How about an 'Information Desk' for when new people join the Forums?

Consider adding...

Above the 'News and Articles' section of the Forums have a section dedicated to the Forums themselves. You could call this section 'The Information Desk' or something like that. It could be used for Important Forum News and Announcements. It doesn't have to be a Forum that people can respond to, just one for you to use to inform the users of changes and give guidance to new users. The Suggestions Forum could be located in this section.

It should be the first Category of Forums that people see at the top of the list.

When I first came to this website that is what I thought the "Important News" Forum was. Then I saw the "News and Articles" header and realized it wasn't.

Just a thought...