"HMGS HISTORICAL ISSUES" Topic

Dear List:
If there is anyone reading this rubbish from Condray and believes any of the twisted conspiracy theories he has presented on this thread I will be more than glad to continue. Anyone?
Thank you David B. and Doug B. for coming on here – and in other threads – and shooting down Condray's nonsense regarding things from the 1998 Board and South's whoas that I know little about.
No, Doug. I don't think Prozac is the answer here for Condray. The more this crazy coot talks the deeper and more stuck into his own wacky "truths" he gets. More lies to be exposed. More crazy theories he reveals. It is then easier for more folks to see him for what he is, how incapable he is of reconizing reality and how he tries to project his own shortcomings onto others.
I'm staying right on Condray's butt whenever he pops up with any of his garbage because I've had enough of him. His attacks and antics got him voted off the HMGS East Board, out of the HMGS South's chapter and conventions, I've seen him contaminate East forums and meetings with this same tactic thus making it a turn off for hundreds of gamers. He got kicked out of our small Business Association two weeks ago for the same behavior by me and two other members with nobody rushing to support Condray. {That's really given him something concrete to cry about and hold against me too. Probably why he's come on and attacking me with the old stories.}
Condray's habit is to crap in any sandbox he's playing in and spoils the thing for others. I don't know why – that's the stuff for shrinks to explain – but he's doing the same thing here on TMP. {Beware – I hope the Editor is taking note of all this because that's what will happen here too.)
So there it is.
Anyone besides Condray want this to continue?
Anyone else want to categorize what's going on here with Condray?

Thank you Toby.

I plan on staying on Pat Condray's and his cohort, Chuck Kennedy's, backs too.

Why? Because, while most of the time they are simply big pains in the butt, their failed attempt to take over HMGS-South followed by their failed attempt to replace HMGS-South with their illegal HMGS-Deep South did a lot of damage to HMGS-South.

Pat Condray and Chuck Kennedy are willing to and attempted to destroy our gaming organization in order to be in charge. While the "Pinky and the Brain" show Condray and Kennedy put on may seem amusing, they were serious about destroying HMGS-South and will always be threat to any organization they latch on to. Condray and Kennedy are the kind of people we can not afford to turn our back on.

From the Witch Finder General:
"Dear List:
If there is anyone reading this rubbish from Condray and believes any of the twisted conspiracy theories he has presented on this thread I will be more than glad to continue. Anyone?"

Gosh Toby, you seem to be addicted. On another thread I mentioned the "Drunken Sailor/Chicken Little" cycle in HMGS EAST financial management. You said I was lying. I'm beginning to think you are more demented than dishonest. You guys lost much of the so-called ‘Condray Slush Fund" in 18 months. You didn't notice until after the COLDWARS fiasco. Your only objection is that you don't think it went down as far as $31,000. But that number is consistent with previous and subsequent financial reports. You just don't want to believe it. So you called me a liar. BFD.

"Thank you David B. and Doug B. for coming on here – and in other threads – and shooting down Condray's nonsense regarding things from the 1998 Board and South's whoas that I know little about. "

Did you mean woes?

"To hear you tell it, you are clueless about the 1995-98 BOD.

"No, Doug. I don't think Prozac is the answer here for Condray. The more this crazy coot talks the deeper and more stuck into his own wacky "truths" he gets. More lies to be exposed. More crazy theories he reveals. It is then easier for more folks to see him for what he is, how incapable he is of reconizing reality and how he tries to project his own shortcomings onto others."

Have you exposed a lie on my part, or just ranted endlessly.?

"I'm staying right on Condray's butt whenever he pops up with any of his garbage because I've had enough of him. His attacks and antics got him voted off the HMGS East Board, out of the HMGS South's chapter and conventions, I've seen him contaminate East forums and meetings with this same tactic thus making it a turn off for hundreds of gamers."

You are partly right about my rantings getting me voted off the EAST BOD. From my election I was attacked (along with the rest of the Old Guard) I chose to argue the case. After two years the membership was fed up with the arguments. But now I'm not running for anything, so no problems. Giglio was the principle critic. But while he got elected they were a bit annoyed with him too. He was in the bottom three with you and Tom.

By the way, when did I most recently turn off a membership meeting? Or a forum? Facts, not rants.

