No Escape From the Head Table

[kevin_standlee]

I have accepted an invitation from the Chairman of this year's WSFS Business Meeting, Donald Eastlake III, to be Deputy Presiding Officer and Parliamentarian. I may therefore need to be somewhat less vocal in my specific arguments on issues that may come before the meeting on account of there being a chance that I might have to rule upon them. That won't stop me from helping people draft proposals, however, as that's part of my job description, you might say.

Comments

[twilight2000.livejournal.com]

*snerk*

[chocolatescifi.livejournal.com]

Maybe we should just elect you the permanent parliamentarian of WSFS.

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

Nope. For one thing, I haven't been parliamentarian every year. For another thing, WSFS already has a committee for that purpose -- the Nitpicking and Flyspecking Committee -- and while I'm a member of that committee, I'm not the only member of it.

The fact that nearly ever presiding officer of the WSFS BM of the past decade-plus years has been one of the members of the NPFSC isn't a particular surprise. (I may be forgetting off the top of my head, but I think the only exception was 1999 Melbourne.) There's no conspiracy -- every Worldcon is welcome to offer the jobs to anyone it wishes. It's just that the list of Likely Suspects is short, and Worldcons like to know when a job is in Safe Hands.

[n5red.livejournal.com]

Does this mean you will be wearing a bow tie the entire convention?

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

No; I have a different uniform. I think the only time I've worn a bow tie in my life has been the two times I've been in a tuxedo.

Actually, I don't wear my business suit anymore when I'm Deputy; it's only when I'm chairing the meeting, as I will be in Montreal, that I do so.

[katster.livejournal.com]

Hey Kevin?

I have a question that is unrelated to this exactly, but related to Worldcon in general. How kosher is it to support both groups that are competing in a Worldcon in a given year (ie, last year, when Montreal and KC were competing for 2009, or the contest for 2011)?

I'm asking you because I figured you would be the best person to ask (since you talked me into supporting my first Worldcon bid last year...)

-kat

Supporting Everyone

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

Not only is it "kosher" to support multiple groups, it's common. At least, I assume that by "support" you mean "buy a pre-supporting membership." Many people (I'm among them) buy supporting memberships in any Worldcon bid, because they know how difficult and expensive the bidding is. I'm a Friend of the Seattle bid, and I reckon I'll have to become a Friend of Reno as well.

Re: Supporting Everyone

[katster.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's what I meant. I pre-supported Seattle at last year's Westercon, and I wanted to do the same for the Reno folks too, but I wasn't sure it was okay.

Thanks!

-kat

Re: Supporting Everyone

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

If I'd had $100 in my checking account this past weekend (I did not; many bills were due), I probably would have Friended Reno right then and there.