March meeting is a call to arms--Rayguns, that is.

What: Monthly KaCSFFS Meeting (Annual "Fiscal" meeting)
When: March 17, 2018, 6:00 set-up, 7:00 brief business meeting and discussion of collections
Where: The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, MO 64111
Food theme: Martian-inspired food, OR Irish food (after all, it's ALSO St. Patrick's Day!)

Rayguns at the ready?

Come on, admit it. You probably have a raygun or two in your closet . . . if not proudly mounted over your fireplace!

If so, Bring it. Come prepared to share a short history and demonstrate the lights, sound-effects, etc., or your sfnal arsenal, be they rayguns a la Marvin, Barsoomian swords, or other weapons.

In a spirit of inclusion, of course, we're also open to Gravity Hammers, Noisy Crickets, Bat'leths, Reverberating Carbonizers, Jaffa Staffs, Blasters, Phasers, Light-Sabers, Series 4 De-Atomizers, or any other science-fictional dealers of pseudo-destruction. We want to see them ALL!

Bring out your SWAG!
We're fans. Of course we have collections of fun stuff--be it fun Stuff We All Get, or more exclusive collectibles. March is the month of Mars, so in honor of Marvin the Martian (and all the other Martian references throughout our favorite genres) please bring some Martian-themed show-and-tell items.

Even if you're light on laser weapons, if you have any Martian SWAG to share, bring it on! The program this month is a chance to wander around the displays, talk with fellow collectors, and appreciate the creative range of our favorite genres. The more the merrier!

What's an "Annual Fiscal Meeting"?
It's what you think it is. Eventually, it's time to pay our dues--and this month is it, if you want to be able to vote for (or become) new (or renewing) officers next month. Or vote for any important issues that come up from time to time.

For example, a quorum of our dues-paid members voted in December 2017 to adopt new Bylaws, which, among other things, changed our dues structure. Current dues are now $36 per year for a regular "General" membership, or $60 per year for a regular membership plus a full-weekend membership for ConQuesT, our annual science fiction convention.

ConQuesT will be held, as it is every year, on Memorial Day Weekend, May 25-27, 2018, at the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center, Kansas City, MO. A regular weekend adult membership for this year's convention is currently $50, so the dues option offers a considerable discount for fans who live close enough to benefit from monthly meeting programs.

Speaking of Officers
KaCSFFS officers must be General or Life Members in good standing (yes, that means they, too, must pay their dues). The voting positions on the Executive Board are:

• Director 
• Treasurer 
• Secretary 
• Communications Officer 
• Quartermaster 
• Program Director

They must self-nominate, and if elected (or if they are unopposed) they will serve for one year. Voting (if necessary) and induction of new officers is done at the April "Annual" meeting. If any of these offices interests you, please feel free to come, pay dues, and nominate yourself for your chosen office at the March meeting!

IMAGES: Many thanks to CG Vector for the Marvin the Martian character image! The ConQuesT header image is from our ConQuesT convention website. 

Author interview, Movie peek, and Anatomy of a great party: Don't miss the March meeting!

What: Monthly KaCSFFS Meeting
When: Saturday, March 18, 2017, 6:00 p.m.
Where: The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, MO 64111
Food Theme: Favorite "Room Party" food or drink

It's that time of year again . . . 

Don't forget to bring money for your annual dues ($25 cash or check; there's an additional $2 fee if you use a charge card). Only dues-paid members can vote on important club decisions.

One of these important decisions is who will be on next year's Board of Directors: March is also a month for self-nominations to the Board. If you think you'd be a good KaCSFFS Director, Secretary, Treasurer, or Communications Officer, March is the month to step up and say so. Elections will be held in April.

Author Interview with P.R. Adams

We'll kick off the evening's program with a live author interview. Whether or not you've had a chance yet to read this month's Reviewers' Reading Circle selection, Momentary Stasis, we hope you'll enjoy listening to our interview with its author, P. R. Adams. 

Momentary Stasis is a "hard sf" thriller set in a universe where humans have used alien technology to plant colonies beyond our Solar System. It tells the story of a US Army Special Forces sergeant who must down a rogue agent. But he and his partner discover that some of the biggest “power players” may or may not care whether humanity survives.

KaCSFFS is proud to offer a forum for emerging authors in search of a broader audience. The Reviewers' Reading Circle is designed to compliment our track record of inviting new, promising talent to be our guests at our annual ConQuesT sf convention--set this year for Memorial Day weekend, May 26-28, 2017 at the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center.