" He got kicked out of our small Business Association two weeks ago for the same behavior by me and two other members with nobody rushing to support Condray. {That's really given him something concrete to cry about and hold against me too. Probably why he's come on and attacking me with the old stories.} "

Gosh Mr. Witch Finder General Sir. I don't know how I can live with being kicked out of your HGBA club. The very Idea that you didn't want me in your club!

What a Maroon!

Lori Brom asked if HISTORICON 09 attendance went up or down. I had seen correspondence from Bob Giglio giving the correct numbers and I posted it.

You went into a raging bitchy snit, accusing me of "Communicating with the BOD."

Come again? The information was posted to TMP about the same time. And even though you and Bill Frye went into a bitchy snit when the BOD refused to remove him at COLDWARS 01, Bob Giglio isn't on the BOD.

You are the public face of the HGBA, and you threatened, if I wasn't removed by a majority vote that you would go out in the garden and eat worms and die. I stated that I wouldn't mind going, but exactly what wonderful things was HGBA doing? Lori and Larry Brom pitched in and I think their point was that if HGBA wasn't doing anything maybe they didn't belong. I can get the direct quotes for you. After some discussion you announced that by a vote of 3 to nothing I had been shunned. That out of a membership of 36 or so, 18 of whom used the forum, you managed to find 2 other clowns who didn't want you to go out in the garden and eat worms and die.

Larry and Lori, she having been more active in the HGBA than I, were let go at their request.

Pity.

"Condray's habit is to crap in any sandbox he's playing in and spoils the thing for others. I don't know why – that's the stuff for shrinks to explain – but he's doing the same thing here on TMP. {Beware – I hope the Editor is taking note of all this because that's what will happen here too.)
So there it is.

Anyone besides Condray want this to continue?

Anyone else want to categorize what's going on here with Condray?"

What exactly did I spoil for everyone Mr. Witch Finder General Sir?

Doug, let's introduce a little honesty into your ravings. Your story is that Chuck Kennedy and Pat Condray did a lot of damage to HMGS SOUTH. How so?

Fact Check.

When I was asked to take over RECON 99 I attended a BOD meeting at your hobby shop (before it devolved into a club house.) Right?

At that time the record for HMGS SOUTH convention attendance was Craig Martelle's excellent RECON 98. He brought in around 250 including an all star cast of guests (Bob Jones, John Hill, and I think Hal Thinglum.) My first convention actually went up to 279. It was all in a report I sent Marty Schmidt after the Evil Junta took over.
Bryan Stroup and I took the lead in RECON through 2002 when I got sick. The attendance went up steadily. Marc Rebhun began to get involved in the actual operations phase. Chuck ran interference with the hotels. Saved us $1,000 on RECON 99. I started coming down sooner and got more involved in HURRICON. In fact even in 2002 before I went to the hospital Bryan, Deke, and I sent out the promotional material to all known game shops in Florida and environs-including yours.

Doug, exactly how was I attacking and destroying HMGS SOUTH?
You know full well that whoever was running the conventions I was getting out the promotional material to shops and all the conventions I was the one who called you before I mailed the stuff.

True or false.

We built the attendance up over 300 and climbing.
Chuck took over when I got sick and Bryan burned out. We didn't have a web page until later when Gregg Lukomski joined in. But we got out the promotional material and burned up the internet. We set a new record of 413.

True or false?

After that the attendance fluctuated reaching 420 for RECON 05. Unless we were hit by a hurricane it never went as low as 350.

During those years you went from taking 5 tables at the conventions to complaining and threatening to sue anybody who said anything you didn't like on the web. Notably Gregg Lukomski and Rhett Scott (then President.) And staying away increasingly.

True or false?

You started a yahoo group to bitch about HMGS SOUTH's leadership. But nobody but you was mad at it.

True or false?

When the rest of the leadership turned on Chuck over the handling of the RECON 06 contracts and we went to Orlando for HURRICON 06 the attendance was 385.

RECON 07, run by Marc Rebhun (the only useful member of the BOD except for Chuck) took a hit because it was scheduled on Mother's Day. I think it was attended by around 350. And it made room nights.

Rickey Grice took over for HURRICON 07.

I won't ask you if that was true or false, because by then you had lost interest and spent HURRICON 07 in Noriega's Paradise.

