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Meeting of September 5, 1980. Tom Schaad presiding at Gilliland's.
The meeting was called to order at 9:17.5pm. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved. The treasury stood at $4277.36.
Stop the presses, ALEXIS GILLILAND won the 1980 HUGO for BEST FAN ARTIST at NOREASCON II!
Treasurer's Report for the JUNE-JULY-AUGUST quarter:
INPUT: OUTPUT: DUES 121.00 F & B 474.76 INTEREST 7.50 WSFA JOURNAL 88.77 ADMINISTRATIVE 30.00 REFUNDS 42.00 DISCLAVE 1980 3500.00 Balance 3658.50 Balance 605.53
COMMITTEES:
DISCLAVE 1981: At NOREASCON II, Alexis Gilliland approached Isaac Asimov to ask if he would consider being GOH. Asimov wanted a letter, and said he would reply with an acceptance or refusal after checking his schedule.
ENTERTAINMENT: Doll asked everyone to join the world's largest tap dance line on Sept. 7, 1980. For the evenings entertainment, Doll introduced visiting guests-- the TAFF rep. and assorted English artists.
DATCLONE 1981: Avedon is still checking hotels. Her suggestion to hold DATCLONE during UNICON weekend was quashed.
FILM EQUIPMENT: Kim Weston reported that a mixer or equalizer would cost $225--200, but indicated that good used pieces cost less. It was decided that Kim would return to WSFA his leftover operating expenses from DISCLAVE. He would be issued a new check tor $400 to purchase a mixer and equalizer.
OLD BUSINESS: Inventory lists are due. Please see Bob Oliver.
NEW BUSINESS:
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
The meeting was adjourned at 9:50pm.
Meeting of September 19, 1980. Tom Schaad presiding at Oliver's.
The meeting was called to order at 11:01pm. The minutes of the previous meeting were approved as read. The treasury stood at $4001.32.
COMMITTEES:
DISCLAVE 1981: Alexis Gilliland received a letter from Isaac Asimov. The good doctor is actually giving DISCLAVE 1981 some consideration. Also, Alexis plans to charge $10 at the door, $7 advanced registration, and $5 registration for WSFA members for DISCLAVE 1981.
MEMBERSHIP: Four new members were taken in: Randy Brunk, Ida Simmons, and Ellen Caswell. Forrest Ackerman became a corresponding member of WSFA.
PUBLICATIONS: The next journal will appear at the first meeting in October.
ENTERTAINMENT: SHOGUN!!!
OLD BUSINESS:
NEW BUSINESS:
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
The meeting was adjourned at 11:25pm.
ADDRESS CHANGES:
Bill Quick
[censored]
Severn, MD 21144
(301) 551-2581
ADDRESSES OF NEW MEMBERS:
Ellen Caswell Forrest Ackerman [censored] 2495 Glendower Ave. College Pk., MD 20740 Hollywood, CA 90027 (301) 664-0623 (213) MOON FAN Randall Brunk Craig Stanfill Box 369 [censored] College Pk.. MD 20740 College Pk., MD 20740 (301) 262-6325 (301) 864-8376 Ida Simmons Leo Sands [censored] [censored] Springfield, VA 22752 Baltimore, MD 21218 (703) 451-6006 (301) 889-0099
Memberships which are in good standing for the Sept.-Oct.-Nov. quarter as of Sept. 19, 1980. If your name is not on this list, please pay your dues!
April Barber Warren Rodgers Barbara Barron Richard Roepke Bobby Baum John Sapienza Bill Berg Tom Schaad Judith Blinn Victoria Smith Kent Bloom Stephanie Spearman Beverly Brandt Carole Stoddard Christine Callahan Linda Sweeting Avedon Carol Mike Tuchman Jack Chalker Susan Wheeler Robert Clifford Eva Whitley Regina Cohen Martin Wooster Avery Davis Rich Deglin Life Members: Scott Dennis Chick Derry Joanna Dionne Charles Gilliland Wayne Dionne Bob Madle Newton Ewell Betty Lockwood (Berg) Marge Fritts Alice L. Halderman Alexis Gilliland Frank Kerkhof Doll Gilliland Bob Pavlat Eric Hamill Michael Harris New & Renewed Members: Sharon Harris Forrest Ackerman Dave Hastie Randy Brunk Alan Huff Ellen Caswell James Jenkins Bianca L. Cepeda-Sanchez Patrick Jones Katherine E. Hanna Judith Judson Dan Joy Pat Kelly Mary Morman Suzi Koon Kathy Sands Mike Kozlowski Leo Sands Jack Lechner Susan A. Santo Janet Lynch Jeff Schalles Robert MacIntosh Craig Stanfill Elaine Mandell Steve Stiles Linda Melnick Jim Thomas Laura McNeill Kim Weston Virginia McNitt Jan Cox Bill Mayhew Philip Cox Joseph Mayhew Mimi Newcastle Barry Newton Judy Newton John Novak Bob Oliver Rosa Oliver Gary Oleson Lisa Peoples Marianne Petrino William Quick
Steve Smith (10/5); Warren Rodgers (10/16); Mike Walsh (10/17); John Sapienza (10/17); Jeff Schalles (10/18); Mark White (10/19); Susan Santo (10/23).
