Nor'easter Cancelation

Carln0130

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Gentlemen, the Nor'easter, due to the unprecedented situation we find ourselves in due to the Corna Virus has been canceled. Unlike the announcement on Facebook, which was clipped, I have decided to provide the full email I shared to the YASL group, which reflects the reasons for our decision more fully and reflects our deep frustration at having to arrive at that decision. I have known the men I was emailing for years and we always have frank discussions, including general profanity. If profanity is offensive to you, I would advise not continuing to read. While it was with GREAT frustration, but a sense of responsibility to our attendees, their families and anyone they may come in contact with, that we made this decision. In the end, we all felt that being wrong once, is all it would take. If we erred on the side of caution and it proved unnecessary, that we could live with. Inadvertently causing the death of a friend, a friends loved one or anything along those lines, however remote the chance, we were not prepared to risk. Attendees have been reached out to through the YASL list and personal communication. If you are an Attendee and have not been communicated with, please respond here. Thank you. Carl Nogueira Below are the YASL list communications. I believe in transparency.

Alright guys,

Myself, Mike A and Kedge, Hotels, finance and TD respectively this year, have been discussing what to do internally for the last few days. We have reached a decision.



I will share my email to Mike and Kedge regarding my thought process, it mirrored Ralph's sentiments almost exactly. This next part is of EXTREME IMPORTANCE to anyone who has a reservation at the Hampton Inn right now. Please cancel your reservation before 48 hours prior to YOUR PERSONAL ARRIVAL TIME, whatever that may have been. The one concession we were not able to get was for them to allow me to unilaterally cancel everyone's personal reservation for them. That HAS TO BE HANDLED by whoever made the reservation. Under separate cover I will resend the contact phone numbers.


We hope to do the tourney as normal next year in March. This is the first time we have had to cancel in our 24 years, including real Nor'easters and other issues. This is a beast of a different type and was an extremely difficult decision for us. As expressed below, this went against my personal grain, but there are times when you have to look at the greater good above what you feel may be correct. The decision, boiled down to its simplest terms came down to the choice between the lesser of these two evils.



1) Cancel. Inconvenience long time friends and piss some people off.



Vs.



2) Hold it anyway because we are pretty sure nothing will come of it, be wrong and regret it the rest of our days.



Mike, Kedge and I unanimously chose 1. We were the three closest to all the complications the decisions made and time was of the essence. Therefore we did not open the discussion up past us, because we needed to move quickly, one way or the other.



Well aware Chicago is full speed ahead. That is their call and I understand it. Some of the other tournaments have been in touch behind the scenes, curious about where we stand and our thinking.



I don't think any organizers are taking this lightly, regardless of their final decisions. We didn't.



Important financial notes in addition to the above.



1) I will be providing the numbers for reservations to be canceled. If you run into even a hint of an issue, contact me and you will get your refund. Just make sure you are in touch prior to 48 before you would have arrived. This gives you roughly a week and a half to get this accomplished. If you wait until within that 48 hour window, they will charge tax and a days stay. I strongly recommend requesting an email so that you have a time stamped document proving when you called them. As stated above I will be supplying reservation contact numbers under separate cover.



2) Obviously everyone will get a full refund. If anyone who purchased a T-shirt still wants it, we will get it to you at our expense and will be in touch personally to arrange this. If you would prefer a refund for the t-shirt as well, just let us know and we will gladly provide it.



3) Due to the unique nature of this, the hotel has fully released the Nor'easter from any financial responsibility for renting the conference rooms etc. I have this both orally and in email form. Also, Chase Canopy, who provided extra tables and chairs have granted a full refund as we did have to pay them in advance and the Pizza night idea cost no money, as they could not have taken our money until 3/21 anyway. Trophy plaques will have their dates changed and while that will involve some expense, it will be minimal. Gifts provided by gaming companies will be offered to be sent back to them. From a financial perspective, the Nor'easter will be ok.





For the sake of transparency, the below is the email I sent to Kedge and Mike at the onset of our discussion. Having known these men for years, it was a frank assessment. If profanity upsets you in any way, you will have to read above. Of course if profanity upsets you in anyway, you probably got here by accident.