Once again I got out the promotions. And did the newsletters built around the PEL and AAR of the conventions. No matter who was running them. Chuck was belatedly turned loose to beat the bushes for, among other things, room nights for HURRICON 07.

As always, we met room nights. Attendance was 375.
Then some gamers voted to have Chuck take back the convention program, and your nutty buddies went into a raging bitchy snit.

I warned them that they were placing their mental disorders ahead of the good of the corporation. They didn't give a rodent's posterior. Their temper tantrums were sacred.
I prepared most of RY40 to turn over to my successor since I figured they Evil Junta wasn't going to put up with anything but worship. And I was working with Allan Burrage (propaganda minister and now a Director) to have posters and flyers for RECON 08 to be distributed at FALL IN! 07. You posted a note saying that the effort should be made by a worshipper of the Evil Junta. Curt Dees was the one we knew was going. And he told Chuck he would never speak to him again after the members voted to give the conventions to Chuck. So he was a worshipper of the Evil Junta.

I didn't find out I was fired until I told my printer to go ahead and run the stuff. I had been trying to get a straight answer out of the Evil Junta. Ed actually sent me a note saying he had no objections. But that was just a matter of abysmal internal communications.

The message board was open at that time. Leon said that he didn't tell me I was fired because he didn't think I wanted to hear from any of them.

A little bit more than a year later, I was admitted to the super secret HMGS SOUTH message boards. Evil Ed had threatened to go on every news group I frequented and prove I am a liar and an idiot. I offered TMP. The Evil Junta crawfished. Unlike Mr. Witch Finder General and Doug they had better sense than to go on a site they don't control.
At some point they started saying dumb things like "At last he admits he quit!" and "Make no mistake he quit." Then they realized that they had previously admitted they fired me. They had not only lied through their teeth. They had done so flagrantly.

I had to go. So they kicked me off the message boards and blackballed me at the next BOD meeting.

Meanwhile the convention program you abandoned for Nicaragua had ended at 375 attendance That was the last time the Evil Chuck and Pat were allowed to "attack" HMGS SOUTH. RECON 08 dropped an even 100. You lied about the next one, but shut up when Marc Rebhun (who accepts the Evil Junta as the de facto owners of HMGS SOUTH) offered to review the records. The Evil Junta never promotes conventions. It brought back your buddy Dale, the Destroyer of SunCoast Skirmishes for RECON 08. Later Marty's wife Cathy took over and she seems to know what she is doing. But the Evil Junta still won't promote. No HMGS SOUTH convention and since your heroes took over has approached 300 attendance. The latest is reported variously as having 263 or 270-less than RECON 08. They have never quite made room nights. We always made room nights while Chuck and Pat were attacking HMGS SOUTH.

How did we attack HMGS SOUTH Doug? Did we keep them from promoting the conventions?

Before I was blackballed I contacted all the usual shops (no answer at your place of course.) The only promotional materials were at BATTLEZONE and FANTASY FACTORY, i.e. shops owned by members of fhe Evil Junta. Marty was shamed into posting some stuff in shops near his home on the Space Coast.

Never mind. I have to head out for SOUTHERN FRONT tomorrow. You can go back to singing "Pinky and the Brain"-about the limit of your mental powers. I'll work on the completely documented history of HMGS SOUTH's Evil Junta and get back to you later.

Ed Baldridge and Leon Mason were right. You don't want to operate where the Evil Junta can't control everything.

Next time I'll include cut and paste work from an epic review "Classic Lies of the Evil Junta."

Pat Condray (WKPP)

Condray corrects my spelling to "woes" from "whoas". I apologize. Forgive me readers as I was thinking of a horse's ass at the time.
Condray was ousted from our HGBA (Historical Gaming Business Assoc.) dealer organization for several reasons; a couple of years ago he tried to bring his HMGS political grumblings into our discussions at meetings and in our yahoo group and was warned not to. Then a few months ago we learned someone in our group was communicating with the HMGS Board about the demise of one of our member's business. Another member discovered the Board had other inside information about our group that was going to the Board. We had a rat in our midst, but didn't know at the time who it was. Condray then admitted – repeat admitted – his direct communication line with the Board (when someone admits to something it turns into something much greater than an accusation as Condray terms it.) Condray reports his last communication with the Board about our group that finally got him tossed out was about the Historicon attendee numbers. A lie! It had nothing to do with that subject and he knows it. That fact was communicated to him before he was thrown out of the group. Rather it was his reporting to the Board some of George Nafziger's actions within our dealer organization that got him tossed because me and a few other members had had enough of him. {Note: the Nafziger information Condray reported to the Board set off Nafziger and Panzeri against each other that ultimately led to Nafziger's resignation from the Board, our dealer organization and his appearances as a dealer at future HMGS conventions.}
Condray hadn't attended any meetings in years, had been argumentative with several members on our yahoo group, he never contributed anything positive to the group, and was our admitted rat to the Board. Two others sided with me and out he went. Simple as that and I wish we had done it long ago.

