Archival Post: Interested in Serving as an SMFS Officer or Coordinator?

Are you an SMFS member interested in serving as an officer? Here are the officers' duties and the candidacy calendar:

SMFS Positions and Duties

PRESIDENT
VICE PRESIDENT
DERRINGER AWARDS COORDINATOR

Candidacy Calendar


PRESIDENT (2-year term) - SMFS President moderates the group's discussion forum and membership roll at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/shortmystery. They must ensure the free flow of ideas while maintaining a cordial atmosphere and quelling any flame wars that threaten to erupt.

The president must confer with the vice president regularly, so that, should the president be unavailable, the vice president can continue day-to-day operations.

As the SMFS's main representative with the public, the president must also maintain the SMFS blog at http://shortmystery.blogspot.com, where the public goes for information about the SMFS.

Each year, the president organizes the Golden Derringer committee, deciding who should receive the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement, and the Hall of Fame committee, deciding who should be inducted into the Short Mystery Fiction Hall of Fame.

As for the regular Derringer process, the president may answer general policy questions if asked by the Coordinator, but the president may neither collect Derringer submissions, nor judge the regular Derringer Awards, nor win a Derringer Award while in office.

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VICE PRESIDENT (2-year term) - SMFS Vice President is co-moderator of the discussion forum and consultant on any group business. The vice president assumes all of the president's duties, including representing the SMFS in person, when the president is unavailable (sickness, vacation, etc.).

The vice president serves with the president on the Golden Derringer committee and the Hall of Fame committee, and is subject to the same restrictions as the president regarding the regular Derringer process.

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DERRINGER AWARDS COORDINATOR (1-year term) - The Coordinator runs the annual Derringer Award process, including collecting Derringer submissions, coordinating the judging, and announcing the winners.

Independent of the Officers (President and Vice President), the coordinator has the authority to resolve all issues that arise throughout the submission, judging, and voting periods.

The coordinator moderates the Derringers Voting Group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Derringers), posting the Derringer finalist stories for the voters to read, and verifying members' voting eligibility as they join the group.

The coordinator serves with the president and vice president on the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer selection committee and the Hall of Fame committee, and like them, may neither judge the regular Derringers nor win a Derringer Award while in office.

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Candidacy Calendar

May 15-30, nominations will be accepted for SMFS President and Vice President 2010-12 and for Derringer Coordinator 2011. Nominations must be seconded to become official. Members may nominate or second themselves.

May 31-June 4, each nominee is allowed to post a single message announcing him/herself to the group and supporting his/her candidacy.

June 5-15, SMFS members vote to select the new officers.

June 16-30, The current officers coordinate with the Officers-Elect to ensure a smooth transition.

July 1, the new SMFS officers take office.