Just a reminder that at the meeting it was agreed to run three events next year, all within the bounds of British Summer Time.
First event to be an early war scenario, second to be an escape and evasion/Jedburgh style event, and third a Stalingrad urban scenario.
And now for the crunch. The last four events (not just CiA's) I have been to I have found incredibly hard physically, even worse when I have had to build props, cart them all over the country, trudge up and down sites, conceive and write scenarios, cajole fellow CiA members into action, cajole players into action and so on. And this in addition to running and administering the forum and spending in excess of 100 hours revamping the website and forum and latterly acting as treasurer and game administrator.
The past two years I have been fighting to steer my business (on which my entire family depend on for survival - I have to earn my money, I'm not paid it) through a wicked recession, my wife's redundancy and three months in hospital, and supporting my son through university. On top of all that I haven't skipped a beat nor shirked any CiA business, whatever needed doing I did it. I'm 53, I have a chest condition and chronic flat feet. A weekend's gaming is incredibly tough going and painful but I haven't ever walked out of a game because I felt a bit off (or had broken a finger or just come out of hospital!). I have always taken up the slack and put in 100%, because in life I never give less than 100%.
Meh, heard it all before? Yup I have said much the same before, probably two years ago and it made no difference.
So, here's the thing. For 2011 I'll just be turning up at an event, pitching a tent, doing the business and going home again. I'll still be running the website and forum, I'll carry on with the accounts and bookings, I'll carry on with promotion, networking and enthusing players.
So it's up to you four to make things work for 2011 - I'm going to do my fair share, its up to you to do the same and not think 'meh, Chomley will do it'. If Comrades in Arms dies it won't be because of me not pulling my weight and putting up excuses not to do something. I'm not pointing fingers at anyone, just saying this is how it is going to be.
The future is in your hands gentlemen, I look forward to what 2011 brings and I'm quite sure the players do too.
my plan for 2011 is quite simple. Run Stalingrad and let you guys just crack on with shooting and shouting at people.
I will, however, have to move it till the back end of October. No way am I having an event coincide with starting uni at the same time. Daylight hours are not massively important for stalingrad, as I intend to use the same timeplan as used for jedburgh.
When we were a Kingdom it was run by a King
When we were an Empire it was run by an Empress
Now we're a country we're run by a..........
Dave, I'm perfectly happy to take all the bookings admin and treasury stuff back. I quite enjoy it all actually.
As for events, I'd like to work on the early war one. I think Guy mentioned that he was keen to lead on the Jedburgh-style event given that we were looking at using an IED site for it.
It would be really useful if we listed sites that we know about somewhere here so that we can get looking at them.
GMA Midlands was mentioned.
For early war a combination of woodland and buildings would be perfect.
If Jay, Steve and Guy are happy to organise those games, looks like I can take 2011 off 
.
Seriously though, you could do with the rest David. You do enough as it is. Take a much deserved step back from the organising and enjoy the ride on the day!
When I want your opinion - I'll tell you what it is!
Totally fine with Davids stance on 2011, and my advice, now given openly is stick to it. Take a back seat in organising and all the other crap, come to the games but stop putting 110% in . Myself and Jay took a back line most of this year, and frankly if 2010 was David and Pete, then 2011 will be Guy and Jay .
To summarise then
April May - IED - Hay on Wye . Dates TBC post what suits you will be early war, probably German paratroopers in England in 1940
July - IED Ceri Forest , Jedburgh style, sides TBC, could be Eastern Front ala Bryansk or sommit else. I do not beleive there are suitable motivated Allied players to produce a hunter force however.
Best tell me dates in those months that are more suitable than others .
September - Site TBC, Stalingrad- over to you Kermit .
I have already emailed Ed to arrange the two sites , we need to sort out dates sharpish . Secenario, story etc can wait,my however I will write both game plans up for these. Thats my contribution towards keeping CiA going this year.
As suggestion - Stephen , as you have not had the fun of sourcing a site in four years, could you please make it a mission to physically check out some new blood for the future . None of us do open days or any other events so we are all in the same boat. I think we would all appreciate if you could do this for us ?
If Jay, Steve and Guy are happy to organise those games, looks like I can take 2011 off
Seriously though, you could do with the rest David. You do enough as it is. Take a much deserved step back from the organising and enjoy the ride on the day!
Pete, you#ve more than pulled your weight this year, however I might rope yers into the planning for one of them if your up for it ? 
I'm always up for it Guy, just let me know when and where mate.
When I want your opinion - I'll tell you what it is!
Super, that's a relief - thanks chaps!
Steiner has already asked about dates as AGS will be organising an event and so will Zero Bravo (probably two!). Wladek will be organising a Polish game and Doughboys will be organising an event. I don't think we will see a PBI event next year.
