No one reported to me any problems or dissatisfaction over how the last issue was distributed. Fifty email newsletters were distributed to active club members who have provided the club with an email address; fifty-two hard-copies were mailed to the remaining active club members and associated organizations. Since then a few more active members have provided an email address to receive the newsletter electronically.

We need to reduce the costs associated with distributing the newsletter, and maximizing electronic distribution is a simple way to achieve this goal. If you have an email address but received this issue in the post, then we do not have your current email address. The best way to inform us of this is to notify Bob the Totalitarian Treasurer (he picked this moniker himself!) when he collects your dues.

Contributions for the newsletter are always welcome. Send your game reviews, Members' Notes, hobby related tidbits to: briancmiller@prodigy.net ; 2500 Knights Rd Apt 159-05, Bensalem, PA 19020; or hand them to me. The deadline for inclusion in the next issue will be August 1st.

Finally, an error in the last issue to rectify: the correct club treasury balance at the end of March was $380.59. This is a $16 adjustment.

By Steve Cameron

I am glad to launch a new column in which I address the issues facing the club and to explain what we, the officers, are doing about them. The individual officers will periodically contribute a brief update on what they are doing, and I will address what tasks I am undertaking as well.

First, I would like to thank all of the officers for their hard work, and let you know that I appreciate it. It was becoming difficult wearing all of the hats required to run the club, and I am glad to be able to have more time to devote to family medical issues. I feel we have a group of officers who are capable and resourceful. The transition of duties to the new officers is now complete.

The most crucial issue facing the club is a vicious cycle of declining attendance, not covering rent, and decreasing space. When we moved from the Inn, we brought our rent expense back under control, but the amount of space was greatly reduced. The months in the sanctuary went well, but the rooms we rented for other months presented limitations, which caused some meetings to test room capacity. This resulted in some members concluding things were too crowded; not returning as frequently as members might, a shortfall in dues collection has emerged. If not addressed, this would cause us to only be able to afford yet smaller space, and the cycle would continue, eventually leading to the club's extinction.

We always have managed to supplement income by the 50/50, and Bob Hranek's new pricing scheme has helped increase the pot, so both the winning member and the club benefit. We have not had a sale of shirts in some time to raise funds, but we do have some extras, which I will be bringing to the next meeting, and they will be available for purchase.

The officers feel the time has come to increase dues. The current pricing scheme was in place before I took over as treasurer in 1994 (we did lower dues and then raise them in the interim). I feel that EPGS is one of the greatest social entertainment values around, and it's obviously a lot cheaper than any of the one-day gaming conventions. We will put this to a membership vote at the June meeting.

We also need to find a new meeting site with more space. We cannot successfully publicize the club, because when new members see there is insufficient room to play, they will not return. If the sanctuary were available every month, it would be quite sufficient, but this is not the case. We need everyone to be looking for a new home for the club. We need to be able to meet on the same weekend of every month, but it does not necessarily have to be the third Saturday of the month. We also need to be sure that we will not be bumped for another event. It is my hope that we will have a new site soon.

I am also working on: converting member data to be put on the web; designing membership cards, with aid from Tom List; writing an updated history of the club for the website; interacting with Boardgame Player's Association & the WBC.

Yours in gaming - Steve Cameron

Tom Swider (tswider@voicenet.com) is looking for three more players for a Play-by-E-mail DIPLOMACY variant of his own design (it's called Blood & Iron and takes five players). Its design goal is to be playable within an evening.

The search for a better facility to hold our meetings is still on-going. As an incentive, the member, who brings to a club officer's attention the facility that is eventually chosen to hold our future meetings, will receive six free admissions to club meetings (only one reward is available; club officers may not collect the reward; disputes will be settled by the outcome of duels*). The criteria are:

• can guarantee meetings the same Saturday of every month.
• minimum hours 9 AM - 9 PM
• 1500 - 2000 square feet
• rent is less than $150
• tables and chairs included
• adequate lighting, heating, and air
• near major highways
• access to public transportation
• food/restrooms nearby

We are scheduled to meet in the spacious church sanctuary for our July and August meetings. There are dozens of tables and chairs for our use, and there will be plenty of space to set-up miniatures and other "monster games."

Dave Bohnenberger was the winner in both the April ($22) and May ($51!) raffles. Later, Dave had this to say: "I finally found a game I'm good at. Not surprisingly, it requires no skill or strategy of any kind." But Dave had to play to win. You can buy 1 ticket for $2, 3 tickets for $4, or 5 tickets for $6. Please pay Bob H. The winning ticket receives half of all ticket money; the other half goes to the club.

The World Boardgaming Championships is the successor to Avaloncon. The WBC is being held from July 27th thru August 1st at the Hunt Valley Inn in Hunt Valley, MD.

