62 Juniors Events. James Confoy, 8 Thomas Melton, 9 David Rennert, 12 Virginia Melton, 12

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1 62 Juniors Events Matt Leader, 12 Jaclyn Sands, 12 Jordan Shea, 11 Lissa Rennert, Joanna Melton Thomas Melton, 9 Rebecca Melton, 12 Brian Sherwood, 11 Ben Gardner, James Confoy, 8 Thomas Melton, 9 David Rennert, 12 Virginia Melton, Jordan Shea, 11 Rebecca Melton, 12 Rebecca Melton, 12 Jaclyn Sands, Rebecca Melton, 12 Jordan Shea, 11 Brian Pappas, 11 Matt Leader, 12

2 Teen Events David Pack 11 Natalie Beach 9 Pam Gutermuth 8 Special Event 15 Michael Wojtaszczyk WBC 2009 Logistics t s easier than ever to get to WBC this Iyear. Cape Air (flycapeair.com) offers five round-trip flights daily between Lancaster and BWI airports for $50 each way. Cape Air has ticket and baggage agreements with most major airlines. The hotel offers its guests complimentary Shuttle Service to and from the Lancaster (LNS) airport. It must be booked in advance. For additional transportation details, see boardgamers.org/hotellan.htm. All WBC events take place at the Lancaster Host Resort, 2300 Lincoln Highway East (Route 30), Lancaster, PA (lancasterhost.com). $99/night, plus 11% tax. One night s deposit, $109.89, which will be credited to the guest s last scheduled night of stay, is required with each reservation. It is possible to cancel 30 days prior to arrival at no penalty, but any reservations canceled after 30 days prior to arrival will forfeit one night s deposit. In addition, there are a number of convenient hotels at every price range within walking distance. BPA has negotiated favorable group rates with the following hotels which offer especially good value for the budget conscious with free breakfast packages. However, WBC occurs during the tourist season and sellouts are common so make your reservations early. Cancellation policies are more lenient than at the Host. The walk to the Host is short, but it crosses a busy highway. The Continental Inn is directly across the street from the Host. The amenities include indoor and outdoor pools and jacuzzi, remote, color cable tv, free wireless internet, refrigerators, coffee makers, and more. A complete, complimentary hot breakfast is included to start your day. The special WBC rate is $94 per day plus 11% tax per single thru quad occuancy with 1 King or 2 Double Beds. Rollaways beds, if requested, $7 additional. A three-night minimum stay is required for this special group rate. One night s deposit will be required upon booking. The deposit is refundable up until 48 hours prior to arrival. Phone to make your reservation or info@continentalinn.com for a callback by the reservationist. Alternatively, you may book on line at continentalinn.com at the regular rates and identify yourself in the comments as claiming the WBC rate, providing you are booking the threenight minimum stay. This offer is valid until July 11 or our room block sells out, whichever occurs first. The Red Roof Inn is across the street and a short walk away from the Host, next to some excellent restaurants. The amenities include an outdoor pool, a free Deluxe Continental breakfast, complimentary USA Today newspaper, free local phone calls, wireless internet, and voic , Cable TV with HBO, microwave and mini-fridge in every room, and discounts at the aforementioned restaurants. The special WBC rate is $89.95 per night plus 11% tax per single thru quad occuancy with 1 King or 2 Double Beds. No deposit is required, but the reservation must be confirmed with a valid credit card. Any reservation that is not canceled by 3 pm on the date of arrival will automatically be charged for one night s stay. Call toll free to make your reservation. This offer is valid until June 1 or our room block sells out, whichever occurs first.

3 64 Team Champions Mike Backstrom, MN Settlers of Catan 0 Rich Moyer, MN Superstar Baseball 9 John Pack, CO Steve Packwood, MN Victory in the Pacific Three-time defending champion Nest of Spies, a coalition of card-driven wargamers from four different states reinforced their team with Chris Byrd in On paper, it was their strongest team ever and an overwhelming favorite, with 25-1 odds to continue their dominance of the Team Tournament. However, they hadn t counted on Riku Reikkinen of Finland, who snatched victory from their outstretched hands in the Final of Paths of Glory and For the People, costing them 10 points. The latter win was especially noteworthy, as it ended a seven-year reign of terror by Master Pei in his specialty. Thus humbled, the mighty Nest fell to 8th place. They were replaced by the St Paul s Rejects no slouches themselves fifth ranked at 41-1 odds. The team, with its roots in Minnesota, included Steve Packwood, who won his sixth straight 1776 title and 12th overall. But the points that put them in contention came from Rich Moyer, whose first win in Superstar Baseball yielded nine big points. John Pack s steadily improving Victory in the Pacific prowess netted three more points to put them over the top and edge The James Gang by a single point. The latter team, ranked seventh at 43-1, and composed entirely of traditional hex wargamers, scored at every position. The team was anchored by Doug James and Rob Beyma who won fifth and third titles in their respective specialties. Both teams earned two points in bonuses for members not having previously won their respective events. The year s biggest over-achievers were Three Beers and a Chardonay and Pixel Juice who both overcame odds to finish 12th and 17th respectively and thumb their respective noses at the Happy Handicapper. However, overall, it was an up year for the Happy Handicapper. Despite the record field of 90 teams, 14 of his top 25 picks (56%) made the Top 25 up 4% from Buoyed by a record-breaking field of 90 teams, scoring was up considerably with the points needed to break into the Top 25 up four points. The other side of that coin saw 30 teams shutout an even third of the field. The highest ranked squad to post nothing but goose eggs, and thereby earn the 2008 title for Most Overrated, was Galaxy Quest at 65-1, which had been the 29th ranked team. However, the Greenville Mafia s third-ranked Famine squad at 37-1 was the highest ranked team to fall out of the Top 25. No other teams were able to join the James Gang in scoring across the board at every position although the Greenville Mafia s War squad came closest. David Gantt came up one player short in Acquire, which kept him from scoring and giving his team sixth place. The Wonder Women team won the Misery Loves Company title with 484 entrants for an average of 122 entrants per event. On the opposite end of the scale, claiming the Big Fish in the Small Pond title was The James Gang, with a total of 103 total entrants, averaging fewer than 26 players per event. The most frequently named choice for the Team Tournament was Carcassonne which was the selection of nine of the 360 players in the tournament. In all, 129 of our 154 events were selected by someone with 18XX and Ticket to Ride tying for second with eight each. Other top choices were Queen s Gambit and Twilight Struggle which were named by seven teams each and Atlantic Storm, Puerto Rico, Robo Rally, Victory in the Pacific, and Commands & Colors Ancients, which were each selected by six teams.

