Minutes
First Friday, September 4, 2009
Minutes by Sam Lubell.
Meeting started 9:16, President Lee Strong presiding.
Officers:
President: Lee Strong
The president reported that copies of the bylaws and standing rules are on the table. The bank accepted proof of our nonprofit status. It is still an issue but we’re working on it.
Treasurer: Tina Abel
Charlie said the amount of money has not changed.
|
WSFA |
Citi |
$6,428.85 |
|
Capclave |
Citi |
$5,362.39 |
|
CD 1 (Feb) |
M&T |
$5,739.95 |
|
CD 2 (May) |
BB&T |
$6,000.00 |
|
CD 3 (Aug) |
M&T |
$5,878.86 |
|
Total |
$29,410.05 |
Trustees; Charles Abel, Colleen Cahill, Chris Newman
No report.
Entertivities: Sam Lubell
Sam for entertainment committee tried to organize trip to the Renaissance Faire.
Publications: Steve Smith
WSFA Press: Ernest Lilly
Ernest for publications gave status on book. Last request for information went out too late. Bill said we are on track with the new book. Waiting for inventory. Bill said the book is at the printers. We have payment from John Sapienza. Ernest has official list of pre-sales but doesn’t know official number. It is in the high 20s. Mike said that books are not missing. He counted them, but the slip of paper is missing. Approximately 100 Shiner books, 40 of the Cadigan books. At his Capclave, they gave some away. The rest are in Baltimore. Future Washington has a bunch in NH (40-80) and a small number in Baltimore. Probably over 100 paperbacks, about 100 hardbacks, rough ball park estimate. Will talk after the meeting.
Website: Paul Haggerty & Gayle Surrette
Paul for website said he is doing some updates, nothing to report. Gayle’s 2010 is online. He talked to Tina about WSFA Press. The website is up but until today only check/Money order. Worked on getting official WSFA Paypal account but they lost the paper. We are currently running on Gayle and Paul’s account until get official one running. Two versions – one for mailing after Capclave (adding shipping) also one for pickup at Capclave with receipt. Website will be publicized and advertised. Rebecca asked if Capclave was on calendar. Yes.
Capclave Present: Bill Lawhorn
Mark just signed up. Don’t have full numbers, on a par with or a little head of last year. Sign up sheets for volunteers. Sam and Bill will do programming. Next Saturday will have Capclave meeting 2pm at Peggy Rae’s. There will be a memorial for Hal Haag who was a good friend of WSFA and Capclave. Charlie said that the best size for program book will be half page landscape. Bill said we have artwork from Steve for cover. Lee asked where are we on programming? Sam Lubell said he sent programming survey and got most of them back. Bill said we asked guests on what they want to do. Shelia is leaving early on Sunday. October 1 deadline for joining then will have to go at the door.
Capclave Future: Gayle Surrette
Gayle said Capclave 2010 is moving right along. The site is up. GoH are Connie Willis and Jeff VanderMeer. She will have more to report when don’t have laryngitis and not mostly dead.
The Committee to Actually Discuss Science Fiction: Bill Lawhorn
The committee to talk SF will discuss the F&SF issue. At Capclave will discuss the Asimov’s issue. Read it and discuss with editor about how she picked the stories.
New Finance: Tina Abel
Chris Abel for the finance committee. Banks are troublesome, not sure of documents. Rewriting the transition rules because of banking issues. Never really had corporate account. Need to be in compliance. Working on issues for final report.
Awards: Colleen Cahill
Gayle Surrette reported. Places have been sent a list of finalists. Award should be in mailbox in a week.
Old Business:
Motion tabled to increase our dues. No motion to take off the table.
