Welcome

Hello everyone. Welcome to this month's newsletter from the BSFA. Welcome to our new members too.

Apologies for the delay with this month's newsletter. Real life got in the way a little, but we're getting back on track now.

The BSFA AGM 2020 will be held online, on the BSFA Discord Server on the 23rd of August at 2.30pm. If you are a BSFA member, you are entitled and invited to attend.

The Agenda for the AGM is available here as a PDF

I have also included the details below.

BSFA Annual General Meeting

23^rd of August at 2.30pm until 5.30pm. To be held online.

Discord Link - https://discord.gg/hfaHTWV

Agenda

1. Chair’s Report.

2. Proposal of New Constitution.

New Constitution Proposal (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CLsAdk_78wlghU0oi_5O0Qy6T3lmU9vv/view?usp=sharing)

Old Constitution Original (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ImXd3RQtTK_SJ4M8YTA2ZOtnQOZOyTWc/view?usp=sharing)

Old Constitution (OCR) - https://drive.google.com/file/d/148CfS2lTQrV5L_up6yLNdnWuvj3-gE7s/view?usp=sharing

Guide to New Constitution Changes (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Wj-OKX33yhBeSJj277B_EmbSWI_rQJtu/view?usp=sharing)

The new constitution is being proposed for adoption and acceptance by the Association with immediate effect.

3. Submission of BSFA Accounts.

Agenda item to be led by the BSFA Treasurer.

4. Nomination and Election of Membership Officer – Luke Nicklin.

Elected a BSFA Councillor under a temporary mandate at the EGM. Luke Nicklin has been performing the duties of the membership officer over the last six months and is overseeing the transition to the new website and new database.

5. Nomination and Election of other roles.

These roles to be specified as indicated.

6. The BSFA President.

7. Diversity and Anti-Racism Motions. Proposed by Jo Lindsay Walton.

Introductory document: (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NLK7OPP5djoJfQ9dVO9d84WfdjQlSfGk/view?usp=sharing)

List of motions under item 7:

i) This Association resolves to offer support-in-kind to BAME fans of science fiction.

ii) This Association resolves to offer financial support to BAME convention-goers.

iii) This Association resolves to consult with BAME members of the UK science fiction community.

iv) This Association resolves to create the role of Diversity Officer, and for this to be an elected role.

v) This Association resolves to make charitable donations to anti-racist causes.

8. Proposals of Thanks and Acknowledgements

9. Any Other Business.

We will be conducting business using Discord's audio channel, with a text chat channel also available for members to ask questions if they would prefer to type rather than speak.

We will be using a dot system (..) to recognise members when they want to ask a question and we will be recording the proceedings for ease of producing the minutes afterwards.

By now you should have received your copy of the latest issue of Vector - issue 291. If you have not received this, please contact Chair@BSFA.co.uk and we will endeavour to resolve this.

After some stock re--organisation over the Summer, the BSFA is now able to offer some of its back issues to members who may not have received them. This sometimes happens when an address is wrong or a member joined or renewed their membership just after the address list has been sent to the printers.

Currently, the following issues are available:

Focus 69

Vector 291 (Current)

Vector 290

& Vector 289

We will also look to order more issues if needed.

If you are a BSFA member and would like to receive one of these issues, as you didn't receive it before, please email chair@bsfa.co.uk and we will get a copy sent out to you.

If you would like to read more of the Vector archive, these are available from FANAC here.

FANAC has also begun cataloging BSFA Matrix here.

As mentioned last month, we are in the process of updating the BSFA Database into a system that is directly integrated with the new BSFA website. Some of the pages are now ready and hopefully, in the next couple of months we will be ready to switch over the main site to the new system. 

The website should allow you as members to access more information, such as updating your own details through the site and accessing a dedicated members area, which we will begin working on soon.