All meetings were held in room 415 of the Pacifico ICC, Yokohama, Japan. The head table officers were:
| Presiding Officer: | Kevin Standlee |
| Deputy/Timekeeper: | Donald Eastlake III |
| Secretary: | Pat McMurray |
[Secretary: The debates in these minutes are not word for word accurate, but every attempt has been made to represent the sense of the arguments made. UK spelling is mostly used; because that's the way I spell. Names are deliberately chosen to be the informal versions. These minutes are complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and recollection and are based on contemporaneous notes. Any other comments or notes I have will be marked in this fashion. Comments thus are purely informative and do not form part of the official text of these minutes.
Voting is done in a variety of ways in the course of the Business Meeting. The Mark Protection Committee members are usually elected on paper ballots, using the Australian ballot. Most voting in the course of the meeting is done by an uncounted show of hands or, less commonly, by voice vote or by acclamation. If a voice or show of hands vote appears close or if a counted vote is considered important, a numbered serpentine vote is held.]
The meeting was called to order at 10:06. Technical support for today's meeting was provided by Lisa Hayes and John P. Maizels.
1.1. Mark Protection Committee (Including Nominations for MPC)
Report is attached. New website thehugoawards.org has been rolled out and seems to be going well. HASH committee has been continued by the MPC and renamed the Hugo Awards Marketing Committee.
Without objection, incumbent members of the MPC were nominated; no further nominations were received. Election will be held tomorrow. Ben Yalow (East), Kevin Standlee (West), Tim Illingworth (RotW).
1.2. Nitpicking & Flyspecking Committee
Report is attached. Committee has proposed item 4.2.1.
Ben Yalow: Will Previous Question be in order when there is zero time remaining.
Chair: Yes.
Motion 4.2.1 was passed unanimously. Committee was continued as presently constituted.
1.3. Worldcon Runners' Guide Editorial Committee
No report was received today.
1.4. Hugo Eligibility Rest of the World (HEROW) Committee
Motion 4.1.1 was passed unanimously. Committee was continued as presently constituted.
Motion 4.1.2
Vince Docherty: Broadly speaking, we believe there is still an imbalance between publishing in the US and the Rest of the World.
Motion 4.1.2 was passed unanimously.
1.5. Formalization of Long List Entries (FOLLE) Committee
Motion 4.1.3 was passed unanimously. Committee was continued as presently constituted.
Motion 4.1.4
Vince Docherty: Each Worldcon is run by a different committee with different levels of access to, and understanding of, Worldcon history. This ensures that each Worldcon uses the same list.
Wynn Matthews: What is meant by regular.
Chair: Same wording as has been used before, and the NPFSC has interpreted this as being six month intervals.
Motion 4.1.4 was adopted unanimously.
1.6. The Taming the Digital Wilderness Committee
Glenn Glazer: Committee did not meet this year.
Glenn Glazer: move to extend TDW as currently constituted. Motion was seconded.
Wynn Matthews: What is this committee for?
Chair: This is a committee established some years ago to discuss electronic / web-based Hugos.
Pat McMurray: A committee that doesn't meet during a year, even in electronic form, doesn't seem to have a purpose.
Glenn Glazer: Committee didn't meet due to personal problems affecting the Chair.
Motion was adopted on a show of hands.
1.7 Higher and Stronger Hugo (HASH) Committee
This is not a committee of the Business Meeting, it is in fact a sub-committee of the MPC, and won't be included separately in future agendas.
2.1 Past Worldcons & NASFiC
2.1.1. ConAdian (1994)
Report is attached.
John Maizels: Note 1 is not listed, and exchange rate seems odd.
Chair: We believe Note at foot is Note 1.
After discussion, Business Meeting accepted that exchange rate was approximately correct.
2.1.2. The Millennium Philcon (2001)
2.1.3 Torcon 3 (2003)
Final report is attached.
