The NESFA Code
The NESFA Standing Rules
with Historical Annotations

Last updated on 2024-01-14, incorporating nearly all modifications reported in Instant Message through October 2022 and in the Zoom transcripts of the September 2020 through March 2021 meetings plus some items from the June and July 2019 meetings. Other items from the June and July 2019 and the March 2020 through March 2021 meetings may be missing since the minutes for those meetings have not yet been published.
Additional items already in effect but not yet integrated into this page are here. (That page also includes other material.)

Preface

The purpose of the NESFA Code (also called the Standing Rules) is to provide a convenient single compilation for reference to the following things:

• 1) Rules of general and continuing effect adopted by the Membership that can be changed only by the Membership. These are indicated in the Code by an "M" after the rule number.

• 2) Regulations of general and continuing effect adopted by the Executive Board (which consists of the four constitutional Officers: President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Clerk). Most of these rules relate to the financial management of NESFA or custody of its property. Executive Board regulations can be changed either by the Executive Board or by the Membership. They are indicated in the Code by an "E" after the rule number.

• 3) Policies and rules adopted by Officers, committees, and appointed officials. These are referred to in the Code as fiats. They can be changed by the Membership, by the Executive Board, or by the current holder of the office which originated the fiat. Fiats are allowed in the Code at the discretion of the Rules Committee, which should filter out things that are not semi-permanent or of possible interest to most members. Fiats are indicated in the Code by an "F" after the rule number. When a fiat is changed by the Executive Board it becomes an E-rule; when a fiat or an E-rule is changed by the Membership, it becomes an M-rule.

• 4) Determinations by government agencies and other outside organizations. These cannot be changed by us. As in (3) these are shown as fiats, with an "F" after the rule number.

If you find any errors or changes in fiats, or want a new fiat put in, contact a member of the Rules Committee.

There is also an appendix included with the Code. Certain humorous motions that have been passed from time to time have been compiled into Appendix A for your amusement. There was formerly an Appendix B which listed everyone who was ever elected to Office or confirmed in a position requiring approval by the Membership but that information is now included in the Committee History page.

Most rules in the Code are followed by annotations in square brackets and italics [like this] giving their date of passage or other pertinent historical information. These annotations are not themselves part of the rules. [The historical annotations and other comments through 5/94 are by George Flynn, who takes sole responsibility for their accuracy. Thereafter they are by the Rules Committee.] The original edition of the NESFA Code was adopted in July 1971; it was a compilation of earlier rules, some passed by the Membership or the Executive Board, others based on "Tradition" or "Custom." Rules which first appeared in the 1971 Code are annotated as "7/71*". Fiats were first added to the Code in 1972.

The last printed edition of the NESFA Code was published in June 1992; updates were published in January 1993, June 1993, December 1993, and May 1994. An unpublished revision, including all rules passed by the Membership and Executive Board through the May 1994 business meeting plus a few more (to about August 1994), was added to the NESFA website in December 1998 and declared to be the official version.

Section 10.2 of the ByLaws defines several words or phrases to have specific meanings when used in these Standing Rules. Do not assume that you understand anything unless you have reviewed those definitions.

• Section I: Officers and Committees

• Section II: Finances Treasury and Finance Committee

• Section III: Meetings

• Section IV: Services

• Section V: Miscellaneous

• Appendix A: Humorous Motions
   

• Rules already in effect but not yet incorporated into this Standing Rules page
  (Also additional material.)
   

Section I: Officers and Committees

• 1.1 The President
• 1.2 The Vice-President
• 1.3 The Treasurer
• 1.4 The Clerk
• 1.5 The Executive Board
• 1.6 The Rules Committee
• 1.7 The Membership Committee
• 1.7A The Finance Committee
• 1.8 The Nominating Committee
• 1.9 The Boskone Committee
• 1.10 Lexicon and Codclave
• 1.11 The Hotel Committee
• 1.12 The Sales Committee
• 1.13 [Repealed]
• 1.14 NESFA Press
• 1.15 [Repealed]
• 1.16 [Repealed]
• 1.17 The Clubhouse Committee
• 1.18 The Insurance Committee
• 1.19 The Archivist
• 1.20 The Library Committee
• 1.21 The Procurement Committee
• 1.22 [Repealed]
• 1.23 The Program Committee
• 1.24 [Repealed]
• 1.25 The Fellowship of NESFA
• 1.26 [Repealed]
• 1.27 [Repealed]
• 1.28 [Repealed]
• 1.29 The Story Contest Committee
• 1.30 [Repealed]
• 1.31 The Worldcon Liaison
• 1.32 The Gaughan Award
• 1.33 [Repealed]
• 1.34 [Repealed]
• 1.35 [Repealed]
• 1.36 The E-Commerce Committee
• 1.37 NESFA Press Guests at Boskone
• 1.38 The Hal Clement Memorial Science Speaker
• 1.39 [Repealed]
• 1.40 Gaming Coordinator
• 1.41 Outreach Committee
• 1.42 Repealed
• 1.43 NESFA Reading Group
• 1.44 The MCFI Liaison
• 1.45 The Information Technology Committee
• 1.46 Media Coordinator

I. Officers and Committees

• [On Officers generally, see By-Laws: Articles III (elections), IV (duties); Sections 2.10 (vacancies), 5.3 (reports, overruling decisions), 5.7 (Executive Board meetings), 5.8 (bonding), 5.9 (records), 6.4(a) (ineligible for Rules Committee), 7.3 (ineligible for Fellowship), 8.3, 8.4, 8.5 (removal).]
• 1.1 The President
  [See By-Laws: Sections 4.1 (duties of President), 2.1, 2.3 (scheduling meetings), 2.8 (absence), 2.10 (vacancy), 5.4(b), (c) (signing checks and contracts), 6.2, 6.3, 6.5, 6.5A (committees), 11.2, 11.3, 11.3A (Boskone Chairman, Treasurer), 11.4(d) (Boskone checks).]
• 1.1(1)M [Authorized President to pencil in NESFA for Boskone facilities; passed 10/86, became irrelevant when Downtown Boston ceased to be the default location, repealed 5/92.]
• 1.2 The Vice-President
  [See By-Laws: Sections 4.2 (duties of Vice-President), 2.8 (absence), 2.10 (vacancy).]
• 1.3 The Treasurer
  [See By-Laws: Sections 4.3 (duties of Treasurer), 5.4 (authorizing expenditures), 5.10 (auditing), 11.3, 11.4(a) (and Boskone Treasurer). In the Standing Rules, see particularly the financial rules in Sections 2.3-2.8.]
• 1.3(1) [Repealed 7/19. From Rules Committee notes. Authorized assistant treasurers. Created 5/71. Made redundant by ByLaws Section 6.6A except for a restriction to General or Inactive Members.]
• 1.3(2)M The Treasurer need not accept more than ten cents in pennies from any Member, and no Member need accept more than ten cents in pennies from the Treasurer. [12/69]
• 1.3(3)M The Treasurer, with the approval of the Executive Board, shall set a general check approval policy for all payments to NESFA in any of its guises and may set additional policies for specific circumstances or events. [1/03; see also 2.7(3).]
• 1.3(4)F Treasurer: The Treasury procedures at http://www.nesfa.org/Treasury/ are fiats as they relate to how other Members interact with the Treasurer. [6/11]
• 1.3(5)M The Treasurer shall monitor NESFA's gross annual revenue and shall inform the Membership when it approaches $200,000. [4/16. M.G.L. c.12 s.8F requires a review by an accountant if our gross annual revenue exceeds $200,000.]
• 1.4 The Clerk
  [See By-Laws: Sections 4.4 (duties of Clerk), 1.2(c) (dues-due notification), 1.3 (petitions), 2.3, 2.4 (notice of meetings), 2.9 (absence), 3.11 (not Massachusetts resident), 6.8 (committee records), 11.4(d) (Boskone checks). In the Standing Rules, see particularly Section 4.3 on Instant Message.]
• 1.4(1) [Repealed 7/19. From Rules Committee notes. Authorized Mailmen as Clerk's assistants. Created 8/83. First Mailman actually appointed in 10/80. Made redundant by ByLaws Section 6.6A except for specifying their duties.]
• 1.4(2)E The Clerk shall be responsible for making payments, when due, on the Post Office Box. [1/68]
• 1.4(3)M The Clerk is directed to renew NESFA's non-profit Bulk Rate and Imprint permits with the Post Office when necessary. [1/75: The permits mentioned were obtained in 4/74.]
• 1.4(4)F Clerk: It would be appreciated if Members submitting long and complex motions would present them in typed form, in order to simplify the Clerk's job of including such motions in the minutes. [8/87]
• 1.4(5)M The Clerk is directed to keep our telephone listings up to date. In both the Boston / Cambridge / Somerville Business Directory and the Framingham Directory our main telephone number should be listed under "NESFA", "New England Science Fiction Association", and "Boskone". [5/97]
• 1.4(6)F Clerk: Wit, brevity and e-mail are encouraged when submitting annual reports. Especially e-mail. [4/01]
• 1.5 The Executive Board
  [See By-Laws: Article V (management); Sections 2.1, 2.3 (scheduling meetings), 3.9 (filling vacancies), 3.11 (naming Resident Agent), 4.1 (President presides at), 4.3 (directives on handling funds), 4.4 (Clerk records meetings), 6.3, 6.6 (committees), 7.2 (Fellowship election), 8.4(c) suspension), 10.2(i) ("Board"), 11.4(b) (Boskone Treasurer). In the Standing Rules, see particularly Section 2.3 on budgeting.]
• 1.5(1)E The Executive Board would like to see policy-type letters before they are sent out so they can be changed if necessary. [pre-1974]
• 1.5(2)M [Authorized Exec. Board to prepare lease agreement for Index Production programs and databases; passed 2/74, nothing ever came of it, repealed 5/92.]
• 1.5(3)M The Executive Board is directed to, where feasible, eliminate royalties paid on sale by replacing all existing royalty agreements with lump-sum payments for all unsold copies and by negotiating all new royalty agreements as lump-sum payments due on printing. [9/94]
• 1.5(4)M The Executive Board is authorized to implement the club's parking enforcement policy after the Membership sets one. [9/97]
• 1.5(5)M The Executive Board is authorized to henceforth adjust our insurance coverage as needed. [9/11]
• 1.5(6)MThe Executive Board is authorized to make adjustments to our payment card processing as necessary. It must inform the Regular Membership of any changes in advance. [9/10]
• 1.6 The Rules Committee
  [See By-Laws: Articles VIII (discipline), IX (amendments); Sections 2.10 (absence of Officers), 3.7 (counting ballots), 3.9 (ineligible for temporary Officer), 5.8 (bonding Officers or agents), 5.9 (examining records), 6.4, 6.5 (appointment of).]
• 1.6(1)M The Rules Committee shall be responsible for maintaining the NESFA Code. The Rules Committee shall report to each business meeting, in the form of an amendment or addition to the appropriate part of the Code, all decisions which the committee has completed processing which were made by the Membership or the Executive Board having the character of a rule or regulation of general and continuing effect. If one week's written notice has been given to the Membership and mentioned in the report, those amendments or additions may be included in the minutes without being read at the meeting. If necessary the Rules Committee may rephrase the rule, preserving its original substance. The text of the code shall be modified in accordance with the Rules Committee report unless a different wording is specifically adopted by the originating body by the close of its next meeting after the report. The above mechanism for maintaining the text of the NESFA Code does not alter the fact that a new rule or change in the rules goes into effect when adopted or as provided when it is adopted.
  [7/71*. The original text required that rules processed by the Rules Committee be submitted again to the originating body for "ratification." Amended in 8/83 to eliminate the ratification requirement but require quarterly reports; reporting requirement eased 5/92; 9/18, changed reporting from quarterly to every meeting. 9/22, allow not reading the changes if notice is given. See also Section 5.1 on the format of the Code.]
• 1.6(2)M The Rules Committee shall maintain an up-to-date edition of the NESFA Code, including a list of rules adopted but not yet integrated into the Code, on the NESFA website. Any Member for whom web access is impractical will be provided with a paper copy on request. Every new Member shall be informed of this upon admission to membership.
  [7/71*, requiring copies for Regular and Affiliate Members. General Members added in 8/74, Inactive in 9/83; then all except Regular deleted in 7/91. 7/05: Distribute the Code via the website (at <https://www.nesfa.org/rules/>), in conformance with long-standing practice; 9/18, also maintain a list of pending rules. See also BL 10.3].
• 1.6(3)M [7/71*, for Regular and General Members; General deleted 7/91. Deleted 7/05, since distribution is now via the NESFA website. Formerly required that new members of certain classes be provided a copy of the Code.]
• 1.6(4)F Rules Committee: In updating the NESFA Code, the Rules Committee interprets "continuing effect" to include things still likely to be in effect one year after the updating as well as rules which by their own terms are of indefinite duration. [pre-1974]
• 1.6(5)F Rules Committee: To protect members from frivolous complaints and to protect the Rules Committee from exhaustive labor, we wish to announce that the Rules Committee may refuse to consider any complaint involving apa contributions unless the complaint contains a specific citation of the material complained of and specifies why the material is deemed objectionable. [9/75]
• 1.6(6)F Rules Committee: The official source documents for the ByLaws and Standing Rules are the files which the Rules Committee has placed at <http://www.nesfa.org/rules/>. [12/98]
• 1.6(7)M The Rules Committee shall make the Standing Rules and By-Laws available in a single file each, searchable and printable in some suitably simple manner. [5/07]
• 1.6(8) [8/22, moved to item 1 of the Rules Committee procedures page.]
• 1.6(9) [8/22, moved to item 2 of the Rules Committee procedures page.]
• 1.6(10) [8/22, moved to item 3 of the Rules Committee procedures page.]
• 1.6(11)F Rules Committee: Rules Committee internal procedures are documented here. They are all Rules Committee fiats. [8/22]
• 1.7 The Membership Committee
  [See By-Laws: Sections 1.3, 1.5, 1.8, 1.9 (new Members, changes of Membership class), 6.4 (appointment of). In the Standing Rules, see also Sections 1.9(7A), 1.9(17), and 1.9(28) on honorary members.]
• 1.7(1)M The Membership Committee shall annually, after the Boskone and before the Annual Meeting, review the classification of each Member in the light of his or her activity and interest. This rule does not prevent or restrict the Committee from making such a review or acting on applications received at any other time. [7/71*]
• 1.7(2)M Before the Membership Committee denies the request of any applicant or transfers (except between Regular and Inactive Membership) any Member without his or her own consent, and at any other time when any one Committee member so demands, the Committee shall hold a full meeting at which the Member or applicant under consideration may be heard. [7/71*. Exception added 4/81.]
• 1.7(3)M All votes on changes of status to or from Regular Membership shall be by secret ballot, counted by the Rules Committee, with the results announced only as "Pass" or "Fail" and no count of votes announced. The ballots shall be open for inspection by anyone interested. [3/75]
• 1.7(4)M The Membership Committee's recommendations on transfer of Members from one class of membership to another may be debated. [8/82]
• 1.7(5)M Guidelines To Membership Policy
  [See By-Laws: Section 1.1 (definition of Membership classes). The original version of these guidelines was a Membership Committee fiat, first reported in 3/71. They do not seem to have ever been explicitly voted on as a whole by the Membership. However, the Membership have on a number of occasions amended them (including complete revisions of the Regular and General sections in 1975), and thus they are now considered to be Membership rules.]

  These guidelines are not intended to be final and definitive; they are intended to convey the general sense of the criteria used. Moreover, there are a variety of exceptions to these criteria which have been made in the past and which can be expected to be made in the future. In some cases the Member in question has special qualifications which outweigh other considerations. In others the meaning of the requirements are met even if the formal criteria are not. On the whole, though, these guidelines may be taken as applying in most cases.

  Whenever the Membership Committee makes an exception to the guidelines in any recommendation, it shall state that it is and what the exception is. [added 11/75]

  • I. Subscribing Members: automatic for anyone who applies for it and pays the dues. Subscribing Members who regularly attend meetings are expected to change their class of membership to General unless special circumstances prevail. [Sentence regarding recommendation by only the chairman of the Membership Committee added 7/71 and deleted 7/21. "Corresponding" changed to "Subscribing" in 11/75.]
  • II. Affiliate Members: Membership for dues-paying Affiliates is essentially automatic. Exchange Affiliates will usually be approved without question.

    Affiliate Membership shall be offered free of dues to all fan organizations in New England. In lieu of dues, all such organizations that do not exchange publications will be asked annually to verify their continued existence and interest. [added 9/77]

  • III. Family-Dependency Members: Automatic for anyone who qualifies. [See By-Laws, Section 1.1 (f).]
  • IV. General Membership: A General Member has no particular obligations, and all of the privileges of membership except voting and holding constitutional Offices. The qualifications are fairly loose. They are:
    • a) Have attended at least two business meetings, other meetings, or clubhouse activities (work sessions, game days, media days, official parties, or Wednesday evenings) in the past six months. [Originally two meetings in the last year; amended 11/75 to add other meetings; amended 2/14 to add clubhouse activities (work sessions, game days, media days, official parties, or Wednesday evenings). ]
    • b) Be interested in Science Fiction.
    • c) Not be a totally disruptive influence.
    • d) Have been around enough to be known to at least part of the Membership.

    ["Associate" changed to "General" in 9/75.]

  • V. Inactive Membership: Automatic for anyone who qualifies. [See By-Laws: Section 1.1 (b).] Under By-Laws Section 1.2A, the Membership may also waive the requirement of Section 1.1 (b) that an Inactive Member be a former Regular Member. [Inactive Membership introduced in 9/75, this paragraph added in 4/81. The second sentence is based on a precedent set in 10/82.]
  • VI. Regular Membership: A Regular Member has all of the privileges of membership including voting and holding office. A Regular Member also has distinct obligations to the club. The qualifications are much tighter than those for General Member. The following guidelines are rather general but they do summarize the criteria applied:
    • a) Be a General Member for at least 1 month. [originally 3 months. 5/22, change to 1 month.]
    • b) Be interested in Science Fiction.
    • c) Be interested in NESFA as an organization and have some knowledge of its structure and functioning. [added 8/75]
    • d) Reasonably regular attendance at meetings.
    • e) Regular Members are those who have assumed the continuing responsibility to do the work of NESFA.
      [Revised 8/75. The earlier text referred more explicitly to "those Members who ... can be counted on to do the work," and emphasized "initiative and responsibility" as qualifications; Section 1.7(6) essentially replaced this language.]
    • f) We will reject for cause anyone whose consistent behavior and expressed attitudes indicate that they would disrupt and reduce the effectiveness of NESFA as an organization.
    • g) We will reject for cause anyone whose consistent behavior and expressed attitudes indicate that they would subvert the character of NESFA as a Science Fiction organization.
• 1.7(6)F Membership Committee: The Membership Committee would like to dispel a number of misconceptions about Regular Membership that may be confusing people, and requests that this statement be published in IM every 6 months:
  The status of Regular Member is not conferred as a reward for work done or anticipated to be done. The status of Regular Member is not a stamp of approval, an honor, or a passport to the respect of other NESFAns. The status of Regular Member not only confers the privileges of voting and holding office, but also confers the responsibility to be concerned with and to work for the continuance and betterment of NESFA as an SF organization.

  The conferral of the status of Regular Member is a recognition of a Member's responsible commitment to NESFA; it is not a demand for work or a reward for work. The Membership Committee looks at the work a member has done for evidence of real interest in NESFA. This evidence is a necessary, but not a sufficient, condition for recommendation. Some minimal demonstration of a responsible, constructive disposition towards NESFA is also required. Managerial/organizational skills are not necessary for the demonstration of responsibility. This can be achieved by:

  delivering on promises, even trivial ones;
  being careful not to promise unrealistically;
  warning one's co-workers as soon as possible when promises can not be delivered;
  and pitching in when one didn't promise to, if and when one can.

  [7/75; the requirement of publication every six months has seldom been observed. Also of interest are the simpler criteria for Regular Membership approved by the Membership Committee in 2/75: "1) Be in the area a sufficient amount of time, whether or not they live here, and be willing to help and have sufficient time to help. 2) They should be asked what they are going to do for NESFA and why. 3) They should be available and trustworthy. 4) They might even be mature."]

• 1.7(7) [5/23, deleted by the Membership Committee. Was a fiat regarding Involuntary Transfers.]
• 1.7(8)M Two or more persons in the same household may jointly hold a Subscribing Membership upon request, or a membership of another class by vote of the Membership. [Based on a precedent set in 10/82 and previous tradition.]
• 1.7(9)M [Allowed two members of a household to receive only one copy of IM. Passed 1/86, subsumed into Section 1.10 of the By-Laws in 1/87.]
• 1.7(10)F Membership Committee: Final responsibility for meeting attendance resides in the individual Member. As a courtesy, as part of the Membership Committee report at Business Meetings, the names of those Regular Members who stand in jeopardy of being transferred to Inactive status will be reported to the Membership. This is recommended after the third meeting in each membership window.[2/18, replacing the 10/86 version. The major change is no longer specifying reporting in February and August.]
• 1.7(11)M The Membership Committee shall create and implement a procedure for notifying members at least monthly when their dues are due. [5/07]
• 1.7A The Finance Committee
  [See By-Laws: Sections 5.8 (bonding Officers or agents), 5.9 (examining records), 5.10 (auditing), 6.5A (appointment of). In the Standing Rules, see Section II, Finances, particularly Section 2.6 on auditing.]
• 1.7A(1)M The Finance Committee shall provide advice on financial matters to the Corporate Treasurer, the Boskone Treasurer, or the Membership, and shall conduct audits in accordance with Section 5.10 of the By-Laws.
  [4/92. The Finance Committee was originally established in 3/91 as an ad hoc advisory committee; in 4/92 it was made a standing committee and given the responsibility for auditing (previously assigned to the Rules Committee).]
• 1.8 The Nominating Committee
  [See By-Laws: Sections 3.3 (appointment and duties), 3.8 (none in special elections).]
• 1.8(1)M The Nominating Committee, in performing its function under Article III of the By-Laws, shall assure that there is at least one qualified candidate for each Office. It shall not function to screen candidates so as to impede any Member from running for office. [7/71*]
• 1.9 The Boskone Committee
  [See By-Laws: Article XI (Boskone); Section 5.10 (auditing). Most of Article XI was part of the Standing Rules until 11/79. The Boskone (originally "Convention") Committee is as old as NESFA and in fact Boskones are older than NESFA (cf. Boskone History). In 4/75 the rules first specified that each Boskone was run by a separate committee, and required that the Chairman be confirmed by the Membership; confirmation of the Boskone Treasurer was added in 8/79. The Skylark Award rules go back to the 7/71 Code, and were based on earlier tradition (the Skylark also being older than NESFA). See also Section 2.7 of the Standing Rules on Boskone finances.]
• 1.9(1)M Boskone Life Memberships are not transferable, but usable for life or 300 years (whichever comes first) at all Boskones run by NESFA. They shall be treated as preregistrations for each Boskone. [4/77]
• 1.9(2)M One natural sentient being shall be permanently designated for each Boskone Life Membership. [11/79]
• 1.9(3)M The price of a Boskone Life Membership shall be fourteen times the lowest generally-available advance membership rate for the then-current Boskone; during a given Boskone, if memberships for the subsequent Boskone are being sold, Life Memberships shall be available at fourteen times the lower of the two advance rates; provided that at no time shall the price of a Life Membership be less than $350.
  [2/84, clarified 4/84 by adding clause on at-Boskone sales (then based only on the next year's rate). The two multipliers were changed from 20 to 14 in 10/87, when the lower-of-two-rates clause was also added. Life Memberships were originally sold in 4/77, for $50; the price rose to $100 by 1979, and sales were terminated in 8/80. Sales were resumed in 2/84 at $300; minimum price increased to $350 in 10/87. 8/03: changed basis from "most recent by-mail rate" to "lowest generally-available rate" to conform to long-standing practice. Quoted in /Treasury/BoskoneLifeMemberships.htm.]
• 1.9(4)M [Specified how to account for Boskone Life Membership fees. Repealed 10/12 by a vote eliminating all accounting reserves for life members.]
• 1.9(5)M [Specified how to pay each Boskone for Life Memberships. Repealed 10/12 by a vote eliminating all accounting reserves for life members.]
• 1.9(6)M [11/81, Specified purchasing Boskone Life Memberships for Guests of Honor. Partially repealed 10/12 by a vote eliminating all accounting reserves for life members. Direction to give Boskone Life Memberships to Guests of Honor was moved to Section 1.9(29). Quoted in /Treasury/BoskoneLifeMemberships.htm.]
• 1.9(7)M [8/82, Specified purchasing Honorary NESFA Life Memberships for Guests of Honor. Partially repealed 10/12 by a vote eliminating all accounting reserves for life members. Direction to give NESFA Life Memberships to Guests of Honor was moved to Section 1.9(28). Quoted in /Treasury/BoskoneLifeMemberships.htm.]
• 1.9(7A)M When an honorary member dies, the Membership Committee in its discretion may designate the survivor as an honorary member with the same privileges. [12/85]
• 1.9(8)M Boskone Life Memberships shall be given, free if they wish, to the Guests of Honor of all Boskones back to Boskone I of the current series. [4/77]
• 1.9(9)M [Special provision for ATom, who has since died.]
• 1.9(10)M Any Boskone Committee is authorized to schedule its Boskone on Friday through Sunday of Washington's Birthday/Presidents' Day weekend.
  [4/85. This satisfies the requirement of Section 11.2 of the By-Laws that the Membership approve the date of Boskone; it was passed after the date had become so automatic that the committee published a flyer without bothering to have the date ratified.]
• 1.9(11)F U.S. Patent and Trademark Office: [5/85]

  Int. Cl.: 41	Reg. No. 1,337,242
  Prior U.S. Cl.:#107	Registered May 21, 1985

  SERVICE MARK
  PRINCIPAL REGISTER

  BOSKONE

  NEW ENGLAND SCIENCE FICTION ASSOCIATION, INC. (MASSACHUSETTS CORPORATION)
  "PUSSYWILLOWS" OFF WHEELER LA.
  NATICK, MA 01760

  FOR: ORGANIZING, PROMOTING AND CONDUCTING CONVENTIONS IN THE FIELD OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY, IN CLASS 41 (U.S. CL. 107).

  FIRST USE 0-0-1967; IN COMMERCE 0-0-1967.
  SER. NO. 494,270, FILED 8-10-1984.

  NANCY O. HEBERT, EXAMINING ATTORNEY

• 1.9(12)F President: Since the By-Laws provide that Boskone Chairmen serve until the end of their Committees or until their successors are appointed and approved, and such approval requires a 2/3 vote of the Membership, it also requires a 2/3 vote to remove a Boskone Chair. [8/86]
• 1.9(13)F Boskone Committee: While persons appearing on the Boskone program ordinarily have their membership fees reimbursed, no such reimbursements shall be made to
  • a) the Boskone Chairman or others in program's line of command,
  • b) anyone materially involved in program planning,
  • c) other members of the Boskone Committee appearing only as part of their official duties (e.g., at gripe sessions).

