Stories

• Upcoming 15 Association Events
• Message from the Chairman
• BootCamp XXXIV
• Member News
• Other News and Events

Upcoming 15 Association Events

Get out and play with your brothers! Mark your calendars for these upcoming 15 Association Play (and other) Events:

• Sat Apr 27 6pm – Midnight (Doors Close: 10pm) — Associates Weekend Play Party — Transform1060, 1060 Folsom St, SF, Advance Ticket Recommended, but can also be obtained at the door.
• Sun Apr 28 2pm – 6pm (Doors Close: 4pm) — Associates Weekend Sunday Play Party — Transform1060, 1060 Folsom St, SF, Advance Ticket Recommended, but can also be obtained at the door. Free for Members; $10 for Guests.
• Sat May 18 6pm – 11pm (Doors Close: 9pm) — Play Party — Transform1060, 1060 Folsom St, SF, Advance Ticket Recommended, but can also be obtained at the door.
• Sat June 22nd – 27th — BootCamp XXXIV — Saratoga Springs. Advance Registration Required, and proof of COVID Vaccination. Registration ends June 16th at Midnight PT.

For Advance Ticket Recommended events, tickets can be purchased in advance on the website, but can also be obtained at the door if they are still available (however the only payment allowed is credit/debit card, i.e. no cash).

The Calendar on our website is more current than the Inquisitor.

Message from the Chairman

Dear brothers, I know that many of you are at CLAW this weekend. Whether you go for the workshops or the play or both, I hope you have a memorable trip! At the end of this month, The 15 celebrates the anniversary of the first associate members joining the Club in April 1980. Join us on the evening of the 27th and the afternoon of the 28th for our Associates Weekend play parties. If you haven’t been to a party recently, this is a great time to change that. During Sunday’s party, we will be welcoming members of Onyx NW and mentors and mentees of the Leathermen’s Discussion Group Mentoring program. The Sunday party is free for members and just $10 for guests. In January, I asked your help in making sure that Transform1060 continues to operate. And you sure stepped up! As a non-profit public benefit corporation (501c3), the dungeon relies on donations to supplement event rental income. This month, I am renewing my ask with the goal of raising an additional $8,500. While we are in the process of applying for grants, I cannot stress enough how critical the community’s financial help is to continue serving San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ BDSM community. If you are able to help, donations may be made at SpotFund (click to donate). Your donations will ensure the longevity of our play space. Both one-time and recurring donations are available. We can also accept donations by check, direct invoice, or Venmo. Please contact me at christopher@transform1060.org for those options. I can also assist you with booking the space for private play! Thank you for your continued support. Without the generosity of the men of The 15 Association, San Francisco would no longer have a public dungeon centered on LGBTQ+ people. Have you registered for Boot Camp yet? The deadline for registration is coming up quickly. There are still bunk spaces and camping available. This year, I will host a starting-day meet and greet to facilitate making some matches as we have gotten feedback from new guys that it can be intimidating to approach our regulars. Associate member ‘Whisper’ will be providing tours to our new attendees as well. For more details on Boot Camp, look farther down in this newsletter. Finally, the Fraternal Committee recently held a Board retreat. We do this every year or two to discuss topics that require more time and attention than we generally have in a monthly meeting. Of the topics we discussed, we spent considerable time talking about ways to revamp Anniversary Weekend next year to make it more exciting and special. Mitch Enfinger and I will be forming a committee in July to sort out the details. Would you like to participate? Use the Contact Us form and choose Special Events Chair for the recipient to let us know. Fraternally, Christopher Wood Chairman

BootCamp XXXIV

Dear Brothers:

Boot Camp is The 15 Association’s annual run to the country, taking place from Saturday afternoon, June 22 to Thursday morning, June 27. We take over a beautiful Lake County resort (cabins, bunk rooms and camping accommodations) with great indoor play spaces (former ballroom and a yurt) and outdoors (semi-covered by the pool and an open area in the middle of the resort). Though June can be a bit cool, but when it is warm enough the swimming pool is lovely, and the hot tub is always welcoming!

Boot Camp is for 15 Association Members and their invited Guests only, so in order to participate in the Run, you would need to be sponsored by a 15 Association Member. This year we have modified the rule, so that a Member who is unable to attend this year may still sponsor a Guest. We are also allowing Guests who have attended at least two prior Boot Camps to sponsor other Guests. Please contact the Boot Camp Coordinator for further information.