John Mansfield: Is there any reason why the 5th major Canadian convention didn't get a donation when all the others didn't?
Ben Yalow: PoO: Don't believe that is within the meeting's remit.
Kevin Standlee Ruling: Members may ask any question they choose, the committee does not have to respond.
Alex van Thorn: previous board made promises of grants before staff and programme participants reimbursements were made, so the previous board was removed. Proposals from many different organisations for grants were received and we choose which to support on the evidence presented to us, without regard to nationality.
Torcon 3's final report was accepted and they have discharged their reporting requirements to WSFS.
2.1.4 Noreascon 4 (2004)
Final report is attached and was presented by Tim Szczesuil.
Noreascon 4's final report was accepted and they have discharged their reporting requirements to WSFS.
2.1.5 Interaction (2005)
Final report is attached and was presented by Vince Docherty.
Interaction final report was accepted and they have discharged their reporting requirements to WSFS.
2.1.6 CascadiaCon (2005)
Report is attached.
Pat Porter: Has MPC received cheque yet?
Chair: Yes we have and we thank Cascadia Con for their donation.
Pat Porter: In that case, the outstanding amount has been donated to the Seattle in 2011 bid and this can be considered as a final report.
Ben Yalow: PoO: Is Seattle in 2011 a successor organisation to Cascadia Con and therefore required to report to WSFS?
Chair: A pre-existing bid committee is not required to do so, per 2.9.4.
Ben Yalow: In Seattle 2011 a pre-existing bid to Cascadia Con.
Pat Porter: The bid committee did not exist prior to Cascadia Con. The bid committee did not exist prior to the donation.
Chair: The Seattle in 2011 bid committee is now obliged to report, because it was not a pre-existing bid, prior to receiving the donation.
Dave Clark: General Inquiry: Is the Nasfic in 2005 and the Worldcon bid components of the same corporate entity.
Pat Porter: yes
Ben Yalow: Point of Order: Your original ruling does not exist and should not be minuted, left for a future Presiding Officer.
Chair agrees with that Point of Order. So that ruling is moot and will not be included in ROCE.
2.1.7 L.A. con IV (2006)
Report is attached.
Don Timms: What is the purpose of the $75K transfer to SCIFI.
Glenn Glazer: Will check and come back tomorrow.
2.2. Seated Worldcons & NASFiC
2.2.1 Nippon 2007
Glenn Glazer was requested to to seek a financial report from Nippon 2007.
2.2.2 Archon 31, the 9th NASFiC (2007)
No report was received. Chair will contact them on this matter.
2.2.4 Denvention 3 (2008)
Report is attached.
The following Constitutional Amendments were approved at L.A. con IV and passed on to Nippon 2007 for ratification. If ratified, they will become part of the Constitution at the conclusion of Nippon 2007.
3.1 Short Title: Best Artist Hugo Eligibility
Chair suggested ten minutes. Accepted without objection.
Moved to amend Section 3.9 of the WSFS Constitution by adding text as follows
Section 3.9: Notification and Acceptance. Worldcon Committees shall use reasonable efforts to notify the nominees, or in the case of deceased or incapacitated persons, their heirs, assigns, or legal guardians, in each category prior to the release of such information. Each nominee shall be asked at that time to either accept or decline the nomination. If the nominee declines nomination, that nominee shall not appear on the final ballot. In addition, in the Best Professional Artist category, the acceptance must include citations of at least three (3) works first published in the eligible year.
4.3. Constitutional Amendments
Items under this heading have not yet received first passage, and will become part of the constitution only if passed at Nippon 2007 and ratified at Denvention 3. The Preliminary Business Meeting may amend items under this heading, set debate time limits, refer them to committee, and take other action as permitted under the Standing Rules.
4.3.1 Short Title: Gaughan Gone
Chair suggested ten minutes. Accepted without objection.