  [long-standing policy, called to the Rules Committee's attention in 1/88]

• 1.9(14)M Gopher T-shirts may be sold to NESFA Members who were on the staff of a Boskone (and not eligible to get one) at cost or such rate as the Executive Board may set, starting two months after the Boskone. The Boskone Chair shall have first choice, and all others approximately equal opportunity to get one.
  [1/89. The intent was to allow sale of existing T-shirts, with the Chair to have discretion to reprint the shirt.]
• 1.9(15)M Section 11.3 of the By-Laws ("Each Boskone Committee shall have a separate Treasurer . . ." shall not be interpreted to prevent simultaneously existing Boskone Committees from having the same Treasurer: the phrase "separate Treasurer" means only "separate from the NESFA Treasurer".
  [4/93, by approving the appointment in question; note also that consecutive Boskones had the same Treasurer on two previous occasions since the passage of Section 11.3 in 8/79.]
• 1.9(16)F Rules Committee: The Chair expressed the opinion that the responsibility for running Boskone would default on the President in the event of the death or disability of the Boskone Chairman. [2/94]

• 1.9(17)M Unpaid Boskone memberships are permitted only

  1. for the Guests of Honor and other official Boskone or NESFA guests, and for their immediate families, [4/18, added non-GoH guests]
  2. for Program Participants as determined by Program,
  3. when payment is waived on account of hardship by vote of the NESFA Executive Board,
  4. when explicitly granted by vote of the Membership. (This may be done in any clear and explicit manner, including by approving a budget line item which is explicitly designated as providing memberships.)
  5. when someone is invited to Boskone to make it better, they may be granted a comp membership. (This is beyond program participants who appear on panels. It may include demos, exhibits, Dragonslair, musicians, etc. They may end up being scheduled on program, but it is not a requirement. This does not include expenses, hotel, and travel without getting club permission. It is preferred they spend at least 3 hours pre- or at-con at their specific items. These comps require the Program Director's or Chair's approval.) [9/11]
  6. for Honorary life memberships given to Boskone guests and NESFA guests at Boskone. [7/15, added pursuant to a motion passed 10/12 eliminating all accounting reserves for life members.]
• [9/04 except as noted.]
• 1.9(18)M To encourage volunteering at Boskone, anyone (including Committee, Staff, people with non-paid memberships, and non-members) who works on the convention for a sufficient amount of time will be given a free non-transferable membership in the following Boskone. [11/04]
  • (a) Twelve hours is a sufficient amount of time. Time on the Wednesday or Thursday immediately before the convention or before 6:00 PM on the Friday of the convention or whenever the area opens, whichever is later, or after 3:00 PM on the Sunday of the convention or whenever the area closes, whichever is earlier, or on the Monday immediately after the convention counts double. [8/06. Previously, for each convention the amount of time, the multipliers, and the times during which multipliers applied were to be proposed by the chair and approved by the Membership; 4/11: Reduced from sixteen hours to twelve hours; 4/18, changed the start time on Friday and allowed using the start/end times of areas instead of fixed times; 1/23: added the Wednesday and Thursday before and the Monday after.]
  • (b) Notwithstanding that these memberships are generally not transferrable, a Life Member who earns a volunteer membership may give it to someone who would not otherwise have attended that Boskone. [Both of the phrases "someone who would not otherwise have attended that Boskone" and "someone who has not normally attended Boskone" were used in the making of this motion; resolution of this issue has been deferred as per 1.9(19).]
  • (c) Each Boskone shall budget for these memberships by multiplying the number of such memberships actually used at the previous Boskone by the lowest generally-available pre-registration rate for the current Boskone. (Boskone 43 shall use the number of volunteer memberships given out at Boskone 42, since there were not yet any available to be used there.)
  • (d) Anyone who earns sufficient hours according to section (a) at clubhouse work-sessions from the Saturday immediately before the convention until the start of the convention or between the start of truck loading and 6pm on Friday and who does not have a membership in the current Boskone may use those hours to acquire such a membership. Hours used in this way will not count toward a membership in the following Boskone, but any other hours earned will count. [7/21; 1/23: include all clubhouse worksessions in the week before the convention.]
  [All 11/04, except as marked.]
• 1.9(19)M Each Boskone Pre-Registration head should use his or her judgement in deciding who should be allowed to receive volunteer memberships from Life Members under SR 1.9(18)(b). They are directed to construe the rules liberally and to keep track of their decisions. The club will reconsider this policy after it has more data. [5/05. See also the annotation to 1.9(18)(b).]
• 1.9(20)M The Guests of Honor for a Boskone are those few people to whom the convention gives special recognition for their activities related to SF and/or fandom, usually an author, an artist, a "Special Guest", Featured Filker(s) or other musical guest(s), a Hal Clement Science Speaker, and NESFA Press Guest(s). Ordinary program participants, etc. are not Guests of Honor. [7/05: Documents long-standing practice. If more than one person is designated as one Guest of Honor, each of those people receives all of the benefits; 9/22, added "other musical guest(s)"; 10/22, changed musical guest(s), science speaker, and press guest(s) to be Guests of Honor.]
• 1.9(21)M Boskones shall be named using Hindu-Arabic numerals except when the Roman numerals are too good to pass up. [4/97. An example of a Roman numeral which may be too good to pass up is "Boskone L".]
• 1.9(22)F Finance: The Boskone chart of accounts shall follow the line items used by the NESFA Business Meeting for budgeting as closely as possible.  [2/07]
• 1.9(23)M NESFA directs the Boskone Treasurer to close the Boskone books so as to render a final report at the June Business meeting following the convention. [2/07]
• 1.9(24)M Boskone Code of Conduct
  • (a) Be respectful and courteous towards others. We expect you to understand that you need to ask before you touch, and that "No" means "No". Harassment of any kind, intimidation, or illegal behavior is not allowed. This applies to your interactions with everyone.
    You are expected to refrain from illegal, destructive, or hazardous conduct; or any other -inappropriate behavior, including but not limited to destruction of hotel or other property.
    Violation of this policy may result in action ranging from warning[s], having your participation restricted, or being barred from the convention (without refund) to a permanent attendance ban.
    Action by the convention in no way precludes injured individuals, the hotel, or NESFA from pursuing whatever remedies, civil or criminal, as they see fit.
    If you feel you are being harassed, intimidated, or threatened in any way, please let the ConChair or a NESFA Officer know. Go to the Convention Office to find one of those people, or call [to be determined].
    NESFA endeavors to keep all names involved in actions confidential to the extent possible; however, accused individuals have the right to be informed of relevant details so as to respond to accusations. Therefore, anonymous complaints will not be acted upon unless they can be independently verified.
    If the individual filing the report requests that no action be taken, NESFA will not take action unless a clear threat is identified.
    Boskone is a members-only event and the convention reserves the right to determine who may be a member.
    Parties and gatherings in hotel rooms are the responsibility of the individual[s] renting that room. Anyone hosting a gathering in their room has the right to determine who may visit that room, as well as define what is considered appropriate behavior.
    [1/13. 2/22, replaced earlier code of conduct; 9/22, added text regarding anonymous complaints; 1/23: added statement about requests for no action.]
  • (b) As soon as possible, and certainly before the convention, each convention committee shall replace "[to be determined]" in (a) with a suitable telephone number. [2/22]
  • (c) Code of Conduct investigations/decisions should always be handled by at least two people from the set convention chair plus the four Executive Board members. [1/20]
• 1.9(25)M Boskone policy forbids uncaged animals (excluding service animals) from the Galleria. [12/13]
• 1.9(26)M
  • a) A person may be excluded from attendance at one or more Boskone(s), and the purchase of a membership to said Boskone(s), by a two-thirds vote of the Membership at a business meeting. Written notice shall be given at least one week in advance of the vote, with a brief summary of the conduct in question, but without naming or otherwise identifying the person. Advance notice shall be given at the previous business meeting, including the identification of the person. If the vote does not specify otherwise, it shall apply only to the one Boskone which occurs next after the vote.
  • b) Upon adoption of such a motion, the President shall notify the excluded person, and provide the Clerk with a copy of the correspondence.
  • c) The Executive Board may approve such an exclusion if there is insufficient time to have a vote of the Membership. The Executive Board shall inform the Membership of their action as soon as possible. Under no circumstance shall the name of excluded individuals be published in Instant Message or any other publication.
  • d) At any Boskone, the Boskone Chair may have any person removed from the convention for cause based on conduct at that convention. The Chair shall report such action to the President and to the Executive Board as soon as possible, if possible at the convention, and to the Membership at the next business meeting.
  • e) Any exclusion from Boskone may be revoked by majority vote of the Membership at any time, provided that notice has been given in the same manner as specified above for an exclusion.
  [9/14]
• 1.9(27)M Boskone comp memberships are at the discretion of the Boskone chair with a report to be given at the next Business Meeting. [9/14]
• 1.9(28)M Boskone guests and NESFA guests at Boskone shall be given honorary NESFA Life memberships as soon as they are announced. They shall be asked their preference for receiving Instant Message: paper, electronic or no Instant Message. [10/12, direction to give Life Memberships to Guests of Honor moved from Section 1.9(7); 9/17, add "as soon as..."]
• 1.9(29)M Boskone guests and NESFA guests at Boskone shall be given Boskone Life memberships (unless they are already life members), and will be reimbursed for their travel, lodging, and incidental costs. [10/12, based on long-standing practice. Direction to give Life Memberships to Guests of Honor moved from Section 1.9(6).]
• 1.9(30)M Boskone's Official Artists will be reimbursed for the costs of transporting their art. [10/17, based on long-standing practice.]
• 1.9(31)M An unused membership may be carried over from one convention to another if approved by either the incoming and outgoing con chairs, the regular membership, or the eboard. [3/15. Discussion indicates that the Executive Board or the Membership can overrule a decision of the chairs, but would not overrule an affirmative decision.]
• 1.9(32)M No-shows will be sent only an email message containing relevant information and links to electronic copies of the at-con publications, except that anyone with a valid physical address but no usable email address will instead be sent a postcard the first time that they are a no-show. The postcard will contain everything that would have been in the post-con email message, a request for a usable email address, and a warning that this would be their last post-con mailing of any kind until they send us a usable email address. [3/16]
• 1.9(33)M The rates for advertisements in Boskone publications shall be the same as those for the previous Boskone unless they are explicitly changed. [6/16]
• 1.9(34)M Special membership rates for Boskone:
  • 1)Staff / Worker – the lowest 'adult' rate ever available.
  • 2)Dealer – the same as the 'Staff / Worker' rate. This rate applies to anyone who has purchased space in the Dealer's Room (a Dealer) plus anyone who a Dealer states will be staffing that Dealer's operation.
  • 3)Active Military – the lowest 'adult' rate ever available. This rate applies to anyone who, at the time of that Boskone, is an active-duty member of any of the United States military services (including the Coast Guard) or a member of the National Guard. [Members of the military may not know where they will be stationed until shortly before the convention. Members of the National Guard may be called up at any time. Remove the penalty for joining late or at-con. The Coast Guard is explicitly mentioned since in peacetime it is not part of the Defense Department.]
  [3/17. 6/19, added Staff / Worker and Active Military rates. From Rules Committee notes; 9/22, Defined who qualifies for the Dealer and Active Military rates.]
• 1.9(35)M Each Boskone will self-insure unless other arrangements are made. [3/18]
• 1.9(36)M Within reason, and with the approval of the convention chair, areas within Boskone may use whatever software tools they believe are best suited to their needs. [3/19]
• 1.9(37)M The classes of membership in Boskone shall be:
  • 1) Person-in-tow (age 0-4, a required assistant, etc.)
  • 2) Child (age 5-17 inclusive)
  • 3) Young Adult (age 18-25 inclusive)
  • 4) Adult (age 26 or greater)
  [6/19. From Rules Committee notes.]
• 1.10 Lexicon and Codclave
• 1.10(1)E Lexicon and Codclave are the two NESFA relaxacons, usually held respectively in the summer and winter of each year. Each Lexicon or Codclave shall be administered by a separate ad hoc committee.
  [8/83. Lexicon was first held in 8/72, and Codclave (originally Wintercon: cf. Section A.1(4)) in 1/75.]
• 1.11 The Hotel Committee
• 1.11(1)M The Hotel Committee shall actively seek out information on all hotels within a reasonable area and make that information widely available. The chairman may assist a convention chairman or the Executive Board in hotel negotiations, if so requested.
  [Established 5/81, limited to information-gathering; second sentence added 11/83.]
• 1.12 The Sales Committee
  [The "Index Committee" was first established in 11/67 to produce and sell the NESFA Index. Index Production was made a separate committee in 5/69, and the name was changed to "Sales Committee"]
• 1.12(1)M The Sales Committee shall be responsible for the sales and business management of the Index and of all books, records, posters, and other materials produced by NESFA or acquired by NESFA for resale.
  [7/71*. Records and posters were added to the rule in 8/74, and "other materials" in 9/83.]
• 1.12(2) [Repealed 7/19. From Rules Committee notes. 11/83, was about the creation of Sales flyers. The NESFA Press website now serves this function.]
• 1.12(3)M After dealer-table prices for the upcoming Worldcon are announced, the Sales Committee shall inquire of the Membership whether it desires to purchase one or more such tables. [12/83]
• 1.12(4) [Repealed 7/19. From Rules Committee notes. 11/83, was about T-shirts.]
• 1.12(5) [Repealed 7/19. From Rules Committee notes. 7/85, was about T-shirts.]
• 1.12(6)F Sales Committee (Shipping Department): If you leave packages at the clubhouse on the assumption that they will magically be mailed, your assumption is less likely to prove false if each item is (1) well packaged, (2) properly marked for the class of mail you want, and (3) legibly addressed (including a return address), and if there is a clear indication of what account should be charged for the postage. [3/01]
• 1.12(7)F Sales Committee: Sales will waive certain charges if overseas orders to the fulfillment house arrive late because of incorrect shipping. [1/07]
• 1.12(8)F Sales: Except for boxed books and a very few slow sellers, the intent is to move as much as possible [of our stock] to PSS. [5/07]
• 1.12(9)M When a book becomes unsaleable at regular price because of damage, it is declared a "hurt book". The Library Committee shall be given the opportunity to add the book to the library or replace an inferior copy with it. Otherwise, the book shall be given away at Boskone or elsewhere, or sold at a reduced price. If the book is too damaged, it may be thrown away at the discretion of the Sales Committee. [12/14; 11/17, moved from 2.5(14)F and made an M-rule; 5/18, added more options.]
• 1.12(10)F Finance: To alleviate a problem, the Finance Committee insists on receipt of the raw sales from a convention the Wednesday following the convention. [7/08]
• 1.12(11)M There is no discount for NESFA members whose dues are in arrears. [7/09]
• 1.12(12)M Unneeded ARCs [Advance Reader Copies] or Galleys of NESFA Press Books should be put up for sale. Any net proceeds should go toward the purchase of more or missing library books. [11/23]
• 1.12(13)M Unneeded ARCs [Advance Reader Copies] of other (non-NESFA) books may be put up for sale. Any net proceeds should go toward the purchase of more or missing library books. [11/23]
• 1.13 [Repealed 7/19. From Rules Committee notes. Was the Index Production Committee. 7/71*. Split in 5/69 from the Index (now Sales) Committee, which existed since 11/67.]
• 1.14 NESFA Press
• 1.14(1)M NESFA Press shall be responsible for all aspects of the production of NESFA Press books, including typesetting and paste-up, relationships with the authors, artists, and printers, and copyright and ISBN arrangements.
  [5/81. Replaced the "Boskone Book Committee" established in 4/76. Earlier books were published by ad hoc committees; in particular, the Noreascon Proceedings had separate committees called "Phase I" (compilation of material), "Phase II" (production), and "Phase III" (sales). Mention of "authors, artists" added 12/83. 3/95: renamed from the Book Production Committee to NESFA Press]
• 1.14(2)M NESFA's mailing address shall be printed in all future NESFA publications. [2/76]
• 1.14(3)M NESFA Press is directed to send out review copies of new books, including Boskone books, as soon as they arrive. [3/98]
• 1.14(4)M NESFA Press is directed to send to the LASFS library, in memory of Gary Louie, one copy of each new Boskone Guest of Honor book. [3/00]
• 1.14(5)M An additional printing of a book may be authorized by posting notice of the proposed reprint on the NESFA Regular Members mailing list for comment, with final approval by the Executive Board except that if legitimate issues are raised on the mailing list the decision will be made by the Membership at the next Business Meeting. [1/02]
• 1.14(6)M NESFA Press is directed to, upon request, replace any already-sold copy of the defective first printing of Powers of Two with a corrected copy at no charge beyond shipping and handling for as long as the book remains in print and to, except for a small number of file copies which must not be sold, destroy any copy of that first printing which comes into its possession. [3/04]
• 1.14(7)M The Minneapolis Library is added to the review copy list for future books with the books being sent specifically in the memory of John M. Ford. [10/06]
• 1.14(8)M NESFA Press books should indicate "NESFA" as a registered trademark on the verso of the title page. Such trademark indicia shall be added to any existing book which does not have them when it is reprinted. [1/08. See also section 5.7(2).]
• 1.14(9)M NESFA Press is authorized to explore e-book production, with the E-Board having the final approval on contracts and other matters. [3/12]
• 1.14(10)M All references to the NESFA Press website, for all formats of books, shall use the www.nesfapress.org domain. [9/15]
• 1.14(11)M Up to $500 per year is authorized to purchase a creative cloud license for Alice Lewis for the forseeable future. [2/16]
• 1.15 [Repealed 7/19. From Rules Committee notes. Was the Hymnal Committee, established 5/76. Publication of a "NESFA Hymnal" was first proposed in 12/72. The first publication by this name was a songbook distributed at the 1974 Boskone; the first Hymnal produced as a sales item was in 1976.]
• 1.16 [Repealed 7/19. From Rules Committee notes. Was the T-Shirt Committee, established 12/83.]
• 1.17 The Clubhouse Committee
• [The original Section 1.17 dealt with "The Building Fund and Related Matters." The NESFA Building Fund was established in 12/81 for "establishing a long-term meeting and storage site" -- i.e., a clubhouse -- and initially included only donations; in 12/83 $10,000 was transferred to the Fund, with $1000 more transferred each subsequent month. In 4/82 a "Building Committee" was established, split in 6/84 into the Building Search and Building Planning Committees, which respectively searched for a clubhouse and planned what to do with it. In 6/83 a rule was approved defining the conditions under which the Executive Board might initiate the purchase of real estate for a clubhouse (including initial approval by the Building Search Committee and final approval by a 2/3 vote of the Membership). After a long search, the Building Fund's object was attained when the current NESFA Clubhouse was purchased on November 4, 1985. The Building Search Committee was formally dissolved in 6/86; the Building Planning Committee was replaced in 10/85 by the Building Physical Committee and the Building Policies Committee, for which see above. In 11/87 the "Building Fund" Section 1.17 was replaced by a new section on "Income Stabilization Fund and Related Matters"; in 5/92 this section was moved to the more logical position of Section 2.8, and the former Section 1.17A, "The Clubhouse Committee," became the current Section 1.17.]
• 1.17(1)M The Clubhouse Committee shall be responsible for the planning and execution of renovation and maintenance to the Corporation Clubhouse building, for making plans for and recommendations to the Membership concerning the uses and usage of the Clubhouse, and for maintaining all Clubhouse services (electricity, telephone, etc.) where responsibility is not assigned elsewhere.
  [Published 7/91 in its current form, but the text simply combines the duties assigned in 10/85 to the Building Physical and Building Policies Committees. The Clubhouse Committee was established in 1/86, at which time it absorbed the Building Policies Committee, with which Section 1.17(1) originally dealt. 10/17: added text regarding services. See the historical note at the beginning of Section 1.17 for more details.]
• 1.17(2)M [Dealt with the Building Physical Committee (see above), which was abolished in 6/88.]
• 1.17(3)M [Implicitly repealed 6/21. Made redundant when the requirement for ratification by the Membership was deleted. Specified appointment of the Clubhouse Committee.]
• 1.17(4)M Clubhouse policies:
  • a) Active users of the Clubhouse may obtain keys. Regular Membership is prima facie evidence of active use, others must be approved by the Executive Board or by the chair of the Clubhouse Committee. [5/99: changed wording, added criterion of "active use", and removed "or its designee" from the approval clause. 12/18: added approval by the Clubhouse Committee chair.]
  • b) Key deposits will no longer be charged, and all key deposits previously charged shall be refunded. [7/10: Previously there was a $20 deposit for each key, which was returned when the key was returned.]
  • c) Nobody should be forced to take a key.
  • d) There will be various duties associated with being a keyholder.
  • e) For the most part, the building will be administered by the Clubhouse Committee with help from the Executive Board. This will include drawing up a schedule for keyholder duties, a list of such duties, and forms to fill out in order to receive a key. [Building Physical Committee originally included in administration; deleted 5/92.]
  • f) For serious offenses or repeated minor offenses, the Rules Committee will request the return of a Member's key.
  • g) Keys are for the use of the keyholder only. Please do not loan them out or make duplicates. [5/99]
  • h) Any food stored in the refrigerator must have a date of placement, an owner, and a use or disposal date of no more than 5 calendar days after placement written on it or it will be thrown out. In any case it may be thrown out if found on a calendar date after its use/disposal date.[12/06, Adopted for one month as a test; 1/07, Adopted permanently.]
  • i) The air conditioners should not be set below 72 degrees unless there is some urgent need such as
    • a)cooling the clubhouse down below 72 degrees in preparation for turning them off before a meeting,
    • b)additional dehumidification in exceptional circumstances after the room has already been brought to 72 degrees, or
    • c)a health emergency.
    [8/16]
  • j) Scheduled events at the clubhouse have priority over other activities (except in case of emergency). The responsible keyholder for the event has the authority during the event to resolve conflicts between clubhouse users. [11/17]
  • k) Unless three or more people are present or an event is scheduled within two hours, no person shall set the clubhouse heat above 68 degrees Fahrenheit nor the air conditioning below 78 degrees Fahrenheit. [2/19]
  • l) Anyone receiving a key must sign an agreement that the key is the property of NESFA, that they will not duplicate it, and that they will return it when they cease to be a Member or it is requested by the Executive Board. [9/20. From a Zoom transcript. See also 1.17(4)(g).]
  [12/85, except as noted; went into effect after the Clubhouse occupancy permit was granted in 7/86.]
• 1.17(5) [Repealed 7/19. From Rules Committee notes. Was about Paul Jacobs' truck. Paul is long gone.]
• 1.17(6)F Clubhouse: Please discard food waste only in the barrel designed for that purpose (the one with the lid). [10/07]
• 1.17(7)M Up to $300/month is allocated for a 4 cubic yard dumpster with every other week pickup. If that is not available, the Executive Board may authorize changing to a weekly pick-up or to a 6 cubic yard dumpster picked up every other week. [2/06, up to $1300/year allocated; 6/08, up to $300/month allocated for a 4 or 5 cubic yard dumpster; 12/08, details of size and pickup schedule added.]
• 1.17(8)M The sum of $125 per month is authorized to engage a cleaning crew to clean the clubhouse on a monthly basis. [4/09; 5/11: Amount increased to $125 from $100.]
• 1.17(9)M Up to $700.00 per year is allocated for snow removal from both the parking lot and the sidewalk. [10/06]
• 1.17(10) [Repealed 7/23. Was a reservation of certain shelf space.]
• 1.17(11)E The eboard has gotten a number of complaints of both the clubhouse being too hot and too cold recently. As a balance between cost and comfort, we request that members working in the clubhouse adhere to the limits in subsection 1.17(4)(k) and keep the Blue room door closed, so its thermomstat does not need adjusting. It has also been observed that the room's heat flow needs the ceiling fans turned on (switch labeled "fans" near the front door). Also consider a space heater and/or keeping your coat on. [2/12. 2/19: replace the temperature limit with a reference to the limits set by the Membership.]
• 1.17(12)M Being a keyholder is a privilege, a keyholder is responsible for safeguarding the persons and property of oneself, other members, visitors to the clubhouse, and the property of NESFA. It is grounds for the revocation of the keyholder privilege to endanger what one has a duty to safeguard. The Eboard will warn the keyholder twice, and then the privilege will be revoked (on the third time). Disagreements on how much risk is acceptable may be brought before the Rules Committee or the Membership. [9/12]
• 1.17(13)E Up to $25 per month is authorized for an eFax account. [6/08]
• 1.17(14)E Spending any reasonable amount per month for rodent removal is authorized. [3/12, authorized up to $100/month; 1/18, changed to "any reasonable amount".]
• 1.17(15)M COVID Pandemic
  • (a) The Clubhouse is in limited use, allowing only essential NESFA work plus anything else allowed by subsection 1.17(15). [9/20, from a Zoom transcript. 5/21, allow use of the library. 7/21, allow more general use.]
  • (b) People who can be vaccinated must be vaccinated to use the clubhouse and do not need to wear masks; anyone over the age of two who cannot be vaccinated must wear a mask to use the clubhouse. [10/20, from a Zoom transcript. 7/21, was everyone must be masked.]
  • (c) The maximum number of people allowed in the clubhouse at any one time (including for events) varies based mostly on the CDC classification of the Middlesex County risk level for COVID-19 or any other similar disease:
    • 24 if the level is low or the CDC doesn't classify
    • 18 if the level is medium
    • 12 if the level is high or an indoor mask requirement is in effect
    The Executive Board may set a limit for any additional classification that the CDC may declare, which may be changed by a majority vote of the Membership. Event organizers may specify a lower limit for their event. Two of those slots are reserved for people doing NESFA work who have announced their schedule at least 24 hours in advance." [5/21. 7/21, raise the limit from 6 to 12, require 2 reserved slots. 7/22, change the limit to 12/18/24 based mostly on CDC risk level, make explicit that event organizers may lower the limit, authorize the EBoard to set limits for new CDC classifications.]
  • (d) NESFA key-holders may sign up for office hours to allow non-key-holders to use the library. Hours will be posted on the doors and online. [5/21. 7/21, moved limit on number of people to (c).]
  • (e) Game Days and Video Days are allowed, but all attendees must sign up in advance. [7/21]
  • (f) Everyone should use hand sanitizer or wash their hands when they enter the clubhouse and at other appropriate times. [10/20, from a Zoom transcript.]
  • (g) There shall be a paper log at the clubhouse in which people should sign in and out with their date and time of arrival or departure. Notify the Executive Board and the Clubhouse Committee if you later test positive for COVID or discover that you had been in contact with someone who tests positive. [10/20, from a Zoom transcript.]
  • (h) Anyone in the clubhouse MUST follow the most restrictive of current Federal (including CDC), State (Massachusetts), Local (Somerville), and Standing Rules GUIDANCE regarding the use of masks and occupancy limits effective for Somerville. [8/21. See current CDC guidance.]
  • (i) Whenever masks are required for everyone in the clubhouse and people from more than one household are present in a room, no eating or drinking (except if using a straw under a mask) is allowed in that room. [8/21. 10/21, treat each room separately.]
  • (j) Everyone SHOULD announce on the nesfa-active mailing list their plans (date and time period) to use the clubhouse. [5/22]
• 1.18 The Insurance Committee
• 1.18(1)M The Insurance Committee shall obtain information on the insurance needs of NESFA and of all NESFA functions; shall investigate and report on insurance rates and terms; and shall obtain insurance when authorized. The Insurance Committee shall also be responsible for keeping track of that insurance which is in force, and shall renew the insurance as authorized. [11/83]
• 1.19 The Archivist
• 1.19(1)M The Archivist shall keep track of all property of the Corporation; shall obtain, subject to the approval of the Executive Board, storage space for all of the Corporation's property not in immediate and regular use; and shall be responsible for maintaining such storage space and inventorying its contents.
  [7/71*. Archivist established 5/70, originally just had "custody of all property not otherwise assigned." It was voted in 6/81 to acquire storage space, which we obtained by 9/81; the present text was passed in 10/83 to define the responsibility for the storage. The provision for "obtaining" storage space has been essentially obsolete since the acquisition of the Clubhouse, but the Archivist continues to manage storage within the Clubhouse.]
• 1.19(2)E The Archivist shall, from time to time, publish a list of the Corporation's property. [5/74; never done]
• 1.19(3)E Everybody having custody of NESFA capital equipment valued over $5.00, or any inventory for sale, at the beginning of May shall report the same to the Archivist during the month of May. [3/75]
• 1.19(4)M The Archivist shall also be the Conservation/Historian. [6/10: Conservation/Historian merged into Archivist.]
• 1.20 The Library Committee
• 1.20(1)M The Library Committee shall administer and have custody of the NESFA Library and shall, from time to time, publish a catalogue of the materials in the Library.
  [7/71*. Committee established 10/68. A catalogue has never been produced yet, but there remains a pious hope of doing one Real Soon Now.]
• 1.20(2)M The Librarian will at least once annually collect all books and magazines then borrowed from the Library and shall update the catalogue. [8/75]
• 1.20(3)M The Librarian shall subscribe for NESFA to all English-language SF magazines with original material. [4/72; Book Club added 8/75. 6/19: deleted SF Book Club.]
• 1.20(4)M The Librarian shall subscribe to the ASFA newsletter. [8/77]
• 1.20(5)E The Library Committee will acquire, at the least possible expense, all books requested by the Index Production Committee, to be paid for out of the Index Production Budget. [5/74]
• 1.20(6)E [Repealed 7/19. From Rules Committee notes. Was about binding our publications.]
• 1.20(7)M The Library Committee may set prices for the sale of surplus library materials (after removal of valuable items) as it sees fit. These prices will take effect after being announced at a Business Meeting and must state the price and tax separately. [10/07. Originally a confusing rule, changed five times from 2/73 to 11/79, that defined how many copies of which class of book might be disposed of: among other things, anything not SF or related, more than 2 copies (1 copy for "crud") of the same edition of anything, other duplicates unless they had "special value." 7/86, authorized the Library Committee to dispose of duplicates "as it sees fit". 6/22, removed EBoard pre-approval, see section 1.20(30) for the current prices. G.L. c.64H §5 requires that price and tax be stated separately. See also Section 1.20(18).]
• 1.20(8)F Library Committee: The books and magazines in the Library shall be defined in the following manner:
  • a) Reserve Books -- so designated by the Librarian -- which are rare, costly, in bad condition, or otherwise at the Librarian's discretion;
  • b) Regular Books -- so designated by the Librarian -- which are for general circulation.
  [Ratified by Membership 8/75. See Sections 1.20(16) and 1.20(21) for additional restrictions on which materials may circulate.]
• 1.20(9)M The Librarian shall usually dispose of books or magazines in the following manner:
  • a) by auction at meetings of the club, one week's notice having appeared in Instant Message that some books will be sold at the following meeting,
  • b) by sale to collectors or book dealers for cash or credit, which cash or credit may be used to supplement the Library's normal budget,
  • c) by donation to appropriate organizations. The Librarian may also donate a limited number of NESFA Press items, where appropriate, to local libraries.[9/91]
  • d) Copies of digest magazines beyond the first two of any issue may be picked up at NESFA's convenience at no charge, or will be mailed on payment of postage. [12/98]
  • e) The Library Committee shall keep the Flynn fanzines, and only dispose of them if the club approves. [10/10]
  [8/75 except as noted; a clause allowing sale at conventions (via NESFA Sales) was repealed in 7/87.]
• 1.20(10)M Any Member may use any Reserve Book in the Library. No Reserve Book shall leave the Library unless it is in the personal custody of the Librarian or a person designated by the Librarian. [Originally a fiat, ratified by Membership 8/75; "or a person" clause added 7/87.]
• 1.20(11)F Library Committee: Any Member may borrow up to five Regular Books from the Library. These books will be due either within three weeks of the borrowing date or at the next Business or Other Meeting following the three weeks date. [Ratified by Membership 8/75; partially superseded by Section 1.20(17).]
• 1.20(12)M Regular Books may be borrowed by mail by any Member at the Librarian's discretion, provided that a written request has been received by the Librarian and that the Member pays postage both ways. [Originally a fiat, ratified by Membership 8/75; redrafted 7/87.]
• 1.20(13)M [This was an elaborate schedule of fines for overdue books, from 10 cents for 4-7 days to $1.00 for 43-59 days; over 60 days, the fine was "twice the price listed in the catalogue." This was all repealed in 11/87, the intent being "to trust that people would do the right things."]
• 1.20(14)F [Librarian expected to attend meetings; ratified by Membership 8/75, repealed 7/87.]
• 1.20(15)M Monies produced by the sale of Library books go to the Library Committee, except as provided in SR 1.20(24). [3/87. 7/05, exception added.]
• 1.20(16)M All Library books and magazines circulate except books worth over $50 and books in fragile condition that can not be readily replaced. [3/87]
• 1.20(17)M Time limits for the borrowing of books may be imposed by the Library Committee. They may be shorter for new material or reference books. [3/87]
• 1.20(18)M The Library Committee is requested to announce its policies concerning which books are kept and which disposed of BEFORE putting them into effect. [3/87]
• 1.20(19)F Library Committee: There are two ways to check out a book or video:
  • a) if it is an item which has already been added to the electronic catalog (has a NESFA Library barcode sticker), use the electronic checkout (see Section 1.20(28) or 1.20(29)),
  • b) otherwise, enter the item in the Circulation Book (see Section 1.20(27)).
  [4/87, after the Library had become accessible in the Clubhouse; 10/18, added electronic checkout and split out detailed instructions.]
• 1.20(20)M One copy of each edition (e.g., boxed and unboxed) of all NESFA publications shall be given to the Library and charged against the appropriate committee's budget. [7/87]
• 1.20(21)M The current issues of all magazines and fanzines are non-circulating. [7/87]
• 1.20(22)M When feasible, the Library should each year obtain copies of all Hugo-nominated professional publications. [7/87]
• 1.20(23)M The NESFA Library shall be named the Andrew Adams Whyte Memorial Library. A plaque honoring Drew Whyte shall be mounted in the Clubhouse. [8/93, after Drew Whyte's death]
• 1.20(24)M Valuable books in the collection shall be identified and sold at fair market value (provided that we can replace them with reading copies); the proceeds, minus the cost of acquiring reading copies, shall go to the corporation's general funds, or another fund that the E-board or the Membership shall establish. The E-Board shall establish the mechanism to accomplish this. [7/05; 4/12: remove Clubhouse Kitty as the recipient.]
• 1.20(25)M The former barbershop area is named "The George Flynn Special Collections Room." [12/09. 10/09, named the "Special Collections Room."]
• 1.20(26)M The Library Committee shall ensure that at least two copies of each book chosen for discussion by the NESFA Reading Group are available for Members to read before that discussion if they can be obtained at a reasonable cost. [4/15]
• 1.20(27)F Library Committee: To check an item out using the Circulation Book (a green binder), add the date out, your name as borrower, the item title and, for books, the author, to a page for the first letter of the author's name or video title (excluding leading articles). To check an item in, find the check-out entry and add the date in. [10/18]
• 1.20(28)F Library Committee: To check an item in or out using the electronic checkout, find a computer with a scanning wand, double-click on "NESFA self-checkout" to start the checkout program, and scan the barcode on your NESFA Library card.
  • a)to check items out, scan the barcode on each of the items to be checked out.
  • b)to check an item in, click on the "check in item" box for that item in the list of currently-checked-out items.
  When all items have been checked in or out, click on the "FINISH" button then click the "OK" button to print a receipt or the "CANCEL" button to exit without printing a receipt. [10/18]
• 1.20(29)F Library Committee: One can also use the electronic checkout from a phone or other device if it has a barcode-scaning app which can read "code 39". After setting its URL to http://192.168.2.130/cgi-bin/koha/sco/sco-main.pl, connect to the NESFA Wi-Fi, scan the barcode on your NESFA Library card, and proceed as in Section 1.20(28). [10/18]
• 1.20(30)F Library Committee: The prices for surplus library materials set in accordance with Standing Rule 1.20(7) are:

  	member				non-member
  	total		(price+tax)		total		(price+tax)
  	$0.50		(0.47+0.03)		$1.00		(0.94+0.06)		mass-market paperback
  	$1.00		(0.94+0.06)		$1.50		(1.41+0.09)		trade paperback
  	$2.00		(1.88+0.12)		$3.00		(2.82+0.18)		hardcover, audio or video disc

  Audiobooks, multi-disc music albums, and single films spanning multiple discs (including special features) shall each count as a single item.
  These prices shall also apply to the various non-SF/Fantasy works that we receive as part of bulk donations.
  [6/22. G.L. c.64H §5 requires that price and tax be stated separately and G.L. c.64H §4 specifies the tax calculation.]"
• 1.21 The Procurement Committee
  [Name changed from "Equipment Procural Committee" in 8/74.]
• 1.21(1)M The Procurement Committee shall investigate and report on the best means of obtaining items that are expressly referred to it by the Membership, and shall obtain such items as the Membership or its delegates authorize.
  [7/72. Second clause added 10/83.]
• 1.21(2)M [Repealed 8/21. 5/97, was about buying soda and water.]
• 1.21(3)F Procurement: If you think that Procurement needs to buy something:
  • 1) Double-check that we don't already have it!
  • 2) Write the item on the whiteboard on the refrigerator. (Please provide sufficient detail and, if it's not obvious, say to whom to deliver it.)
  • 3) When someone commits to buying the item, they will draw a line through it.
  • 4) When they bring the item to the clubhouse, they will erase it from the whiteboard.