The play spaces are open 24 hours a day. There is a heated bathroom in the pool area with a central drain in the floor and shower which is ideal for water sports.

Traditional activities are scheduled, but optional. Single-tail practice on the main lawn to learn new techniques from other campers, or serve as a target (depending on one’s role and/or mood), as well as a cocktail social before the Prime Rib dinner (formal attire welcome but not required).

The atmosphere is very relaxed, with an attitude of brotherly friendship pervading the proceedings.

Like our play parties, each guest is responsible for finding and negotiating their own play within their own limits. Some of the play at Boot Camp gets quite vicious and extreme (we have had brandings, and blood regularly flows in many of the single-tail scenes, etc.), but one doesn’t need to play that brutally to play at Boot Camp — limits and boundaries are respected and, again, should be negotiated clearly, especially when playing with new people.

Each Boot Camper is also expected to perform at least two–three work shifts during the run. Most of these work shifts take 1–2 hours at most, and include: cleaning up after meals; collecting garbage from cans around the property and replacing them liners; and running beverages and ice to the coolers we place strategically on the grounds.

Run fees cover housing, food, soft drinks and beer. The Guest Run Fees for Boot Camp are as follows: $925 for a space in a Private Room; $825 for a space in a Bunk Room; or $700 for a Camping space. Member Run Fees are $875 for a space in a Private Room; $775 for a space in a Bunk Room; or $650 for a Camping space. Boot Camp is also longer than most comparable runs — five full days of play and debauchery, then time to get packed up, enjoy a final breakfast and hit the road.

If one needs help with obtaining a ride to and/or from the Run, you can request that we help you find one when you register. While we cannot absolutely guarantee a ride to everyone who requests one, it is very rare that we are not able to fulfill all requests made in a timely manner. If you do request and receive a ride, it is generally good etiquette to help your driver out with some gas money, but that is not a requirement.

I hope this gives you some idea of what Boot Camp is. If you have further questions, feel free to get back to me with them.

Jeff Garner,
Boot Camp Committee Chairman

Member News

Congratulations to Dave Rhodes (Associate) as one of this year’s inductees into the Leather Hall of Fame, as well as the “Trailblazer” award from the Los Angeles LGBT Center.

Golden Dildeaux Awards Ceremony

Nine men (Associates and guests) from The 15 Association have been nominated for this year’s annual Golden Dildeaux Awards. Voting closes April 25th at 5pm. Help the Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District raise funds for their events and programs and enjoy the event at the SF Eagle on Saturday, April 27th, at 6pm. sflcd.org

Other News and Events

Other events of interest to 15 Association members:

Thu April 18 – Sun April 21 — San Francisco Rubber Weekend 2024 – 545 Eddy St, SF. Tickets at tickettailor.com.

Fri Oct 4 – Sun Oct 6 — Men Roping Men conference – 1060 Folsom St, SF. Registration opens May 27th. menropingmen.com.

Arizona Men of Leather (AML) Monthly Leather Club Night
Contact Info: Mark Levesque, 602-785-2922, mark.levesque4@gmail.com
Join the Arizona Men of Leather for Anvil’s monthly Leather Club Night at Anvil bar, located 2424 E Thomas Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85016, the second Saturday of each month, 10 pm to Closing. Show your affinity for leather, and show off your club colors and title affiliations. AML hosts ongoing interactive demos each month. Flagging is encouraged, so grab a color hanky from our booth and let’em know what you’re into! All Leatherfolk are welcome!

AML is a male-identified Leatherman’s Social Club consisting of individuals who seek or live the Leather/SM/Fetish lifestyle, providing opportunities for friendship, mentoring, education, and support in our community. https://arizonamenofleather.com/

Patreons

Transform1060! Check out the website www.Transform1060.org for donation opportunities and description of the facility.

The Leather Journal — NOW back to paper print! Still recording our history and the greater Leather, Kink and Fetish community for over 35 years!
https://www.patreon.com/theleatherjournal
https://www.gofundme.com/f/keep-the-leather-journal-going

Got News? We want it!

Do you have News or Events our members would have interest in or enjoy outside the Dungeon?! Whether you are producing an event or just attending one others may not be aware and wish to participate. Our Community has much to offer and a variety of tastes so don’t hesitate to e-mail by the 25th of the month for publication in the following month’s issue. Inquisitor editor: Tyler Fong tazpuppy15@gmail.com.