Norwescon 28 Post-Con Report October 2005 Exploring the Language of Science Fiction and Fantasy Twenty-Eight An Annual Regional Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention Chairman Shawn Marier The First Page Vice Chairman Tracy Knoedler Welcome to the Postcon report, I’ll make my part short, well Publications Director Patricia Booze short as I can! Editing Team Betty Claar Here you will find the final thoughts and thanks of the staff of Katrina Marire Norwescon 28, a few announcements and hopefully some other Cathy Sullivan useful information for planning out the life of a Science Fiction Fan, check out the fall event schedule for the SFM. Layout Designer Gayle MacArthur I’d personally like to thank my Publication team for all their hard work and dedication to our first year together, Felice Contributing Writers Patricia Booze, Jeffrey Cornish, Nightengale, Katrina Marier, Betty Claar, Cathy Sullivan, Tracy Knoedler, Elizabeth Fellows, Peggy Stewart, R’ykandar Korra’ti, Judy Suryan, Gayle Cheryl Ferguson, Jeromie Foulger, MacArthur, Don Glover, Angela Suryan and Erica Weiland. Jerry Gieseke, Ali Grieve, Shawn Marier, Jamie “Sunny Jim” Morgan, To Shawn and Tracy for believing I could step into some William Sadorus, Anita Taylor, Eric mighty big shoes and to those members of the executive team Weber, Sally Woehrle and concom who helped my team get there. I’d also like to extend a very special thank you to Stephen Photo Department Angela Suryan, Eric Weiland and Hickman and Michael Whelan for their beautiful art work, and special thanks to Tom Walls their amazing generosity in its use. To all that wrote the words, they were all great words. And every word of every publication will always be for you Michael J. Brocha. We’ve made some mistakes but learned a whole lot from them, and thought we may make a few more along the way, hopefully never the same ones! Best Convention, Pat Patricia Booze Publications Director Norwescon 28 Post-Con Report v Thoughts from the Chairman Services Director Eric Weber, Publications Director Shawn Marier Pat Booze, Convention Services Director Cheryl Ferguson, Programming Director Ali Grieve, Personnel It is hard to believe that Norwescon 28 has come Director Sally Woehrle and Secretary Keith Johnson. and gone. For it was just a few months ago when the convention committee started planning, but in reality Another person I need to thank is my Vice Chair Tracy it was over a year ago. Currently we are closing the Knoedler, she did a wonderful job of supporting me and books on Norwescon 28 and beginning planning for working with all the Execs to make sure this year went next year. off as smooth as possible. This last year has been an interesting year for me, Lastly I need to thank my wife Katrina for all the love besides chairing my second Norwescon, I also became and morale support all year long. a father. Having a two-month old at the convention meant I got even less sleep at the con than normal. This has caused a lot of my convention memories to be A Few Words for the Vice Chairman a blur, a good blur, but still a blur. I would like to thank everyone attending Norwescon I have so many people I need to thank for making this this year, as this was my first year as Vice Chair. We year’s convention so great. had our challenges but overall everything went well. I would especially like to thank Cheryl Ferguson for As you know Norwescon takes a lot of hard work by letting me follow her around all weekend and for taking many volunteers. These volunteers range from those the time to teach me several different things. I know that just do a couple of hours at the convention to the that next year I will be a better Vice Chair with all that concom who work year round to put on Norwescon. I have learned. So to all of our volunteers I wish to say thank you, as without all of you wonderful volunteers we could not Tracy Knoedler put on Norwescon. Norwescon Vice Chair Next, I need to thank our Guests of Honor as they are the reason we put on this convention year after year. Business Report for Norwescon 28 Norwescon takes great pride in honoring our Guests for all the hard work they have put into the Science Fiction, Budgeted Actual Fantasy, and Science genres. Without all of them, our Chairman 5,320.00 3,561.92 world would be a much duller place. Vice Chairman 18,636.00 19,018.96 Business 13,068.00 9,127.19 I also need to thank all of our Pros and Panelists. Convention Services 19,132.00 19,540.52 Norwescon put on over 600 hours worth of paneling Member Services 9,530.00 11,109.95 each year, and we could not