Valley Forge 2017: a NASFiC Bid

[Yagathai]

Hey guys. So, uh, we're doing this: http://www.valleyforge2017.org

It's a bid for the 2017 NASFiC, which all y'all can vote on at Worldcon this year. Most of the bid committee is BWB, including Xray, Mr X, Eefa, Lugajetgirl, etc.

LOOK UPON OUR GLORY AND DESPAIR, MORTAL W-

Er, I mean, it would be really great, unless you're already backing the San Juan bid, if you would vote for us.

[Xray the Enforcer]

For those who aren't familiar with NASFiC -- each year that WorldCon is held outside of North America, a separate North American Science Fiction Convention (NASFiC) is organized for those who can't or won't travel abroad for WorldCon.

Since 2017 WorldCon is in Helsinki, we're bidding for the opportunity to hold a NASFiC in the Greater Philadelphia Area. You will need to vote for us the same way as you would vote for WorldCon -- you need voting rights for this year's WorldCon and you pay a fee that automatically rolls into a supporting membership for whichever bid wins the NASFiC. We will have information for how to do this up on our website.

For fairness' sake, I should mention that ValleyForge2017 is not the only bid for NASFiC this year. There is a bid for San Juan, Puerto Rico as well. Their bid is strong, and all of my interactions thus far with their bid chairs have been positive. If they win, they will put on a great NASFiC.

But multiple members of the ValleyForge2017 bid committee personally feel that, despite the many strengths of Puerto Rico's NASFiC bid, it excludes many of the very people who also can't get to Helsinki. (Since joining fandom, I have met way more people who cannot or will not use air travel than I ever thought possible -- life's rich pageantry and all that.) Hence our bid to have the convention in the continental United States. Of course, we think our bid is solid in its own right.

Anyway! Volunteer! Pre-support! Pre-oppose! (we will be posting how you can line our pockets support our bid financially soon).

 

 

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

I'll vote for you.

[Targh]

The Xs won't be in Helsinki then? Noes!

 

[Xray the Enforcer]

We still have it pencilled in -- nothing decided yet.

[Xray the Enforcer]

11 hours ago, Ser Scot A Ellison said:

I'll vote for you.

Thank you!

[Yagathai]

Good news everyone!

If you have been wondering how to support our bid with your blood and treasure, we have opened membership in the Illustrious Order of Procyon, the Great Celestial Trash Panda (aka pre-supports) to all fans!

Visit www.valleyforge2017.org/contribute for more information.

(this is where you give us money to help us prosecute our bid -- if we win, the money you gave us gets translated into cheaper membership for you.)

[Yagathai]

(the individual you, not the collective you. Cheaper membership for thee.)

[Mr. X]

For anyone at Boskone this weekend, we are having a Valley Forge 2017 NASFiC bid party in Room 401 on Friday night (i.e. TONIGHT!).

Come by and say hello.

 

[Xray the Enforcer]

As some of you know, members of the BWB are on the bid committee for NASFiC 2017, which would be held (should we win) just outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Putting together a bid is a lot of work, and everything is funded by donation. A number of you have already donated, or liked our page, or submitted a haiku, or all of the above. And for those things, we thank you most humbly! For those who want to help out, please like and share the ValleyForge2017 page/posts. If you're feeling especially generous, please consider chucking us a few dollars to help defray the considerable costs of running a bid. And, if you like our bid and want to see it become the next NASFiC, please consider voting for us this summer. Those going to Balticon can see the ValleyForge2017 crew in action, as we'll be there in force! (follow the link up top to see our full post about helping -- FB algorithms make Proxie the Trash Panda seethe with fury!)

Here's the full post we put up on our Facebook page:

Calling fellow fans and friends! We need your help!

http://www.valleyforge2017.org/Contribute

We are all very excited for the upcoming Worldcon, MidAmeriCon II, in Kansas City, MO this August. We're also looking forward to Worldcon 75 in Helsinki, Finland next year. Not only are we sure that these con committees will provide amazing experiences, we are also looking forward to an opportunity to host the 12th North American Science Fiction Convention (NASFiC). Will you support us?

http://www.valleyforge2017.org/Contribute

Our plans are proceeding apace, but a bid can always use more help. In particular, we’re looking for the following:

1. Monetary pre-support.
Even before the site selection vote, a bid must spend money to lay the groundwork for the convention. The more we have in the pot now, the more we can plan to offer to our members should we win. Plus, if we win, each supporter will receive a discount on one full membership commensurate with their pre-support “rank”.

2. A small amount of your time.
Running a bid takes a considerable amount of coordination and effort. We are happy to welcome all interested parties, and will definitely find something for you to help with, either before or after the vote. However, even if you can’t make that sort of commitment, here are some actions you can take now that will really help us:

- Like us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Social media is super-important in getting our word out, so we would love to have interested parties add us to their networks. It’s also a straightforward way of getting in touch with us.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valleyforge2017/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/valleyforge2017

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valleyforge2017/

- Say good things about us to other fans. Word-of-mouth is great for conventions, just like books and films.

