Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2006 20:33:23 -0400
From: Ted White <twhite8 at cox.net>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Former WSFANs get a Worldcon
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

Michael Walsh wrote:
> >
> >>>> davinci at chesapeake.net 8/30/2006 4:09:07 PM >>>
> > I've only seen Tom at conventions.  He's usually working on them or
> > on panels (which is a different type of work). He's been a co-chair
> > of a Worldcon and on various concoms.
> >
> > On panels, he's articulate and interesting -- and as far as I'm
> > concerned that's worthy of a GoH slot all on it's own.
> >
> > A person who is the ultimate in fanac but can't carry on a decent
> > conversation within the panel structure would in my mind be a
> > terrible GoH. Besides who the heck cares about fanac status -- I
> > don't and I doubt many others do either based on conversations with
> > convention attendees. At cons what counts is a persons ability to
> > help instill in the attendees a sense that this person loves the
> > field and can talk intelligently about it.
>
>  I guess it depends upon how one defines "fanac".
>
>  N4s Fan GoHs: Jacks Speer and Peter Weston both have had an
>  impressive fannish career.  Jack going back to The Begining of it
>  All.  And he was at Aussiecon III... a well traveled fan.  And Peter
>  has done all sorts of things (check out their info on the still
>  extant Noreascon 4 site). Both are articulate people.
>
>  Few people have had fannish life as long as Jack Speer.  There are
>  fewer and fewer dinosaurs amongst us.

Yes, they were both excellent choices.  Speer also wrote the original
(mid-'40s) FANCYCLOPEDIA (updated in 1958 by WSFA's own Dick Eney as
FANCYCLOPEDIA 2).  I think Jack is the sole surviving original member of
FAPA (created in 1937) -- who is still an active member today.  And
Peter wrote his fan memoirs (booklength) for the convention.

--Ted White