People now have extra time — until October 15 — to apply for the SMOFcon scholarship offered by San Francisco Science Fiction Conventions, Inc.

The full press release appears after the jump.

SMOFCon Scholarship Application Deadline Extended

San Francisco Science Fiction Conventions, Inc. (SFSFC) has extended the deadline for applying for a scholarship of $500 to help convention runners in training attend the SMOFCon convention-runners convention in Columbus OH this year over the weekend of December 5-7, 2008.

The original deadline was September 30, but has been extended to October 15, 2008. An application form is available on the SFSFC web site at <http://sfsfc.org/?page_id=93> or by writing to SFSFC at PO Box 61363, Sunnyvale CA 94088-1363. Application forms will also be available from the San Jose Westercon Bid table at SiliCon, being held at the San Jose Doubletree Hotel October 3-5, 2008. SFSFC must receive (postmark date does not count) applications by October 15, 2008.

SMOFCon is an annual convention about organizing science fiction conventions. Subject matter ranges from managing small conventions up to the unique challenges of World Science Fiction Conventions. The convention is held in a different city each year. The 2008 SMOFCon will be in Columbus OH at the Drury Inn & Suites. More information about this year’s SMOFCon is available on their web site <http://www.midohiosf.org/>.

The scholarship is open to anyone involved in running science fiction conventions, regardless of their place of residence. However, applicants must be able to demonstrate that their attendance at SMOFCon will benefit San Francisco Bay Area conventions. Applications will be judged by the scholarship administrators, who for 2008 are the three directors of SFSFC who have chaired Worldcons: David W. Clark, Kevin Standlee, and Tom Whitmore.

This is the fifth year that SFSFC has issued a scholarship to allow a promising convention runner to attend SMOFCon.

The name “SMOF” stands for “Secret Masters Of Fandom,” and is a humorous reference to the people who organize and manage science fiction conventions. Another term sometimes used for such people is “conrunner.”

SFSFC was the parent non-profit corporation of ConJosé, the 2002 World Science Fiction Convention, ConFrancisco, the 1993 Worldcon, as well as Westercon 53 in 2000. SFSFC is also organizing the 2009 World Fantasy Convention.

Contact:

SFSFC Inc.: Kevin Standlee [email protected]

SMOFCon 26: http://midohiosf.org/

San Francisco Science Fiction Conventions, Inc. is a California non-profit corporation recognized as tax-exempt under US Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3).

“ConJosé” and “ConFrancisco” are service marks of San Francisco Science Fiction Conventions, Inc., a California non-profit corporation.

“Westercon” is a registered service mark of the Los Angeles Science Fiction Society, Inc. “Worldcon” and “World Science Fiction Convention” are registered service marks of the World Science Fiction Society, an unincorporated literary society.