Second Meeting, or Zeroth Meeting #2

[Tyler the President]

Hey gang!

Once again, the Card and Boardgame Club will be meeting in HSS 275 at 5:00 on Friday, October 5. Assuming we don't get evicted from our chosen room this time, at any rate. Be there, play games with us, and have fun!

Also, two points of order: 

First, our registration is in on time, and is processing. With any luck, this will net us a legitimate room in the near future. If your name is Max, Agustina, or Nick, expect a confirmation e-mail that you guys should go ahead and approve. Joe, our Staff/Faculty Advisor who many of you remember from a week ago, should be getting one too, and once it passes his desk we should be a legitimate club with all the tabling, fundraising, room-having, and event-planning that entails. So that's exciting.

Also! Agustina and I are going to be filling out the paperwork for tabling later this evening, with the hope that it processes concurrently with our paperwork to become an actual club. If you're interested in helping with the tabling (and yes, we definitely need help), please let me know so we can help you help us introduce ourselves to future members of us. 

Second order of business is a little more serious, though: a few people, not just Barry, have expressed discomfort at the feel of the club, with the Old Boys' atmosphere it appears to be entrenched in. This is a bigger problem than it appears at first - we're both trying to attract new people and become registered as a club. If we feel shut off from new members or offensive to them, they won't join and we'll stagnate, and if we appear abrasive and unacceptable in terms of diversity acceptance to San Francisco State, that could very well impact our ability to be a club. It is, like I said, a serious order of business, and something that needs to be addressed as we go into recruiting more members and expanding the club.

Anyway, that mild downer aside, I hope we can continue to get together, have fun, and relax each Friday as we always have in the company of friends. I look forward to seeing you all then, as we build towards even bigger turnouts in the future!

As always,

~Tyler the President

[Joseph F Benjamin]

To the Club:

I agree with what Barry said about the "GOP" (Grand Ol' Players) feel and I have come across this a LOT in my 20 year+ span here at SF State - from both sides of the fence as an undergrad as well as a staff/advisor. Entire fraternities have indeed built up to be large houses, only to stagnate and dissolve into nothingness (after being burned down, falling over, then sinking into the swamp!) 

So, they key is - RECRUITMENT - which involves tabling, being visible and putting a best foot forward to show our "good-natured" side. Once we "snag" them...THEN the hideous beasts that we are can emerge! Some ideas:

1) Tabling outside in the Quad - this requires at least a table of course, a few games that are quick and dirty (not "DIRTY"!) and a clipboard sign-up sheet. Other ideas can include food sales (much more difficult logistics and initial $ to start), a gigantic foam d20 to be rolled across the grass/walkway and a possible corresponding game situation, a fake sword combat (legal issues?) and perhaps some LARPing if we have enough people. I do have an ice chest that the club can use for whatever purposes (legal purposes!)

2) Have game sessions in the On-Campus Housing community area - there are HUNDREDS of newbies that are probably interested in gaming! Why not create visibility there?

3) Fliers

4) Website

5) T-Shirts (create design)

6) Club Logo - didn't we have one already? Barry could then cut us a nice wooden one!

7) Host a multiplayer xbox and or PS3 tournament - we've done this before

8) Facebook page

And there could be MORE that I'm sure a group of gamers can come up with.

My vision with this club oh..about 11 or 12 YEARS ago....was to have a large pool of interested gamers to have good sized on-going RPG games on the regular. The original club name was "Games for University Role-Playing Students" (i.e. GURPS) until the club decided that they wanted a larger scope that expanded to board and card games as well (even video games!)

Another point to make is to have more STRUCTURE. This is the most important aspect to an organization next to acquiring "fresh blood"...I mean recruiting. In that regard, we have the traditional "president", "VP", "Treasurer" and what not but we can rename them to be more in the spirit of our club, plus add other positions like "game master" could be the person in charge of keeping and bringing the hoard of games the club as amassed, etc. 

Also, I think it would be fun to have each member "level up" as each attends club events and participate. XP's can be awarded for mere attendance or for playing a game (more for actually WINNING a game!), tabling and for any other participatory activities. It's a fun way to reward members plus also a good way to incentivize winning at a game!

Just my 2¢!!

What does the club think?

Joseph Benjamin: Academic Advisor - San Francisco State Univeristy
Undergraduate Advising Center - Admin 211
Office of New Student Programs and Orientation

Contact: jos...@sfsu.edu | Fax: 415-405-0368

Appointments: 415-338-2130 | Drop-In Hours: 12pm-1pm Mon-Thurs

STUDENTS - Include name and Student ID number (not SSN) with EVERY reply!
PARENTS/GUARDIANS - General questions only! (no student record information)

www.FACEBOOK/JoeTheAdvisor

How was your advising experience? Please let us know! Take our Survey HERE