PETER CAMPBELL
Peter is one of our leading fanzine publishers --- of the over 100 pages of the first two issues of ANDROMEDA. He belongs to at least two fan clubs and is originator of one of them. He corresponds widely and is well known to many American fans. He atte nds British Conventions. He works hard for fandom -- all fans who have joined OPERATION FANTAST since he took charge of the Greetings Group and Contact Bureau know the results of his efforts. Finally, he is capable of representing us without disgracing us . He is quiet spoken, well mannered, personable, and can turn a slick phrase when necessary. (K.F.Slater)
VINCE CLARKE
Vin¢ is both the obvious choice and the best one we could make. A leading fan for over 12 years, he has in fact been our representative whenever we needed one most -- as when he organised our phenominally successful campaign against ASTOUNDING's e xorbitant subscription rate increase. Less well known are the generous help and encouragement he has quietly given to countless new fans. He is also admittedly England's best fan writer, well known in America too through QUANDRY, an authority on everythin g to do with sf and fandom, a witty and interesting conversationalist and, incidentally, a very likeable person. He is a representative we could be proud of, who could give a good account of himself in America and a good account of it to us afterwards. (G .Charters)
WALTER GILLINGS
MIKE ROSENBLUM
Few words are necessary in support of nominating both Walter Gillings and Michael Rosenblum as possibles for the 1954 San Francisco Convention. Both have top claim (in differing ways), to being Founder Members of today's British fandom, for without eit her it would undoubtedly have taken quite a different turn, or perhaps never flourished. Both were ardent and active fans as long ago as 1937 when the first British Convention was held. Both have recently returned to activity after a few years absence whi le their business lives were soundly organised. To Walter goes the honour of striving long to put British sf on a sound basis professionally and in producing what is still the most outstanding fanmag of all time -- FANTASY REVIEW. To Michael goes the hono ur of having held the nucleus of British fandom together during the war under almost impossible conditions, from which the post-war seeds sprouted rapidly and flourished. Both have prior claims, with knowledge and experience of events in this country over the past 20 years, to be the logical choice to represent this country at a world convention. Either will make a worthy ambassador and raise our prestige even higher than it already is in America. (E.J.Carnell)
DEREK PICKLES
Pickles, as editor of the late lamented PHANTMAGORIA, showed himself as a fan without malice; willing to work for fandom without an desire to use his magazine to indulge in harsh criticism of other fans. His efforts were so typical of the average fan t hat he would probably make a very wide circle of friends in America among the normal fans. Friendships that would endure long after the conventional fireworks were forgotten. The future of fandom depends on the interest of thousands of fans like Derek, wh o can never aspire to challenge Gold or Carnell, so let these fans be represented by one who never once wrote an unkind word in the mistaken belief that it was clever. (M.Clark)
TONY THORNE
Tony is a fan, an active one; he gets things done. He has personality. He can speak in public. He's well known on both sides of the Atlantic. He runs a fanzine and he knows how to write for it. Also he runs a fanclub. All of this adds up to an impressi ve total. To add a little weight, he's had his picture in ILLUSTRATED and is possibly therefore Britain's most widely known fan. Tony, I think, has the best combination of talents and would be our best choice. The Medcon will demonstrate everythingI've sa id about Tony to be no overstatement. Let Thorne go to Frisco! (F.Robinson)
JAMES WHITE
As Ken Slater cannot make it, James is the best candidate we have. He's a likeable friendly person, without any of the traditional British hauteur. He's no stuffed shirt, Giant Intellect or Organisation Genius --- he's just an ordinary fan, representat ive of us all. He's been an active fan since 1948 and is widely known both here and in the States. The recent 'Beacon' Report showed not only how well he would get on with the Americans, but how well he could write it all up for us afterwards. Let's send James: we couldn't do better --- they'll all like him as much as we do. (C.Harris)
THE TRANSATLANTIC FAN FUND
VOTING FOR A BRITISH FAN TO BE HELPED ATTEND THE SAN FRANCISCO WORLD CONVENTION AND WESTERCON, SEPTEMBER 1954
To be eligible to vote you must (a) have been active in fandom prior to 1st November, 1953, to the extent of having joined a fan club or subscribed or contributed to a fanzine, and (b) make a minimum contribution to the Fund of 2/6 or 50¢.
Money paid for raffle tickets does not count.
No proxy votes are allowed. Each fan must sign his own ballot paper. The details of the voting will be kept secret but the names of all voters will be published and the ballot papers sent for checking to either Forry Ackerman or Bob Tucker before being destroyed.
Any reasonable number of copies of this page and the one opposite will be sent on request, but other faneds are invited to copy them. I hope there'll be electioneering on behalf of the various candidates, which will increase interest in the Fund, and s pace will be available in future HYPHENs at 10/- per full page (smaller areas pro rata). All receipts will go to the Fund.
The state of the British side of the Fund at 8th November, 1953, is as follows:
Coroncon auctions....................................1:11:6
Coroncon raffle.........................................3: 6:0
W. Willis...................................................2: 0:0
A. Clark........................................................5:0
Eric Bentcliffe...............................................5:0
Ethel Lindsay................................................5:0
Peter Hamilton.............................................9:0
Archie Mercer..........................................1: 0:0
Norman Wansborough.................................2:6
Max Leviten (Dell's, Bradford)...................10:0
Mrs Carol Smith...........................................7:2
Ken Slater....................................................5:0
OF 'Prelude To Space' Competition...........11:7
Total.....................................................10:17:9
Further statements will be published in future issues of HYPHEN.
This form must be mailed to reach me,
before the 31st March, 1954
Please number the following candidates 1 to 7 in order of your preference:
I enclose/have sent the sum of ................ as a contribution to the Fund.
(Signed)..............................................................
(Address)............................................................
...........................................................................
If you are not on my mailing list please indicate what fan club you belong to or fanzine you have contributed or subscribed to, and the name of the person to whom reference may be made.
...........................................................................
...........................................................................
CONTINGENCIES
It's possible that neither the winner or the runner-up might be able to go after all and I'd like your views as to what should be done with the money in that event. Please number the following alternatives in order of preference. If you have no particu lar opinions please just leave this part blank.
A. Offer it to candidate No. 3....................................................................................
B. Go down the list as far as No. 4............................................................................
C. Go down the list as far as No. 5............................................................................
D. Go down the list as far as No. 6............................................................................
E. Go down the list as far as No. 7............................................................................
F. Carry the project over to the next US Convention and hold another vote ..............
G. Invite an American fan to the next British Convention............................................
(data entered by Judy Bemis)
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