  Please follow this procedure, since it prevents different people from accidentally buying the same stuff. [1/07]

• 1.22 [Repealed]
  [This section was called "The NESFA Realty Trust." Originally (9/83) it established the "Bondage Committee," which was to develop a plan for financing a clubhouse by borrowing from the Members, and authorized it to draft the documents for setting up a Massachusetts Realty Trust. By 5/84 the only one of the committee's goals left undone was to "Develop a long-range financial plan for NESFA," which was assigned to an ad hoc Financial Planning Committee. Meanwhile, NESFA Lunar Realty Trust No. 1 had been established; in 1/84 the Membership accepted the Declaration of Trust, and the Executive Board was authorized to implement the Trust and sign agreements with the Trustees. After the purchase of the Clubhouse, NESFA made a succession of payments to the Trust for the buyback of notes. In 5/88 it was announced that the Trustees would recall all notes and dissolve the Trust; an amendment to the Declaration of Trust to accomplish this was passed in 7/88.]
• 1.23 The Program Committee
• 1.23(1)M The Program Committee shall be responsible for arranging programs for meetings and other gatherings. [7/71*. Committee established 3/70.]
• 1.23(2)E [Made Program Committee responsible for NESFA's audio-visual equipment; originally passed 5/70 (referring just to a movie projector), made more general 5/74, repealed 5/92.]
• 1.23(3)E [Made Program chair "Technical Director," in charge of "certifying competence" in use of audio-visual equipment; split off from Section 1.23(2) in 5/74, repealed 5/92.]
• 1.23(4)M [Made Program Committee responsible for doing tape recording for the blind; passed 5/81, replacing earlier Recording Committee (established 5/73), repealed 5/92.]
• 1.24 [Repealed]
  [This section dealt with the Benefits Committee (established 5/82, abolished 6/85), which investigated holding "special events, shows, and other activities to raise money."]
• 1.25 The Fellowship of NESFA
  [See By-Laws: Article VII (Fellowship). The Fellowship rules were passed as standing rules in 9/76, and converted to By-Laws in 12/79. They took the place of the original Article VII (repealed 12/75), which dealt with "Trustees"; all Trustees were retroactively converted to Fellows before the first Fellowship banquet (11/76). The Fellowship election and the banquet are often, but not always, administered by the same ad hoc committee.]
• 1.25(1)M A certificate under seal of a form specified by the Rules Committee shall be given to every person elected a Fellow of NESFA. [1/75, with reference to Trustees and Directors.]
• 1.25(2)M All persons newly elected Fellows of NESFA shall be given a free meal at the banquet where their election is announced. [10/77]
• 1.26 [Repealed 7/19. From Rules Committee notes. Was the Press Gang, established 4/75, responsible for mimeo, offset, and copier equipment. Name changed from "Publications Committee" in 6/83.]
• 1.27 [Repealed 7/19. From Rules Committee notes. Was the Journal Committee, established 4/75, responsible for Proper Boskonian, whose last issue was published in June 1998.]
• 1.28 [Repealed 7/19. From Rules Committee notes. Was the Collator, established 7/71*, responsible for APA:NESFA (aka Ed's APA), which is no more. The apa was founded in 5/70, and its final issue was published in May 2010.]
• 1.29 The Story Contest Committee
• 1.29(1)M The Story Contest Committee will administer the NESFA Story Contest. The committee shall be appointed 13 months before the award is to be issued.
  [The Story Contest was originally established in 12/73. It was voted to abolish it in 5/81; however, an ad hoc contest was held in 1982, and the Story Contest rules were reinstated (with "annual" omitted) in 4/83. 3/15, specify when to appoint the committee.]
• 1.29(2)M BASIC RULES
  [The original rules were passed in 1/74. Listed here are the provisions that are the same from year to year; the full rules appear on each year's flyer.]
  • (a) The contest will be open to all amateur writers. An amateur is defined as someone who has never sold a work of fiction. [Requirement of New England residence repealed in 12/75.]
  • (b) Stories must be the original work of the person entering them, must be less than 7,500 words long, and must fall into the category of Science Fiction or Fantasy.
  • (c) Results of the contest will be announced at the Boskone.
  • (d) All rights to the stories remain with the authors.
  • (e) In all cases the decision of the judges appointed by the Story Contest Committee will be final.
• 1.30 [Repealed, was the Data Committee.]
  [This section dealt with the Data Committee (established 5/81, abolished 6/84), which was responsible for maintaining NESFA and Boskone mailing lists. This function still exists, of course, and is is now assigned to the Information Technology Committee. An expanded task of "coordinating NESFA's data resources" never came off. There earlier existed a "Cataloguing Committee" (4/73-6/76) which was supposed to computerize the Library, Archives, and mailing-list data bases.]
• 1.31 The Worldcon Liaison
• 1.31(1)M The Worldcon Liaison shall be responsible for obtaining NESFA's Worldcon memberships and keeping track of other Worldcon matters of concern to NESFA.
  [Originally 7/83 E rule, defining a position that developed informally over the previous few years, and including casting of NESFA's Hugo ballots. The latter deleted in 9/92, after WSFS Constitution was amended to restrict Hugo voting to natural persons.]
• 1.31(2)M NESFA shall obtain a supporting membership in each World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon); if possible, this should be done by casting a "No Preference" site-selection ballot.
  [8/83, codifying earlier practice. The casting of "No Preference" site-selection ballots by clubs is now explicitly authorized by the WSFS Constitution (ratified 1991), and no other vote is allowed.]
• 1.31(3)M There shall be a poll of the Membership's preferences for the Hugo nomination and final ballots, with the results to be published as NESFA's recommendations.
  [9/92, replacing a 5/90 M rule that NESFA's Hugo nomination ballot should contain no nominees with fewer than 5 votes.]
• 1.31(4)M It is the responsibility of the Worldcon Liaison to take care of NESFA's vote. [9/13]
• 1.32 The Gaughan Award
• 1.32(1)M The Jack Gaughan Memorial Award shall be presented annually at the Boskone by NESFA to the most promising emerging artist in the SF or Fantasy field in order to commemorate Jack Gaughan's interest in and encouragement of new SF and Fantasy artists. The Award and the choice of recipient shall be administered according to the following procedures:
  • (a) The recipient shall be selected by a jury, based upon the jury's knowledge of the performance and potential of artists working in the SF and Fantasy genre.
  • (b) The jury shall be composed of three members serving overlapping three-year terms. Each year a jury member shall be appointed by the President in July, subject to ratification by the Membership. The President should take into consideration the person's knowledge of the field and interest in actively serving. There are no special constraints upon reappointing a jury member.
  • (c) If a position becomes vacant for any reason, the President shall appoint a replacement, subject to the ratification of the Membership. The replacement's term of office shall expire upon the date that the replaced person's term would have expired.
  • (d) The Award will be in part a physical object.
  • (e) An annual budget shall be maintained to pay for the construction of the Award and to reimburse the jury for such reasonable expenses as they may incur in administering the Award process.

  [10/85, with initial jury appointments beginning in 11/85.]

• 1.33 [was The Computer Committee. Established 11/90. 9/21, merged into the Information Technology Committee.]
• 1.33(1) [9/21, merged into 1.45(1) when combining the Computer and Web Committees]
• 1.33(2)[9/21, moved to 1.45(2) when combining the Computer and Web Committees]
• 1.33(3)[9/21, moved to 1.45(3) when combining the Computer and Web Committees]
• 1.33(4)[9/21, moved to 1.45(4) when combining the Computer and Web Committees]
• 1.33(5)[9/21, moved to 1.45(5) when combining the Computer and Web Committees]
• 1.33(6)[9/21, moved to 1.45(6) when combining the Computer and Web Committees]
• 1.33(7)[9/21, moved to 1.45(7) when combining the Computer and Web Committees]
• 1.33(8)[9/21, moved to 1.45(8) when combining the Computer and Web Committees]
• 1.33(9)[9/21, moved to 1.45(9) when combining the Computer and Web Committees]
• 1.34 [was The Web Committee. Established 5/97. 9/21, merged into the Information Technology Committee.]
• 1.34(1) [9/21, merged into 1.45(1) when combining the Computer and Web Committees]
• 1.34(2)[9/21, moved to 1.45(10) when combining the Computer and Web Committees]
• 1.34(3)[9/21, moved to 1.45(11) when combining the Computer and Web Committees]
• 1.34(4) [Repealed 7/19. Authorization to appoint the Email Administrator and Webmaster was made redundant by the adoption of ByLaws Section 6.6A. From Rules Committee notes.]
• 1.34(5)[9/21, moved to 1.45(12) when combining the Computer and Web Committees]
• 1.34(6)[9/21, moved to 1.45(13) when combining the Computer and Web Committees]
• 1.35 [Repealed 7/19. From Rules Committee notes. Was the Monty Wells Project, established 9/98, a seminar on how science fiction can be used in teaching.]
• 1.36 The E-Commerce Committee
• 1.36(1)M The E-Commerce Committee shall be responsible for setting up and maintaining an electronic sales site on the web. [Established 7/01]
• 1.36(2)M Privacy policy for our eCommerce website:
  • 1) We will use your credit card information only to process your request.
  • 2) We will use your personal information as needed to fulfill your order or to process your membership request. We may share contact information among members of the same organization unless you tell us not to. [7/11: Second sentence added to allow the NESFA roster to exist and locations to be printed on convention badges.]
  • 3) We may retain your membership data and use it to send you information related to your membership. We may also share convention membership data with other fannish conventions we support. We will otherwise release personal information only when required by law.
  • 4) Please contact us if you wish to remove your personal information from our data store after your request has been processed.
  [6/11: This is the privacy policy adopted by the Membership and reported in IM. The privacy policy which currently appears on the NESFA e-commerce site does not include either paragraph 4 or the second sentence of paragraph 2.]
• 1.37 NESFA Press Guests at Boskone
• 1.37(1)M By tradition, NESFA Press brings to each Boskone one or more of the contributors to the books it has recently published, sometimes holding a book launch party. The guests are selected by the Membership. [First mentioned in IM 675, 11/00.]
• 1.37(2)M Each guest will be given benefits and reimbursements as specified in Standing Rules sections 1.9(28) and 1.9(29). [6/05; 10/17, explicit list of benefits and reimbursements replaced by references to common specifications.]
• 1.38 The Hal Clement Memorial Science Speaker
• 1.38(1)M The Hal Clement Memorial Science Speaker will give a talk at Boskone on a suitable scientific subject and will participate in other aspects of the convention as appropriate. The speaker will be selected by the membership of NESFA and will be given benefits and reimbursements as specified in Standing Rules sections 1.9(28) and 1.9(29). [Established 11/03; 10/17: explicit list of benefits and reimbursements replaced by references to common specifications.]
• 1.39 [was the Clubhouse Kitty. Established 10/04; disestablished 4/12, held monies dedicated to the purchase of a new clubhouse.]
• 1.40 Gaming Coordinator [6/22, renamed from Gamesmaster]
• 1.40(1)M The Gaming Coordinator is authorized to spend $250 per year to purchase games and supplies. [7/10]
• 1.40(2)M When games are to be disposed of they are first offered for sale to members at $5 each, then offered as charitable donations, then offered free to members. [4/19]
• 1.40(3)M The Gaming Coordinator is responsible for running Game Days and, in consultation with the Membership, is responsible for scheduling them. [9/22]
• 1.41 Outreach Committee
• 1.41(1)M The Outreach committee hosts a monthly Monday game night from 6:30–10:30pm, to be held on the third Monday of each month. [2/14]
• 1.42 [Repealed 7/22. Was the Book Inventory Reduction Committee.]
• 1.42(1) [Repealed 7/22. Authorized donating books.]
• 1.43 NESFA Reading Group
• 1.43(1)M The NESFA Reading Group will meet in most months to discuss books chosen by the group. [Established 10/14; The name of the group was formally accepted 3/15]
• 1.44 The MCFI Liaison
• 1.44(1)M The MCFI Liaison shall be responsible for keeping NESFA informed of MCFI's activities and vice versa. [6/19]
• 1.45 The Information Technology Committee
  [Established 9/21 by merging the Computer and Web Committees. Pre-9/21 annotations in this section refer to those Committees.]
• 1.45(1)M Except where responsibility is explicitly assigned elsewhere, the Information Technology Committee shall be responsible for organizing, maintaining and recommending plans for NESFA's computers and related equipment, network infrastructure and services, Internet presence (including but not limited to email infrastructure including mailing lists, social media, and the content and appearance of NESFA websites), and all related activities and tools. [9/21, merger of the Computer and Web Committee's mission statements. 11/90, Computer Committee established. 5/97, Web Committee established. 7/15, added responsibility for the network and the content and appearance of the website. 12/17, added social media.]
• 1.45(2)M/E The Information Technology Committee is directed to maintain 24x7 high-speed Internet connectivity at the clubhouse at an initial cost not to exceed about $120 per month. [M 8/00: to establish using a specific vendor; E 12/00: to replace a bankrupt vendor. 9/21, moved from 1.33(2).]
• 1.45(3)M The Information Technology Committee is authorized to spend up to $100 (total cost, including one year's registration) to buy any of our standard domain names (e.g., Boskone or NESFA) if they become available in any of .com, .org, .net, .edu, .gov, .mil, .int, or .aero. [4/04. 9/21, moved from 1.33(3).]
• 1.45(4)M The Information Technology Committee may dispose of any surplus software (license permitting) or hardware subject to the following guidelines. A majority of the committee members must agree that each item is surplus. The list of items, and when they will be allocated, will be announced at a meeting and on the active-members mailing list, with each item described in sufficient detail to allow members to make informed decisions about whether they want it. All items will be available at the clubhouse for examination and testing until the next meeting and thereafter until they are allocated, with each item clearly and uniquely marked for identification. For each item, there will be provision for active members to express their interest in acquiring it. If more than one list of items is to be allocated at the same time, those lists will be combined into a single list. When the time for allocation arrives the list of which people want which items will be frozen, items which no one wants will be thrown out or otherwise disposed of, items which exactly one person wants will be given to that person, and the remaining items will be allocated by repeatedly choosing one person and giving them one item. The person will be chosen randomly from among those who want one or more of the remaining items, excluding anyone who has already received more contested items from this list than some other person in that group. The item will be chosen by the selected person from among those in which he has expressed interest. [7/05. Provide permanent authorization on much the same terms as previous one-off events, and document those terms. 9/21, moved from 1.33(4).]
• 1.45(5)M The Information Technology Committee is authorized to spend $300 per year to host NESFA's e-mail at Dreamhost. [1/07. 9/21, moved from 1.33(5).]
• 1.45(6)M The Information Technology Committee is authorized to purchase licenses for access to two computers via GoToMyPC, and to purchase a third license if needed. [10/06: authorized a free trial, then up to $400 per year for access to two computers; 1/07: up to $450 per year for three computers; 6/10: authorized an additional $135 per year for a 4th license, "so the separated Sales and Treasury computers can both be operated remotely". 1/19: reduce the number of licenses to two with an option for a third. 9/21, moved from 1.33(6).]
• 1.45(7)M The Information Technology Committee shall maintain a list of installed software, including versions, on each computer, mark each computer such that its identity is clear even when it is turned off, and notify the members of any new updates to those lists. [4/07. 9/21, moved from 1.33(7).]
• 1.45(8)F Information Technology Committee: If you accidentally damage something, let people know so that it can be replaced. [11/09. 9/21, moved from 1.33(8).]
• 1.45(9)M Arisia is authorized to use the big printer at the NESFA Clubhouse at the usual rates. [1/07. 9/21, moved from 1.33(9).]
• 1.45(10)M Any member may join the nesfa-announce or nesfa-open mailing lists. Only members who are actively participating in NESFA, or want to receive notices as specified in Section 5.8(2), may join the nesfa-active list (but they need not live locally or attend meetings regularly). Except as otherwise provided, only Regular members may be members of the nesfa-regular list. The Regular Members' mailing list (nesfa-regular@lists.nesfa.org) should be used only when, for legal or other reasons, the subject under discussion must be very closely held. All other subjects should be discussed on the Active Members' mailing list (nesfa-active@lists.nesfa.org) or, if they are of interest to all members, on the Open mailing list (nesfa-open@lists.nesfa.org). To avoid any possibility of needing to post any message to both the Regular Members' and Active Members' mailing lists and to allow notifications to be posted only to the nesfa-active mailing list, the Active Members' list shall be maintained such that every person who receives messages sent via the Regular Members list will also receive messages via the Active Members list; the Announce list shall also be maintained in this manner. [1/07: for the nesfa-announce and nesfa-open lists; 5/07: for the nesfa-active and nesfa-regular lists.; 12/11: Further provisions regarding nesfa-regular added.; See also 1.34(3). 11/16: Added requirement to include all members of the regular-members list in the announce list. 6/19, adapted for using the nesfa-active list for notifications rather than the nesfa-announce list. From Rules Committee notes. 9/21, moved from 1.34(2).]
• 1.45(11)M The nesfa-regular e-mail list shall always include the chair of the Hotel Committee and shall include the Boskone Chair (man, woman, person) and the Boskone Treasurer, once appointed and ratified by the membership, until 6 months after their Boskone has ended. [6/09; 3/15, added the Hotel Committee chair. 9/21, moved from 1.34(3).]
• 1.45(12)M NESFA shall contribute $15/month to Joel Lord for his support of the NESFA mailing lists on his servers. [4/11. 9/21, moved from 1.34(5).]
• 1.45(13)M All postings in the name of NESFA to social media (Facebook, Meetup, Twitter, etc.), except those by people explicitly authorized to post on a topic, shall require prior review by at least one member of the Information Technology Committee, Outreach Committee, or Executive Board who is not the poster. [12/17. 9/21, moved from 1.34(6); 9/22, added Outreach Committee and Executive Board.]
• 1.45(14)M The Information Technology Committee is authorized to spend up to $240 per year for a Meetup account. [9/22]
• 1.45(15)M Any account, including a social media account, bearing the name of the New England Science Fiction Association, NESFA, Boskone, any registered mark of the New England Science Fiction Association, or any of its activities must be created with all primary account information specific to NESFA and using a nesfa.org or boskone.org email address if any email address is used. Additional administrators and moderators may be added and removed as approved by the Information Technology Committee or Executive Board. This does not apply to personal email or social media accounts. In addition, the NESFA Marks may be used with personal accounts when dealing with NESFA or Boskone Business or Promotion. For example, a reply address of "Joe Smith, NESFA President and "Joe Smith, Boskone 99 Chair " are perfectly acceptable. Any exception to this policy requires a vote in advance by the Executive Board or by the Membership. [10/22]
• 1.46 Media Coordinator
• 1.46(1)M The Media Coordinator is responsible for running Media Days and, in consultation with the Membership, is responsible for scheduling them. [9/22]
•  
• [Former standing committees which are now defunct include Index Production (cf. 1.13, formerly part of Index); "Phase I," etc. (cf. 1.14); Hymnal (cf. 1.15); T-Shirt (cf. 1.16); Building, Building Search, Building Planning, Building Physical, and Building Policies (cf. 1.17); Bondage (cf. 1.22); Recording (cf. 1.23(4)); Benefits (cf. 1.24); Press Gang (cf. 1.26, formerly Publications); Journal (cf. 1.27); Collator (cf. 1.28); Data (cf. 1.30); Cataloguing (ibid.); The Monty Wells Project (cf. 1.35); Book Inventory Reduction (cf. 1.42, formerly Reduction); and Historian (cf. A.14(3)). Committees which have changed their names include Index (now Sales, 1.12); Boskone Book (which became Book Production and is now NESFA Press, 1.14); and Equipment Procural (now Procurement, 1.21). The Computer (cf. 1.33) and Web (cf. 1.34) Committees have merged into the Information Technology Committee, 1.45.]

Section II: Finances, Treasury and Finance Committee

• 2.1 Dues
• 2.2 Contracts and Debts
• 2.3 Budgeting
• 2.4 Guidelines for Expenditures and Reimbursement
• 2.5 Treasury Procedures
• 2.6 Internal Audit
• 2.7 Boskone (and Other Convention) Finances
• 2.8 [Repealed]

II. Finances, Treasury and Finance Committee

• 2.1 Dues
  [See By-Laws: Sections 1.2 (requirement of payment), 1.6 (changes in), 1.8(d) (Regular-Inactive transfers), 1.9 (new Members).]
• 2.1(1)M The amount of dues payable annually by each Member shall be:
  • Regular - $30.00
  • General - $24.00
  • Inactive - $25.00
  • Subscribing - $20.00
  • Family Dependency - $2.00

  $15.00 of the dues for Regular, General, Inactive, and Subscribing Members shall be designated as a publications charge.

  [History of dues:
  10/67: R $10, G $5, S $2.50 (10/69 $3; 3/71 $4), F $2.50.
  3/74: R $10, G $6, S $5, F $2.50.
  10/75: R $11, G $7, I $7, S $6, F $3.
  8/80: R $14, G $10, I $10(?), S $9, F $3.
  6/82: R $15, G $15, I $15, S $12, F $1; pub. charge first set, at $11.
  8/84: R $20, G $17, I $17, S $13, F $1; pub. charge $12.
  5/86: R $22, G $19, I $19, S $15, F $1; pub. charge $14.
  3/91: R $23, G $20, I $20, S $16, F $1; pub. charge $15.
  5/15: R $30, G $24, I $25, S $20, F $2; pub. charge $15]
• 2.1(2)M Interpretation of By-Laws Section 1.6: When notice has been given of a specific dues-change proposal, the Membership may vote to change the proposed amounts of dues. However, any motion to change the dues for one or more membership classes to an amount outside the range between the current dues and those proposed in the original notice may not receive final passage until additional notice has been given to all Members. [Based on precedent set in 5/82.]
• 2.1(3)M The Membership Committee may authorize an Affiliate Member to substitute a subscription to its publication(s) in lieu of dues; in the absence of such substitution, the dues for Affiliate Members shall be the same as for Subscribing Members.
  [7/71*; second clause added 9/83. In all dues schedules through 10/75, the Affiliate and General dues were the same; later it was tacitly assumed that Affiliates didn't pay dues. In practice this section appears not to be invoked.]
• 2.1(4)M In exercising its powers under Bylaws Subsection 1.2(d), the Executive Board may reduce or completely waive a dues payment, may substitute some other action for paying dues, or may make any other arrangement which the Board considers to be appropriate. When reporting on actions taken under that subsection, the Board shall protect the identities of the persons involved. [7/71*; separate section 9/83.; 1/12: Amended to go along with addition of Subsection 1.2(d) to the bylaws.; Prior section read "Notwithstanding Section 2.1(1), the Membership Committee may recommend special arrangements in cases of financial difficulty."]
• 2.1(5)M In accordance with Section 1.2 of the By-Laws, a Member newly admitted shall be dropped from membership if he or she has not paid his or her dues within one month from the date of admission. Any other Member shall be dropped from membership who has not paid his or her dues in accordance with Section 2.1(10). [7/71*. Second sentence essentially passed 9/68, first sentence 11/70; 4/18, removed dependency on the anniversary of admission.]
• 2.1(6)M No adjustment of dues shall be made for transfers from one class of membership to another unless so requested by the Member, and in any case never for amounts less than $1.00. Each Member shall pay dues for the class of membership which the Member holds at the time the dues become due.
  [9/83. The original (7/71*) rule was that dues increments must be paid upon transfer to a more expensive class, refunds upon transfer to a less expensive class. The current rule was added to the By-Laws in 5/78 for transfers between Regular and Inactive Membership, and was thereafter in practice applied to all other transfers.]
• 2.1(7)M Ben Bova and Barbara Rose are excused from paying dues in perpetuity. [2/77]
• 2.1(8)M [Specified how to account for NESFA Life Membeships. Repealed 10/12 by a vote eliminating all accounting reserves for life members.]
• 2.1(9)M In waiving the dues of a member who requested same, we set up the following parameter to use to help us make a decision: Was the person in need of financial help, not merely asking for convenience. It was further noted that when the person was advised of same, we would specifically note to the person that it was only for one year and that a new request must be made each year, preferably before the expiration of the membership. [12/09 as an E-Rule; amended by the membership 5/12, making it an M-rule by striking out a second criterion which read "2) Does this person go to non-local conventions."]
• 2.1(10)M Members whose dues remain in arrears at the end of the calendar month after the one in which those dues were due shall be dropped from membership at that time, unless special circumstances apply. (Special circumstances is deliberately left vague to allow "doing the right thing".) [6/11; 8/18, ByLaws section 1.2(b) does not define "the period when dues are payable". This subsection provides that definition.]
• 2.1(11)M Repealed. [6/11, about sending renewal letters; 4/18, repealed because obsoleted by Section 2.1(12).]
• 2.1(12)E When notifying members whose dues are due and who do not receive Instant Message on paper, the Clerk is directed to send them postcards which give notice. [4/17]
• 2.2 Contracts and Debts
• 2.2(1)E Unless otherwise determined, any Contract to be executed by or on behalf of the Corporation shall be signed by the Officer or the chairman or authorized representative of the committee having charge of the activity involved, or by the President. [7/71*]
• 2.2(1A)M Any contracts or other agreements made on behalf of NESFA with other parties must be approved by the Executive Board before being executed; the Executive Board should normally be consulted before negotiations on such agreements are entered into.
  [E 8/84, M 10/84. It was stipulated in the debate that this rule does not apply to expenditures of budgeted funds, and does not preempt the Membership's rights to form contractual relationships.]
• 2.2(1B)M It is the policy of NESFA that significant variations from our usual contracts shall be cleared in advance with the Membership. [3/84]
• 2.2(2)E Records of all royalty agreements shall be kept by the Clerk, the Treasurer, the Rules Committee, and NESFA Press. [11/83; 3/95: the Book Production Committee renamed NESFA Press; unfortunately, this rule has seldom been obeyed.]
• 2.2(3)E Amounts owed to NESFA of one dollar or less may be ignored. Amounts owed by NESFA of one dollar or less should be paid only upon request. [8/83]
• 2.2(4)F Finance: The NESFA Treasurer shall, from time to time, set a fee for the use of the NESFA credit card system by non-NESFA third parties. It may consist of a fixed fee plus a percentage of the amount processed. This fee shall be set to at least recover NESFA's costs but without excessive profit. The fee will go into effect upon announcement at a NESFA business meeting. The fee in effect for any third party's use of our credit card facilities will be the fee in effect when the use of our credit card service is agreed to unless other arrangements have been made. Until the Treasurer sets another rate, the current rate charged to Boskone is 6.82% of the gross amount processed with no additional fixed fee. For outside organizations the rate is 7%. [2/07: Rate was set to 3%.; 1/12: Rate changed to 6.5%.; 6/12: Rate changed to 6.82% for Boskone and 7% for outside organizations.]
• 2.3 Budgeting
  [See By-Laws: Sections 5.4(a) (authorization of expenditures), 5.4(e) (fiscal year), 5.5 (emergency expenditures), 11.4(c) (Boskone expenditures).]
• 2.3(1)E With the following exceptions, all budgets must be approved by the Membership of NESFA:
  • a) Any committee chairman is entitled to a budget of $150 without Membership approval. Such budgets can be established by informing the NESFA Treasurer.
  • b) Any Officer may authorize expenditures of up to $150 without Membership approval. The Treasurer should inform the Membership of any such allocations.
  • c) The Executive Board may authorize expenditures of up to $1000 without Membership approval. The Board should inform the Membership, and must inform the Treasurer, of any such allocations.
  • d) Each Boskone Committee has an initial budget of $500. [2/95]
  [11/83: except as noted. Largely duplicates 8/73 rule, except that the monetary amounts are now twice as large (4/82 By-Law amendment).; 9/12: Committee and Officer authorized expenditures increased from $50 to $150; Executive Board authorized expenditures increased from $150 to $500; 1/17, Executive Board amount increased from $500 to $1000.]
• 2.3(2)E All budget requests should be presented to the Executive Board in advance of the business meeting at which they are to be considered. [11/83. Basically the same as 7/71* rule.]
• 2.3(3)M Expenditures or obligations in excess of one thousand dollars ($1000) require a two-thirds vote of the Membership, unless (a) prior approval of the Executive Board has been obtained or (b) written notice has been given at least one week in advance in accordance with ByLaws Subsection 10.2(j). [12/83; 7/21, changed $400 to $1000.]
• 2.3(4)M Budgets shall be submitted in sufficient detail to designate individual categories as well as accounts. [1/75]
• 2.3(5)E Proposed budgets should be sufficiently detailed that intelligent discussion can take place. For small budgets, this can take the form of a verbal explanation; for large budgets, line items are a must. When a budget is approved, the Membership has approved not only the dollar amount, but also the plan for spending it which was presented in justification; such justifications should be included in the minutes. Significant changes (in the budget or in the uses to which the budget is to be put) may be made only with the consent of the Membership; questions as to what changes are "significant" should be referred to the Treasurer or the Executive Board. [11/83]
• 2.3(6)E After their initial adoption, budgets may be amended by majority vote of the Membership, except that the provisions of Section 2.3(3) shall apply to any increases which exceed the limit there. [11/83; 7/21, replace the explicit limit with a reference to it.]
• 2.3(7)E Two kinds of budgets exist: annual and ad-hoc.
  • (a) An annual budget is a budget for an ongoing activity which has no explicit term. Such activities include Instant Message, Operations, Sales, etc.

