August 1978
an occasional note from Dave Langford, 22 Northumberland Avenue, Reading, Berks. RG2 7PW, UK, concerning the dark doings of GUFF... August 1978
Nomenclature: You are all assumed to know that GUFF stands for "Get Up&Over Fan Fund" and will transport some strange Australian fan as if by magic into our midst for Seacon. The candidates are John Alderson, John Foyster and Eric Lindsay; their platforms appear on the ballot form which you've doubtless seen but which is still available from myself or from the far more important Aussie Administrator: Leigh Edmonds of PO Box 103, Brunswick, Victoria 3056, AUSTRALIA.
Money: As of earlier this month, Leigh had seventy-nine strange foreign dollars in the GUFF kitty. I have over sixty Real British Pounds in my GUFF account. Thanks are due to the many fans who donated more than they needed to -- indeed, hardly any confined themselves to the minimum 80p or $1 (Australian). However, much more is needed for the mighty effort of actually fetching the winning candidate to British shores...
Much More Money: I hope to pull in some of this by auctions of incredibly valuable and attractive material at UK cons. The material to hand appears to consist largely of odd review copies, SFBC editions and a precious few copies of that fabled work Philosophy of God's Mathematics of the Atomic Energy by Timothy O'Mahoney Esq, Member of the "Legio Mariae", Ascribed Member of the Institute of Charity, K.B.S., Mathematician of the Atom, etcetera, etcetera. One of these may wing its way to Australia with the signatures of myriad UK fans, for auction next Easter. Lucky Australia. Anyway, donations of more valuable material will be appreciated, as will direct donations of cash from conventions, organisations and individuals. All will be given a credit in the final issue of this paltry newsletter, as indeed will those who have already helped. Do not allow your name to be absent from the glorious list!
The Votes: The generosity of fans so far will become apparent on comparison of the cash received with the actual number of voters. Let us not hide the grisly truth any longer. Thirteen Australian votes have been recorded, while your friendly UK Administrator has received eight (one of these being from America). I expect this unwholesome situation to be quickly altered when hundreds of UK fans have their consciences wrung by the facts.
Very Much More Money: Though GUFF is principally intended to strengthen UK-Australian links by the time-honoured process of fan exchange, anyone meaning to attend Seacon '79 will of course reap the benefits of meeting the fabled Alderson Foyster Lindsay Delete As Necessary. If you're a funny foreigner, therefore, you are still most welcome to donate Money and even to vote. But as Leigh observes, fans anywhere in the world who aren't familiar with all three candidates' activities would be better advised to offer money and goodwill, leaving the voting to those able to make an informed and considered decision...
Dave Langford
An Almost Unforgivable Error: With my usual acumen I have made a Mistake. It is wholly my own Mistake and no goddam Australian Administrator can take the tiniest smidgeon of credit for it. Under the heading Money overleaf, I noted that the minimum GUFF contribution was 80p or $1 (Australian). Silly me. The 80p is OK but the $1 should be $1.50. I should imagine that $1.50 (American) would be equally acceptable. Extensive research (I looked in the Business Section of my Sunday paper) has not revealed the true and actual exchange rates, but it's always safe to give too much!
And While We're Here: It seems a pity to leave all this blank space undefiled; yet I have no intention of quipping madly away until the bottom of the page. I'll just mention the names of those good people who have given money to GUFF to date, through me...
Graham England
Jan Howard Finder
Glenn Garrett
Steve Gould
Philip James
Terry Jeeves
Joe Nicholas
Jonathan P R Palfrey
Celia Parsons
Chris Priest
Peter Roberts
Andrew Stephenson
Roger Waddington
One or two of these thought they were subscribing to Twll-Ddu, but as I do not accept subscriptions (can't be bothered with paperwork) it was the work of a moment to inform the lucky ones that they had aided this worthy cause. I fear that Mr S. Gould's contribution of fivepence was partly ironical in intention -- indeed, it was with the gravest misgivings that I put his name in the above list. Well, it was already pretty short. Promises to distribute GUFF ballots have been received from Terry Hughes [Mota] and Greg Pickersgill and Simone Walsh [
Stop Breaking DownSeamonsters: note that Greg now plays a subsidiary role...]. Thanks!Vast Amounts Of Surplus Money: A certain section of the populace [Joyce Scrivner, actually] is curious about the plans for distributing any surplus cash pulled in by GUFF. Since the goal, which is on the order of $1000 (Australian), is so very far off, the Administrators have a strong feeling of "let's burn that bridge if we ever come to it". However pressing the Administrators' needs for long holidays on the Riviera, you may safely assume that it'll go to other fan funds or something equally worthy. Ideas for distributing money will therefore go into the interim wastebasket file; ideas for acquiring it will be studied with keen interest and gratitude. Go on, show us how to do it.