4 PBeM Champions 65 Play-by- tournaments are the answer to many players most common complaints lack of time and inability to find skilled opposition. BPA does not run PBeM tournaments; rather, we provide support for hobbyists willing to host events. tournaments are counted the same as face-to-face action in BPA s prestigious Caesar competition, with Laurels based solely on size of the field and the average face-to-face playing time. Entry in these tournaments is free to current BPA members. For anyone who is not already a member, an associate membership costs only $10 to cover the costs of this program. (Players have no obligation to keep their memberships current once the tournament begins.) For information about running a PBeM tournament, contact the BPA PBeM coordinator Hank Burkhalter at uss- Chevalier@abovethefields.com or check out his webpage at Ken Gutermuth, NC O Sharee Pack, CO O Tom Browne, PA O Alex Bove, PA O Greg Thatcher, FL O John Pack, CO John Pack, CO Ken Gutermuth, NC None PBEM Tournament in progress Mark Neale, RI O Jeff Mullet, OH O Mark Frueh, IL O Harald Henning, CT O Ken Gutermuth, NC O Tedd Mullally, NJ Greg Stripes, WA Mark Neale, RI 2004 Arthur Field, SC 2006 Harald Henning, CT PBEM Tournament in progress Bruno Sinigaglio, AK O Ed Menzel, CA O Barry Smith, NY O Jon Lockwood, VA O Ted Drozd, IL O Mark Gutfreund, KY Bruno Sinigaglio, AK Bruno Sinigaglio, AK 2003 Ed Menzel, CA PBEM Tournament underway Kevin Wojtaszczyk, NY O Mike Kaltman, PA O Alex Bove, PA O Eric Freeman, PA O Tom Browne, PA O Tom Dunning, NY Arthur Field, SC Kevin Wojtaszczyk, NY None PBEM Tournament in progress

5 66 PBeM Champions Bruno Sinigaglio, AK O Buddy Sinigaglio, CO O Bill Morse, VA O Steve Likevich, OH O Jeff Lange, JP O Frank Sinigaglio, NJ Bruno Sinigaglio, AK Bruno Sinigaglio, AK 2001 Bob Ryan, MI 2002 Tom Gregorio, PA PBEM Tournament underway Vince Meconi, DE O Ed Menzel, CA O Bill Place, PA O Allen Kaplan, NJ O Ted Drozd, IL O Robin Chiang, CA Vince Meconi, DE Dan Gallagher, MD O Rob Seulowitz, NY O Steve Caler, OH O Mike Brophy, NC O George Young, VT O Jeremiah Peterson, IL Bryan Collars, SC Vince Meconi, DE Dan Gallagher, MD 2006 Barry Shoults, MI PBEM Tournament in progress None PBEM Tournament in progress Bill Edwards, VA O Bill Crenshaw, VA O Pete Staab, PA O Stefan Mecay, TX O Tom Taaffe, VA O Harald Henning, CT Bill Crenshaw, VA Bill Edwards, VA 2007 Tom Taffe, VA 2009 PBEM Tournament scheduled Bruce Monnin, OH O Pete Staab, PA O Harry Flawd, PA O John Coussis, IL O Jim Gutt, AZ O Bob Jamelli, PA Bruce Monnin, OH Bruce Monnin, OH 2006 Bruce Monnin, OH 2007 Jeffrey Martin, GA PBEM Tournament in progress

6 PBeM Champions 67 Tom Gregorio, PA O Ed O Connor, NJ O Gary Dickson, CA O Doug James, NC O Larry Hollern, TX O Roy Walker, UK George Karahalios, IL Tom Gregorio, PA 2003 Tom Gregorio, PA 2006 Doug James, NC PBEM Tournament in progress Tom Drueding, MA O Scott Burns, UK O Ottore Cossuta, IT O Sergio Montagner, IT O Nick Frydas, UK O Dennis Nicholson, NY Tom Drueding, MA Tom Drueding, MA None PBEM Tournament scheduled Stefan Mecay, TX O Chris Withers, CA O Darren Kilfara, UK O George Seary, NY O Bill Edwards, VA O Suzanne Tuch, NY Darren Kilfara, UK Stefan MeCay, TX None PBEM Tournament in progress Darren Kilfara, UK O Alan Applebaum, MA O Ewan McNay, NY O Dennis Nicholson, NY O Ed Menzel, CA O Scott Beall, OR Kevin Shewfelt, CA Darren Kilfara, UK 2004 Don Grenwood, MD 2006 Andy Gardner, VA PBEM Tournament scheduled James Pei, VA O George Young, VT O Adam Deverall, AU O Ron Fedin, PA O Bill Edwards, VA O Peter Reese, VA Keith Wixson, NJ James Pei, VA 2003 James Pei, VA 2006 John Buse, IL PBEM Tournament in progress

7 68 PBeM EuroQuest Champions VI 20 Sam Atabaki CA 16 Raphael Lehrer MD 42 Lyman Moquin DC 26 Brian Reynolds MD Despite concerns about the economy and incomplete renovations at the Days Hotel, the sixth rendition of EuroQuest managed to hold steady, with approximately 250 in attendance. Top individual honors for the weekend went to Alex Bove, the 2007 runnerup to Rob Kircher, who reached four tournament finals and compiled 24 points to 22 for the reigning Caesar, Raphael Lehrer. Alex won the Harald Siegelman Award despite winning no events to Raphael s two by scoring in six of 11 main event tournaments. The award goes to the top overall individual performer in all convention events. For the second straight year, it was Raphael who won the Alex Bove, PA Harold L. Siegelman Award Winner most games overall (18), but because he posted wins in two fewer events, Alex scored higher. Defending Siegelman champ Rob Kircher competed well also, winning a total of 17 tournament games and placing fifth in the Wild Card tourney. He also won games in seven tournaments to place third, two points behind Raphael and four behind Alex. Wild Card specialist Eric Freeman became the first three-time EQ Champ in the same event. His margin of victory was much closer this year. He was hard pressed by a number of challengers, including two EQ I winners, former Wild Card champ Anne Norton and Ohio s Jeff Mullet. In the end, though, Winton Lemoine, a California native came the closest. The final Wild Card standings were: 1. Eric Freeman 242; 2. Winton Lemoine 210; 3. Jeff Michael Brazinski MD J.J. Jaskiewicz MD

