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In honor of the 40th Anniversary of Star Trek,
the Sime~Gen party | |
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We rented an immense party suite for the night, and set up one side as a
Welcommittee gathering area. We had pictures, news articles,
etc. about Shirley & the Welcommittee (and badges for Welcommittee
members who were able to attend). |
Special thanks to Joel Davis, one of Shirley's
friends. He contacted former Welcommittee members & Trekfen, to
tell them about the party.
In so doing, he gathered significant donations from:
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A bit of history:
A couple of years ago, a zany guy named Joel Davis (screenwriter by day, SF fan by night)
hatched a plan to have a silent auction at WorldCon. The purpose: raise money
"to send a worthy fan to WorldCon" (translation: help pay for our
Karen MacLeod to go to the Glasgow WorldCon).
Somehow, I got fingered to organize this auction, which meant getting to
know said ziny guy, and we stayed in contact afterward. He planned to come
to
LACon, to see fellow Trek and Sime~Gen friends (especially JL).
What happened next? I'm not really sure. But all of a sudden...
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We were planning a reunion party for the Star Trek Welcommittee...
With a memorial tribute to Shirley Maiewski, dedicated leader of the Welcommittee for many years. Here's what the party notice said: |
Sime~Gen Party & 8:15
- Tribute & Toast to Shirley Maiewski |
Joel had made up some posters with the Welcommittee symbol on them, and I used the symbol to make Welcommittee badges, like the ones the members/volunteers used to wear at Cons.
At least 20 people showed up for the tribute, and talked about their memories of Shirley, and the work of the Welcommittee.
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Joel gave the first toast:
Dear Shirley, I’ve known you for 35 years,
dear friend, and they are among the best 35 years of my life.
You were always there for me, for a friend, and I remember that pool
table of yours, doing collating parties for AU4 around it with other friends and
the other authors. When Philip
died, my heart went out to you, dear friend, for the pain you were suffering. As
I knew him as the kind and loving husband and father he was.
Then we began our ritual of speaking every Tuesday and Friday on the
phone just to see how the other was doing. When I decided to call you up, and
check on you to see how you were doing, you said it didn't matter: you're still
here. So, okay, how are YOU doing? So the love was still there, for me. And for that, Shirley, I love you. I always will . To Shirley Maiewski! |
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JL spoke next:
I am extremely moved, but I knew I would be. Shirley was, and is, and always will be, an important force in our lives. And all the work that she did, the multitudinous hours of solitary labor, sorting all that mail...And making sure every person got an answer. All of that work, it wasn't in vain, it isn't forgotten, it hasn't come to an end. It is simply moving on, out into the world like a tsunami...to the ends of the universe and back again! To Shirley Maiewski! |
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Welcommittee Toast - Joel with ??? & Joe Zaerfoss |
Welcommittee Toast - Joel Davis & Jean, et al. |
Welcommittee Toast - Joel, Joe & Wendie Zaerfoss, & JL |
Welcommittee Toast - two Guests |
Most of the party is on videotape. Many of the other comments and reminiscences expressed by Welcommittee members who joined us there were captured on the tape. As time permits, those comments will be transcribed, and added to this page.
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