- Say good things about us to non-traditional or not-yet-fans. We’ve been working on local outreach already, but additional help is always appreciated. We want to be as welcoming to fans who share our love of speculative fiction as we can, especially those who might not have had a chance to attend Worldcon/NASFiC previously. In order to do that, we need to reach them and invite them!

http://www.valleyforge2017.org/Contact

Thank you so much,
Your Valley Forge NASFiC Bid Committee

[Daenerys Stormborn]

Information on how to vote in the 2017 NASFiC site selection race can be found on MidAmeriCon II's Site Selection page.  I'm sure any of our bid committee members would be more than happy to help with your voting questions.

If you are already an attending or supporting member of MidAmeriCon II the process is pretty quick and painless. After paying a small voting fee you will be voting eligible, and no matter which bid wins, your voting fee will be turned into a supporting membership to the 2017 NASFiC.  

And keep in mind, NASFiC will not be held on the same weekend as Worldcon 75 in Helsinki, so you have the chance to attend BOTH!



 

[DaveAx]

2 hours ago, Xray the Enforcer said:

FB algorithms make Proxie the Trash Panda seethe with fury!

Pics or it didn't happen!

[Peadar]

Supported! I have to go to Helsinki (poor me  ), but I wish you guys the best of luck.

[Yagathai]

You can come to both, Peadar! We're the week after Helsinki!

[Peadar]

14 hours ago, Yagathai said:

You can come to both, Peadar! We're the week after Helsinki!

That's interesting!

[DaveAx]

We're pleased to announce the Valley Forge 2017 Mobie Fund!

Mobie Fund Mission: The Mobie Fund will provide monetary assistance to those fans who have difficulty attending NASFIC due to the financial burden of mobility scooter rental. We will seek donations from all who want to help make NASFiC accessible. Valley Forge 2017 will match donations to the fund, up to $500.

After the site selection vote at MidAmeriCon II, the 2016 WorldCon, we will accept donations in cash or through Paypal via our website. At the same time, those who wish to apply for financial assistance for mobility scooter rental can contact us through our website.

Please note: The Mobie Fund is first-come- first-serve. We will confirm that your spot is available, but it won’t be secured until we receive your registration for the con. Upon arrival at the hotel, you can pick up your pre-paid mobie at the mobie rental spot. If, at the end of the con, the Mobie Fund still has a balance, we will reimburse that money among the other mobie riders at the con.

[DaveAx]

Not much time left for those mail-in ballots, folks...

 

SO YOU WANT TO VOTE FOR NASFIC SITE SELECTION
Here’s how to do it.

Step 1

Get yourself a membership to the 2016 Worldcon, a/k/a MidAmeriCon II 

You can do that here: http://www.mac2business.org/events/midamericon-ii/ 

If you plan on attending, you probably want to get the Attending membership. If not, you need at least the Supporting level, which is $50 right now.

Step 2

If you plan on attending MidAmeriCon II, you can vote while you’re there. Voting closes at 6PM on Friday the 19th of August. It will cost you $35, which you can pay in cash or by check. Fill in your ballot, sign it, and turn it in. Hooray, you’re done!
This $35 isn’t just a voting fee. Along with a valid ballot submission, it also gets you a supporting membership at the winning convention, which you can eventually upgrade to an attending membership. 
If you don’t plan on attending MidAmeriCon II, or you won’t be on-site Friday before 6PM, continue to step 3.

Step 3

If you aren’t attending, or if you like to do things in advance, you can submit a mail-in ballot. To do that, buy a voting token. It also costs $35. Do that here:https://midamericon2.org/2017-north-american-science-ficti…/. As covered in step 2, this money isn’t just a voting fee. It -- plus your valid ballot -- also gets you a supporting membership at the winning convention, which you can eventually upgrade to an attending membership.

Step 4

Print this out: http://midamericon2.org/…/uploads/2016/01/ballot-2017-nasfi…

Step 5

Fill it out. Don’t forget to put a big "1" in the box for Valley Forge 2017. Sign it. Check it again, just to be sure that you’ve followed all instructions on the form.

Step 6

Mail it to the address on the form. The deadline for the Site Selection staff to receive your ballot is August 6th, so make sure your ballot is in the mail by the end of July. 

FAQ:

Why do I need a membership in MidAmeriCon II?

Technically you need to become a member of the World Science Fiction Society, but the only way to do that is to buy a membership to Worldcon. Worldcon’s name changes every year, and this year it’s called MidAmeriCon II.

Why does Worldcon’s name change every year?

The short version is because every year it’s in a different city, so it gets a different name. The long version involves talking about decisions people made seventy years ago and is outside the scope of this FAQ.

What if I pay $35 to vote but then your bid loses? I don’t want to go to Puerto Rico.

It’s usually not that hard to find someone to buy your membership, and anyway even if you don’t attend the convention a supporting membership usually gets you stuff like a souvenir program book and… uh… emails. Look, I’ll be honest, if you don’t want to go to Puerto Rico your best bet is to make sure that we win.

Do I really have to mail my ballot? Like with a stamp and envelopes?

Yes. Well, just one envelope, unless you feel like creating the TurDucKen of stationery.

I can vote for the Hugos online, which is also run by the World Science Fiction Society and also comes with a Worldcon membership. How come I can’t vote for site selection online?

It wasn’t our call. But if you ask the people whose call it was, they will tell you that secure online voting is really hard to get right.