I have heard that the HMGS South chapter has a folder with a collection of very nasty and ugly communications and emails from Condray to South members that is the primary reason for his ousting and banning from that organization. If true, can anyone from South confirm this?

Chuck here is your one chance to step up and correct a Lie just told by Condray (You have publicly stated on this board you have new known him to tell a lie) He just called me "The Destoryer of Suncoast Skirmishes". Do you now stand behind This Lie!!! You know why and how Suncoast Skirmishes folded. Will you set the story strait now or just go along with Condrays fantasy's.

Dale

"Whoa" ---- horse's ass. I get it. That's funny.
I score this page Master C., Doug B. and Dale – 9
PC – 0
PC you're getting creamed here.
Plus you've stated twice you're going to take a rest from this thread and leaving for Southern Front. Go already! How long does it take you to pack? I'm looking forward to a quiet weekend and I'm sure the HMGS South guys and girls will rest well knowing you're out of the area.

You know a friend told me about this thread and suggested that I read it. I chose not to read it because I knew what to expect. A few weeks later I was again prompted to read the thread.

Well I read it, and I don't feel I have gained anything from it.

Saddened by this huge waste of time and resources…

Allan

PC- "No HMGS SOUTH convention and since your heroes took over has approached 300 attendance."

Perhaps technically true but having discord constantly drummed up in online newsgroups and having a major club boycott two shows because of it didn't help (The 25-50 members Pat alludes to in previous postings.) Changing venues and a downturned economy also contributed.

PC- They have never quite made room nights.

Sorry you are misinformed, Recon '09 and the recent Hurricon '09 both full-filled their contract obligations for room nights to the satisfaction of the venue.

PC- Before I was blackballed I contacted all the usual shops (no answer at your place of course.) The only promotional materials were at BATTLEZONE and FANTASY FACTORY, i.e. shops owned by members of fhe Evil Junta. Marty was shamed into posting some stuff in shops near his home on the Space Coast.

I was ‘shamed' into doing what I felt every member of the chapter should be doing? The same thing I did before I even ‘dreamed' of getting involved with the chapter politics?
Yes, we need to improve our methods for effective promotion of the convention program.
Are TV Sci-Fi, Comic book and Japanese anime fans at MegaCon truly our target audience? Does the expense of additional pages in the convention PEL/Program (for ad exchanges with East or Origins) justify the possibility of one or maybe two additional attendees?

PC- Now if only Ed and Marty would quit. (MS-Sorry that one is from memory; you may have said ‘resign.')

I'm sorry you feel that way Pat. I know you and Ed have had your ‘exchanges' but you and I have agreed on some of the issues this chapter has faced the past few years. I have worked to resolve them in a non-confrontational manner pushing for standard policies and procedures regarding operation of the chapter and our convention program. It is slow going in our ‘all volunteer' leadership where every member of the current board is also working a full time job and dealing with family obligations and finally club business. I feel things are improving.

I recruited (i.e. begged and pleaded) my highly organized wife Katie to take on the position of Convention Coordinator and she has done a great job. The financial data for the chapter is being transferred to a commercial invoicing/accounting package to hopefully make the Secretary and Treasurer positions easier to maintain. Board minutes are getting published to the chapter website. The membership, by mail in ballot, voted to reject returning to elections (issue closed.)

The non-profit status issue is still a concern of mine; the problem is we have conflicting opinions from two experts. We are a Florida registered non-profit however we are not a 401 (C) anything and from what I can tell we have never been one since the founding of this chapter. (To EVERY previous member of the HMGS South Board of Directors can you tell me WHY that's so?) I want it resolved and I believe our member/CPA spoke to our Treasurer at Hurricon about getting started. (At least I saw them talking at the show so please don't call me a liar if it turns out they discussed miniatures instead.)