    Annual budgets are developed by the Executive Board in consultation with both the outgoing and the newly appointed committees, and are presented to the Membership at the June or July business meeting. Upon approval, they go into effect immediately.

    During the interim period between the end of the old fiscal year and the approval of the new fiscal year's budget, the previous annual budget is continued automatically on a proportional basis. Money spent during the interim budgeting period is charged against the new fiscal year's budget when it is approved.

  • (b) An ad-hoc budget is set up for an activity which has a limited term of existence. Such activities include conventions, production of individual books, etc.

    Ad-hoc budgets may be presented to the Membership at any time. Ordinarily, the budget for the entire term of the activity is set up at one time and extends until the activity ends.

  [11/83. Budgets were first required in 12/70, and from then until 1983 were on a quarterly basis: budgets were submitted to and approved by the Executive Board before the beginning of each quarter, and were voted on by the Membership at the first meeting of the quarter. The first annual budget was for the fiscal year 1983-84, adopted 8/83.]

  [The number of budgetary categories has varied greatly over the years. The oldest accounting categories (10/67) were General, Index, Convention (Boskone), and Refreshment, with the Pun Fund added in 12/68. Thereafter a new category was generally added whenever a new committee with a budget was established. In 1971-72 a formal distinction into "Alpha" (dues-supported) and "Beta" (self-supporting) funds was attempted. In the mid-70's the theory was that each committee head authorized to spend money had a separate account, but more recently a number of such categories have been combined for budgeting purposes. The distinction between quarterly (now annual) and ad-hoc budgets first appeared in the budget adopted in 8/82.]

  [Immediately after the purchase of the Clubhouse in 1985-86, the budget had grown to include the following 21 categories (expanded from 8 the year before): Apa:NESFA; Awards; Building Maintenance; Building Supplies; Building Taxes; Building Utilities; Clerk's Exp; Depreciation; IM; Insurance; Library; Meeting Space; Miscellaneous; PB; Program Comm; Rules Comm; Sales; Storage; Story Contest; Treasury Exp; and Trust Interest. Things have since been simplified, and for the 1991-92 budget the Membership voted on only the following 13 categories: Clubhouse Insurance; Clubhouse Maintenance; Clubhouse Supplies; Clubhouse Utilities; Misc. Program Services; Misc. Non-Program Services; IM Postage; IM Printing; IM Supplies; IM Miscellaneous; Library; Sales Postage; Sales Advertising. See the Chart of Accounts (see also SR 2.5(10)) for a more detailed breakdown, including income categories.]

• 2.3(8)M Any decision by the Membership or the Executive Board which authorizes any expense or instructs any purchase shall automatically expire if it is not implemented within six months after its passage, unless the authorization specifically provides otherwise. [7/71*]
• 2.3(9)M People are requested to submit any non-budgeted expenses to a business meeting before spent, if possible. Budget overrun items shall be reported to a business meeting with an explanation as soon as possible. [1/75]
• 2.3(10)M The Treasurer is directed not to pay bills submitted when Section 2.3(9) has not been adhered to, or when reported expenses are not identified by individual categories within a given account. [1/75. Second clause clarified 12/83.]
• 2.4 Guidelines for Expenditures and Reimbursement
  [While most of this section was first formally passed in 11/83, it is largely a codification of long-standing practices.]
• 2.4(1)E Everyone authorized to spend or receive money on behalf of NESFA or Boskone shall report to the appropriate Treasurer at least once per month on current expenditures and receipts. [11/83. Essentially duplicates 1/71 rule.]
• 2.4(2)E NESFA as a 501(c)(3) organization is under stringent obligations to see that all monies are used only to advance NESFA's objectives. No part of NESFA's monies may inure to the benefit of any individual NESFA Member, except as allowed by the Articles of Organization. [11/83]
• 2.4(3)E The following are basic guidelines for acceptable expenses. In general, use common sense -- if you have any doubt about the appropriateness of an expense, it's probably inappropriate. Without prior approval by the Membership or the Executive Board, no reimbursement will be paid for:
  • a) meals (except for refreshments provided on site to work crews);
  • b) wear and tear, mileage, and similar non-out-of-pocket expenses (mileage which has been approved will be reimbursed at $.09 per mile);
  • c) lodging, entertainment, and travel costs other than gas and tolls.
  [11/83]
• 2.4(4)E The Treasurer has the duty to refuse to honor any expense which is not documented or which was made contrary to the policies of NESFA. Documentation usually consists of a properly-filled-out expense form and a receipt. [11/83]
• 2.4(5)E NESFA is a tax-exempt organization, and nothing purchased for NESFA's use is covered by sales tax (in Massachusetts). See section 5.4(2)(a) for our tax-exemption number; ask the Treasurer for tax-exemption forms. The Treasurer will ordinarily reject any request for reimbursement of sales tax. [11/83; number updated 5/92, cf. Section 5.4(2).]
• 2.4(6) ADVANCE ACCOUNTS
  • (a)E Advance accounts are set up as a convenience to the Members so that they can spend money for NESFA without having to provide NESFA with a temporary loan. Having an advance account is not a right, and may be denied to any Member who does not properly document expenses and income. [11/83; 6/15: Removed "her" from "expenses"]
  • (b)E When an advance account is idle (e.g., reports no expenses for a year), the Treasurer may decline to accept income reports for money owed NESFA by the Member (i.e. Members may not be allowed to charge their own dues, etc., to the advance account). [11/83]
  • (c)E The Boskone Treasurer may establish advance accounts independent of the NESFA advance accounts. [11/83]
  • (d)F Treasurer: When advance accounts are reported, a positive figure beside a person's name means that the member owes NESFA that amount; a negative figure, that NESFA owes the member. [Pre-1974: advance accounts were first listed individually in the Treasurer's report in 7/70.]
  • (e)F Treasurer. NESFA members who have an advance account may under certain circumstances use it to purchase books and memberships. The advance account may be used if any of the following is true:
    • i) The member's advance account has a credit balance; i.e., shows NESFA owing the member enough, or almost enough, money to cover the purchase. (Peachtree shows credit balances with a minus sign.)
    • ii) The member has an active advance account. The NESFA Standing Rules 2.4(6) does not define what constitutes an active advance account, but gives an example of an idle one, saying that it is one with no expense reports in the last year. A guideline for considering an advance account to be active is where the member has a recent history of turning in expense reports equal to twice the current balance in the advance account each year. So if a member has an advance account with a $300 debit balance, then it's an active account if they are turning in expense reports of more than $600 per year or $150 per quarter.
    • iii) The Treasurer has authorized that person to use an advance account.
• The same section of the standing rules says that the Treasurer may decline charging to an advance account, but says nothing about what the Treasurer must do. The Treasurer, therefore, may allow charging to an advance account even if it is idle, and even if the person has a large debit balance owing. If none of the three criteria is met, then the member may not use their advance account for purchases unless the NESFA Treasurer authorizes such use. [7/11]
• 2.4(7)F Finance: NESFA and Boskone treasurers shall reject expense reports that include items for more than one set of books unless they could not reasonably be dealt with by the other treasurer. [2/07]
• 2.4(8)F Finance: Notwithstanding 2.4(7)F, when a cross-charge due to expenses for one treasurer being reported to another treasurer does occur (e.g., an expense item must be split between treasuries, or a check for one treasury needs to be written by another), the treasurer who processed the cross-charge shall make a copy of the paperwork for the cross-charged treasurer. [2/07]
• 2.4(9)E Corporate debit cards are authorized. [6/10]
• 2.4(10)M NESFA will reimburse the hosts of Other Meetings at the rate of $5 per attendee, up to $100 ($10/$200 for December meetings), if receipts are provided. [8/17; 2/18, added special case for December.]
• 2.5 Treasury Procedures
  [Again mostly documents long-standing practice.]
• 2.5(1)E NESFA treasury procedures should follow generally accepted practices modified by NESFA's traditions and practical circumstances. In particular:
  • a) Double-entry bookkeeping must be used.
  • b) A journal must be kept.
  • c) All transactions must be indexed to the books and filed for ready access. The recommended procedure is to give each report a unique number, which appears throughout the journal and ledger along with transactions from that report. Reports are filed in numerical order.
  • d) Accounts must be posted and reconciled monthly.
  • e) Bank statements must be reconciled monthly.
  [11/83]
• 2.5(2)E Treasury reports must be made monthly, and must be written and deposited with the Clerk. If a report is not published in Instant Message, copies must be provided by the Treasurer to any Member upon request.

  The purpose of treasury reports is to inform the Membership of the financial state of NESFA or Boskone. Reports should be designed to convey maximum useful information, and should show income and expense figures for the period covered as well as asset and liability numbers. Breakdown into individual accounts should be sufficiently detailed that no additional material is needed for the reader to judge the financial health of NESFA or Boskone. [11/83]

• 2.5(3)E Consistent with prudent control of cash flow and minimum risk to capital, NESFA's money should be kept in the highest-interest-rate accounts available. [11/83]
• 2.5(4)E Some accounting details: [11/83]
  • a) Accounting is done on a cash basis.
  • b) Items costing less than $700 are not capitalized.
  • c) The NESFA Treasurer should publish semi-annually an inventory of NESFA publications, with estimates of value and sales rate. [7/05: Delete the requirement to expense publications, to conform to actual practice – most publications have been capitalized for many years.]
  • d) Royalty rates are not public information, even if they can be deduced from the treasury reports.
• 2.5(5)F Treasurer's fiats: [11/83; (d) added 9/90.]
  • (a) [7/05: Moved to 2.5(7), updated, and made an 'M' rule.]
  • (b) [7/05: Moved to 2.5(8), updated, and made an 'M' rule.]
  • (c) [Deleted 7/05. This section described payment of royalties. (See SR 2.5(10).)]
  • (d) [7/05: Moved to 2.5(9) and made an 'M' rule.]
• 2.5(6) [Deleted 7/05. This section contained the Chart of Accounts. The original version passed in 1/86 as an E rule; after it fell badly out of date, the Chart of Accounts was updated and reduced to a Treasurer's fiat in 4/92. (See SR 2.5(10).)]
• 2.5(7)M NESFA Fiscal Years are numbered starting when NESFA was founded, so the fiscal year number is the calendar year during which the fiscal year started minus 1966 (e.g., the fiscal year beginning 1 May 1982 and ending 30 April 1983 is Fiscal Year 16). Fiscal quarters are May-July, August-October, November-January, and February-April.

  FY	+0	+1	+2	+3	+4	+5	+6	+7	+8	+9
  0+	-	1967-68	1968-69	1969-70	1970-71	1971-72	1972-73	1973-74	1974-75	1975-76
  10+	1976-77	1977-78	1978-79	1979-80	1980-81	1981-82	1982-83	1983-84	1984-85	1985-86
  20+	1986-87	1987-88	1988-89	1989-90	1990-91	1991-92	1992-93	1993-94	1994-95	1995-96
  30+	1996-97	1997-98	1998-99	1999-00	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06
  40+	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16
  50+	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25	2025-26
  60+	2026-27	2027-28	2028-29	2029-30	2030-31	2031-32	2032-33	2033-34	2034-35	2035-36

  [11/83: Originally a Treasurer fiat as 2.5(5)(a). 7/05: Moved, updated, the redundant definition of the start and end removed, and made an 'M' rule.]

• 2.5(8)M The Boskone which occurs during fiscal year N is recorded in the NESFA books when it produces its final report during fiscal year N+1. [11/83: Originally a Treasurer fiat as 2.5(5)(b). 7/05: Moved, updated, and made an 'M' rule. Quoted in /Treasury/BoskoneClosingBooks.htm.]
• 2.5(9)M [Quoted in /Treasury/LifeMembershipsAnnual.htm; Repealed 9/22, was about interest on internal accounts, no such accounts remain.]
• 2.5(10)F Treasurer: The Chart of Accounts and descriptions of many Treasury procedures are maintained by the Treasurer at <http://www.nesfa.org/Treasury/>. [7/05]
• 2.5(11)M [Repealed 10/10. The "repeal" implies that data entry can be automated.; Repealed rule read: "The use of automated processes to enter data into any NESFA accounting system in a way which bypasses any integrity checks is prohibited."]
• 2.5(12)M All Boskone and NESFA treasurers must use the built-in reconciliation procedures of their accounting packages to reconcile each bank account each time a statement arrives and to reconcile each cross-charge account in their books monthly. The Finance Committee shall check at least once a quarter that this is being done and shall report their findings to the NESFA Business Meeting. [3/07]
• 2.5(13)M The Exec Board is authorized to make adjustments to our payment card processing as necessary. The Exec Board must inform the regular membership of any changes in advance. [9/10]
• 2.5(14) [12/14: Handling of Hurt Books should never have appeared in the Standing Rules; it's in the Treasury Procedures.]
• 2.6 Internal Audit
• 2.6(1)E Auditing subcommittees of the Finance Committee shall examine the books of the NESFA Treasurer and of each Boskone Treasurer, as required by Section 5.10 of the By-Laws. They may enlist the services of any other Member in this examination. The examination shall be to determine if:
  • a) the books and accounts are being kept accurately;
  • b) the books and accounts are being kept in accordance with generally accepted accounting procedures (as modified by NESFA's traditions);
  • c) the Treasurer has followed NESFA's rules and procedures in the conduct of his office.

  The auditing subcommittee is encouraged to make suggestions for the improvement of treasury procedures, but, except as provided in the By-Laws, has no authority over the Treasurer.
  [11/83, with the task of auditing assigned to the Rules Committee; while the Rules Committee was charged with this duty by the By-Laws in 11/79, through 1983 no such audit had actually been made. In 4/92 the job was transferred to the Finance Committee, which displayed much more enthusiasm for it.]

• 2.6(2)E AUDITING PROCEDURES [11/83]
  • (a) Purpose: The purpose of auditing is to determine whether or not the financial records and reports of the Corporation accurately reflect what actually happened.
  • (b) Tests: The tests to be performed shall include the following, supplemented by such additional tests as the auditing subcommittee feels are required to clearly assess the accuracy of the records and reports being audited:
    • 1) Reports: Do reports which have been issued, particularly any final or overall report covering the period being audited, accurately reflect the books? Any such final or overall report shall be compared directly with the books, and a sample of other reports shall be checked.
    • 2) Balance: If the books are double-entry, do they balance?
    • 3) Reconciliation: For an institutional depository or similar account which is reflected in the books, can the statements of the institution be reconciled with the books? This test may be by examination of one or more recent reconciliations, or by attempt by the auditing subcommittee to perform a reconciliation, for each such account.
    • 4) Sample Auditing: Are expense reports, income reports, cancelled checks, and similar documents consistent with reality and properly reflected in the books? This test shall be performed by selecting a random sample of each type of document or transaction, determining that it is properly reflected in the books, and determining that it probably reflects reality -- by, for example, checking receipts attached to expense reports and checking with the person apparently originating a report. The minimum sample size shall be as follows:

      No of Documents	1-2	3-39	40-up
      Minimum Sample	all	3	4

      If any documents are found that are clearly at variance with the books or reality, a larger sample of documents of that type will be audited to allow a reasonable estimation of how widespread the problem is.
    • 5) Review of Disbursements: For all asset accounts, examine the bank statements (or equivalent) to find all disbursements above $900 and an appropriate sampling of those which are smaller, including all disbursements to Officers. Have they been correctly entered into the books? Is the purpose for which they were made properly documented? [8/04]
  • (c) Reports: If the books being audited are double-entry, and all tests enumerated above (with such additional tests as the auditing subcommittee may apply) indicate that the books accurately reflect reality, the auditing subcommittee shall issue a report substantially as follows:

    "An auditing subcommittee of the Finance Committee has audited the financial records and reports of ______ as of _____ and covering transactions occurring from _____ through ______. While it was not feasible to verify every item in these records, a number of internal and external auditing tests were performed, including all of those required by the Standing Rules, and the auditing subcommittee is confident that these financial records and reports are an accurate reflection of what actually happened."

    If the conditions for issuing such a report can not all be met, an appropriately qualified or modified report shall be issued. If possible, problems to be mentioned in such a report should be discussed with the Treasurer and other persons responsible for the books being audited before the report is issued. The goal of such a report is to convey to the Membership the auditing subcommittee's opinion of the degree to which the financial records and reports reflect what actually happened and the level of confidence the auditing subcommittee has in this opinion. As a general rule, such reports should avoid comments on the performance of individuals.

• 2.6(3)F Finance: The Committee recommends an additional check when auditing: Note that each transaction needs to have sufficient documentation of what is being done and why so that an experienced NESFAn other than the Treasurer can check to see if it is reasonable and if the entry was made correctly. [11/07]
• 2.7 Boskone (and Other Convention) Finances
• 2.7(1)E The Boskone Treasurer is an independent official of NESFA with responsibility to the Membership of NESFA both directly and through the Boskone Chairman and the NESFA Executive Board.
  [11/83. The Boskone Treasurer was first made an independent official in 8/79, having earlier been a mere appointee of the Chairman. In subsequent years, disputes periodically arose as to the extent of this independence, and in particular what authority the Boskone Chairman and NESFA Treasurer held over the Boskone Treasurer. The rules in this section were aimed at clarifying these points.]
• 2.7(2)E The duties of the Boskone Treasurer are divided into two general categories:
  • (a) Bookkeeper: The Boskone Treasurer keeps Boskone's books, issues checks, pays expenses, deposits monies, and generally provides an array of financial services to Boskone. The Boskone Treasurer reports monthly to the Membership on the financial status of Boskone. A report may also be requested at any time by the Boskone Chairman, the NESFA Treasurer, or the Executive Board.
  • (b) Controller: The Boskone Treasurer is responsible for seeing that Boskone expenditures are made in a regular fashion: are made from some budget by a person authorized to spend from that budget; are for the purposes for which that budget was approved; are properly documented; and are within the limits prescribed by law, by NESFA's procedures, and by Boskone's procedures.

  [11/83]

• 2.7(3)E The NESFA Treasurer, with the approval of the Executive Board, sets financial procedures for all of NESFA, including Boskone. While adhering to the overall framework of NESFA's procedures, the Boskone Treasurer has considerable discretion in defining the implementation of NESFA's procedures for Boskone. [11/83]
• 2.7(4)E While ultimate authority in all matters remains with the Membership of NESFA, the Chairman of Boskone is primarily responsible for developing Boskone's budget. The Chairman will ordinarily involve (at least) the Boskone and NESFA Treasurers, and the responsible individuals at Boskone, in budget preparation prior to submitting the proposed budget (or changes in the budget) to the Executive Board. The Executive Board submits the Boskone budget to the Membership for approval. [11/83; in practice the NESFA Treasurer is not always consulted.]
• 2.7(5)M Unless otherwise provided, known income of each Lexicon or Codclave in excess of budgeted expenses shall automatically be transferred to the convention's contingency budget.
  [4/85. Replaced an earlier rule (recommended by Executive Board 11/75; apparently never formally passed by the Membership, but assumed to have been) which applied to half the excess income of all NESFA conventions -- meaning primarily Boskones. The intent was to "allow con committees who find that there are large surplus funds to reduce them AT THE CON," large surpluses then being considered undesirable; the thinking on this subject had changed by 1985.]
• 2.7(6)E Three extraordinary types of line item exist:
  • (a) A contingency budget may be used at the Chairman's sole discretion to increase approved line-item budgets to cover unexpected expenses. Such transfers should be reported to the Membership by the Boskone Treasurer.
  • (b) Reserved indicates money budgeted as a place-holder for future line items. The reserved budget may not be spent, but is used by the Membership to create new line items after the initial passage of the Boskone budget.
  • (c) Discretionary budgets may be spent at the Chairman's whim on anything which in the Chairman's judgment is in the best interests of NESFA. No discretionary funds may be spent contrary to the policies or procedures of NESFA or Boskone, or for the benefit of the Boskone Chairman or their family. ["self/family benefit" phrase added 2/95]

  Unless a line item is explicitly labeled as one of these types during passage of the budget by the Membership, it is ordinary and may be spent only for its stated purposes.

  [11/83. The three terms had been used semi-interchangeably in previous years, leading to much confusion; this rule defines distinctions between them.]

• 2.7(7) [Concerned allocation of credit card charges for payments to Boskone. Implicitly repealed 8/16 when 2.7(18) was adopted.]
• 2.7(8)E [Specified when to pay each Boskone for Life Memberships. Repealed 10/12 by a vote eliminating all accounting reserves for life members. Quoted in /Treasury/BoskoneLifeMemberships.htm.]
• 2.7(9) [10/11: deleted. Dealt with clubhouse rental charges to Boskone.]
• • 2.7(10)M (a) A Boskone Chairman may withhold authorization to spend part or all of any line item in the Boskone budget. Any such change shall be reported in a timely fashion to the Executive Board and to the Membership, either of which may overrule the Chairman's decision if there is time to do so.
  • (b) A Boskone Chairman may forbid the use of any Boskone funds for a specific type of expenditure; such action shall require the same approval procedure as described in subsection (a) for withholding of funds.

  [9/87; repassed in slightly different form 1/90.]

• 2.7(11) [Superseded by 1.3(3), 1/03. This section originally (9/96) laid out a procedure for approving checks at Boskone which was later decided to be over-complicated.]
• 2.7(12)M [11/18, repealed – duplicate of Section 1.9(21).]
• 2.7(13)M Consecutive Boskones shall not use the same checking account. [5/05. Recommended by the Finance Committee, to avoid the confusion which occurs if at any time more than one Boskone is financially active on the same account.]
• 2.7(14) [Concerned allocation of credit card charges for payments to Boskone. Implicitly repealed 8/16 when 2.7(18) was adopted.]
• 2.7(15)M Boskone treasury files reside at the clubhouse—both paper and electronic—to prevent future issues. Paper files may be temporarily removed for work. [1/13]
• 2.7(16)F Treasurer: All expenses for guests at Boskone, including NESFA Press Guests and the Hal Clement Memorial Science Speaker, are to be paid by the Boskone treasurer. Expenses for NESFA-sponsored guests shall be cross-charged to NESFA. [10/12, This is to prevent expenses being accidentally submitted to and paid by both treasurers.]
• 2.7(17)M The Treasurer of any convention run under NESFA's purview, other than Boskone, is responsible to and shall report to the NESFA Treasurer in the same way that a Boskone Treasurer is and does. [11/15]
• 2.7(18)M Each Boskone shall pay all of NESFA's credit-card payment fees for the month in which it occurs and shall not pay any other such fees. [8/16, This is intended to greatly simplify allocation of credit card fees while remaining close enough to the results of an exact allocation.]
• 2.8 [Repealed. This section formerly described the Income Stabilization Fund, previously called the Snow Insurance Fund.]
  [The former Section 2.8 was previously (until 5/92) Section 1.17, and replaced the original Section 1.17, "The Building Fund and Related Matters." See the historical note at the beginning of the current Section 1.17.]

Section III: Meetings

• 3.1 Order of Business
• 3.2 Motions
• 3.3 Attendance
• 3.4 Puns
• 3.5 Scheduling
• 3.6 Miscellaneous
• 3.7 Rules of Order

III. Meetings
[See By-Laws: Article II (meetings).]

• 3.1 Order of Business
• 3.1(1) [10/22, moved to 3.7(2).]
• 3.1(1A)F President: The current Order of Business is here. [6/22. Was a list of committees for the Order of Business.]
• 3.1(2)M WHEREAS, Much of the business of NESFA meetings concerns the reports of Officers and Committees, and

  WHEREAS, the Membership is greatly inconvenienced when Officers and Committee chairmen are absent or late at meetings without having made alternative arrangements for the presentation of their reports,

  RESOLVED, that it is the opinion of the Membership that the Officers and Committee Chairmen should make every effort to arrive at business meetings on time, or to provide for the timely submission of their reports in their absence.

  [12/70. In 11/70 a $1.00 fine for showing up late was passed; this proved unenforceable, and was replaced by the above resolution.]

• 3.2 Motions
• 3.2(1) [10/22, moved to 3.7(1).]
• 3.2(2)M Any motion made and passed with only non-substantive objections shall be denoted as: Moved, Seconded, and Hartered. [8/71, memorializing Mr. Harter's practice of voting against virtually all motions; cf. Section A.15(2).]
• 3.2(3)M Any motion which is defeated by many votes to one shall be referred to in the minutes as having been Moved, Seconded, and Defeated (Chipped). [5/83, reworded 8/83; in this case memorializing a motion voted for by only Chip Hitchcock.]
• 3.2(4)M A motion may be presented by a Member of any class by sending it, with supporting material if desired, to the Clerk. The next time that new business is in order, the Clerk shall read the motion and supporting material, or enough thereof to convey the intent of the motion and the main reasons for its presentation. If the motion is then seconded by two Regular Members, it shall be considered. [2/73]
• 3.2(5)F Clerk: Abbreviations used in the minutes for the disposal of motions:

  MS

  Moved and Seconded.

  MSP

  Moved, Seconded, and Passed.

  MSP²/₃

  Moved, Seconded, and Passed by a 2/3 vote [8/00]

  MSPU

  Moved, Seconded, and Passed Unanimously.

  MSH

  Moved, Seconded, and Hartered [cf. Section 3.2(2)].

  MSD (or MSF)

  Moved, Seconded, and Defeated/Failed.

  MSDC (or MSFC)

  Moved, Seconded, and Defeated/Failed (Chipped) [cf. Section 3.2(3)].

  MI

  Moved and Ignored [8/00]

  MNS

  Moved, No Second [8/00]

  [Codifying previous practice; 8/83, except as noted.]