8 PBeM EuroQuest Champions VI 69 Mullet 190; 4. Michael Thompson 189; 5. Rob Kircher 159; and 6, Anne Norton 156. A duo of two-time defending EQ champs fell just short in attempting to become the first three-time consecutive winners in the same tournament as Virginia Colin reached the Final in Ticket to Ride (finishing second to Donna Davis) and two-time defending Goa Champ Alex Bove was third. Mike Brazinski (Puerto Rico), Donna Davis (Ticket to Ride), Mark Delano (Race For the Galaxy), Tom DeMarco (Saint Petersburg) and Raphael Lehrer (Goa & Thorn & Taxis) were first-time winners, while Sam Atabaki (Caylus), Tom Dunning (Settlers of Catan), J. J. Jaskiewicz (Ra), and Lyman Moquin (Power Grid) proved their adaptability by winning different events this year. Brian Reynolds repeated his 2004 Princes of Florence win, after having won the Settlers title last year. Euro Quest provides a competitive forum for the play of popular European style boardgames in a focused, in-depth format not available elsewhere. All tournaments are run to provide multiple opportunities to compete in the same game, with a minimum of three preliminary heats preceding the elimination rounds. The Wild Card is a unique, free-form event that includes up to 15 titles. In addition to the tournaments, EuroQuest provides a game library and space set aside for Open Gaming. EuroQuest VII will be Nov at the Holiday Inn in Timonium, Md. The Wild Card event will return, as well as up to 11 different main event tournaments, including Caylus, Power Grid, Princes of Florence, Puerto Rico, Ra, Race for the Galaxy, St. Petersburg, Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride Combo, Thurn und Taxis, and one other as yet-tobe identified game, plus a Hot New Game to be announced at the 2009 World Boardgaming Championships in Lancaster, Pa. For additional information see euroquest.gamesclubofmd.org. 242 Eric Freeman PA 48 Donna Davis PA 42 Raphael Lehrer MD 56 Tom Dunning NY Mark Delano CT Tom DeMarco NJ

9 70 Waterloo VI By the end of the weekend, players had completed 39 official games (using second edition rules) and 89 turns. Only four of the official games went more than 3 turns. Ken Gutermuth and John Nestor played the most official games, with eight each. Ken also lay claim to the most turns in the lead, with nine. Rich Shipley gained the most points from defeated winners, with 11, while Kevin Sudy and Ken Gutermuth had 10 each. Kevin Emery took the Horatio Hornblower award for playing the Brits seven times. After the dust of the preliminaries settled, Kevin Sudy, Rich Shipley, and Bruce Young had each won four games, while 2008 Results John Emery, SC O Kevin Sudy, VA O Rich Shipley, MD O Bruce Young, SC O Ken Gutermuth, NC O Melvin Casselbury 23 John Emery had won three. However, John edged out Bruce on tournament points. In the Final, Rich grabbed the French, who he had already led to three victories. John opted for the Austro-Russians, leaving Kevin with the English. It appeared that Waterloo was in for a rerun of the 2007 Final when the French vaporized the Austrians on their way to a Turn 2 conquest of Russia and an automatic win. With the British occupied by three Foreign Wars, Napoleon met Kutuzov at Linz in a Army Group clash. He routed the Coalition to Rich Shipley, MD &Best French Bruce Young SC &Best Austro-Russia Ben Sternick, SC &Best British the tune of ten units. John, gazing at what would be his worst Russian hand of the day, immediately offered Submission and one key. Onlookers raised a few eyebrows as the chances of retaking Vienna seemed far from hopeless. Surprised by this easy victory and a guaranteed Turn 1 lead, Rich accepted a choice he later regretted. Austria, safe from French attack, now plied the diplomatic track and soon bought Prussia, while Britain consoled itself over the loss of Napoli and Lisbon with a Swedish Pact. It became apparent that there was method to John s madness. Subject Neutral Austria equalled the card draws of both Russia and Britain. By Turn 3 the Austrians were back in the war accompanied by their Prussian allies. The Austrians ended the Turn with the lead and a chance to roll for victory. Turn 4 opened with Past Winners France threatening Austria and Russia s denuded rear. Undeterred, Kutuzov took Paris, followed by Napoleon and then Charles taking the French capital. Meanwhile, the Turks took Vienna but were unable to flag it and were driven out by Ferdinand. As the turn drew to a close, Napoleon retook Paris and then routed Kutuzov s attempt to take it back. John had a chance to win with a roll of 4 or better, but he only managed a 3. By Turn 5 the French had been bled white. Which of the two jackals picking at the French carcass would come out ahead? Britain landed Wellington on the continent to grab keys from the defenseless French countryside and another army under Hill landed in Spain and failed several sieges. He was never able to go for Madrid. Wellington took Paris. France was down to one unit and Napoleon. Kevin rolled a 5 for the maximum number of French keys in the conquest. With a count of the VPs John had 8 to Kevin s John Emery, SC 2004 John Emery, SC 2005 Ken Gutermuth, TX 2006 Kevin Sudy, VA 2007 Kevin Sudy, VA

10 WAM VII 71 WAM VII in Timonium, MD was a rousing success, drawing 40 players. There were four formal tournaments with scheduled rounds: Paths of Glory (POG), Wilderness War (WNW), Twilight Struggle (TWS), and 1960: The Making of the President (960). There was also the annual informal March Madness tournament. In Paths of Glory, the mean bid was just over 2 to play the AP, though one player bid 4 to keep the AP from Tom Drueding! It was to no avail, as Tom worked his way through the ladder to meet up with Chris Byrd in the Final. Tom won the AP with a bid of 3. By Turn 5 it was looking bleak for Chris. By Turn 10 he realized that his CP forces were in an untenable position and, being the sportsman that he is, conceded. Three-time defending WBC Champ Stefan Mecay made his WAM debut and surprised nobody in besting a field of 28 to win the Twilight Struggle five-round Swiss tournament with a perfect score. Mecay played the USSR in all five games, bidding 3 IPs thrice and 4 IPs twice. The Best Soviet Player award 12 Tom Drueding, MA O Chris Byrd, CT O Ken Gutermuth, NC O Charlie Hickok, PA O Tim Hall, UT O Bill Pettus, NJ 28 Stefan Mecay, TX O Bill Edwards, VA O Keith Wixson, NJ O Sean McCulloch, OH O Marvin Birnbaum, NY O John Wetherell, PA 17 Stefan Mecay, TX O Terry Coleman, CA O Bill Pettus, NJ O Steven Brooks, FL O Joe Yaure, PA O Marvin Birnbaum, NY 14 Sean McCulloch, OH O Paul Gaberson, PA O Tom Drueding, MA O Michael Sosa, FL O Doug Mercer, MD O Bruce Monnin, OH went to Mecay and the Best American Player award went to Sean McCulloch continued its successful run at WAM. In what turned out to be probably the event s wildest game, Bill Pettus built a huge lead early versus Steven Brooks. But Steve s Kennedy performed well in the debate and managed to eke out victory. It was a big loss for Bill, as he finished just behind the 4-0 records of Texan Stefan Mecay and Terry Coleman. In the Final, Stefan won going away, After three rounds of Wilderness War, Sean Mc- Culloch was the only unbeaten player, and he was declared tournament winner. He defeated two former WBC champs, Paul Gaberson and Keith Wixson. In the unofficial March Madness tourney, Bill Edwards top-seeded 1956 San Fancisco squad went 3-0, defeating Bruce Monnin s 1959 Cincinnati team in the Final. BPA will host its next Winter Activation Meeting (WAM VIII) in Timonium, MD, from Jan , The event is designed for experienced players, but all are welcome. Additional details are available on the boardgamers.org website.

