Looking Back—and Looking Ahead

President's Report

by Michael Grossberg
Looking back at 2001, the Libertarian Futurist Society had a memorable year, full of milestones. Looking ahead to 2002, we hope to build upon those accomplishments to champion our vision of a free future— and the central LFS insight that encouraging superior art and fiction dramatizing libertarian themes can help to realize that vision. Among the milestones:

• We sponsored and presented LFScon, our first national conference. About 80 LFS members and guests attended this event, a centerpiece of Ohio's Marcon, which itself attracted 3,400 people, partly as a result of the popularity of our Prometheus-Award-winning authors. Our first national conference raised our visibility, within and outside the libertarian movement, honored eight of our Prometheus Award-winning authors, and allowed LFS members to get to know each other better. Plus, it was a lot of fun!
• We presented the first full one-ounce gold prize for our annual Prometheus Award for Best Novel at the Philadelphia WorldCon. This higher amount, which will accompany future Best Novel awards, doubles the objective value of our award, previously a half-ounce of gold.
• We presented our first Special Award for Lifetime Achievement to Poul Anderson. Sadly, Anderson died a few months later, but the award came in time for him to appreciate it. This was our second Special Award (following the first in 1998 to the landmark "Free Space" anthology), but the first under an improved new system that includes a Special Awards committee to consider members' proposals and a final full membership vote to approve them.
• We held our first official annual membership meeting. This important gathering and discussion, at LFScon, helped identify more volunteers for various LFS projects and committees, and allowed board members to hear exciting new ideas from other members. At that meeting, LFS members voted to hold our next annual membership meeting during the San Jose WorldCon over the Labor Day weekend.
• For the first time, and partly as a result of LFScon, we were able to expand the number of active LFS members and leaders to fill our committee chairmanships and projects without duplication. Benefiting from a division of labor is not only one of the virtues of a free market, but also a necessity for a small, all-volunteer organization. Thanks to all who volunteered to serve on our committees this year, and to our 2001-2002 committee and project chairs: Bill Stoddard, Newsletter Editor; Tod Casasent, Webmaster; Victoria Varga, Finances; Amy Rule, Membership Services; Chris Hibbert, Publicity; Fred Moulton, WorldCon Awards Ceremony; Lynn Maners, Hall of Fame Finalist Judging; Bruce Sommer, Special Awards; and Michael Grossberg, Best Novel Finalist Judging.
• We upgraded our LFS Website— www.lfs.org—and used it more than ever for outreach and membership services. With the solid work of Webmaster Tod Casasent, our Website includes an updated list of our awards, nominations, and press releases—and soon, it will include some of the best reviews, interviews and articles from back issues of Prometheus. With PayPal, a bright idea suggested by Assistant Director Amy Rule, newcomers have a convenient way to join us, while LFS members have an easy way to renew their memberships—or make LFS donations. In the fall, Casasent switched servers, which improved the Website's appearance and made it more reliable.
• The LFS board spent months developing our first official bylaws to guide the organization and provide a foundation for our future. As a result, early this year, the LFS became a nonprofit organization and took steps to apply for federal tax-exempt status—a goal long held by LFS founders and endorsed by more than 90% of our membership in a 1998 membership poll. In November, the Libertarian Futurist Society received recognition as federally tax-exempt under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. That means that the LFS can begin receiving tax-deductible donations, which will help bolster our awards program, other educational programs and outreach efforts.

  We invite all LFS members— and friends—to begin thinking of the LFS as one of the worthy nonprofit organizations that you support annually. Here are three easy ways to make tax-deductible donations:

  (1) Mail a check, made out to the Libertarian Futurist Society, to LFS, c/o Director Victoria Varga, 89 Gebhardt Rd., Penfield, NY 14526. (Please mark your check as a "donation" in the lower left corner.) Questions? Contact Varga at her new email address: varga@rochester.rr.com

  (2) Visit our LFS Website (www.lfs.org) and make a credit-card donation via PayPal. LFS Webmaster Tod Casasent recently has added several PayPal donation options to the Website's front page. You can donate $30, $60, $120, $250, $500, or any combination of the above.

  (3) Upgrade (or renew) your LFS membership to the Benefactor level ($200/year.) All LFS Benefactors will receive a letter from Director Victoria Varga that confirms that half ($100) of your Benefactor-level membership qualifies as a tax-deductible donation. (Sponsors and other membership levels receive a variety of membership services for their dues levels, and thus their dues are not tax-deductible.)

  By the way, the LFS began its new membership year in October, and we want you to be a part of it! So if you have not recently renewed your LFS membership by sending a check to the LFS Director, please consider this a friendly reminder.

  Also, if your Email address changes, let us know! More than half a dozen messages to online LFS members "bounced back" from our November email news alert.

  Send new Email addresses to Michael Grossberg at mikegrossb@aol.com.

  With your continued membership and active support, the Libertarian Futurist Society can build on its successes and continue to recognize and encourage inspiring and fascinating artistic visions of a free future.