Short Treks/1983

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v.4 n.4

Short Treks v.4 n.4 was published in April 1983 and contains 10 pages.

front page of v.4 n.4, Blake Smith

The editors were Richard McKay and Blake Smith.

• Dear Readers (topic is McKay and Smith taking over as editors)
• Minutes (or Possibly Seconds) from the Last Meeting
• In the News
• Puzzle Answers
• Quiz
• the third issue of Event Horizon would be for sale at the April meeting, three years after the first two issues were published, printing costs have gone way up from $100 to $400
• nominations for club officers
• Quantum Leaps, essay about communication, reflection and knowledge
• next meeting is Talent Night
• a fan asks that the person who borrowed her copy of Enter-comm return it, please
• Membership Cards to be Voted On

A member questioned the yearly membership proposal price increase, from $6 a year to $8 a year:

There is no justification to the $2 membership fee increase. If the council can show that club's expenses have gone up, O.K.. but when expenses have gone down?! Our main expense is room rental for meetings. In 1981-82. meetings where held at the Planet. Aud. for $25 a month ($300/yr.). The 82-83 council has used the U. of M. 3 times at no charge & the Wpg. Lib. at $15 x 9 ($135/yr.). This council has had reduced costs & has approx. $700 in the bank and still wants to increase fees! Subtract $400 for fanzines, this leave $300 but memberships are due now & at the old fee of $6 should put the balance back up to $690. Plus fanzine sales will add to this. So why do they want to increase it to $8? when Greg was questioned on this he stated, "it is due to inflation" but also agreed that club costs had gone down! This is not logical! Several member" have said they will not renew at $8. In the original constitution it stated, major decisions shall be decided upon by the club as a whole. At the April meeting we should voice our objections to this unjustified fee increase.

• 

  from v.4 n.4, some financial information

• 

  from v.4 n.4, membership cards to be voted on

v.4 n.5

Short Treks v.4 n.5 was published in May 1983 and contains 8 pages.

front page of v.4 n.5, Lori J. Smith

• Commodore's Comments (Russ Strong strongly encourages members to be active and contribute)
• Minutes from the Last Meeting (memberships will stay at $6, club card was voted upon, officers were elected, it was announced that the title of the third Trek movie would be called "Return to Genesis" , the talent show consisted of poetry reading, several skits, songs accompanied by guitar, and more)
• request for more raffle donations
• the club is reviving the rule of having one's membership cards checked at the door for meetings
• a quiz
• a member profile of Mike F.
• How to Survive a Science-Fiction Convention, short essay by Lyndie S. Bright
• Quantum Leaps, another short essay (many in-jokes, making a macaroni bomb)
• humorous want ads

v.4 n.6

Short Treks v.4 n.6 was published in July 1983 and contains 6 pages.

front page of v.4 n.6, Richard P.

• Minutes from the Last Meeting (it was the weapon's meeting, peace-bonding was optional, Blake and Rob reported on their trip to Chicon IV)
• information about the Annual Club Picnic to be held Aug 7, 1983 at Assiniboine Park
• a lot of random in-joke vignettes
• quiz
• Rumours That Never Were (humorous vignette, full of in-jokes, about the Star Wars movie)

v.4 n.7

Short Treks v.4 n.7 was published in August 1983.

front page of v.4 n.7, Mike Coombs

• Minutes from the Last Meeting (activity was the Intergalactic Dating Game where club members in persona role-played, Linda M talked about conventions, lots of casual conversation about science fiction)
• various in-jokes
• Dear Readers (description of visiting Star Trek Winnipeg's display at Grant Park Plaza)
• Financial Reporting from the treasurer, Judy

v.4 n.8

Short Treks v.4 n.8 was published in September 1983.

front page of v.4 n.8

• Our Fourth Annual Membership Display (Star Trek Winnipeg Presents...?) (details about it at the University of Manitoba's Multi-Purpose Room, it will be almost like a mini con)
• Commodore's Comments (Russ Strong is glad the club members are more active, wants to know how meetings can be made more orderly in order to create good impressions; this short essay has a response by Richard McKay in the next issue)
• Minutes from the Last Meeting (info about the Halloween gathering, info about Valley Con, raffle winners)

v.4 n.9

Short Treks v.4 n.9 was published in October 1983 and contains 8 pages.

front page of v.4 n.9, Craig Towers

• Minutes from the Time of Chaos (a description of the mini con/membership drive at the U of Manitoba Multi Purpose Room: members in costume, art, models, books, games display, Rice Krispie bars, video room, door prizes)
• Reflections of an Editor (comments on a short essay in the last issue)
• puzzles
• How to Survive a Science Fiction Convention, part two by Lyndie S. Bright
• some in-joke letters and vignettes

"Mobile displays?", you ask. Well, our troupe includes those who are, shall we say "exhibitionistic" at heart. Their costumes rang vaguely familiar. Arthur Dent (our esteemed Brian Homenick), dressed in his ever-present jammies and bathrobe (carrying, of course, his towel); Lisa Millar (dressed in charcoal black) as a seductive temptress who, when beheld, caused one's glands to explode across the room (Ever get the feeling that costumes like that should be nationalized?); Michael Fiett (dressed as the imposing, omnipotent Darth Vader); Heather McKenzie (a nebulous nymph from cool forest glen); Paul Millar (our lovable punk); Dominique Dauphinais (trend-setter for fashionable bandanas); and finally Janice Praeol, Gregg Young and Doug Kemp (portraying various representatives from Star Fleet Command) (O.k. Whose the guy that ordered the burger with mayo?)

Reflections of an Editor:

In the last issue we had the task of reading an article that expressed a "friendly" opinion." I'm sure we all remember it; it's the one that wants our club to make a "...good impression."

