7. VCON Bid Requirements and Procedures
8. Convention Reporting Requirements to WCSFA
10. Cancelling Sponsorship of a Convention
11. Records of Past Conventions
Appendix A: Categories for Accounting
Appendix C: Duties of WCSFA Directors
All of this is what we call "The Bylaws." It's not our "Constitution." The "Constitution" is a very simple statement which is filed with the Societies (Companies) Branch of the Provincial Government in Victoria. We operate by the Bylaws because it's simpler, easier to change and less expensive (we don't want to pay to register every change we make with Victoria and we can use looser rules than are usual.)
Under the Bylaws, decisions can be made at Meetings by a simple majority (51%) of the Members attending that Meeting. There is no quorum (minimum number of people attending.) Many members who like to come to conventions don't like to come to meetings, but WCSFA's business needs to be done anyway with those who are willing to attend. Any decision made at a meeting can change the Bylaws; if it's unpopular, it can be changed back at another meeting (except for the three rules: that we operate by the bylaws, that there is no quorum, and that motions require only a simple majority.)
a) To foster and encourage interest, involvement and participation in Science Fiction and Fantasy in British Columbia,
b) To sponsor conventions to further purpose a),
c) To enable persons and groups to share information about Science Fiction and Fantasy in British Columbia and about the running of conventions,
d) To educate the general public as to the significance of Science Fiction and Fantasy.
a) To provide legal protection for standing committees (WCSFA-sponsored conventions) in case of financial or legal calamity,
b) To monitor WCSFA-sponsored conventions to ensure they follow financially sound practices,
c) To set policies and procedures which will help conventions run smoothly and successfully,
d) To act in an advisory capacity to conventions and as a repository of information and expertise on convention-running,
e) To liaise with other convention coordinating committees in the region to gain their assistance and expertise,
f) To reserve facilities several years in advance (as necessary) so that VCON is assured of an available venue on its usual weekend,
g) To keep track of WCSFA and convention inventory such as art show panels and computers,
h) To ensure maintenance of a membership database,
i) To have fun.
a.) WCSFA members are people who have been members of the most recent WCSFA-sponsored convention (usually VCON) or have bought (or are given) a membership in the next upcoming convention. (This includes all Guests and Dealers.)
b) There is no charge for a WCSFA membership.
c) A WCSFA member is entitled to run for WCSFA executive positions, vote at WCSFA general meetings and be a member of a WCSFA-sponsored convention committee.
a.) WCSFA has ten positions on its Board of Directors: (President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer, VCON Representative (the Chair of the current ConCom), the WCSFA Archivist and five Members at Large.
b.) The President, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, and the five Members at Large are elected positions; the VCON Representative is the Chair of the current ConCom, chosen by the Committee and the WCSFA Archivist is an appointed position.
c.) The Vice-President shall act as the Hotel Liaison on the ConCom and shall sign the Hotel contract on behalf of WCSFA.
a.) It is a conflict of interest for the WCSFA President to be the Chair of the current ConCom or to be in charge of a department of the current ConCom.
b.) No person may hold more than one Director's position on the WCSFA Board of Directors.
Elections take place at the Annual General Meeting normally held at the VCON convention.
Voting will be by secret ballot. Members of the Board of Directors shall be elected by a simple majority of the WCSFA Members present.
The Chair of a WCSFA-sponsored convention committee is chosen by the members of the convention committee.
If one of the Board Directors resigns during his or her term of office, the President, with the approval of the other WCSFA Directors, shall appoint a temporary replacement subject to the approval of the next general meeting.
It is recommended that candidates for the WCSFA Board of Directors have some or all of the following experience:
Any ten members of WCSFA plus any two WCSFA Directors may call a Special General Meeting for the purpose of reviewing the performance of the WCSFA Board of Directors. This meeting may be empowered to require the resignation of the Directors and to call a new election within six weeks. The meeting shall also be empowered to appoint an interim Board of Directors to manage WCSFA until the election is held.
Anyone who is responsible for making decisions about spending WCSFA funds or using WCSFA property, or who is publicly published as being a member of a WCSFA-sponsored convention committee must be a WCSFA member. Hence. all convention committee members holding major or responsible positions must be members of WCSFA. Major positions include all those outlined in Section 7 a) and everyone listed as a member of the convention committee in the convention's published literature, i.e. program book and progress reports.
Except for the reporting requirements (see Section 8 below), convention committees operate independently and WCSFA is not normally involved in their day-to-day operations.
A committee list with the names of at least five competent and experienced people who will assume responsibility for the convention. These five people must include the Chair, Treasurer, and Hotel Liaison, plus any of the following department heads:
A realistic, written, preliminary budget for the convention (samples from previous years and assistance will be provided by WCSFA in advance if requested.)
One or both of the following:
i. Name(s) of prospective Guest(s) of Honour who have indicated they can attend, and estimated expenses of bringing them,
ii. A theme for the convention, and suggested programming to go with that theme.