New business:
Bill Lawhorn proposed two bylaw changes. The underlined parts are changes. Article 4 section F. Chris said we need to validate signatures. Took 10 minutes and declared valid. Lee said, Bill introduced tow proposed bylaw changes. Under our rules, must be carried over and voted at next meeting. Will discuss one at a time. Can discuss but not vote. First is a change to duties of chair of convention. Amendment would add three duties, all WSFA business with convention GOHs are through chairman. Mark asked, what is the purpose of this? Bill said this would codify existing practice and protects against rogue elements in unlikely event. Everything goes through chair. Charlie asked how is this different from what is going on already? What changes? Bill said this codifies existing practice. Ensures following our rules. In past, we’ve found that what we thought was procedure was not actually written in the rules. Drew asked, protects against misrepresentation? Bill said this reduces our liability as a club, ensures known lines of communication. Drew said protects against malicious claims. Chris said he never saw an instance of someone trying to sabotage the convention. This is ineffective since if a rogue, what’s to stop them from ignoring rule. Does have unintended consequences in that publications committee would want to contact GOH. Spreads con chair thin. Bill replies it does create right to remove rogue officer who breaks rule. As [the current con chair is] 38 years old, can delegate if too busy. Currently publications committee has consent to contact Harry. This rule would create point at which consent would be given. Mick Gall said, having helped write things, codifying standard procedures is good, but doing it in bylaws is bad idea. Too hard to change. Bylaws should be to control the club and don’t want rules to control everything. His advice is to focus on purpose of bylaws and not micromanage everything through bylaws. Too hard to change. Instead, you should develop a standards practice manual. Elspeth talked about the extent of bylaws. Some discussion on SMOFs list about contact with press and who should delegate. Having one point of contact makes sense from organizational viewpoint. Says consent of chair which means can delegate. Lee said, my interpretation is that con chair can consent but not delegate the power to consent. Elspeth said, friendly amendment so that people can be designees. But not at this time. Not malicious but point of contact. Bill can stop at this point and clarify. Lee said need amendments in writing. Sam Scheiner said #3 is redundant because #2 says authorized to transact all necessary business and to set necessary rules. Mark said, other side. Talk about chair overspreading self and trying to take too much power. What if can’t delegate, no one can talk to GOH but me. Sam Lubell said guest of honor should be plural. Bill agreed should be guest(s). Chris said small parliamentary point of information. No differentiation in amendments whether they are friendly or not. Ernest said there is value to the friendly amendment procedure.
There was a long recess in the middle of the meeting while Elspeth, Bill and Lee hammered out the amendment. Elspeth offered amendment. All contact with convention GOHs in regard to WSFA business shall be made by chair and persons designated by chair until <date>. Bill moved to call the question. Chris said need to have 2/3rds vote. Lee vote to cut off debate. 14 in favor none opposed to closing debate. Vote on substituting language. 13 for, 0 against, one abstention. Elspeth appointed to do a clean version of this and send to secretary and forum.
Chris made motion. Spent a good deal of time on speculative corrections at a time when need to focus on convention and book. Move that this be delayed until third Friday in February, chosen because last Capclave closed books in Feb. No second. Sam L. voted to postpone discussion until the first Friday in October because next meeting would be Rosh Hashanah. Bill asked to postpone until third Friday in November. Sam said this was friendly. Objection raised that this would be Philcon. 11 for, none opposed. Discussion will resume on Art 4, Section F on 3rd Friday in Nov.
Adrienne asked to adjourn. Chris said we can postpone both by cloning Sam’s amendment. Adrienne withdrew. Lee said discussion returns to article 5. Changes to article 5 read. Bill asked to make motion that Article 5 language be postponed until 3rd Friday of Nov. Chris said not putting my hand up your shirt. Bill said, or anywhere else. Chris, speaking for Bill, put this in parliamentary language. Motion seconded, no debate, no objection, so unanimous consent.
The full text of the bylaws changes is below.
New people:
Lee welcomed visitors to WSFA. Mick Globs. Micks said, I was determined after spending two years in Singapore to discuss SF with someone. I came across Baltimore first then saw WSFA in their history. Has a question on SF. Does anyone know any good steampunk novels? Ann Randolph was here for her first WSFA meeting. She’s a member of BSFS. Has helped at Capclave. Heard about us a Disclave 77. Mark Roth here for second meeting.
Announcements:
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Sam Scheiner traveled 20K miles since his last WSFA meeting. Went to Italy, Yucatan, Canada, Florida. Been busy. Wrote 150 K words. Turned in two books (neither to Johns Hopkins) both in review. Developed a theory that does for rest of biology what Darwin did for evolution.
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Rebecca Prather said science talks at the Carnegie Institute and Philosophical Society of Washington.
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Mike Walsh had free samplers from DAW and books for sale.
Unanimously adjourned at 11:09.
