User:HooperBandP/Sandbox3

The Organization of Gamers & Roleplaying Enthusiasts (commonly referred to as OGREs or O.G.R.E.s) is a large network of tabletop gaming clubs located throughout the United States of America, which organizes role-playing, board, party, and card gaming throughout their chapters. The group was founded in May of 2005 in Las Vegas, Nevada, though it was eventually incorporated by a later chapter out of Paducah, Kentucky in 2010. It was created to promote fun and friendly tabletop gaming, and to allow fans of tabletop games to meet and play games with each other, and to advocate the tabletop gaming hobby and lifestyle.

History
The original group that would evolve into the first chapter of O.G.R.E.s began as a Yahoo! group on May 24th, 2005. With the original intent to be a Las Vegas-area group dedicated to RPGA, the group originally held the name Las Vegas RPGA. It was quickly discovered this would not be legally allowed by Wizards of the Coast, and the group quietly held a poll for a new name, eventually landing on Sin City Ogres with Ogres being short for Organization of Gamers & Roleplaying Enthusiasts. Their new moniker and associated logo were adopted by a group in Paducah, Kentucky in 2006 who began to branch out into nearby towns. With the expansion continuing, the Kentucky group spearheaded the incorporating of the organization in 2010.

Membership
As a free organization, O.G.R.E.s membership does not require a financial contribution. Most commonly, individuals will be recruited into an existing chapter by members, whereas interested individuals in a chapter-less region may petition to found a new chapter. Though membership is free, the organization tightly monitors all allegations of illegal activity, cheating, or harassment. Members are eligible for participation in numerous programs, including a online course catalog for gaming related studies (the Ogswald Academy), annual gaming industry awards program (the OGGIEs), and an annual weekend campout gaming event (Camp Oggie).

Order of Chrétien de Troyes
As part of the massive members-only awards program maintained by O.G.R.E.s, the prestigious Order of Chrétien de Troyes is the most prestigious. The order is named after Chrétien de Troyes, a french poet who is recognized as being the first to use the word ogre. In order to be nominated, a member must have been a "...game master who has created an engaging storytelling and adventuring experience, resulting in amazing gameplay."

Structure
The core of the Organization of Gamers & Roleplaying Enthusiasts is a network of regional groups called chapters. Each chapter has two officers, one who handles the administrative tasks of the chapter like recruitment, webmastering, promotion, etc. (the chapter coordinator), and one who referees gaming and coordinates various gaming sessions (the senior game master). These chapters can be centered around a city or region, school, place of worship, or occasionally a specific gaming online location. There are currently over 30 chapters across two continents, though the organization is most prominent in the midwest United States.

The chapters are overseen by the Board of Directors, a group of ten members elected from the membership at-large who oversee the legal and day-to-day activities of the organization.

Mascot
Seen in all logos and merchandise of the organization, a Ogre designed by members of the first chapter in Las Vegas serves as the mascot for the club. Named Ogswald Theodore Henry Eddington Ogre, he is most commonly referred to as Oggie. Most events and programs led by the club are named after the mascot.