11 72 Enlightenment XII Enlightenment XII had 30 diehard players in attendance, with 28 of them participating in at least one round of Age of Renaissance. It is the second straight year that Enlightenment has outdrawn WBC s AOR tournament in both total players and games played. There were 25 players in the Manifest Destiny tournament. Age of Renaissance Results Throughout the AOR tournament, there were 17 games played, with seven 6-player and ten 5-player. After three rounds, for the first time in Enlightenment history, the five contenders Rodd Polsky, Jeff Mullet, Tom Browne, Ken Gutermuth, and Arthur Field were at the same table. As the Final game entered the halfway point of Epoch III, it was a very close contest. Ken made a speculative run on Grain that paid off as he drew the grain card on the turn that saw all the leaders come out. Ken used the leaders and purchased Cathedral to take a lead that he never relinquished. With his three wins, Ken posted a score of 329. Rodd Polsky took second with 313, followed by Jeff Mullet 302, Arthur Field 299, Eric Eshleman 298, and Tom Browne 291. Genoa led the way with six wins followed by Barcelona and Paris with five each. Venice, had only one win while London and Hamburg went winless. Eight players bought all of the advances. For the first time in recent history, no one reached the CHAOS space on the misery track. Manifest Destiny Results Game designer and GM Bill Crenshaw reclaimed the Manifest Destiny crown with back to back, last to first, come from behind finishes in the final two rounds. He was the only three-game winner, scoring an impressive 35, 36 and 36 VPs in those wins. In the third round, Bill cashed all three Oil cards for $300 on the final turn to come from worst to first. In the final round, Bill, playing Pennsylvania, cleverly lost eight consecutive expansion attacks over two turns to seemingly fall out of contention. He came back strong to cash $225 with two Ore payouts, plus $70 in Technology and $40 in Tourists to buy 14 Progression VPs in the final Investment Phase and finish with 36 VPs and cash to spare. Two-game winner Pete Staab (Quebec) took second and was $5 short of winning the final game (and the tournament) on the next to last turn. Since he was short, Pete sacrificed himself to grab Storytelling and prevent Stefan Mecay (Mexico) from winning. Stefan returned the favor on the last turn using Yankee Ingenuity to snag Past Winners 1998 Bill Crenshaw, VA 1999 James Pei, TX 2000 Tom Taffe, VA 2001 Bill Crenshaw, VA 2002 John Coussis, IL 2003 Chris Byrd, CT 2004 Jeff Mullet, OH 2005 Bill Crenshaw, VA 2006 Jeff Mullet, OH 2007 Ken Gutermuth, TX 2008 AOR Steve Simmons, NJ MFD Ewan McNay, CT 2009 AOR Results Ken Gutermuth, NC &Rodd Polsky, PA &Jeff Mullet, OH &Arthur Field, SC &Eric Eshleman, PA &Tom Browne, PA Urban Renaissance from Pete, dropping Pete to last. Stefan finished second in the final game and fourth overall. Ewan McNay (Louisiana) finished 2009 MFD Results fourth in the game Bill Crenshaw, VA and fifth overall. Tom Browne third &Peter Staab, PA overall and the only &Tom Browne, PA two game winner &Stefan Mecay, TX beside Pete and Arthur Field, sixth over- &Ewan McNay, NY &Arthur Field, SC all, sat out the final , round to play AoR.

12 Caesar Award 73 Alex Bove, in his sixth year of WBC competition, laurelled in nine Euros competitions to claim the Caesar title by topping all players with 159 laurels in the 2008 season. He owed his victory to persistence by scoring in every tournament possible, save Pre-Cons, although he won only three tournaments overall. His margin of victory was razor slim, edging Ewan McNay by a single laurel. Alex had 46 laurels coming into WBC from his play at Euro Quest, and 25 more from tournaments, but he still trailed several other contenders entering WBC. But Alex had a good week, winning two events (Princes of Florence and Ra) outright while laurelling in two more. The only question remaining is how does he look in a toga? As good as his year was, it wasn t good enough to rule the BPA roost alone, however, as he finished sixth in WBC statistics for Consul honors. Rounding out the top six BPA competitors for Caesar were Chris Byrd, Andy Latto, Ken Gutermuth and newcomer Riku Riekkinen, in that order. Eleven of last year s Top 25 players managed to repeat in 2008, led by Bove who rose from 21st to lead the pack. Byrd, Gutermuth, Harald Henning, Eric Brosius, Kevin Sudy, James Pei, Tom Dunning, Tom Browne, reigning Caesar Raphael Lehrer and Bruce Reiff all managed to retain Top 25 status another year also while 14 new names graced the leader board. Commencing in 2002, the Caesar Award became the crowning achievement of BPA s many competitions. This honor goes to the player who accumulates the most Laurels over the course of the BPA year (including the pre-wbc weekend, mini-cons and PBeM events), as measured from one WBC to the next. Laurels are earned for each of the top six places in every event offered. The level of points earned for a given event are directly related to the event s length and field size. Thus, bigger and longer events offer more Laurels. WBC events, whether Century or Trial, mini-con, or PBeM all count in determining the BPA s top annual competitor and no matter what the genre, all are weighted fairly using Laurels. Every member is automatically entered into this championship hunt. The more you play, the more chances you have to score. Scoring is automatic and requires no extra effort by either GM or player. Laurels are awarded by multiplying the player hours category times the finish rank value to yield Laurels earned. Recent and total Laurels are displayed on your badge. Past Caesars 2002 Marvin Birnbaum, NY Nick Benedict, CA James Pei, VA Arthur Field, SC Jeff Mullet, OH Raphael Lehrer, MD Alex Bove, PA 159 Ewan McNay, NY Chris Byrd, CT Andy Latto, MA Ken Gutermuth, NC Riku Riekkinen, FN The 2008 Caesar Line of Succession -