Third Friday, September 18, 2009
Meeting called to order at 9:16 PM by President Lee Strong
Officers' Reports:
President: Lee Strong
Vice President: Judy Newton
Secretary: Steve Smith
No minutes
Treasurer: Tina Abel
|
WSFA |
Citi |
$7,308.24 |
|
Capclave |
Citi |
$7,363.13 |
|
Merchant |
Citi |
$1,055.08 |
|
CD 1 (Feb) |
M&T |
$5,739.95 |
|
CD 2 (May) |
BB&T |
$6,000.00 |
|
Total |
$27,466.40 |
No checks tonight – our accounts are on hold and treasurer is injured. The problem with the accounts is that we have to be registered to do business in Virginia. Lee Strong is working on it. It will be resolved before Capclave. The Treasurer's injury has to do with soup bowls.
The Treasurer suggests that we do a fundraiser through the local Uno's Pizza to raise some dough.. If interested, we go to the local Uno's, set up a date, and get donation tickets to hand out. We all go there (not necessarily together) A portion of sales goes to organization 15%.
It would definitely be a post-Capclave activity. Tina will coordinate.
Trustees: Charles Abel, Colleen Cahill, Chris Newman
Nada
Entertivities: Sam Lubell
Tomorrow is Talk Like a Pirate Day & Hermione Granger's birthday. [Is there a connection here? – Editor]
The movie “9” has opened.
Publications: Steve Smith
Journal: Steve Smith
The August Journal is in the hands of the webmasters.
Webmasters: Paul Haggerty & Gayle Surrette
No changes. They are posting updates to the Capclave blog. If you want the latest info on Capclave, go to the blog.
WSFA Press: Ernest Lilly
The press release is out.
We've sold 5 through the Website plus 30 others total. So far, we've sold about 45 books total.
Capclave Present: Bill Lawhorn
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Things are going well. Program books are going OK and will go better when Charles' computer gets fixed.
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Registration is 162 – ahead of last year.
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Lee – Walter Reed? Donating books in name of WSFA and Capclave.
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Charles – college mail waiting for approval.
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Greenroom and Conops are OK. Mike Nelson has a coffee urn for us.
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We're collecting donated items for the silent auction for the SFWA medical fund. The last 2 WSPA winners are donating Tuckerizations to the auction.
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Restaurant Guide working on maps and checking accuracy.
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Sara Mitchell is working on the Con Suite. Montgomery County is getting fussy about food handling. This means that everything has to be prepackaged. Let Sarah know about costs at friendly local stores. Especially healthy stuff.
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Program is coming together.
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Volunteers Need move in, move out, registration, door guards.
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The next committee meeting is Columbus Day weekend at Bills place. Last minute omygods.
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Gail is vol. Coordinator at con.
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Side note: at meting. Going with letting people sneaking into dealer room. Not con suite.
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Kathi Overton is doing AV stuff.
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Going to do a drawing, associated with filling out feedback surveys.
Capclave Future: Gayle Surrette
Guests are Connie Willis, Jeff & Ann Vandermeer. They're putting together their first flyer. The theme is “To Say Nothing of the Dodo”.
Capclave Far Future: Cathy Green
Still looking for a hotel.
The Committee to Actually Discuss Science Fiction: Bill Lawhorn
No.
New Finance: Tina Abel
Tina's just about done with WSFA general account and is getting back to Capclave. There are questions. The audit will be complete at a near future date.
Awards: Colleen Cahill
Gail knows who won! We have paper & holders for certs. Lee will announce, Colleen gives award.
Old business:
Colleen Cahill's motion to increase dues to $20, $15 for student/military/senior was postponed due to a lack of a quorum.
Bylaws changes postponed to 3rd friday November.
New business:
Nope.
New people:
First: Keith Nixon. He found us by looking for SF clubs on the Web.
Third: Mark Roth.
Announcements:
-
Nonstandard: The brown bunny died. He ate bad mushrooms – got high and died. Candy has event at Pooelsville and she'd like to do a vehicle swap with something that can tow a trailer. Last year, Candy and Kindra were in a play The Devil's Christmas Carol. It's coming around again this year. Candy has a part. John got a part, too – male lead. Song & dance musical.
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Colleen informs us that Jeff Vandermeer will be at the Library of Congress on December 1.
