Category: N3F

Jack Robins granted Life membership

The third quarter of the N3F was rather busy as four motions passed: three regarding memberships, including a proposed constitutional amendment, and a separation of powers issue.

All motions are listed in a box on the following page.

Perhaps the most celebratory news to come out of the directorate is that of granting our first Life Membership in decades to longtime N3F member, Jack Robins on September 25, 2012.

“I am overwhelmed at being elected a life member. At 93 and 1/2 years of age, I am not sure how much life I have left, but I will enjoy all,” Jack said upon hearing of the award.

Jack also recently was named to the First Fandom Hall of Fame (who proudly self-proclaim themselves as “The dinosaurs of science fiction fandom.”) – David Speakman

 

March 2012 Directorate Report

By David Speakman

N3F Directorate Activity: January 1 – February 15, 2012

The following were the final  acts of the 70th N3F Directorate, which held office from January 1, 2011 -February 15, 2012):

* * *

MOTION 2012-01

Suspend bylaws to allow elections for 2012 officers as per Heath ROw’s suggestions with a ballot deadline of February 15, 2012. Re-Appoint Ruth Davidson as Election Teller.

SO MOVED
January 17, 2012, by Speakman

PASSED
January 19, 2012
Yea: 5 (Unanimous)
* * *

MOTION 2012-02

In honor of our 70th anniversary:  As a thank you to all the N3F fen: living current and former members of the N3F get a one-year membership extension.

HOW IMPLEMENTED:
1. CURRENT MEMBERS: 1 year EXTENDED to their current subscription; no subscription ends before January 2013:
Examples:
Expiration date of 02/2012 becomes 02/2013
Expiration date of 11/2014 becomes 11/2015
Expiration date of 12/2011 becomes 01/2013

2. LAPSED/DROPPED PEOPLE IN OUR RECORDS: We mail and email people on the inactive/former member roster and offer them a free year-long membership in the N3F if they respond favorably to the offer. Lapsed members need to opt in at any point in the year 2012 to take advantage of the invitation. Their one-year term starts when they opt in.
Examples:
We contact Joe Schmotz via mail and email. He opts in, in March 2012. His membership runs until March 2013.
We contact Mary Sue via mail. She opts in, in June 2012. Her membership runs until June 2013.
We contact E. E. Yor via email. He never replies. He gets no free year.

3. FORMER MEMBERS NOT ON ROLL/WE’VE LOST TRACK OF: Folks we no longer have record of simply need to contact us before Dec. 31, 2012 with some sort of simple proof of former membership. Their free year starts once former membership is verified and they are re-added to the roster.
Examples:
Former member asks for free year reinstatement on 01/2012, added to roll in 02/2012 – reinstated with expiration of 02/2013   (one year after added to roster)
Former member asks for free year on 11/2012, added to roll 01/2013 reinstated wirh expiration of 01/2014 (one year after added to roster)

RATIONALE:
The benefits:
Thanks loyal Neffers for sticking with us.
Welcomes back old members who are willing to give us another chance in a “try before you buy” way.
And it’s a general act of good faith.

SO MOVED
January 20, 2012, by Speakman, supported by Swatrz, president.
AMENDED
January 21, 2012, by Row, supported by Speakman, to allow more member control of status.

PASSED:
January 21, 2012
Yea: Davis, Harder, Row, Speakman
No Vote: Walker

March 2012 Bureau Reports

Artist’s Bureau

By Sarah E. Harder, artistsbureau@yahoo.com

We’ve had a great rejuvenation within the bureau these past couple of years that has just started to wane. I will do my best to help invigorate it once more. There is always something to look forward to and new projects and assignments to work on.
We thank Heath Row for his part in making this bureau exciting again through his editorial work and illustration assignments. We also look forward to working with David Speakman and any other future editors.
I will soon be launching an idea within the bureau, which will be announced in the next zine. If you’d like to find out what this is all about early on and join the discussion please contact me at artistsbureau@yahoo.com. Thank you!

Birthday Card Bureau

By R-Laurraine Tutihasi,
laurraine@mac.com

Since whenever I lasted reported, seven birthday cards have been sent.  The birthday card recipients are dwindling.  Our new members don’t seem to be interested in receiving them.

Convention Coordinator

By Heath Row,
Kalel@well.com

As convention coordinator, I will continue to compile the Convention Calendar for The Fan. If there’s an event in your area that you’d like listed, send me the details for consideration.
If you’re going to a con, let me know, and I can provide fliers for you to take for the free table. Need a roommate or a ride? Maybe another Neffer is going to the con, too. If you’ve gone to a recent convention, consider submitting a con report for The Fan. If you live near other N3F members, consider getting together for dinner or a movie.
Because I am new to this bureau, I welcome your ideas on how to better encourage N3F participation in conventions. — Heath Row

Correspondence Bureau

By Sarah E. Harder,
artistsbureau@yahoo.com

I’ve thought on whether this bureau is even needed anymore, but every time I consider recommending we drop it I think of all the potential articles that could be written. If this bureau can transform itself from it’s old purpose of connecting pen pals to helping people connect better online then it will still hold value to the membership.
Unfortunately, I am not technically savvy and I do not spend a lot of time communicating with others online except for Facebook, which I’ve already written an article about. If any of you are willing to write articles – or even just send me an email with ideas and info – then we might be able to pull something together here. Maybe we’ll only produce one or two articles per year and that’s OK. Maybe, with your help, we can provide lists of the best sites to communicate with others regarding specific areas of fandom. Perhaps that can even be a subject for a fandbook. Please share thoughts and ideas (perhaps even with each other first) and send them on to me. Thank you!

N3F Bookworms

By Heath Row,
Kalel@well.com

For the first half of 2012, the N3F Bookworms will read and discuss Connie Willis’s novels Blackout (Spectra, 2010) and All Clear (Spectra, 2010). The linked time travel novels won the 2010 Nebula Award for Best Novel, the 2011 Hugo Award for Best Novel, and the 2011 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel.
If you’d like to participate, buy, borrow, or check out a copy of one or both books, and read them. Let me know that you’re doing so, and we’ll figure out the best ways for the group to discuss the book, be it in letter form, via email, or online in a chat or discussion forum. Portions of our discussion might be published in a future issue of The Fan.
Initially, discussions will take place in blog posts and comments on the new N3F Bookworms blog, http://n3fbookworms.blogspot.com/. — Heath Row

Welcommittee

By Heath Row,
Kalel@well.com

The Welcommittee hasn’t done a single thing since I replaced David K. Robinson early last year. Regardless, I’d like to welcome three new members:
Richard Handloff in Arlington, Massachusetts, joined in July
Wesley Kawato in Chino Hills, California, joined in October
Dionicia Parker in Albuquerque, New Mexico, joined in December

Welcome! I will mail those new members their new member kits in the next few weeks.
The new member kit will be sent to all new members upon joining. It will be a CD-ROM featuring various N3F member information, recent issues of The Fan and N’APA, and additional goodies intended to help new members get more involved more quickly.
Because the new member kit is just being introduced, every existing member of the N3F will receive a copy, as well, to see what new members receive. Those will be sent to all members in the next couple of months. — Heath Row