I would like to ask every current member of South participating in this thread to stop the mud fight. There is no profit in it and it only reflects badly on the hobby.

Sincerely,

Marty Schmidt
Chapter President
HMGS-South

It is long past time to end this matter. It did not occur to me at the time that one short phrase about an HMGS South issue would drag that organization's affairs into this mess so deeply although the sentiments expressed by South members and the reinforcement was indeed refreshing. (Marty if you received my email to you at your hmgs south address on all this please confirm.)

For myself, I will answer any question – civilly – on any issue that involved me personally during my term of service on the HMGS East Board from July 95 until July 98. I will not name names of any individuals that were the subject of any investigations that Board initiated.

I do not appreciate my name being brought up and attacked in the opening post of this thread – a thread which was carried over from a previous discussion group topic that had been effectively shut down by the Editor. I especially do not appreciate these attacks since my company is an advertiser on TMP and my attacker is not. It's time for the Editor to step in and determine exactly what's going on here, and who the initiator and main instigator is and act accordingly. I did not start this thread nor did I initiate any attack in the previous thread. I will do my part to tone it down from here on, but the moment the name calling and attacks commences again I will continue to defend myself and get in my own counter punches.

I urge readers to try and disassociate all the personal issues and animosities displayed here apart from HMGS East and South affairs. Do not hold those two organizations responsible.
Toby Barrett, Thoroughbred Figures

Reporting from Southern Front.

Marty, as you know, the ByLaws of HMGS SOUTH, both the original and those from Hell state clearly that HMGS SOUTH is a 501.c.3.

Paul Risner, the attorney from day 1, and a member of the BOD for years, suggested that this was an accident. But he was the primary author of first version (with elections) and wrote up the one not shown to the membership for a year from notes of a March 06 board meeting. Both clearly state that HMGS SOUTH is a 501.c.3.

The explanation from Paul Risner Esq. came after Ed Baldridge put out a call for help getting room nights for HURRICON 08.

At that time I foolishly believed that your concerns, Scott's concern, and even Ed Baldridge's concern with the way the corporate books and filings had been handled might lead to replacement of the treasurer with a competent person versed in corporate filings and tax matters.

As a result, while I would not be newsletter editor, and Chuck would not be on the BOD it would be a BOD with three members, you, Scott Presley, and Webb Pierce which, I had reason to hope, would no longer subordinate the goals of the corporation to the temper tantrum started by the original evil junta because some members at HURRICON 07 voted to have Chuck take over the running of conventions.

I offered to provide a "scholarship" to the avowed 501.c.3 for someone who, due to the worsening economy, could not attend. Ed tried to make this offer backfire on me by sending out notices to everyone that Condray was giving away free money. But in the end the money was to go to Melanie Carr who ran the paint and take. Unfortunately, while he had either written in or permitted the inclusion of 501.c.3 verbiage in the ByLaws, Paul wrote an essay in which he explained that it was "aspirational"-legalese for "phony as a three dollar bill." In short, I could donate the money if I was dumb enough to. But it would not be deductible because the status of HMGS SOUTH was (and presumably is) phony.

Melanie e-mailed me that she would understand if, under the circumstances, I withdrew the offer. But I told her that I would honor the offer as the problem was not her doing. I put the reservation on my credit card. However, when Lying Leon and Evil Ed caught themselves in a whopping lie and banned me from the convention (and the chapter) I could not attend and the hotel wanted my signature in person. So, as a reward for its misconduct the chapter picked up the bill.

Approximately $400 USD (plus one room night of my own and $80 USD for a couple of tables) was a small price to pay to safeguard the dishonesty of the Evil Junta.

Ed had in that time frame told a CPA who is a member that the failure to file correctly was an hold over from when Chuck and Pat ran everything. When I pointed out that Chuck and Pat never ran the problem functions you, Marty, denounced me as the worst spin doctor of all time. Never mind, if you've forgotten I'll re post the correspondence when I get home.

