"Are HMGS GM Awards tainted by financial aid to some GMs?" Topic

tiger g
What is surprising is that during the cake cutting at Historicon 2009 I thought the Duke stated it would be his last as his doctor's indicated he did not have long to live. He would either be in a hospital or gone by mid 2010.

I also heard Duke's remarks and I think you misunderstood. I believe he said that Historicon 2010 would be his last. He talked at length about his plans for games at H10.

iPat

Pecan or pumpkin please Koyoteblue.

Just to throw a stray fact in, I allocated some funds to help Phil Viverito rent a truck to bring his massive Siege of Carthage game to COLD WARS 07. I don't recall the amount but I think it was under 500 bucks.

Of course, Phil *was* an honored guest of the convention, it seemed like the least I could do at the time: PDF link

While I am against outright paying GMs in principle (beyond free admission, which is a pretty dandy benefit, I think), I didn't mind shelling out for Phil that year. He paid the convention back handsomely, as I recall. That's the only "subsidy" I ever *willingly* granted anyone as a convention director, unless I am forgetting a speaker from out of town somewhere.

Walt

<cite>But 54mm toy soldiers should not be automatically ruled out in competition.</cite>

I agree. I have experienced something of a Rennaissance in 54mm lately, as my eyes grow worse with the passing of the years. I'm painting up 54mm Riflemen and Voltigeurs lately, in hopes of running a varient of Bruce Quarrie's Skirmish Game out of Napoleonic Gaming for fun.

Started with plastic army men, and came right round full circle. Imagine that.

Walt

One final thought on this rather pointless thread. Who cares?

The awards given out prior to this year consisted of a printed piece of paper, and for a small few, a blue ribbon. Big deal. It was a nice gesture on behalf of the organization to recognize better than average games, and people (GMs) seemed to appreciate it. So who really cares even if a sponsored game won? Not that anyone has established that one even did, this after a gazillion posts.

I have no heartburn if a CD wants to help pay for a showcase game that ties in with a theme, or somehow makes the show look better. Of course that is subjective, I grant you, but it is their call – with BoD approval.

I agree that the average GM should not be paid, but the free admission seems a nice gesture to all GMs, considering the entertainment value they bring to the thousands that play in their games. Of course, GMs are free to decline that free pass too if the feel so compelled.

Obviously not a smoking gun issue, but I suspect dividing a subsidy by the number of players that can be accommodated would probably result in a cost-benefit analysis that is hard to justify.

>Just to throw a stray fact in, I allocated some funds to help Phil Viverito rent a truck to bring his massive Siege of Carthage game to COLD WARS 07.
>

This is exactly the sort of thing we must be concerned about. Phil is a for-profit publisher of rules, and the game promoted his product.

So you gave him HMGS money to help advertise his product.

The sum total of circumstances may or may not justify the use of HMGS money -- that is for each individual HMGS member to decide for himself.

Except that when it is kept a secret, THEY CAN'T.

did you miss this part?

He paid the convention back handsomely, as I recall.

"The sum total of circumstances may or may not justify the use of HMGS money -- that is for each individual HMGS member to decide for himself.

So what on earth has this to do with whether he won a little piece of paper or blue ribbon or not? And if so, who really cares? I mean, that is topic of the thread you started here, and not the issue of paid games.

This is exactly the sort of thing we must be concerned about. Phil is a for-profit publisher of rules, and the game promoted his product

Exactly WHY must we be concerned about it? It was an honest exchange-- Phil put on a hell of a show for my his truck rental fee. I reported it dutifully and the BOD gave full approval. Are you implying there was something dishonest going on here?

So you gave him HMGS money to help advertise his product.

I'm not following your logic. Are you under the impression that Phil was selling his rule set at the table? That LMWworks had a vendor booth at the show? I don't recall that he did. So, essentially, he was a GM with a really nice setup using a set of rules that he happened to author. How does that make him different from many, many other GMs? Last game I ran I wrote the rules for-- and I didn't sell them at the table. Does that make me like Phil?

