We seldom attend one of our conventions armed beforehand with the news of who is going to do the following one or yet, where it will be held. In the few years I've been around I have never yet heard of different groups/people bidding for the honour. Usually, we sit looking blank, waiting for some sucker to volunteer. Everybody looks at everyone else in the wild hope they might suffer a temporary mental aberration which will land them with it. And the reason for this very real reluctance? We always have difficulty in finding a hotel that will accept our business. I'm not denying that a lot of our troubles would vanish if only the hotels were a lot more cooperative but, we could do something ourselves if we had YOUR support as a convention member.

First, of course, we have to discover if you, the Britfan are interested in us continuing to have conventions? If we are to keep our end up in TAFF participation then we must. Even if you can't attend them would it really break your heart or your pocket if you paid membership fees? With your annual support we could probably reach the stage before long where we could put on an annual 'do' that you wouldn't want to miss. We could have two charges; one for those intending to be there and a lower one for those who know they won't be able to make it. If you intended coming and then, for some reason, couldn't manage it, you would have half your membership fee returned.

Once we got the Convention Fund really solvent we could find an hotel that is just the right size for our conventions and *book the whole place*, money on the nose. Right now we don't have the cash in hand to be able to do it. We have tried sharing a large hotel with mundane types and usually, it means some sort of row with the management because of noise at late parties and the like. The ideal solution is as suggested above; a hotel we could 'take over' for the weekend. Your membership in our efforts would help us to realise this ambition. It would also make for bigger and better conventions because, having got our hotel we would be able to publicize our convention well in advance so the attendance would be bigger. I hate to think of the number of folk we have lost at these things just because we haven't been able to advertise in the promags well in advance.

After all, you join the American conventions, some of you, knowing you have no hope of being there, why not spread some of this charity at home? Yes, we would welcome U.S. memberships too. Oh, and by the way; you had better get your finger out. London is bidding for the Worldcon in '65. I know, we're raving mad but too, we are willing to do the work involved if you will give us the kind of support we sadly need. Think on it but, not for too long and then DO SOMETHING.