• 3.2(6)M Immediately before any vote is taken, and at other reasonable times when requested by a Member, the motion under consideration shall be read exactly as it is written in the Clerk's notes. The text of the motion as reported in the minutes of the meeting shall exactly match those notes read immediately before the vote on that motion. [7/05. This is intended to ensure that the Clerk is given adequate time to accurately transcribe each motion, to provide an opportunity to discover and correct any transcription errors in a timely manner, and to remind the Membership of precisely what they are debating and voting on.]
• 3.3 Attendance
• 3.3(1)M An attendance list shall be made available at every meeting by the Membership Committee to record who is present, and shall be published as part of the minutes of the meeting. The Membership Committee shall use the list in monitoring attendance at meetings. [1/81. The first attendance list published in IM was in 10/69. 12/21, eliminate the requirement to sign the list, since it's not possible at a virtual meeting.]
• 3.3(2)M Attendance at a business meeting is defined as being present for one hour during the meeting or for half the duration of the meeting, whichever period is shorter. [9/82; 3/93, changed from "the entire duration" to "half the duration"]
• 3.4 Puns
• 3.4(1)M Whoever intentionally makes a pun during any physical meeting of the Membership shall be fined ten cents for the first pun, twenty-five cents for each of the next four puns, and fifty cents for each subsequent pun at the same meeting. [12/68: 1 to 5 cents per pun, by vote of the Membership. 6/71: 5 cents for all puns. 8/79: 10 cents for all puns after the first. 3/82: 10 cents for first, 25 cents for subsequent puns. 11/82: 50-cent clause added (but usually not enforced afterward). 12/21: paying in cash as required by SR3.4(3) is not possible at a virtual meeting.]
• 3.4(2)F President: A pun need not be in words. [8/79: "...and that cost the Clerk a nickel."]
• 3.4(3)M Pun fines must be paid in cash, not from advance accounts. [pre-1974]
• 3.4(4)M At the Annual Meeting, a "Punster of the Year" will be elected with an extra fine levied on that person of $5.00. [8/73, with $1.00 fine; raised to $5.00 3/82. In recent years this has often been omitted for lack of interest. On the other hand, it is traditional (but not mandatory) to double pun fines at the Annual Meeting.]
• 3.4(5) [3/82, assigned pun fines to the Building Fund; 5/92, repealed – that fund no longer exists; 10/04, assign pun fines to the Clubhouse Kitty; 4/12: repealed – that fund no longer exists.]
• 3.4(6)M The Treasurer shall report the total pun fines collected during each meeting. [11/82]
• 3.4(7)M Any person whose beeper, alarm watch, cell phone, or similar device goes off, or who speaks when they do not have the floor (except as allowed in Robert's Rules of Order), during a physical meeting of the Membership shall be fined in accordance with the schedule of pun fines in effect at the meeting during which the incident occurs. [9/85. 6/19, added other devices and speaking out of order. From Rules Committee notes. 12/21, paying in cash as required by SR3.4(3) is not possible at a virtual meeting.]
• 3.5 Scheduling
  [See By-Laws: Sections 2.1 (regular meetings), 2.2 (Annual Meeting), 2.3 (special meetings).]
• 3.5(1)M An "Other Meeting" is not a meeting of the Membership as defined in the By-Laws, but simply a gathering for committee meetings, apa collation, and other activities. NESFA's ordinary (but not mandatory) practice is to hold a business meeting in the first half of each month, and an Other Meeting in the second half of the month. Both business meetings and Other Meetings are ordinarily held on Sunday afternoons.

  [8/83. Originally there were two business meetings every month. (Reportedly the meeting day was set as Sunday because Star Trek was on TV Friday nights.) In 10/70 the Executive Board voted to experiment with having the second meeting of a month be a "program activities meeting"; the first was held in 12/70, but it was a while before they became regular. The term "Other Meeting" seems to have been first used in 4/71. From 3/71 to 2/73 there was a rule setting the dates of business meetings and Other Meetings as the second and fourth Sundays respectively. In 1/73 a special meeting voted to have three meetings a month (Business, Other, and Program); it was tried a couple of times, but didn't really work.]

• 3.5(2)F Clerk: Committee heads or Officers who would like to schedule things at an Other Meeting should contact the Clerk as early as possible. This means before the Instant Message previous to the meeting. [pre-1974]
• 3.5(3)M No meetings will be held in Members' houses without their permission. [6/73]
• 3.5(4)M The Membership approves in principle the renting of meeting space. [9/71]

  [Until 9/71 virtually all meetings had been held in Members' homes (as Other Meetings still are). Starting in 3/72, meeting space was intermittently rented in a number of hotels and other locations; the Sheraton-Commander in Cambridge came to predominate, and was the site of all meetings from 9/74 to 3/76. From 4/76 to 5/80, nearly all meetings were held at the Belmont Lions' Club. In 1980-81 Members' homes (especially that of Bill Carton and Kath Horne) and other sites were used again, but from 11/81 on the Belmont Lions' Club was once more the regular meeting site (occasionally replaced by St. Eulalia's Church) until the acquisition of the Clubhouse. With one exception, all meetings from 6/86 through 3/20 have been held in the Clubhouse (though starting with 9/19 they have been hybrid). Starting with 4/20 meetings have been virtual.]

• 3.5(5)M When a meeting is cancelled or rescheduled in case of emergency, the decision should be made after consultation with Members, by the Executive Board if possible or otherwise by the President. As many Regular Members as possible should be notified of the decision. Written notice may be waived for such a rescheduled meeting. [4/93, after the 3/93 meeting was postponed because of a blizzard. A challenge to the legality of the rescheduled meeting, because of the lack of written notice (cf. By-Laws Section 2.4), was rejected on the basis of the emergency situation; a motion to overturn this ruling received no second.]
• 3.5(6)M All official NESFA events shall be scheduled at a business meeting. If it is not possible to schedule an event at the meeting, then the Eboard may approve after consulting with the membership. [2/14]
• 3.5(7)M Unless there is a good reason to do otherwise, Boskone meetings shall start at noon on the day of a NESFA Business Meeting. [6/21]
• 3.6 Miscellaneous
• 3.6(1)M There shall be an office of Parliamentarian of NESFA, as described in Robert's Rules. [11/80, with Membership approval required; simplified 8/83.]
• 3.6(2)M RESOLVED, that people who wish to smoke at NESFA meetings take into consideration the physical conditions of the meeting place and the comfort of other Members. (It was felt that it would be better to handle this first on the level of courtesy and politeness and then as a point of personal privilege rather than a hard-and-fast rule.) [12/70, replacing a flat prohibition of smoking voted in 11/70.]
• 3.6(3)E It was the consensus of the Board that NESFA Members should not have to pay a fee for special NESFA parties but non-Members attending these should. [11/71]
• 3.6(4)M A motion to overrule the Chair and disallow the transfer of a proxy at the will of the assigned recipient failed, confirming the right of a proxy holder to further transfer the proxy unless otherwise provided in the proxy. [5/86]
• 3.6(5)F Rules Committee: A proxy may be transmitted by electronic mail, but must still be presented in written form during the meeting for which it is valid. [1/93]
• 3.6(6)M A precedent was set that a pun may be auctioned off. [8/93, with the proceeds going to the pun fund]
• 3.6(7)M It is the sense of the meeting that new motions other than those that come from committee should be presented on nesfa-active before the motion is brought up at the business meeting and that, every 3 months, this motion shall be brought up at the business meeting as a reminder. [1/12, 1/14. Prior to 1/14 the language read "It is the membership that substantive business, including committee and officer reports that lead to motions, should be emailed out in advance of the meeting for discussion when possible." Just before the vote on 1/14, the President was asked for a ruling whether a motion brought to the floor without advance warning in nesfa-active or nesfa-regular would be in order, or ruled out of order. The President ruled that such a motion would be in order. No one challenged that ruling.]
• 3.6(8)M "Suitable remote communication tools" for attending virtual or hybrid meetings must provide adequate protection from malefactors disrupting the meeting. For virtual meetings they must also be affordably available to everyone who can reasonably be expected to attend the meeting, but this requirement does not apply when unusual circumstances affect a small number of Members. [12/21]
• 3.7 Rules of Order
  ByLaws section 2.7 makes the latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order our parlimentary authority, except as otherwise provided in our ByLaws and Standing Rules. As of 2022 the current edition of Robert's Rules is Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised 12th Edition. Any citations will be made as "RONR (12th ed.) ..." as specified on page vii of that edition.
  [10/22, The ByLaws sections which override Robert's Rules are:
  • 2.3: allows business at a special meeting not stated in the call of the meeting
  • 2.6: allows proxy voting
  • 2.7: allows relaxing the procedural formality at meetings
  • 2.8, 2.9, 2.10: how to deal with missing officers at meetings
  • 3.3: Nominating Committee appointed rather than elected
  • 3.6: Election of Officers
    • implies no write-in votes and can't decline once elected
    • uses a preferential ballot rather than repeated balloting
    • terminates repeated balloting for ties when the same tie occurs; breaks that tie randomly
  • 3.8: requires an election when any office becomes vacant
  • 3.9: the EBoard fills office vacancies until an election]
• 3.7(1)M At any meeting, motions can be made: by the Executive Board; by any Committee; by any Regular Member, if seconded by at least one other Regular Member; by any other Member, if seconded by at least two Regular Members. [7/71*; 10/22, moved from 3.2(1).]
• 3.7(2)M The order of business for regular meetings of the Membership shall be as listed in a separate document maintained by the President and accessible via the NESFA website. An item missed or skipped will be in order later in the meeting. The presiding officer may take items up early when there is a good reason." [9/22, Moved the Order of Business to an external document (see section 3.1.1A); 10/22, moved from 3.1(1).]
• 3.7(3)M At Boskone meetings and when in Committee of the Whole anyone present can vote and proxies don't count. [10/22, ruling by the President.]
• 3.7(4)M When a motion is on the floor and amendments are in order, then a member may propose an amendment to that motion which is referred to as a "friendly amendment". If the maker of that motion does not accept it or if there is an objection and a second to that objection, both by Regular Members, then the amendment is treated as an ordinary amendment. Otherwise it is immediately adopted. [10/22]

Section IV: Services

• 4.1 Prices of Services
• 4.2 Prices of Sales Items
• 4.3 Instant Message
• 4.4 Calendar

IV. Services

• 4.1 Prices of Services
• 4.1(1) [Repealed 7/19. From Rules Committee notes. Was about electrostencilling and mimeography.]
• 4.1(2) [Repealed 7/19. From Rules Committee notes. Was about electrostencilling and mimeography.]
• 4.1(3) [11/02: This section, which listed the prices of "Doodads" available only to NESFA Members, was moved to section 4.2(7).]
• 4.2 Prices of Sales Items
• 4.2(1)M The prices to be charged for books and other materials sold by NESFA may initially be set by either the Membership or the Executive Board. Unless otherwise provided, the Executive Board may alter the price on any item which has been on sale for more than one year, even if the price was originally set by the Membership. [9/83. At the same time all previous prices were ratified, since the votes establishing some of them could not be found. Cf. also note at start of Section 4.2(7).]
• 4.2(2)M/E The wholesale rate (a 40% discount unless otherwise provided for) will be available on all purchases of five or more copies of any item. Additionally, when requested by the purchaser, the wholesale rate will be available on the entire order for orders of value $250 retail ($150 wholesale) or greater. [6/81, revised for clarity in 7/81 and 2/82. (The minimum order for discounts was $50 wholesale in the original version, changed to $100 retail in the revision; increased to $150 by the Executive Board in 8/91, to $200 by the Membership in 10/00, and to $250 at an unknown date.) Previously discount prices were set individually for each book, generally with about the same discount rate as at present but with much variation in detail. The present rule replaced all such special rates. Note, however, that some items in Section 4.2(7) are marked "no discount"; as with much else in the area of pricing, there is usually no record of these exceptions' having been established. (For books, the discount is dropped when stocks are low.)]
• 4.2(3)E Repealed. [Repealed rule read: "Notwithstanding Section 4.2(2), the price charged for four copies of a given item shall never exceed that charged for five copies of the same item" adopted 10/83, codifying previous practice.; Repealed 1/12 due to implementation difficulties and rarity of occurrence.]
• 4.2(4)M The wholesale rates as defined in Sections 4.2(2) and 4.2(3) will also be available on purchases by NESFA Members regardless of quantity, but only for items picked up in person, not mailed. Either the Executive Board or the Membership may change the Member discount rate for specific items by majority vote. [8/83, combining material from separate older sections. The second sentence was added in 12/90. Discount rates for Members go back to 2/68, and have nearly always been the same as the wholesale rate; the in-person provision was added by the Executive Board in 2/71.]
• 4.2(5)M/E [11/02: This section, which listed the prices of the various volumes of the NESFA Index, was moved to section 4.2(7).]
• 4.2(6)M [Errata to be sent to all holders of 1951-65 Index; passed 7/72, repealed 5/92 since no such Errata is likely to ever be produced.]
• 4.2(7)M/E [For many years this section has not been maintained. It will be deleted after all of the worthwhile information in it is available elsewhere on the NESFA website. An up-to-date version of most of its content is available at the NESFA Press archive.]
  The following items are available from the Sales Committee at the prices listed: [Only post-publication prices are listed. For most Boskone and other convention books, a lower price was available in advance of publication (or at the convention where the item was first available). Votes could not be found establishing some prices; the existing price list was approved as a whole by the Executive Board in 5/91, and again by the Membership in 5/92.]

  Boskone Books
  #	Boxed	Cloth	Paper	Galley	Item
  [(1) finebound rather than boxed]
  [(2) except $20 for Seth Breidbart]
  9	n/a	o/p	n/a	n/a	Scribblings by L. Sprague de Camp [? ?/??: $??.00.]
  10	n/a	o/p	n/a	n/a	Three Faces of Science Fiction by Robert A. W. Lowndes [M 12/75: $7.00; M 12/72: $5.95.]
  11	n/a	o/p	n/a	n/a	Have You Seen These? by Isaac Asimov [M?: $10.00; E 12/73?: $5.95.]
  12	o/p(1)	o/p	n/a	n/a	A Time When by Anne McCaffrey [M 12/75: $7.00; M 1/75 $6.00, $40.00 finebound.]
  13	o/p(1)	o/p	n/a	n/a	Homebrew by Poul Anderson [M 9/75: $10.00, $42.00 finebound.]
  14	o/p(1)	8.00	n/a	n/a	Viewpoint by Ben Bova [M 1/82: $20.00 finebound; E 10/76: $8.00, $42.00 finebound.]
  15	n/a	n/a	4.00	n/a	Tomorrow May Be Even Worse by John Brunner & ATom [E 12/77?: $4.00]
  18	n/a	o/p	n/a	n/a	Unsilent Night by Tanith Lee [E 5/92: No discount; M 12/80: $10.00.]
  19	o/p	13.00	n/a	n/a	The Men from Ariel by Donald A. Wollheim [12/81 $13.00, $23.00 boxed; M 11/81: authorized]
  20	o/p	13.00	n/a	n/a	Compounded Interests by Mack Reynolds [M 11/82: $13.00, $25.00 boxed.]
  21	o/p	o/p	n/a	n/a	Plan[e]t Engineering by Gene Wolfe [E 11/83: $13.00, $25.00 boxed.]
  22	o/p	13.00	n/a	n/a	Late Knight Edition by Damon Knight [E 11/84: $13.00, $25.00 boxed.]
  23	o/p	o/p	n/a	n/a	Out of My Head by Robert Bloch [M 10/85: $15.00, $30.00 boxed.]
  24	o/p	o/p	n/a	n/a	Glass and Amber by C. J. Cherryh [E 5/92: No discount; M 11/86 $15.00, $30.00 boxed.]
  25	o/p	o/p	n/a	n/a	Early Harvest by Greg Bear [E 5/92: No discount; E 9/87: $15.00, $30.00 boxed.]
  26	o/p	o/p	n/a	n/a	An Epitaph in Rust by Tim Powers [E ?/88: $15.00, $30.00 boxed.]
  27	o/p	o/p	n/a	n/a	Sung in Blood by Glen Cook [E 10/89: $15.00, $30.00 boxed.]
  28	o/p	15.00	n/a	n/a	Stalking the Wild Resnick by Mike Resnick [E 10/90: $15.00, $30.00 boxed.]
  29	o/p	o/p	n/a	n/a	Storyteller by Jane Yolen [E 10/91: $15.00, $30.00 boxed.]
  29	n/a	n/a	o/p	n/a	Let's Hear It for the Deaf Man by Dave Langford [E ?/91: $5.00]
  30	o/p	17.00	n/a	n/a	Vietnam and Other Alien Worlds by Joe Haldeman [E 11/92: $17.00, $30.00 boxed.]
  31	o/p	o/p	13.00	n/a	Double Feature by Emma Bull & Will Shetterly [E ?/98: $12.00 or $13.00 tpb; E 11/93: $17.95, $30.00 boxed.]
  31	n/a	n/a	14.00	n/a	Making Book by Teresa Nielsen Hayden [E 11/03: $14.00 (3rd printing); ? ?/??: $11.00; E 11/93: $9.95]
  32	o/p	o/p	n/a	n/a	Everard's Ride by Dianna Wynne Jones [E 10/94: $19.95, $30.00 boxed.]
  32	n/a	n/a	11.95	n/a	A Bookman's Fantasy by Fred Lerner [E 10/94: $11.95]
  33	o/p	o/p	12.00	n/a	Dreamweaver's Dilemma by Lois McMaster Bujold [E 5/00, 1/97: $12.00 tpb; E 12/95: $19.95, $30.00 boxed]
  34	o/p	21.00	n/a	n/a	From the End of the Twentieth Century by John M. Ford [E 12/96: price not reported – $21.00, $??.00 boxed]
  35	o/p	23.00	14.00	n/a	Frankensteins and Foreign Devils by Walter Jon Williams [? ?/??: price not reported – $14.00 tpb; E 11/97: $23.00, $33.00 boxed.]
  37	o/p	25.00	n/a	n/a	Moon Dogs by Michael Swanwick [? ?/??: price not reported – $25.00, $36.00 boxed]
  38	o/p	o/p	15.00	12.00	Quartet by George R. R. Martin [? ?/??: price not reported – $15.00 tpb; E 2/01: $12.00 galley (2); E 12/00: $25.00, $35.00 boxed.]
  39	o/p	26.00	16.00	n/a	Adventures in the Dream Trade by Neil Gaiman [E 6/02: $16.00 tpb (incorrectly reported as $15.00); E 1/02?: $26.00, $40.00 boxed.]
  39	n/a	n/a	16.00	n/a	Expecting Beowulf by Tom Holt [E 11/01: $16.00 (incorrectly reported as $15.00)]
  40	o/p	25.00	n/a	10.00	Tomorrow Happens by David Brin [E 1/03: $10.00 galley; E 11/02: $25.00, $40.00 boxed.]
  41	o/p	25.00	n/a	n/a	The Hunters of Pangaea by Stephen Baxter [E 11/03: $25.00, $40.00 boxed]
  43	40.00	25.00	n/a	n/a	Giant Lizards from Another Star by Ken MacLeod [E 12/05: $25.00, $40.00 boxed]

  Noreascon Items
  #	Boxed	Regular	Item
  [(1) price originally continued by reference, 6/81: cf. Section 5.2(2)]
  [(2) prices presumably also continued by reference, 9/89 or later; cf. note after Section 5.2(2)]
  I	n/a	2.00	Noreascon I Program Book [E 3/73: $2.00]
  I	n/a	6.00	Noreascon I Banquet LP [6/81: discount allowed, cf. Section 4.2(2); E 3/75: $6.00; E 8/73: no discount; E 3/73: $5.98.]
  I	n/a	6.00	The Noreascon Proceedings edited by Leslie Turek [8/83: $6.00; M 5/76: $12.00. The pre-publication price for Noreascon members was $2.50 ($5 for others), and through 9/77 they could buy copies at the NESFA-Member rate.]
  II	n/a	2.00	Noreascon II Program Book [E 11/84: $2.00; (1): $5.00.]
  II	n/a	6.00	Better Than One by Damon Knight & Kate Wilhelm [E 11/84: $6.00; (1): $5.00]
  II	n/a	o/p	"Eripmav" T-shirt [M 5/98: NESFA no longer stocks any T-Shirts (our inventory was donated to the needy); E ?/??: $8.00; (1): $7.00.]
  II	n/a	3.00	Costumes, Creatures, and Characters by Ann Layman Chancellor [? ?/??: $3.00; (1): $2.00.]
  II	n/a	2.00	Noreascon II Memory Book [E 12/85: $2.00.]
  3	o/p	o/p	Grand Masters' Choice edited by Andre Norton & Ingrid Zierhut [E 8/94: $20.00, no discount; E 8/91: $60.00 boxed; (2): $30.00, $50.00 boxed, no discount.]
  3	n/a	3.00	Noreascon 3 Souvenir Book [(2): $3.00.]
  3	n/a	3.00	Fanfare 11 (Strangers' Club fanzine) [(2): $3.00.]
  3	n/a	4.00	"3" cloisonné pin [? ?/??: $4.00; (2): $3.50, no discount.]
  3	n/a	4.00	Cheshire Cat cloisonné pin [? ?/??: $4.00; (2): $3.50, no discount.]
  3	n/a	6.00	mug [(2): $6.00.]
  3	n/a	3.00	Noreascon 3 Memory Book [? ?/??: $3.00.]
  3	n/a	20.00	The Brunch Speeches (VHS) [? ?/??: $20.00, $35.00 combined with the Masquerade tape.]
  3	n/a	25.00	The Masquerade (VHS) [? ?/??: $25.00, $35.00 combined with the Brunch Speeches tape.]
  4	n/a	25.00	Once More With Footnotes by Terry Pratchett [E 6/04: $25.00.]
  4	n/a	17.00	Fancestral Voices by Jack Speer [E 6/04: $17.00.]
  4	n/a	29.00	Dancing Naked: The Unexpurgated William Tenn by William Tenn [E 6/04: $29.00. See also the entry under NESFA's Choice.]
  4	n/a	23.00	With Stars in My Eyes: My Adventures in British Fandom by Peter Weston [E 6/04: $23.00. Incorrectly reported as $25 in IM 738.]

  Other Convention Books
  Convention	Boxed	Regular	Galley	Item
  Chicon IV	n/a	13.00	n/a	Up to the Sky in Ships by A. Bertram Chandler / In and Out of Quandry by Lee Hoffman [M 9/82: $13.00.]
  ConStellation	n/a	8.00	n/a	A New Settlement of Old Scores by John Brunner [? ?/??: $8.00 comb binding; E 10/83: $8.00 perfect binding.]
  L.A.con II	n/a	13.00	n/a	Dickson! by Gordon R. Dickson [E 9/84: $13.00.]
  LoneStarCon (NASFiC)	o/p	o/p	n/a	Light from a Lone Star by Jack Vance [E 5/92: no discount; E 7/85: $13.00, $25.00 boxed.]
  ConFederation	o/p	15.00	n/a	Between Two Worlds by Terry Carr / Messages Found in an Oxygen Bottle by Bob Shaw [E ?/86: $15.00, $?? boxed.]
  CactusCon (NASFiC)	o/p	o/p	n/a	Intuit by Hal Clement [E 9/87?: $15.00, $30.00 boxed.]
  Nolacon II	o/p	15.00	n/a	Up There and Other Strange Directions by Donald A. Wollheim [E 7/88: $15.00, $30.00 boxed.]
  ConFrancisco	n/a	5.00	n/a	Along Fantasy Way by Tom Digby [? ?/??: $5.00.]
  L.A.con III	o/p	25.00	n/a	The White Papers by James White [E 2/98: $25.00 reprint; ? ?/??: $??, $?? boxed.]
  LoneStarCon II	n/a	12.00	n/a	Entertainment by Algis Budrys [? ?/??: $12.00.]
  The Millennium Philcon	n/a	30.00	10.00	Strange Days: Fabulous Journeys with Gardner Dozois by Gardner Dozois [? ?/??: $30.00; E 7/01: $10.00 galley]
  Arisia 2004	n/a	24.00	n/a	Powers of Two by Tim Powers [E 10/03: $24.00]
  Interaction	n/a	29.00	n/a	The Masque of Mañana by Robert Sheckley [E 4/05: $29.00. See also the entry under NESFA's Choice.]
  Interaction	n/a	26.00	n/a	Once Upon a Time (She Said) by Jane Yolen [E 4/05: $26.00. See also the entry under NESFA's Choice.]

  "NESFA's Choice" Books
  Regular	Galley	Item
  [(1) except $20.00 for Seth Breidbart]
  22.00	n/a	The Best of James H. Schmitz by James H. Schmitz [E 10/00: $22.00; M 2/91: $18.95]
  25.00	n/a	The Rediscovery of Man: The Complete Short Science Fiction of Cordwainer Smith by Cordwainer Smith [E 1/98: $25.00; E 4/93: $24.95]
  22.00	n/a	Norstrilia by Cordwainer Smith [? 9/98?: $22.00; E 10/94: $21.95]
  25.00	n/a	Ingathering: The Complete People Stories by Zenna Henderson [E 12/96: $25.00; E 2/95: $24.95]
  27.00	n/a	His Share of Glory: The Complete Short Science Fiction of C. M. Kornbluth by C. M. Kornbluth [E 9/99?: price raised – amount not reported; ? ?/??: $??.00]
  23.00	n/a	The Armor of Light by Melissa Scott & Lisa A. Barnett [E 9/97: $23.00]
  25.00	n/a	First Contacts: The Essential Murray Leinster by Murray Leinster [? ?/??: $25.00]
  25.00	n/a	An Ornament to His Profession by Charles L. Harness [? ?/??: $25.00.]
  25.00	n/a	The Compleat Boucher by Anthony Boucher [E 10/98: $25.00]
  25.00	n/a	The Essential Hal Clement, Volume 1: Trio for Slide Rule and Typewriter by Hal Clement [E 12/98?: $25.00]
  25.00	n/a	Rings by Charles L. Harness [? ?/??: $25.00.]
  25.00	n/a	The Essential Hal Clement, Volume 2: Music of Many Spheres by Hal Clement [? ?/??: $25.00]
  29.00	12.00	Major Ingredients: The Selected Short Stories of Eric Frank Russell by Eric Frank Russell [E 6/00: $29.00]
  25.00	n/a	The Essential Hal Clement, Volume 3: Variations on a Theme by Sir Isaac Newton by Hal Clement [? ?/??: $25.00]
  29.00	12.00	From These Ashes: The Complete Short SF of Fredric Brown by Fredric Brown [E 2/01: $12 galley (1); E 12/00: $29.00]
  29.00	12.00	Immodest Proposals: The Complete Science Fiction of William Tenn, Volume 1 by William Tenn [E 2/01: $12.00 galley (1); E 12/00: $29.00]
  29.00	12.00	Here Comes Civilization: The Complete Science Fiction of William Tenn, Volume 2 by William Tenn [E 7/01: $12.00 galley; ? ?/??: $??.00]
  29.00	12.00	Entities: The Selected Novels of Eric Frank Russell by Eric Frank Russell [E 7/01: $12.00 galley; ? ?/??: $??.00]
  29.00	??.00	Dimensions of Sheckley: Selected Novels of Robert Sheckley by Robert Sheckley [? ?/??: $??.00 galley; E 11/01: $29.00]
  29.00	12.00	Martians and Madness: The Complete SF Novels of Fredric Brown by Fredric Brown [? ?/??: $12.00 galley; E 6/02: $29.00]
  21.00	7.00	Cybele, with Bluebonnets by Charles L. Harness [? ?/??: $7.00 galley; E 6/02: $21.00]
  26.00	12.00	A New Dawn: The Complete Don A. Stuart Stories by John W. Campbell, Jr. [E 1/03: $12.00 galley; E 11/02: $26.00]
  29.00	14.00	Transfinite: The Essential A. E. van Vogt by A. E. van Vogt [E 1/03: $14.00 galley (incorrectly reported as $15.00 in IM 714); E 12/02: $29.00]
  24.00	?.??	A Star Above It: Selected Stories of Chad Oliver, volume 1 by Chad Oliver [? ?/??: $24.00; E 6/03: $24.00 price set for the pre-split book]
  24.00	?.??	Far From This Earth: Selected Stories of Chad Oliver, volume 2 by Chad Oliver [? ?/??: $24.00; E 6/03: $24.00 price set for the pre-split book]
  26.00	n/a	Silverlock by John Myers Myers [E 11/03: $26.00]
  29.00	n/a	Dancing Naked: The Unexpurgated William Tenn by William Tenn [E 6/04: $29.00; see also the entry under Noreascon 4]
  25.00	n/a	Years In the Making: The Time-Travel Stories of L. Sprague de Camp by L. Sprague de Camp [E 12/04: $25.00]
  29.00	n/a	Homecalling and Other Stories: The Complete Solo Short SF of Judith Merril by Judith Merril [E 12/04: $29.00]
  29.00	n/a	The Masque of Mañana by Robert Sheckley [E 4/05: $29.00; see also the entry under other conventions]
  26.00	n/a	Once Upon a Time (She Said) by Jane Yolen [E 4/05: $26.00; see also the entry under other conventions]

  The NESFA Index
  [11/02: formerly section 4.2(5).]
  Price	Year(s)	Item
  o/p	1951-65	???? [E 3/75: $12.00; M 2/68: $4.80; M 2/71: $8.00]
  [The 1951-65 Index was produced by Erwin S. Strauss, not by NESFA.]
  10.00	1966-70	Index to the Science Fiction Magazines 1966-1970 [Reprinted. M 8/81: $10.00. Original: E 3/75 $8.00; M 2/71: $5.00.]
  5.00	1971-72	The NESFA Index to the Science Fiction Magazines and Original Anthologies - 1971/1972 [Reprinted. M 6/81: $5.00. Original: E 7/73?: $3.00.]
  5.00	1973	The NESFA Index to the Science Fiction Magazines and Original Anthologies - 1973 [Reprinted. M 6/81: $5.00. Original: E 3/74?: $2.00.]
  5.00	1974	The NESFA Index to the Science Fiction Magazines and Original Anthologies - 1974 [Reprinted. M 6/81: $5.00. Original: E 3/75: $4.00.]
  5.00	1975	The NESFA Index to the Science Fiction Magazines and Original Anthologies - 1975 [Reprinted. M 6/81: $5.00. Original: M 6/76: $4.50.]
  5.00	1976	The NESFA Index to the Science Fiction Magazines and Original Anthologies - 1976 [E 9/76: $5.00.]
  7.00	1977-78	The NESFA Index to the Science Fiction Magazines and Original Anthologies - 1977-1978 [M 9/82: $7.00.]
  7.00	1979-80	The NESFA Index to the Science Fiction Magazines and Original Anthologies - 1979/1980 [M 11/81: $7.00.]
  5.00	1981	The NESFA Index to the Science Fiction Magazines and Original Anthologies - 1981 [M 11/81: $5.00.]
  12.00	1982	The NESFA Index to the Science Fiction Magazines and Original Anthologies - 1982 [E 3/98: $12.00; E 2/83?: $5.00]
  5.00	1983	The NESFA Index to the Science Fiction Magazines and Original Anthologies - 1983 [E ?/84: $5.00.]
  n/a	1984-85	[?/??: This index will never be published; ? 11/86: The 1984 and 1985 Indexes are to be combined into a single edition, price as yet unset; E 11/84: set $5.00 for the 1984 Index price.]
  12.00	1986	The NESFA Index to the Science Fiction Magazines and Original Anthologies - 1986 [E 3/98: $12.00. Original: E 4/91: $8.00; E ?/??: $7.00; M 4/88 $6.00.]
  12.00	1987	The NESFA Index to Short SF - 1987 [E 3/98: $12.00; E 1/89: $?.00.]
  12.00	1988	The NESFA Index to Short SF - 1988 [E ?/90: $12.00.]
  12.00	1989	The NESFA Index to Short Science Fiction for 1989 [E ?/91: $12.00.]
  71.40	All	A complete set of the 15 NESFA Indexes (no discount) [E 5/91: complete set for 40% off list price, no additional discounts allowed.]

