GUFF was created as the Get Up-and-over Fan Fund to transport a popular Australian fan to Seacon, the 1979 Worldcon in Brighton, England. It was successful enough in bringing John Foyster to England and promoting Anglo-Australian contact among SF fans that it was decided GUFF should continue as a regular event along the lines of TAFF and DUFF, alternately transporting British fans southwards and Australian fans northwards at suitable intervals for the,host country's national conventions, and should be known in southbound years, as the Get-Under Fan Fund. In 1981 a British fan will travel to the Australian national convention in Adelaide, Advention '81, over the Queen's Birthday weekend in June, and on his return become GUFF's British Administrator.
GUFF will continue to be a success through the efforts and support of fandom worldwide, particularly all voters, and those who donate money and auction material. The candidates will be voted for by fans all over the world who make donations as below.
Who may vote: Anyone who has been active in fandom (fanzines, conventions, clubs etc.) prior to January 1979 and who contributes $2.00 or £1.00 to the fund may vote. Contributions greater than the minimum are gratefully received. One vote per person; no proxies; ballots must be signed. Write-in candidates are permitted. Money orders and cheques should be made payable to the appropriate administrator, not to GUFF.
Deadline: Votes must reach the administrators by 14 February 1981.
How the votes are counted: Votes are counted using the optional-preferential system, which results in a majority win after the lowest-ranking candidate's voters' second choices are transferred to higher-ranking candidates. In a two-person race with the extra alternatives being the (probably relatively unpopular) Hold Over Funds or write-ins, this should be fairly Simple. If you wish to give preferences, though, it is still important to vote for second and third places on your ballot. However, voters have the option of voting only for their choice of candidate and allotting no further preferences. To do this simply place a "1" by your choice.
Donations: GUFF will need contributions of money or saleable items (for auction) to continue to be a success. If you are ineligible to vote or do not feel able to make an informed choice between the candidates, donations will nevertheless be gratefully accepted.
The Candidates: On the other side of this sheet are listed the names of the candidates, their nominators and a short statement or platform in favour of each candidate. Each candidate has posted a bond and promised that, barring acts of God, he will travel to the 1981 Australian National Convention in Adelaide.
SEND COMPLETED BALLOTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO:
British Administrator
Rob Jackson,
8 Lavender Road,
West Ewell, Epsom,
Surrey KT19 9EB,
United KingdomAustralian Administrator
John Foyster,
21 Shakespeare Grove,
St. Kilda,
Victoria 3182,
AustraliaReproduction of this form is encouraged provided that the text is reproduced completely and unaltered.
THE GUFF PLATFORMS
Malcolm Edwards
As Chris Priest has already been to Australia, Malcolm Edwards won't come as much of a shock. In any event, the similarity ends with their names. He once published a fanzine called Magic Pudding; there the ethnic case for your vote rests. You are left to support a man who, during a decade in fandom, has produced a number of excellent fanzines, including the best-ever issues of the BSFA organ Vector; has been deeply involved in the organisation of two large conventions, including Seacon '79 (which was originally his idea); was a major contributor to and editor of the definitive Encyclopaedia of SF; was Administrator of the Science Fiction Foundation before embarking upon a mildly unsuccessful freelance career; and has published more good critical work than you'd expect from meeting him, because it's as a friendly and entertaining drunkard at conventions that he really shines.
Nominators: Justin Ackroyd, Randal Flynn, Bruce Gillespie, Leroy Kettle and Peter Roberts.
Joseph Nicholas
Now pushing 27, Joseph Nicholas entered fandom in late 1974 and has since become something of a fixture oh the modern British scene (most noticeably at late-night room-parties, where his tendency to fall asleep at crucial moments allows people, to draw on him with felt pens -- but he'll be charging for this service in future, so watch it). Supposedly renowned for the incredibly long letters he Writes to every fanzine he receives, he has in fact now largely abandoned this practice in favour of (hopefully) more enduring articles about SF and fandom, and his own fanzine, Napalm in the Morning. A founder-member of the influential Surrey Limpwrists and currently Reviews Editor of the BSFA's sercon-zine Vector, he has achieved a certain notoriety for his "K Is For Knife" fanzine reviews in Ian Maule's Nabu and was (along with almost everyone else in British fandom) recently denounced by D. West -- but continues to enjoy talking, drinking, movies and rock music regardless..
Nominators: Leigh Edmonds, Dave Langford, Marc Ortlieb, Chris Priest and Bob Shaw.
I VOTE FOR: Signature..............................................
Malcolm Edwards..... Name (capitals).........................................
Joseph Nicholas ..... Address...............................................
Hold Over Funds ............................................................
.................... I enclose my donation to GUFF of ...... ($2 or £1 minimum).
If you think your name may not be known to the administrators, in order to make sure of qualifying for voting please give the name and address of a fan or fan group to whom you are known.
Name.................... Address.........................