The SF/Media Fan Fund
| Related terms: | Fan Fund |
| See also: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
The SF/Media Fan Fund was created in 1975 by The Halkan Council and originally called the "Star Trek Fan Fund."
The fund raised money to pay for the transportation and hotel fees to allow one fan a year attend a convention.
This is a sample ballot: for 2011
History
The Media-Oriented Fan Fund was founded by the editors of The Halkan Council to financially enable Star Trek fans to attend a convention they otherwise would not be able to attend.
The first winner was chosen under the auspices of The Halkan Council. After that con, the organizer/s wrote: "If we do decide to run the First Star Trek Fan Fund, revisions on dates will have to be made since Devra Langsam has told us that she and her crew are not planning to hold a '77 February New York City Con. We're considering other possibilities. [1]
The second year (1978), it was sponsored by T'Kuhtian Press in connection with T'Con, with Carol Hydeman as coordinator.
Carol Armour was the coordinator the third, fourth and possible other years. In 1980, the fund was sponsored by Poison Pen Press in connection with Mos'Eastly Con. In 1981, it was sponsored again by T'Kuhtian Press in connection with MediaWest*Con, 1981. As media fandom grew, the fan fund was extended to incorporate other eligible fans, and the name of the award was revised.
The Name Changes
This fund was originally called the "The Star Trek Fan Fund." In 1981, the fan fund was renamed The Media-Oriented Fan Fund to include all media fans. It is unclear when it was retitled to its current name, "The SF/Media Fan Fund".
In a personal statement in 1980, Carol Hydeman explains the first name change:
The Fan Fund will be held again next year, though under a new name. Many people voiced a concern to me that the name 'Star Trek Fan Fund' seemed to restrict the participants and recipients, to Star Trek fans, thus eliminating many people. I have shared this viewpoint, seeing the name "Star Trek Fan Fund" as being merely a holdover from the time the Fan Fund originated -- before the great rise of Star Wars, Starsky & Hutch, and all the other sub-fandoms that have come into being in the last few years. But I don't want to allow such a simple misunderstanding as this to unduly alienate any possible future participants. Therefore, I have decided to change the name to the 'Media-Oriented Fan Fund,' which should make clear the restrictions on the type of participants I would like to see for the fund. Any objections? [2]
Some Chairpeople
- 1977: Shirley Huang/Sandy Yingling, sponsor: Halkan Council
- 1978: Carol Hydeman, sponsor T'Kuhtian Press
- 1979: Carol Armor, sponsor T'Kuhtian Press
- 1980: Carol Hydeman, sponsor Poison Pen Press
- 1981: Carol Hydeman, sponsor T'Kuhtian Press
- 1982: Carol Hydeman, sponsor T'Kuhtian Press
- 1983: Deborah J. Laymon, sponsor T'Kuhtian Press
- 1984: Deborah J. Laymon, sponsor T'Kuhtian Press
- 1985: Deborah J. Laymon, sponsor T'Kuhtian Press
The Recipients
- Maggie Nowakowska and David and Cindy Manship were two recipients, years unknown (though in the 1980s).
- 1976: Gerry Downes was the first recipient of the Star Trek Fan Fund. She chose to go to Se*KWester*Con in 1977. (Mary Louise Dodge, Gerry Downes, Connie Faddis, Fern Marder and Eileen Roy were the nominees)
- 1978: Ann Looker went to August Party (nominees were Ann Looker, Eileen Roy, Ronni Sacksteder, and Claire Spencer.)
- 1979: Kay Johnson went to Terracon, a con that took place in England. (Gayle F, Dotty Barry, Sheila Clark, Jane Clinckenbeard, Cory Correll, Carmen Dexter, Caroline Hedge, Kay Johnson, Maggie Kowalski, Carol Ann Lee, Zena Plenty, Janet Quarton, Penny Warren were the nominees)
- 1980: Toni Cardinal-Price went to Star Trek America
- 1981: Susan Matthews went to MediaWest*Con (Rich Kolker, Susan Matthews, Valerie Piacentini, Pat Stall, and Nikki White were the nominees. Bonnie Reitz was also nominated but declined to remain on the ballot.)
- 1982: Valerie Piacentini (of Scotland), she attended ChiCon IV.
- 1983: Anne Elizabeth Zeek, she attended MediaWest*Con III
- 1984: Nancy Stasulis, 1984, she attended MediaWest*Con IV
- 1985: The nominees that year were: Deborah Drake--an artist; Bryan J. Effner; the semi-traditional two-fans-are-better-than-one concept nomination of Cindy and David Manship, who won. There is no mention of these awards in the 1985 MediaWest program book. Instead names of eligible candidates and winners were shifted to the Progress Reports.
- 1986: there is no mention of these awards in the MediaWest program book. Instead names of eligible candidates and winners were shifted to the Progress Reports. These Progress reports indicate that insufficient nominations were received and asked fans to respond how to proceed next year. On Saturday a panel was held titled "Fan Fund Future". The 1986 post-con report asked for nominees for 1987 to be summited by Dec 1986.