A letter of intent from a facility prepared to host an appropriate-sized convention on the indicated weekend.
A start-up fund of $500 (which may include a deposit already made on a convention facility) to be used for initial costs if the bid is accepted. Note: It is recommended that this fund be acquired by fund-raising and contributions by supporters (i.e. pre-supporting memberships.) As well as providing seed money, this will give the bid committee an opportunity to work together and demonstrate their organisational skills, and will gauge the support within the local fan community for the bid.
WCSFA should call for bids at least four months in advance of the previous VCON by placing an announcement in BCSFAzine which includes the dates of relevant upcoming meetings. WCSFA shall provide copies of the Bylaws and any other relevant documents to announced bid committees. Prior to the general membership meeting, the bid committee(s) shall meet with the WCSFA Directors, and the Directors shall formulate a recommendation to take to the general membership meeting.
The vote will be taken at a general membership meeting to be held at least three weeks before the current year's VCON (so that flyers can be distributed and memberships sold at the current convention.) The WCSFA executive shall make a recommendation to the general membership, and then all members of WCSFA in good standing who are in attendance at the meeting shall be eligible to vote.
If the WCSFA executive feels that no acceptable VCON bid is forthcoming, they may recommend that no convention be held the next year unless an acceptable bid is presented within four months of the current year's VCON. In the event of a late bid, another general membership meeting and vote shall be called.
The motion to accept a VCON bid shall read: "WCSFA hereby agrees to sponsor the (name) convention, to be held (date) at (site) and run by (names of five bid committee members)."
Within three months after the acceptance of the bid, the convention committee shall give to WCSFA a copy of a signed contract or letter of intent between VCON and the facility at which the convention is to be held. The contract must include: function space rates; guest room rates; amounts to be charged for taxes, additional fees and any other services the convention might require (i.e. set-up or rooms, food service); other items as requested by WCSFA.
Note: It is recommended that the committee consult with WCSFA on the contents of the contract before signing it.
Written progress reports must be delivered to WCSFA at the following times: nine months before the convention, six months before, three months before, and one month before. On the case of a May convention that would be August, November, February, and April). They must include:
a) A complete financial statement including the projected number of attendees required to break-even,
b) Current number of registered members,
c) Status of Guests of Honour (i.e. who are they and have they confirmed that they will be in attendance?),
d) Status of hotel contract,
e) Current committee membership list.
The convention must present WCSFA with a final financial statement within four months of the convention (so that WCSFA can meet its own reporting requirements to the Provincial government.)
WCSFA was not created to protect club or committee members from responsibility for their actions or the debts they incur to people or businesses that have dealt with them In good faith. WCSFA exists to protect Individuals from liability for catastrophic debts or events which they could not have foreseen and therefore cannot reasonably be assumed to be responsible for.
VCON is a non-profit event run on a very limited budget by volunteers who are working for the fun of It, and who do not expect to be reimbursed for every single expense they incur. People who hold major positions on convention committees must be aware that doing so will cost them a certain amount of money as well as time.
VCON's policy is to try and minimise the cost of the convention for attendees (i.e. membership rates and room rates) so that we do not make the convention prohibitively expensive to people with limited Incomes. While it is reasonable for members to subsidise the costs of bringing Guests of Honour to Vancouver, it is not the Intention of VCON to have a large category of members who are "more equal" than everybody else – whose memberships and other expenses are paid for out of other people's pockets.
WCSFA's fiscal year is November 30 to November 29. Because of Provincial reporting requirements. BCSFA must either keep the same fiscal year, or provide a financial report each September 30 that includes information for all of WCSFA's fiscal year.
There shall be at least three signing officers for all bank accounts, and two signatures shall be required on all cheques.
i. WCSFA: The signing officers shall be the Treasurer and any two other Executive Directors.
ii. Conventions: The signing officers shall be the WCSFA Treasurer, the convention Chair, and the convention Treasurer.
WCSFA and convention accounts may be located at different branches, but shall all be kept with the same bank or financial institution to facilitate funds transfer and record keeping.
A standardised chart of accounts (see Appendix A) shall be maintained by WCSFA and used by all conventions in order to allow comparison and analysis of convention expenses and income from year to year. Convention accounting and membership records shall be kept in Microsoft Works (any version) for ease of transferring records from one convention to the next.
Most details of accounting policies and acceptable expenditures are contained in the appendices of this document and are mainly of interest only to the WCSFA and VCON treasurers. However, due to repeated misunderstandings and instances of disastrous over-spending, we are including the guidelines for unacceptable expenses here. If a convention committee wishes to spend funds on an item that is considered unacceptable under these WCSFA guidelines, they have two options:
Please note that these guidelines are not intended to be carved In stone and WCSFA will consider any reasonable requests for exceptions.