Having been in fandom since 1972, I prided myself on skillfully avoiding the annual World Science Fiction Convention. Although lack of funding spawned my perversion, it was fueled by visions of large fannish crowds, famine and insomnia. However, when pushed, claiming dire poverty was the best excuse for staying at home and hearth, and food, sleep and peace and quiet!
The Wheel of Fortune turned, and my luck ran out in 1980. I found myself not only in the money, but worst of all, my intended, Tom Schaad became a World Con Warlord namely, DIRECTOR OF THE ART SHOW! The dice were cast, and I came up craps-- not only was I going to World Con, 1980, but was shanghaied into becoming an Art Show Staffer.
Thus, with firm resolve, I set off for Boston on Friday, August 29, 1980. Almost bailing out over Logan Airport after a harrowing descent in what I thought was a DC-9, but which rode like the Loch Ness Monster, I pried myself loose from the aircraft. I ritually kissed terra firma, and greeted my friends, Karen Swanson and Judy Popovich, who were kind enough to give me a ride to the Lenox Hotel, our base of operation.
In a Hell ride longer than the plane trip, we arrived at our destination 2 hours later. In this time, I concluded that Boston was like Amber--streets seem to disappear and emerge without warning, and all roads lead to the Commons. As usual, we couldn't check in on arrival. To pass the time, we spent the next several hours trying to find the Hynes Auditorium.
By 4pm, the hotel was gracious enough to let us check in. Karen and Judy were sharing a room, but unfortunately, they got a broom closet on the 11th floor. My room was on the 3rd floor. When the bellboy opened the creaking door, I could only see a long corridor flanked by two large closets in the dim light, and I suspected that was where the beds were hidden. To my surprise, the passage opened into a room the size of Kansas. After drop kicking the bellboy and locating the bathroom, I did a quick inventory--2 doublebeds, 1 couch, 1 coffee table, 1 dresser, 1 rocking chair, 1 coffee maker with artificial coffee, sugar and creme, and a quaint artificial fireplace with real wood. Above the last was a small note--Do Not Light!! With my bags unpacked, my registration secured, and my artwork checked in (yes, we did find the Hynes Auditorium), I awaited the arrival of my roomies, Debbie Hulse and Regina Elio.
At 8:30pm, Karen, Judy and I went to the Art Show to rendezvous with Debbie and Regina. We knew they had arrived by checking with the hotel by phone, but they did not join us until 9:30. No! They did not get lost trying to find the Hynes Auditorium, but in fannish style, were trapped in the Lenox elevator for 45 minutes!
Once assembled, we retired to the ambience of the Sheraton Boston Coffee Shop. There, we made a solemn vow, a great oath taken by 5 innocents who had never attended a World Con. Grabbing our cracked mugs with burnt coffee, we raised the swamp water high and swore that we would not let each other turn into cheeseburgers or any other species of fast food and that we would average 8 hours sleep a night!! We sealed the oath by ordering the chocolate torte.
That night we crawled in at 2 am. At 4am, we were treated to a lovely version of the Dance of the Garbage Cans, in B flat (fortissimo!). At 5am, as the garbage cans retreated into the nether regions, my last conscious thoughts were an the presence of a glowing red exit sign over our air conditioner and far window.
On Saturday morning, I reported to the people mover, where I met and fought the paper blob. Then, as all good indenture servants, I reported to my new master -- the Art Show. Strange things were to follow for on both Saturday and Sunday evenings at approximately 6pm, the merry staff and crew metamorphosed into the cast from SHOGUN! Sporting bordello red sashes and screaming "Move'em out", hordes of art lovers were herded out of the show in order to officially close the daily bidding. The Samurai Closeout Crew bounced last minute bidders with Oriental flair in a fine demonstration of the martial arts.