Allan Burrage, you know for a fact that it was the transparent lies of Leon and Ed on the Members only Message Board which precipitated my removal. When they told you to ban me for "administrative reasons you asked me what was going on. When I explained what I thought the problem was you replied to the effect that it was nonsense. They didn't care if I had quit or been fired, I didn't care. Why were they over reacting this way? I'll post that correspondence here after I get back in case you have forgotten.

Much of what I said in my last post was a challenge to Doug Bohannon's inane claim that I always ferociously attack and try to destroy any organization I'm involved with. For the record Marty do you agree with him that my contributions from RECON 99 through HURRICON 07 constituted a vicious attack on the corporation?

Going further, you imply that, while indeed no convention since Chuck and I have been taken out of the loop has come within 100 attenders of those we did support, It is because every member has not self financed promotional materials and taken them to shops and conventions. Why is the club responsible for practically no expenses except free rooms for the BOD? And you suggest that all we pick up from effective promotions is a few fantasy gamers.

Indeed, why did you wait until I called all the shops and reported my results to take promotional materials to shops near you? If you imagined that promoting the conventions was to be self financed by members and shop owners, why hadn't you already done it?

"I was ‘shamed' into doing what I felt every member of the chapter should be doing? The same thing I did before I even ‘dreamed' of getting involved with the chapter politics?
Yes, we need to improve our methods for effective promotion of the convention program."

They were improved before the Evil Junta's temper tantrum.
The chapter paid for printing and mailing of promotional materials to all the game shops I could locate. They posted and distributed the materials. In return we provided them copies of a printed newsletter (4 per year) showing that we carried their shops in our shops and clubs list.

Strangely, that works better than sending them promotional materials by e-mail and telling them in effect "donate your printing services and we will reward you with unspoken thanks".

On Gregg's short lived insurgent web page I did an article on RECON 08 from a convention management point of view. In it I compared the percentage of the budgets of RECON 08 and HISTORICON 08 allocated to BOD perks versus promotional activity. RECON 08 lost an even 100 attenders (about 30%) compared to the last convention for which Chuck and I had worked promotions. HISTORICON 08 set an all time record. Chuck got mad at me for telling you how to do conventions. Ed Baldridge later proved me right by claiming that the publication of that article on MAGWEB (which had not been my intention) was one reason for my removal from HMGS SOUTH.

"Are TV Sci-Fi, Comic book and Japanese anime fans at MegaCon truly our target audience? Does the expense of additional pages in the convention PEL/Program (for ad exchanges with East or Origins) justify the possibility of one or maybe two additional attendees?"

Marty, get real. You've run any number of HOTT games at HMGS SOUTH shows over the years. You and Scott Presley, head of the Lakeland Role Players Guild, are BOD members. Are you trying to keep dark siders out? Then go! Although in the main Scott, who still balks at the perk which is the largest single expense of HMGS SOUTH is probably the best of the current lot on the BOD.

However, traditionally HMGS newsletters have listed other conventions. And promotional materials for other conventions are usually taken to them by members. You've done it yourself.

But as you know, your way of promoting conventions attracts around 30% less attendance. And I think it is fair to say that if we hadn't been promoting our way over the years, the convention program of which you retain a residual base would not be there.

Before the Evil Junta asserted itself HMGS SOUTH dues were $10 USD a year, got them 4 printed newsletters focused on the hobby and the convention program, and the conventions ran from 350 to 420 (barring direct hits from hurricanes, Narcotics Anonymous, etc.)

Since the Evil Junta asserted itself the newsletter has been erratic. It is now mostly an e-zine. And, based on experience with other chapters, an e-zine is usually followed shortly by a no zine. And now dues have been doubled as a cushion against malfeasance. And of course attendance hasn't approached 300.

You state that the membership has spoken and the issue of elections (that bane of tyrants) has been dealt with completely. So it has. The vote, I understand was 13 to 9.
As far as I know Hal Mudry (who supplied our tables from HURRICON 96 through RECON 09) didn't get his ballot, nor was he informed by the Evil Junta in advance that his services had been dispensed with. Chuck's was apparently not counted. And based on the limited cases I know about, who knows how many more ballots were misplaced. But you got what you wanted. Power without accountability.

