By Susannah Kerest
Front Porch Forum hosts online newsletters in every town in Vermont, and now in some Upper Valley NH towns. Neighbors, nonprofits, businesses, and government officials can post messages, share news, get advice, make recommendations, announce events, sell items, and much more. It's all about helping neighbors to connect and build community.
This fall, Front Porch Forum is featuring Vermonters who excel at building community and offer tips for how you can get started in your own town. Read it here in The Bridge Weekly.
Eric moved to Braintree with his family, and as part of putting down roots, he started a weekly Magic: The Gathering game night at the Kimball Public Library in Randolph. "I've tried to build something that I would want to come to, but also make it something that I'd feel comfortable sending my kids to."
"The game store in town that used to host card games and board games, where a lot of people used to play Magic: The Gathering, closed just a few months prior to us moving to the area. So, then I was driving 45 minutes on a weekly basis to the game store in West Lebanon, New Hampshire, to play. So, I got in touch with the local librarians and asked, 'Can I organize a game night?' And now it's been a year and a half we've been running!" Game nights are scheduled each Monday from 4-8 PM and people usually stop in and play a few rounds.
Magic: The Gathering has been around for over 30 years, and there are different ways to play. Eric's group plays a format called Commander, which is flexible and can be played in small groups at the same time. Players take on the role of a powerful wizard, trying to defeat their opponents through casting spells and summoning creatures. "Similar to chess, it is strategic, where you have many different pieces that can do different things. People can make the game personal to them, based on their own interests, which I think is really, really cool."
"Magic has a pretty close-knit community within itself. I love when people of all ages get together and play and enjoy something like that together. It's kind of rare nowadays that so many different generations, so many different age gaps can share a love and a passion for something."
"As generations go on, it seems like more and more people are just on their phones, on their screens, and spending less time actually involved with their community and doing things face-to-face in person," Eric said. "Being able to get large groups of people together like that and have a positive impact is, I think, really important."
Have you ever thought about getting neighbors together around a shared hobby? Is there a Mahjong, Bingo, Cribbage, Trivia, or Magic game running in your community? Maybe you want to get one started!? Post about it on Front Porch Forum.
(Courtesy Photo)