* Los Angeles
  - LASFS
    > at the start of the decade, fandom in Los Angeles centered around LASFS
      -- club was formed in October 1934; one of primary early movers was
         Forry Ackerman
         >> (a few more details about earlier decades here)
      -- by 1950s, things had changed, with Ackerman's influence as a mover
         and shaker on the wane as he was moving on to prodom with his FAMOUS
         MONSTERS OF FILMLAND and related projects
         >> in his place, the motivation of the club had passed into the hands
            of a newer generation of fans, including Rick Sneary, Len and Anna
            Moffatt, and Ted Johnstone (the fannish pseudonym of David
            McDaniel)
            --- (mini bio of Johnstone goes here)
         >> however, by late 1950s, it was Bjo Trimble who had inherited the
            role as the lifeforce of the club
      -- at start of 1960s decade, many of LASFS lived in so-called Fan Hilton
         >> according to Ted Johnstone, it was "a big old house on Eighth
            Street.  It had once been a rooming house, and sported seven
            bedrooms upstairs, two huge gathering rooms, a studio, a back
            workroom, a large kitchen, and miscellaneous closets downstairs. 
            It was more or less love at first sight."
         >> full-time residents included Bruce Pelz, Ted Johnstone, Bjo and
            John Trimble, Jack Harness, and Ernie Wheatley
         >> there were many part-time and transient residents, including the
            improbable Karu Beltran
            --- Karu was a magician by trade, and an accomplished sleight-
                of-hand artist
            --- Karu was also an accomplished cook, which made him invaluable
                to the residents of the Fan Hilton
                >>> was once sketched by Bjo standing at the stove over a huge
                    pot, with a tentacle writhing over the edge
            --- Karu had an old car parked behind Fan Hilton, which was said
                to contain at least one of everything in the world
                >>> once, Bjo needed a mortar and pestle for a spice recipe
                    she was working on, and Karu had one in the car's glove
                    compartment
                >>> another time, the fans in the Hilton wanted to watch a
                    special TV program that had been advertised, but they 
                    didn't have a TV set.  Karu excused himself, and returned
                    from his car with one.
                >>> "Just a minute, I think I've got one in my car" became a
                    catchphrase in L.A. fandom
         >> was site of much fan activity, from fanzines to convention
            planning to parties
            --- many fanzines were produced in the former dining room, and
                duplicated by mimeograph in an area of the house that used to
                be a back hallway
         >> LASFS met in the large downstairs living room
            --- (could use a reprinted quote of some kind here, about the Fan
                Hilton as a LASFS meeting site)
         >> in 1961, fans were forced to move out, as the building was torn
            down for redevelopment.
            --- Ted Johnstone later wrote, "The night we finished moving out,
                I came back with Bruce Pelz for a last look around.  The
                electricity had been turned off for the last time, and we went
                in the wide open front door with a flashlight.  I stood in the
                hall downstairs and looked around, and thought about what a
                lot of fun we had had in this house, and all the wonderful
                things that had gone on in there in the last year and a half. 
                Fandom was poorer for its loss."
    > LASFS held its meetings every Thursday night
      -- (other locations of meeting sites?)
         >> by 1968, the meeting site had moved to a place called the `LAB',
            which was located at 330 S. Berendo Street
      -- in April 1965, amendment to LASFS constitution was presented that
         moved meeting night to Fridays
         >> was supported by many active members
            --- Thursday night meetings were inconvenient
         >> voting on amendment took place in November
            --- 44 votes cast, 25 in favor, 19 against
            --- was defeated; did not get necessary 3/4 needed to pass
            --- Bruce Pelz laconically reported in RATATOSK: "And the
                status... ...remains quo."
            --- LASFS continued to meet on Thursday nights for decades
    > LASFS building fund
      -- intention was to buy a clubhouse as a meeting spot
      -- LASFS Clubhouse Fund debuted the summer of 1964, as an amendment to
         the LASFS constitution
         >> first manager of the fund was Paul Turner
      -- collected revenues from auctions, donations, grants from Westercons
         >> initial pledges got the fund off to a good start, with over $700
         >> one year later, money in the fund totaled over $2,000
         >> one of the more innovative gimmicks for fund raising was the LASFS
            `Fugghead of the Year' contest, instituted in 1968, where LASFS
            members could vote at the rate of one vote = one cent for the
            person in fandom they thought most deserving of this `honor'
    > in May 1965, club voted to impeach LASFS secretary Jack Harness for
      non-feasance
      -- had been late for 7 of previous 8 meetings
      -- at meeting where impeachment was voted on, was so late that both
         the debate and final voting were over by the time he arrived
      -- he was thrown out of office
         >> was first successful impeachment of LASFS officer in the decade
      -- following impeachment, election was held for a new secretary
         >> Harness elected by a good majority
    > on September 20, 1968, LASFS incorporated to become LASFS, Inc.
