Announcing A Bertrand Chandler Award winner 2016

The A. Bertram Chandler Award, for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Australian Science Fiction’ in 2016 was awarded to James (Jocko) Allen at Contact2016, the 55th Australian National Science Fiction Convention in Brisbane, Queensland, on 27th March 2016. 
 The “Chandler Award” is awarded by The Australian Science Fiction Foundation.  Information on how you can nominate a person for the A Bertram Chandler Award can be found on the ASFF website – it merely takes an email or letter to the ASFF, outlining a person’s significant achievements.  All nominations are reviewed by the ASFF committee in confidence.
 For more information about James Allen’s achievements in Australian Science Fiction community, the Chandler Award and the ASFF please refer to the ASFF website at: http://www.asff.org.au/

NEWS: MSFC moves to monthly meetings

At this year’s AGM it was decided that we definitely wanted to keep the club going, and that one of the ways we could make that a bit easier was to move to monthly meetings.

Our meetings are now on the third Friday of each month – we finished out July with weekly meetings and started the new program in August. Our first two monthly meetings have been a great success, with an improvement in attendance, relief for the Committee, and lots of fun for everyone.

Meetings will now generally include Eva’s wonderful meals, which have always been so popular, as well as the usual snacks and drinks, and different program items each month.

Doors open at 8.00 pm and program items will begin at 8.30 pm.

If you have an idea for something you’d like to see happen at an MSFC meeting let us know by emailing us at melbsfclub@yahoo.com.au.

MSFC Committee

Seminar: Transhumanism

James from PrimeSCI! has invited interested MSFC members to attend this seminar at Monash Uni, Clayton Campus. He writes:

PrimeSCI! would like to invite you to attend a seminar event on Transhumanism by Dr Steve Fuller, a visiting academic from the University of Warwick.

The events are supported by PrimeSCI!, the Monash – Warwick Alliance, and Science Technology and the Future.

You may attend the family-friendly seminar at 2pm on Saturday 4th October, “Young scientists’ introduction to Transhumanism: the future of science, technology and humanity” or attend the evening seminar at 7pm, a round table discussion on Transhumanism and the future of humanity. The panelists will be Dr Steve Fuller, Dr Francesca Minerva (Monash University), Dr Kevin Korb (Monash University) and Dr John Wilkins (The University of Melbourne).

For more information, please refer to the attached event flyers.
Bookings are essential: http://trybooking.com/FYZK

The seminars will be held in the Rotunda Lecture Theatre (Building 8, Theatre R1) on the Clayton Campus of Monash University. Parking is free.

Please download a campus map at: http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/maps/3-Claytoncolour.pdf

MSFC at the Sydney Road Street Party

Photo by MORELEN858

Photo by MORELEN858

Every year, this happens. And every year, the club has a stall at this event, so please, stop on by! Bring a friend who is curious about the club and would like to know more and meet other members!

From the President:
This Sunday is the Sydney Road Festival. We have a stall. Come and find us at Stall# 102. We are on the eastern side of Sydney Road between Dawson and Victoria Streets. The street opens to the public at 12.00 noon. Stay and chat with us for a while. Looking forward to seeing you there. Natalie

NEWS: New premises!

We are, at present, meeting in St Augustine’s Church Hall at 100 Sydney Road, Coburg. This is temporary accommodation while we search for accommodation that will also house our library. We will keep you informed about our progress.
Natalie MacLachlan
President

News: Current Status of the MSFC

Contents of MSFC Library waiting to be moved onto the moving truck. The stage is full to the back with boxes of books.

Contents of MSFC Library waiting to be moved onto the moving truck. The stage is full to the back with boxes of books.

As you are probably aware St David’s Uniting Church has not been sold. We acknowledge that it was not St David’s leadership behind the decision to ask us to leave. They genuinely believed their church would be sold and had no option. We wish them all the best in the future.

We finally shifted out of St David’s on Friday night and almost all our belongings are in long term storage or with other people until we can get it to storage. In a majority decision the committee has decided that we will continue to look for other premises, as at the SGM you, the members gave us that authority. It may be that we find temporary accommodation to start the new year. We are looking for a place that can house our library permanently and is willing to take us on long term. We will keep you up-to-date with any decisions we make.

Wishing you all the best,
Natalie MacLachlan.
President

News: From the Librarian

All Members.

From Friday the 8th of November, the M.S.F.C. Library has stopped all lending of books and other library items.

The library is now being packed into boxes, before it is moved out of the hall at St Davids west Brunswick. As librarian, I have decided to stop all loans, to facilitate the moving process.

You can still return items currently on loan and I would encourage members to return all library materials they have borrowed. This will help with planning the future of the library.

Thank you for your co-operation in difficult times.

Jocko (Librarian)

NEWS: MSFC will be changing premises

Some of you may already be aware that the Uniting Church that owns St. David’s, where MSFC meets on Fridays, has sold the church. We have been advised to vacate the hall by December 13th, 2013. The committee is busy looking for a new home for the club, but as of this moment, we do not have a venue post-eviction date.

For those who have books they wish to donate, we are unable to accept such at this time. Until we know what kind of space we can get for our current library, offers will be kindly declined as we will not be able to guarantee the care we all want these books to receive.

Further updates to come!