  Other NESFA Press Books
  Cloth	Paper	Galley	Item
  n/a	1.00	n/a	Index to Perry Rhodan, 1-25 [E 3/75?: $1.00; M 2/74: $?.??.]
  n/a	1.00	n/a	Index to Perry Rhodan, 26-50 [E 3/75?: $1.00; M 2/74: $?.??.]
  n/a	o/p	n/a	The NESFA Hymnal, Volume 1 (1st edition) [E 2/76?: $3.00.]
  n/a	18.00	n/a	The NESFA Hymnal, Volume 1 (2nd edition) [M 10/90: $18.00; M 10/89: $16.00; E 11/84: $12.00; M 4/79: $10.00.]
  n/a	o/p	n/a	The NESFA Hymnal, Volume 2 (1st edition) [M 8/87: $8.00.]
  n/a	o/p	n/a	Concordance to Cordwainer Smith by Anthony R. Lewis [E 8/94: $7.00, discounts allowed; E ?/??: $9.00; E 8/84 $6.00.]
  n/a	6.00	n/a	An Annotated Bibliography of Recursive Science Fiction by Anthony R. Lewis [M 11/90: $6.00.]
  n/a	3.00	n/a	Lord of the Rings Coloring Book [E ?/??: $3.00.]
  n/a	16.00	n/a	The Passage of the Light: The Recursive Science Fiction of Barry N. Malzberg by Barry N. Malzberg [? ?/05: price not reported – $16.00; E 10/94: $14.00; M 2/94: $14.95.]
  n/a	12.50	n/a	Andre Norton: A Primary and Secondary Bibliography, Second Revised Edition by Roger C. Schlobin & Irene R. Harrison [? 10/98?: $12.50 reprint; E 10/94: $12.50.]
  n/a	o/p	n/a	Concordance to Cordwainer Smith, Second Edition by Anthony R. Lewis [E 8/95?: $10.00.]
  n/a	15.00	n/a	The Silence of the Langford by Dave Langford [E 6/96: $15.00.]
  n/a	13.00	n/a	The NESFA Hymnal, Volume 2 (2nd edition) [E 8/97: $13.00.]
  22.00	n/a	n/a	Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold [E 5/00: $22.00.]
  n/a	13.00	n/a	Concordance to Cordwainer Smith, Third Edition by Anthony R. Lewis [E 8/00: $13.00.]
  25.00	n/a	??.00	Robert Silverberg Presents The Great SF Stories: 1964 edited by Robert Silverberg & Martin H. Greenberg [E ?/??: $??.00 galley; E 10/01?: $25.00.]
  25.00	n/a	??.00	The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold [? ?/??: $??.00 galley; ? ?/??: $25.00.]
  17.00	n/a	n/a	The Work of Jack Williamson: An Annotated Bibliography and Guide by Richard A. Hauptmann [? ?/??: $17.00.]
  23.00	n/a	n/a	Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold [E 5/03: $23.00.]
  n/a	16.00	n/a	Rivets!!! The Science Fiction Musicals of Mark Keller and Sue Anderson by Mark Keller & Sue Anderson [E 5/03: $16.00.]
  23.00	n/a	n/a	Falling Free by Lois McMaster Bujold [E 6/04: $23.00.]
  21.00	n/a	n/a	"Doc"—First Galactic Roamer by Stephen Luchetti [? ?/?? price not published – $21.00; E 6/04: $17.00 (price reported incorrectly?).]
  25.00	n/a	n/a	All Our Yesterdays by Harry Warner, Jr. [E 7/04: $25.00.]

  Items From Other Publishers
  Price	Item
  4.95	The Phoenix and the Mirror by Avram Davidson [?/??: most of our stock sold; ? ?/??: $4.95; E ?/??: $5.00; E 12/74: $4.95; E 3/73: $3.00.]
  n/a	Tarot Deck [? ?/??: no longer carried; ? ?/??: $20.00, 20% maximum discount.]
  10.00	Starry Messenger [E ?/??: $10.00.]
  30.00	Warhoon 28 (collected writings of Walt Willis) [M 10/92: $30.00, 20% discount to Members.]
  25.00	A Wealth of Fable by Harry Warner, Jr. [? ?/??: $25.00.]
  15.00	Who's Hugh? by Roger Robinson [? ?/??: $15.00.]
  8.00	A Load of Old BoSh by Bob Shaw [? ?/??: $8.00.]
  34.00	The Immortal Storm by Sam Moskowitz [? ?/??: $34.00.]

  Doodads
  Available for sale to NESFA Members only, with no Member discount.
  Price	Item
  o/p	NESFA embroidered patch [11/02: formerly section 4.1(3)(a); E 5/75: $1.00, plus $0.25 handling if ordered by mail.]
  o/p	NESFA T-Shirt [11/02: formerly section 4.1(3)(b); M 5/98: NESFA no longer stocks any T-Shirts (our inventory was donated to the needy); 10/82: T-Shirt Committee, authorized by M vote: $12.00 ($5.00 of the price is considered a donation to NESFA). Boskone gopher T-shirts, when available – see Section 1.9(14) – have been sold for $5.00, but there seems to be no rule setting this price.]
  2.00	NESFA-Shield decal [11/02: formerly section 4.1(3)(c); M 11/83: $2.00.]
  4.00	NESFA cloisonné pin [11/02: formerly section 4.1(3)(d); E 11/96: $4.00; E 1/90: $3.50.]

  Miscellaneous Items
  Price	Item
  1.00	Boskone Program Books [M 3/82: $1.00; E 11/75: 4-5 $0.50; E 3/73: 6-10 $0.50. 11-15 $0.75, 16-18 $1.00, as they came out (presumably all E).]
  4.00	Mike Symes art portfolio [E 10/83: $4.00; E 1/79?: $7.00.]
  5.00	"Pastiche," game by Kate Wilhelm [E ?/84: $5.00.]
  o/p	Boskone n T-shirt [M 5/98: NESFA no longer stocks any T-Shirts (our inventory was donated to the needy); E 2/79?: $4.00 for Boskone 16; same price traditionally charged for other Boskone T-shirts, when available.]
  o/p	"Book Fan of NESFA" T-shirt [M 5/98: NESFA no longer stocks any T-Shirts (our inventory was donated to the needy); E ?/91: $8.00; M 11/90: $7.00]
  12.00	"Book Fan" book bag [E ?/91: $12.00, no discount.]
  7.00	Propeller beanie [E 1/90: $7.00, no discount.]
  15.00	If I Ran the Zoo Con, Second Edition (Smofcon 3 game) [? ?/??: $15.00 softbound; E 8/91: $12.00 softbound, $15.00 GBC-bound; M 12/86 $5.00 softbound (???? first edition? ????)]
  3.00	Proceedings of the Conference of Science Fiction Convention Managers (1972, "Smofcon Zero Proceedings") [? ?/??: $3.00; E 12/87: $1.00.]
  8.00	Smofcon 1 (1984) Proceedings [? ?/??: $8.00; E ?/??: $4.00.]
  5.00	Smofcon 3 (1986) Proceedings [? ?/??: $5.00; E ?/??: $4.00.]
  4.00	Boskone 31 pins [E 11/96: $4.00; E 11/93: $5.00, no discount.]
  5.00	25th World Fantasy Convention Souvenir Book [? ?/??: $5.00.]
  3.00	Proper Boskonian (Back issues: 1 for $3.00, 2 for $5.00, 5 for $10.00. One copy free to Members, contributors, fanzine editors who trade their fanzines for ours, and potential contributors at the whim of the Editor. $3.00 per copy to all others, and for additional copies.) [11/02: formerly section 4.1(1)(d); M 6/95: back issues 1@$3.00, 2@$5.00, 5@$10.00; M 6/94: $3.00, discount available; M 3/94: $3.00, no discount; 5/92: added mention of contributors, trades, etc. to conform to practice; 5/92 (earlier in practice): $2.00; 7/85: $1.50, extra-copy clause added; 3/85: $3.00; 7/71*: $?.??, $0.50 non-members]
  0.15	Instant Message (Back issues: 1 for $0.15, 3 for $0.40 for Members and twice that for non-Members.) [11/02: formerly section 4.1(1)(e); E 7/73: $0.15, 3 for $0.40 (twice that for non-Members); The earliest reported price (President's fiat, 3/69) was $0.10, three for $0.25.]
  0.75	APA:NESFA (Price to non-contributors. Back issues at the discretion of the Collator.) [11/02: formerly section 4.1(1)(f); E 6/74: $0.75; Earlier Collator's fiats: 6/70 $0.25, 4/71 $0.50.]

• 4.2(8)E Mail-order sales shall be charged fees for postage and handling as set by the Sales Committee and documented on the NESFA Website. [5/81, 7/87, 4/07, 7/08 set specific postage and handling fees; 9/22, refer to website.]
• 4.2(8A)M The Sales Committee is authorized to establish forms and procedures for the sale and redemption of NESFA Gift Certificates, to be redeemable for NESFA sales items. [6/85]
• 4.2(9)F Sales Committee fiats:
  • (a) [6/11, repealed when it was noted that this conflicted with 4.2(8); 12/83, $1 domestic (3rd or 4th class mail), $2 overseas, exact amount for special shipping; pre-1976, airmail surcharge of 30% domestic, 60% overseas; pre-1974, 25% and 50%.]
  • (b) We do not accept accounts receivable orders from individuals. [Stated as existing policy 6/81; exceptions are in fact made to this rule.]
  • (c) We do not allow an institutional discount on single items. [also stated 6/81]
• 4.2(10)M The Executive Board is authorized to approve changes in sales policies and practices. [The intent was to include such "policies and practices" as restocking charges, returnability, modified terms (net 30 days, etc.), and pretty much everything but price.]
• 4.2(11)M Sales tax shall not be collected on NESFA publications. [5/93, subject to approval by the NESFA lawyers; as of 3/94, the lawyers were still in doubt that we could get away with not charging sales tax.]
• 4.2(12)F President/Sales Committee General Discount Policy for NESFA Sales: [11/93; 9/22, postage policy deleted by EBoard]

  Discount Policy

  There are three kinds of sales items: NESFA items, consignment items, and specials (non-discounted items such as NESFA T-shirts, book bags, and pins). The Member discount (available only in person, and only if the merchandise is carried away) is the same as the wholesale discount.

  The wholesale discount is available:

  • a) On orders of five or more copies of an item.
  • b) As part of an order exceeding $150 retail.
  • c) As part of a smaller order from a known bookseller who does business with us on a regular basis.
  • d) As part of a package when one of every available Index is purchased.

  NESFA items have a uniform 40% discount from list unless we are down to fewer than 100 copies of the item and no longer discount it at all. (This applies only to unboxed copies; boxed copies are always discounted.)

  In general, consignment items are not sold wholesale by NESFA; wholesale orders should be referred to the originator. Member sales (and the occasional single-copy wholesale order or other wholesale order we don't want to refer) are at a 20% discount from list.

  M There is no discount for a limited edition book that has fallen to 50 books in stock, unless the Membership votes otherwise. [10/10]

  M Discounts for limited edition books will remain for the full run of the edition if it is 1) slipcased (aka special edition) or 2) Older than 5 years. (So if a limited edition trade book has less than 50 copies, discounts will not be allowed if it is less than 5 years old.) Specific exceptions may be brought before the membership. [11/10]

• 4.2(13)M NESFA sales items may be ordered by private electronic mail on any medium where the purchaser's identity can be verified. The Sales Committee shall work out details of the implementation of this policy. [5/94]
• 4.2(14)M The Executive Board, in consultation with the Sales Committee, may establish special Commercial Discounts as needed. [9/94]
• 4.2(15)M Any customer which returns significant numbers of books which they have damaged will be charged for the damaged books and dustjackets which they return. [8/04, codifying long-standing policy, which has always been that returns must be in saleable condition. At this time, Borders is the only serious offender.]
• 4.2(16)M The Sales and E-Commerce Committees are authorized to institute new sets of charges for shipping upon notification to the Membership and approval by the Executive Board. [4/07]
• 4.2(17) [Repealed 7/19. From Rules Committee notes. Was about Hyperion Press books.]
• 4.2(18)M When a non-member picks up NESFA Press books while visiting the clubhouse, they may buy them at a 20% discount unless a larger discount applies. [4/12; 7/21, improved wording]
• 4.2(19)M Books deemed remaindered may be sold at a discount. All details shall be determined by the Executive Board. [4/15. 7/22, the Book Inventory Reduction Committee was disbanded.]
• 4.2(20)M [7/22, implicitly repealed when the Book Inventory Reduction Committee was disbanded. Authorized selling some books at deep discounts.]
• 4.2(21)M Any past, present or future Boskone Guest of Honor who buys fifty (50) or more copies of their Boskone Book shall be offered a 50% discount unless a greater discount applies. [1/20]
• 4.3 Instant Message
• 4.3(1)M Instant Message is the name of the NESFA newsletter. It is issued by the Clerk to all Members, except those who have opted out of receiving all versions of the newsletter, at least once in each month in which a meeting is held. It shall contain the minutes of all regular and special meetings of the Membership. [2/73. Instant Message has of course appeared since the founding of NESFA; the first issue appeared in 9/67 and described the pre-organizational meeting (with minutes by Drew Whyte). 11/18, add provisions for Members who opt out (see ByLaws Section 1.10), for months with no meeting (see ByLaws Section 2.1), and for special meetings (see ByLaws Section 2.3).]
• 4.3(2)M Instant Message shall be sent to overseas members first-class, with no additional charges. Copies sent to newszines shall be sent by the same class of mail by which the newszines are received. [11/80]
• 4.3(3)E The Clerk shall send Instant Message to all major news fanzines. [12/70]
• 4.3(4)E The Clerk is directed to print the roster of NESFA Members in Instant Message in May and November of each year. [5/74. The first roster printed was in fact in 5/70.]
• 4.3(4A)M It is NESFA's policy that the NESFA roster is for the convenience of NESFA Members only and is not to be used as a general mailing list without the express permission of NESFA. This policy shall be printed on each roster. [4/84]
• 4.3(4B)M Honorary members whose addresses do not appear in the roster shall have their names listed only in the "Honorary" section of the roster. [1/86. This implies the current type of roster, with a) name-only listings of Members by class of membership and b) an integrated alphabetical name-and-address list of all Members. The consensus was that deceased honorary members (or their survivors, cf. Section 1.9(7A)) should continue to be listed in the name-only section.]
• 4.3(5)F Clerk: NOTICES AND INSERTS [pre-1974]
  • (a) Notices of activities of NESFA Affiliate Members and other appropriate notices of interest to NESFA members will be printed in Instant Message, space permitting. Please give them to the Clerk in writing.
  • (b) Appropriate inserts [cf. Section 4.3(6)] of interest to NESFA Members will be mailed out with Instant Message without charge if enough copies are given to the Clerk and it will not increase the postage for the issue with which they are mailed.
• 4.3(6)M No flyers, notices, or advertisements dealing with real-world politics shall be published in Instant Message. [8/74, after a Libertarian Party flyer had appeared in IM; reworded 4/81.]
• 4.3(7)M NESFA thanks Mr. Steven A. Kallis, Jr., for his contribution and directs the Clerk to send him Instant Message. [9/73]
• 4.3(8)M Times and places of upcoming committee meetings shall be announced in advance, and to the extent possible printed in Instant Message. The announcements should indicate whether the meetings are open or closed to non-committee members. [11/85]
• 4.3(9)M Detailed amounts, percentages, etc. of royalties shall not be published in Instant Message. However, such information should be posted in the Clubhouse for Members' information. [10/93]
• 4.3(10)M The membership roster will not be published electronically. However, the Clerk (or an assistant) may use electronic means to distribute a list of all current members (or any subset thereof privately to NESFA Officers, Committee Chairs, or Award Administrators doing official work for NESFA. [6/09. We believe that this policy was actually adopted many years ago, but no documentation of that decision has been found. 7/22, explicitly allow internal distribution.]
• 4.3(11)M
  • (a) A suitable electronic form of each full Instant Message (as normally published to subscribing members) shall be placed on the nesfa.org website with access restricted to NESFA Members and with access instructions and an optional "stay tuned" note contained in each Instant Message. [3/12; 10/21, made "PDF" and "password-protected directory" more generic.]
  • (b) Instant Message in the form from (a) may be sent electronically to Members in two ways:
    • (1) by an email message including that form, or
    • (2) by an email message including the access instructions needed to view that form on the website.
    If there is content which is restricted to a subset of members, that content shall be included in the email messages to them. [10/21]
  • (c) Each member may select any combination of (1)/(2)/paper (including none and all) as the method(s) by which they are to be sent Instant Message. If no selection is made, or if we do not have a usable email address for the member, the default is paper." [10/21. See ByLaws section 1.10(a) for any member selecting "none".]
  • (d) PDFs, scans, and other files accurately representing the content of Instant Message issues after December 31, 1977 shall be added to the Instant Message archive (as described in (a)) as they become available. [5/22. The cutoff date is due to concerns about some mid-1970s issues; eventually those concerns should be resolved and the cutoff date eliminated.]
• 4.3(12)F IM List Moderator There are 2 mailing lists for electronic Instant Message (IM) distribution: one receiving an attached IM in PDF form and one receiving the URL of our IM archive along with a username and a password allowing access to that archive. The username and password are guaranteed to work for 6 weeks, but in practice will work for longer. Adding yourself to either of these lists requires moderator approval; only email addresses known to belong to NESFA members will be approved. If you're not sure, send a note with your name and the desired email address to roster@nesfa.org well before trying to sign up; if you don't want this address to be generally known, tell us to mark it as "do not publish" (which will prevent it from appearing in the roster or in any roster updates published in IM). If this isn't enough info for you, or you have trouble using the lists, please contact listadmin@nesfa.org. The sign-up lists are at www.nesfa.org/information/imdoc.html.
  The NESFA membership form (new or renewal) allows the member to request delivery of IM in one or more forms: paper, PDF, or URL. We don't currently allow a member to receive none of the three forms. We continue to send paper IMs to every member twice per year containing the membership roster. A member may request separately not to receive the biannual roster-containing paper IM by verifying that they do not need or want the roster information. [8/12; 9/17: updated]
• 4.3(13)M The names and membership class of new members, and only that information about them, shall be listed in Instant Message. [9/16]
• 4.4 Calendar
• 4.4(1)F Calendar Guy. The calendar page on the NESFA website by intention lists all NESFA events (highlighted), all events involving the clubhouse, all fannish conventions in or near New England which are related to science fiction or fandom, and any other event which is expected to be of interest to NESFA members. [4/12: The Calendar Guy, the authority issuing this Fiat, has stated to the Rules Committee that this is the correct wording, not that which appeared in IM871.]
• 4.4(2)F Calendar Guy. The mini-calendar on the main page of the NESFA website should typically list about half-a-dozen items occuring in the next 30 days (or more, if there's room). It should contain all NESFA events which we want members or others to attend plus any deadlines of general interest. [4/12: The Calendar Guy, the authority issuing this Fiat, has stated to the Rules Committee that this is the correct wording, not that which appeared in IM871.]
• 4.4(3)M The non-occurrence of an event which normally would occur on a particular date should be so listed in the calendar. [4/16]
• 4.4(4)M The calendar information in each issue of Instant Message (the "In Times To Come" section) must include every NESFA general membership meeting of any sort which is scheduled to occur before one week after the expected publication date of the next issue of Instant Message and should include every NESFA or clubhouse event which is scheduled to occur before that date. [8/17. The original motion was reported incorrectly in IM 942; the correct version was reported in "corrections to the minutes" in IM 949.]
• 4.4(5)M No item should be added to NESFA's Meetup groups, NESFA's Google Calendar, or any other secondary calendar of NESFA's until it has been approved by a Business Meeting or the Clerk and added to the official calendar on the NESFA website. [2/18]

Section V: Miscellaneous

• 5.1 Format of the Code
• 5.2 Agreements with MCFI and all Noreascons
• 5.3 Rights
• 5.4 NESFA Numbers
• 5.5 Arms and Shield
• 5.6 Relations with Other Organizations
• 5.7 Miscellaneous Provisions
• 5.8 Notifications to Members
• 5.9 Fiats By Other Organizations
• 5.10 Code of Conduct

V. Miscellaneous

• 5.1 Format of the Code
• 5.1(1)M M and E sections:
  • (a) Sections of the NESFA Code herein designated as "(section)E" are Executive Regulations, which can be adopted, rescinded, or amended by the Executive Board or the Membership. Sections designated "(section)M" are Standing Rules, which can be adopted, rescinded, or amended only by the Membership.
  • (b) Sections of the NESFA Code can be added by a simple majority vote of the Executive Board or the Membership. Sections can be amended or rescinded by the appropriate body or by the Membership by a majority vote if one week written notice is given or, if notice is not given, by a two-thirds vote or a vote of a majority of all Members eligible to vote, whichever is less. [9/22, specify one week wirtten notice, make explicit that the Membership can modify an "E" rule.]
• [2/73. The 7/71* version defined only E rules, and said all others were Membership rules.]
• 5.1(2)M Sections of the NESFA Code designated as "(section)F" are fiats of an Officer, committee, holder of an appointed position, or outside organization that can be adopted, rescinded, or amended by the issuer or, except for fiats by outside organizations, the Membership. These sections are included at the discretion of the Rules Committee. [9/72. 9/22, added appointed positions and changed government agency to outside organization.]
• 5.1(3)F Rules Committee: Fiat sections of the NESFA Code shall begin with the position or name of the issuer. This will be followed by a colon and then the body of the section. [pre-1974. 9/22, updated to match the changes in 5.1(2).]
• 5.2 Agreements with MCFI and all Noreascons
• 5.2(1)M The N.E.S.F.A., Inc. agrees to assume all assets and liabilities of Noreascon, the 29th World Science Fiction Convention. There are no known legal liabilities; there is a moral obligation to produce a convention proceedings. Assets include x copies of the program book, y copies of the Noreascon Record, and about $500 in cash. [7/74. Noreascon (I) was the 1971 Worldcon, held in Boston. The above agreement constituted a merger between Noreascon and NESFA. Under an earlier agreement NESFA had already been handling sales of the Record (produced by Noreascon in 1/73).]
• 5.2(2)M NESFA accepts Noreascon II's offer to turn over responsibility for sales of Noreascon II items, on the conditions that NESFA render the quarterly reports and royalties to Damon Knight and Kate Wilhelm and that NESFA agree to supply Noreascon II with such copies of the four items (Better Than One, Program Book, costume catalog, and "Eripmav" T-shirt) as Noreascon II may need without charge. NESFA will have full control over all other aspects of sales, including price, discounts, advertising, and storage. [6/81. Noreascon II (the 1980 Worldcon) was managed by Massachusetts Convention Fandom, Inc. (MCFI), which turned over sales to NESFA but maintains a separate existence. The Noreascon II Memory Book was added to the above list in 12/85, and the Smofcon 3 game in 12/86.] [After Noreascon 3 (1989) and Noreascon 4 (2004) NESFA similarly took over sales of the N3 and N4 sales items, as listed in Section 4.2(7). No formal agreement seems to have been made, but presumably the matter was treated as a default under the provisions of the preceding rule.]
• 5.2(3)M NESFA agrees to transfer to Massachusetts Convention Fandom, Inc., its trademark rights to the name "Noreascon," in consideration of a donation of $19.89. [10/83; approved by MCFI 12/83]
• 5.2(4)M The Greater NESFA/MCFI Co-Prosperity Sphere [a joint committee of NESFA and Massachusetts Convention Fandom, Inc.] was established to deal with relations between the two organizations. [8/86. Actually relations have since mostly been handled by interlocking directorates rather than by a formal committee.]
• 5.2(5)E There is no obligation for MCFI to pay anything for the use of NESFA's facilities, nor for NESFA to pay anything for the use of MCFI's equipment. [E 4/87. MCFI has chosen to make a monthly donation to NESFA at times when it is making significant use of NESFA's facilities: 4/87, none; ?/??, $?; 11/94, none; 6/00, $175; 3/04, $350; 7/04 $1000; 10/04 the "big printer";11/04 $350.00, starting sometime before 2/06 $150.]
• 5.3 Rights
• 5.3(1)M All rights which NESFA may have to the song "The Ballad of Gordy Dickson" are reserved to Ben Bova. [3/75]
• 5.3(2)E All rights are reassigned to Gordon Dickson for articles, etc. written by him in NESFA publications (i.e., Boskone program books) which have not been previously assigned to him. [11/75]
• 5.3(3)M The acceptance of $350 plus two copies of the translation for rights to a French translation of the Cordwainer Smith concordance is approved. [3/87]
• 5.3(4)M Certain Japanese fans who contacted NESFA are authorized to translate the Cordwainer Smith concordance into Japanese and publish it in their fanzine in exchange for several copies of the translation. [4/88]
• 5.3(5)M All rights which NESFA has to use the name "Dickson!" as the title of a new book are granted to Gordon R. Dickson. [8/94]
• 5.3(6)M NESFA grants to Arisia non-exclusive use of any rights which NESFA may have to the bibliography of the works of Emma Bull and Will Shetterly published by NESFA when they were GoH at Boskone. [5/95]
• 5.4 NESFA Numbers
• 5.4(1)F Internal Revenue Service: NESFA's Employer Identification Number is 23-7134890. [reported 1/72]
• 5.4(2)F Commonwealth of Massachusetts:
  • a) NESFA's Massachusetts sales tax exemption number is E237-134-890. [8/89, after the original number (E000-057-837) was inadvertently allowed to expire; note that the digits are the same as in the above Employer ID Number.]
  • b) NESFA's Massachusetts Attorney General's number is 020405.
  • c) NESFA's taxpayer ID number is 10919696 [7/19: from form ST-2.]
  • d) NESFA's ST-2 certificate number is 776935424 [7/19]
• 5.4(3)F U.S. Postal Service:
  • a) NESFA's authorization to mail without affixing postage stamps is permit number 59044, Boston, MA. [4/74]
  • b) NESFA's authorization to use precanceled stamps or envelopes is permit number 62229, Boston, MA. [5/74]
  • c) NESFA's Postage Due account is permit number 95023-000, Framingham, MA. [5/23. Automatically pays for postage-due items.]
• 5.4(4)F USA ISBN Agency:
  • a)NESFA's first ISBN-{13/}10 publisher number is {978-}0-915368. [?/??]
  • b)NESFA's second ISBN-{13/}10 publisher number is {978-}1-886778. [?/96]
  • c)NESFA's third ISBN-13 publisher number is 978-1-61037. [7/11]
• [Here is a list of assigned ISBNs.]
• 5.4(5)F Treasurer, City of Somerville:
  • a) NESFA's tax account number for 504 Medford St. is 30051255.
  • b) NESFA's tax account number for 502 Medford St. is 16520200.
  • c) NESFA's real estate parcel number is Parcel 041-A/002.
  • d) NESFA's water tax number for 502R Medford St. is 208084001.
• 5.4(6)F Board of Health, City of Somerville:
  • a) NESFA's Dumpster License number is HDL14-000302.
• 5.4(6)F Bowker:
  • a) NESFA's Standard Address Number (SAN) is 223-8187. [7/21]
• 5.5 Arms and Shield
• 5.5(1)M Representations of the Arms of the Corporation existing as of 9/7/2014, of any size, including that used on the NESFA letterhead, that used by NESFA Press, that used on the NESFA arm patch, that used on the big fluffy NESFA shield used in displays, and all those ever used in Instant Message, and including both versions with "fringies" and versions with straight-edged pine trees are affirmed to be correct and authorized. [10/88. The unresolved issue with regard to larger representations involves the dread question of "fringies" on the pine tree. See Section A.15(12) for more details. Amended 9/14. The original version read: "Existing representations of the Arms of the Corporation less than three inches in diameter, including that used on the NESFA letterhead, are affirmed to be correct. The Membership has not yet chosen to define the form of larger representations." ]
• 5.6 Relations with Other Organizations
• 5.6(1)M NESFA affirms its support for a diverse fandom in New England and will encourage and support non-conflicting conventions and groups. [11/90]
• 5.6(2)M The Executive Board is authorized to allow other organizations whose goals and purposes are in agreement with NESFA's to use the Clubhouse for meetings. A NESFA keyholder must be present and take responsibility for any such meeting. The rental fee will be set by the Executive Board, who may forgive all or part of the fee if they think it proper. The Board shall notify the Membership of all such arrangements for meetings. [1/93]
• 5.6(3)E Rules for use of the Clubhouse by other organizations:
  • 1) Priority of use is to NESFA.
  • 2) A member who is a keyholder must take responsibility for any non-NESFA event. [6/15: Changed to require a keyholder, not necessarily a regular member.]
  • 3) All scheduling must be done through the Clerk to prevent conflicts.
  • 4) No organization is obligated to pay rental if they cannot afford it. Donations of money, time, labor, etc. are welcomed.
  • 5) Once use of the clubhouse is scheduled by the Clerk for a specific date for another organization, however, use by NESFA will not be cause to bump that other organization's use.
  [11/93]
• 5.6(4)M When possible, copies of all books produced by NESFA should be donated to the MIT Science Fiction Society library. [11/93]
• 5.6(5)M MASSFILC may borrow the loaner copies of the NESFA Hymnals whenever this does not interfere with NESFA's use of them. [12/01]
• 5.6(6)M When possible, requests to use the NESFA clubhouse should be posted to the nesfa-active mailing list (so that as many as possible of the potentially interested parties can see them) rather than being taken directly to the Executive Board. [4/13]
• 5.6(7)M NESFA will each year trade ads in the convention program books with Arisia (a full-page ad) and Readercon (a half-page ad). [1/13]
• 5.6(8)M Historical documents and records shall be deposited in archives at Harvard University and Texas A&M University. Unique items will be deposited only at Harvard University. [10/16]
• 5.6(9)M Any NESFA-published works which are Hugo finalists shall be included in the Hugo voters packet if legally feasible, with final decisions to be made by the Executive Board. [3/18]
• 5.6(10)M Arisia, Heliosphere, and MCFI may borrow any of NESFA's property provided that NESFA does not need it at that time and subject to the usual terms that they must arrange transport, must replace or repair damaged items, and must get approval in advance from the appropriate committee head(s) or the Executive Board. [1/19: documents existing practice with respect to Arisia and MCFI.]
• 5.7 Miscellaneous Provisions
• 5.7(1)M NESFA's Official Motto is "Forsan illo egebimus." [1/03; translation by George Flynn. Original English text "We might need that", backtranslation from the Latin "Perhaps we will need that."]
• 5.7(2)M The words "NESFA" and "Boskone" shall be indicated as a registered trademark, either in words or by the symbol ® in prominent places on Instant Message and all other NESFA and Boskone publications and on the NESFA website. [1/08]
• 5.7(3)M Our FAX number shall not be published or otherwise advertised. [6/16]
• 5.8 Notifications to Members
• [11/16 except as noted: Implementation details for the ByLaws changes of this date.]
• 5.8(1)M If possible, notices to be given to Regular Members under ByLaws Subsection 10.2(g) shall be given by publication in Instant Message and by posting to a mailing list. If not, the preferred method is timely posting to a mailing list with eventual publication in Instant Message. The mailing list shall be the nesfa-regular mailing list or any other mailing list which is a superset of the nesfa-regular mailing list. [10/18, restore publication in Instant Message as part of the preferred method of notification. This was accidentally deleted when email notification was enabled. See also Standing Rules Subsection 1.34(2).]
• 5.8(2)M Notices to be made available to other Members under ByLaws Subsection 10.2(j) shall usually be made available by posting to the nesfa-active mailing list. All such notices shall also be published in the next issue of Instant Message, even if they are no longer timely. That publication in Instant Message shall be accompanied by a note stating that any Member who wants to receive notifications more quickly can sign up for the nesfa-active mailing list. [See also Standing Rules Subsection 1.34(2), which requires the nesfa-active mailing list to be a superset of the nesfa-regular mailing list. 6/19, nesfa-announce replaced with nesfa-active. From Rules Committee notes.]
• 5.8(3)M Any Member who wishes to receive timely notifications and is unable to sign up for the nesfa-active mailing list shall instead be given notice as provided in ByLaws Section 10.2(g) upon the Member's sending a written request to the NESFA P.O. Box. The Clerk shall be responsible for giving those notices. [6/19, nesfa-announce replaced with nesfa-active. From Rules Committee notes.]
• 5.9 Fiats By Other Organizations
• 5.9(1)F TD Bank: One person shall be the TDBank Account Administrator for all TDBank accounts held by any one organization, they are the only person who can
  • 1) grant or deny online access to any of that organization's TDBank accounts
  • 2) pass on the administrator position to another person. Any new Account Administrator must have signature authority on all of the organization's TDBank accounts.
• 5.9(2)F TD Bank: All new signatories must be "known". Becoming "known" requires an ID (driver's license, passport, etc.), Social Security Number (card not needed), name of employer (if any), and telephone number and email address (if available).
• 5.10 Code of Conduct
• 5.10(1)M The Code
  • (a) The New England Science Fiction Association (NESFA) is dedicated to providing a comfortable and harassment-free environment for everyone at Boskone and other NESFA-sponsored events, as well as spaces managed by NESFA, such as digital platforms. By attending a NESFA event, all individuals are required to abide by NESFA's anti-harassment rules, venue policies, and all municipal, state, and federal laws.
    Be respectful and courteous towards others. We expect you to understand that you need to ask before you touch, and that "No" means "No".
    Harassment of any kind, intimidation, or illegal behavior is not allowed. This applies to your interactions with everyone.
    You are expected to refrain from illegal, destructive, or hazardous conduct; or any other inappropriate behavior, including but not limited to destruction of property belonging to NESFA or any other party.
    Violation of this policy may result in action ranging from warning[s], having your participation restricted, or being temporarily barred from any or all NESFA events and NESFA controlled spaces (without refund) to a permanent attendance ban.
    Any action under this Code of Conduct in no way precludes injured individuals, the facility, or NESFA from pursuing whatever remedies, civil or criminal, as they see fit.
    If you feel you are being harassed, intimidated, or threatened in any way, please contact the person managing the event or space or let a NESFA Officer know. If necessary, email coc@nesfa.org or call the President (currently Rick Kovalcik.at 508-259-6819) or the Vice President (currently Sharon Sbarsky at 781-929-6913).
    NESFA endeavors to keep all names involved in actions confidential to the extent possible; however, accused individuals have the right to be informed of relevant details so as to respond to accusations. Therefore, anonymous complaints will not be acted upon unless they can be independently verified.
    If the individual filing the report requests that no action be taken, NESFA will not take action unless a clear threat is identified. [1/23]
  • (b) The contact information for the President and Vice President in (a) shall be updated as necessary by the Rules Committee without requiring any approval. [1/23]