Moved, To amend subsection 3.3.14 of the Constitution by striking the last sentence:
3.3.14: Best Fan Artist. An artist or cartoonist whose work has appeared through publication in semiprozines or fanzines or through other public display during the previous calendar year. Any person whose name appears on the final Hugo Awards ballot for a given year under the Professional Artist category shall not be eligible in the Fan Artist category for that year.
4.3.2 Short Title: Best Web Site
Ben Yalow: Move to amend by adding the following
Any website, as part of its acceptance, must indicate to the administering committee the address where a version of the website that existed during the eligibility year exists. The administering committee shall include this information in the final ballot.
Don Eastlake: move to amend Address to URL.
Don Timms: Motion to move to committee of the whole to discuss this and seconded.
Motion to go into committee of the whole was passed.
Entered Committee of the Whole at 11:11, presided over by Don Eastlake.
Committee reported the following at 11:29:
Any website, as part of its acceptance, must indicate to the administering committee the URL where a version of the website that existed during the eligibility year exists. The administering committee shall include this information in the final ballot.
Chair suggested five minutes debate time at this point on the Amendment to the Constitutional Amendment. Accepted without objection.
Ben Yalow (f): I want the voters to see what they're voting on. Works that way with books and magazines, need to be clear how it will work for a Website Hugo. Site administrator is responsible for any technical requirements, I just want to see what we're voting for.
Margene Bahm (a): Seems illogical to me, won't all the nominators have seen the site already. And we're now putting more requirements on the website administrators. Seems too complex to me.
Darrel Exline (f): Seems to level the playing field to me.
Mike McMillan (a): Archiving a website is just about impossible and seems to impose quite a burden on an administrator.
Amendment was passed on a show of hands.
Chair suggested twenty minutes. Accepted without objection.
4.3.3 One-Vote Wonders
Chair suggested ten minutes. Accepted without objection.
Chair: Suggest that this motion be postponed until the Sunday Business Meeting, hearing no objection, so ruled.
Site selection business will be on Sunday.
The meeting adjourned at 11:41.
The meeting was called to order at 10:05. Secretarial and technical support for today's meeting was provided by William J Keaton and Lisa Hayes.
Nippon 2007 membership on-site as of this morning was 2122, of whom 1270 live in Japan and 852 from the rest of the world. There were approximately 100 one-day memberships yesterday, almost all from Japan.
1.1. Mark Protection Committee (Including Nominations for MPC)
Chair: Is there anyone present who feels the Chair should not be presiding at this time?
Chair: Is there any objection to suspending the rules and re-electing the incumbents.
Hearing none, the incumbents are re-elected.
1.3 WCRG Editorial Committee
Chair: Appoints Bill Taylor as Chair of this committee, and Sharon Sbarsky, and anyone Bill Taylor chooses to appoint to the committee. Bill can be contacted through the Conrunner.net wiki.
2.1.7 L.A. con IV (2006)
Glenn Glazer: $75K was transferred to SCIFI's Benefit of Fandom fund.
Ben Yalow: As a Director of SCIFI, I can advise that this fund is used by SCIFI internally to track which funds are subject to the requirements of the WSFS Constitution. SCIFI will continue to report on this fund.
2.2. Seated Worldcons & NASFiC
2.2.1 Nippon 2007
Financial report not yet received.
2.2.2 Archon 31, the 9th NASFiC (2007)
Financial report not yet received.
The following Constitutional Amendments were approved at L.A. con IV and passed on to Nippon 2007 for ratification. If ratified, they will become part of the Constitution at the conclusion of Nippon 2007.
3.1 Short Title: Best Artist Hugo Eligibility
Ten minute debate time.
Moved to amend Section 3.9 of the WSFS Constitution by adding text as follows
Section 3.9: Notification and Acceptance. Worldcon Committees shall use reasonable efforts to notify the nominees, or in the case of deceased or incapacitated persons, their heirs, assigns, or legal guardians, in each category prior to the release of such information. Each nominee shall be asked at that time to either accept or decline the nomination. If the nominee declines nomination, that nominee shall not appear on the final ballot. In addition, in the Best Professional Artist category, the acceptance must include citations of at least three (3) works first published in the eligible year.