It reflects how I felt at the time and still do. Please let me know of any help needed canceling your reservations or with any other concerns.



My two emails are: chnogueira@aol.com and CarlhNogueira@gmail.com.



Cell 508-525-0763

Home 774-328-8095



Email to Mike and Kedge below sent 3/12:



Gentlemen,
Below, please see the hotel's written response to my queries regarding their cancelation policy in light of the unprecedented situation we find ourselves in. Nothing in text that did not occur orally, but I wanted it in writing so there it is below.

The upshot is We have until the 18th to cancel and if we do so, they absolve us of all monies owed. For guests, cancelation must be received 48 hours prior and we would have to communicate that to the group obviously if we go that route. I have not yet contacted Chase Canopy and no money or schedule was committed on the pizza idea, which I move we toss off the table regardless of what we do.

My personal thoughts.

Gentlemen, the world has lost its shit and swallowed it whole. All three current active professional sports leagues, oh yeah, and soccer, are canceled for the foreseeable future. Disneyland canceled, the Boston Marathon and the St Patrick's Day parade have been canceled. Comic Con in Boston canceled. Oh yeah, I still show up to work tomorrow.

I have given this a lot of thought. Here is my feeling. We only have to be wrong here once. Once. One person, likely not directly among our friends as they are mostly healthy, but an elderly loved one, someone with a compromised immune system, anything like that and someone dies because we fucked up. Not worth it.

We can be told we are reaching for the Vagasil until the cows come home. We all call each of these people friend. We have to do the right thing. People far more juiced into inside information than we will ever be are making these calls. Losing billions in the process. Why? Liability? Sure, that is a huge part of it, but that still speaks to a certain inevitability about all of this.

I have been listening to Sirius 121, great station for this stuff, because they only have on doctors. No political talking heads of various persuasions. Just doctors. It all boils down to this. We don't have a vaccine, we don't have wide enough identification yet. We need to buy time, so everyone is throwing things on hold until we do buy time. and yeah, the liability.

While we can draft a waiver to protect us from law suit, a piece of paper won't raise the dead. I think we at least postpone, and more realistically, cancel. People only have so much vacation time in a year. Asking people to set aside vacation time twice in the same year is going to cost us people. We probably eat less of a financial loss with an outright cancel, given the hotel is letting us off the hook. Trophy people can remove the embossing from plaques and replace them with new dates, so a reuse there should be very doable. I will have to see if we get our money back from Chase.

My recommendation is cancelation because we HAVE to make the right call here. We get it wrong, I will never be able to live with myself. If we fuck up on the side of caution and this is a Bassaloppe, that I can live with.

I await your thoughts and concerns.
Carl

**


Kedge and Mike both agreed. It was a difficult call, but there you have it.

Thank you and to say the least, while a catch phrase that is beaten to death, sorry for any inconvenience, but this is a very unique situation.

Carl
 

Khill

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sad days indeed, the apocalypse is truly upon us. there are no weeping/temper tantrum emojis to add to your post. I will be in the basement loading magazines and counting beans if you need me

but to be clear: I love you guys and support your decision. be safe and I'll see you next year
 
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Ray Woloszyn

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Tough but brave call. You are not alone in having to make these decisions given the many things that have been cancelled or seriously postponed. I wonder about CONSIM World Expo in June where the majority of the attendees are retired. Any outbreak there would be devastating to our small community of board wargamers.
 

RandyT0001

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Did you consider doing an online tournament for that weekend? Three or four rounds, depending upon participation, with the limits of max 7 hours per round, the TD sets for the next round, the final round ends by Sunday afternoon. Announce the winner. Mail the trophy to the winner.
 

Carln0130

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Did you consider doing an online tournament for that weekend? Three or four rounds, depending upon participation, with the limits of max 7 hours per round, the TD sets for the next round, the final round ends by Sunday afternoon. Announce the winner. Mail the trophy to the winner.
One of our members suggested something along those lines. We are looking into it. It wouldn't be the tournament per se'. While I have organized VASL tournaments in the past, doing it live via several remote games would be very interesting to say the least. That said, as our YASL mailing list member pointed out and I agree, the time has been set aside by people. It may not be the same, but is definitely better than nothing. Right now, we are taking names for anyone who can be available for 10Am on Friday. the 27th. That is when the real tournament would have kicked off. The scenario list remains the same.

