The Bova Referendum

President's Message

There is no way this one can be short.

The votes are in, the members have spoken. To summarize:

1. Requalification was voted down by better than a 2.5 to 1 margin. Once a member, always a member.

2. The name of this organization is now Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFFWA). How to pronounce this acronym is up to you.

3. The Bylaws will be amended to insert the words and fantasy into Article XI, Section 1.

4. Service to SFFWA, art work, comic books, graphic novels, electronically published fiction, games, nonfiction, overseas sales, and poetry are NOT acceptable as qualifying for Active membership.

5. Dramatic scripts, fantasy, and horror ARE acceptable.

6. There will be no creation of a category of membership called Fellows.

Five hundred seventy-five valid ballots were received, although not every question was voted upon in every ballot. Several ballots were unsigned, and thus were not counted; they made no difference in the voting. On questions involving a change in the Bylaws (questions 1, 16, 17 and 18) a quorum of one-third of the Active members was required; in each of those questions a quorum voted.

Reproduced below are the questions on the ballot, with the actual vote counts inserted in the proper places:

Article IV, Section 2(a), of the SFWA Bylaws shall be amended as follows:

1. Only science fiction and other prose fiction of a related genre, in the English language, shall be considered as qualifying for Active membership. One professionally published book, one professionally produced script, or three professionally published pieces of short fiction shall be required for Active membership. (Unanimous.)

1.a. Collaborations between two persons shall be counted half: i.e., two such professionally published books are required. Collaborations among more persons than two shall not be considered, (Con: Pournelle. Abstain: Kube-McDowell.)

1.b. Small press publications shall not be considered. (Unanimous.)

1.b.1. Book publishers not listed in Literary Market Place shall be defined as small presses. (Unanimous.)

1.b.2. Periodicals paying less than three cents ($0.03) per word shall be defined as issuing from small presses. (Unanimous.)

1.c. The Membership Committee may, at its discretion, award Active membership to not-presently Active members on basis of need. Such Active memberships shall revert immediately when, in the judgment of the Membership Committee, the need no longer exists. (Con: Ore.)

1.d. The names, addresses, and qualifications of new Active members shall be published promptly in the Bulletin. (Unanimous.)

1. YES: 422 NO:167

2. Permanent Active membership shall automatically be awarded to all Nebula Grand Masters and Past Presidents. It may be suspended for nonpayment of dues. (Unanimous.)

2. YES: 414 NO: 173

3. Permanent Active members excepted, Active members shall be subject to requalification at the discretion of the Membership Committee after three years. Requalification shall be granted automatically to those Active members who, at the time their qualifications are examined, have a qualifying book in stock in the U.S. Those who do not may be asked to show to the satisfaction of the Membership Committee that they remain Active writers of science fiction or a related qualifying genre. In all cases, new work which would be accepted for new membership shall likewise be accepted for requalification. Active members subject to requalification who do not requalify shall be removed from Active membership and reclassified. (Abstain: Pournelle.)

3.a. No announcement of automatic requalifications shall be made. (Unanimous.)

3.b. The names, addresses, and new qualifications of other requalifying members shall be published promptly in the Bulletin. (Con: Kube-McDowell.)

3.c. No announcements of reclassifications shall be made. (Abstain: Pohl.)

3. YES: 161 NO: 413

4. Dramatic scripts are acceptable as qualifying for Active membership. (Pro: Bethke, Ore, Wolfe. Con: Kube-McDowell, Ore, Pournelle.)

4. YES: 432 NO: 155

5. Service to SFWA is acceptable as qualifying for Active membership. (Pro: Bethke, Pohl, Wolfe. Con: Kube-McDowell, Ore, Pournelle.)

5. YES: 215 NO: 375

6. Fantasy is acceptable as qualifying for Active membership. (Pro: Bethke, Kube-McDowell, Ore, Pournelle, Wolfe. Con: Pohl.)

6. YES: 548 NO: 52

7. Art is NOT acceptable as qualifying for Active membership. (Unanimous.)

7. YES: 490 NO: 103

8. Comic Books are NOT acceptable as qualifying for Active membership. (Unan.)

8. YES: 397 NO: 187

9. Graphic Novels are NOT acceptable as qualifying for Active membership. (Pro: Bethke, Kube-McDowell, Pohl, Wolfe. Con: Ore, Pournelle.)

9. YES: 292 NO: 278

10. Electronically Published Fiction is NOT acceptable as qualifying for Active membership. (Pro: Bethke, Pohl, Pournelle, Wolfe. Con: Kube-McDowell, Ore.)

10. YES: 286 NO: 274

11. Games are NOT acceptable as qualifying for Active membership. (Unanimous.)

11. YES: 434 NO: 150

12. Horror is NOT acceptable as qualifying for Active membership. (Pro: Ore, Pohl, Pournelle, Wolfe. Con: Bethke, Kube- McDowell.)

12. YES: 242 NO: 345

13. Nonfiction is NOT acceptable as qualifying for Active membership. (Unanimous.)

13. YES: 452 NO: 141

14. Overseas sales are NOT acceptable as qualifying for Active membership. (Unan.)

14. YES: 315 NO: 263

15. Poetry is NOT acceptable as qualifying for Active membership. (Pro: Bethke, Ore, Pohl, Wolfe. Con: Kube-McDowell, Pournelle.)

15. YES: 303 NO: 274

The motions made in the April 1991 Forum by Jerry Pournelle, et al. are withdrawn, except for the following:

16. Article IV of the SFWA Bylaws is hereby amended by insertion of the following section which shall be appropriately numbered:

Section y. Follows of the Science Fiction Writers of America: The original Fellows of the organization shall consist of the Grand Masters and the former Presidents. Thereafter Fellows shall be those persons voted into Fellowship by a majority of the Fellows voting, provided that a majority of the Fellows vote. Any Fellow who fails to vote in three successive elections of members to Fellowship may be deemed to have resigned from the Fellows, and by vote of the Membership Committee such person shall revert to Active Membership.

Nomination to Fellowship may be made by the President, the Membership Committee, or by petition of five Fellows.

Dues rates for Fellows as set by the Fellows may be different from the general dues but shall not be lower than the dues of Active Members.

The President may from time to time consult and ask advice of the Fellows on matters of importance to the organization.

Fellows shall have all the privileges of Active membership and shall not be required to submit credentials for membership renewal. Fellows may append the letters FSFWA to their names when appropriate.

16. YES: 222 NO: 342

17. Article I of the SFWA Bylaws is hereby amended to read: Name. The name of the Corporation shall be Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. (SFFWA, Inc.), hereinafter referred to as "the Corporation." (Adding the words and Fantasy, and inserted a second F in SFWA.)

17. YES: 367 NO: 219

The following motion was made and seconded by Dafydd ab Hugh, et al. in the 6-91 Forum:

18. Article XI, Section 1 of the SFWA Bylaws is hereby amended to read:

Achievement Awards. The Corporation shall present annual achievement awards to honor outstanding creative performance in the science fiction and fantasy field. (Adding the words and fantasy. The remainder of the section is unchanged.)

18. YES: 474 NO: 120

[Ed. note: the Bova By-laws were compiled as a result of this referendum, but were not ratified by the membership. The Capo technical revision incorporated this referendum and others.]