I found this rather curious, simply because I did not join this club with the intention of presenting a proper image. I came here explicitly to have a good time. To meet and mingle with the people that I have learned to treasure and cherish as those driven to a common goal. That being; to reach out and touch those around us whose ideas and feelings are familiar to our own.

Still, in the article, they were worried about "...making a good impression" and achieving it by structuring our meetings in ”...a more orderly fashion." Now, I'm not against a certain amount of order myself, but I am vehemently opposed to any attempt in regimenting our assembly. This group thrives on our ability to express ourselves, to creatively demonstrate our innermost dreams and fantasies, which with out, we become hollow and vacant automatons.

We have waited this long to finally become comfortable enough with each other to drop social pretense. We now share our wine, our laughter, and our songs with those around us we have grown to love. Would these "rules" once again erect the walls we spent so long in tearing down? Rules become excessive and redundant when you find you're no longer having fun.

I'm not saying that this is the case, only that when one starts to make rules, when (where) does it stop? But then again, it's your choice. Help reconstruct the walls that isolated us for so long, or treasure what freedom we have.

v.4 n.10

Short Treks v.4 n.10 was published in November 1983 and contains 4 pages.

front page of v.4 n.10, Richard P.

It was edited by Blake Smith alone.

• statement by Blake Smith
• Last Meeting (Minutes There Of) (This meeting was bathrobe and tie night (someone wore a Boy George hat) but many members did not know about the theme (do they not read their newsletter??), the guest speaker Rodger Woloshyn talked about the possibility of other life in the universe, tickets for the next event are to be sold by members with the raffle being a Sony Walkman. the editor also addressed comments by his co-editor in the previous issue.)
• during the meeting, there was a report on club finances: before the membership drive it had $392.50, after paying for all the things for the membership drive/mini con the club was left with $39, after the membership drive the club had $441.90. Despite the fact that after expenses, they basically broke even, they did get 13 new members. That's good, as one of their members had just quit the club to work with a music band instead.)

The editor wrote:

We are now seven issues strong, still hanging in there, but in need of a change
 of.......something. What it is we really don't know so Richard and me are going to try a few different things. At this point in time it has been getting more difficult to work together as co/editors because our separate ideas of what is to be done, conflict a bit. We tend to have bitter arguments about the smallest things and the future issues might suffer from this. Looking back we are proud of what has been accomplished but feel the creative tension is eased just a mite when we are on our own. Figuring that both of us have "shucked together" for more than half the term we are going to try exchanging editorship every second month for the rest of the period. Otherwise help will probably be given on a regular basis (When needed).

Members are still encouraged to contribute when they can. Print fiends are we.

From Smith, reporting on the meeting minutes:

At about this time, strangely enough, a new tension crept into everyone's mind. It manifested itself as a imaginary storm cloud a brewing. Lights dimmed a bit, Russ [club president] comes out with the latest newsletter in tow. He did not look happy. It would seem this was mostly centered on a opinion written up by one of the Editors. It dealt mainly with regimenting of the Club and the rules put forth. In simpler terms it seem to say that the members were being shackled by words of iron and not allowed to socialise. Disgust seeping out. Russ threw the paper out of his hand and began making a dramatic argument about the whole thing. What may arise as a case of discipline is just a cause of common politeness. Especially when the Club has a guest speaker. "They are taking out the time for us and it is not appreciated when there is talking in the back ground.” My own opinion is stated in Dear Readers.

From Smith's Dear Readers:

I've heard it said that for every reaction there is a counter reaction. At the last general Meet this is certainly the case. But it seems to me that when you come down to it, extremes are present. The biting editorial causing a dramatic out play of rage. Where is the simple communication? What was brought forth from that confrontation hopefully, will be part of the answer. If not that, well as extending intermission time could the suggestion box be used? That way if any member, who has a quibble about such things as guest speakers have the opportunity to bring out an idea of what would interest them. The newsletter is still open of course.

Now as to the said "rules" I don't think the club has enforced any that weren't originally there. At least none that have touched me. Most definitely not an air of repression. (Any ways the rules existing so far everyone has a hand in forming them in the first place. And nothing new has been voted for at the present). Rules help as well as hinder. But the only way you can tell of the good or bad effects is from the system itself. I don’t think we could have gotten this far in the four years if the Club was chaotic. "Image" shouldn't really apply to S.T.W. for we are individuals and not set in a mold. Isn't that one of the reasons we got together?

On the other hand our behaviour is anything but roudy [sic], though carried a bit far would be a better word. To wit when the suggestion that discipline is necessary makes us all seem like a bunch of school kids in a classroom.

v.4 n.11

Short Treks v.4 n.11 was published in December 1983 and contain 20 pages.

front page of v.4 n.11

from v.4 n.11, the editor hard at work

• Dear Readers (about Christmas: don't buy so much "bland gluck that'll gather dust in a dark corner," instead hug, smile, and spend time with friends)
• Cheer Minutes for the Last Time We Got Together (thank yous to members who helped at the Halloween social, prizes were awarded to top ticket sellers of which there was some strife, there was discussion about the "recent skirmish between council and a certain editor" and "communication, or lack thereof" was deemed the culprit, there was a slide show, and then a Secret Santa gift exchange was instigated)
• Aunt Spacey's Timeless Advice
• Oh, To Be a Seiko Watch! by Richard McKay (original fiction)
• My Twelve Treks to Outer Space, a filk by Laurie Smith and Cheryl Drabinsky
• In the News by Karl Kolchak (vignette)
• A Definitive Guide for the Amateur Wiz by Geon
• Janice Rays: A Historical Critique (nee Prasol)