The Citizen, 1991-11-13, Page 22PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1991.
New game invented by Huron teachers has Blyth connection
Unveiling
Blyth artist Ron Walker (left) and Joe Wooden, former
principal at CHSS discuss the four years of work that went
into Warbuff, a new trivia-type board game invented by
eight Huron County high school teachers. The game was
unveiled Friday night in Clinton.
The latest attempt to cash in on
the interest of Canadians in board
games was unveiled in Clinton Fri
day night and has a strong Blyth
connection.
Warbuff is the creation of a group
of eight teachers presently or for
merly at Central Huron Secondary
School in Clinton. The group
includes Ron Walker, head of the
art department at the school and a
Blyth-area artist. The printing of
the game was also arranged
through Blyth Printing which print
ed the colourful wrapper for the
tube in which the game will be sold
and arranged for the printing of the
board itself.
Also included in the team that
put the game together is Joe Wood
en, former CHSS principal, now at
South Huron in Exeter, Keith
Crawford, Rick Hilliard, Halina
Crawford, Cathy Renshaw, Del
Almeida and Stephen Oliver,
whose computer expertise was put
to use in designing the printed mat
ter.
The game is based on questions
about wars past and present. Mr.
Wooden said the idea for the game
was first mentioned to him about
four years ago by Mr. Crawford
while they drove back and forth
from their Exeter homes to Clinton.
The idea at first was for a kind of
history trivia game, not surprising
because most of the members of the
team are history teachers. Along
the way the game focussed more
and more on a war theme.
Mr. Crawford said it was fitting
that the game should be unveiled at
the Clinton Legion since it was
there the idea first surfaced in a dis
cussion with old veterans almost
exactly four years earlier. The
objectives of the game are to be
educational and enjoyable, he said.
"We've played it many times and
we've enjoyed it," he said. "It's
such an interesting topic. You learn
from it."
"We all brought our own areas of
expertise to it," said Mr. Oliver,
who as well as being a drama
teacher at CHSS is an enthusiastic
proponent of desk-top publishing.
Mr. Wooden said completing the
game has been a pleasure for him
because it has kept him in touch
with the Central Huron staff. "Even
if we don't sell a game it's been
great fun."
But the group does plan to sell. Il
has produced 1000 prototypes and
hopes to have the game on store
shelves before Christmas. A con
tact in Kitchener already wants 200
copies for stores in that city. ’»
The biggest task in formulating
the game was coming up with the
questions. There are six categories
into which the questions are divid
ed: Days of Valour, the period
before 1900; A House Divided,
about the U.S. Civil War; The War
to End All Wars about World War
One; Here We Bloody Well Go
Again, about World War 2;
US/UN, including the Vietnam,
Korea and Persian Gulf Wars and
Miscellaneous, about wars after
1900. Altogether there are 4000
questions and it has taken since
June to edit the questions.
Participants are divided into up to
six teams. A correct answer to a
question allows the team to move
toward the board's centre and the
master Warbuff circle. Special Fate
cards allow the players to answer
questions if their opponents can't.
Veto cards allow players to retract
a question from an opponent if they
think it will be too easy.
The game is expected to cost in
the neighbourhood of $35, about
the same price as most games of
the same type.
Wrapping it up
Ken Whitmore of Blyth Printing shows off the full-colour
wrapper that will advertise Warbuff when it appears in
stores. The Blyth company, well known for its colour
printing, printed the wrapper and arranged printing of the
game board.
WETLANDS
ARE NOT
WASTELANDS
Wetlands purify water, help
control flooding, and provide
valuable wildlife habitat.
For more information on the importance
of wetlands, contact
PO. Box 2800,
Peterborough,
Ontario
K9J 8L5
^705) 748-6324
Fax (705) 748-9577
ONTARIO FEDERATION
OF ANGLERS &
HUNTERS