The sum total of circumstances may or may not justify the use of HMGS money -- that is for each individual HMGS member to decide for himself.

Wrong. That is for the Convention Director to decide for him or herself, authorized and approved by BOD oversight. The membership, via the Board of Directors, has vested the authority to make that decision in the office of Convention Director. Each individual HMGS member may have an opinion on the matter, and they certainly can shout it from the rooftops if they want to bother, but they don't get to decide about it.

Walt

PBN, it's about time you came clear on this, and tell us why you care about such a complaint.

ARE YOU A MEMBER OF HMGS-E? Just curious.

What else do you think that the members should decide? The design of the tee shirts? The color of the wekend passes?

HMGS is NOT a democracy. We do not get a vote on all issues. It is a republic, in which we elect those who make the decisions. Run for office if you are so determined to stamp out villainy, vice and corruption.

Question: "PBN, it's about time you came clear on this, and tell us why you care…"

Answer: "HMGS is NOT a democracy. We do not get a vote on all issues. It is a republic…"

It is our Way of Life, John. On this, like many other days throughout the year, it is worth remembering the nagging, contentious, rabble-rousing, irritating, provocative sorts who founded This Great Nation. Re-read "Oliver Wiswell"; if one wants everyone to get along, one can always take passage to a place where the rabble are not stirred so.

And on this day, we recall that the Separatists did exactly that, as they, too, "could not long continue in any peaceable condition, but were hunted and persecuted on every side, so as their former afflictions were but as flea-bitings in comparison of these which now came upon them."

Keep in mind also, that it was a more accomodating bunch who subsequently felt a need to build a "city upon a hill", and in doing so subsumed the colony at Plimoth. There's a lesson in that.

Allen

P.S. The cherry pie is in the oven, and the apple is going in directly.

Allen

Pecan and Pumpkin over here….

?did you miss this part?
"He paid the convention back handsomely, as I recall."
>

A fine metaphorical statement. Doesn't say he paid back the 500 bucks.

***

>That is for the Convention Director to decide for him or herself, authorized and approved by BOD oversight. The membership, via the Board of Directors, has vested the authority to make that decision in the office of Convention Director.
>

Right. And full disclosure of their fiscal decisions is required of them, so that the members can decide whether or not to vote for them.

***

> ARE YOU A MEMBER OF HMGS-E? Just curious

Remember 1982 (?) when HMGS was at the con in Baltimore, and you had to pay a couple extra bucks to get into the roped-off Historical area ???

>I like Pumpkin Pie on Turkey Day

Make the crust with vodka instead of water. Let the pumpkin cook longer & it will be fluffier.

Choices tonight were pumpkin or apple. I was really in the mood for cherry.

Choices tonight were pumpkin or apple. I was really in the mood for cherry.

LOL, Mike, exactly the same here!

My brother-in-law, hosted, so I stayed away. Unfortunately he relied on the pop-up timer, and it NEVER went off until the bird was long on the table.

Unfortunately, it was way over-done. So we had to put on extra gravy.

he never heard:
1. 165 degrees is the temperature threshold required to kill possible dangerous bacteria. Anyone who cooks their bird to 180 derees might as well as eat their shoes.
2. The bird continues to cook AFTER removal from the oven with a carry-over raise of 10 degrees or more [depends on size]. And the bird should rest 15min or more before carving.
3. Consequently he decided at 168 degrees, and no pop-up going off it needed "more time", like another 1/2 hour! amateur.

Unfortunately, or not, I was watching football, our sad-sack Lions getting pasted by Green Bay again.

everything else was good though……

Yeah, I overcooked the turkey in the fryer a bit. Skin was nice and crispy though..

And despite my desire for cherry, the pumpkin pie was good, homemade even.

TMP link

>Pat [CONDRAY], would this be like the Omerta deal Pete said he had with you? You know the one where for your support of the BCC, Pete promised you a room directly across the street at the staff rate.

Neil Brennan
>

Hmmmm….