It's a Meeting Marathon! March 19, 2016

What: Monthly KaCSFFS Meeting

Where: The Writers Place

3607 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, MO 64111

When: Saturday, March 19, 2016

3:00 ConQuesT Meeting, with PIZZA!

5:30 Board of Directors—open meeting

6:00 Doors open for setup and pre-meeting socializing.
7:00 Regular meeting begins

Food Theme: Comfort food and favorite snacks

Bring Card- or Tabletop games to play after the meeting.

Special ConQuesT Meeting - 3:00

In an effort to get as many KaCSFFS members to attend as possible, the ConQuesT committee will meet in a special session at the Writers Place this Saturday. 

ConQuesT is coming in May! We need your input! Margene Bahm has even offered a bribe reward to anyone who goes to the ConQuestT meeting: free Waldo Pizza! Come see what your concom is up to, and enjoy a free snack.

Here is our President/Director's bribe to ConQuesT Meeting-goers: Free Waldo Pizza!

Board of Directors Meeting - 5:30

The important decisions keep coming. Everyone is welcome to sit in on BoD meetings. After all, it's your club, and the BoD is supposed to serve your best interests. Sometimes we have to hear from you to know what those are.

Regular Meeting - 7:00

If you want to become a part of the active KaCSFFS community, pay your dues on Saturday night! Dues for a regular, voting KaCSFFS membership are $25 per year, due each March, via check or cash (you may buy a membership online via the form on the sidebar at right, but plan on a $2 handling fee, thanks to PayPal). If all goes according to plan, you should receive your new membership card when you pay your dues.

You might also consider becoming a candidate for one of our offices. KaCSFFS Bylaws have always specified that candidates must nominate themselves. No railroading, no "drafting" the unwilling. You have to place your own head in the noose name on the ballot. 

The officers of KaCSFFS are: President/Director, Secretary, Treasurer, Communications Officer, and ConQuesT Chairperson (for chairperson of the 2017 convention, in this case). We will vote for announced candidates via absentee ballot or in person at the April meeting, if there are any contested elections. If only one person self-nominates for each position, they get the honor automatically.

We also are seeking a new Registered Agent: Diana Bailey has stepped down, citing health and family issues. The Registered Agent is a non-voting Board position. Because KaCSFFS is incorporated in Missouri, the Registered Agent must be a Missouri resident, who is able to attend meetings regularly and conduct occasional business for the club outside of meetings. 

Food and Games 
After all the business has been done, it'll be time to kick back and relax with each other. To help facilitate that, we'd appreciate it if members bring a favorite card- or tabletop game, and/or your favorite comfort food to share.

IMAGES: The photo of The Writers Place is from The Writers Place website; ConQuesT Prime header is from the ConQuesT website; the Waldo Pizza image is from Groupon, and the photos from the June '15 and November '15 meetings are by Jan S. Gephardt.

March Meeting: Remember how Books went to War--and pay our Dues

What: March 2015 KaCSFFS Meeting (#515)

Where: The Writers Place

3607 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, MO 64111

When: Saturday, March 21, 2015

5:30 Board of Directors meeting (open to all members)

6:00 Doors open for setup and pre-meeting socializing; this is a good time to find Cricket Beebe and pay dues. 

6:30 Short business meeting/announcements

7:00 Program begins: William McCullough on World War II's Armed Services Editions, a publishing program for GIs.

After the Program Eat, mingle, and talk (another great time to pay dues, too) till 9:30 or so. 

Time to pay our Dues!

March means annual KaCSFFS dues of $25.00 per person are due for the 2015/2016 time period. Please see KaCSFFS treasurer Earline (Cricket) Beebe with your cash or checks. Thanks!

The all-important Food and Drink:

We encourage members to bring food samplings and other treats, even beverages, for everyone to enjoy. There is no special food theme this month--just bring something to share!

Quick Business:

To start the evening, the club's monthly business meeting will include member announcements and updates for upcoming KC area events. 

Especially remember:

March is the FINAL MONTH to self-nominate for a position on the Board of Directors! Elections will be held in April.

The deadline for funding Speculations KC's Kickstarter campaign is rushing toward us rapidly--and we haven't made our goal! 

Please help support this historic KaCSFFS Press project!

Many sf titles were published among the ASEs

Saturday's program: 

A special presentation by longtime KaCSFFS member (and former ConQuesT chair) William McCullough on the unique Armed Services Editions (ASEs) of WWII. More than 1300 book titles were published exclusively for those serving in various military branches. Both fiction and non-fiction, including science fiction, fantasy, and horror, was published. William will outline the history of these unique special editions and draw the connection to the mass-market paperback revolution that followed the war. William will also have available from his large collection a table full of actual ASE's that you can look through.

Party on!

Following the meeting, please join members for post-meeting food and discussion; we now have a choice between two nearby, open-late restaurants (details at the meeting). See everyone on Saturday!

IMAGES: Many thanks to The Writers Place for the image of our meeting place. The cover simulation (not exactly how it will look) for Speculations KC is from the project's Kickstarter page. The ASE edition of The Time Machine is from a blog devoted to the book.

