Major Event: First Contact

the Archive

the main thing is to make history, not to write it
-Otto Von Bismarck

Welcome to the Archive.

This page works better on laptop or PC

Goals

This resource has two aims:

To preserve the knowledge of the club and,
To be consulted at the last meeting of every semester to plan out the next semester.

If this planning process is done each semester at the end of each semester it should allow both officers and members to get ahead of the planning without having to do a lot of coordinating over break.

Planning Process - Pre Meeting

Here are the quick steps to use this resource to plan out the next semester at the last meeting of the current semester:

Pre-Meeting

Open and make a copy of the "History Club Planning Document Template"
Change document title and header to reflect either spring or fall and the year
Fill in the dates of all meeting times and block out weeks that would not be optimal for meeting like break, holidays or finals.
Fill in any meetings that need to be set aside like valentines
Share this page and the planning document with members
Optional: Acquire snacks for the meeting snacks

Planning Process - At the Meeting

Here are the quick steps to use this resource to plan out the next semester at the last meeting of the current semester:

At Meeting

Have members propose activities that they would like to see then go week by week filling in the meeting topic/activity and a person assigned to lead that meeting.
Have members set major events for the club (1-2 on average).

Fall: Usually Winter Formal
Spring: MegaGame

Once done have members propose any changes or alterations and vote on them
Vote as a membership to ratify it for the next semester
If there is a new activity proposed and adopted ensure that it is added to the archive

This library is a collection of all the activities that history club has access to. The library is split into categories based on complexity/time allotment and are as follows:

Simple: An activity that requires minimal preparation and can be run in a one hour time block. Expect that this can be run day of and just by bringing the materials.

Moderate: An activity that requires some preparation and can be run in a one to two hour time allotment or over a couple of days. Expect to print some materials, do some reading ahead of time (about a page or two, background and character sheets), and or having an introduction video/presentation.

Complex: An activity that requires a lot of preparation and needs a 2+ hour time allotment, its own event or can be run over multiple meetings. Expect a good bit of printing, reading ahead of time, and or having an introduction video/presentation.

MegaGame: MegaGames are their own classification and have to be run as an event and require a lot of preparation. They usually need a whole day to run.

Each activity will have the following metrics:

⛊ facilitator count
🞲 player count
◕ timeframe

❔ = unknown or needs more research

Simple

Board Game Night

⛊ facilitators: 0 🞲 players: 2+ ◕ hours: 1hr+

Members and guests are invited bring their own board games to play during the club hour. This is a social activity that is simple to set up and simple to run. It is recommended to bring some snacks.

"From the Front" Game Night

⛊ facilitators: 0 🞲 players: 2+ ◕ hours: 1hr+

At the meeting before this meeting have members pair up and request a "From the Front" historical game. These games are post card sized or single printed sheet sized, small historical games that are played 1v1. Similar to the board game night this is a simple social activity.

French Revolution

⛊ facilitators: 1 🞲 players: 2+ ◕ hours: 1hr

The French Revolution is a group choose your own adventure where you guide a young French republic through political turmoil, war, and intrigue. In this game players are divided in to the three estates and vote as a group on decisions. This game was developed by History Club in 2023.

Space Race

⛊ facilitators: 1 🞲 players: 2+ ◕ hours: 1hr

The Space Race game is a group choose your own adventure where participants take on roles in the American public and must guide the united states through the space race in the hopes of beating the Soviet Union. Participants play as a single team vs the 'AI" and vote as a group on decisions. This game was developed by History Club in 2023.

Caribbean Pirates

⛊ facilitators: 1 🞲 players: 2+ ◕ hours: 1hr

The Caribbean Pirates is a individual choose your own adventure where participants take on roles on the role as pirate captains during the golden age of piracy! Participants play as individuals or as teams vs the 'AI" and make decisions on their own. Their choices determine the amount of gold they have. The pirate with the most gold at the end of the game is crowned pirate king! This game was developed by History Club in 2024.

Coat of Arms Activity

⛊ facilitators: 1 🞲 players: 2+ ◕ hours: 1hr

Either as groups or individuals participants work to create their own coat of arms that is unique to them. This is more of a arts and crafts activity.

History of __________ Night

⛊ facilitators: 1 🞲 players: 5-10+ ◕ hours: 1hr

Individuals or groups of people work to create 5 minutes presentations about a historical event or figure to educate fellow members about somthing they are passionate about. There can be 5-6 presentations per hour.

Monumental Consequence

⛊ facilitators: 1 🞲 players: 8-37 ◕ hours: 1hr

Players take on the role of villagers in the fictional town of La Ville, where an army has just taken possession of their centuries old church. The villagers must come together to decide whether they risk the lives of their friends and family by attacking the church to save the precious art inside or whether they simply bomb the church and sacrifice the art to save lives.

Moderate

Barbary Pirates

⛊ facilitators: 1 🞲 players: ❔ ◕ hours: 1hr

In 1793, Algerine corsairs captured 11 more American ships and 100 citizens, prompting a commercial and humanitarian crisis that could not be ignored. Developed by the US State Department this diplomacy simulations sees teams of player work together to draft a solution to the diplomatic crisis.

Spanish American Conflict

⛊ facilitators: 1 🞲 players: ❔ ◕ hours: 1hr

The United States sent the USS Maine battleship to Havana Harbor to protect its citizens and interests in the Spanish-Cuban conflict. On the night of February 15, 1898, an explosion rocked the ship which eventually sank, killing 266 sailors. Developed by the US State Department this diplomacy simulations sees teams of player work together to draft a solution to the diplomatic crisis.

