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[The Infinite Shindig]

How to Form a Clan

Welcome to Shindig’s informative guide on how to form a clan. In this article, I'll go over what I feel makes a good clan and some suggestions on how to form a clan of your own. As one of the first members of the LAO, the original name for the Lawn Chair Mafia, I've seen quite a bit of what is needed to form a clan.

Your clan is your way to Nerf on a regular basis. Some people are lone Nerfers and enjoy it, while others want more. They want to have medium size wars on a frequent basis. That is how this whole clan phenomenon started. People want to Nerf with others. The best source for your clan is two things. The first is your friends, let's face it, you have to enjoy the people you Nerf with or at least some of them. The great secret to the LCM’s numbers is family. The LCM has three sets of brothers and a set of cousins. Mantis has a brother, I have a brother, and we have a set of fraternal twins. Warlock's cousin has also joined the mix. With that alone we have 8 people. That is a pretty good size. Just by allowing siblings who are younger than you are to join, a clan's numbers can double.

Now that we have the whole number system down, let's get into some other points. In order to get people out on a consistent basis you have to war. Make it fun for everyone so people are more likely to come back. Talk about Nerf when you hang out. Face it, the toughest part is to get people out to a war. I've found with most people, when they reach the battlefield, they are hooked. I'll let you in on a secret, Evil Angel took a while before he would join us on the battlefield. You know what Mantis, myself, and others did? We just so happened to invite Evil over to "hang out" during one of our wars. Peer Pressure can be a wonderful thing, and Evil Angel was forced to join that day’s war. And the rest ladies and gents is Nerf history.

Chances are you are a member of the NIC if you are reading this article. Well getting people to join the boards can help. Hundreds of Nerfers are at your disposal, you just need to teach them what not to do so they don't get discouraged. Remember the more you drive Nerf into their heads the more likely they will join. The beginning for any clan is tough. You are struggling to get people out, guns need to be found then modified, and darts need to be bought/made. That's a lot of work. Parents can get pissed, believe me they will at some point. As long as you didn't break anything priceless or something that merits grounding, tell them there are the alternatives. Paintball or Airsoft are your only other options. Most parents aren't really to crazy about them.

A website for your new clan could help too. Nothing big to start with, a free service will do. Taking pictures for this site will get your people motivated. Come on, who doesn't want to see their face while they shoot the crap out of their best friend and have the picture to prove it. Not only that but a website could give your group notoriety. The other thing is to find other Nerfers in your area (state, county, etc.) to have your group war against. Your new members will work for the chance to war somebody else, because no matter how pacifistic you may be, you don't want to look bad in front of others.

These few simple tips can help you build and form your own clan. Just remember to stick together and have fun with your new hobby.

Best of luck to you and your perspective clan,
The Infinite Shindig