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The author that Colleen will be escorting at the Book Festival is Rick Riordan, who writes about the Cahills.
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Tina Abel has another job! She's waitressing at Uno in Merrifield. Unfortunately, she injured some tendons while carrying soup bowls.
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Gail Surrette says that they're recreating the voyage of the Beagle. You can see what it's like now – there are 35 episodes on Dutch TV. In Dutch with no subtitles. They're also doing Facebook and Twitter things. The great-great granddaughter of Charles Darwin is on board.
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Mike Walsh has books.
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Bill Lawhorn will be giving out bookmarks at National Book Festival; need volunteers.
Meeting unanimously adjourned at 10:17 PM.
Attendance:
Charles Abel, Christina Abel, Colleen Cahill, Carolyn Frank, Erica Ginter, Lydia Ginter, Paul Haggerty, Bill Lawhorn, Candy Madigan, John Madigan, Sarah Mitchell, Barry Newton, Judy Newton, Keith Nixon, Evan Phillips, Mark Roth, Steve Smith, Bill Squire, Lee Strong, Gayle Surrette, Michael Walsh, Ivy Yap.
Proposed Bylaw Changes
The complete official bylaws are at <http://www.wsfa.org/bylaws.htm>.
Proposed Change to Article IV Section F of the WSFA Bylaws
Introduced 4 September 2009
My proposed bylaw change is to Article IV Section F which currently reads:
“F. The Chairman of the Convention for each year shall:
1. Be elected by members at a regular meeting designated by the membership.
2. Be authorized to transact all necessary business, to set necessary Convention rules, and to appoint all Convention officers with the exception of the Convention treasurer designee or financial officer. The Chairman may nominate a Convention treasurer designee for approval by the Treasurer.”
I propose to amend the section to add:
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“All WSFA business related contract with the Convention Guest of Honor is through the consent of the Chair of the Convention until such time as all convention business is concluded.”
During the discussion of 4 September 2009, the club amended the proposal to strike out the proposed item 3 above and substitute the following language:
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“All contact with the Convention Guest(s) of Honor which relates to WSFA business shall be made by the Chair of the Convention or person(s) designated by the Chair of the Convention until April 15 of the following calendar year.”
Proposed Change to Article V of the WSFA Bylaws
Introduced 4 September 2009. Changes to the current Bylaws are underlined.
C. The Publications Committee shall:
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Consist of the Secretary, serving as chairman ex-officio, and other members who shall be appointed by the President, the membership of WSFA, or the Secretary and may be removed by unanimous vote of the Trustees.
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Have jurisdiction over all publications sponsored by WSFA, including THE WSFA JOURNAL.
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THE WSFA JOURNAL shall be scheduled for monthly publication and shall include the Secretary’s minutes, committee reports and other records and information pertaining to club business as well as other suitable material of interest to the membership. Material specifically critical of any club member shall be submitted to the Publications Committee for approval before being published. The Editor of the JOURNAL shall be selected by the Secretary with the advice and consent of the Committee, and may be removed from office by the Secretary, or, after the intention to do so is publicly announced at a prior meeting, by a majority of those voting.
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The existence of THE WSFA JOURNAL shall not preclude other publications being sponsored by WSFA, but none shall be sponsored without the consent of the Publications Committee. Such publications need not be governed by the rules which apply to the official publication.
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Publications necessary and related to the convention are delegated to the convention chair unless the WSFA membership declines to grant that authority by two-thirds vote.
D. Special committees shall be formed by the President as such times as deemed necessary.
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The chair of the special committee may appoint members to the committee as deemed necessary to the operation of the committee.
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No special committee may continue operation for more than 3 months without the consent of the WSFA membership.
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After the conclusion of a committee it may not be reinstated for 6 months unless authorized by two-thirds majority.
Reviews
Retro Review: Virgin Planet
Thomas
Bouregy & Company, 1959
Written by Poul Anderson
Reviewed by Lee Strong
Many a male has fantasized about being the only Man on a planet full of beautiful Women. Here intrepid space pilot Davis Bertram gets his wish only to discover that being a demigod isn’t as easy as it sounds.