Suez Canal Crisis

Shutdown: Nebraska

⛊ facilitators: 1-2 🞲 players: 10-50 ◕ hours: 1-2hr

You are racing to pass a budget before an impending deadline, striving to avoid the consequences of a government shutdown. With pressure mounting from all sides, every decision counts as you strive to keep the wheels of government turning and avert a looming crisis. Will you emerge victorious, or will your efforts succumb to the chaos of political gridlock? The fate of the state rests in your hands.

Athens Besieged

⛊ facilitators: 1 🞲 players: 14-60 ◕ hours: 1-2hr

On July 26, 1956, Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nassar nationalized the Suez Canal, intending to take control of the canal’s operation and its revenue. Developed by the US State Department this diplomacy simulations sees teams of player work together to draft a solution to the diplomatic crisis.

Model United Nations

⛊ facilitators: 1 🞲 players: 8-60 ◕ hours: 1-2hr

Is an educational simulation of the United Nations to teach students about diplomacy, international relations, and global issues.

Complex

Raven Banner

⛊ facilitators: 2 🞲 players: 12-14 ◕ hours: 3hr

It is the year 871 and for the last eight decades Danish raiders have been raiding the coasts of the British Isles -striking fast and leaving with all the treasure their longships can carry. Now the “Great Heathen Army” has landed in Kent and has fought their way north before overwintering in the Kingdom of East Anglia. These new foreign invaders are were here to stay and threated the future of Briton. This is a kilo game basically a small mini megagame.

Chicago 1968

⛊ facilitators: 2 🞲 players: 14-175 ◕ hours: 4-6 hrs/meetings

Chicago 1968 plunges participants into the policy debates and protest at the fractured Democratic National Convention. In August 1968, Democrats gather at their National Convention in Chicago to debate a platform for a deeply divided party. Factions are split over issues such as civil rights, infrastructure, and the war on poverty—not to mention the war in Vietnam. Meanwhile, crowds of protesters descend upon the city. This is more an experience then singular activity this could be run as a standalone event or over 4 or 5 meetings.

Victorian Murder Mystery

⛊ facilitators: 1-3 🞲 players: 27 ◕ hours: 3hr /1 event

Set during the winter ball in honor of Queen Victoria, guest from across Europe come to attend, however the night comes to a halt when a murder occurs. Thus begins a rush to find the killer and expose a plot before it is to late. This game was developed by History Club in 2023.

Chicago 1920 Murder Mystery

⛊ facilitators: 1-3 🞲 players: 40 ◕ hours: 3hr /1 event

As snow falls outside, the night inside will be filled with jazz, glamor, and suspense. Dress in your finest flapper attire or dapper suits and immerse yourself in a night of roaring elegance—until a crime shatters the celebration. As dinner and dancing unfold, clues will emerge, secrets will surface, and every guest becomes both a suspect and a sleuth. This game was developed by History Club in 2024.

Megagames

Watch the Skies: 1970

⛊ facilitators: 4-6 🞲 players: 32-40+ ◕ hours: 6-7hrs

Watch the Skies: 1970 is a Cold War adaptation of Jim Wallman’s Megagame “Watch the Skies”. It is an in-person, six hour, 50 player, thrilling megagame, where you and your team take on the role of a powerful nation, vying for global dominance through alliances, deals and covert operations all amidst an alien invasion.

Sengoku

⛊ facilitators: ❔ 🞲 players: ❔ ◕ hours: 6-7hrs

Sengoku is a megagame that’s all about political intrigue and military activity during the Japanese Sengoku-era (in the case of this game, roughly speaking the second half of the 16th Century), a time of great military and social upheaval.

Price of Victory

⛊ facilitators: ❔ 🞲 players: ❔ ◕ hours: ❔

A wargame simulation of the battle of Somme. Each team of 3-4 takes part in a three tiered command structure either being on a team commanding regiments/sections of the trench, a team commanding multiple regiments allocating artillery support or a team representing army command drafting plans and allocating resources.

Washington Conference

⛊ facilitators: 4 🞲 players: 40 ◕ hours: 6-7

Post the First World War, this conference was attended by nine nations: the United States, Japan, China, France, Britain, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Portugal. It covered the limitation of navel armaments' and the settlement of post war China and Pacific territories.

Copper Cows and Cockroaches

⛊ facilitators: ❔ 🞲 players: ❔ ◕ hours: ❔

This MegaGame covers the 1913 Mexican Revolution. After a couple of years of instability the country erupts into revolution when its new Presidente is murdered following a palace coup.

The World Turned Upside Down

⛊ facilitators: 4-6 🞲 players: ❔ ◕ hours: 5-6

The World Turned Upside Down is a MegaGame set in the time of the American Revolution (1774-1782). Players will take on the role of a historical figure from either one of the thirteen colonies, the British colonial government or the British home government in London. It will be up to each player to determine what side they support and the role they wish to play, either as a lawmaker in congress/parliament, a military general/admiral or as a spy.

Power to the People

⛊ facilitators: 2-3 🞲 players: 25-51 ◕ hours: 5hr

Power to the People is a heavily political game set in 1970s UK. A radically socialist government has come to power, and if it has a successful first term in office, it may change the face of British politics for decades to come. But the government is divided along factional lines on policy and many external actors - both opposition politicians and unelected officials - would rather see it fail. The game has a heavy focus on negotiation and theme, and will be a great fit for players with an interest in politics.

First Contact

⛊ facilitators: 30 🞲 players: 175 ◕ hours: 7-8hrs

First Contact spiritual successor to Jim Wallman’s Megagame “Watch the Skies”. It is an in-person, 8 hour, 175 player, thrilling megagame, where you and your team take on the role of a powerful nation, or cooperation vying for global dominance through alliances, deals and covert operations all amidst an alien invasion.

Note: While the club does have acsess to this game, it is highly advisable to not run it

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