Play games. Simple, right?  That's what we do already.  But that's not all that I'm suggesting.  Play them with people who have never played before.  Play them with friends who haven't played in years.   Play them at the park on a nice day, making sure to explain exactly what is going on to whomever asks.  Find situations in which playing a game would help the public opinion of gaming, and then get out there and play some games!

Buy games. Also simple.  You buy lots of games now, don't you?  Well, good.  The industry is in a constant state of flux, and the recent popularity of card games has sent everything into turmoil.  They need us.   Support your favorite game.  I'm not asking you to blow all of your pay on gaming materials; the industry already has me to do that for them (grin).  I'm suggesting that you continue to support the games that you love, and the industry will thrive as a result.  If your favorite game or game company has a devoted magazine, subscribe to it.  Replace those worn-out dice, or get a few new figures for that campaign you've been planning.  If you smoke, quit smoking, and spend your cigarette money on Magic cards! (all right, maybe that is asking a bit much, but it will be a lot better for your health!)

Join or start a gaming club. Get together with other gamers, try new games, play with new people, and recruit new members.  Put together a network of gaming pals from whom you can call upon to help you with any other project you may find in this list.  While you're at it, give them a copy of this list, and tell them to get busy (grin).  If you have the time, and feel that you would have something to contribute, join the CAR-PGa.   While the Committee does not recruit for the sake of numbers, we can always use representatives, especially in areas that are currently without them.

Give demonstrations.  In game shops, at schools and churches (if you can pull it off).  Show people what the gaming hobby is all about, and most concerns and convictions will fade.  Doing educational demos at a convention is a little like preaching to the choir, but it never hurts to help promote a game that you're fond of.

Do something good in the name of gaming. This has become more and more vital as time wears on.  In an article in Comics Retailer concerning the Colorado school shooting, Mike Stackpole suggested that the best way to make gaming look more like a healthy hobby and less like an exclusive club for reclusive weirdos is to make a difference.  Volunteer for a worthy cause, and do it in the name of your gaming club or local gaming shop.  Hold a food drive, answer the phones at a telethon, sign up your whole gaming group in a walkathon, and make sure you mention that you are a gaming club when you do this.  Having the public see gaming represented in such a positive manner can only help the hobby.

Write letters. Letters to the editor, letters to the school board, letters to your senator, your governor, your mayor, your representative, your parents… write!  A letter, even in this day, is treated with more respect and credibility than a telephone call, or even e-mail (but e-mail doesn't hurt), because it takes more of an effort to compose one.   Tell the editor how you feel about any gaming pieces you see in the paper.  Let the gaming companies know how much you like their game, or what you would like to see changed.

Stay positive.  This suggestion should be taken along with any of the others.   Negativity is your enemy; avoid it at all costs.  No matter how devoted you are to the hobby, it is not your religion.  Do not offend the religious or moral beliefs of others, no matter how much they have offended you.  Turn the other cheek.  Learn to take a joke.   Demonstrations are meant to attract people to our hobby and educate them as to how harmless it is, not scare them away and give them new things to worry about.   LARPers, this counts for you double. You know who you are.
 
 

This document is a work in progress, and is in no way complete as you see it here.  If I have left something out, or missed an important point, it is imperative that you, the reader, bring it to my attention.  All contributors will receive credit for their contributions at the end of the document.