Ben Yalow (f): Chaired the committee that reported back. Intention is to allow voters to know what work an artist has done during a particular year.
Wynn Matthews (a): Says "published", not all work is published.
Chair: The proposed amendment does not impact the question of published in any way, refer to the existing Constitution 3.3.10, does not touch on these issues at all.
Kent Bloom (a): Opposed to this for two reasons. 1. This makes it harder for professional artists to get on the ballot. 2. This makes it harder for the Hugo administrator.
Susan de Guardiola (a) This should be extended to other Hugos such as Fanartist and Fanwriter.
Vince Docherty (F): Found in reality this sort of thing tends to help.
Don Timms (a): "must" should read "should". Not truly mandatory as it stands.
Don Timms: Move to amend "must" to "should"
Chair: Rules this a lesser change.
Ben Yalow (a): People can accept without sending in an acceptance, and have in the past. The overwhelming majority of acceptances are positive acceptances.
Glenn Glazer (a): Weakens original proposal to no point.
Don Timm (f): Placing a burden on the nominees, especially if they only have one or two qualifying works. Believe we should ask, rather than force.
For: 16, Against 11, amendment passes.
Glenn Glazer: move to extend debate by two minutes each side.
Chair: hearing no objection.
William Keaton (f): In favour of being able to find works created in the past year
Glenn Glazer (a): Amendment is now toothless and therefore pointless.
Ben Yalow (f): Toothless in one sense, and not-toothless in another. Nominees on the ballot who have complied will be obvious.
Favour 27, opposed 3
Motion carries.
4.3. Constitutional Amendments
Items under this heading have not yet received first passage, and will become part of the constitution only if passed at Nippon 2007 and ratified at Denvention 3. The Preliminary Business Meeting may amend items under this heading, set debate time limits, refer them to committee, and take other action as permitted under the Standing Rules.
4.3.1 Short Title: Gaughan Gone
Ten minute debate time
Moved, To amend subsection 3.3.14 of the Constitution by striking the last sentence:
3.3.14: Best Fan Artist. An artist or cartoonist whose work has appeared through publication in semiprozines or fanzines or through other public display during the previous calendar year. son whose name appears on the final Hugo Awards ballot for a given year under the Professional Artist category shall not be eligible in the Fan Artist category for that year.
Discussion: The last sentence is the restriction that nobody can be on the final ballot in both the Pro/Fan Artist categories. This restriction goes against the basic model underlying fandom -- that being a pro is not an attribute of a person that takes them outside of fandom, nor is fandom some sort of junior league that fan artists graduate from to become pro artists. Just as we don't stop pros from running as fan writers, if that's what they're doing (and, in some cases, winning the Hugo for Best Fan Writer and a fiction Hugo in the same year), we should not impose that restriction on fan vs pro artists. If people are doing both (and there have been, and still are artists who are doing both kinds of work), then they should be eligible in both categories.
Moved: Ben Yalow
Seconded: Mark Olson
Ben Yalow (f): In every other category we recognise that someone can be fan and pro at the same time, but not in this category. Being a pro does not take you out of fandom.
Without objection, this motion is adopted by unanimous consent, and sent forward to Denver for ratification.
4.3.2 Short Title: Best Web Site
Twenty minute debate time
Michael McMillan (f): This is not dividing up existing categories, this is recognising entirely new media, new ways of presenting and understanding science fiction and fandom. Websites exist for news magazines, conventions, costumers, filkers, authors, artists. A very democratic, innovative and open medium that anyone can access and be creative in. Some sites are better than others and this Hugo would help point fans to good sites. Not an innovative Hugo, we.ve trialed it twice successfully.
Glenn Glazer: Move to amend -- "must" to "should" in second sentence.
