Scrum Con V

A nice video interview with me for a Montgomery Co. public television show. (click the image)

New to this blog? Then this probably isn't the post I would choose you start with.

This post is a bit anemic compared to my others, and I've included it here mostly as a means of memorializing Scrum Con V for myself. Jump to a previous post for a more typical example of my blogging project.

Preamble aside, I was under the weather for Scrum Con V in 2024 and so didn't get to take any photos or run any games. That was a hard blow for me and has left me having to dispense with the usual deep-dive commentary this time around. I did hang around and helped over the weekend, glad handed, and generally delighted in both the familiar and fresh faces I saw. We pushed the boundaries further by expanding the con from one day to two, renting out the entire Civic Center, and sold out of every single badge once again--a proud Scrum Con tradition from year one.

Below are some photos snapped by fellow Scrummer Peter Megginson followed by some of the social media "assets" we created to promote Scrum Con V.

Scrum Clubber Pete's amazing Fury Road game (stretches on for about 18 feet!).

Scrummer Rich.

Your humble scribe with Scrummer Steve.

Joey once again trying to throw Scrum Club gang signs.

Scrummers John and Steve, manning the registration table.

Tony Marano...it's great when the people you meet in this hobby turn into friends, too, ones you gladly spend time with away from the gaming table.

A wave and smile from friend, Virginia Montrie.

John Montrie, another lovely human being. We both were friends with artist and cartoonist extraordinaire, Richard Thompson.

Fellow Scrum Clubber Zenopus (Zach Howard) running a game of D&D.

Fellow Scrummer Josh.

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Parting Shots and Final Thoughts

Will there be a Scrum Con VI?

One never knows. It sold out every year, and people ask us about it all of the time. We regularly see our past Scrum Con t-shirts worn by folks at other conventions around the country.

There's clearly an appetite for a convention like ours in the D.C. area, which we strongly suspected when I organized the first gathering in 2019. But...these events are huge amounts of work for the Scrum Club. Matters weren't helped in 2024 when some frequently promised (and needed) financial support by the Historical Miniature Gaming Society (HMGS) was withdrawn at the last minute after their board changed over. That took a lot of wind out of our sails because I had worked hard at cultivating that relationship for years, and it was key to our strategy to grow Scrum Con. That experience left a bitter taste in my mouth for HMGS and its conventions. I still reluctantly attend their cons because I have made so many friends that I only get to see there, but I will never again contribute my time and talents to HMGS by running one of my games at its cons, as I did often in the past. And after many years as a dues-paying member, that won't happen again either. Some might call it petty, but I also happily disparage HMGS regularly for any number of its failings.

So...after a tumultuous 2024, we decided we needed a breather. Scrum Con hurtled along before, during, and after the pandemic, growing each year. Frankly, it feels like we're still recuperating from those years. And some of us have substantial creative projects we're working on at the same, including John's immensely impressive Star Schlock game and wonderful line of dozens of miniatures, and my press Lost Art Books, something I've been doing since 2010 and has been as gratifying as anything I've ever done. We were juggling those projects, often demanding day jobs, families, and more while organizing and running Scrum Con. I'm deeply proud of what we did on all of those fronts...but it was a lot.

Let us catch our breath, and see if we can regroup to throw ourselves into the breach once more! But that will take a while...

In the meantime, you can revisit our past Scrum Cons at the links below:

Scrum Con I origin story / convention recap (Feb. 2019)

Scrum Con II announcement post / convention recap (Mar. 2020)

Scrum Con 2020 Summer Invitational

Scrum Con III (online, 2021)
Scrum Con IV (Apr. 2023)
Scrum Con V (Mar. 2024)

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