From: "Ted White" <twhite8 at cox.net>
To: "WSFA members" <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Old Schoolkids [was: Old School]
Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2005 21:04:19 -0500
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

----- Original Message -----
From: <samlubell at verizon.net>
To: "WSFA members" <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 3:42 PM
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Old Schoolkids [was: Old School]

> >From: MarkLFischer at aol.com
> >I suppose I should wait until I've been to a contemporary con or two to
ask,
> >but is there actually a younger generation of fen following us up in any
> >numbers, or is my lot *it*?
>
> I suspect that every generation has felt itself the last upholders of
civilization and that the younger generations would not take up the burden.
The WWII "Greatest Generation" looked down on the 60s generation as a bunch
of moral degenerates.  The 60s generation criticized their successors as
the apathetic "Generation X".  And I have no doubt the Xers will find
something not to like in today's kids.

=======

You're not responding to Mark's question, but going off on a tangent there,
and one which has nothing to do with fandom.

=======

> >From a WSFA point of view there are several active members of our club
who are under 40.  And, in larger fandom, some of today's anime and media
fen doubtless will be able to keep the general conventions going.
>
> The real challenge will be to take all the millions reading Harry Potter
and turn even a small fraction of them into con fen.

=======

Why "con fen" rather than just "fen" (or "fans")?   Conventions don't exist
for warm bodies, you know, and fandom is far bigger.

--Ted White