The Ninth Sneak forms

The Ninth Sneak met for the first time last night at the Red Lion. With six of the seven members present and representing a quorum, acting Prime Weasel Jim O’Kelley called the meeting to order at 7:40 p.m.

The Sneak:

• Approved outstanding expenses for the 2016 year.
• Reviewed a preliminary budget for 2017 and discussed the dues structure.
• Set some goals, including:
  • Exploring non-profit status for the club.
  • Implementing an annual award for the best recruiter.
  • Improving data collection to better communicate with members and more strategically choose locations for game.
  • Establishing another standing monthly game, perhaps rotating among game stores and other places that aren’t necessarily bars.
  • Taking advantage of recruiting opportunities such as gaming events at the Harold Washington Library.
  • Turning the website into an intellectual hub of Diplomacy.
  • And developing championship-caliber players.
• Discussed the benefits of a code of conduct as a recruiting tool and appointed Brandon Fogel and John Gramila to head up our effort to create and implement one.
• And elected officers for the year.

Who better to keep the Weasels on point and ensure that we work hard toward achieving our goals than club newcomer but hobby veteran Brian Shelden? He was unanimously elected as our new Prime Weasel, the fifth member of our club to hold that title and first since the Seventh Sneak. (The underachieving Eighth Sneak never even held a meeting.) Brian was one of the principal organizers of the old New York City club whose name escapes me and also served on the Potomac Tea & Knife Society’s board for several years. He is well known and highly regarded in the North American hobby and will provide some stablility as far as the greater hobby is concerened as I start to step back.

Brian’s right-hand man will be John Gramila. As the Sub-Prime Weasel, John will focus primarily on recruiting and membership, but he stands ready to serve as our Prime should Brian disappear while running an Iron Man somewhere.

Jake Trotta, who recently took the helm of The Weekly Weasel and wants to vary the content on our website, will be our Chief of Public Information.

As the most trustworthy and honest member of the Sneak, I will control the purse strings, continuing the role I had with the Seventh Sneak. (Again, that Eighth Sneak was the worst.) My first duty as treasurer will be to finalize the budget and propose a dues structure for 2017 for consideration by the Sneak. We will announce the budget and dues for 2017 no later than December 1.

The busiest member of the Sneak is likely to be our new War Weasel, Brandon Fogel. Brandon has been charged with leading the search for a new location and dates for next year’s Weasel Moot. He’ll also keep an eye on our calendar to ensure that we have plenty of hosts and opportunities to play Diplomacy lined up.

Brian Beck, who was not present, and Don Glass, who is as wise as an owl, will serve as our at-large members, helping out wherever and whenever needed.

Prime Weasel Brian Shelden adjourned the meeting at 9:30 p.m.

The Sneak looks forward to serving you and making the club great again in 2017 and beyond.