We'll see if there is much interest. At present, there are three people who have shown interest.
 

FrankH.

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Very smart and apparently courageous decision. Not that I am or would be affected...

I'd suggest gaming in small groups and online.

Perhaps people are inherently gaming (using judgment and tactics) this (the virus) out each in their own way... also, but not to be impertinent.... and/or at some point, probably much after it's all over, Corona, the Pandemic Game.

Unless, of course, this one turns out to be the last, such, live action game.
 

dlazov

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Personally I find this all sad. I believe that the media has hyped up this pandemic and the powers that be are using this as a test run for mass manipulation and fear tactics. School closings, Sport cancelled and churches closed for “safety” and fear and now they are mobilizing the National Guard to help “quarantine” those “infected”.

I really do hope I am right and this is all just hyped up hysteria and fear, and it’s all just a normal flu and not some pandemic killer.
 

bendizoid

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Personally I find this all sad. I believe that the media has hyped up this pandemic and the powers that be are using this as a test run for mass manipulation and fear tactics. School closings, Sport cancelled and churches closed for “safety” and fear and now they are mobilizing the National Guard to help “quarantine” those “infected”.

I really do hope I am right and this is all just hyped up hysteria and fear, and it’s all just a normal flu and not some pandemic killer.
It not a fricking flu, it’s a respiratory infection that could turn into pneumonia . It’s been described as ‘dry’ cough.
 

Spencer Armstrong

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Kudos on making the difficult (and IMO wise) call, Carl. It sucks, but I agree with your analysis. While either decision may be shown to have been "wrong" in hindsight, given what we know now, the risk on one side is so much higher. It just doesn't make sense to take that risk, even if you happen to believe it has the higher chance to be correct.
 

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Carl, Kedge, Mike,

As I said in reply to your email you made the right call. Absolutely the right call.

Count me in for a game on the 27th

Charlie
 

ramzon

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Carl,

Nor'easter was forward thinking as with Gov Baker's declaration last night, 3/15, that all bar/restaurants are now closed for eat-in dining, only take out allowed and no groups of 25+ participants are able to meet for gatherings from 3/17 - 4/6.

Regards,

Ralph
 

bendizoid

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Very smart and apparently courageous decision. Not that I am or would be affected...

I'd suggest gaming in small groups and online.

Perhaps people are inherently gaming (using judgment and tactics) this (the virus) out each in their own way... also, but not to be impertinent.... and/or at some point, probably much after it's all over, Corona, the Pandemic Game.

Unless, of course, this one turns out to be the last, such, live action game.
Why is it courageous ? Please explain.
 

62nd Army

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Carl

Good call, let this blow over and we have Nor'easter 2021 next year!!

Thanks
Joe
 

Ganjulama

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Why is it courageous ? Please explain.
I won't speak for Carl/Kedge/Mike but we are experiencing the same decision process for the Bitter Ender. I think it is courageous because it sucks to cancel and event on such short notice and to disappoint the attendees, some of whom plan a year in advance to attend.
 

bendizoid

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I won't speak for Carl/Kedge/Mike but we are experiencing the same decision process for the Bitter Ender. I think it is courageous because it sucks to cancel and event on such short notice and to disappoint the attendees, some of whom plan a year in advance to attend.
Is it possible to be courageous for not canceling ? Pragmatic ?
Your job must be kinda chaotic about now, good luck.
 
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Gunner Scott

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Another problem that is starting to crop up are food places are closing temporarily, so even though an ASL tourney might be happening, where is everybody going to eat?
 

jrv

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Is it possible to be courageous for not canceling ? Pragmatic ?
Taking a risk towards a more important goal (running out in the middle of a fire-swept field to drag in a wounded comrade) is courage. Taking a risk for a goal that isn't all that important (running out in the middle of a fire-swept field to bring in your pack) is probably foolish. I am not sure I would label cancelling "courageous" exactly but not cancelling probably leans more towards a foolish risk than a courageous one. I am sure it was a hard decision because a lot of people were looking forward to it, and for the same reason it is regrettable that it had to be made.

JR
 
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