13 74 Consul Award We turned to Roman history for inspiration in creating our twin leader honors to keep one top honor always up for grabs at the World Boardgaming Championships. The Consul Award goes to the individual who earns the most laurels during WBC week. Taking away the points for tournaments, mini-cons, and Pre-Cons provides a very different picture of who was king of the roost for those six days in August. Should our Caesar winner also dominate WBC, as happened in 2007 with Raphael Lehrer, no Consul award is given. Andy Latto won four events outright at WBC 2008 Ingenious, Lost Cities, Thurn & Taxis, and Ivanhoe and missed the first ever WBC Grand Slam only because Ivanhoe was not a Century event (although it earned that status in 2008 for 2009). Including those wins and a fourth-place finish in Kremlin, Andy earned 129 laurels at the convention and finished in fourthplace in the Caesar Line of succession. Alex Bove, the new Caesar, was only the sixth best statistically earning 88 laurels at WBC by winning Princes of Florence and Ra and Past Consuls 2004 Devin Flawd, PA None Jeff Cornett, FL None Andy Latto 129 finishing third in Pillars of the Earth and fifth in Amun Re. Harald Henning, who placed sixth in the race for Consul in 2007 and eighth in 2004, moved up to second. He scored 114 laurels by winning Empire Builder and Manifest Destiny for a whopping 90 laurels and finished off by placing third in Settlers of Catan. Canadian Nick Page finished third on the back of two wins, in Puerto Rico one of the largest events at WBC and Queen s Gambit. The rest of his 99 laurels came from a fourth place finish in Notre Dame and a sixth-place in two-player Titan. Eric Brosius managed to move up five places from his ninth-place finish in the 2007 Consul standings. He was just one laurel behind Nick. Eric had only a single win, in Power Grid a Euro with triple-digit attendance, but also he amassed 38 laurels from a second in Empire Builder and a third in Facts In Five. Although Ewan McNay was second in the Caesar race, he finished ahead of Alex in the Consul Line of Succession. Ewan took first in Britannia and Merchant of Venus, third in Kremlin and fifth in War at Sea. Laurels serve to give all boardgamers at WBC a common language whether we play ASL or Puerto Rico. The common denominator of laurels earned in BPA competition is all part and parcel of that magic focus that sets the WBC apart from other gaming conventions. Laurels provide a metagame competition beyond individual events. Even those of us who are not in one of the lines of succession can benefit from a look back at our own personal best and give ourselves a mark to shoot for while having a good WBC whether that be measured in the enjoyment of the moment or chances at wood. Harald Henning, CT Nick Page, ON Eric Brosius, CT Ewan McNay, NY Alex Bove, PA The 2008 Consul Line of Succession

14 GM of the Year 75 WBC exists as a result of the efforts of dedicated volunteers serving as GMs. They keep their motives pure by refusing remuneration and are some of the first dues-paying members. Every year we select one GM to single out as WBC s GM of the Year. This GM is awarded a free room for the five days of WBC. Players nominate their favorite GM. The Convention Director reviews the recommendations of the players and then nominates 12 GMs of Century events for the honor. Each member of the Board of Directors armed with the Convention Director s detailed recommendations then casts a weighted vote for each of the nominees ranging from 12 points (most worthy) down to 1 point (least worthy) based on criteria that include size of event, suitability of event format, prompt submission of required paperwork, firmness and fairness, player comments/ complaints, scheduling cooperation, bonus services above and beyond the call (newsletters, extra prizes, supporting AREA, etc.), length or quantity of service (running multiple events), and degree of difficulty. GMs may score a maximum of 96 points and a minimum of 12. We are pleased to award the Best GM honor for 2008 to Tom McCorry with a score of 81 based on four 1sts, two thirds, a 5th, and a 6th. Overall, scores ranged from Tom s 81 to a low of 16. This was Tom s first Top Six GM performance although he has long been active at WBC as a GM and especially as a purveyor of the top new Euros based on his annual field trips to Essen. This year Tom drew the attention of the judges for running two events; the brand new Agricola and the always popular Carcassonne. Although Carcassonne s attendance has actually declined under Tom s control, that is because he has abandoned the four-heat format of his predecessor s for a more condensed one-start format using two-player games. As a compromise to those who favor multi-player games, Tom introduced a format change that used a multi-player first round to thin the field before switching to two-player games for the advanced rounds. Every nominee scored at least as high as 9th and as low as 6th, with the Board splitting its votes in a wide cross section based on the importance each member gave the various categories. The Board s eight 1st votes were split among four nominees. Finishing second in the voting and taking his second Top Six nomination was Eric Brosius, who garnered a score of 70 for hosting Princes of Florence. Kevin Wojtaszczyk garnered his first Top Six honors with 62 points. He took about half of the 1st place votes for hosting the Middle Earth Past Winners pre-con (War of the Ring). The other GMs in the Top Six were John Weber (Puerto Rico & Vegas Showdown) and Kathy Stroh (Settlers of Catan) who both scored 56, and Ed Beach (Here I Stand) who scored 52. Well done all. Our sincere thanks to you and all others like you who try to make WBC a little more special every year. If you encounter an exemplary GM that you would like to recommend for consideration as GM of the Year, provide feedback about his or her performance to the registration desk, via to cd@boardgamers.org or via mail to 1541 Redfield Rd, Bel Air, MD Do not leave GM evaluations with the kiosk Russ Gifford, NE ASL 1992 Jim Burnett, TN WPS 1993 Glenn Petroski, WI VIP 1994 John Ellmann, MD MMS 1995 Ken Lee, PA GCA 1996 David Terry, MD B Will Wible, VA ROR 1998 Bruce Monnin, OH WAS 1999 Bruno Wolff, WI TTN 2000 Vince Meconi, DE WAS 2001 David Terry, MD B John Jacoby, VA CMS 2003 Chuck Foster, TX EPB 2004 John Coussis, IL ACS 2005 John Sharp, FL VIP 2006 Don Chappell, TX WTP 2007 Ivan Lawson, MD LST 2008 Tom McCorry, VA CAR