The following expenses are not considered acceptable. and will not be paid by WCSFA or any convention operating under WCSFA's sponsorship:
i. Travel to and Membership in Other Conventions
Convention committee members who travel to other conventions for the purpose of publicizing our convention must do so at their own expense. Our convention will not pay for:
ii. Promotional Parties
Promotional parties at other conventions rarely bring in memberships and hence should be limited to a maximum net expenditure of $50 per convention. Donations should be strongly encouraged from party attendees with the goal of keeping the cost down. The cost of the guest room in which the party is held is not an acceptable expense. In cases where WCSFA Is sponsoring a large regional convention (i.e. Westercon) and expenses are unusually high, the convention committee shall present WCSFA with a complete promotional budget for approval.
iii. Committee meetings and other functions
Food and beverages consumed during committee meetings, work parties, etc. are not a legitimate expense, and must be paid for by the people in attendance at these functions. The exception to this rule is one post-convention committee party following a financially successful convention, at which committee members traditionally consume convention leftovers (i.e. beer) and/or spend a small sum on food and beverages.
iv. Free memberships
Convention committee members and other people who work on the convention are not eligible for free memberships. However, at the discretion of the committee, they may be offered the lowest advance membership rate for up to six months before the convention. Free memberships are only given to the categories of people listed in Appendix B.
Free memberships must be kept to a minimum. A ratio higher than 1 free membership (not Including children) to 8 paid memberships Is not acceptable. Too many free memberships place a strain on the convention's finances and an undue burden on the people who are paying for their memberships.
v. Free liquor for convention members
Providing free alcoholic drinks is inequitable to minors and non-drinkers and a potential source of trouble. The exceptions to this rule are the Guests of Honour, whose drinks in Hospitality are traditionally paid for by the convention.
vi. Cheque Signings
Cheques may not be written to "cash."
All WCSFA memberships shall be paid directly to WCSFA. Rates shall be decided by vote of the general membership. WCSFA is liable, to the limit of its resources, for the debts of WCSFA-sponsored conventions. Similarly, surpluses accruing from conventions must be turned over to WCSFA to be used for funding other standing committees, maintaining an emergency reserve fund, and buying equipment required by the organisation. WCSFA capital expenditures of over $1,000 require approval of a general membership meeting.
If the WCSFA Directors are concerned about the performance of a convention committee. they shall meet with the convention committee and attempt to resolve problems. WCSFA shall only interfere directly in the operation of a convention as a last resort.
WCSFA reserves the right to replace the Chair and/or other members of the convention committee in the event that they are not able or willing to perform their duties. For WCSFA to replace a convention chair or other member(s) of a committee, a vote of a Special General Meeting is required.
The WCSFA Directors may call a Special General Meeting and introduce a motion to cancel sponsorship of any convention if they feel that the convention committee is being grossly negligent, i.e. has failed to render a hotel contract or quarterly financial statements, or has repeatedly contravened spending guidelines described herein. If WCSFA cancels sponsorship of a convention they must notify the following people in writing:
a) The executive members of the convention committee,
b) The facility at which the convention is to be held,
c) Any individuals or organisations with whom the convention committee is known to be having significant financial dealings,
d) A notice must be placed in BCSFAzine and other major clubzines/fanzines in the Pacific Northwest (i.e. Westwind, Pulsar),
e) Place public notices as required by law.
After a convention is held, the committee shall make two copies of the following records, and give one copy to the next convention committee, and one copy to the WCSFA archives:
a) Membership list (including addresses),
b) List(s) of Artists, Dealers, and Guests,
c) Financial statements, progress reports, program book, final report, and all forms (i.e. art show sheets),
d) The contract with the facility,
e) The final facility bill,
f) Anything else that seems helpful or appropriate.
Expenses:
Income:
Free memberships will only be given out to the following people:
Normally, there should be no more than five Guests of Honour, and preferably four or fewer.)
GoHs receive free memberships for their children and one free membership for an 'escort', i.e. spouse or friend. Additional memberships are as for Guests of Professionals (item d).
A small number of professional authors and artists may receive free memberships. Professionals are defined as:
i) Full members of SFWA
ii) Writers who have published one or more SF or Fantasy novels, or non-fiction books on an SF or Fantasy topic.
iii) Professional artists who are widely recognised and make a substantial portion of theIr income from SF and Fantasy related artwork.
iv) Editors and publishers of professional SF/Fantasy magazines or books.
Professionals may be offered one additional membership for an 'escort' at half the current membership rate. (For children that would be half of half price.)
Lecturers or panelists who have been invited to make a special presentation at the convention and who would not otherwise be attendIng the convention.
Reporters from recognised media outlets who would not otherwise be in attendance at the convention.
It is a traditional public relations policy for the convention to invite hotel or convention centre staff who are working during the convention to attend the convention for free. If they are not wearing a uniform or facility name tag, they may be issued a convention badge.
A necessary attendant of a disabled person, i.e. sign language interpreter or wheelchair attendant.
The committee may, by a general vote, decide to offer free memberships to up to five guests who do not fall into any of the above categories.
Note: Again, conventions should not be giving out more than one in eight free memberships (based on realistic projections of total attendance and not including small children.)
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