NEW! Movie Trailer and announcement!
Kansas City native Alex Haughey's new feature film Prodigy will be screened at the Kansas City Film Fest, April 5-9 at the Cinemark Palace on the Plaza--and we'll be showing a trailer for it after our author interview. We'll have more information then, about the movie and its screening times/dates (main screening time: Saturday 4/8/17 at 10:00 p.m.).

Get your Room Party on!

Science fiction convention "season" in our region is heating up--and one of the classic pleasures of sf cons is the room parties. 

But all room parties are not created equal. Join Earline Beebe as she takes a break from accepting dues to round out our evening by leading a discussion about the good, better, and best practices for an excellent room party. 

What are the hallmarks of a good party? Is it possible to have a fun room party without spending a fortune? Whether you're a veteran of many conventions or brand new to the "con circuit," we hope you'll bring your own best ideas. You can help stimulate the conversation by bringing examples of great room party food ideas!

What are some common mistakes to avoid? It's just as important to know about room-party-goers' pet peeves. What are some of the fastest way to ruin a party, and how can they be avoided?

No discussion of room parties would be complete, however without telling a few tales. What are some of your favorite room party STORIES? Let's close out the evening with some good laughs over the best room party stories you can bring!

IMAGES: We are grateful to the European Parliament's post, "Economic governance explained," for the photo of the empty cash box used in our "Treasury Rejuvenation Month" graphic. Many thanks to author P.R. Adams for the cover image of Momentary Stasis. The Prodigy header is from the movie's Facebook Page. The photo of the party balloons is courtesy of 24 Yes Daily.

NEW!! Improved??

Change is coming!
The April 16 meeting was a long, serious business meeting, conducted for the purpose of eliminating long, serious business meetings. 

How to make KaCSFFS 
more Fun?
We've been thinking for some time now, that KaCSFFS meetings need to focus more consistently on fun and interesting ways to enjoy our favorite genres. Our business meetings have been too long, and we don't always have good programs. That must change. 

We had a productive brainstorming session on the 16th, and we've come up with several changes we want to make.

The first change is moving the Board of Directors' meetings to a different night (the Tuesday before each meeting). Board meetings are still open meetings, but this way if they run long they won't interfere with the regular monthly meetings. Watch the KAXFEN list for specifics.

Next, meetings will begin at 6:00. If a business meeting is necessary, we'll hold it from 6-6:30--at which point we promise to truncate it with extreme prejudice. If we need a longer business meeting, we'll schedule a special session at a different time.

The second-floor Library is a place where a special-interest group could meet at The Writers Place during monthly KaCSFFS meetings.

The Rise of the SIGs!
Thirdly, there will be a conscious effort to cultivate special interest groups (SIGs) at each meeting, who may wish to conduct break-out sessions in various parts of The Writers Place. 

If there is enough interest, we can have one group meeting in the Library, one on the Mezzanine, and one on the Main Floor. 

Dr. Who's T.A.R.D.I.S.

What special interest groups? We're not sure. We need members' input! But some of the ones we could think of included:

• Steampunk
• Space opera
• High fantasy
• Cross-genre fantasy
• Specific literature- or media-based fandoms, such as Harry Potter, Star Trek, Star Wars, Dr. Who, Lovecraft, etc.
• Time-travel

  

  Cthulu looms over a hapless city.

• Paranormal romance
• Post-apocalyptic science fiction
• Alternate history
• International science fiction
• Anime, or other kinds of animated science fiction or fantasy 
• Science-based programs (on space, or other topics)
• Costuming interests

And many more. If you are interested in any of these or something else entirely, please let us know. Use the KAXFEN list if you're a dues-paid member; if you're interested or potentially interested and could actually come to one of our meetings, comment on our Facebook Page or email us. 

Games Galore!

We also plan to have board games and card games at most or all meetings. Our own game maven David Means has promised to develop a list of games he owns that would typically have a play length of about an hour or so. We'll post options on the KAXFEN list and take requests. 

Please also watch for David's upcoming series about games, to be run on this blog over the next several months.

We have created a month-by month calendar of meeting themes for the upcoming year (with the hope of making many of them annual events). We'll explore the calendar in more detail in our next post.

