Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 10:16:04 -0400
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
From: "Mike B." <omni at omniphile.com>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: rehash of fandom
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

At 06:07 AM 4/21/05 -0700, N Lynch wrote:
>--- "Mike B." <omni at omniphile.com> wrote:
>> >(5) are prominent as a charity group, not as a
>> group of geeks
>> >who get together, etc.
>>
>> Exactly my point.  What's the reason that fandom
>> can't have that too?
>
>Because fandom ISN'T.  The prominent charity groups
>are just that - charity groups.  They may socialize,
>BUT the members are required, first and foremost to do
>volunteer work.

You don't have to be primarily a charity group to get seen as one by the
general public, and therefore have some of your odder behaviors accepted.
I belong to a motorcycle club (Harley-Davidson Owners Group, or "HOG",
Montgomery County Chapter) and the primary reason to belong is to have fun
and to ride...in fact that's our motto.  That doesn't stop us from holding
events to raise money for charity (our main one is Children's Inn at NIH,
and the national HOG's main one is Muscular Dystrophy) and participating in
other charitable events that other groups hold (we helped with Shady Grove
Adventist Hospital's Cancer Ride last summer, which had over 400
bikes...and there are a bunch of other such events every year for various
causes).  Most motorcycle clubs do this sort of thing, and the general
public is becoming aware of it and realizing that the 1950's view of
"bikers" as a bunch of town-wrecking Hell's Angels is obsolete and applies
only to a very small percentage of bikers at best.  Heck, we're invited to
schools for show and tell day now.

I don't see any reason fandom can't do something similar.  Darkover has
been doing it for years, and has donated over $15K to their favorite
charity (Children's Hospital I believe) without any adverse impact on the
con.  They've made it a very fun event and a major attraction of the con
with the help of Clam Chowder.  The fans enjoy it, the con benefits and
they raise money for a good charity all at the same time...what's not to
like?  If most cons did this eventually the public would find out about it
(it would make a good news story for instance) and "those weird people in
the funny costumes" would come to be seen as good folks helping others so
cut them some slack...

>It is not the nature of fandom to be a service
>organization first and foremost.

Nor does it have to be, as I hope I've shown with the examples above.

I'm not advocating that we do this, I'm just suggesting that there could be
benefits if we did that would address the problem that was being discussed
of the way fans are seen by everyone else.

-- Mike B.
--
Science asks why.  I ask why not.