THE LOWDOWN ON
by DICK CLARKSON
Project Fanclub is to put it simply, Orv Mosher III's pet name for the booklet he plans to publish -- about January or February of 1953 -- to be called "How to Form a Science-Fiction Fanclub." This booklet will cover all aspects of forming and maintaining a s-f fanclub in a vastly informative and neatly mimeographed form, chuck full of hints, information, and answers to any conceivable problem that might pop up.
It all began just over a year ago. Orv got together with Shelby Vick and Nan Gerding, and they began getting information from the various fan groups on how each club treated different situations, from meeting dates and frequencies to discussion topics.
Sometime last January, yours truly came onto the scene, which was by then beginning to roll. After Orv and I had traded letters for a couple of months, Project Fanclub made me its publicity editor, and so here I am. And this is how it all shapes up to me:
Project Fanclub is bound to do a lot of good in the places where it counts. With information which has been gathered from all over the United States, and with what we hope will come from overseas -- England and Australia -- soon, Orv will have an answer to just about any question or problem you could possibly dream up. To give you an illustration, Orv has what he refers to as "test tubes."
These test-tubes are fanclubs which, for one reason or another, need help either in getting started or in maintaining the group. There are none of these altogether. The idea behind the test-tubes is twofold: One, to help out these clubs, and two, to get reactions and a general impression as to how well the booklet and the information will succeed upon publication.
Orv has been giving out to these test clubs all the data we have accumulated, in advance of the date of the booklet's printing. The success has been unbelievable! In one particular case, a fan organization had but five members when Project Fanclub and Orv stepped in, and the group was still just an idea in the heads of those five fen. With our aid, that group grew until it is now a statewide organization. Others have all shown similar progress. What more proof do you need? But still we need help and ideas. Those we leave to you .... yeah, YOU. You who belong to a successful fan group can help out others like the test-tubes by giving your answers to our questionnaire. That's all we're asking you for, but we're going to give you a lot in return. You, will, of course, get a free copy of our booklet as soon as it comes off the presses. Also, your name and the name of your fan-club will be mentioned -- egoboo! Plus the knowledge that you've done a lot of good to dozens of other fans and fan-clubs. For the mere answering of a questionnaire, what more could you possibly want?
And we have yet more to offer. If you'll contact either myself or Orv Mosher III (Orv is at 1728 Mayfair, Emporia, Kansas, and my address is 410 Kensington Road, Baltimore 29, Maryland), either one of us will be glad to give you more info; and some of that might well knock you right off your feet.
So c'mon .... get the lead out! We need to hear from YOU. Sidle up to that typer over there, siddown, cross your legs, and give!
(Data entered by Judy Bemis)