Greg J. Schloesser:  Debunking the Naysayers

And they said it couldn’t be done.  When we were contemplating our move to the mountains and hills of East Tennessee, forming a gaming group—or getting involved in an existing one—was a top priority.  Gaming is such a large part of my life, that I couldn’t imagine not having a weekly group with which to play.  I received several e-mails and commentaries from folks stating that I would have an extremely difficult time organizing a game group in this rural part of Tennessee.  The warnings claimed that distances were too great, and there simply weren’t enough people in the area who would be interested in gaming on a regular basis. 

Well, I certainly wasn’t going to let some warnings and pessimism deter me.  I checked for existing groups, and I only found two within reasonable distance from my home.  One was the fledgling Southern Appalachian Gamers Association in Johnson City, about an hour or so distance from my home.  Led by Terry Bailey, the group only meets once a month, and when my move approached, even that schedule was in hiatus.  I certainly intended to join in the fun when they did meet (and I have!), but once-a-month simply wasn’t enough.  I’m greedy when it comes to gaming!

The other group appeared to be a wargame group in Knoxville, but e-mails to two of the folks listed as members went unanswered, and I could find no further information on meeting dates and times.  No big deal, since wargaming is not my main interest these days. 

Not to be deterred, I visited the Gamers Database on the Boardgame Geek website and found about ten folks listed who resided within a 50 mile radius of my home.  I sent an e-mail to each of these folks, and received replies from over half of them.  Robert Miller, Kevin & Rhonda Bender, Keith Stump, Mark Smith, Paul Blake and Terry Bailey all responded, all expressing enthusiasm over forming a new group.  I also knew Jim McDanold, whom I’ve met and gamed with at the Gathering of Friends.  Jim resided in Knoxville, and had recently retired.  He, too, was eager to participate.  So, in just a matter of a week, a nucleus of eight (nine when my wife Gail join in the fun!) was formed and ready to game. 

We had our first meeting in late June at Kevin & Rhonda Bender’s home.  Nine folks were in attendance, as Paul Blake’s brother Mark and sister-in-law Alison joined in.  We spent the session getting to know each other, and played a few games, including perhaps the best and most tense game of Shadows over Camelot I’ve played to date.  It was an incredible beginning for the newly formed East Tennessee Gamers.  And it only got better ...

We began our weekly meetings 1 1/2 weeks later, and haven’t missed a beat since.  Since then, we’ve added over a dozen new folks to the group, all who live in the vicinity.  Our membership rolls are right at two dozen people, and that does NOT include another 8 or so folks who regularly attend the SAGA group each month in Johnson City!  Each week we gather anywhere from 6 - 14 folks to play games, socialize and have a great time. 

Just where did these folks come from?  How did they discover the East Tennessee Gamers?  Well, word-of-mouth has been the main source.  Our existing gamers tell their friends and associates, and they become interested.  Rhonda Bender works at the local Game Board store, and has been responsible for recruiting several of our members, including Chris Blessinger (who used to game in New Mexico with Rob Derrick and company) and Ray Sharp.  Robert Miller introduced his friend Jared Pendleton, while Chris Licata brought us Dave Williams.  A few found us on the internet via our East Tennessee Gamers website (www.easttennesseegamers.com), including Paul and Jennifer Sturgis (who reside in Lenoir City, about 20 minutes or so from Knoxville, but a hefty 1 hour-plus from my home!) and Greg Lull.  One of our members—Diane Blake—joined in the fun after marrying one of our existing members, Paul Blake!

Our numbers continue to grow.  Every few weeks I receive a name from one of our members of another individual who is interested in joining our group.  Pretty soon we may be forced to cap our numbers, or seek a larger place to play!  Nah ... it is too fun to meet new folks and introduce them to the wonderful world of gaming!

So, to the naysayers, I say,”Phhhhtttt!” I am now more convinced than ever that the main ingredients to forming a thriving game group is enthusiasm and perserverance.  Just get off your duff and do it!  Contact folks, advertise, meet people ... get the word out.  Yes, there are a lot of factors involved in terms of organization, with attention to detail, but the most important aspect is simply to spread the word.  Be an organizer.  Get it done.  Don’t let folks tell you it cannot be done; it can.  Stop bemoaning how you live in a small town and there aren’t enough people who are interested in gaming.  Odds are that there are enough folks.  Talk to ‘em.  Be enthusiastic.  Organize a game night and tell folks about it.  To paraphrase the ”Field of Dreams” movie:  organize it and they will come.  Enthusiasm, organization and perseverance are the keys.  Keep in mind my mantra:  ”Keep spreading the word!”

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