15 76 Sportsmanship The third and final leg in the BPA Triple Crown is its Sportsmanship Award. Coupled with the Caesar for prowess on the gameboard and our GM of the Year which honors those who sacrifice their time to make the events possible, the Sportsmanship winner completes our virtual Hall of Fame by reminding us that there is no fun to be had with these games without an affable and enjoyable opponent with which to cross vicarious swords. While some get caught up in the quest for wood, our Sportsman of the Year always subscribes to a higher standard a shining example of sportsmanship that we should all aspire to. These folks are the ones that make it all bearable for our GMs and contribute most to the club atmosphere of the convention. Their shining example contributes to Past Winners Chuck Stapp, NJ 1992 Tiger Von Pagel, FL 1993 Rob Kilroy, PA 1994 Ian Lange, AE 1995 Jim Matt, MI 1996 Ed Connery, NJ 1997 Frank Sinigaglio, NJ 1999 Robert Sacks, NY 2000 Bret Hildebran, OH 2001 Kaarin Engelmann, VA 2002 James Jordan, MD 2003 Steve Okonski, MD 2004 Bruno Sinigaglio, AK 2005 Phil Barcafer, PA 2006 Rebecca Hebner, CO 2007 Kaarin Engelmann, VA 2008 the remarkable esprit de corps and camaraderie for which the WBC has always been noted by those in the know. We believe the Sportsmanship Award is our most important plaque. There are those who liken the Sportsmanship vote which is held during our Annual Membership Drive to a popularity contest. If that s so, there s no doubt remaining who is WBC s Belle of the Ball after this year s vote. Coming on the heels of her overwhelming victory in the latest Board elections, the BPA webmaster has proven herself to be one popular lady at WBC. Kaarin Englemann won handily in what was basically a two-horse race between herself and Sean McCulloch. Kaarin was nominated by Here I Stand GM Ed Beach: We introduced a new Natural Enemy rule in 2008, which was quite effective in some regards but there were unfortunate side effects, and they happened to nail Kaarin Engelmann. When the last card in her semi-final game fell, she was sitting in the lead with England. The only thing left to resolve was an unlikely French voyage of exploration. It would have had no effect on a roll of 2 to 9, but the French player rolled a 10, gaining 1 VP and tying Kaarin for the lead. Applying standard HIS tiebreakers, the French took the win. Still, Kaarin s VP total would normally have been enough to advance her to the Final; however, the Natural Enemies rule penalized her 4 VP, knocking her out of contention. She took this last-minute triple whammy exceptionally well, quietly moving on to her next event. Even if she didn t agree with the published tournament rules, she knew the right thing was to enforce them (and then help us make sure they are fixed before next year). Kaarin took 21% of the 280 votes caste to become the first two-time winner of the award. Runner-up Sean McCulloch garnered 19% of the vote for stepping in to GM a Junior s event for a no-show. Rounding out the top six finalists were Tom Dunning, Barry Shutt, Craig Moffit and Jonathan Lockwood. GMs nominate players who demonstrate outstanding sportsmanship in their respective tournaments. Players may also be nominated by other players in a tournament. If you encounter an example of outstanding sportsmanship that you would like to recognize, provide details to cd@boardgamers.org or via mail to 1541 Redfield Rd, Bel Air, MD Everyone has a different sense of what constitutes sportsmanship; however, nominations are not accepted for individuals who concede a victory to allow a beaten opponent to continue in their place, as it is contrary to the purpose of a tournament and is grossly unfair to participants of the event who had to win their right to advance.

16 Hobby Service 77 BPA exists solely on the basis of its members willingness to give of themselves for the greater good and their voluntary efforts to support the hobby. Consequently, we have chosen to honor that spirit of volunteerism by singling out those who have done the most to improve the World Boardgaming Championships. In all, 12 nominees are annually selected by the Conference Director for the Board s consideration. Although service as a GM is the most common qualifier, it is not the only factor with major consideration given to other behind-thescenes volunteer tasks. The BPA Board of Directors then votes by secret ballot, weighing their votes according to their own particular values as to what constitutes the greatest contribution, by ranking each nominee from 12 (strongest) to 1 (weakest). The result is a good cross section of the nominees. We repeat the process each year, adding one new volunteer to our Honor Roll (after the initial six). BPA applauds the efforts of these members and the shining example they provide for the spirit of volunteerism that drives WBC. The Board has long had an unwritten rule to exclude itself from any voted honors decided by the Board. In 2008 and after much discussion, Debbie Gutermuth overcame the burden of her association (as spouse) of BPA Board Chairman Ken Gutermuth and was selected by the Board to win the BPA s Hobby Service Award. (Ken abstained from the vote.) She garnered a record 73 votes, including four first-place votes double her nearest competition to claim her rightful place among WBC s most deserving heroes. Past Winners 2005 Stuart Tucker Kathy Stroh Steve Okonski Vince Meconi Mark McLaughlin Ken Whitesell 2006 Keith Wixson 2007 Bruno Sinigaglio 2008 Debbie Gutermuth Not just another suffering spouse who makes the best of her husband s weekly vacation, Debbie is one of the organization s hardest working volunteers and competitive players. She starts her week sorting and assembling kiosks and then joins the CABS crew to assist with running the Auction. Further, she continues to work deep into the night on the financial payout that makes our Games Auction one of the very best in the hobby. Aside from taking a turn as a GM every year including Empire Builder and five years running Alhambra, she also combines her other hobby interest photography to take literally thousands of photos annually to document each and every event as the official BPA photographer. (The candid here is one of the few that actually portrays Debbie.) Her photos grace the results pages of virtually every event on our website. Winner of her share of events with championships in Carcassonne, Formula Motor Racing, and March Madness, and laurels in Auction, San Juan, Lost Cities, and Union Pacific one wonders how many more plaques she d earn were she not constantly working the camera all week. (She creates a special schedule so as to catch at least one early round and the Final of all events, plus she catches the board at its early morning meetings in order to document the group for the current year.) Even long after WBC ends, she labors on the editing of those photos to illustrate our web coverage and create a WBC highlight movie. Debbie is truly one of the behind the scenes stalwarts that makes WBC our favorite week of the year.

17 78 Top Laurelists James Pei, VA 1,253 Arthur Field, SC 1,067 Bruce Reiff, OH 987 Ken Gutermuth, NC 909 Harald Henning, CT 826 Marvin Birnbaum, NY 822 Chris Byrd, CT 818 Ewan McNay, NY 764 Jeff Mullet, OH 744 Bill Crenshaw, VA 718 Tom Drueding, MA 674 Stefan Mecay, TX 627 John Emery, SC 616 Peter Reese, VA 614 Tom Dunning, NY 575 Tom Gregorio, PA 553 Nick Benedict, CA 546 Dave Metzger, NY 538 John Coussis, IL 529 Ed Menzel, CA 524 Doug Gallulo, FL 523 Nick Anner, NY 508 Keith Wixson, NJ 507 Bruce Young, SC 499 Aaron Fuegi, MA 497 Tom Browne, PA 493 Jason Levine, NY 489 Andy Gardner, VA 487 David Dockter, MN 486 Don Greenwood, MD 458 Jeff Cornett, OH 454 Nick Henning, CT 442 George Young, VT 439 Robert Kircher, RI 422 Josh Githens, SC 421 Bruno Sinigaglio, AK 420 Phil Rennert, MD 420 Andrew Cummins, UK 417 Rob Beyma, MD 416 Pete Staab, PA 409 Jim Eliason, NY 400 Devin Flawd, PA 400

