2012 CUFF Winner

Debra Yeung is the winner of the 2012 Canadian Unity Fan Fund. She will be CUFF’s delegate to When Words Collide/Canvention in Calgary Aug 10-12.

CUFF Administrator Kent Pollard reports there were 42 selectors this year. The vote totals were: Debra Yeung, 29; Jane Garthson, 12; No Preference, 1.

Yeung scored a first-round majority (70% of those expressing a preference) to avoid a runoff.

Donations from this year’s selectors added $302.48 to the available funds for the delegate’s trip. Pollard plans a financial report later.

The text of the full press release [PDF file] follows the jump.

The CUFF Administrators are pleased to announce the Canadian fan selectors have chosen

Debra Yeung

to be the 2012 Canadian Unity Fan Fund Delegate to the When Words Collide Canvention in Calgary Aug 10-12, 2012  http://www.whenwordscollide.org/

Debra Yeung

Nominators: West: Fran Skene, LeAmber Raven Kensley, Leah Freedman    East: Alex von Thorn, Colin Hinz, Lloyd and Yvonne Penney

Debra’s Biography and campaign information:

For years I was a run of the mill fan, oblivious to the secret world of con-running, I was the average fan enjoying the SF & F lifestyle wandering hallways of local conventions, unaware that there were so many types of conventions and that they ran the gamut of size, style and location, across Canada, the US and world-wide.

Yes I was ‘that’ Fan; not that it was a bad thing but I was completely oblivious of the 70% of fandom I was missing.

Just about two years to the day, I answered a fan-run convention “help wanted” ad. And from that moment my fannish life exploded to include Book readings, First Thursdays, Third Mondays,   the word “Squee” entered my vocabulary (often), I attended long con-com meetings where not only did work get done but no blood was spilled, I became a party maven for the first time, and learned about fannish etiquette and the all-important rule of 5-3-1.

I am hooked; I have it bad, I am now a con-runner and proud to be a Fan with a Capital “F”

If selected, I will transfer that passion into being this year’s CUFF delegate, I am primed to apply everything experienced as a CUFF Delegate and to experience everything that ‘When Words Collide’ has to offer, to connect with as many of the Western Con-runners and fans as I can; but also do what I do best, pitch in and contribute to ‘When Words Collide’.

I don’t look at being CUFF delegate as a four day experience, I see it as a yearlong mission to continue the good work already in place, I wasn’t joking when I said that two years ago my Fannish life changed, it was at that time a CUFF delegate took me under her wing and mentored me, I was challenged and encouraged to expand my horizons; I plan on following that lead and become a mentor for future fans too.

What else can I do for fandom and CUFF?  Well for one thing, I’d make the CUFF website a permanent web presence and actively promote the fund, we aren’t quite there yet, to be honest it is still not easy to find CUFF and if you do, to understand know what it is, thanks to Diane and Kent it’s getting better.

Of course I will publish the trip report upon my arrival home.

There were 42 Selectors this year, with the first round vote breakdown as follows:

Jane Garthson:…… 12
Debra Yeung:…….. 29
No Preference:……. 1

—————     —

Total…………… 42

With 69% of first round votes cast (70% of those expressing a preference), Debra had a majority of the votes cast and no second round was required. Donations from selectors have provided $302.48 to add to the available funds for the delegate’s trip. The fund is in excellent shape, and I will report further on that later.

Kent Pollard (CUFF delegate from Western Canada to the 2011 Canvention at SFContario 2)