Date: Mon, 9 Aug 2004 10:09:17 -0600 (CST)
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Noreascon First Night
From: john at bungalow.org
To: "Keith F. Lynch" <kfl at KeithLynch.net>, WSFAlist at WSFA.org
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

At Keith's request, here is the text of the discussion paper I handed out
at Friday's WSFA meeting to describe the current plans for WSFA's booth at
Noreascon's First Night event.  We need more volunteers to help at
Noreascon (staffing the booth, delivering "campaign speeches," leading
"spontaneous demonstrations," etc.)!  Because I don't read this list,
please email me directly with suggestions, complaints, or offers to help.

Thanks!

John Pomeranz
john at bungalow.org

The Washington Science Fiction Association presents
Campaign Central:  SF Authors for First Citizen of Fanistan
(aka the WSFA Booth at Noreascon 4\222s First Night)

The following is description of the plans for WSFA\222s booth at First Night
prepared for discussion at the August 6, 2004 WSFA meeting.

In General

WSFA will create and staff a booth for Noreascon\222s First Night event on
the Thursday of Noreascon (September 2).  The booth will be a
participatory event at which convention members are encouraged to make
speeches and demonstrate in support of famous authors running for \223First
Citizen of Fanistan\224 (or some other fictitious office).  Prizes will be
awarded to those who participate.

The event is designed to be fun and frivolous, in keeping with the intent
of the First Night organizers.  In planning and conducting this event we
are making every possible effort to avoid any chance that people will take
our \223election\224 theme too seriously and engage in real-world political
debate.  (Best to keep that stuff in the hotel bars, where it belongs.)

Candidates

Candidate will be limited to dead authors, selected by WSFA prior to the
convention \226 people whose strident political views, if any, are so
divorced from our current political reality as to seem quaint or
cartoonish.  We have discussed Verne, Wells, Doc Smith, Heinlein, Shelley,
and Tiptree, and we should probably limit the list to four.  The
\223positions\224 of the candidates will be two-dimensional caricatures...
Wells the Socialist, Doc Smith the Hawk, Heinlein the Libertarian, Shelley
the Feminist, Verne the...  I don\222t know... Globalist? Anti-Militarist?
Using a pre-defined list and not accepting \223nominations\224 from the floor
both helps to prevent a fracas and simplifies production of our signage.

Structure of the Activity

Prepped shills (presumably WSFAns) will present comedic campaign speeches
for each author and lead the \223spontaneous demonstration\224 for that
candidate. (We\222re bringing red, white, and blue skimmer hats; pylon-style
signs (like the state delegations have); and a few more traditional signs.
 After a speech, there will be cheering and chanting of slogans (either
ones we will have prepared or suggestions of others) and the candidate\222s
name.  The speeches and demonstrations will likely be repeated to fill
time and attract interest if we get dead time.

After the prepared speeches con-goers will be invited to \223compete\224 by
presenting a speech from our soapbox (decorated, wooden box, strong enough
to support the most... um... fan-shaped fan, that\222s labeled something like
\223Pan-Galactic Soap\224).  We will provide a poster with printed rules:

· Speech must be less than one minute;
· Speech must be for one of the listed candidates;
· Speech will be judged on humor and appropriateness to author/candidate;
· Anyone referring to a real candidate or election (in the opinion of the
impartial moderator is disqualified; Those taking this too seriously will
be ridiculed mercilessly by the moderator and given the hook, the gong, or
other method of removal (undecided).

Those not given the hook will be given some cheezy prize.  (Noreascon is
buying gewgaws to give away and issuing prize tickets to each booth
operator.)

Throughout this, fans will get to \223vote\224 (pre-printed ballots into ballot
box).  Every so often throughout the event, we\222ll update the totals on a
tote board as the \223returns come in\224 (i.e. when we get around to counting
whatever\222s in the box at that moment).  Ballot box stuffing will be
discouraged (maybe we\222ll get a D.C.-related stamp for people\222s hands), but
won\222t be rigorously policed (who cares, after all?).  We\222ll likely submit
the final results to the N4 newsletter, which can print them or not, as it
sees fit.