Nicholas Diamond holds up a medieval LEGO figure from the famed “Yellow Castle” build-it set during Wednesday’s LUG club meeting at Bainbridge High.

The set, known as No. 375 to the experts, was sold in 1978, and marked the first LEGO set to include figures of people.

A completed Yellow Castle itself was the plastic star of the show at this week’s LUG meeting.

The LUG — LEGO Users Group — is a new club that started this school year. It was launched by freshman Trevor Royset, who said he learned on the third day of school this year that anyone can start a club if the prerequisites are met, such as a club constitution. So he wrote one.

Things just fit together after that.

“Started in my garage and now look where we are,” LUGer Josh Donegan jokingly recalled.

The club now meets twice a month, and the club advisor is Patricia Lahtinen. At the previous meeting, they celebrated the 60th anniversary of the modern LEGO brick, born on Feb. 28, 1958.

The first plastic LEGO bricks actually date back to 1949, Trevor noted. In 1958, however, the plastic tubes were added to their design that make them stick together. That means LEGO bricks made today still fit with ones made 60 years ago.

At this week’s meeting, five members showed up to look at creations, complain about the cost of possible projects, talk about what’s new in LEGOland, and share building tips.

The real attraction of LEGOs?

“It opens your mind. Without LEGOs, you’re blind,” Josh explained.

Nightmare scenario?

“Losing a piece. You get all the way done and your mind is set on finishing it. Then there’s a hole in the 747,” he said.

Before the end of Wednesday’s meeting, LUG members recalled their most impressive projects.

Trevor: “A 3-foot-by-4-foot layout I used in stop-motion animation.”

Nicholas: “A LEGO Ferrari.”

Jake: “I made a giant Death Star.”

Other Nicholas: “A MOC (my own creation) LEGO Star Wars airspeeder.”

Josh: “A Boeing 727 airplane. You go big or go home on LEGOs.”

(Brian Kelly | Bainbridge Island Review)