know their subscription money isn't being spent on a few members' special interests.

You should have a club constitution that defines the club's objectives and sets limits on the committee's powers. This can be used to rotate members in and out of the committee to avoid the burnout factor. You can also co-opt members if useful to run games and campaigns.

Yep, member apathy is the biggest challenge.

Constant effort, rotation of leaders, laurels to "pushers" and GM's, all essential.

Otherwise, the group drifts, and then it's over.

Apathy is the strongest force in the universe. Very dangerous. Nothing can stand against it.