As for Mr. Witch Finder General, his complaint is that I poisoned relations between George Nafziger and Pete Panzeri. Even one of his two fellow blackballers acknowledged in the brief discussion that Pete and George weren't getting on with or without me. The sequence I described was true. The Broms asked a question about HISTORICON 09 attendance. I answered it based on a report from Bob Giglio which he copied to me. It was some time after the alleged offense. Besides which, as a member of the now defunct Budget Review Committee I often communicated with the EAST BOD. Nor is it a crime, or against the rules of either HMGS EAST or the HGBA. But it set off a raging Bitchy-Snit from Toby.

Before the ax fell, both the Broms and myself asked what HGBA has been doing, or planned to do, for dealers. Lori did send me a copy of the goals. But it isn't clear any were being pursued.

Dale, I've heard Chuck's accounts of how SUNCOAST SKIRMISHES went down the tubes. But I don't know it. Why don't you explain it and how it wasn't in any way your fault?

Unfortunately, as I've mentioned, much correspondence alluded to is on my home computer. But eventually I will return, patch the lose ends together, and post.

Pat Condray (WKPP)

Sorry about a minor omission or two.

I said HMGS SOUTH hadn't met its room night commitments since the Evil Junta took over.

Marty said that they had met them "to the satisfaction of the facility for the last two shows."

I referred to the contract. He knows they didn't. But times are tough and Cocoa Beach didn't want to kill the golden goose egg.

The first go around they claimed they had enough tables and HMGS SOUTH wouldn't need to rent any. They found out (why they wouldn't know amazes me) they didn't and at the last minute negotiated a sweetheart deal with Hal Mudry's company. He has provided needed tables since HURRICON 96 at a bargain rate.

Hal didn't know what was happening this last time to within a week of the show at the earliest. But I've been told the facility worked a deal for $10 USD a table.

Some have criticised the WKPP for this flame war. When the SOUTH message board was wide open the Evil Junta did all kinds of weird stuff. They accused Chuck of having stolen $60 USD in three $20 USD installments. That got backed down to two known to be false. He was accused of losing us the Tampa facility, though one of them had already admitted the break was because the new owners hand cancelled our contract weeks before the show. What Chuck did was get them back to the bargaining table so that the show could be held there one last time.

I could go on and on. Probably will. But prior to the meeting in which I was blackballed I had been re-admitted because when Ed Baldridge threatened to go on the net to every web page I frequented and prove that I am an idiot and a liar (not necessarily in that order) I offered to take it up with him on TMP. He quickly backed out and went to a venue where Allan Burrage, Propaganda Minister cum Moderator could save his posterior if it looked bad for the Evil Junta. It did. I was kicked off the message boards and then out of the chapter by the Evil Junta.

You'll get Ed's threat and Allan's comments on the incident verbatim when I get home.

Enjoy.

Pat Condray (WKPP)

Quote from an admission by Pat Condray on the HMGS-South message board in reference to his and Chuck Kennedy's plans for HMGS-South:

"Concerning bankrupting the corporation so that we can start over, that is a last resort."

I think this gives perspective to Condray's and Kennedy's intentions verses their claims.

Oh boy. So much for the shortest cease fire in history.

I didn't notice a cease fire. Marty just told me to shut up and go away. That's not a cease fire.

Doug, of course, didn't answer any of my "True or false" questions. Issues of truth or falsehood don't compute with the Evil Junta and its minions.

SOUTHERN FRONT went well. Up 50% or so from last year. Seventy two games, 228 attendance, all the vendors they could accommodate. I'll be compiling a list of shops and I've taken dealer information and handed out promotional material for SIEGE OF AUGUSTA.

I did remonstrate with Ed Mohrmann for not generating more attendance than the Evil Junta. But he says he'll try harder next time.

Even in the wake of the Evil Junta temper tantrum I collected similar data for HMGS SOUTH at SF 2007. But nothing came of it.

Curiously when the Evil Junta annoys people with its arrogance and absolutely refuses to spend anything on promotions the reason attendance lags at their conventions is that the members and shops don't finance their promotions for them, not everybody loves them. And, of course, it is the economy stupid.

Funny, HISTORICON set a record when gas was $4. USD RAPIER and SOUTHERN FRONT attendance climbed in 2009. HISTORICON did decline 3%, and part of the reason is likely the economy. But Evil Junta conventions Inc (HMGS SOUTH) remains far below what it was before the original Evil Junta kicked Chuck of the BOD and fired me as newsletter editor.

