2017 Nominations now open

by downunderfanfund

NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN FOR THE 2017 DUFF RACE! The North American Down Under Fan Fund will send one lucky fan to Australia to attend Continuum 13, the Australian National Convention, being held in Melbourne 9-12 June, 2017. We are looking for fun, outgoing fans to participate in this 44 year old fannish cultural exchange by visiting Australia (and New Zealand if possible), meeting lots of people, attending cons, and returning home to run the fan fund for the next two years. Are you that fan? Know of anyone who is? Send your nomination to Lucy Huntzinger at downunderfanfund@gmail.com by January 22nd, 2017.

Here are the rules for eligibility:
Each candidate posts a bond ($5 US/AU/NZ) promising to travel (if elected) to a major convention on the other side of the Pacific, and provides nominations from five nominators (three from North America, two from Australia or New Zealand); it used to be we had to have their signatures, but I am okay with them sending me an email stating that they are nominating [candidate’s name] for the 2017 race. If they are wholly unknown to me, I may ask the candidate who they are and what their fannish background is.
Here are the rules for after you win:
You administer the fund until you are replaced.
Up for the challenge? Ready to have fun? Go!

Year End Statement 2016

by downunderfanfund

DUFF North America began the year with $8,247.27 and ends with $5,964.27.

The fund took in $1,455 in donations, $1,400 of which was raised during the fan fund auction at the Worldcon. Thank you, fandom!

The fund paid out $3,738 for Clare McDonald-Sim’s five week visit to the USA as delegate. This is a higher amount than normal due to DUFF being unable to secure her much in the way of accommodations with fans as she traveled; she was obliged to stay in hotels instead. I hope we can do better next time as half the fun of traveling as a delegate is staying with fans. Clare did an amazing job on her trip and created a lot of goodwill between our fandoms.

Thank you to everyone who donated time, energy and money to DUFF NA in 2016.

Lucy Huntzinger

Fan fund auction money received

by downunderfanfund
Happy news! I received a $1400 check today which is DUFF North America’s share of the $2700 raised at the MidAmericon2 fan fund auction. That concludes our fundraising for the year. I will do a year end statement of the fund’s 2016 finances at the end of November.
There is no better way to understand another country’s fandom than to have a representative visit, explain and explore all the ways in which we are both the same and divergent, then share their experiences when they return home. Thank you once again to everyone who supports us.

Catching Up

by downunderfanfund

Clare had a terrific visit to the U.S. and made lots of new friends for DUFF as she met people in Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Washington DC, New York City and points in between. Thank you to everyone who supported her trip by helping to fund it through DUFF, providing a bed, meals, sightseeing, visits to fans and other delights. She had a very good time, which I am sure she will be conveying to Australian fandom for a long time to come!

A bit of housekeeping: although we did have a successful fan fund auction three months ago in Kansas City I have not received any funds or indeed any totals on what was raised during the auction. I’m very grateful to everyone who contributed to the fund raiser, either by working on it, donating items or bidding on items. I’m sorry for the long delay in reporting, but unfortunately my attempts to resolve the situation have been unsuccessful.

DUFF does have sufficient funds to send someone to Australia/New Zealand next spring! In January Clare and I will be putting together the 2017 race, so stay tuned and let us know if you are interested or if you know someone in North America who would be a great candidate! Thank you so much for your support and interest in DUFF.

Email for Lucy/NA Admin is downunderfanfund@gmail.com

Email for Clare/ANZ Admin is clare1701@warpmail.net

Clare McDonald-Sims wins DUFF!

by downunderfanfund

Julian Warner, Justin Ackroyd and I are pleased to announce that the winner of the 2016 race is Clare McDonald-Sims!

Final results for the election were a total of 36 ballots cast, subtracting 2 ballots with no preference for 34 ballots cast with a preference. Just over AUD$400 was raised in the voting process. Thank you to everyone who voted and to Jean Weber for her invaluable assistance as PayPal money handler.

TOTAL                                           1       2       3

=====

Clare McDonald-Sims             33      0       0

No Preference                            2       6       2

Hold Over Funds                       1        3       1

Write-in                                      0       2       0

Write-ins were Bruce Gillespie and John Bansund [sic].

