Just for the record, neither Kevin nor I contributed anything to Locus’s reporting of the WSFS Business Meeting this year.
Why do I say that? Because the new Locus apparently describes Kevin as “World Science Fiction Society President”. Of course he isn’t. There is no such post. Kevin chaired this year’s Business Meeting and a couple of committees. But this is just the sort of thing that tends to make SMOFdom excitable, and indeed encourages them to fight everything we do on the grounds that we are trying to “take over” the society. It is silly to think that anyone could, and the use of that title is a mistake by Locus, not anything to do with us.
I notice you don’t deny that he might be the super double-secret president, though…
As far as I know he is not President of anything. He was President of BASFA at one time, but that’s not very secret, and rather silly.
That is sad that Locus would get that wrong. Have either you or Kevin asked for a clarification to be issued by Locus?
It is in the printed version. A clarification would be pointless. Kevin may write a letter for publication in the next issue, but by then any SMOFish fury will have blown over.
I was President of WSFS the same way that the person who chaired the last Continental Congress was President of the USA. Without Googling for it, can anyone name who that person was?
Kevin is not the President of WSFS … he’s Captain!
Does a Captain outrank a President in WSFS? What are the ranks of WSFS? Can WSFS keelhaul?
Oh ….. sooooooo many questions.
“Kevin may write a letter for publication in the next issue, but by then any SMOFish fury will have blown over.”
But might help prevent a similar error in the future.
I have to confess to not having seen a physical copy of Locus in… a number of years. I don’t suppose the story was credited?
“But this is just the sort of thing that tends to make SMOFdom excitable, and indeed encourages them to fight everything we do on the grounds that we are trying to ‘take over’ the society.”
Your use of “we” reveals your conspiracy!
ObMP: Kevin has to remember that you can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you.
Although (with smiles and LOLs) “ObMP: Kevin has to remember that you can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you.” could almost be said to have actually happened.
Maybe that serf was wrong. Maybe he was spouting anarcho-syndicalist blather.
Has Kevin ever pulled a sword out of a rock (metaphorically speaking?)
Steve:
The fact that my name is Morgan and I was born around 12 miles from the Isle of Avalon has nothing to do with this.
It is sad that someone who just came back a month ago from his first Worldcon understands WSFS better than the longest Semi-Prozine. Cyrus Griffin was the last president of the Continental Congress. He was a Virginian and I had to google that (to answer all of Kevin’s Questions).
I agree that the furor of the SMOF e-mail list might had died down by the time a printed letter gets published, but it does help set the record straight, and can’t see why sending one e-mail/letter would hurt in this matter.
Sorry, just a mistake, guys. Not intended to start any kerfuffle. I will run a correction and note that he “chaired” the event and there is no such post in WSFS.
Thanks Liza, much appreciated. Kevin can give you the proper form of words.
Liza: Honest, no offense taken. This sort of confusion happens all of the time.
Michael Walsh: Captain Standlee, WSFS Armadillo (ret.) reported to the management of the White Star line, Commodore Sir Vincent Docherty and the Rt. Hon. Colin Harris. (I may be missing all of the titles in there; I don’ t have the in-flight magazine at hand.)
As far as keel-hauling… well, I did announce that anyone smoking on board the Armadillo would be escorted to the nearest airlock and ejected.
“I agree that the furor of the SMOF e-mail list might had died down by the time a printed letter gets published”
So far no one on the SMOFS list has either noticed or cared.
As for Mr Standlee’s “ret.” I assume it’s a civilian retirement. Here in the US of A:
“4.1. It is DoD policy that military retirees be ordered to active duty as needed to perform such duties as the Secretary concerned considers necessary in the interests of national defense as described in Sections 12301 and 688 of reference (b).”
http://alt.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/135201p.pdf
The White Star Federated Spacelines isn’t military, and Captain Standlee was never subject to military rules. The Armadillo was a civilian space cruiser, not a military vessel.
Incidentally, none of the pieces of my uniform are military; the hat and shoulder boards were purchased from Captain’s Gear supplies, and were intended for merchant/civilian service. They added the logo to the hat at my request (you can get custom logos from them), and I modified the shoulder boards myself.
You know, it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if WSFS *did* have a President, Chairman, or some similar office. And Kevin would be a more than capable person to hold that office.
You’re kind to say that, but you certainly know what political dynamite that is.
“The Armadillo was a civilian space cruiser, not a military vessel.”
Here‘s the original it was modeled from. Kevin’s uniform model is 1:01 in.
No? I’ve gotten something wrong again? Damn.
“You’re kind to say that, but you certainly know what political dynamite that is.”
They’re making this into a tv show, you know.
Gary:
Spot on, although more generically any civilian cruise line. That also deals with anyone saying the uniform is “not authentic” on account of individual lines get to make their own dress codes.
(As I pointed out to the person at Interaction who complained about my wearing the hat with the WSFS Armadillo polo shirt on the second day of the convention: “I’m the captain of the ship — I make the dress code. Besides, it’s “casual Friday” on the Armadillo.)
Other people somehow labeled the uniform “dress whites,” which they certainly are not. It’s an ordinary duty uniform. If it weren’t for the fact that the Glasgow climate was wrong for it, I would have worn shorts instead of white slacks, and I’ve also worn black slacks with it. It really is intended to be comfortable enough to wear all day, just as a real ship captain’s uniform would be. Indeed, aside from the logos, it’s pretty much ordinary work clothes. A couple of times when I’ve run out of dress shirts, I’ve worn the shirt with black slacks (no hat or shoulder boards of course) without anyone blinking an eye.
I considered trying to put together a dress uniform for the Hugo Ceremony and Masquerade, but decided that I wasn’t willing to invest ~$500 in what amounts to a custom-made tuxedo. Cheryl and I also looked briefly at an even wilder outfit that I could have bought and would have turned almost as many heads, but again, it was too much money for insufficient return.