What are the house rules?
There are fewer than you'd expect and they all come down to one idea: leave everyone, and every box, in better shape than you found them.
Why so few rules?
Because a long list gets ignored and a short one gets remembered. We tried a long list once, three pages long, and found that the only people who read it were the ones who'd never have broken a rule anyway. The short list lives on the wall by the door and we read it aloud to newcomers, usually while they're holding a cup of tea.
The rules fall into two groups. The first is about people: be kind to whoever's across the table, and let the person who's learning get on with learning. The second is about things: boxes, pieces and chairs belong to everyone, so we look after them together.
If something goes wrong anyway, find a volunteer. Nobody gets told off in front of the room, and the worst that happens is a quiet chat by the kettle and, occasionally, a request that you sit out a round.
At the table and around the room
- Say hello when you arrive, even if it's just a nod, and make a seat for the next person through the door.
- Count the pieces in and out of each box with the other players, and tell a volunteer straight away about anything missing.
- Let the learner learn: explain the rules plainly, don't play their turn for them and never groan at a first-timer's move.
- Food stays in the kitchen corner and drinks stay lidded and away from the boards, because cardboard never forgives spilled tea.
- Phones go face down, and calls are taken outside, where the neighbours can't hear half of them.
- Pack up as a team at closing time: boxes on the shelf in the right place, tables wiped, chairs stacked by the wall.
- Walk away from a heated argument for five minutes, then come back and ask a volunteer to read the rule out loud.
In the member group chat
- Use the name people know you by at the club room, so a conversation can carry from the chat to the table.
- Talk about the game, not the person; a bad move is a bad move and everyone has made one.
- Photos of other members need their agreement first, and photos of a finished game are always welcome.
- Keep disagreements out of the main channel and send them to a moderator, who will answer in private and usually quickly.
- No selling, no advertising and no links to shops. The chat is for sessions, rules questions and photos of the shelf.
- If you see something that bothers you, tell Natalie. You don't have to prove anything, and you won't be asked to.