Appendix A: Humorous Motions

• A.1 Names
• A.2 Cats
• A.3 Discipline
• A.4 Puns
• A.5 The Aerospace Cadets and NESFA's Moon
• A.6 Marriage and the Family
• A.7 Meetings and Parliamentary Strangeness
• A.8 Motions of Commendation, Distress, etc.
• A.9 The Fanzine Review Board and Instant Message
• A.10 Finances
• A.11 The NESFA Cavalry
• A.12 The NESFA Displacement Authority
• A.13 Foreign Relations and Religion
• A.14 Other Committees
• A.15 Miscellaneous

Appendix A

This appendix is a compilation of not altogether serious motions or fiats that have been passed throughout the history of NESFA, presented for the amusement of readers. Rather than converting them into the form of rules (as was done in previous editions of the NESFA Code), we have left them as they appeared in Instant Message, with enough context to indicate what was going on. Editing has been done only for clarity (e.g., to supply full names). Enjoy.

• A.1 Names
• A.1(1)M It was voted to decide the official name of Mr. Andrew Adams Whyte. There was a protest that Mr. Whyte should have some say in the matter, but it was pointed out that he had a vote like everyone else. Since it was not a matter of office, it was decided to let all present vote. The results were: Drew 4; optional 3; Andy 2; and 1 each for: Andre or Clod (andros adamas alophagos); as the spirit moves; Drawn; Drew Sir; freedom of choice; Handy Andy; hey you; invalid ballot (sic); legally Andrew Whyte; by his friends Drew or ---; Slim; that fellow; and a blank (blanc, white) ballot. So by plurality Mr. Andrew Adams Whyte is officially "Drew." [5/68]
• A.1(2)M Someone: Leslie, have you named the kitten [offspring of Semiramis and Yet]?
  Leslie Turek: Not yet.
  It was moved and seconded that the kitten be named "Not Yet, Nyet for short." The motion passed unanimously, though Leslie kept saying "No, no, no." [7/69]
• A.1(3)M A letter was read from Don D'Ammassa requesting that NESFA change his son's name back to David from Daniel (see attendance list in last IM). MSP that NESFA affirm that the name of the son of Donald and Sheila D'Ammassa is indeed David. [6/75. By the way, David has more recently changed his own name to Algernon.]
• A.1(4)M It was noted that past IMs refer to something called "Wintercon." As everyone recognizes, NESFA sponsors an event called "Codclave" and No. 5 will be held this January. Therefore it was MSP to correct this obvious flaw in prior IMs and change all of them to read "Codclave" retroactively. As [the Clerk] did not take any notes, an attempt to censure past Clerks for their errors does not exist and democracy prevails once again. [11/78. The reason for the change to "Codclave" was that the convention was not held on Cape Cod. When a subsequent incarnation moved back to the Cape, something had to give...]
• A.1(5)M Laurie Mann brought up the subject of changing the name of the convention, since we will be on the Cape next year. Tony Lewis suggested we change the name of the Cape. Rich Ferree thought it should be called Frank Richards. MSP to rename Cape Cod Cape Richards. [9/84. The lore surrounding the mythic name "Frank Richards" is too extensive to chronicle here.]
• A.1(6)M MSP to hold Boskone XVII at the Radisson Ferncroft and to call it for the external world by some other name. [3/79]

  Voting for the name under which Boskone XVII would be known happened. The choices were: NESFIC, BOSKONE 16.5, BOSKLONE, BOSKONE XVII, MASCON. (If you think that these were bad, you should have seen the losers.) ... The winner was BOSKLONE, which was suggested by Wendell Ing. [5/79; The official spelling was later defined as BoskLone; the typewritten form BoskLone was rarely used -- cjh]

• A.1(7)M Since Harter [having been elected President] could not Harter the motion, it was eventually determined that Krissy should be "Harter for the year" so that all matters can be Hartered. The title of the position is "Boss Clone." [5/79]
• A.1(8)M Someone cleverly moved to call the motion which got us into a committee of the whole. It deteriorated from there. "Call the motion what??" "How about Arthur???" MS to call the motion Arthur. "Any further debate? Hearing none, the motion is called Arthur. All those in favor of Arthur?" Chorus of ayes. (*Sigh*) [1/81]
• A.1(9)M Rick Katze displayed Wendy Pini's artwork for the Boskone T-shirt. ... When asked if the shirt would be ready on time, he replied, "Trust me!" MSPU that Rick's name be changed to "Tricky Dicky." [1/83]
• A.1(10)M Bob Knowlden commented that electing Rick [Boskone Chairman] would break the tradition of having every seventh Boskone be Tony Lewis's Boskone. MS (proposed by Greg Thokar) that in discussions of Boskone XXI, Rick or "Tricky Dicky" Katze be referred to as "Tony." George Flynn said this motion was out of order as we are in the middle of a vote. MS (proposed by Jill Eastlake) to censure the club as the preceding motion is too fannish. MS (proposed by Mark Olson) to Call the Question on all motions on the floor to be voted on simultaneously. MSPU (proposed by Jill) that no Boskone XXI meetings be held in Everett. ... A secret ballot was taken, and the Chair announced Rick's confirmation. [1/83]
• A.1(11)M MSH (proposed by Brons) that since all present Members named "Turner" have the first initial "J", all future Turner Members must have the first initial "J". [4/83]
• A.1(12)F Deborah Malamut said that since the President told her that she couldn't be "Deborah" as there was already a Debra and a Debbie in NESFA, she could use the name "Davida" or "Davey." Several protested that since there was a Dave A., a Dave B., and a Dave C., we were already over-Daved without adding a Dave E. or Dave M. [6/83]
• A.1(13)M Dave Anderson said, while we are on the subject of name changes, I propose that Joe Rico's name, within NESFA at least, be "J.R." MSP to refer to Joe Rico as "J.R." [8/83]
• A.1(14) The subset of the Web Committee responsible for maintaining the history of NESFA and Boskone shall be called "The Ministry of Truth". [2/02: Dave Grubbs was the first to suggest the name "The Ministry of Truth", which was instantly appropriated by the President. Ref. Orwell, 1984; 10/17: moved from 1.34(1).]
• A.1(15) MS (Tim Roberge) to change Rick Katze's name to Ricardo. MSP (Dave Cantor) to amend by replacing Ricardo with Rickl. The motion passed as amended. [6/14]
• A.2 Cats
• A.2(1)M MSPU to create the position of Feline Deity. [5/74]
• A.2(2)M A motion was passed to award Harry Stubbs' dog "Pepper" the title of "Honorary Cat" for the purposes of the NESFA cat census. [9/68]
  Honorary Cat Pepper completed his tale of lives in September 1976. [12/76]
• A.2(3)M MS(1 objection)ribbit: to admit Herbert Horatio Harold Hereford Phrog as an Honorary Cat. [2/74]
• A.2(4)M MS(1 objection): to admit Gandy and Tasha (puppies at the Kents' farm) as official Honorary Cats. [2/74]
• A.2(5)M MSP(2 negatives): Refer membership for Frenchy Boom-boom Eastlake and other e.t.s to the Membership Committee for discussion. [1/77]
• A.2(6)M MSP to have the NESFA decennial cat census. (The Lewises have 4 new cats they got at the laundramat.) [11/77]
• A.2(7)F President: It was ruled that any motion requiring action from cats is ultra vires. [10/79]
• A.2(8)M On the table beside the Chair was "Gracie," a beautiful maroon velvet dragon with silver wings. ... MSP (proposed by the Chair) to accept "Gracie" as an official honorary cat. [9/81]
• A.2(9)M MSP (proposed by the Clerk on the Feline Deity's behalf) to censure Time magazine for not mentioning the NESFA Cat Census in its 12/7/81 cover story on cats. [1/82]
• A.2(10)F/M President: J. Mark Anderson should be this year's Feline Deity for the following reasons: (1) [He] is willing to do the job and hasn't been active in a number of years. (2) He owns a cat. (3) His reports will be brief. (4) There is ample precedent for an invisible and imperceptible ghod. ... [The President] made it clear that he was recommending combining the offices of Feline Deity and High Priest(ess). The motion passed. [6/88. The "J. Mark Anderson" mythos is one of those NESFA Mysteries that transpired mainly outside the realm of the Rules.]
• A.3 Discipline
• A.3(1)M A motion was made that the next person to mention Earthdate, Stardate, pointed ears, or the like be sent on a 5-year mission to go where no man has gone before. [7/69; not passed?]
• A.3(2)E Consensus of opinion is that we should all have uniforms, and that Frisian should be the official language of NESFA. [1/74; the [in?]glorious history of Frisian Fandom is too complicated to discuss here.]
• A.3(3)E/F RESOLVED: That, given the current crises in NESFA, the Executive Board constitutes itself a committee of public safety. The constitution is suspended, and free democratic elections will be held when order is restored. Selected NESFA members will be asked to report for internment at the end of the meeting. Members with unused room in their basements are requested to donate same. [4/74]
  Rules Committee: Assumes that the above Resolution by the Executive Board will be ignored. [4/74]
• A.3(4)M MSbaa to censure the new Editor for associating us with Highmore. [5/74. The reference is to the cover of PB 11.]
• A.3(5)F Rules Committee: We decided that the Rules Committee is basically an operating and enforcement committee, not involved in setting policy, so we decided not to attempt to develop a NESFA uniform or pledge of allegiance, and instead to suggest that the President appoint a special committee to develop such standards, a committee hopefully composed of interested parties. In other words, we decided to pass the buck. [11/74]
• A.3(6)M MSP to censure the Executive Board for conducting business at the Lexicon. [9/75]
• A.3(7)M MSP to censure the Clerk. (Dr. Lewis made this motion because the Clerk had not called for people to sign the attendance list in over an hour. When the Clerk attempted to speak in favor of the motion, Krissy said that she did not understand but that he (the Clerk) should be stopped. The Clerk then made a cogent argument in favor of not only censuring the Clerk but removing him from office due to his nonfeasance.) (The Rules Committee noted that this motion should be ruled out of order since it did not go through them. President Harter determined that they waived their right to raise the issue. His reasoning was unclear.) [2/80]
• A.3(8)E The Clerk reported that one of the most onerous duties of the Exec. Board is to listen to and deal with complaints. Most of the recent complaints concerned one individual whose behavior has been most detrimental to NESFA's image. Therefore, the Executive Board awards Mark Olson the Barbarian of the Year Award, consisting of a pair of chopsticks, and to remind him of their purpose, a 500-piece puzzle depicting Chinese food. Eschew your fork, Mark, and sin no more! A thoroughly unrepentant Mark Olson replied, "I trust this will be an annual award so I can win it for many years in the future." [11/81]

  The Clerk reported that at the IM collation ... she and the President convened in the bathroom and decided to undertake one last attempt to reform the Barbarian Mark Olson. ... [Mark] is still practicing forkritude. The Board has concluded that chopsticks are too difficult for him to use. [The Clerk then held up a brown bag labeled "Revenge of the Exec Board."] Therefore, we are now presenting Mark with a set of "training chopsticks," which are attached at the top with a hinge. Mark accepted the chopsticks with nary a vestige of guilt. [5/82]

• A.3(9)M [George Flynn delivered a statement purporting to refute the charge that he had leaked to SF Chronicle the information that NESFA was going to buy the Sheraton-Boston.] MSPU that NESFA accept with regret George's admission of guilt. [4/83]
• A.3(10)M Jim Turner said Mike Glyer believed that Instant Massage was real until he clued him in. MSPU to censure Jim Turner. [4/83]
• A.3(11)M Anton Chernoff asked about the [Codclave] pool. Frank Richards said the pool will be open 24 hours a day unless there are noise complaints. Paula Lieberman announced that she had been previously thrown out of the pool for singing. Tony Lewis said he didn't know Paula could sing. Rick Katze protested that Paula could sing as well as he could. The beleaguered Chair, after bruising the gavel on the table, allowed the following motion: MSP to throw out all those who had spoken about singing. [11/83. The Sergeant-at-Arms succeeded in avoiding enforcement of this motion until everyone forgot about it.]
• A.3(12)M MS (proposed by the beleaguered Chair) that anyone who is declared out of order 5 times be thrown out the window. MS (proposed by Rick Katze) to amend that the window be opened first so that we don't have to pay the Belmont Lions Club for glass replacement. The Chair accepted this as a friendly amendment. The amended motion passed. [2/84]
• A.3(13)M Mark Olson informed the Membership that the Rules Committee ... and George Flynn in particular should be censured for not including [in the NESFA Code] the rule that NESFA's Moon be administered as a county of South Dakota. They said they excluded it as the rule was never passed. This is a frivolous excuse, and they should be censured for not including it anyway. Tony Lewis cautioned that any motion to censure must be sent to the Rules Committee. MSP to refer this matter to the Rules Committee. MS (proposed by Tony) to amend that the motion should have read to refer this matter to the Rules Committee at the March meeting to be reported out favorably at the April meeting. Mark graciously accepted this as a friendly amendment. The beleaguered Chair explained to the befuddled Membership that the motion just passed was now being amended. Parliamentarian Don Eastlake was consulted as to the amendment's legality. After due reflection, Don rendered the following opinion: MS to adjourn. The Chair refused to hear this opinion and asked the Rules Committee to speak. George Flynn replied that since the motion censured him personally, it was improper for him to consider this issue. He then announced his retroactive resignation. ... Mark said that since George had retroactively resigned we could censure him now for impersonating the chairman of the Rules Committee. George replied that his resignation took place in a different time track. ... [4/84. It is not clear whether any final action was taken. However, cf. Section A.5(12) for subsequent developments.]
• A.3(14)M George Flynn reported that he was contacted by Unicon about using his Gene Wolfe bibliography from the Boskone Program Book. He approved, but now realizes that it was copyrighted to NESFA. He feels he should either have approval for his action or be censured. MSH (Mark Olson) to give George approval AND censure him. [6/84]
• A.3(15)M Davey Ferree noted that spendthrift Rich Ferree had gone out and bought new ski equipment and convinced her on getting a new dining room set. MSP (Davey): To commend him for buying such nice things, and condemn him for spending money that could otherwise have been donated to the NESFA Building Fund. [9/84]
• A.3(16)M MSP to censure the roof for not leaking. [3/94]
• A.4 Puns
• A.4(1)? [In correction to minutes:] Cory Seidman ... wished to make clear that she had made an unintentional pun and was NOT fined for it. This is an important precedent. [3/69]
• A.4(2)F At this point [during election of Punster of the Year] Mike Di Genio tossed a pun fine across the room into a pitcher of ice water. The fine was returned to him because anybody with that sort of luck deserves it. Even if it did hit the rim. [5/76]
• A.4(3)M MSP to allow those Members of NESFA who are under the age of two years to make puns without having to pay for them. It was noted that while we would give up some immediate financial gain by allowing them to get away with it for awhile, we would generate funds in the future after they have learned a habit which they will not be able to break. Tony Lewis thought it was mean and cruel and viscous [sic] to discriminate against the young in this matter but stated that he was in favor of it. [6/79]
• A.4(4)M There was no [Fan Production Committee] report, but lots of puns. ... MSP to double the pun fine during this onslaught of puns. [9/82]
• A.4(5)M Paula Lieberman started to speak, hesitated, and decided not to continue. However, the Membership noticed, with the following result: MSP to punfine Paula for thinking of it. [12/82]
• A.4(6)M Tony Lewis said his boss went to California and won't be returning. "Californicated," commented Chip Hitchcock. MSPU to triple-punfine Chip. [2/83]
• A.4(7)M Jim Turner proposed a [Codclave] registration rate of $19.89. MSP to double-punfine Jim Turner for suggesting the $19.89 rate. [10/83]
• A.4(8)M MSP to reset the time to the beginning of the last Business Meeting to enable us to double the punfine at the Annual Meeting. MSP to double the punfine at the next meeting. MSP to end the time travel. [5/84, except while it was 4/84; I'm not sure I understood this one even at the time (times?).]
• A.4(9)M MSP to double the pun fine at this [Annual] meeting. MSP to make it retroactive for James Turner. [5/85]
• A.4(10)M MSP: Whereas certain NESFAns identify themselves as being Frank Richards, when any one or a combination of Frank Richards makes a statement which is subject to a pun fine, then each and every Frank Richards, whether or not present at the meeting, shall pay the appropriate pun fine. [5/85. At the same meeting (though not recorded in the minutes at the time), the President apparently ruled that all Members present were Frank Richards; this greatly increased both the pun fines collected and the protests.]
  MSP to rescind the Chair's ruling making all the NESFA Members present at the May meeting Frank Richards. [6/85. Presumably the original motion still applies to those who do identify themselves as Frank Richards.]
• A.4(11)M MP (Building Search Committee) to double the pun fine for jokes dealing with printing, cleaning, clothing, barbers, or haircuts. [9/85, at the start of the discussion of acquiring the present Clubhouse]
• A.4(12)M MS (Rich Ferree) that people who wish to decline a nomination for Punster of the Year should pay $5.00. MS (Larry Gelfand) to amend that Rich Ferree pay a double pun fine for each person who declines nomination to the position of Punster of the Year. Amendment accepted by Rich (!) and motion passed in that form. [5/86]
• A.4(13)M MSP that [Treasurer] Sharon Sbarsky get a large Mexican hat into which people could throw punfines. [9/86]
• A.4(14)M In an attempt to have the Chair pun-fined, MSP (George Flynn) that the meeting had begun a minute ago. [11/86]
• A.4(15)M MSP (Mark Olson) [at the start of the meeting] to make all puns so far uttered to be said 5 minutes in the future so that they could be fined. [5/87]
• A.4(16)M MSP (George Flynn) that any mention of tomatoes be subject to punfines. [7/90, following numerous statements by Priscilla Olson that "no one was leaving without a tomato plant."]
• A.4(17)M Tony Lewis noted that if you click on the question "sexo" in the US Census Bureau's web site's census form help area, the answer it produces is "The government cannot help you with this item." MSP to punfine the government, and to appoint Tony to collect the punfine. [4/00]
• A.5 The Aerospace Cadets and NESFA's Moon
• A.5(1)M MSP to establish Lt. Col. Harry Stubbs [USAFR] as commander of the NESFA Aerospace Cadets, and to establish Don Eastlake, George Mitchell, and Selina Lovett as members. Colonel Stubbs is to think of an appropriate title as commanding officer. In addition J.R.M. Seitz is official Schwarze Henker. [10/70]
  Joe Ross said Lt. Col. Stubbs did not report on his title. Jean Berman suggested "Lord of Wings." This was misheard by the Clerk as "Lord of the Wings." It was MSP to make it so. [11/70]
• A.5(2)F USAFR: Lt. Col. Stubbs is now Col. Stubbs.
• A.5(3)F USAFR: The Lord of the Wings -- Harry Stubbs -- announced that barring a Major War or Act of God he will retire from the USAF on 27 August 1976. [1/76]
• A.5(4)M MSH that Alan Frisbie and Paula Lieberman be made members of the Aerospace Cadets. [11/73]
• A.5(5)F USAF: Paula Lieberman (after apparently finally collecting enough boxtops) was promoted to captain. [7/79]
• A.5(6)F USAF: Paula Lieberman reported that since the Air Force ran out of boosters, she didn't become a test director. Now that she's left the Air Force, she's working for Mitre, advising the Air Force. She's also in the Inactive Reserves. [10/81]
• A.5(7)M [Tony Lewis] showed the moon map from the Nov 1970 issue of Sky and Telescope. Hugo Gernsback crater was identified, as were Wiener, Ley, Verne, Wells, etc. As a result of this increase in cultural knowledge it was MSP that the Moon be designated NESFA's Moon and that the Aerospace Cadets protect it. [12/70. Cf. Section A.5(11).]
• A.5(8)M MSH (1 abstention & 1 real objection) to instruct the Aerospace Cadets to claim and plant a flag with the NESFA emblem in the comet [Kohoutek]. Many people felt that by the time it was decided what the emblem should be, the comet would have passed us. [11/73]
  MSP: The aerospace cadets should abandon plans to plant our flag on Kohoutek and wait for the next time it comes around, if we have a flag by then. [3/74]
• A.5(9)M MSP: That the Aerospace Cadets give a State of the Moon Report at the Annual Meeting. [4/75]
• A.5(10)M Bob Knowlden announced there will be a total lunar eclipse on the night of July 5 and 6. ... MSP that the Aerospace Cadets watch the eclipse to see if our lunar property rights are being infringed upon. [6/82]
  The Chair read a letter of complaint from Tony Lewis protesting the unauthorized use of NESFA's Moon. MSP to appoint Tony to prevent the occurrence of any further unauthorized eclipses. Mike Di Genio thought the NESFA Displacement Authority should be reinstated to move the Moon and protect it from unauthorized use. Tony estimated the job would be rated 1.5 million Drews. [7/82]
• A.5(11)M Chip Hitchcock stated that Walt Disney's Splash not only uses NESFA's Moon but abuses it by having it wax in the wrong direction. Action should be taken. MS (proposed by Chip) to write Walt Disney Studios a letter protesting their misuse of NESFA's Moon. MS (proposed by Rick Katze) to amend that we not protest to Disney Studios but to their publicity agency (Craig Miller's Con-Artists). Chip accepted this as a friendly amendment. The amended motion passed. [4/84]
• A.5(12)M Mark Olson brought up the matter of the Standing Rules not stating that the Moon be administered as a county of South Dakota, and that George Flynn should be censured for not including it anyway, even if NESFA had never voted on it. MSP (Mark): That the Moon be administered as a county of South Dakota. [11/84. See Section A.3(13) for the background of this action. On this occasion the motion to censure George failed.]
• A.5(13)E MSP to recommend to the Membership that NESFA recognize the independence of the Baltic republics if and only if they recognize NESFA's ownership of the Moon. [8/91]
• A.5(14)F Clerk: A poster was received from the Nikolaev (Ukraine) SF Club in return for a Symes portfolio (the Clerk was accused of restarting the Cold War). They agreed to recognize our claim to the Moon as being as valid as anyone's; we choose to interpret this as confirming our claim. [9/92]
• A.6 Marriage and the Family
• A.6(1)E It was voted to allow NESFA Directors [now Trustees] to marry one another if they so choose. [1/71. The Directors in question were Lester del Rey and Judy-Lynn Benjamin.]
• A.6(2)M MS to allow NESFA Members to marry one another if NESFA approves. MSP to amend by adding "as long as this is not in conflict with Chapter 180 of the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Act of 1954, as amended." MSP to refer this whole matter to Discussion Group 104. Morris Keesan objected for real. [12/71]

  [The Rules Committee considers it prudent not to include the numerous motions authorizing the marriages of individual Members, especially since some have been the subject of more than one such motion.]

