1930 fandom
Karen Lofstrom
Proofreaders and found the following in the readers' page at the end of
the issue. Just thought it might interest folks here.
***
To the Readers of Astounding Stories:
At the present there exists in the United States an organization the
purpose of which is to spread the gospel of Science and Science Fiction,
the Science Correspondence Club. I am writing this to induce the readers
of Astounding Stories to join us. After reading this pick up your pen or
take the cover from your typewriter and send in an application for
membership to our Secretary, Raymond A. Palmer, 1431--35th St Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, or to our President, Aubrey Clements, 6 South Hillard St.,
Montgomery, Alabama. They will forward application blanks to you and you
will belong to the only organization in the world that is like it.
The Club was formed by twenty young men from all over the U. S. We have a
roll of almost 100, all over the world. Its expressed purpose has been to
help the cause of Science Fiction, and to increase the knowledge of
Science. It also affords the advantage of being able to express your
ideas in all fields.
The Preamble of the Constitution which we have worked out reads: "We, the
members of this organization, in order to promote the advancement of
Science in general among laymen of the world through the use of discussion
and the creation and exchange of new ideas, do ordain and establish this
organization for the Science Correspondence Club."
Article Two reads: "The institution will remain an organization to
establish better co-ordination between the scientifically-inclined laymen
of the world, regardless of sex, creed, color, or race. There will be no
restrictions as to age, providing the member can pass an examination which
shall be prepared by the membership committee."
The Club will also publish a monthly bulletin, to which members may
contribute. It will also publish clippings, articles, etc., dealing with
science.
The membership will have no definite limit and the correspondence will be
governed by the wishes of each member.
Need more be said?
I almost forgot to say that we have two of the best Science Fiction
authors as active members, and three more who are doing their best, but
because of such work they cannot be active.
I hope my appeal bears fruit and that we shall hear from you soon.--Conrad
H. Ruppert.
--
Karen Lofstrom lofs...@lava.net
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jack, you have debauched my sloth.
Just.A...@gmail.com
Here's some more about the club:
http://jophan.org/mimosa/m14/kyle.htm
http://www.lasfs.info/about/history.html
Google is wonderful.
GeekGirl
Karl Johanson
> I'm proofreading a 1930 edition of Astounding Stories at Distributed
> Proofreaders and found the following in the readers' page at the end of
> the issue. Just thought it might interest folks here.
> ***
> To the Readers of Astounding Stories:
>
> At the present there exists in the United States an organization the
> purpose of which is to spread the gospel of Science and Science Fiction,
> the Science Correspondence Club.
It'll lead to no good I tell ya!
Karl Johanson
Keith F. Lynch
> I'm proofreading a 1930 edition of Astounding Stories at Distributed
> "The institution will remain an organization to establish better
> co-ordination between the scientifically-inclined laymen of the
> world, regardless of sex, creed, color, or race.
Very progressive. 23 years later, WSFA voted not to allow blacks
into the club.
> There will be no restrictions as to age, providing the member can
> pass an examination which shall be prepared by the membership
> committee."
I'm curious what was on that examination.
--
Keith F. Lynch - http://keithlynch.net/
Please see http://keithlynch.net/email.html before emailing me.
mark
Yeah, like Baltimore going Chapter 13....
mark "after 1983"
Tim McDaniel
Keith F. Lynch <k...@KeithLynch.net> wrote:
>Karen Lofstrom <lofs...@lava.net> wrote:
>> I'm proofreading a 1930 edition of Astounding Stories at
>> Distributed Proofreaders and found the following ...
>>
>> "The institution will remain an organization to establish better
>> co-ordination between the scientifically-inclined laymen of the
>> world, regardless of sex, creed, color, or race.
>
>Very progressive. 23 years later, WSFA voted not to allow blacks
>into the club.
You found that while going through old minutes? Do you have more
details to hand, like the exact record of the motion, debate, or
whatever?
--
Tim McDaniel, tm...@panix.com
Keith F. Lynch
> Keith F. Lynch <k...@KeithLynch.net> wrote:
>> Very progressive. 23 years later, WSFA voted not to allow blacks
>> into the club.
> You found that while going through old minutes?
Right. I was WSFA's secretary and archivist for a couple years.
I'm probably the only person who has read the minutes of *all* WSFA
meetings. (Except for a couple years in the 1970s which are missing.)
> Do you have more details to hand, like the exact record of the
> motion, debate, or whatever?
All it says is:
A discussion took place on the feasibility of admitting a colored
member, there being a possibility of one attending. The objection
was raised that the Transportation Building probably would not
approve. The subject was dropped.
This was on Sunday, March 29, 1953. (WSFA met on Sundays until 1960,
when it switched to meeting on the first and third Friday of each
month, the schedule it's still on.)
Ironically, WSFA stopped meeting in the Transportation Building (owned
by a lobbying firm which one WSFA member was an employee of) just
three months later. But there's no further mention of the prospective
member. I wonder who he or she was, and what ever became of him or her.