About: This is part of a collection of gaming notes left behind by my mother when she passed in 2020. Mom was an avid table-top role player, starting her adventures in the late 1970s and continued for as long as she could find a game. I’m slowly making my way through these papers and posting them as I uncover them.
In 1985, my mother was the convention chair for InConJunction in Indianapolis. At the time, InCon was the only science-fiction and fantasy convention in the state. It was only five or six years old at the time of her coming on board to lead the show.
Shelley Frier was an editor for Analog Magazine. Mom was a huge reader of Analog and I’m sure Shelley was hand-picked to be a guest at the convention. We got to hang out with her for a bit, and overall, it was a good time.
Analog – Science Fiction Science Fact
308 Lexington Avenue New York, N.Y. 10017 212-557-9100July 18, 1985
Dear Rosanne,
I promised Victoria and everybody some authentic New York street earrings–i.e., cheap, dollar earrings sold on the street. But they’re cute. Enclosed are four pair: for you and your two daughters and also for Jo Ellen. (Jo Ellen — is that right? My bad memory plagues me.) Enjoy them. One piece of advice: wash the wires in alcohol before you put them on.
Rosanne, I especially wanted to thank you for hosting me so graciously and InConjunction. It was fabulous con–one author said it was the best he’d been to, Worldcons included. I had a great time and I’m determined to get out to the midwest every year. Midwest fans are special people. Thanks again.
Please send my loving regards to the kids, and Joyce and Arlan, and to anyone else I spoke to out there. Especially Barry Childs-Helton, and the whole Circle of Janus. Well, I suppose that pretty much covers all the bases.
I’ll be seeing you, I hope. Maybe at next year’s InConjunction; maybe at another con in the area. Be well.
Shelley Frier
Associate Editor
Normally bringing in around 200 people over the July 4th week-end, the convention had been held at a hotel near the airport. This year, however, InCon was being held downtown either near or on the circle. Also, the way the holiday played out, the con was going to be four days instead of three. The resulting convention brought in 700 people and turned out to be a damn fine convention.
I had just graduated from junior high and was going to be starting my first year as a Freshman in high school. The night before the convention, we had an underage blowout at our house, since Mom was downtown making sure things were running correctly. And in general, it was time to be a little wild and free.
About: This is part of a collection of gaming notes left behind by my mother when she passed in 2020. Mom was an avid table-top role player, starting her adventures in the late 1970s and continued for as long as she could find a game. I’m slowly making my way through these papers and posting them as I uncover them.
Definitely not related to gaming, this memo was in with her papers all the same. Mom was a civilian employee for the Army until the finance center was closed down.
Civilian Personnel Memorandum
U.S. Army Finance And Accounting Center
Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana 46249Number: 07-88
9 May 1988Subject: Policy – The Hatch Act – Rules on Political Activity
To: All Employees
- All employees are encouraged to get involved in the political process of electing our president and other government officials. As qualified citizens we have the right and responsibility to let our voice be heard with our vote. Balanced with our rights is the necessity to insure public institutions function fairly and effectively and that Federal employees can’t use their official position to influence the results of an election.
- In 1939 Congress passed the Hatch Act. The Act regulates certain political activates of most Federal employees. The Act specifically restricts active political participation on behalf of partisan political candidates.
- The political activities permitted and prohibited by the Hatch Act are as follows:
- You may register to vote as you choose
- You may assist in voter registration drives
- You may express opinions about candidates and issues
- You may participate in campaigns where none of the candidates represent a political party
- You may contribute money to political organizations or attend political fund raising functions
- You may wear or display political badges, buttons, or stickers
- You may attend political rallies and meetings
- You may not be a candidate for public office in partisan elections
- You may not campaign for or against a candidate or slate of candidates in partisan elections
- You may not make campaign speeches or engage in other campaign activities to elect partisan candidates
- You may not collect contributions or sell tickets to political fund raising functions
- You may not distribute campaign material in partisan elections
- You may join political clubs or parties
- You may sign nominating petitions
- You may campaign for or against referendums, questions, constitutional amendments, municipal ordinances
- You may not organize or manage political rallies or meetings
- You may not hold office in political clubs or parties
- You may not circulate nominating petitions
- You may not work to register voters for one party only
- With very few exceptions, all Federal employees are subject to the provisions of the Hatch Act. The provisions of the Hatch Act also cover federal employees while on annual leave, sick leave, leave without pay, administrative leave or furlough.