In between Art Show, I attended the convention. On Saturday, I delighted in the dance of Robinson!!! I marvelled at the different varieties of assholes as related by Harlan Ellison. Finally, all reality was lost the moment the Disco Klingons, those dancing fools, got an attack of Happy Feet and convulsed around the grand ballroom. Somehow on Sunday, I found a maze of rooms with all sorts of video goodies. The best was an episode of Dr. Who (pre-Tom Baker), entitled "The Three Doctors" starring the first three doctors in the show. But Sunday belonged to Bob Silverberg, the Hugos and the winners of those Hugos. Who can forget WSFA's shining moment, when Alexis Gilliland rightly won the Hugo for Best Fan Artist! Or, the girl who ran away from Isaac Asimov's embrace and nearly set the stage curtains crashing.
Come Monday morning, we only averaged 3 hours a night sleep and ate nothing but different species of fast food. As we crawled back to civilization, I felt I had survived my Baptism by Fandom, and escaped with minimal damage--nothing a sirloin and 24 hours of sleep couldn't cure. Others were not so fortunate. Tom still sleepwalks at night, looking for hanging space. Well, maybe he needs a real vacation. Next year, we will have a nice rest. Denver seems like a good place for 81.
Remember the days when cons were simple, yet elegant? The relaxacon is on the endangered species list. As more and more conventions aim for ultraprogramming and become media events, the original spirit and motivation of conventioning is lost. To keep those memories alive, and remind us of our origins, the following convention report is presented. It comes from THE WSFA JOURNAL (no.71, 1970).-Ed.
After our usual three states of fog, Alice and I arrived in beautiful downtown Columbus. The hotel, a towering obelisk among groveling slums, was an easy step off the interstate. Add one Jerry Kaufman (semi-official greeter), and we knew we had arrived.
All the rooms were pie-wedge-shaped and filled. Our room had a single bed, a roll-away and a crib, which left room for one fan and a half a can of beer. I feel obliged to add that we did, however, have an excellent view of the smog which passes for air out there.
Having arrived early and sweaty, we betook ourselves towards the heated pool, and were descended upon by the caped Dragon Lady herself, guest-of-honor Anne McCaffrey. The pool was nice, the company better, and we killed a buncha time 'til the party started.
There were eighty-some odd fans and about 3,000 basketball nuts in the hotel that night. We drank them under the table. End of Friday night.
Saturday came, despite all our efforts. The hotel cafeteria was, for a change, not too expensive, and good service was duly noted.
Larry Smith had planned this year's Marcon to be a low-key, relaxed affair. He succeeded. The only planned activity was Anne's speech at the banquet Sat. afternoon. The banquet came off without a hitch. Anne was beautiful in style and voice as always.
The party Saturday night was kicked off to the frosted fumes of dry ice floating in gallons of blog. The pros (Anne, Dannie Plachta, Dean McLaughlin, and T.L. Sherred) held court of sorts while sidestepping dry ice and drunken fans (not to mention the totally-demolished basketball crazies). It was a good party, which lasted until Mike Lalor claimed his bed as the sun rose.
Sunday was full of sitting around and swimming. Our trip home (415 miles) took two days and was so filled with snow, fog, boarding houses at 2 a.m. and Godzilla that I could take three issues of TWJ to cover it. But the nightmare, two month's distant, is still too painful to elaborate upon. Ask one who wears the star-crossed badge of a Haldebus odyssey -- ah, the stories you will receive. It was a good con -- Larry managed it well, and Cele was a most gracious hostess.
If power corrupts, and Absolute power corrupts absolutely, where does that leave God?
If the world exploded, they would find some way to blame it on me.
UFO's are real!--It's the Air Force that doesn't exist!
(The preceding have been provided from the Disclave 1980 wall graffiti from the archives of Beverly Brandt. Responsible replies are welcome.-- ED.)
As we go to press, the following bulletin has been received. It has been leaked from a reliable source that the president of WSFA and the secretary of WSFA are running away together!!! Tom Schaad and Marianne Petrino will be married on October 25, 1980 at 3:30pm at St. Christopher's Church in Parsippany, New Jersey. They will honeymoon for 2 weeks in Aruba and Curacao, and may or may not be back for the first meeting in November, depending on both travel conditions and motivation.-Ed.
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The WSFA Journal is the newsletter of the Washington Science Fiction Association. Editor-in-Chief: Marianne G. Petrino, [censored], Arlington, VA 22204. Assistant Editors: Beverly L. Brandt & Joseph Mayhew.