Locals

More commonly today a "local" refers to a small, local convention which does not draw its membership significantly from outside its local community, and a local club is simply called a "club". The old sense comes from long ago when general fan organizations like FAPA, the N3F and the SFL were seen as the defining force in fandom.

From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959

Fans living in the same city or metropolitan area usually form some kind of organization at whose meetings they may get together, tho in some cases, like the Washington Worry-Warts and the Windy City Wampires, there is no formal setup. Of old many locals had titular links with one or more regional or general fan organizations (the main advantage of which was publicity of the fact that they existed, so that other interested people nearby might join) but the absence of such inclusive groups today means that modern locals must be independent. In many cases, like the old LASFS, a local group might be a branch of several organizations. Occasionally strong active locals are found in small communities, like the Decker Dillies, but the longer-lived ones are in metropolitan areas. New York and Los Angeles are the only cities that have supported more than one local for any considerable length of time. Even in the large cities, like Chicago and Washington, there have been periods when there was no active fandom, and in smaller places periods of nothingness have been more frequent because of the weakness of locals, which have a way of folding up with the loss of one or two active fans. In spite of this, they are the strongest type of fan organization, because they present an opportunity for fangabbing, cooperative publishing, visiting, and similar fan activity, which in larger organizations (where contacts are chiefly by mail) can be had only at fan gatherings.

From Fancyclopedia 1, ca. 1944

Fans living in the same city or metropolitan area usually from some kind of organization at whose regular meetings they may get together, tho in some cases, like the Washington Worry-Warts and the Windy City Wampires, there is no formal setup. These locals may be independent, but more often have a titular link with one or more regional or general fan organizations, the main advantage of which is publicity of the fact that they exist so that other interested people nearby may join. In many cases a local will be a branch of several general organizations; the LASFS and the PSFS are the outstanding examples. Occasionally strong and active locals are found in comparatively small communities, like the Literature Science and Hobbies Club of Decker Indiana, but the longer-lived ones are usually in metropolitan areas. Leeds, New York, and for a brief time Chicago and LA, are the only cities that have supported more than one local at a time. Even in the large cities, such as Chicago and Washington, there have been periods when there was no active fandom, and in smaller places periods of nothingness have been oftener because of the weakness of all locals that they may fold up with the loss of one or two very active fans. In spite of this, they are the strongest type of fan organization because they present an opportunity for fangabbing, cooperative publishing, visiting, and similar fan activity, which in a larger organization, where contacts are mainly by mail, can be had only at fan gatherings.

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Conrunning

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