      -- (details, including background info)
    > Fanquet
      -- event held yearly to honor the club member who during the past year
         had achieved the greatest income as a beginning professional
         >> first Fanquet (when?) had honored Forry Ackerman
      -- 1960: Richard Geis and Julie Jardine
      -- 1961: Chuck Neutzel
      -- 1965: Larry Niven (event held in July)
      -- 1966: Bill Ellern and Ted Johnstone (April 29)
         >> 29 in attendance
         >> Guest Speaker was Larry Niven
    > Halloween parties
      -- resembled small conventions without programming
         >> always featured costume contests
      -- held at member's homes
      -- 1965 party (held October 30th) was interrupted by three gunshots
         being fired from outside into the building where party was being held
         >> earlier in the evening, two party crashers had been evicted
         >> Dian Pelz slightly hurt by flying wood splinters
            --- one bullet had passed between Dian and Bill Rotsler as they
                sat talking
         >> police took down information, but no arrests ever made
      -- 1966 party had a theme of "come as some other LASFSian"
         >> two people came as Jack Harness
         >> prizes for Most Authentic (male) went to Len Bailes as Ted
            Johnstone and Most Authentic (female) to Helen Smith as Hilda
            Hoffman
            --- latter, in spite of fact that Smith *hadn't* come as Hoffman;
                judges decided she *looked* like Hilda and awarded the prize
                anyway
         >> prize for Most Humorous went to Hilda Hoffman as The LASFS
            Itself--The Snake Pit of Fandom
            --- costume was complete with two live snakes
         >> everyone was reported to have a good time, undoubtedly due in part
            because no brawls resulted because of the theme
    > Anniversary Meetings
      -- 28th Anniversary, in October 1962
         >> featured Fritz Leiber, who read in his all-pervading voice,
            Chesterton's romantic poem "Lepanto"
            --- was such a masterful performance, nobody thought to ask what
                it had to do with science fiction
         >> 4th Annual Evans-Freehafer Award, for service to the club, went to
            Virginia Mill (reason??)
         >> in attendance was Dr. C. L. Barrett, all the way from Ohio
      -- 29th Anniversary, in October 1963, held at home of Jack Harness and
         Owen Hannifen on Halloween
         >> 5th annual Evans-Freehafer Award presented to Leland Sapiro, with
            a certificate of recognition to Redd Boggs
         >> Dale Hart spoke of the late F. T. Laney, said that Laney was "a
            man who embraced all that we hold dear"
            --- other LASFS members present, however, later stated that Hart
                spoke for no one but himself when he praised the memory of the
                controversial Laney
      -- 30th Anniversary, on November 5, 1964
         >> Paul Turner presented with Evans-Freehafer Award for his work in
            setting up and administering the LASFS clubhouse fund
            --- at the time of the meeting, fund totalled almost $1,000
      -- 31st Anniversary meeting, October 28, 1965 (meeting no. 1472)
         >> guest speaker was Robert Bloch (topic?)
         >> other notables included Forry Ackerman and Walt Daugherty
         >> Evans-Freehafer Award, for Outstanding Service to LASFS over past
            year, given to Fred Patten for work as Official Collator of APA-L
      -- 32nd Anniversary meeting, October 1966
         >> guest speaker was Ray Bradbury
            --- spoke on the making of the movie FAHRENHEIT 451
         >> 8th annual Evans-Freehafer Award given to Bruce Pelz (reason?)
