TAFF 2000
I'm happy to announce that I am now taking nominations for the next Europe-North America TAFF race. The winner of this TAFF race will travel to Chicago next August, to attend Chicon
Anyone wishing to stand for TAFF needs to find five nominators, two from America, three from Europe; needs to write a 100-word platform for the ballot paper, and to post a £10 bond, promising -- barring Acts of God -- to travel to Chicon.
Your platform, bond and the five signed nominations need to be with the European administrator by 1st December, 1999 ... and we're talking paper here, not email.
The race itself will run until 6th May, 2000
Please disseminate this wherever seems appropriate.
For further details about TAFF, contact Maureen Kincaid Speller at 60 Bournemouth Road, Folkestone, Kent, CT19 5AZ, UK or email her at taff@acnestis.demon.co.uk
Home Again, Home Again, Jiggedy-jig
It's just over a year since I came home from the United States, after my epic voyage, and yes, I've been very quiet since. It takes a surprisingly long time to digest a three-month journey, and almost as long to recuperate from the exciting colds and flu bugs which, along with Paul, Mark and Claire, were waiting to greet me at Heathrow this time last year. However, I'm feeling much better, thank you; I've dug myself out from under the pile of mail that was waiting for me on my return, done lots of work to pay off my share of the book-buying bill, and I've even made a tentative start on that all-important trip report, not to mention irritating everyone during travel shows by shrieking, 'I went there,' with monotonous regularity. I got that out of my system by accompanying the European GUFF winner to Australia this summer, just to prove I can leave the country a second time.
So, just in time for Novacon, the European TAFF Administrator is back, and as ever, she's after your money. Look out for lots of fund-raising efforts coming to a convention or letter-box by you in the near future, dig deep in your pockets and give generously. Remember that TAFF gratefully -- page -- accepts your freely given money and material for auction. It's your generosity that has sustained the fund for over 40 years. TAFF is fandom's oldest travel fund, and one of its worthiest causes. Give early and often!
Donations of auction material have been received from numerous sources in the past year. My apologies if I miss anyone but thanks go to the indefatigable Dave Langford, to the committee of Intuition, to Allyn Cadogan, Leanne Frahm, Dan Steffan, Marcus Rowland, Bruce Pelz, Allen Baum and Donya Hazard White, Christopher Priest, Alison Scott, Patrick and Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Ulrika O'Brien, Marilee J Layman, Jeanne Gomoll and Scott Custis, Kate Yule and David Levine, Bridget Wilkinson, Paul Kincaid, Geri Sullivan, Jeff Schalles, Mike Wrigley & Debbie Cross, Chris and Penny Hill and all those anonymous people who suddenly produce bags of books just before the auction.
And, of course, thanks to everyone who has either spent money in the auction or given me handfuls of loose change, who has eaten strange and wonderful items of food for money, plugged their ears during readings, and a very special vote of thanks to Tommy Ferguson and Vijay Bowen, who challenged the barriers of sartorial safety in the cause of fund-raising.
Maureen
Fannish Funds
Money passed over by Martin Tudor (in total) 1180.00 MKS airfare -521.00 Receipts from auctions at Novacon, 203.70 ... Eastercon 92.00 ... and Seccon 12.00 (courtesy of Christopher Priest) 13.50 Voting money from TAFF 119.00 Donations from Sue Jones, Tony Cullen, Fred Smith, John Dallman, Tobes de Valois 31.00 Sale of Deluxe collected Snufkin Goes West (courtesy of Mark Plummer and Claire Brialey) 42.00 (Australian donations) 7.00 Spending money for Vijay Bowen -250.00 Sale of assorted booklets 10.00
Taffkin's Bum is produced for TAFF by:
Maureen Kincaid Speller
60 Bournemouth Road, Folkestone, Kent, CT19 5AZ, UK email:
taff@acnestis.demon.co.uk