do this without the time Personnel 2,845.00 2,416.94 and effort that they put in. Programming 13,900.00 13,718.34 Publications 30,110.00 36,729.09 Subtotal 112,541.00 115,222.91 Next, I need to thank my convention committee; these dedicated volunteers work year round, Capital Expense 2,206.00 2,522.78 attending meetings and work parties to prepare for our convention. Then once the convention actually Total 114,747.00 117,745.69 happens they spend most of their weekend making sure that our membership has a great time. Total Income 115,798.44 Finally, I need to thank my Executive team; being on Herding Cats at Norwescon 28 the Exec team is almost like having a second full time By Cheryl Ferguson Convention Services job, except you don’t get paid. The Execs are the high- level managers of all the different departments which Running a convention is a just like herding cats. are needed to put on Norwescon. These people are You get people headed in the right direction, then the ones that keep me from going (or is that cause me to follow along making encouraging noises. My folks go) insane from all the different things that need to be in Convention Services have learned this lesson well. done each year. So a huge thanks goes to our Business In fact, I think they are using this technique on me. Manager Jayson Claar, Treasurer Mike Orosz, Member Hmmmm… v Norwescon 28 Post-Con Report Convention Services consists of the Convention Office, card software that was implemented seamlessly. I look Security, Communications, Tech, Stage Management, forward to more improvements from the IT Team next Video, Transportation and Information Technology. year. The lovely Betty Claar, our Office Queen, is writing Things I learned this Year at Norwescon: up the office, antics; bless her; so I’ll concentrate on the rest of the departments. A Teen Runners Post Con Report Security and Communications shared one room and Amidst all the blank stare’s and the quiet mumbles of that improved coverage and cooperation between “What do we do now?” from everyone in the Security teams. As benefits a SF Convention, they showed office, the Teen Runner Program started off well, and their love of Star Wars early in the Con. Reports kept a pretty good pace throughout the convention. of a disturbance in the Force came when the Communications Head and the Security Director were I quickly learned that being in charge of the Runner’s seen on the roof of Wing 7 having a light saber duel. Department meant that there was no need to set the They told me they were installing a radio antenna. alarm clock for the wee morning hours, as each day Brad, Josh - I have spies everywhere. Come back from there was a call from Dispatch, waking me up and the Dark Side, guys. telling me that there were anxious teens in the office waiting to be signed in. Hopefully that pre-coffee This year saw the rebirth of an old Convention Services appearance that I showed up with did not scare them tradition. We reintroduced Teen Runners as a position off for next year. for the 13 to 17 year-old Fen. Catch them young, train them right. Yes! Jeromie and Catrina Foulger ably ran We worked through the communication issues rather this group. Jeromie has written more information to rapidly with the help of the Dispatch office, Cheryl, and share separately. Look for this department again next the radio company that was generous in their charges year. for a few extra radios for the weekend. Improvised on the paperwork, and made it look like we knew what we The Tech and Stage Management departments showed were doing in that area. their usual excellent versatility. A video projector here, a flip chart there, oh you really wanted a DVD player Although the turnout was a little light this year, the and screen, not a TV and VCR? No problem for the success of the program was evident in many ways. Techies. Along with Stage Management, they managed From the enthusiasm of the teens that volunteered, to to keep all the equipment straight and panels running. the many comments that were overheard in the halls Jordan and his crack team selected an unsung member and the elevators, the Teen Runner program was a of the team as the recipient of this year’s coveted Fickle very welcome addition to this year’s convention. One Techie award: Hidako Thomas, AKA Mom. She’s comment that did, and still does stick out in my mind, the 3rd generation and the 5th member of the Thomas was a conversation that I overheard on one of the many and Rudolf-Thomas clan that we have lured into our elevator trips made that weekend, in which two of the clutches.