IMAGES: the "FUN" sign is courtesy of Schwartz Creek Youth Football. The photo of the Library at The Writers Place is from their website. The image of the T.A.R.D.I.S. is from Wikipedia. The image of Cthulu Looming is from the Etsy page of Ghostfire. The photo of cards for a fantasy game is from Beasts of War. We cannot promise that this card game will be present at any given meeting--it is used to illustrate possibilities.The photo of the board game and pieces is from Fantasy Flight Games. We cannot promise that this board game will be present at any given meeting--it is used to illustrate possibilities.

How YOU can make sure KaCSFFS Programming is always fun!

What: Monthly KaCSFFS Meeting

Where: The Writers Place

3607 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, MO 64111

When: Saturday, April 16, 2016

5:30 Board of Directors—open meeting

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

7:00 Program begins

Food Theme: Keep it tasty and interesting! (BYO beverage) 

We need to talk . . . bring your ideas. Let's brainstorm!

Never a Boring Meeting! EVER!

We'd love to think we'll never, ever bore you or present a meeting that isn't packed with interesting things to do and talk about . . . but there's only ONE way to make sure that happens.

You have to tell us what you like and don't like. Ideally, you could come to the meeting with some ideas already in mind! We're planning the year's themes at this Saturday's meeting, and it just won't be the same without you!

L-R: Margene Bahm, "Cricket" Beebe, Bryan Thomas Schmidt, and Jan S. Gephardt are the 2016-2017 voting Board Members.

Installation of New Officers

William McCullough,
new Registered Agent.

As we announced after last month's meeting, we have a slate of officers who have nominated themselves to serve on the Board of Directors until April of 2017. They are all running unopposed, which means that we will be installing the following officers Saturday night:

President/Director: Margene Bahm

Treasurer: Earline "Cricket" Beebe

Secretary: Bryan Thomas Schmidt

Communications Officer: Jan S. Gephardt

Registered Agent: William McCullough

ConQuesT Preview

We have a con to put on, in roughly a month. What has the committee got planned? Programming, events, and special guests--we'll be talking about it all. 

The committee has been working hard, but they can't do it all. They need attendees, and--most golden and cherished of all--enthusiastic volunteers. Remember, it all means more when you're actually involved, and many fans have discovered it's often a lot more fun, too.

IMAGES: the photo of the meeting is from June 2015, by Communications Director Jan S. Gephardt specifically for use in KaCSFFS communications.The photo of Margene Bahm is from her personal Facebook Page. Many thanks to Keith Stokes's Midamericon Fan Photo Archive for the image of Earline (at Lonstarcon, the Texas Worldcon). The image of Bryan Thomas Schmidt is fromhis website. The photo of Jan Gephardt is one of her standard head shots, provided for this post. The image of William McCullough is from his personal Facebook Page. Many thanks to all! The ConQuesT 47 banner and guests' photos are courtesy of the ConQuesT website.

Would You Vote for Any of These People?

Margene Bahm

Actually, it's kind of a trick question, because dues-paid KaCSFFS members probably won't have to vote for any of them. 

That's because we have a slate of self-nominations for the 2016-2017 KaCSFFS Board of Directors, but no challengers. In that situation, the Bylaws call for the self-nominees to take office automatically in April.

Earline "Cricket" Beebe

Unless a challenger self-declares for one of these offices (email Margene Bahm or the KaCSFFS email) during or before our April meeting, the following suckers selfless individuals will be the new KaCSFFS Board of Directors:

Director/President: Margene Bahm
Treasurer: Earline "Cricket" Beebe
Secretary: Bryan Thomas Schmidt
Communications Officer: Jan S. Gephardt

Bryan Thomas Schmidt

The position of ConQuesT Chairperson is currently still undecided, as is the fate of that office as a Board of Directors position. We've had several years to live with the 2012 Bylaws, and it has become clear that revisions are needed.

Jan S. Gephardt

We also have a new Registered Agent! William McCullough has agreed to take on that responsibility for us. The Registered Agent is an important but non-voting position on the Board, and must be held by a Missouri resident, because KaCSFFS is chartered in Missouri.

William McCullough

Many thanks to all of these individuals, who are willing to spend extra portions of their time and energy on behalf of our club!

IMAGES: The photo of Margene Bahm is from her personal Facebook Page. Many thanks to Keith Stokes's Midamericon Fan Photo Archive for the image of Earline (at Lonstarcon, the Texas Worldcon). The image of Bryan Thomas Schmidt is from his website. The photo of Jan Gephardt is one of her standard head shots, provided for this post. The image of William McCullough is from his personal Facebook Page. Many thanks to all!

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.