• A.6(3)? The Fan Production Committee shall be chaired by the Member expected next to give birth. [Immemorial tradition: earliest reference we have found is 7/72.]
• A.6(4)M MSP (from Brons) to commend Wendy Glasser for turning over seniority on the Fan Production Committee on the day of the Annual Meeting. [5/81]
• A.6(5)M Rick Katze asked Mr. Harter if he was a good son and had sent his mother a Mother's Day card. ... He replied that he had sent a Christmas card -- last week. MSP (proposed by Chip Hitchcock) that considering Mr. Harter's schedule we postpone discussion of his sending a Mother's Day card until October. [5/83]
  MS (proposed by Chip) to postpone further discussion until next April. Rick said that Mrs. Harter is a very nice mother. [Someone said it was the least we could do.] Tony Lewis thought that the least we could do is nothing. The motion failed (Chipped). Mark Olson said that Mr. Harter might not be a dutiful son, but he is a dutiful NESFAn. Therefore, we should appoint him to head the NESFA Mother's Day Committee and direct him to send his mother a card. MSH to send June Harter a Mother's Day card. (Hi, June!) Since Greg Thokar Hartered this motion, George Flynn thought he should be punfined. The Membership concurred. [10/83]
• A.6(6)M Harry Stubbs is our Official Grandfather and the Clerk is directed to send him a card on Father's Day. [6/86]
• A.7 Meetings and Parliamentary Strangeness
• A.7(1)M [At close of elections:] MSPU that the Association thank God that this kind of meeting only occurs once a year. [5/70]
• A.7(2)M [After adoption of By-Laws:] Joe Ross moved that we pray to Ghu that we don't have to go through that again. Marsha Elkin added that we should also pray to FIAWOL. Passed 5-4. [3/71]
• A.7(3)M It was proposed to create the "Spacehounds of IPC," with membership open to the numerous NESFA Members working at IPC at DEC. ... As an amendment, it was suggested to refer this to a bureaucracy control committee composed of Mr. Harter, to report at the first meeting of 1975. As you all know, he did report then, and the Membership voted at the December 1976 meeting to accept his recommendations, which were favorable. However, the Membership also defeated the motion referring the matter to committee. There, isn't that the clearest example of a parliamentary time paradox you've seen today? [12/76: The "Spacehounds of IPC" continued to deliver reports over the next couple of years, but eventually faded away.]
• A.7(4)M Ann McCutchen moved to refer to all persons of indefinite or unknown sex as "she." ... The motion was duly seconded by an unidentified female voice. [Half a page of increasingly silly debate is omitted.] MSP that the motion on the table will only apply to this IM if passed. ... MSP as amended. ... Seventeen Regular Members voted on this motion. 13 voted yes and 5 voted no. MSP that the maker of the previous motion should determine who is of undetermined sex. [2/79]
• A.7(5)M [After all Officers had been elected by acclamation:] MSP (from Brons) that the Clerk be instructed to record that one vote was cast for the Lesser Plant. [5/81]
• A.7(6)M Mr. Harter was supposed to deliver a report for Mr. James Mark Anderson [the Editor].... Unfortunately, Mr. Harter couldn't remember any of Mr. Anderson's witty, glowing report. MSP to accept Mr. Harter's virtual report. ... Tony Lewis hoped that delivering a virtual report doesn't cause too many page faults. [1/82]
• A.7(7)M [At the end of 2 pages' worth of debate on rules changes:] MSP (proposed by Mark Olson) to give ourselves a vote of semi-congratulations. [9/82]
• A.7(8)M MSP (proposed by Mark Olson) that we declare it to be 6:15 PM. MSP to adjourn at 4:08 PM (actually 6:15 PM). [11/82]
• A.7(9)M Jim Turner said he arrived late as he thought the meeting was at the Belmont Lions Club. MSP to redefine Alyson Abramowitz's apartment as the Belmont Lions Club. [12/82]
• A.7(10)M MSH to transfer Subscribing Members Rich Ferree, Davida Malamut, and Andy Robinson to General Membership [after the same motion had been illegally passed the month before]. After Rick Katze's motion to make these appointments retroactive was ruled Out of Order, Mark Olson proposed that we ask the Membership Committee to investigate time travel and report on their results. Tony Lewis, a member of the committee, reported that they had already conducted such an investigation and will soon publish a report last year. MSP to accept Mark's motion. [8/83]
• A.7(11)M [After 2 hours of dues debate the previous month] MSP (Mark Olson) to amend that it is now 5:30 NESFA time and we've debated this issue for an hour and a half. MSP to [raise the dues and] declare NESFA Standard Time to be 5:30 PM. Frank Richards attempted to move that we reset the time in the universe to what the National Bureau of Standards thinks it is. MSP (Jim Mann) that Frank Richards call the NBS to tell them we've changed the time to 5:30. [5/86]
• A.7(12)F President: [After the failure of a motion to redefine the location of the Clubhouse as being on NESFA's Moon,] MS (Rick Katze) to call for a division of the house. Chair Joe Rico declared the house was divided into 1.37 parts. [7/86]
• A.7(13)F President: Priscilla Olson attempted to raise a POINT OF PHILOSOPHICAL COMMENTARY. Joe Rico refused to recognize her and thus we will never know what she wanted to say. [3/88]
• A.7(14)M After some confusion it was declared to be the sense of the Membership that the Rules Committee should handle [adjust?] ordinary constants of the universe to be correct and to "fix Nature's mistakes." [5/92, in connection with the updating of Section 2.4(5); it is recommended that future Rules Committees use this power to reduce the force of gravity, in order to facilitate access to NESFA's Moon and simplify the tasks of Boskone Logistics.]
• A.7(15)M MSPU to delete from the minutes all discussion that relates to the Great NESFA Conspiracy. [11/93; for those unfamiliar with the matter, the Great NESFA Conspiracy is -- CLASSIFIED -- .]
• A.8 Motions of Commendation, Distress, Etc.
• A.8(1)M MSP that NESFA express its distress at Jim Saklad's looks. First Lt. Saklad (Med. Corps) is in the Reserves and had to get his hair cut. It was amended to include Mike Symes in the motion. [8/71]
• A.8(2)M MSP that the clerk send a congratulatory message to Frederick upon his reaching his 30th birthday. The Clerk will do so as soon as he has the Postcode for the cave in Penzance. [2/29/76]
• A.8(3)M MSP to direct the Clerk [Don Eastlake] to write a letter of commendation to the former President [Don Eastlake] in glowing terms. [5/77]
• A.8(4)M MSP to console Dave Anderson on his election as a Regular Member. [8/79]
• A.8(5)M MS (proposed by James Turner) to commend Boxboro Fandom for taking care of the Great Unwashed once again at Boskone. Mark Olson was ruled Out of Order when he moved to amend by forming a Euphemism Committee to redraft James' motion. James' motion passed. [3/84]
• A.8(6)M George Flynn reported the Rules Committee had done nothing (applause), and should therefore be thrown out of office. MSP (Tony Lewis) to commend them for having done it so well. [5/84]
• A.8(7)M [The Treasurer reported that] we do have an apparent loss of $24,000 since Boskone Life and NESFA Life are now being tracked as liability accounts. MSP (Jane Wagner) to commend Sharon Sbarsky for accomplishing more in her first month than any previous NESFA Treasurer. [6/85]
• A.8(8)M [On the occasion of the unsold copies of Up There and Other Strange Directions being shipped to Sharon's porch after Nolacon II,] MSP to express sympathy for Sharon's porch. [9/88]
• A.8(9)M Dues arrived from June Harter in time for Mother's Day. MSPU to censure Mr. Harter as not being a dutiful son for failing to pay his mother's NESFA dues. (It was felt that Mr. Harter would have supported this motion.)
  Pam Fremon reported that she had called her mother today, who asked her why she wasn't at the NESFA meeting. MSPU to commend Pam's mother. [5/94]
• A.9 The Fanzine Review Board and Instant Message
• A.9(1)F Clerk: The Fanzine Control Act of 1971 is a little-known part of the Phase 2 economic program designed to fight fanzine inflation. Fanzines are important to the economy, particularly as regards the manufacturers of duplicating equipment and the United States Postal Service, and it is in the public interest to see that fanzines do not become so inflated that their publishers are unable to maintain them (the recent collapse of Science Fiction Review is a case in point).

  The job of the Fanzine Review Board is to see to it that the President's guidelines are enforced (these include a maximum permissible increase in number of pages of 5.5% per annum; any editor going from mimeograph to offset must have FRB approval).

  The Board consists of five fans, five pros, and five large contributors to the Republican Party.

  Due to a statutory change in position, Dr. Anthony R. Lewis has resigned his position on the Fanzine Review Board; he has been replaced by Dr. Douglas J. Hoylman. All future questions or requests for amplification should be addressed to Dr. Hoylman.

  [5/72: First three paragraphs quoted from Doug Hoylman's apazine of 2/72.]

• A.9(2)F Fanzine Review Board: The Fanzine Control Number for Instant Message is 72 58837.
• A.9(3)M With the current apa shortage, MSH: the scope of the Fanzine Review Board be expanded to cover this. [2/74]
• A.9(4)M MSP to require the Clerk to read Instant Message. [2/80. The provocation for this motion was not recorded.]
• A.9(5)M George Flynn could find no significant errors in IM 295! MSP (proposed by George) to commend the Clerk and/or censure the Proofreader. [8/81]
• A.9(6)M MSP (proposed by Greg Thokar) to commend the Clerk for finally producing a short IM. [10/81]
• A.9(7)M The Clerk read the following excerpt from the latest File 770: "CLASSICS SCANDAL RIPS NESFA" [regarding Frank Richards' erroneous attribution of the quotation "Pecunia non olet" to Caligula rather than Vespasian at a NESFA meeting]. ... MSP (proposed by Jim Hudson) to place on the front page of the next IM in Latin: "File 770 Has No Odor." [5/82. The Clerk complied by printing: "ILEFAY EVENSAY EVENTYSAY ASHAY ONAY ODORWAY."]
• A.9(8)M [George Flynn reported only one correction to the previous IM.] MSP (proposed by Rick Katze) to congratulate the Clerk for George's short report. [6/82]
• A.9(9)F [After "Instant Massage 327":] The Clerk was asked what the number of the next IM would be. An emergency meeting of the Fanzine Review Board was held last week to consider this matter; they ruled that the next IM would be issue 328, as we wouldn't want to confuse Mike Glyer. [1/83]
• A.9(10)M MSP to commend [Clerk] Pam Fremon for a good job. It was noted that Pam should be further thanked for having shortened Noreascon 3, which the last IM listed as running from August 31 to September 1. [12/88]
• A.9(11)M MSP that no Elvis stamps ever be used in mailing IM. [1/93]
• A.10 Finances
• A.10(1)M Fred Isaacs reported that due to a DECREASE in prices the adding machine and supplies cost only $62.80 ($72.10 authorized). MSP that NESFA express its amazement that any prices would go down. [8/71]
• A.10(2)M [After the previous Lexicon hotel made a bad report on us:] MSP(objection by Morris Keesan) to buy a gallon of unmitigated gall. [5/73]
• A.10(3)M Procurement: A 16mm projector was recently acquired for $0.00 with the help of Steve Kallis. MSP (1 objection by the former Treasurer) to appropriate for the Procurement Committee the sum of $0.00 to be used as needed. [12/73]
• A.10(4)E RESOLVED, that at this point in time NESFA disclaims all rumors that we will buy Amazing and Fantastic. [1/74]
• A.10(5)M Ellen Franklin moved to appropriate $250,000 for a clubhouse, Rick Katze seconded, there was no debate: MSP. The President later noted under old business that the motion was out of order. [7/80]
• A.10(6)M MSP (proposed by George Flynn) to increase the budget by one cent. George's was the only "nay" vote, of course. [11/81]
• A.10(7)M MSP (proposed by Mr. Harter) to vote to send the [Chicon IV] Operation Rathole money to the NESFA Clubhouse Fund. [3/82]
• A.10(8)M Greg Thokar pointed out that if Ben Yalow shows up one more time he'll have to be made a General Member. Laurie Mann moved to waive the rules to make Ben a General Member, but this was not legal. MSP that if it were legal we would do it and raise his dues accordingly. [11/82]
  [After Ben was in fact made a General Member:] MSPU that NESFA regrets it can only raise his dues $3. [12/82]
• A.10(9)M There's a rumor heard at Spike's store that Boskone is premiering Revenge of the Jedi. (This is NOT TRUE!) MSPU we'd charge $30 a head attendance if we did have the movie to preview. [12/82]
• A.10(10)M The Membership Committee moved that $160 be appropriated for ad space in the Noreascon 3 Program Book. Chip Hitchcock countered that only a more fannish number of $137 should be appropriated so that Rick could run $23 over his budget. [Amendment passed 11-9, MSPU as amended.] [6/89]
• A.11 The NESFA Cavalry
• A.11(1)M Resolved, that in keeping with Science Fiction's glorious tradition of "forward into the past" and to protect the New England Science Fiction Association, Inc., from the depredations of similar groups, the New England Science Fiction Association, Inc., shall ordain and establish a Corps of Cavalry to be known as:

  Gharlane of Eddore's Own Boskonian Cavalry Regiment.

  Be it further enacted that the Colonel-in-Chief of the Regiment shall be Leslie J. Turek and the Adjutant of the Regiment shall be Richard NMI Harter (commonly known as Mister Harter). Other members shall be enrolled in the Regiment at the indiscretion of the Officers and the Membership of the New England Science Fiction Association, Inc. [Moved by Tony Lewis.]

  Fred Isaacs offered an amendment to add the position of Official Horse's ____ but this was ignored. A large number of bad puns were made. ... A roll call vote of the Regular Membership was requested: Aye 23; Nay 4 (these are nay votes, not "neigh" votes); Abstain 2; Present 1; Pass 1; Absent 18. The motion carried. [5/75]

• A.11(2)M MSH (Jean Johnson) that Equus Quagga Quagga (which is extinct) be the official mount of the NESFA Cavalry. [6/75]
• A.11(3)M MSPU: Make Flanders (supported by Linda Kent) (if that's the right phrase) an honorary Frisian War Horse and NESFA Cavalry member. (Included much discussion about a Frisian horse going by the sobriquet of Flanders.) [11/76]
• A.11(4)M MSH to appoint Anne McCaffrey Inspector-General of the NESFA Cavalry, should she be willing to accept the post. [12/76]
  Cavalry reported that Anne McCaffrey went out with them and rode three horses. [3/77]
• A.12 The NESFA Displacement Authority
• A.12(1)M Joe Ross asked why, if NESFA insisted in giving permission for its Members' marriages, why didn't they insist on the far more important right of monitoring where people resided? That was promptly made into a motion, seconded, and passed, with much banter about refusing any house thought not to have enough storage capacity. Leslie Turek made a friendly amendment that the last person to have moved will be the Chair. The committee was quickly named the NESFA Displacement Committee, and was also given the responsibility for engineering all future moves of any requesting NESFA Member. [9/80]
• A.12(2)M MS (proposed by Ken Knabbe) to activate the NESFA Displacement Authority as an "official necessity committee" to move other Members and their belongings. MSP (proposed by George Flynn) to amend that Drew Whyte be named Ex-Officio Chairman. Motion passed as amended. [7/81]
• A.12(3)M Horrorific news from Ken Knabbe: Part of Drew's stuff in storage will need to be moved, as it is being evicted from its storage space. This news was greeted with cries of despair. The move is rated at 0.2 Drew. MSPU (proposed by George Flynn) to disband the NESFA Displacement Authority. [3/82]
• A.12(4)M [Moves by Krissy and Rick Katze were announced.] MSPU (proposed by Chip Hitchcock) to reconstitute the NESFA Displacement Authority. MSP to make Tony Lewis head of this new committee. Tony announced that after this meeting adjourns we are going to Drew's to pack. [7/82]
• A.12(5)F NESFA Bureau of Standards: The "Drew" was originally defined as the unit of displacement needed to move Drew Whyte from Boston to Cambridge. Since Drew's move required the use of five trucks of an average of roughly 20' in length (some were longer, but at least one was only half filled), the Drew has been redefined as being 100 running feet of standard 20' U-Haul truck volume, packed absurdly tightly. A move can thus be rated by converting to feet of standard U-Haul trucks and then multiplying by an absurdity factor. It is believed that the absurdity factor for all moves other than Drew's will be less than unity. [9/83. Actually from Mark Olson's apazine.]
• A.13 Foreign Relations and Religion
• A.13(1)M MSP (proposed by Mark Olson) to establish an Albuquerque Branch of NESFA with Dave Cantor, President; and Terry McCutchen and Dave Anderson, members in good standing. Wendy Glasser thought they should meet the same times we do. Dave Cantor stated that if this motion passed, he'd offer his hotel room as an Other Meeting site. [10/81]
• A.13(2)M Dave Cantor reported that there was a meeting in Albuquerque on February 12 [during Boskone]. No one was there, as all members were at the Park Plaza. ... MSP (proposed by Anton Chernoff) to have the Albuquerque Branch not meet monthly. [3/82]
• A.13(3)M The Chair wants to organize a tour of Australia if they win the [1985 Worldcon] bid. MSP to send Dave Cantor to Australia by train. [10/82]
• A.13(4)M When Tom Galloway failed to receive a second when he proposed that NESFA form a Philadelphia Branch, J.R. tried again, successfully: MS to form a Philadelphia Branch of NESFA. ... Tony Lewis said this is stupid and nonsensical and therefore should be put into effect. J.R.'s motion passed. [8/83]
• A.13(5)M [A report from the Philadelphia Branch mentioned, "There was not a single copy of Robert's Rules to be found!"] The Chair quickly gaveled Chip Hitchcock out of order when he attempted to make a motion to form the NESFA Foreign Aid Committee, whose first order of business would be to disperse Robert's Rules of Order to "these benighted savages." MS (proposed by Tony Lewis) to form the NESFA Missionary Society to carry out the above activity. [A paragraph of debate is omitted.] ... MSP to form the NESFA Missionary Society. [9/83]
  [On the theory that there is a limit to even silliness, the Rules Committee declines to list the "rules" passed by the Philadelphia Branch. However, they are encouraged to publish their own rules.]
• A.13(6)M Alex Layton said that since NESFA is going to go forth and enlighten fandom, we should establish an office of High Priest. ... The friendly amendment was offered to call the office Frank (for the generic Frank Richards). MSP (Alex): To establish the office of NESFA High Priest, to be called Frank. MSP (Wendy Glasser): To appoint Tony Lewis to the office of High Priest. Tony, in order to fulfill his new duties, wished to procure an obsidian knife. [12/84]
  Tony thought that there should be a new class of NESFA sin -- simony (the buying and selling of holy offices). MSP (12-8) to create the NESFA sin of simony. [1/85]
• A.13(7)M MSP to authorize NESFA to enter into a sisterly relationship with LASFS. The debate was endless. The Clerk hesitates to even attempt to summarize it. [10/87. This item might have filled half a page if the Clerk hadn't finked out.]
• A.14 Other Committees
• A.14(1)M MSP: to appoint Jimdoc [Dr. Jim Saklad] official Veterinarian, with the title "Speaker-to-Animals," and to have the duty of feeding fish and microfiche to the Corporate Seal. [10/74]
• A.14(2)M MSP to appoint Bob Spence as chairman of the Fan Redesign Committee, which is also being established, and that the goal of the committee (as suggested by Freff) was that it be for better or worse. [8/79]
• A.14(3)M George Flynn, in his never-ending quest for the perfect printed page, has noted that NESFA's Reputation and History has been slurred and slewed [in various reference books. It was] therefore moved that a committee be appointed to not write that history, and to not do such other things as it sees fit; further, that that committee consist of all Regular Members with the exception of Leslie Turek (on the grounds that she is a compulsive worker, and won't leave anything alone!). This motion was seconded, debated, and amended to include Leslie, provided that she promise faithfully not to do anything. MSP. [7/80]
  [In spite of the above motion, a real position of "Historian" was established in 5/81 and abolished in 9/83, nothing of significance having been done in the interim. Earlier, Joe Ross served as NESFA Historian in 1971-72 and actually produced one chapter of the history of NESFA.]
• A.14(4)M MSPU (proposed by Sue Hammond) that she be made a Cookie Committee. ... MSPU (proposed by Rick Katze) to have the Cookie Committee report right after the President in the queue. [4/82]
  Sue Hammond [said] she'd been doing Cookie Committee for 3 years now and wished to be retired. MSP (Sue Hammond) that the Standing Rule be changed and that Sue Lichauco be made the Rookie Committee. [5/85]
• A.14(5)M [Ann McCutchen reported on ordering 300 pounds of chocolate for NESFAns through Martin Minow.] MSPU (proposed by Tom Galloway) to appoint a Chocolate Committee with Martin Minow as chair. [1/83]
• A.14(6)M The Chair stated that he had received a request to begin a Brighton [in '89] Liaison report. ... MSP to include the Brighton Liaison report with future business meeting committee reports. [4/83]
• A.14(7)M Don Eastlake III suggested that we sometime consider having a NESFA uniform. ... MS to establish an ad hoc committee to be set up to investigate the procurement and specifications of NESFA uniforms. Bob Knowlden begged for epaulettes. MS to amend to put the procurement of uniforms under the administration of the Doodad Committee. Joe Rico said he was too fatigued to discuss this. Jim Turner thought uniform acquisition should be done in conjunction with Fan Production, which produces uniform NESFen. ... The amendment failed 14 to 11. Discussion now returned to the main motion. Tony Lewis admonished people to pay attention as this was silly. ... The motion passed.

  [1/84. By the next month the committee was reporting as the "Uniformity Committee," though this name was never formally approved. The Doodad Committee, by the way, was a (mostly) serious ad-hoc committee which arranged for the production of NESFA decals in 1983-84. While NESFA uniforms have still not been procured, in 3/87 it was voted to purchase for the Clubhouse Ann Chancellor's artwork depicting such uniforms.]

• A.14(8) MSP (Rich Ferree): Whereas some persons in NESFA are unable to distinguish other persons from Frank Richards, and
  Whereas I myself was addressed as Frank by the Chair during a recent business meeting,
  MOVED:
  • 1) to create a new ad-hoc committee to be named "The Special Select Ad-Hoc NESFA Committee for the Study of Frankuality."
  • 2) the purposes of The Special Select Ad-Hoc NESFA Committee for the Study of Frankuality shall include, but not be limited to:
    • a) the publication of a complete, definitive history of Frankuality throughout the world in the next Proper Boskonian,
    • b) the answers to the following questions and any other they deem appropriate:
      • i) What is Frankuality?
      • ii) Does Frankuality come from Philadelphia? If not, where does it come from?
      • iii) Is Frankuality desirable? If so, for whom?
      • iv) Can Frankuality be sold profitably through NESFA Sales?
      • v) Should Frankuality be pun-fined?
  • 3) the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of The Special Select Ad-Hoc NESFA Committee for the Study of Frankuality shall be Larry Feldbaum and Gary Gelfand, respectively.
  • 4) all other Franks shall be on The Special Select Ad-Hoc NESFA Committee for the Study of Frankuality.
  [5/85]
• A.14(9)M There shall be a position known as Charwoman of NESFA. The person who takes this position shall be known as "Mrs. 'Arris" during his or her tenancy. [7/86]
  President: The post of Charwoman is abolished. Keeping the Clubhouse clean is the responsibility of all Members. [8/87. Announced as a fiat, but presumably consented to by the Membership.]
• A.14(10)M MS (Suford Lewis): Whereas I have a Mac with a 1200-baud modem and 2 communications utilities and want to at least be able to talk to the Eastlakes' Mac; whereas increasing capability exists for both machines; whereas this capability can significantly aid NESFA activities such as Index, Book, and PB production, even the Apa, etc.; whereas the main difficulty to be overcome is simply knowledge of procedures and requirements: It is proposed that NESFA establish RETICULA NESFAE -- the NESFA Net (to be referred to as RN) -- and an administrator to determine or publish requirements and procedures and liaison with NESFA activities that can use the RN as a resource, to be known as the RETICULARIUS. I volunteer to publish and report whatever I find out about requirements, procedures, compatibilities to, from, by, etc. RN stuff.
  MS (Frank Richards): to amend to propose Suford as RETICULARIA. This was accepted as a Friendly Amendment. The amended motion passed 15 to 6. [4/87]
• A.15 Miscellaneous
• A.15(1)M MSP to write to Sunsweet Prunes [one of the sponsors of Star Trek] to inform them of the fact that their prunes were served at NESFA meetings. [2/68]
• A.15(2)M It was moved and seconded that Drew Whyte actually grow a beard and mustache "like that" (he was wearing a fake one). The motion was passed by acclamation except for Harter, who objected on the principle that too many motions are passing unanimously. [10/69. This may be the first recorded instance of "Hartering."]
• A.15(3)M Ellen Franklin gave a graphic description of the newly renovated Republic Ballroom and the Grand Ballroom at the Sheraton. Apparently the style is early multi-color clash augmented by hundreds of light sabers hung from the ceiling and mirrors. It was then MSP to include dramamine in the First Aid kit. [1/78]
• A.15(4)M Michael J. Ward, a charter Member of NESFA, suggested: "... an award, to be given each year to that NESFAn who has contributed in some particular and exceptional way to the success of the organization. I suggest further that this award be known as the 'Lewis'." [He also sent a "small statue" -- actually a model kit of "Oddjob" -- which he claimed resembled Tony Lewis.] Suford asked to call it something other than just the "Lewis." The motion to accept this award suggestion unanimously passed with one objection. [11/80]
• A.15(5)M Bill Desmond said that at Boskone he became aware of a new group, the EN, "Enemy of NESFA." He wants to apply to become a member of this new NESFA order. Since he is already an FN (Fellow of NESFA), he would thus become a FEN. MSP (proposed by Bill Desmond) that he become NESFA's first FEN. Mark Olson suggested that all FEN should consult with the NESFA Acronym Committee. [3/82]
• A.15(6)M People noticed that Leslie Turek had pinned to her green turtleneck jersey two green buttons which said "N = Infinity -- The Massachusetts Horror" (blamed on Steve Rosenstein) and "Noreascon Is Forever" (attributable to Louise Sachter). Mark Olson said Nancy Lebowitz had made up some of the buttons and will have them at Boskone. MSP to ask Nancy Lebowitz to make these buttons stock items. [11/82]
• A.15(7)M Rick Katze announced that he and Chip Hitchcock [had each won two bridge trophies, which] were displayed. MS (proposed by Jim Turner) that Rick and Chip chair any future bidding committees. It was determined that anyone who voted for this motion would be punfined. The motion passed 1 to 0. [12/82]
• A.15(8)M Dave Cantor noted that Drew Whyte has not visited us lately, but Skip Morris has. Therefore, he would like to redefine the unit of tardiness. MSP to redefine the unit of tardiness as the "Skip." Now the Drew has only one definition. [10/84. However, "Drew" was never previously used as a unit of tardiness.]
• A.15(9)M MS (Rich Ferree) to replace the blue whoopee cushion toilet seat in the rear bathroom with a donated hard lilac toilet seat. MSF (the Clerk) to go into Committee of the Hole. [After much increasingly silly debate] the motion failed. MSP (Tony Lewis) for a roll-call vote. The motion passed 10 to 9 in favor of the lilac seat. [10/86]
• A.15(10)E The Exec Board decided to accept a bet from the Lunarians: If the Red Sox win the World Series, the Lunarians will take out an ad in our Boskone Program Book congratulating the team; if the Mets win, NESFA places an ad in the Lunacon Program Book commending their success. [10/86; unfortunately, the Mets won.]
• A.15(11)M George Flynn mentioned that the latest File 770's lead story was "NESFA GIVES LASFS THE SHAFT." George was informed that he should be punfined ... [and] MSH that George Flynn write a love letter to Mike Glyer. [2/87. The saga of The Shaft is not included here, since it is well known that NESFA had nothing to do with it.]
• A.15(12)M MSP to declare the spruce an honorary pine. [11/88. This was part of the debate on amending the By-Laws to have "fringies" on the tree in the NESFA shield; the By-Law amendments were defeated, and we are thus saved from having to explicate this perennial issue in full. In brief, though... To quote the remarks of the legendary Frank Richards opening this particular debate, "the controversy lies in whether 'a pinetree proper' [By-Laws, Section 10.7(a)] merely requires authentic coloration and allows the use of a stylized but recognizable shape, or whether a photorealistic picture of a pine tree is required. ... [After a display of slides of assorted conifers:] the tree currently represented on the NESFA arms is not a pine tree, ... it is a spruce or possibly a balsam fir." It was thus proposed to include "fringies" on the NESFA arms, to make the tree depicted more nearly resemble the Platonic ideal of a generic conifer; this failed, as did other motions to replace "pine" with "spruce," "larch," "artificial Christmas tree," or "white artificial non-denominational-holiday-falling-in-December tree." See IM 447, 449, and 452 for further horrifying details. Cf. also Section 5.5(1), which emerged from the same debate.]
• A.15(13)M MSP to ban watermelons from the Clubhouse (except that whole watermelons may be transported through the Clubhouse), unless the person bringing them in cleans the area up afterwards. [8/89; the serious core of this motion arose because Leslie Turek "had to clean off a table that was very messy with watermelon residue." An attempt to classify the zucchini as a watermelon failed.]
• A.15(14)M (Ben Yalow) I'm surprised that no one has introduced a motion that we drool over the remarkable Gestetner copier [costing over $8000] exhibited at Noreascon 3. MSP (Dave Cantor) that we drool over said Gestetner. [9/89]
• A.15(15)M MSP (Monty Wells) to designate Sharon Sbarsky's front porch as an honorary NESFA Clubhouse annex. [3/93]
• A.15(16)M Box G has been changed to Box 390047 (or something like that) "for our convenience." MSPU to censure the USPS for aborting the Box G debate. [11/93: The "Box G debate" was presumably on whether or not to abandon it.]
• A.15(17)M Dave Cantor requested transfer to Inactive status retroactive to Groundhog Day. The Rules Committee Chair said this was probably not in order, but that we'd do it anyway. MSP that Dave C. be a groundhog for six weeks. Oh, yeah, his request was also granted. [2/94]
• A.15(18)M NESFA renders a vote of sympathy to Ben Yalow on the tearing down of the Cyclone roller coaster at Coney Island. [6/07]
• A.15(19)E Mark and Lisa Hertel, who were scheduled to be in Montreal the following weekend to attend a con, were appointed as our official bounty hunters to collect the pun fines owed by Teddy Harvia, temporarily working in Montreal. [10/97]
• A.15(20)M Tony Lewis was appointed sole member of a standing committee to supply Mr. Harter with a miidle name each month. For November, 1997, the name chosen was "Winthrop". [11/97] The following month, the Business meeting ruled that his name was "Mr. Richard Theodore McElsee". For 7/98, the middle name chosen as "Stribling".
• A.15(21)M Lis's dog Addy was voted an honorary cat at a previous meeting; however, this was not reported, and Addy is mortally offended. [7/07]
• A.15(22)M (In the context of Nomi & Michael Burstein having twin girls without seeking permission) MSP that they be required to name the girls "Bunny" and "Novellette." [7/09]
• A.15(23)M MSP (Davey Snyder) to appoint Dave Cantor as the official NESFA groundhog. [2/98: This was reported as "woodchuck", but both Davey Snyder and Dave Cantor assert that "woodchuck" was never mentioned. The word was "groundhog".]
• A.15(24)F (David A. Cantor, FN, official groundhog): All requests for Groundhog predictions should be submitted to the Groundhog no later than sunset, 1 February for opinions to be rendered the morning of 2 February. [3/00]
• A.15(25)M (David A. Cantor, FN, official groundhog): Dave requested (demanded?) that he be allowed to resign his role as official groundhog. The Clerk (Rick Katze), attempting to be funny, recorded it as no resolution, but in fact, a motion did carry that Dave C. be allowed to stop being a groundhog. [2/09]
• A.15(26)F NESFA Press: We formally define the two similar, but different, NESFA words "george" and "georgify". To george something means to have George [Flynn] proofread it. Something is georgified if it has been submitted to George to see if we're doing the right thing. [12/02]