18 Winning Streaks 79 Individuals pictured in this section display excellence in gaming ability. We salute them. Devin Flawd extended his winning streak, now just one short of his father Harry s record. Two long current steaks were stopped cold in 2008 in For the People and Great Campaign of the American Civil War, leaving only four players with streaks longer than three years running, but five three-time champs are hot on their heels. 3 George Deutsch, MD S. Packwood, MN Devin Flawd, PA Longest Current Championship Streak at WBC Ed Menzel, CA Dave Long, NC George Seary, NY Rob Beyma, MD 4 3 Bruce Beard, MD Doug Smith, PA

19 80 Boardmasters Steve Packwood, MN - 12 Most Championships in One Event new crop of champions is crowned each year at WBC, but recognition of gaming prowess need not end there. There are higher honors A to be earned. Just as the different colored belts of jujitsu display different levels of achievement, we have multi-colored boards to measure the ultimate masters of their craft. Those who have taken on all comers at WBC and emerged triumphant in the same event not once, not twice but many times truly merit respect. Great Campaigns Mike Sincavage, VA - 9 Bruce Reiff, OH - 8 James, Pei, VA - 8 Chris Withers, CA - 8 Phil Rennert, MD - 6 Harry Flawd, PA - 6 Rob Beyma, MD - 6 Bill Rohrbeck, NH - 6 Tim Dolan, NJ - 6 Steve Likevich, OH - 5 Devin Flawd, PA - 5 Mark Miklos, GA - 5 Vince Meconi, DE - 5 Doug Smith - PA - 5 Brad Johnson, MI - 5 Doug James, NC - 5 John Emery, SC - 5 Dave Metzger, NY - 5 Bruce Beard, MD - 4 Ray Pfeifer, MD - 4 Bruce Reiff, OH - 4 Paul Risner, FL - 4 Jim Doughan, PA - 4 Ewan McNay, NY - 4

20 Boardmasters 81 Bruno Sinigaglio, AK - 4 Brad Frisby, VA - 4 Kevin McCarthy, OH - 4 George Seary, NY - 4 Bruce Reiff, OH - 4 Robert Frisby, VA - 4 Peter Pollard, TN - 4 Steve Koleszar, VA - 4 Bruce Reiff, OH - 4 Doug Galullo, FL - 3 Joe Gundersen, IN - 3 Ewan McNay, NY - 3 Mike Lam, CA - 3 Tom Gregorio, PA - 3 Scott Pfeiffer, SC - 3 Ed Menzel, CA - 3 Steve Cuccaro, MD - 3 Terry Coleman, CA - 3 Marvin Birnbaum, NY - 3 Rob Lightburn, VA - 3 Gary Dickson, CA - 3 Tom Gregorio, PA - 3 Brian Sutton, MD - 3 Stefan MeCay, TX - 3 Bruce Young, SC - 3 Dan Henry, IL - 3 Bruce Monnin, OH - 3 Ray Freeman, CA - 3

21 82 Patrons BPA 2008 Patrons BPA gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the following Sponsor, Charter, and Tribune members Patrons will be listed next year. Sponsors ($500 contribution in 2008): Nicholas Benedict, David des Jardins, James Doughan, Ken Gutermuth, Rio Grande Games, and Jerald R. Tracy. Charter Tribunes (maintained Charter status since 1999 and purchased a $100 membership in 2008): Alan Applebaum, Alan Arvold, Matthew Bacho, Paul Bean, Mark Booth, Daniel Broh- Kahn, David Brooks, Steve Cameron, Terry Coleman, Gregory Courter, John Coussis, Bill Crenshaw, Tom DeMarco, Bill Dyer, Roger Eastep, William Edwards, Jim Eliason, Kaarin Engelmann, Eric Eshleman, Matt Evinger, Tim Evinger, Matt Fagan, Daniel Farrow IV, Paul Fletcher, Ray Freeman, Paul Gaberson, Mark Geary, Fred Gosnell, Herbert Gratz, Don Greenwood, Johnny Hasay, Mark Herman, Charles Hickok, John Jacoby, Robert Jamelli, James Jordan, Allen Kaplan, Michael Kaye, Kevin Keller, Pierre LeBoeuf, Roderick Lee, Jason Levine, Keith Levy, Jonathan Lockwood, Mark Love, Michael Mahady, Andrew Maly, James Marousek, Dan Mathias, Thomas McCorry, Vince Meconi, David Metzger, Bruce Monnin, Brian Mountford, Michael A. Mullins, Martin Musella, Bill Navolis, Ken Nied, Steve Okonski, John Pack, Tom Pavy, Scott Pfeiffer, Peter Pollard, Joseph Powell, Bruce Reiff, Paul Risner, Chris Roginsky, William Rohrbeck, Robert Ryan, Gregory Schmittgens, Robert Seulowitz, John Sharp, Bruno Sinigaglio, Jerry Smolens, Peter Staab, Ray Stakenas, Mike Stanley, Peter Stein, Kathy Stroh, Joel Tamburo, Roger Taylor, Bill Thomson, Stuart Tucker, Sean Vessey, Jim Vroom, Ken Whitesell, Bruno Wolff, Bruce Young, George Young. Charter Members (purchased Charter membership in 1999 and maintained at least a Sustaining Membership since): Cliff Ackman, Barry Barnes, Ed Beach, Rob Beyma, Jeremy Billones, Rod Coffey, David Cross, Mike Crowe, Pat Duffy, Robert Dwyer, Harry Flawd III, Tom Gregorio, Mark Guttag, Randy Heller, Harald Henning, Tim Hitchings, Marc Houde, Chris Janiec, Brad Johnson, Edward Kendrick, Ben Knight, Sean Larsen, Andy Lewis, Carrie Lewis, Larry Lingle, Ric Manns, Kevin McCarthy, Michael Mitchell, Robert Mull, Theodore Mullally, Bill O Neal, Forrest Pafenberg, Bruno Passacantando, Jeff Paull, James Pei, Peter Perla, Ray Pfeifer, John Poniske Sr, Shantanu Saha, George Sauer III, Robert Sohn, Francis Spencer, David Terry, Justin Thompson, James Tyne, Paul Weintraub, David Yoon, David Zimmerman. Tribunes ($100 BPA membership in 2007): Joseph Abrams, Geoff Allbutt, Steve Andriakos, Sam Atabaki, Steven Bachman, Mike Backstrom, Donna Balkan, Phillip Barcafer, Chris Bauch, Fred Bauer, Scott Beall, Joesph Beard, Barrington Beavis, Bill Beckman, Marc Berenbach, Daniel Blumentritt, Jesse Boomer, Evan Brooks, Claire Brosius, Eric Brosius, Sam Brosius, Thomas Browne, Jeff Burdett, Philip Burgin-Young, David Burkey, Matthew Burkins, Chris Byrd, Rick Byrens, Tom Cannon, Melvin Casselberry, Don Chappell, Carl Copeland, Peter Corrigan, Greg Crowe, Steve Cuccaro, Andrew Cummins, Michael Dauer, Debbie Davidson, Rod Davidson, Jim Day, David Denton, Gary Dickson, David Dockter, Charles Drozd, Robert Drozd, Ted Drozd, Tom Drueding, Rick Dutton, Mike Dwyer, Charles Eastman, Peter Eldridge, Christopher Ellis, John Emery, Karsten Engelmann, Ruth Evinger, Brian Farrelly, Scott Fenn, Arthur Field, Barb Flaxington, Ed Foran, Andy Friedmann, Nick Frydas, David Gantt, Andy Gardner, Jim Garvey, Pete Gathman, Michael Gentile, Alex Gesing, Roy Gibson, Josh Githens, Ralph Gleaton, Chris Greenfield, Mark Gutfreund, Jeff Hacker, Kevin Hacker, Robert Hamel, Chris Hancock, Victor Harpley, Chris Harris, Bronwen Heap, Bob Heinzmann, Geoffrey Hill, Dan Hoffman, Lawrence Hollern, Keith Hunsnger, Ahmet Ilpars, Richard Irving, Doug James, Rich Jenulis, Brian Jones, George Karahalios, Paul Konka, Charles Krueger, Grant LaDue, Michael Lam, Rob Larkins, Andy Latto, Daniel