The reason the economy hasn't dropped other conventions by 30% or more is that they aren't being mismanaged by the Evil Junta.

Dale, I am really pondering the mystery of what happened to SUNCOAST SKIRMISHES. I'll probably spring for the criminal check on people finders and get a look at your adventurous life. Generally I trust Chuck, but, as Reagan said, "Trust and verify." A background check seems called for.

ing Rickey and ing Leon gave an exciting if somewhat dishonest review of Chuck's unsavory past. It was OK with Herr Propaganda Minister Burrage, who didn't allow attacks on the Junta. So maybe we should start doing that sort of thing here.

I won't let it interfere with promoting SIEGE. But I think I can find time to reconstruct the history of the gaming scene in Florida over the next couple of months.

By the way Toby, your collaborator from the CYABOD seems to be reviewing the current Drunken Sailor phase at HMGS EAST. For some reason it is posted on conventions rather than clubs.

Pat Condray (WKPP)

PS: It was entirely the original Evil Junta's antics which provoked what Marty calls a boycott. I expected 25-50 to return in honor of Leon's and Rickey's departure, but as far as Chuck and others could tell the number of returners seemed to be on the order of 3-6 with no net increase.

Condray returns.

For my part I apologise to the readers for spinning Pat up again.

I guess I need to follow the advice given me by a well respected member of South.

"The best way to control or counter Pat is NOT to respond no matter the provocation!

1. You will NEVER convince Pat of your point of view.
2. Pat has all day to respond and all the time in the world, you don't.
3. You will NEVER get the last word in (see #2 above).
4. You may think you are setting the record straight for others but in fact all they see is infighting."

I would like to ask all members of South to follow the above and refrain from further postings in this thread.

Specifically Doug, Dale, Allen, Chuck and yes, Marty!

Let's concentrate on going forward and growing South's convention program rather than continuing to drum up and argue over the past.

Marty Schmidt
President
HMGS-South

Why don't you guys resolve this issue offline. I know that I really don't care what happened, and am thinking most of the others here feel the same. Yet this continues to just drag on. Life is too short to deal with problems that are this old. Move on with your lives.

"Pat has all day to respond and all the time in the world,,,,"

Marty, nobody has all the time in the world. Not even Condray.

I know it's been more than a week, but here's the next installment from the lexicon of Warren G. Harding. Well, not really lexicon. A quote, and one that seemed apt for this thread, in the sense that most of the people here probably started out as friends.

"I have no trouble with my enemies. I can take care of my enemies in a fight. But my friends, my ed friends, they're the ones who keep me walking the floor at nights!"
Warren G. Harding

And that wraps this season of The Wisdom of Warren Harding." Thank you for tuning in.

PS. Wow, this is a prudish list, censoring a distinguished President!

I never knew Warren had such a mouth on him!

I now know how the first small mammals felt when they crept out of their underground burrows after the asteroid's firestorm destroyed all the dinosaurs and most of the flora above ground.

Don't panic. Not the Unexpurgated History of how HMGS SOUTH was taken over by the Evil Junta. Just wanted to grant the Witch Finder General a point.

I think at some point the WFG cited me for lying about the COURIER's editorial denunciation of "Carpetbaggers" in connection with its endorsement for the later famous WFG and Tom Desmond.

Actually the WFG is correct. As Will Cuppy (The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody) said of Aristotle, "Even a blind hog finds an acorn once in a while."

I went to the source and asked Dick Bryant about it. He was kind enough to send me images of both the Editorial, which touted Mssrs. Barret and Desmond as excellent candidates for the BOD, and an anonymous letter signed "Paladin." The latter did indeed complain of "Carpetbaggers," specifically Todd Fisher of HMGS MIDWEST (incumbent) and Rick Nance of HAHMGS, both of whom were running for the EAST BOD that year.

Clearly, however, Paladin had a strong editorial endorsement.

On the one hand, Dick admitted that he did not normally print materials which were not admitted to by the perpetrator. But apparently he could not resist anonymous comments of such great merit.

Moreover, such was Dick Bryant's admiration for "Paladin" that he suggested such writings might become the "Federalist Papers" of HMGS.

Pat Condray (WKPP)

PS: All with apologies to the shade of Aristotle for a most unflattering comparison.