Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 00:31:14 -0500 (EST)
From: "Keith F. Lynch" <kfl at KeithLynch.net>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: WSFA History web page revamped
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

"Rich Lynch" <rw_lynch at yahoo.com> wrote:
> The WSFA History might also make note of the times WSFA has bid for
> a worldcon but not succeeded.  (The most recent was for the 1992
> Worldcon, which was eventually held in Orlando.)

"Ted White" <twhite8 at cox.net> wrote:
> Well, WSFA bid for the 1960 Worldcon, and lost that one to
> Pittsburgh.  Have there been others?

I'm aware of one other bid: 1984.  It depended on an expected change to
the rotation system that didn't happen, leaving 1984 as a West Coast
year, which LA won.

I considered mentioning these three bids on the history page, but
where would I put them?  The year bid for?  The year the bid started?
The year the bid was withdrawn or lost?  Besides, I'm not sure there
weren't other bids that I haven't noticed yet.

There was talk of bidding for 1950, but I'm not sure how serious that
was.  One problem is that 1950s references to "the convention" are
sometimes referring to Disclave, other times to the Worldcon, and it's
not always obvious which.

I hope I'm including enough detail in my present-day meeting minutes
that there will be no ambiguities to readers in another fifty years.

I have a couple questions:

* When did people stop smoking at WSFA meetings?  If there was a
  specific date, that would be worth mentioning.

* What was the Transportation Building?  Was it part of the federal
  government?  Part of the DC government?  Which agency?  How did WSFA
  get use of it?  Employees were free to bring any number of guests to
  their workplace after hours?  Why did WSFA stop meeting there?

Thanks.