SF3 Annual Meeting: October 12th and a new Mission & Vision

SF3 is the nonprofit organization that’s responsible for WisCon; it provides long-term governance and financial management not only for the annual convention, but also for other projects and initiatives.

SF3’s Annual Meeting is coming up on Sunday October 12 at 2PM (Central). This meeting will be held virtually; you can join by telephone or online. If you are a current SF3 member you will receive information about how to join no later than Thursday, October 2 , via email. 

This meeting is where officers on the SF3 board and Chairs of SF3 Committees present their annual reports, and where significant business facing the organization is discussed. Anyone who is a member of SF3 can attend and vote at the annual meeting. You can join SF3 at http://sf3.org/join/. The deadline for joining SF3 prior to this year’s meeting is Tuesday, September 30.

We encourage anyone who is interested in behind-the-scenes at the WisCon annual convention to consider standing for an open board position. This year, the Vice President board position is open, as well as several At-Large seats. At a very general level, board members are expected to participate in discussion about policies and governance for SF3, and to help ensure that SF3 is on sure footing for the future (financially and organizationally). This ranges from making sure our annual taxes are accurate and filed on time, to discussing our mission and values, to planning new projects or initiatives. More information about specific board roles can be found at http://sf3.org/about/board-duties/. New officers are oriented by current officers.  

One of the past failures of the SF3 board has been its lack of support for participation from BIPOC members of the WisCon community. As noted in our Anti-Racism Statement, we are tackling strategic goals focused on inclusion and eliminating practices and attitudes that contribute to a white supremacist culture. This strategic planning work is separate from the board, although we both groups are in frequent communication.

SF3 membership is free for BIPOC. Moreover, if you are Black, Indigenous, or a person of color and have any interest in joining the SF3 board as an officer, please run for office!

If you have concerns about the commitment involved, or could join only with further support, you are welcome to contact any individual board member, or the board as a whole at board@sf3.org. 

If you are interested in standing for a board officer role, please contact Rita Briar at secretary@sf3.org by Friday, October 10 to express interest. Rita is also available to answer questions you may have about board roles.

Summary Agenda

A more detailed agenda, and all materials for the upcoming meeting, will be sent to SF3 members no later than Saturday October 4. 

The terms of officer positions are set according to our bylaws.

“The president and treasurer shall be elected in years evenly divisible by three; the vice-president shall be elected in the following year; the corresponding secretary and recording secretary shall be elected in the year after that.”

SF3 Bylaws, Section 4.3

(As of 2019, corresponding and recording secretary were collapsed into one role.)

2025 SF3 Annual Meeting Agenda

• Officer Reports – see packet for details

• Committee Chair Reports
  • Optional: review of new committee structure
  • AntiAbuse Committee Report
  • Events Committee Report
  • Fundraising Committee Report
  • IT Infrastructure Committee Report
  • Marketing (formerly Communications) Committee Report
  • Operations & Hospitality Committee Report
  • Personnel Committee Report
  • POC Outreach Committee Report
  • Programming Committee Report
  • Strategic Planning Committee Report

• Bylaw updates
  • progress
• Board officer positions:
  • President – one candidate
  • Vice President – open
  • Treasurer – one candidate
  • Member-At-Large – each position for a three year term
    • two new candidates
• Mission/vision discussion & approval

Proposed Mission: The mission of SF3 is to present WisCon, a feminist convention where expressions of marginalized identities are celebrated and honored within speculative fiction. 

Proposed Vision: We envision a world in which marginalized people of all genders hold our own space; have equal opportunity, participation, and value in the speculative fiction community; and are more present and increasingly prevalent in our broader culture.