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Southern Star, v. 1, issue 3, August 1941
Page 31
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From the... New York Communications Office by Morley Inasmuch as others will probably be filling fan pages with it, we will just cover one or two incidents at the Denvention. One is the final business meeting, which took place at 1 o'clock on the afternoon of July 6th, 1941. Some of the fans may recall the point that was brought up in L. Sprague de Camp's "Wheels of If" in regard to meetings. Namely, that if the meeting is announced to commence at a certain time, and if when the time rolls around the officers are not present, any member can call the meeting to order and anything the majority decides Is in order. Well, one o'clock rolled around and no Wiggins, Hunt, Martin or Daugherty present. So S. D. Gottesman took the gravel and called the meeting to order. First.of all, Milt Rothman proposed a resolution to the effect that the Convention go on record as maintaining the assertion that Yngvl is a louse. This the chairman ruled out of order as it was not the business of the meeting to determine upon personalities. Then Rothman applied for the Denvention award, averring that he was entitled to the honor of "fan undergoing greatest hardships in order to get to Denver" inasmuch as he rode over 1500 miles sitting next to Ladle. The meeting heartily concurred. Where will the next Convention be held? it was than asked (Chairman Gottesman industriously swatting at flies throughout the business). Doc Lowndes proposed Baltimore; Don Wollheim proposed Picaadilly Bomb Shelter #5; Milty proposed the birthplace of his grand-sire in Mariyoupa, Russia. A vote was called, and Picadilly Bomb Shelter #5 won. The second incident is the classic case of the hypnotized prophet. Chet Cohen was attending the Convention equipped with a saintly beard (genuine) since he was planning to go to the masquerade as a prophet. There is an understanding between Chet and Johnny to the effect that Johnny can hypnotize Chester at any time. So, on the evening of July 3rd a bunch of the lads were going downstairs in the elevator after Johnny hypnotized Chet to shut him up for the moment, then walked out of the elevator leaving him standing rigid against the side. The poor elevator boys, knowing nothing of Futurian peck-rights, were beside themselves. They tried to revive him; they unloosed his collar and rubbed his wrists; water they sprinkled upon him and smelling salts they wafted under his nose. And to no avail; Chester was as one of stone. So with great difficulty they carried him to the second floor and laid him out on a couch. Johnny had forgotten all about Chet. Comes the time when a large knot of us are gathered outside the Shirley arguing and trying to gather funds for a bottle of vermouth, and one of the elevator boys comes out and tells us one of our friends is sick upstairs. We all dash madly up--and it's Chet, lying rigid with his eyes glassily open. Everyone crowds about, all diagnosing and prognosing. Finally Johnny quiets everyone. "Chester", he says clearly and snaps his fingers. And Cohen arises, looking about him bewilderly. Oh, yes. There had been plans to get the Denvention written up in Newsweek, but when Doc Lowndes (who'd handled it) arrived home, he found the following letter from them: Thank you for sending us the program of the Convention of World Science Fiction, and for your copy. Frankly, we are flll of regret that we did not do the story. The program came late, we had several other stories ready, and we didn't didn't know until too late just what to expect of your group. Now we know, and regret what we missed. We would like to do it this week, even, if it were not for the insistence of our editor that stories be pegged definitely to "last:week". I am looking forward with a great deal of pleasure to
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From the... New York Communications Office by Morley Inasmuch as others will probably be filling fan pages with it, we will just cover one or two incidents at the Denvention. One is the final business meeting, which took place at 1 o'clock on the afternoon of July 6th, 1941. Some of the fans may recall the point that was brought up in L. Sprague de Camp's "Wheels of If" in regard to meetings. Namely, that if the meeting is announced to commence at a certain time, and if when the time rolls around the officers are not present, any member can call the meeting to order and anything the majority decides Is in order. Well, one o'clock rolled around and no Wiggins, Hunt, Martin or Daugherty present. So S. D. Gottesman took the gravel and called the meeting to order. First.of all, Milt Rothman proposed a resolution to the effect that the Convention go on record as maintaining the assertion that Yngvl is a louse. This the chairman ruled out of order as it was not the business of the meeting to determine upon personalities. Then Rothman applied for the Denvention award, averring that he was entitled to the honor of "fan undergoing greatest hardships in order to get to Denver" inasmuch as he rode over 1500 miles sitting next to Ladle. The meeting heartily concurred. Where will the next Convention be held? it was than asked (Chairman Gottesman industriously swatting at flies throughout the business). Doc Lowndes proposed Baltimore; Don Wollheim proposed Picaadilly Bomb Shelter #5; Milty proposed the birthplace of his grand-sire in Mariyoupa, Russia. A vote was called, and Picadilly Bomb Shelter #5 won. The second incident is the classic case of the hypnotized prophet. Chet Cohen was attending the Convention equipped with a saintly beard (genuine) since he was planning to go to the masquerade as a prophet. There is an understanding between Chet and Johnny to the effect that Johnny can hypnotize Chester at any time. So, on the evening of July 3rd a bunch of the lads were going downstairs in the elevator after Johnny hypnotized Chet to shut him up for the moment, then walked out of the elevator leaving him standing rigid against the side. The poor elevator boys, knowing nothing of Futurian peck-rights, were beside themselves. They tried to revive him; they unloosed his collar and rubbed his wrists; water they sprinkled upon him and smelling salts they wafted under his nose. And to no avail; Chester was as one of stone. So with great difficulty they carried him to the second floor and laid him out on a couch. Johnny had forgotten all about Chet. Comes the time when a large knot of us are gathered outside the Shirley arguing and trying to gather funds for a bottle of vermouth, and one of the elevator boys comes out and tells us one of our friends is sick upstairs. We all dash madly up--and it's Chet, lying rigid with his eyes glassily open. Everyone crowds about, all diagnosing and prognosing. Finally Johnny quiets everyone. "Chester", he says clearly and snaps his fingers. And Cohen arises, looking about him bewilderly. Oh, yes. There had been plans to get the Denvention written up in Newsweek, but when Doc Lowndes (who'd handled it) arrived home, he found the following letter from them: Thank you for sending us the program of the Convention of World Science Fiction, and for your copy. Frankly, we are flll of regret that we did not do the story. The program came late, we had several other stories ready, and we didn't didn't know until too late just what to expect of your group. Now we know, and regret what we missed. We would like to do it this week, even, if it were not for the insistence of our editor that stories be pegged definitely to "last:week". I am looking forward with a great deal of pleasure to
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