Some factors to bear in mind with planning dates:
The clocks go forward on Sunday 27 March 2011
The clocks go back on Sunday 30 October 2011
APRIL
22nd - 25th - Easter Bank Holiday weekend
23rd, 24th & 25th - Crich 1940's weekend (British players attending)
MAY
2nd - May Day Bank Holiday
1st and 2nd - Fortress Wales, South Wales (16th SS attending)
30th - Spring Bank Holiday
JULY
20th - 24th - War & Peace Show (everyone attending!)
AUGUST
13th & 14th - Crich 1940's weekend (British players attending)
29th - Summer Bank Holiday
SEPTEMBER
1st week - Victory Show, Cosby, Leicestershire (16th SS attending)
10th & 11th - Victory at Donington (16th SS attending)
October would be a better date for Stalingrad for several reasons:
1: Spreads it out a bit more
2: Uni time for me in September
3: Weather/Darkness doesnt matter
When we were a Kingdom it was run by a King
When we were an Empire it was run by an Empress
Now we're a country we're run by a..........
As suggestion - Stephen , as you have not had the fun of sourcing a site in four years, could you please make it a mission to physically check out some new blood for the future . None of us do open days or any other events so we are all in the same boat. I think we would all appreciate if you could do this for us ?
Do you mean for 2012?
Like I said, I'd be more than happy to recce IED's Hereford site as it's not far for me.
So if I go by the above, I'm not going to be involved in planning any events next year?! 
Yes ...for 2012, gives us a whole year for spotting new opportunity.
Ceri I know like the back of my hand, and Hay on Wye is only a small site ,& feel free to come along although it is already in the bag so to speak .The real work that needs doing next year is identifying new sites for the year following. Davids having time off, jay and I are organising, Petes work makes it hard ot coordinate, and so my suggestion was you could take up the mantle . I can't keep calling on IED everytime we run short, and we need more sites in the midlands & the South . If we can find 3/4 new sites that have potnetial, then it will open our options a lot more . It's a ballache job i know, but all of us have had to do it in the past, be nice if you could contribute to the process as well now the weddings over? It's only 3/4 day trips over the next 12 months .If i'm asking too much then say and I'll add it to my / Jays list of things to do .
Not a problem at all. Just wondering if there owt else I can do!
Not sure if this would fly, or even whether it's a good idea, but seeing as it's likely we'll have firmish plans for all three games by the time we open booking for the first one, could we offer some sort of block booking discount for the ardent CiA fanatics?
EG: If each game cost £45, we could offer all three for £120?
S
The only losers would be us - my continual advise to clients is don't give discounts unless you add the cost on first, else you are giving money away!
Also, it would mean us keeping punter's cash for long periods, maybe for events that don't happen.
Either way, it won't help us with booking numbers. CiA fanatics will come anyway - price is a secondary factor. We don't want to look desperate to keep friends!
Sort of related: Seidler asked if we could have an instalment plan as it would make his finances easier (paying some every month). Again, there are money handling issues but the big benfit of asking for lump sums is commitment - we know for definite whether an event is going to happen (or not!). I don't want to be caught in the situation where punters abandon £15 pre-payments and don't show up as we will be down in expected numbers for a game, and worse - we may not have enough cash to pay for the event.
All in all, I think everything is working fine as it is - the only issue is later bookings than we have had in the past but I think we will just have to live with that, and live within our means.
Cool.
Yes, not at all keen on installment payments. If someone wants to come, why don't they just put a little aside each month starting now?!
Hehe, that's what I suggested - I think it was more of a case of 'loosing' bits of money so his wife (who has given up work) doesn't notice. Meh, I find ways, I'm sure he can too!
If we get the dates announced and bookings open as soon as possible for all events, rather than waiting until an event is done before opening up booking for the next, it will give punters plenty of time to check their diaries and pay the money. It will also give us plenty of advance warning if bookings are a bit sparse.
When I want your opinion - I'll tell you what it is!
I don't much like the idea of holding player's cash for a year!
But opening bookings four months ahead is OK - even though I bet it will be the usual immediate bookings of a few diehards, then a long drift, then some appeals for players, then the last dribs and drabs!
I think the key is to get the things on the calendar ASAP. As soon as we get confirmation of the date then we can launch the first game, and we are not too far off that. Second game we will have a date but no scenario or name so we are in no position to announce that. Third game we have no date, site or scenario - so that's tricky! Any idea on time scale Jay?
Gonna be about a month for confirmation, i'm currently being put in a difficult situation between two site operators at the moment so am going to have to politik my way out of that one 
When we were a Kingdom it was run by a King
When we were an Empire it was run by an Empress
Now we're a country we're run by a..........