On May 9, 2023, Westercon 75 (scheduled for June 30-July 3, 2023 in Anaheim, California) announced on their website and their Facebook page that they are disbanding their committee. They are working with LASFS, owner of the Westercon service mark, to implement Section 1.9 of the Westercon Bylaws regarding a Westercon committee failure. Loscon 49, scheduled for November 24-26, 2023 at the Marriott Los Angeles Airport Hotel, will assume the mantle of Westercon 75, and has said that they will honor the memberships, both attending and supporting, of those members of Westercon 73 who do not request a refund from the Anaheim committee. The 2023 Westercon Business Meeting will thus be held at Loscon 49, as will be the election to choose the site of the 2025 Westercon (Westercon 77). All members of Loscon 49, including those members of Westercon 77 who transfer their memberships to Loscon 49, will be eligible to vote on the 2025 Westercon site selection and at the Westercon 77 business meeting.
The statement from the Anaheim Westercon committee follows:
The Westercon 75 staff and I regret that we cannot fulfill our plans to hold the event which had been scheduled for June 30 – July 3, 2023, in Anaheim, CA. It saddens us to do this, but a cascade of circumstances won’t allow it to happen.
Instead, Loscon 49, scheduled for November 24-26, 2023, at the Marriott Los Angeles Airport Hotel, will assume the mantle of Westercon 75, and will honor the memberships of those members of Westercon 75 who do not request a refund from the Anaheim committee. The 2023 Westercon Business Meeting will thus be held at Loscon 49, during which the election to choose the site of the 2025 Westercon (Westercon 77) will occur.
The Chair of Loscon 49 has agreed to accept members of Westercon 75 as members with the transfer of money. They are honoring the spirit of the convention. Loscon 49’s chair, along with the LASFS Board of Directors will honor the memberships in good faith and to support potential increased participation in the vote for Westercon 77 (for which a separate voting fee is required).
If you have purchased a membership in Westercon 75, please tell us what you would like to do with your membership by choosing one of the following options and sending your response to westercon75chair1@gmail.com.
Option 1. _____ (Default) I want to retain my existing membership in Westercon 75, including voting and attendance rights where applicable. Please transfer my membership to Loscon 49.
Option 2. _____ I want to donate my Westercon 75 membership to Aerospace Legacy Foundation (Anaheim’s parent organization) to cover expenses already incurred by Westercon 75. I understand that I will not have Westercon voting or attendance rights at Loscon 49 unless I purchase them separately. (This may be tax-deductible as a cash charitable donation.)
Option 3. _____ I want a refund of my Westercon 75 membership. I understand that I will not have Westercon voting or attendance rights at Loscon 49 unless I purchase them separately.
If we do not hear back from you by July 1, 2023, your memberships will be defaulted to Option 1. Aerospace Legacy Foundation will pass along your name and contact information, and you will have a membership in Loscon 49.
If you have made a hotel reservation with the Clarion Hotel Anaheim Resort, you should contact the hotel ((714) 750-3131 or online) to cancel your reservation.
I am grieving that we’ve had to make this difficult decision. If we could have figured out some other way, we would have.
I would like to thank the many individuals who gave so generously of their time to attempt to bring Westercon 75 to fruition.
Sincerely,
Arlene Busby, Westercon 75 Chair
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