         >> newly-created award, the Forry Award, given to Bradbury for his
            long service to the SF field
      -- 34th Anniversary meeting, October 1968
         >> about 75 people jammed their way into Tom Digby's apartment for
            it, giving support to the LASFS faction that was pushing for
            higher annual dues so that LASFS could acquire a clubhouse
         >> Evans-Freehafer Award went to Chuck Crayne, who had been very
            active the past year as a club officer, publisher of its fanzine
            SHAGGY, and as one of the organizers of that year's alternate
            Westercon, F-UNCon (which will be described in Chapter 7)
            --- two Certificates of Merit were also presented, to Ken Rudolph
                for reviving SHAGGY, and to Tom Digby for allowing the club to
                use his apartment as a meeting site
         >> in amongst the crowd was the night's Guest Speaker, Poul Anderson,
            who also was that year's recipient of the Forry Award
         >> another attendee was a relative old-timer, Ross Rocklynne, who
            hadn't attended a LASFS meeting in over a decade
    > publications
      -- SHAGGY
         >> begun in 1941 as a one-sheet page of news and publicity under the
            title of SHANGRI-L'AFFAIRES
         >> during the 1940s, was edited by a series of very well-known fans,
            including Forry Ackerman, Walter Daugherty, Francis Towner Laney,
            and Charles Burbee
            --- page count gradually increased, including material other than
                news, becoming a general interest fanzine
            --- by end of 1940s, name had been shortened to SHANGRI-LA
         >> during the 1950s, most fans had come to know the fanzine by a 
            further shortened the name, SHAGGY
            --- by mid 1950s, fanzine had started appearing sporadically,
                until influence of Bjo provided a revitalization
                >> another factor in its late decade resurgence was that a
                   group of L.A. fans pooled some money and bought a new
                   Gestetner mimeograph, solving a continuing problem on how
                   to get larger numbers of a substantially-sized fanzine
                   published
            --- last issue of 1950s, a Christmas 1959 issue, featured a large
                art supplement, and Bjo's fan fiction "The Littlest Fan"
         >> by mid 1960s, SHAGGY was edited by Ted Johnstone
         >> in 1965, new policies set up that restricted the fanzine's
            availability
            --- no longer available for trade with other fanzines
            --- contribution, subscription, LoC only way for outsiders to get
                an issue
            --- still free to LASFS members, but only if they pick up issue
                within 2 meetings of publication
         >> in late 1960s, SHAGGY was edited by Ken Rudolph (a.k.a. KenRu)
            --- zine enjoyed widespread popularity, due to its wide
                circulation and Rudolph's ability to produce "elaborate and
                impressive" issues (according to GF; elaboration needed here)
         >> MERETRICIOUS Christmas 1968 supplements
            --- at end of 1950s, Bjo published the first of these; the title
                was a pun on "Merry Christmas", as the reader found out after
                opening the fanzine and immediately coming across "...and a
                Happy New Year"
            --- the 32-page fourth issue, in 1968, featured a calendar with
                Tim Kirk artwork from LORD OF THE RINGS
                >>> overall, however, there seemed to be consensus that it
                    wasn't as good as the previous three issues of the
                    supplement; Charlie Brown reviewed it in LOCUS as "a
                    mixture of good and bad, with more good than bad"
      -- LASFS NEWSLETTER
         >> begun by Bjo Trimble in 1960
            --- she and a couple of co-ditors had control through issue 10
                (April 1962)
         >> Dian Girard soon assumed editorship, until issue 17 (June 1963)
         >> Redd Boggs continued the NEWSLETTER, after a lapse, in 1963
            --- published three issues, #18-20
         >> Bill Blackbeard became editor in October 1963, followed by Ted
            Johnstone
         >> ceased publication in 1965, after issue 27
            --- replaced by a new LASFS newszine, DE PROFUNDIS
      -- DE PROFUNDIS
         >> begun in the summer of 1965 by Bjo and John Trimble
  - The Blackguards
    > a LASFS in-group
    > members included Chuck Crayne, (others?)
    > formed in January 1967
    > in theory, independent of LASFS
      -- had its own treasury
    > planned a convention, Blackguardcon I, on Easter weekend, 1967
  - The Petards
    > an invitational L.A. fan group, formed in early 1966
      -- (formed how and why?)
    > members included Fred Patten, Len Moffat, June Konigsberg, (others)
    > (details needed on activities)
  - The Outlanders
    > (details needed; did they still exist in 1960s?)
  - Party Groups in 1960s Los Angeles Fandom
    > The Ellik-Jacobs Memorial Wine & Cheese Party; the August Virgilio Ice
      Cream & Soda Party
      -- annual parties hosted by Bruce and Dian Pelz in the late 1960s
      -- the latter series began in 1966 as a all-August combined birthday
         party, without presents, for their many friends in L.A. fandom that
         had been born in that month
         >> "Virgilio" a contraction of "Virgo - Leo", the two zodiac signs
            that enveloped the month of August; also, Bruce was a Leo and
            Dian a Virgo
      -- the former series began (when?) (more info on it needed)
    > The Pinckard Salon
      -- was a series of invitational parties put on by Tom and Terri Pinckard
         in the late 1960s and early 1970s
      -- parties were more like social events, as the Pinckards would a
         celebrity in SF or a related field that could be lionized
      -- the parties were more than a bit exclusionary, which tended to rankle
         some of the fans in the area
      -- (there's more to this; more info needed)
  - Valley Science Fiction Association (VALSFA)
    > existed in the late 1960s
    > club contact was a Fullerton, Calif. fan, Neal Clark Reynolds
    > most noteworthy activity of the organization was its apa, VALAPA, which
      will be described later
    > (more details needed)