- 1987: there is no mention of these awards in the MediaWest program book.
- 1988: there is no mention of these awards in the MediaWest program book.
- 1989: there is no mention of these awards in the MediaWest program book.
- 1990: there is no mention of these awards in the MediaWest program book.
- 1991: there were not enough nominees to require a ballot, a cash award was made to Susan Clarke who was the sole nominee, and her name was carried over the the 1992 Fan Fund ballot; she attended MediaWest*Con '91/11. On the 1992 ballot was Joyce Strom of California.
- 1992: winner was Rolaine Smoot; she attended MediaWest*Con 12. (The nominees were Susan Clark of Australia, Eunice Raymond of Tennessee, Joyce Strom of Ohio, and Rolaine Smoot of Florida)
- 1993: there were not enough nominees to require a 1993 ballot, a cash award was made to Johanna Bolton who was the sole nominee, and her name was carried over to the 1994 Fan Fund ballot
- 1994: Linda Shadle, she attended MediaWest*Con Fourteen.
- 1995: Carolyn Golledge, she attended MediaWest*Con 15.
- 1996: Pat Nussman, she attended MediaWest*Con XVI.
- 1997: there were not enough nominations to require a ballot, a cash award was made to Martynn (MaryAnn Walther Keisel) who was the sole nominee, and her name was carried over to the 1998 Fan Fund ballot; she attended MediaWest*Con 17.
- 1998: was Shirley Maiewski. She attended MW*C 18.
- 1999: Carolyn Golledge. She attended MW*C 19.
- 2000: winner of the SF/Media Fan Fund was Joyce Yasner. She attended MW*C Y2K.
- 2001: Cathie Whitehead was the sole nominee for the SF/Media Fan Fund (one nominee was ineligible & one declined nomination). She attended MW*C 2001.
- 2002: Martynn Walther Keisel was the winner of the SF/Media Fan Fund. She attended MW*C 22.
- 2003: The winners (tie!) SF/Media Fan Fund was Jean Coleman and Jean Thrower. They both attended MW*C 23.
- 2004: Elaine Gustainis was the winner of the SF/Media Fan Fund, and attended MW*C 24.
- 2005: due to a lack of nominations, there was no 2005 SF/Media Fan Fund recipient.
- 2006: due to a lack of nominations, there was no 2006 SF/Media Fan Fund recipient.
- 2007: Yum@ was the winner of the SF/Media Fan Fund. She attended MW*C 27.
- 2008: As there were not enough nominations to require a ballot, a cash award was made to Barbara Drake as the sole nominee, and her name was carried over to the 2009 Fan Fund ballot
- 2009: Barbara (Leanna) O'Rourke-Drake. She attended MW*C 30.
- 2010: Susan Graham attended MW*C 31
- 2011: there were no nominees for 2011
- 2012?
- 2013?
- 2014?
- 2015: there was one nominee, and funds were awarded to her: Elaine Batterby
The Original Rules
From the 10th issue of The Halkan Council, published in September 1975:
The First Star Trek Fan Fund's purpose is to enable a Trekfan to travel to a ST convention, assumed at this point to be the February 1977 New York Star Trek Convention. The FSTFF exists solely though the support of fandom. The candidates are voted for by interested fans and each vote is accompanied by a donation of no less than one dollar.A fan must be collectively nominated by five or more active Trekfans. It is the responsibility of these five fans to contact their candidate and to enclose a written expression of interest from the nominee. The five nominators must include a brief explanation of their fan activities and a short description of their candidates fanac. An active fan, for our purposes, is one who edits, publishes, contributes or subscribes to a fanzine, or is on a con committee between 1975 and 1977. Complete nominating instructions will be distributed in zines after December 1, 1975. All nominations must be returned postmarked no later than May 1, 1976.
The FSTFF uses a system with guarantees an automatic runoff and a majority win; you rank the candidates in the exact order you wish to vote. If the leading first-place candidate does not get a majority, the first-place votes of the lowest-ranking candidates are dropped and the second-place votes on those ballots are counted. This process goes on until one candidate has a majority. If is therefore important to vote for second, third, etc. on your ballot. Please make sure to put a different name in each place. Voting ballots will be distributed June 1, 1976 and must be returned with at least a dollar postmarked no later than November 1, 1976.
In the event that not enough money is raised, contributors will have the choice of donating the funds to STW or holding them over to the next fan fund. Results will be announced December 1, 1976 and the winning candidates will attend the February 1977 New York Star Trek Convention.
Flyers and Other Paperwork
information about the second fan fund, printed in Warped Space #31/32
list of donated items for the second fan fund (1978)
page one of flyer for the third Fan Fund, printed in Warped Space #39
page two of flyer for the third Fan Fund, printed in Warped Space #39 (1978)
the final books for the third fan fund, printed in Interstat #23
a flyer for the fourth Fan Fund, printed in Warped Space #43 (1980)
a flyer for the fourth Fan Fund, printed in Warped Space #43 (1980)
a flyer for 1993
References
- ^ from the 11th issue of The Halkan Council, published in October 1975
- ^ from Universal Translator #5