Corporal Maiden Barbara Whitley is out hunting for food one day when she discovers a Monster has landed on her world, the moon Atlantis, in a Ship of Space. Naturally, she lassos it and drags it cross country to stand trial before her hereditary chief, the Udall of Freetoon. There, the Monster claims to be a Man, a claim that the Udall proposes to test by having it publicly impregnate Barbara. Politics promptly rears its lovely head and Barbara, her clone cousin Valeria, courtier Elinor, and Bertie must escape Freetoon for a tour of Atlantis and its several all-female cultures. Is Bertie a Man or a Monster? Only the Doctors who control the world by means of their parthenogenesis machine know for sure and they want Bertie and the Whitleys dead!
I very much enjoyed this charmingly simple tale of a series of odd societies and tense situations created by fictional science. As usual, Anderson sketches out the science and history of his vividly realized world adroitly. The characters are well drawn and their interactions both truly human and brightened with more than a little humor. Anderson handles the obvious sexual and political tensions with wit and dignity – a welcome contrast to how less skillful authors would have treated the same idea. All in all, a good fun read.
I rate Virgin Planet as 3.0 stars on the 5 star scale because it’s got a solid story based on well thought out speculative science, all handled with dignity and humor. – LS
Really Retro Review: A Journey to the Center of the Earth
Originally published as Voyage
au Centre de la Terre
by Pierre-Jules Hetzel,
1864
First English Language Publication by Griffith and Farran, 1871
Written by Jules Verne
Reviewed by Lee Strong
Practically everyone has explored a cave or at least a hole in the ground at one time or another. Here Jules Verne takes his intrepid heroes on the greatest cave expedition of all time!
German professor Lindenbrook – “Hardiwigg” in some versions – finds a medieval manuscript by Icelandic alchemist Arne Saknussem claiming to have journeyed to the center of the Earth. Naturally, he takes off to retrace the great explorer’s footsteps aided by his nephew and a duck hunter. They descend into the crater of Mount Sneffels in Iceland where they find a winding set of passageways that lead them ever deeper into the Earth’s crust. Traveling thru massive coal beds, bedeviled by thirst, and startled by electrical phenomena, they journey ever onward towards their goal hidden in the bowels of the Earth! But can they survive the perils of the dinosaur infested Central Sea and volcanic explosions?
Like many readers, I enjoyed this daring 19th Century travelogue. Jules Verne is noted for his thoughtful applications of contemporary science and this adventure is no exception. His heroes are aware of the reasons why their journey should not work but plunge boldly ahead in the highest spirit of scientific endeavor to prove or disprove their working theory. That said, the story is not without its weak points. Some of the plot devices are extremely convenient and others just defy logic. Any real cave explorer would scoff at the relative ease of the journey and the inadequacy of the heroes’ preparations. Moreover, the extended scene in which the narrator wanders several miles away from the others without realizing it doesn’t pass the straight face test. Still, the story will reward the patient (and forgiving) reader. After all, yah gotta love the first novel to bring dinosaurs into the contemporary world!
In a lighter note, 21st Century Americans in Iceland still visit the crater of Mount Sneffels seeking Verne’s passageway to the Earth’s center. Alas for modern adventure, none have found it! Yet!
There have been several movies made from Verne’s classic. I consider the 1959 Twentieth Century Fox production with James Mason as Scottish Professor Lindenbrook and Pat Boone as his student Alec the best. The film deviates considerably from Verne’s rather stodgy tale but delightfully so with beautiful visuals and plenty of thrills and romance. The 2008 version with Brendan Fraser as the intrepid professor was adequate but I didn’t like the repeated use of 3D effects to drip or poke things in my eyes.
I rate the classic novel A Journey to the Center of the Earth as 3.0 stars on the 5 star scale because a great idea is weakened by holes in the logic. – LS
WSFA History
Ten Years Ago
September 1999
A long letter from Alexis Gilliland on the Austerity Commttee.
Twenty Years Ago
September 1989
John Pomeranz's play Smoflahoma, tracing the rise and fall of Discon III, was in dress rehearsal.
Thirty Years Ago
September 1979
Hotel negotiations proceeded for Datclave (the last Fifth Friday in February of the millennium). The Crystal City Marriott offered us a room rate of $29.
Letters
From the Editor
Late again. I was hoping to get this issue out by Capclave. Oh well. If somebody had to be late with a publication, better the Journal than the program book or Reincarnations.
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Steve Smith, Editor, The WSFA Journal