From: "Ted White" <twhite8 at cox.net>
To: "WSFA members" <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: rehash of fandom
Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 12:14:50 -0400
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike B." <omni at omniphile.com>
To: "WSFA members" <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2005 10:16 AM
Subject: [WSFA] Re: rehash of fandom

> 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 "bikers" as a bunch of town-wrecking Hell's Angels is obsolete and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 think "the general public" sees "bikers" as "primarily a charity
group" -- even during the Rolling Thunder gathering (maybe most of all
then).

> 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...

Darkover's role in this regard is not widely known, especially among
mundanes.

For years -- since 1976 -- Worldcons have had blood drives in Heinlein's
name.  (Personally, I wouldn't want donated blood from people who had
stayed up all night for days, consumed a lot of alcohol and other drugs,
etc., but....)  It doesn't seem to have dented the public's perception of
Worldcons.

--Ted White