| 08.06.2018 – Southern Bricks LEGO® Users Group held their monthly gatherings at the Hamra Library Centre. It’s their regular meet-ups with fellow AFOL; where they also organize a swap meet at the same time promote their passion for the hobby.
For the past months the monthly gathering was moved just across the library to a smaller community centre. It’s the same organized well-structured meet-up that is something quite a surprise after so many months that they hosted it at the usual library place with some happenings recently. |
What makes Southern Bricks LEGO® Users Group more like a community is the family oriented atmosphere. You can’t typecast a LEGO® collector as most of the members are quite diverse and its something don’t see everyday coming from a collector-centric community that is simply driven only to collect.
But SBLUG is what a community should be its about sharing the passion to everything that is LEGO® and what drives that is the creativity and imagination, which is promoted to the kids as this plastic bricks are made originally for children. The Danish brand has expanded that idea into licensing other properties to be relevant in today’s ultra competitive toy industry.
Still, the internal drive that beats inside LEGO® is its core values that will always put imagination to every child who gets their first sets. SBLUG is pushing that with the way they have with their community through their monthly activities. To keeping a community relevant they continue to be consistent with what they have for their monthly gatherings namely…
Iron Builder Challenge
Those who consistently attend the meet-ups at Hamra Library Centre or the Community Centre across the street should be away of this activity. A brick or element is distributed to those participating member to come up with a build using this particular piece and they bring it to the following month to be voted by the present attending member to be judged for a chance to win a mystery set.
Sometimes the Iron Builder Challenge is conducted online and it is still voted by active members from SBLUG. This activity could have been used by RLUG communities across the world and its not even trademarked.
Show & Tell Mini Exhibit
You can say every SBLUG member is proud of their builds so they share their passion through the “Show & Tell” exhibit. For some who did participate in the recent events who missed seeing it get the chance to view those MOCs like the massive mechas that Aaron Monaghan had put on display during Hybrid World Adelaide that was held during the last weekend of July 2018.
There are other displays too by some of the youngest SBLUG members. Mostly it’s a build by families who got into LEGO® and rarely you’ll find an existing set that is being display for “Show & Tell” with more emphasis on original builds.
Swap & Sale Meet
You can say sellers within the community are conservative and emphasis on the “Swap Meet” for those having extra minifigures from the Harry Potter Minifigure Series are often the topic in this meet-up, which rarely someone selling them.
The reason why it’s a community is because of the ‘swap’ concept either for parts and elements or an extra minifigure gets traded that is rare in some communities who would rather sell their wares than being a traditional group in the first place. But at SBLUG this is an interesting perspective for someone who had seen a different kind of community culture that is more collectors driven.
Random Freebie Novelty
This is a rare thing to see in a community just giving away old construction manual and previously discontinued issues of LEGO® related magazines. In some communities they might have been selling this. But to dispose them instead of ending up in the rubbish been they just tend to give them away instead.
It also helps if you have the parts and elements to build some of these from the manual why not try to take some of them home? Its interesting some of those old magazines have instructions too and you can’t get wrong with a free souvenir right?
Author’s Note: This WAS Unexpected
Overall it was a busy Sunday for most of the time as winners of the Iron Builders Challenge has receive their prizes, but I was not prepared to be part of the program and being part of SBLUG has been a humbling experience getting to know the council members and some of them being good friends.
Less than 24 hours after opening the care package from everyone was something no community would do. Show their appreciation for one of their own and its rare to see a group that actually cares for you the way you shown contribution to their ever growing community.
It was certainly unexpected if you compare it to other communities I’ve been part of or for any LEGO® related group in the Philippines. There is nothing like SBLUG as a community, who showed that for being a group about LEGO® they really showed that you’re part of the family and I appreciated the way they treat their members.
Acknowledging every member who attended the gathering that includes the council members it was great being part of this community and will always be grateful. So if you happen to be in South Australia look up SBLUG and they will welcome you in their community like you’re family.
For more about Southern Bricks LEGO® Users Group and its local community you can be part of the SBLUG group or follow them on social media just LIKE SBLUG on Facebook and follow on Instagram.
You can visit also their official site at: SBLUG.club
For more news and interesting features LIKE Philippine Bricksters on Facebook, Instagram: @PhilBRicksters, and follow on Twitter at: @PhilBrickters
No comments:
Post a Comment