As in previous years, EPGS is forming teams to send to compete at this convention. Most of us may not be familiar with the team concept, so here is an explanation found at www.bpa.nu (the website for the Boardgame Players Association):

In short, if you are part of team you will have one more way to win a prize. Tell Steve or Bob S. if you will be attending the convention so we can create teams! You can pre-register on-line at www.bpa.nu or pick-up a registration form at the club meeting.

The following games were played at the March and April meetings. Several games were played multiple times.

Advanced Squad Leader (AH) - "Cream of the Crop" and two other scenarios.

Mississippi Queen (Gold Sieber) - vie with other paddle-wheel captains and their "queens" for the title of Mississippi Queen, the fastest paddle-wheeler on the Big Muddy. Since a significant part of a paddle-wheeler’s revenue comes from passengers, the competition is more than just a race. To win, a captain must be the first to dock at the finish line AND make two passengers stops along the way.

Event Name: IRONMAN '99

Hosts: The Rogues

Phone: 610-792-3733 (H), 610-531-6800 (W)

e-mail: www.angelfire.com/pa/therogues

Rules: Various (see below)

Scale: 15mm throughout

Period: Various (see below)

No. of Players: 12 Ironman players or teams

Area Size of Tables: Gameboard size 6' x 12'

Length of Event: (Set-up) 2 hrs, (Play) 24+ hrs,(Clean-up) 2 hrs

Preferred Time: Start 1st game 9AM Friday 23 July; End last game 11PM Saturday 24 July (This is a continuous event; you can register for individual games).

Description:

The Rogues are back at it again with the grueling and insane IRONMAN!!! Last year we proved that it could be done; now it's time to really make you hurt. We have upped the number of games (6) and increased the gaming time (24+ hours) to give you the ultimate Wargaming experience. To balance the load this year we have broken it out as 6 separate games run in parallel with the total IRONMAN. If you think you can handle it individually or shared entry as a club, then try your endurance and your skills across 2000 years, all on the same location in lowlands Europe, for the following periods:

Game 1 - Ancients: The Meat Grinder Pacification!

GM: Michael Panzer, Scott Landis

Rules: Modified Chipco Fantasy for Ancients

Description: In the quiet lowlands of Europe the Romans have established a fort to protect their Northern interests, but the Germanic led Celts and Gauls have other ideas. Can you achieve a great victory? Or just GRIND this outpost down to a historical footnote? You decide the fate of the Empire's northern border!

GM: Bobby Varas, Tony Iglesia

Rules: Chipco, Days of Knights

Description: The Pope is back and he's pissed...Money is drying up to keep him in the Papal finery he requires, so His Holiness along with his Army of Truth head north to collect back taxes from the wayward flocks, but these flocks have more than one sheepdog to mind them!!

GM: G. Markert, K. Kramer

Rules: Verlon Haufe

Description: A resurgent Russia enters the war, blocking the way through Prussia and Saxony. In desperation, the Swedes turn west toward the promise of safety in Protestant Holland. The Roi sits firmly on the fence waiting to settle with Austria once and for all. The Saxons want to go home. Sweden gambles on one final victory to unite with France to crush the empire. With the giants dead, mortals decide the fate of Northern Europe. Lots of exhausted, thread-bare pikemen, matchlocks, Croats, Cossacks, and Saxons rugby scrumming in the low countries......and of course, the freakin' French.

GM: Pete Bentivenga, Tony Iglesia

Rules: Homes Rules

Description: Join Louis' Grande Army as they try to divest Marlborough and his Dutch cronies from the fair town of E'Sprouts. Louis has a hunger for some Belgian Waffles, and he can't stomach eating them with the British in the town. The siege is on and the townsfolk have bolted, so it's just the armies battling it out to see whose blood will run the river red.

GM: J. Kimmel, S. Landis

Rules: Modified Shako

Description: June 19th, 1815, Belgium. Blucher's Prussians have been shattered at Ligny and are in full retreat. Wellington, having given Ney a bloody nose at Quatre Bras, has fallen back to Waterloo to await the French onslaught....only to discover that Napoleon used the torrential rain on the 17th to hide a forced march West to outflank the Anglo-Allied army and cut it off from Brussels! Now, Wellington is desperately trying to readjust his army to stop the French and keep his line of retreat open. A mixed bag of divisions from the Anglo-Allied army will go up against two French Corps caught in march formation. Fix Bayonets!!!

GM: Paul Bernardino, Vince Stella

SYS: Battlefront

Description: It's almost Christmas. The Brass said it's quiet in this sector. No one bothered to tell the Krauts. The Germans have broken through and threaten to drive to Antwerp. Clerks, Cooks, and many other REMFs must hold the line so retreating troops can reform behind them and reinforcements can arrive. Don't worry, you only have to hold against the Panzers!!! Besides, HQ said you'll get reinforcements - soon. This is a hypothetical Bulge scenario. So grab your rifle/carbine and leave your typewriter behind.