Three Contested Elections April 19!

Don't Miss the April Meeting!

What: Annual KaCSFFS Officer Elections Meeting
Where: The Writers Place,

3607 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, MO 64111

When: April 19, 2014

Board of Directors Meeting: 5:30 p.m. (open to all members)

Monthly Business Meeting: 7:00 p.m.

It's been a while since we had this many contested elections! Unfortunately, the Communications Officer was moving a household from California to Texas and Kansas City when she otherwise would have been posting an Absentee Ballot, and I apologize!

Thus, the ONLY way to vote is to come in person, and be a dues-paid member!

You still may pay for your membership in person at the meeting, or you may purchase your membership online, using the button at right.  Current President Ty Gephardt will be there with pre-printed membership cards for those who have already paid their membership fees in time to get on the Treasurer's list. He also will have blank cards to fill out, and the laminating machine at the meeting.

And the Nominees Are . . . 

For President of KaCSFFS, April 2014-April 2015: 

Ty Gephardt*, incumbent since 2013

Ken Keller, challenger (founder and previously a Director [when it was called that])

For Secretary of KaCSFFS, April 2014-April 2015:

Ty Gephardt*

Keri O'Brien

*Please note the Bylaws specifically prohibit a person from holding more than one office on the Board of Directors at the same time.  If Ty is elected to one office, he must remove himself from the race for the other office.

For Treasurer of KaCSFFS, April 2014-April 2015:

Cindy Norton, incumbent since 2009

Earline "Cricket" Beebe, (also previously a Treasurer)  

Two other nominees are running unopposed:

For Communications Officer of KaCSFFS, April 2014-April 2015:

Jan S. Gephardt, incumbent since 2011

For Chairperson of ConQuesT 46 (the 2015 convention), to serve on the Board of Directors April 2014-April 2015:

Kristina Hiner, currently vice-chair of the 2014 convention. 

Members, the fate of KaCSFFS is in your hands!

Come vote on Saturday!

Extremely important meeting March 22 2014!!

The March Meeting is Massive!  
Please note that this post has been updated from the version first published (nominations).

The meeting will be held at our usual venue!

What:
March KaCSFFS Meeting
Where:

The Writers Place, 

3607 Pennsylvania Ave.

Kansas City, MO 64111

When: 
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Open Board meeting: 5:30 p.m.
KaCSFFS Business meeting: 7:00 p.m.

March is massive for two big reasons:
1. Dues are Due!
This is the month when all memberships come up for renewal. Only dues-paid members can vote or run for office, so for your nomination to be valid or your vote to count, you have to be a current, dues-paid member!

Membership-processing in 2013: D.J. Bailey & Cindy Norton

If you wish to chair a department for the ConQuesT annual Science Fiction Convention, you also must be a dues-paid KaCSFFS member, as well as a member of the convention.

KaCSFFS members with current membership cards are also entitled to valuable discounts at several fine Kansas City-area merchants. Watch for an upcoming announcement of a new Page tab that will describe currently-offered member discounts!

Annual membership dues are $25 per person, when paid via check or cash, and $27 (includes a processing fee) when paid via PayPal, which will take a credit card.  The online option is immediately accessible at right in the sidebar.  Pay with cash or check (payable to KaCSFFS) in person at the meeting, or mail your check to:

KaCSFFS 

P.O. Box 34413

North Kansas City, MO 64116

2. Nominate NOW!
The only person who can nominate you is you!  Only one current BoD member has announced the intention to self-nominate to continue serving in her current office. All KaCSFFS Board of Directors positions are open for change or renewal, so we need one or more self-nominations for all positions.  Please consider whether you would like to serve in any of these positions:
President:
No self-nominations yet.
Secretary:
Keri O'Brien
Treasurer:
No self-nominations yet.
Communications Officer:
Jan S. Gephardt
ConQuesT Chair (2015 convention):
Kristina Hiner

Please note that the KaCSFFS BoD also is seeking a person willing to be appointed to the responsible-but-non-voting position of Registered Agent.

WHAT DO THEY DO? 
For a listing of the responsibilities that come with each office, please go the the KAXFEN Yahoo Group (available to all dues-paid members), access the Files tab, and open the 2012 Bylaws to Article III-Board of Directors.

Plan now to attend the April Meeting!
All current, dues-paid members are eligible to vote ONCE for their choice of Board nominees in contested positions.  Vote either in person at the April meeting, or in advance of the April meeting by mail for contested positions. Once we have a slate of nominees, we will update the Absentee Ballot form on this blog's Absentee Ballot Page (see link at right) to reflect any current, contested election.

Please note that the April meeting is once again on our regular day, the third Saturday of the month (in this case April 19, 2014), BoD at 5:30, full club at 7:00 p.m.

IMAGE CREDITS: The image of The Writers Place is from the Writers Place website. The photo of then-President Diana Bailey and Treasurer Cindy Norton processing memberships in 2013 is by Jan S. Gephardt, and may be used without alteration for the price of a link back and attribution.