Glenn Glazer (f): Websites who choose to present a frozen site have an advantage over those who don't, but this way we can prevent requiring a website to meet technical challenges.
Ben Yalow (a): Must is better than should, a tougher requirement.
Amendment fails.
Kent Bloom (a): More work for Hugo administrators, and websites are already eligible in several categories -- we give Hugos for works, not for media. Content of a website is eligible for a Hugo, so might make them eligible in multiple categories.
Wynn Matthews (f): Will encourage innovation and improvement in websites.
Susan de Guardiola (a): Laudable, but we're giving a Hugo for a medium for the first time. Some websites aren't eligible under any category, so we should revitalise best semi-prozine and best fanzine, by making sure that those Hugos explicitly include websites. Suggest to refer to committee.
Susan de Guardiola: Move to refer to TDW Committee.
Don Timm (a): Passing this one today, hastens the day when we have a Hugo for this medium.
Ben Yalow (f): Getting it right is more important than doing it quickly.
John Maisels (a): Sending it to an inactive committee seems to be a good way to kill it.
Glenn Glazer (f): Committee was inactive due to personal problems, I support the motion to refer to committee.
Michael McMillan (a): Want to see a vote here first.
Referred to TDW Committee.
Chair: Persons wishing to be part of the TDW Committee should contact Glenn Glazer.
4.3.3 Short Title: One-Vote Wonders
Referred to Sunday.
Ben Yalow: Want an anticipatory ruling that this item will not be lost due to time.
Chair: Based on looking at maximum times, it seems likely that we will be able to complete all business tomorrow.
Site selection business will be on Sunday.
The meeting adjourned at 11:03.
The meeting was called to order at 10:07. Tech support for today's meeting was provided by Lisa Hayes and John Maizels.
Japanese Introduction:
5.1. Report of the 2009 Site Selection & Presentation by Winners
Site selection report was presented by Tim Szczesuil.
Montreal won in the first round, with 507 votes out of 902. The site selection count took one hours, 40 minutes.
Jim Briggs: List of votes for also rans?
See attached.
Kent Bloom: Move to commend site selection administrator, counters and bidders, and to order the ballots destroyed.
Seconded and passed without objection.
Meeting commends the site selection administrator, staff and bidders and ordered the ballot destroy.
Margene Bahm (Chair of KC09 bid): Thank all our workers and supporters for all of these years. Congratulate our competitors on their victory, I'm sure we'll all have a great convention wherever it is.
Robbie Bourget: Merci bien and bienvenue a notre monde. We'd like to thank KC09 for running such a fun and friendly bid. Starting conversions at about 14:00 at former site selection desks.
Guests: Neil Gaiman, Elizabeth Vonarburg, Taral Wayne, David Hartwell, Tom Doherty. MC is Julie Czerneda.
Beautiful city, wonderful aspects of SF you may not have seen and a wonderful convention venue.
Co-Chairs are Robbie Bourget and Rene Walling.
Wynn Matthews: Conversion rate.
Robbie Bourget: By WSFS rules, conversion rates are held for 90 days.
John P Maizels: Could conversions start earlier?
Robbie Bourget: Sooner if we can.
Robbie Bourget: Party tonight in Harbour Lounge, starting between 20:00 and 21:00.
Rene Walling: ??......................(Nippon ni-sen nana ni kan shai itasimasu -- we would like the organisers of Nippon 2007)
Want to thank everyone, Nippon 2007, Tim Szczesuil the administrator, our opposition KC09 who were wonderful, all who helped us, all who voted and took part. On a personal note I'd like to mention that I made many friends during this bid and three in particular I'd like to mention: Margene, Paul and Jim who I'm proud to consider friends.
Susan de Guardiola: Translation between French and English.
Rene Walling: The main events will definitely be translated.
Meeting recessed at 10:25 to 10:33.
2.2.1 Nippon 2007
John Pomeranz: Would like to thank Joyce Hooper for her wonderful job as Hugo administrator.
