1984 – (May 25-27) – VCON 12:

Guest of Honour: SAMUEL R. DELANEY. Other Guests of Honour: THEODORE STURGEON & ELIZABETH A. LYNN. Toast Master: FRANK M. ROBINSON. Fan Guest of Honour: DEBBIE NOTKIN.

Venue: Gage Residence, UBC, Vancouver.

Attending: ?

CONCOM: Chair – Jo-Anne McBride; Publications – Donna McMahon; Special Needs & Childcare – Evelyn Beheshti; Films & Video – Grandee Englehart; Bacchanal – Terry Kristoff; Hospitality – Donna Markbride; Security – Mike Desotell; Gophers – Myles Bos; Filksinging – Josette Kernaghan; Music & Mall – Bruce Kalnins; Writer’s Workshop – Casey Arnott; Art Show – Warren Oddson; Registrar – Ed Kedzierski; Library Coordinator – Ray Aaron; Trivia – Stuart Cooper; Treasurer – Mathilda Smille; Children’s Programming – Janet Bellwether; Fan Room – Fran Skene; Gaming – William Lowe; Technical Consultant – Al Betz. ( Elron Awards not presented. )

Sponsored: by BCSFA, the British Columbia Science Fiction Association. Three days of quadruple-track programming with separate rooms for films, art show, dealers, childcare, gaming, Fanzine fandom & hospitality con-suite. The Portland-based ‘Friends of the Doctor’ Dr. Who club provided programming throughout the convention in a room dedicated to their group.

FIRST VCON to feature a Fan Room ( run by Fran Skene & BCSFA Archivist Gerald Boyko ), FIRST to offer quadruple-track programming, & FIRST to offer Special Needs services ( a braille program book at the registration desk & sign language interpreters available for the deaf ).

FRIDAY included:

–          WALKING TOURS OF THE UBC CAMPUS;

–          TOURS OF TRIUMF ( Nuclear Facility );

–          MAKING CONNECTIONS: WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE GAY IN THE SCIENCE FICTION COMMUNITY closed reception;

–          TRIVIA QUIZ round 1 with Quiz Master Stuart Cooper;

–          COSTUME WORKSHOP with Terry Kristoff;

–          William Gibson READING;

–          ADULT’S STORYTIME with Nan Gregory & Melanie Roy;

–          OPENING CEREMONIES;

–          & SCARY STORIES with Aphrodite Harris & Jessica Amanda Salmonson.

–          ( Note: The U.S.S. Kestral Star Trek club had a dedicated room this day for programming of their own. )

SATURDAY featured:

–          SPACE STATION lecture by Andrew Benkovich;

–          SURVIVAL NOVELS panel moderated by Donna Markbride;

–          “SON OF” PHILMS YOU LOVE TO HATE panel with Grandee Englehart;

–          FOREIGN COMICS moderated by Bruce Kalnins;

–          INTRODUCTION: PHASES OF AMATEUR FILMMAKING part 1 with Roger Brown;

–          POETRY WORKSHOP led by Gene Van Troyer;

–          US SPACE PROGRAM panel with Mike Dezotell;

–          PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH WRITING AND CHARACTERS panel moderated by Samuel Delany;

–          OBLIGATORY 1984 PANEL with F.M. Busby, Elinor Busby & others;

–          ROLE MODELS IN SF moderated by Evelyn Beheshti;

–          SARDONYX NET DISCUSSION GROUP led by Elizabeth A. Lynn;

–          CARTOONIST WARS with Lari Davidson, Richard Bartrop, Warren Oddson & others;

–          WHY NOT WESTERNS? panel with William Gibson, Steven Bryan Bieler & Elleen Gunn;

–          INTRODUCTION TO MYSTERY FANDOM moderated by Frank Denton;

–          SCIENCE FICTION RADIO DISCUSSION GROUP re The Ether Patrol with Evelyn Beheshti, Barry Reuger & Vaughn Fraser;

–          TRIVIA QUIZ part 2;

–          AUTHORS’ RECEPTION;

–          CHILDREN’S STORY HOUR;

–          BACCHANAL

–          & FILKSINGING.

SUNDAY had:

–          an indoor SCA display;

–          Brunch with speeches by Frank M. Robinson, Elizabeth A. Lynn & Debbie Notkin;

–          WHAT THE HELL USE IS A COMPUTER ANYWAY? panel with Elleen Gunn & William Lowe;

–          MORE ADVANCED TECHNIQUES IN FILMMAKING part 2 with Roger Brown;

–          ART AUCTION;

–          WRITING FICTION WORKSHOP;

–          YOUNG PEOPLE’S PANEL with Janet Bellwether;

–          WRITING NON-FICTION workshop;

–          TRIVIA QUIZ FINALS;

–          PROS & PROLETARIAT AUTHORS’ RECEPTION,

–          FILKSINGING

–          & DEAD DOG PARTY.