Main Page

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Minnstf Links

• Mnstf web page
• Minn-stf Records Page - Bylaws, older Board minutes, tax records
• So you're a new board member? You should read about it.

Minnstf History

The Floundering Fathers Panel - An interview with Minnstf founders Nate Bucklin, Ken Fletcher, Fred Haskell, Frank Stodolka, and Jim Young, circa 1977

Minnstf Document Digitization Project

Otherwise known as MinDocDigPro. This is an ongoing effort to digitize Minnstf (and in particular Minicon) documents. Here's the organizing page of the project.

Minnstf Recurring Annual Tasks

Each January, pay GPS $200 as per our cooperative agreement with them.

Pay the rent on the PO box. Twice annually, Apr/Mayish and Oct/Novish. We are notified of this by e-mail to board-at-mnstf-org on the first of the month for a bill due at the end of that month. Possibly we also get a paper bill in the PO box. As of November 2018, this is an automatic credit card payment.

Proposals for future Minicons: Solicit starting 18 months prior to the desired Minicon, requesting that bids be in to the board by January 31 (approximately 14 months before the proposed convention), with earlier being better.

Proposals for next year’s fallcon: Solicit at and immediately after the current fallcon, if any, or sometime in the fall if we're skipping a year. Due to the board by February 15, approximately 8 months before the proposed convention.

Convention preliminary finances: Due to the board one month after convention. Should include gross income, gross profit, and amount given to the board. Final finances must be done "within six months of the convention or by thirty days prior to the deadline for filing Society tax returns for the tax year in which the convention was held, whichever is earlier", as per the bylaws.

ASCAP: Due maybe March 31 for previous year, although they are not very clear. To be done by the MnStf Treasurer at the direction of the board.

Voting meeting: The Membership Secretary (currently, Laura Krentz) and outgoing President should make arrangements for nomination and voting meetings. The board should check over and update the information for new board members. The voting meeting must happen before March 31, typically before Minicon. There are two nominating meetings that must happen before then. At the first meeting of the new board, review the mailing lists and forwarding addresses: The board-chat mailing list is currently administered by Scott Raun and DD-B. Currently the board-at-mnstf forwarding address goes to Scott. Remember to switch the president-at-mnstf forwarding address sometime between the voting meeting and Minicon.

Officers: Chosen by the new board at the voting meeting or as soon as possible thereafter. Names and positions of officers should be submitted to the MnStf webmaster.

Taxes: Due May 15. At this point, since we gross under $50k, we only have to file the 990N “postcard.” Scott has been doing this. This is done for 2018 taxes (in 2019). Scott reminds himself to do it with Chrome to make PDF generation easier.

Every December (this timing is arbitrary): Review what address we have on file with the state of Minnesota or whoever else won't use the PO Box. As of 2019, this is Scott and Irene's house.

Annual renewal with the Minnesota Secretary of State for Minnesota Science Fiction Society: Should be done by December 1 or earlier, though the actual deadline is December 31. This is the current link to do so.

Before the end of June: Annual domain registration renewal and contact information verification through GANDI. Current domains are mnstf.org and minicon.org. GANDI sends notifications to the address on file (board-at-mnstf), who needs to confirm information.

Feb/March-ish, July-ish, Oct/November-ish: Get a report from the Quartermaster.

January, April, July, October: Send bills for past due accounts.

General-interest Minicon stuff

Current Minicon Webpages

• Minicon 54 (2019)

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Previous Minicons

M53 (2018)

• Minicon 53 (2018)
• M53 Programming Brainstorm

M52 (2017)

• Minicon 52
• M52_Programming_Brainstorm

M51 (2016)

• Minicon 51
• Minicon 51 Programming Brainstorm

M50 (2015)

• Minicon 50
• Minicon 50 Programming Brainstorm

M49 (2014)

• Minicon 49
• Minicon 49 Programming Brainstorm

M48 (2013)

• Main website
• Programming Brainstorm

M47 (2012)

• Main website
• Programming Brainstorm

M46 (2011)

• Post-Mortem Agenda
• Programming

M45 (2010)

• Main website
• Programming listing

M44 (2009)

• Main website
• Programming

Planning

• Minicon 5-year Not-a-plan -- approved document covering Minicons 46-50
• 2nd Minicon 5-year Not-a-plan -- unapproved draft document covering Minicons 51-55

Minicon History

• Minicon Home Page - contains links to all home pages for previous Minicons
• Minicon is on Wikipedia!
• Minicon mini-history - quick summary of recent Minicons including name of chair and attendance
• Fred's Minicon history, updated at least to 51 - includes dates, hotel, GOH, and attendance

Resources for Minicon (and other con) running

Running a small convention or convention-related party

• Running a Small Con - Tips on planning and running a small SF convention
• Hosting the Minicon Pool Party
• Hosting Minicon parties at other conventions
• What the Chair Does
• Recipes

Programming

Take a look at the Minicon 53 Programming Brainstorm.

• Programming Head - Job Description
• A Programming Timeline (one way of doing programming through the year)
• Room requirements for Minicon
• Scheduling notes
• Supplies needed for Programming
• Who's good for which programming
• Documents or database?

Historical

• M48 Programming Brainstorm
• M47 Programming Brainstorm
• M46 Programming listing
• Programming listing for Minicon 45
• Brainstorming list for Minicon 45
• Programming ideas for Minicon 44
• See also previous Minicons' webpages for old program books, pocket programs, and what we said to members on the web.

Moderator Tip Sheet

The Moderator Tip Sheet was developed by the Programming Committed for Minicon 24. Besides general tips on how to plan and run a panel at an SF convention, the Tip Sheet includes a handy dandy worksheet for the moderator to use before and during the panel. Now and then other cons ask if they can use it. We always say yes.

Registration

• General thoughts on Registration
• FAQs of sorts (there's some overlap between these two):
  • Questions members might ask
  • Questions the registration head might ask
• Interaction between GoH and Registration

GoH Handling

• Guest Department and Liaising
• Former GoH invitation

Publications

• The Pocket program

Signs and At-Con Communications

• How Many Easels we need at the con

Art Show

• Art Show Information

Volunteers

• Sensible instructions for badgers

Blog

Blog is the traditional drink of Minicon. It's a sweet fruit punch, typically spiked with liberal amounts of vodka. The nonalcoholic variant is referred to as "St. Paul blog" for historical reasons. See the Blog Recipe.

Account creation & editing privileges

How do you register to be able to edit this wiki? The Mnstf wiki has been the victim of large numbers of spammers. Because of this, we've set it so that only people who are registered can edit the wiki, and that you need to email a sysop to register. Sysops are noted on the user list. As of March 25, 2011, the sysops are Jiawen, Laurel and Straitm. Note to sysops and people trying to edit the wiki: As of January 2015, people need to be in the "approved" group in order to edit pages (it's not good enough to just have an account, since lots of spambots have accounts already).