CFG

The Cincinnati Fantasy Group, of Ohio, a once-influential fan club.

Founded by Charles R. Tanner, Ross Rocklynne and Dale Tarr in December 1935, the CFG is the third-oldest continuously running sf club. Don Ford, Roy Lavender, Lou Tabakow and Stan Skirvin were notable early members. The founding of CFG is the subject of several (somewhat conflicting) stories.

Bill Cavin has been the CFG Dictator since 1981, following Tabakow.

The CFG put on the Cinvention in 1949, and, from 1950–2019, sponsored the annual Midwestcon, one of the longest-running cons, and the first relaxacon. For many years, it also sponsored the now-defunct Octocon. The club is also the source of the ubiquitous fan-party seating practice, the CFG Rules. Dale Tarr wrote a history of the club, CFG History, in 1957.

The group is informal and meets casually in members' homes every two weeks, but it does have occasional business meetings and votes. To become a member, one must attend several meetings and be voted in unanimously by the voting members in attendance at the meeting where the vote occurs. To retain voting membership, members must attend at least one regular meeting each year. This rule was put into effect in an exclusion act disenfranchising nonlocal members in 2013, following a controversial vote on the future of Midwestcon.

Other CFG events include an annual picnic and a series of New Year's parties. Traditionally, the CFG has hosted a weekend-long party at Worldcons and NASFiCs.

Members listed in the 1949 Cinvention program book were: C. L. Barrett, Jerry Barrett, R. Brueckner, Don Ford, Lee Greenwell, Jim Hanley, Duke Henslee, W. B. Houston, Mrs. W. B. Houston (W. S. Houston?), Ronald Howes, Addie Huddleston, Roy Lavender, Bea Mahaffey, Floyd McClure, Jim McNally, Nancy Moore, Walter Pratt, Darrell Richardson, Alice Sander, Stan Skirvin, Charles Smith, Phil Stevenson, Betty Sullivan, Carrie Tabakow, Lou Tabakow, Arthur Tanner, Charles Tanner and Dale Tarr.

In 1957, Don Ford published a 30-page, mimeographed fanzine titled Cincinnati Fantasy Group, featuring a history of the club, member testimonials, origins of Midwestcon, profiles of members including Roy Lavender, Ben Keifer, Oscar & Mary Ellan Moeller, Jim Holtel, Walter Pratt and Bea Mahaffey, with writing by Ford, Dale Tarr, Bob Madle, Bill Grant, H. Ken Bulmer, Nick & Noreen Falasca, Lou Tabakow, C.L. "Doc" Barrett and Stan Skirvin.

More recent members have included Michael A. Banks, Ray Beam, Ric Bergman, Leo Borgman, Bill Bowers, Jackie Causgrove, Carolyn Doyle, Rusty Hevelin, Frank Johnson, Margaret Ford Keifer, Mike Lalor, Denise Leigh, Steve Leigh, Dave Locke, Mary Martin, Art Metzger, Carol Resnick, Mike Resnick, Pat Sims, Roger Sims, George Wagner and Joel Zakem.

• Website
• CFG History
• Meeting Diary, 1946–1947 by Don Ford.

From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959

The Cincinnati Fantasy Group, of Ohio; Don Ford, Roy Lavender, Lou Tabakow, and Stan Skirvin are notable members. They put on the Cinvention in 1949, and are sponsors of the annual Midwestcon.

From Fancyclopedia 2 Supplement, ca. 1960

The Cincinnati Fantasy Group does not sponsor the Midwestcons; the individual members do.

Correction: The CFG later became the actual sponsor of Midwestcon.

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Club

1935—

This is a club page. Please extend it by adding information about when and where the club met, when and by whom it was founded, how long it was active, notable accomplishments, well-known members, clubzines, any conventions it ran, external links to the club's website, other club pages, etc. When there's a floreat (Fl.), this indicates the time or times for which we have found evidence that the club existed. This is probably not going to represent the club's full lifetime, so please update it if you can!