For the second straight year, SDHist will put on a convention at the U.S. Naval War College Museum in Newport, Rhode Island, taking place from August 8-11. The extremely limited tickets for this convention are on sale now here. This convention sold out in one week in 2023, so don’t delay if you intend to attend! You can read more about last year’s event here, and more about the history of the museum here.

Tradition has it that on a late October’s day in 1884, Commodore Stephen B. Luce, U.S. Navy, was rowed from the flagship of the North Atlantic Squadron anchored off Newport to Coasters Harbor Island two miles north of the center of Newport. That site was designated earlier that month by the Secretary of the Navy for a new kind of college.

Once on the island, Luce proceeded to a large stone building, the former Newport Asylum for the Poor, climbed its rickety stairs, and as he opened the front door, solemnly announced to his few companions and the empty grounds, “Poor little poorhouse, I christen thee United States Naval War College.” Today the “little poorhouse” of Founders Hall is a well preserved and stately structure, a National Historic Landmark and home to the Naval War College Museum, the host for our event.

For SDHistCon East 2024, those who register in advance will get access to the convention Discord server and have the exclusive ability to participate in the designer Zoom meetings in the build up to the convention. We have been piloting this program with our registrants for the SDHistCon East and West in 2023 and they have been very popular. You will also have the ability to chat with the SDHist crew to express your opinions and brainstorm ideas on what you would want at the convention.

This year’s convention will be the usual mix of historical game designers, thought leaders, and gamers. On Thursday, August 8, the convention will make available a series of historical tours. Last year these included tours of the Battle of Rhode Island battlefield by Mark Miklos, designer of GMT’s Battles of the American Revolution series, and of Battleship Cove (featuring the USS Massachusetts and many other notable ships). Tours of additional local historical sites are in the works. We will discuss on the Con Discord server and organize. Some may be subject to admission and guide charges if you choose to attend.

On Friday morning, we will move to Founders Hall at the U.S. Naval War College Museum to play games and enjoy the facility and each other’s company. The gaming will continue through Saturday and into Sunday. There will also be time out for a tour of the wargaming facilities on campus, conducted by experts associated with the command. This unique event provides an opportunity to mix with hobby and professional gamers and take in the history that surrounds you! Mark Herman (former USNWC Adjunct), Volko Ruhnke, and other notable designers are confirmed guests.

This event is all in service of our mission to create a diverse and supportive gaming community dedicated to playing, discussing, designing, and promoting historically-based board games. Through this commitment, SDHC seeks to serve the existing historical board gaming community as well as grow it through the addition of new voices and perspectives.

Registration is $120 and includes the following: gaming at the U.S. Naval War College Museum Friday, Saturday and Sunday, tour of the U.S. Naval War College led by staff, tour of the U.S. Naval War College Museum led by the museum curator, participation in gaming events at the Convention, a convention t-shirt unique to this 2024 event, pizza on Saturday night, chances to win prizes and games donated to SDHist by various publishers, parking on base, and gratuities for Thursday’s tours.

NOTE: Registration is not refundable but is transferable by and with written approval by SDHist (assuming an adequate allowance of time for security checks).

The Naval War College (NWC) campus is part of a secure Naval facility. Only students, staff, faculty, and other approved visitors are permitted to enter the base and then drive onto campus. A background check is necessary before registrants will be allowed on base.

Once registered for the convention, we will send you the documents and contact information to connect with the security administrator at the NWC Museum. We will provide you with the forms, and you must contact them immediately to get the process started and completed in time.

If the NWC security office identifies an issue, we will refund your registration, on your request. Note that background checks must be underway by July 1, so we can’t accept any late registration.

All decisions made by the NWC security office are final. SDHist will not view the information nor play any part in passing that information on to the US Naval War College Museum or security. If you needed a background check last year, you will need to repeat the process this year.

If prospective attendees have any questions, please reach out to SDHistCon/Conflicts of Interest Online’s Andrew Bucholtz at [email protected].