 

North America

=============

Clare McDonald-Sims             22      0       0

No Preference                             2       4       2

Hold Over Funds                         0       1       1

Write-in                                        0       2       0

 

Australia / New Zealand

=======================

Clare McDonald-Sims             9       0       0

No Preference                            0       0       0

Hold Over Funds                       1        2       0

Write-in                                      0       0       0

 

Rest of World

=============

Clare McDonald-Sims             2       0       0

No Preference                            0       0       0

Hold Over Funds                       0       0       0

Write-in                                      0       0       0

 

 

Nominations open for DUFF race

by downunderfanfund
Nominations are now open for a Down Under Fan Fund delegate from Australia or New Zealand to travel to Kansas City, Missouri, USA for the 74th World Science Fiction Convention – MidAmericon II – August 17-21, 2016.
 
The nominee may also undertake to attend other conventions and associated fannish travel in North America. This is not essential but will enhance the overall experience.
 
DUFF, founded in 1972 and supported by donations from SF fans all over the world, sends a delegate from Australia – New Zealand to North America, or the other way, in alternating years.
 
The successful nominee, after voting has taken place will then become the DUFF delegate.
 
Delegates are chosen as active members of the SF community whom fans on the visited side would like to meet. The delegate travels as much as possible, makes friends, radiates goodwill, and becomes the Adminstrator in turn until the next cycle. There is an expectation (not always fulfilled!) that delegates will write a trip report during or after their trip. Delegates’ trip reports are sold to support the Fund.
 
The current administrators of the fund are Lucy Huntzinger in North America and Julian Warner and Justin Ackroyd in Australia. All the current administrators are past fan fund winners who were asked to step in and assist when the former administrator suffered some illness.
 
Three Australian/New Zealand nominators and two North American nominators are required for each nominee. A written platform of about 100 words should be submitted by the nominee providing some information about themselves in a fannish context. Nominees are also asked to make a small donation to the fund as a bond of 25 Australian or New Zealand dollars.
 
DUFF voting occurs via a secret ballot and is determined using the instant runoff method.
 
The period for nominations will close on 1 March 2016 at midnight, Western Australian time (UTC +8.00).
 
Further details about DUFF can be found at: https://downunderfanfund.wordpress.com/
 
Any enquiries about nomination or other DUFF matters can be addressed to:
For Australia/New Zealand: Julian.warner@people.net.au
For North America: downunderfanfund@gmail.com

Year End Statement 2015

by downunderfanfund

In May of this year I took over as Acting Administrator for Juanita Coulson. Marty Cantor (DUFF 1985) had been handling the fan fund banking since 2010 at the request of the administrators and was ready to pass on the responsibility. When I agreed to take the position he closed out the DUFF bank account in Los Angeles and sent me a check of $4,717.84. I deposited it into a savings account in Palo Alto, donating the $5 minimum to open the account, and set about enhancing DUFF’s online presence. I also took over organizing the fundraising, focusing on Sasquan, the 2015 Worldcon.

Tom Becker made contact with the family of the late Art Widner (DUFF 1991) and arranged to select and transport some of his science fiction collection as auction material for the fan fund. Tom has really good taste. The items that went to auction did very well for us. Special thanks to Toni Weisskopf of Baen Books and Naomi Fisher (DUFF 2001) for their donated items. I apologize if I have left out anyone’s name who donated items directly at the con; your names have not made their way back to me. The total raised at the Fan Funds Auction at Sasquan was $1,111.00.

Norman Cates generously raised $398.65 at GenCon for DUFF on his own initiative, bless him and his excellent auctioneering skills. In addition, Cynthia Gonsalves bought a book from the Art Widner collection for $30.00.

Sasquan, the 73rd World Science Fiction Convention, donated $2,000.00 to DUFF, an unexpected and much appreciated boost. Thanks to Glenn Glazer, Bruce Farr and the chairs of Sasquan for thinking of us!

I spent $15.22 posting a box of books to Randy Byers who was in charge of the Fan Funds Auction materials. There were no other expenses.

The current fund stands at $8,247.27. Fundraising will continue in 2016.

Thank you to everyone who donated time, energy and money to DUFF NA. I am deeply grateful to be stewarding a healthy fund thanks to our generous supporters, and personally gratified that so many find sending delegates between international fandoms a worthwhile endeavor.

Lucy Huntzinger (DUFF 1987)