Peggy Rae Sapienza and Inoue Hiroaki: No financial report yet, our apologies. Several financial items are still under negotiation. So we hope to present our report within a month or so. An official copy will be forwarded to the Secretary and Chair of the Business Meeting as well.
Secretary: Will consider financial report on time when received.
Glenn Glazer: 2692 onsite members, 874 from rest of world.
5.2. Reports by seated Worldcons & NASFiC
5.2.1. Denvention 3 (2008)
Kent Bloom: There's a program item tomorrow at 10AM with a presentation for 2008 and future bids, suggest detailed questions might be moved to there.
Vince Docherty: First progress report.
Kent Bloom: Six weeks overdue, IT problems, real soon now.
Robin Johnson: Could PDF become a default?
Kent Bloom: Not a default yet, but available as an option.
Robert Klein: Hotel bookings?
Kent Bloom: PR2, end of this year.
Vince Docherty: Hotel update?
Kent Bloom: 1590 rooms blocked in seven different hotels, the Hyatt Regency across the street, the party hotel the Adams Mark, about six blocks away.
Ben Yalow: The Adams Mark will be a Sheraton when PR2 comes out.
Adrienne Seel: Staff situation
Kent Bloom: Details on website, encourage all and any of you to volunteer.
5.3. Presentation by future Worldcon bids
5.3.1. Presentation by bidders for 2010
Rose Mitchell: Treasurer of the 2007 bid.
Perianne Lurie: What are the laws regarding smoking in public places in Australia.
Rose Mitchell: In July this year, Melbourne passed a law against smoking indoors in public places.
Glenn Glazer: how long from Narita to Melbourne.
Rose Mitchell: 10.5 hours non-step, 15 hours from West Coast USA.
5.3.2. Presentation by bidders for years after 2010
Bobbie Dufault (Seattle 2011 -- Bid Chair) Downtown conference centre and hotels, Sheraton will not be party hotel.
Dave McCarty: Chicago will bid for 2012.
Vince Docherty: Likely to be a European bid for 2014/2015. This will be discussed at a conrunning convention in the UK in the Summer.
2.2. Seated Worldcons & NASFiC
2.2.2 Archon 31, the 9th NASFiC (2007)
Report not received.
4.3. Constitutional Amendments
Items under this heading have not yet received first passage, and will become part of the constitution only if passed at Nippon 2007 and ratified at Denvention 3. The Preliminary Business Meeting may amend items under this heading, set debate time limits, refer them to committee, and take other action as permitted under the Standing Rules.
4.3.3 One-Vote Wonders
Ten minute debate.
Vince Docherty: Joyce has asked me to speak on her behalf. Tends to be a very long tail.
Kent Bloom (a): Not usually a problem, not usually a long tail, not a very important change and there's a lot of ego-boo in appearing on this list even with just 2 or 3 votes.
Joyce Hooper (f): Number of votes might impact on Hugo Award Marketing, and this could improve the appearance.
John Hertz (a): Changed my mind on this amendment, this is not about changing the minds of newspaper people.
Ben Yalow (f): I agree completely with the sentiment that we should not change our rules in an unwise way merely to accommodate the outside world, this does not mean that we should not change our rules in ways that suit us and does not harm us in fandom, but also helps us outside.
John P Maizels (Point of Inquiry): Did they consider alternatives, such as the following candidates received fewer than five votes.
Joyce Hooper: Was looking for a simple way to do this.
John P Maizels: Move to amend by adding the following sentence to the original: "The reporting should include a statement that 'The following nominees received fewer than five votes:'"
Chair: Rules that the attempt to amend the amendment is out of order because it would make the motion incoherent.
Passed by a show of hands, and passed to Denver for ratification.
6.1. Adjournment Sine Die
Meeting adjourned sine die at 11:05
Pat McMurray, Secretary
Kevin Standlee, Chairman
2007 WSFS Business Meeting
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