Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 09:18:45 -0500
From: "Michael Walsh" <MJW at press.jhu.edu>
To: <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: WSFA History web page revamped
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

> kfl at KeithLynch.net 1/19/05 12:31:14 AM >>>
>"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The year the bid was withdrawn or lost?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.

I would suggest listing the abortive bids in the year they were first
mentioned in WSFS minutes.

>
>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.

I seem to recall folks going to the back porch area of the Gillilands
apartment in DC to smoke.  When they moved to Arlington there was no
smoking in the house.  3rd Friday meetins are another matter.  I believe
Bill Berg smoked, as did Bob Oliver (he and Rose being later 3rd Friday
hosts).  I suspect smoking was ok in Bill's house, but not in the
Oliver's (Bob going outside to smoke).

Two "traditions" that WSFA indulfed in for many years were the after
meeting poker game (you'll see references to the club discussing the
purchasing a poker table) and the after meeting gathering at a nearby
IHOP.

The poker game seemed to have gone away when Lee Smoire went to Perth.
As for IHOP... I don't know why that "tradition" ceased.

>
>* 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.

mjw