What is GUFF?
GUFF was created in 1979. Known as the Get Up-and-over Fan Fund or the Going Under Fan Fund, depending on which direction it’s running, GUFF exists to provide funds to enable well-known fans from Australasia and Europe to visit each other’s national (or other) conventions and get to know each other’s fandoms better. GUFF, like other fan funds, exists solely through the support of fandom. The candidates for each trip are voted on by interested fans, and each vote is accompanied by a monetary donation. These votes, and the continuing generosity of fandom through auctions and other donations, are what make GUFF possible.
Who may vote?
Voting, in the race to send an European fan to Continuum Convention in Melbourne in June 2018, is open to anyone who was active in fandom prior to January 2016, and who contributes at least GBP6, EUR7, AUD10, NZD10 (or the equivalent in other currencies) to the fund. Larger contributions are encouraged and will be gratefully accepted. Only one vote per person is allowed. You must sign or otherwise verify your ballot, but your vote will not be made public.
Voting Details
GUFF uses a preferential ballot system, which guarantees automatic runoffs until a majority is obtained. You rank the candidates in order of your preference. If the leading first-place candidate does not have a majority of votes after the first round of counting, the first-place votes for the lowest-placed candidate are discarded, and the second-place votes on those ballots are counted as first-place votes for the candidates concerned. This process is repeated until one candidate has a majority of all the votes cast. Votes for second and third place candidates are therefore important, but you may not rank any candidate in more than one position on your ballot.
Hold Over Funds. This choice, like ‘No award’ in award balloting, gives you the chance to vote for no GUFF trip in 2018 if for any reason the candidates do not appeal. Hold over funds may be voted for in any position on the ballot.
No Preference. This choice is for voters who do not wish the GUFF trip to be held over, but who either cannot or prefer not to decide between the candidates.
Write-in. To vote for someone who is not listed as a candidate, use this choice and write their name on the line below.
Donations
GUFF gratefully accepts your freely given money and material for auction. If you’re not eligible to vote, or for some reason you don’t wish to vote, why not donate anyway? All funds are used to pay for the GUFF trips, current and future.
Candidates
Each candidate has posted a bond equivalent to AUD 25; promised that barring force majeure they will travel to Continuum Convention in Melbourne if elected; and provided nominations and a short platform displayed below extolling their many interests and virtues.
How to cast your vote
You can vote below on this page or complete and send this ballot form (PDF) to an administrator:
Mihaela-Marija Perković, Maksimirska 100d, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
or Donna Maree Hanson, PO Box 6445, Conder, ACT, 2906, Australia
Votes are not valid unless accompanied by a contribution of at least GBP6, EUR7, AUD10, NZD10, or an equivalent amount in other currencies. You can pay by Paypal, credit card, cheque, money order, or bank deposit. See below for instructions.
Voting ends 3 April 2018 23:59 GMT
Candidates
Marcin Klak
I am a Polish fan and conrunner who is truly passionate about fandom and conventions. I run a blog about my con journeys at www.FandomRover.com. Mihaela Marija Perković inspired me to run for GUFF in 2018 and here I am trying to meet the fans from Australia (and hopefully New Zealand). I would like to travel 10,000 miles from Poland to Australia and become a European “fannish ambassador“. I frequently attend various conventions and I would like to exchange experiences with fans from the other side of the globe.
One small step for the fandom, one giant leap for the Fandom Rover!
Nominators: Australasia – Gillian Polack, Julia Svaganovic and David Cake
Europe – Vanessa May and Carolina Gomez Lagerlöf
Steve and Alice Lawson
We have been fans since 1974 (Steve) and 1987 (Alice). We both enjoy attending conventions and meeting new people; we even had our honeymoon at an Eastercon. We have served as committee members for over 30 conventions including Eastercons and Worldcons; Alice was co-chair of Loncon 3, the 2014 Worldcon. We have also each been honoured to receive the Doc Weir Award for our work behind the scenes. We would love the chance to meet more fans from Australasia and see fandom in action down under, and then be able to tell other fans in Europe all about it.
Nominators: Australasia – Norman Cates and Sue Ann Barber
Europe – Dave Langford, Claire Brialey and Ang Rosin
Voting deadline is 3 April 2018 at 23:59 GMT.
Note: This ballot is sent to an email address at the Ozfanfunds website, from where it is automatically forwarded to the GUFF administrators, Donna Maree Hanson and Mihaela-Marija Perković.
To pay by cheque or bank deposit, please contact Mihaela or Donna for account details.
This ballot was authorised by Donna Maree Hanson and Mihaela-Marija Perković and prepared by Jean Weber.