THE WORLD SCIENCE FICTION SOCIETY CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS 1963

1.01         The World Science Fiction Society is an unincorporated literary society whose functions are: to choose the recipients of the annual Science Fiction Achievement Awards, known as the Hugos; to choose the location for the annual World Science Fiction Convention; and to attend the annual World Science Fiction Convention.

1.02         The membership of the World Science Fiction Society at any time consists of all those who have paid membership dues to the then current convention committee.

1.03         The management and responsibility for all phases of the annual World Science Fiction Convention lies entirely with the convention committee, which acts in its own name, not that of the society. The convention committee which puts on the convention is, of course, the committee whose bid for selection of its location is accepted by the annual meeting of the society.

2.01         The selection of the annual Hugos and the categories for which awards will be made are as follows:

2.02         Best Novel: A science fiction or fantasy novel appearing for the first time as a hard cover book, or appearing for the first time as a soft cover book, magazine serial, or complete novel, during the previous calendar year. Previous winners are not eligible, nor shall a story be eligible more than twice. Publication date, or cover date in the case of a dated magazine, shall take precedence over copyright date. At least one installment of a serial shall have been published in the eligible year.

2.03         Best Short Fiction: A science fiction or fantasy story of less than novel length published for the first time in a magazine, or appearing for the first time in a collection or anthology, during the previous calendar year. Previous winners are not eligible, nor shall a story be eligible more than twice. Publication date, or cover date in the case of a dated magazine, shall take precedence over copyright date. Individual stories appearing together as a series are eligible only as individual stories, and are not eligible taken together under the title of the series.

2.04         Best Dramatic Production. Any production, single or series, directly related to science fiction or fantasy, in the fields of radio, television, stage, or screen, which has been publicly presented for the first time in its present form during the previous calendar year. In the case of individual programs presented as a series, the separate programs shall be individually eligible, but the entire year’s production taken as a whole under the title of the series shall not be eligible.

2.05         Best Professional Artist: A professional artist whose work was presented in some form in the science fiction or fantasy field during the previous calendar year.

2.06         Best Professional Magazine: Any magazine devoted primarily to science fiction or fantasy, which has published four or more issues, at least one issue appearing in the previous calendar year.

2.07         Best Amateur Magazine: Any generally available non-professional magazine devoted to science fiction, fantasy, or related subjects, which has published four or more issues, at least one issue appearing in the previous calendar year.

2.08         Special Award. A Special Award shall be given only when, in the opinion of the convention committee, recognition should be given to either a professional or fan for a special contribution to the field not covered by the annual awards. They shall be identical to the regular Hugoes except that the plate shall also include the words “Special Award”. It must be understood that no convention committee is obligated to give this award, and not only can but should resist pressure for an award thought unmerited. Since the achievements contemplated under this provision are non-competitive, Special Awards shall not be voted on by the Society membership.

2.09         Additional Awards: The name and design of the Hugoes shall be restricted to the awards listed above, and shall not be extended to any additional awards.

2.10         No Award: At the discretion of the individual convention committee, if a lack of votes in a specific category shows a marked lack of interest in that category on the part of the voters, the award in that category shall be cancelled for that year.

2.11         Nominations and Voting: Selection of nominees for the final award voting shall be made by a poll conducted by the convention committee under rules determined by the convention committee. Final Award voting shall be by mail, with ballots sent only to society members (as defined in paragraph 1.02 above). Final Ballots shall standardize the alternatives given in each category to no more than five. Assignment of nominees nominated in more than one category to their proper category, and determination of eligibility of nominees, shall be determined by the convention committee. Each person shall vote only once in each category in the final ballot.

2.12         Tallying: Counting of all votes shall be done by the convention committee, which is responsible for all matters concerning awards.

2.13         Award Eligibility: No member of the current convention committee, nor any publication closely connected with them, shall be eligible for an award.

2.14         The Hugo award will continue to be standardized, as to the design of the rocket ship, on the model presently in use. The design of the base shall be determined from year to year by each convention committee.

3.01         The Society shall choose the location of the next convention at a business meeting held at an advertised time during each annual World Science Fiction Convention, presided over by the chairman of the then current convention committee; or by a person designated by that committee. The business meeting shall be conducted under Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised and such other rules as the then current convention committee may publish in the Program Book.

3.02         In order to assure an equitable distribution of convention sites, the North American continent is divided into three geographical divisions as follows:
Western Division: New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Saskatchewan, and states and provinces west; and the state of Baja California.
Central Division: All of Mexico except Baja California, and all states and provinces between the Western Division and the Eastern Division listed below.
Eastern Division: Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Quebec, and states and provinces east.

3.03         Convention sites shall be rotated among these divisions in the order: West, Central, East. The bids of locations to hold a convention shall only be considered and voted on if they lie within the geographical division whose turn it is; except that the rule of rotation may be set aside by a vote of three-fourths voting on the location of the next convention. In the event of such setting aside, rotation shall be resumed the next year. For example, if the order of rotation is A, B, C; and if it is A’s turn but the convention is given to a location in C, then B, the division which was neither set aside nor awarded the convention, shall be eligible next.

3.04         Any location not on the North American continent may bid and may be selected at the business meeting of  convention held on the North American continent. If the convention location is outside the North American continent, the rotation shall resume the following year, with locations in the Division replaced being then eligible to bid.

3.05         In the event the Society is without a properly selected location for the next annual convention, because of the resignation of the then current convention committee or other cause, the five most recent convention committee chairmen willing to serve shall be authorized to select the next location for the World Science Fiction Convention.

3.06         The date of the next convention and the dues to be charged for membership shall be proposed by each location bidding for that convention, prior to the selection of the next convention site. Such proposals are subject to modification by the business meeting.

4.01         Any change in the foregoing rules may take effect no sooner than the end of the convention during which such change is adopted.

4.02         All previous by-laws, constitutions, and resolutions having the effect of by-laws and constitutions of the World Science Fiction Society are revoked.