Doctor Who Information Network

Fan Club
Name:	Doctor Who Information Network
Dates:	1980-2018
Founder(s):
Leadership:
Country based in:
Focus:	Doctor Who
External Links:	website here earlier site
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This is an overview of early years of the DWIN.

DWIN was formed in 1980, when two local groups of the Doctor Who Appreciation Society, unhappy with a lack of support and services they received from their mother club, broke away and formed a new DW club. The two groups (#9 Canada and #14 Detroit) combined their resources and on June 1, 1980 DWIN was formed. The groups also combined their newsletters (The Gallifrey Gazette (Doctor Who newsletter)) and Exxilon Review) to become the new club newsletter Contact. The DWIN executive, realizing they could not be everywhere at one time, encouraged the formation of DWIN chapters, local groups of fans who would meet to talk and share information on Doctor Who.

Between 1981 and 1983 it became more and more apparent that an executive that was spread across five cities and two countries could not function efficiently enough to keep the club running.'Fan burnout' affects DWIN's overburdened organizers and newsletter staff. The newsletter is published irregularly, club services falter, chapters break away to form independent clubs, and most of the executive members quit. In January of 1984 a new DWIN executive is formed. This new executive had club duties spread out more evenly, and was centered in southern Ontario so that regular meetings could be held. The new club newsletter was published and members received their first issue of Enlightenment. This renewed club gained members, held events, and gave it's members the highest quality of service it could.

This tradition has continued to this day ... now this is not to say that nothing has changed since 1984. There has been changes to the club constitution, executive members have come and gone, and membership numbers have fluctuated. But at the center of the club there has remained a group of dedicated people, who have promised to provide the members with a place to share their thoughts through written works of art