- Penalties for violations of the Hatch Act range from a 30-day suspension without pay to removal.
- This CPM expires 1 May 1989. Supervisors should file this CPM with Book 9 of the Supervisor’s Handbook.
Daryle E. Roth
Director, Human ResourcesDistribution:
USAFAC Central Mailroom – 2750
1 cy ea civilian employee
8 cys EEO, Rm 218W, Bldg 1
SSC Central Mailroom – 2750
1P (Less Mil)
6 P (Less Mil) – DINFOS, HUSACH, USACID, USAISCE SDC-B, US Army Commissary, USA Readiness Group, NG Bureau, DENTAC, USAEREC
11A (Less Mil) – USARBI, USAEREC, Sch Op Bn
12A (Less Mil) – NAAP, MEPS
12 cys TRAMEA, Bldg 466
What a world we lived in back then, eh?
The use of the word “insure” struck me as possibly incorrect. I feel like they wanted the word “ensure”.
the necessity to insure public institutions function fairly and effectively
In this case, “insure” might mean “to protect”. But it doesn’t make sense. “Ensure” – to make certain or sure – seems way more likely.
Visual formatting was used to separate out the bulleted lists into “you may” and “you may not” columns. This approach only works so much on paper. Are we intended to read left to right or top to bottom? Clear headings would have made this layout more meaningful.
And while the document has a signature, it doesn’t really match with the printed name “Daryle E Roth” below it. Weird.
About: This is part of a collection of gaming notes left behind by my mother when she passed in 2020. Mom was an avid table-top role player, starting her adventures in the late 1970s and continued for as long as she could find a game. I’m slowly making my way through these papers and posting them as I uncover them.
Tucked behind Tallie’s character sheet, I found the following notes.
This sheet notes a “potion of climbing” on one side and a few other random items. “Level up 7” sounds like she made it past level six here. Surrounded by various calculations, this could have been from an eventful gaming session.
At the bottom of the sheet are several phrases: Rol 4 D&D 3 Gam 2 (scratched out), Roll 4 Game 3 (also scratched out), and finally Roll204Game3. Underscores were my mother’s way of denoting capital letters, when she was printing. I’m assuming that these were most likely passwords to whatever Prodigy network space she may have been using.
On the opposite side of this sheet is “Level 6 Wed 1st 3pm”. Below that, likely unrelated to the game is the note “Wed – 8 leave at 10. Lanching [sic] Mich” followed by a cryptic number “1400”.
About: This is part of a collection of gaming notes left behind by my mother when she passed in 2020. Mom was an avid table-top role player, starting her adventures in the late 1970s and continued for as long as she could find a game. I’m slowly making my way through these papers and posting them as I uncover them.
Was a solidar [sic] in the Dwarf King army. She saw fearce [sic] battles. Some she bearly [sic] survived. After her required time was served she left her mountain home to travel and try to forget her nightmares.
Personality traits: Slow to make friends
Ideals: Independence
Bonds: Never leave a friend behind
Flaws: Hatred of enemies is blind & unreasoning
Attacks & Spellcasting: Unarmed +5 to hit 4 damage
Tallie seems a lot like Millie. Hm! But the backstory is a bit more straightforward. Maybe Mom just wanted to get into the game.
I’m tempted to psychoanalyze the personality traits she lists out for her characters. I don’t know how much she was into acting or true role playing, but this is her second character who was solidly independent and not so much with the “let’s be friends” attitude.