22 Patrons 83 Leader, Raphael Lehrer, Winton Lemoine, William Lentz, Chuck Leonard, Jason Ley, Kathleen Lockwood, Steve Lollis, Larry Luongo, Randall Mac Innis, Mark Mahaffey, Scott Marcotte, Mark McBride, James McCarthy, Robert McCracken, Sean McCulloch, Colum McCurdy, Ewan McNay, Stefan Mecay, Craig Melton, Ed Menzel, Doug Mercer, Mark Miklos, James Miller, Pat Mirk, Christian Moffa, Craig Moffit, Scott Moll, Lyman Moquin, John Morris, Bill Morse, Richard Moyer, Jeff Mullet, Lane Newbury, Richard Northey, John Ohlin, David Pack, Marie Pack, Aurora Pack, Sharee Pack, Nick Palmer, Steve Parrish, Jeff Pattison, Linda Pattison, Joshua Pearce, Bill Peeck, Cally Perry, Roy Pettis, Richard Phares, Doug Porterfield, Craig Reece, Pete Reese, Lloyd Richards, Lance Roberts, Paul Rubin, Henry Russell, Martin Sample, Paul Sampson, Roberto Sanchez, Randy Sands, Frank Schmitt, Bert Schoose, Keith Schoose, Brian Schott, David Schubert, Chris Senhouse, Jeff Senley, Richard Shay, Jordan Shea, Lexi Shea, Lynda Shea, Michael Shea, Barry Shoults, Barry Shutt, Steve Simmons, Buddy Sinigaglio, Frank Sinigaglio, Paul Skrabut, Alfred Smith, Gregory Smith, Mark Smith, Nick Smith, Erica Snarski, Michael Sosa, Jack Stalica, James Stanard, Gordon Stewart, Jamie Tang, Don Tatum, James Terry, Zack Terry, Nels Thompson, Janice Thorne, Tom Thornsen, Matt Tolman, Alice Travis, David Travis, Chris Trimmer, Michael Ussery, Lauren Vessey, Thomas Vickery, Jason Wagner, Patrick Walker, Charles Ward, Bill Watkins, John Weber, Stephanie Welch, John Wetherell, Steve Williams, Jim Winslow, Keith Wixson, Kevin Wojtaszczyk, David Wong, Chris Yaure, Joe Yaure, Phillip Yaure, Mark Yoshikawa. Vendors: Against The Odds, Belle & Blade Video, Columbia Games, Decision Games, Flying Buffalo, THe GAMe PLACe, GMT Games, Harmony House Hobbies, L2 Design Group, Lost Battalion Games, Mayfair Games, Multi-Man Publishing, Our Game Table, Rio Grande Games, SherCo Games, Worthington Games, Z-Man Games. Terms and Conditions of Membership: Membership in the BPA secures voting rights. Also, different levels of membership provide the specified number of votes. Membership is required for participation in Play-By- (PBeM) tournaments. Certain levels of membership provide admission to the World Boardgaming Championships and a listing in the annual BPA Yearbook. Multi-day General Admission to WBC grants Associate Membership in the BPA. Those who attend via Guest Pass are not BPA members. Associate status is granted with all WBC Admissions, except Guest Passes. Associate status or higher is required for participation in BPA-sponsored PBeM tournaments and grants one vote. WBC Admission is not included. General status is extended to those who will not be attending the full week of WBC but would like to have membership in the Association. This level of membership includes WBC admission for only those days purchased and grants 1 vote. It is only available on the WBC Pre-Registration Form. Charter status is applied to anyone who supported the BPA via a membership at the Charter, Team or Sponsor membership levels during the critical start up year of Such early supporters can maintain their Charter status by continuing their BPA membership at the Sustaining or higher level. Charter status is listed on the BPA Patrons page in the Yearbook. This level grants 3 votes. Sustaining members receive admission to the entire World Boardgaming Championships (Mon-Sun). Yearbook and t-shirt are included ONLY if paid by Dec. 31. This level grants 2 votes. Tribune members receive all Sustaining-level benefits, plus admission to all Pre-Cons. Tribune members may transfer and/or accumulate unused admissions to WBC. In addition, they receive a listing on the BPA Patrons page in the BPA Yearbook. Yearbook and t-shirt are included for payment by April 30. This level grants 3 votes. Sponsor members receive all Tribune-level benefits. In addition, a Sponsor may introduce a new Trial event, provided a Game Master volunteers to run that event by the deadline. This level grants 3 votes. Vendor status is applied to all Vendors at WBC. They receive two admissions to WBC per space purchased. These memberships are not transferrable. Yearbook and t-shirt are NOT included. This level grants 2 votes per space. These terms and conditions may be changed by the Board of Directors at any time, provided that the Company shall honor the benefits of any membership which were in effect at the time such membership was issued. Members are accepted at the discretion of the Board of Directors pursuant to the by-laws of the Company.