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Comet, v. 1, issue 1, January-February 1940

Page 17

COMET & SEE ME SOMETIME!
(a "collectors' item" article)

by FORREST J. ACKERMAN

4E-----4E-----4E-----4E

A fact of wich the editor of this new fanmag very likely was not aware til now that THE COMET is an old title! So old, however, that in "the eternal cycle" it becomes new once again!

THE COMET -- subtitled "Science Correspondence Club Bulletin" - was first issued a decade ago, VINI dated '30 May. It was the first publication approximating a fanmag I ever saw. Fairly well mimeod, with a minimum of mistakes, on one side of the sheet only, it contains 10 standard size sheets of paper. Editors were Raymond A. Palmer & Walter "Black Lem Gulliver" Dennis. Cover has THE COMET boxt in at the top with a comet superimposed over the title & Saturn in the lower rite-hand corner, with a similarly boxt-in pic at the bottom of the pg showing the baks of bks titled "Comet" & "S.C.C." with one bk open reading "theory - fact", & Science Correspondence Club printed below the bx.

Pg 1 introduces us to the Officers, the Sec'y being Mr. Palmer & Treasurer Walt Dennis. 3 Accredited SCC Branches are listed being in Okla., Greater Atlanta, & Boston. 6 Regional Directors r named.

Pg 2 gives the interested newcomer A Brief History of the Science Correspondence Club. "In the spring of 1928 while discussing a copy of the current Amazing Stories Mr. Sydney Gersen and Mr. Walter L. Dennis concieved the idea of a club whose central idea was to spread science & scientific thought among the laymen of the world so inclined, by means of correspondence." As the initial number of the club organ went to "press", the SCC had 313 members exclusive of Honorays. Pg 2 also contained a humorous stfan poem, "Evolution".

Pg 3: Candidates for Presidency. Paragrafs about the qualifications of the 4 seekers of the position.

Pg 4: Presidential Ballot; Resignation of Former President; Status of Present Secretary & Treasurer.

Pg 5 (oh-oh!) - "Open Letter to Members of the S. C. C. Who Are Delinquent in Dues". Stated 40-yr old scientist FREanon, Finance Committee Member: "There is no room of slackers in an organization that must have the co-operation of all to be a success. What are we? Are we merely out to obtain the names of a select few and then proceed to drop them a line saying, 'Hello, how is the weather in China today?' No! We are going to say 'I made an effort to bring forth a low form of life with chemicals last evening. I followed Prof. Merreas formula, which states---etc. etc. Can you help me with any suggestions? By the way, I set up my telescope the other night in search of the planet discovered after 30 years of search, and also searched the heavens in the region of Orionis."

Pg 6: Announcement of Formation of Branch of SCC with library of 400 scientific bks, a large collection of science fiction magazines, collections of ores, rocks, fossils, and prehistoric objects, & a chemicalaboratory & radio testing outfit.

Pg 7: "Trends in Psychology" by LILLETH LORRAINE, concluded on 8. Announcement of article coming by Dr. Miles J. [illegible] (whose real first name, incidentally, it recently was learned is Milcaley.)

Last we invite budding authors to contribute short SHORT storys for members' [illegible] to improve their styles & mayhap gain some good suggestions. Also solicited r scientific strips and cartoons & there is a good sketch of Einstein & another scientist, where identitys one was to guess...

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COMET & SEE ME SOMETIME! (a "collectors' item" article) by FORREST J. ACKERMAN 4E-----4E-----4E-----4E A fact of wich the editor of this new fanmag very likely was not aware til now that THE COMET is an old title! So old, however, that in "the eternal cycle" it becomes new once again! THE COMET -- subtitled "Science Correspondence Club Bulletin" - was first issued a decade ago, VINI dated '30 May. It was the first publication approximating a fanmag I ever saw. Fairly well mimeod, with a minimum of mistakes, on one side of the sheet only, it contains 10 standard size sheets of paper. Editors were Raymond A. Palmer & Walter "Black Lem Gulliver" Dennis. Cover has THE COMET boxt in at the top with a comet superimposed over the title & Saturn in the lower rite-hand corner, with a similarly boxt-in pic at the bottom of the pg showing the baks of bks titled "Comet" & "S.C.C." with one bk open reading "theory - fact", & Science Correspondence Club printed below the bx. Pg 1 introduces us to the Officers, the Sec'y being Mr. Palmer & Treasurer Walt Dennis. 3 Accredited SCC Branches are listed being in Okla., Greater Atlanta, & Boston. 6 Regional Directors r named. Pg 2 gives the interested newcomer A Brief History of the Science Correspondence Club. "In the spring of 1928 while discussing a copy of the current Amazing Stories Mr. Sydney Gersen and Mr. Walter L. Dennis concieved the idea of a club whose central idea was to spread science & scientific thought among the laymen of the world so inclined, by means of correspondence." As the initial number of the club organ went to "press", the SCC had 313 members exclusive of Honorays. Pg 2 also contained a humorous stfan poem, "Evolution". Pg 3: Candidates for Presidency. Paragrafs about the qualifications of the 4 seekers of the position. Pg 4: Presidential Ballot; Resignation of Former President; Status of Present Secretary & Treasurer. Pg 5 (oh-oh!) - "Open Letter to Members of the S. C. C. Who Are Delinquent in Dues". Stated 40-yr old scientist FREanon, Finance Committee Member: "There is no room of slackers in an organization that must have the co-operation of all to be a success. What are we? Are we merely out to obtain the names of a select few and then proceed to drop them a line saying, 'Hello, how is the weather in China today?' No! We are going to say 'I made an effort to bring forth a low form of life with chemicals last evening. I followed Prof. Merreas formula, which states---etc. etc. Can you help me with any suggestions? By the way, I set up my telescope the other night in search of the planet discovered after 30 years of search, and also searched the heavens in the region of Orionis." Pg 6: Announcement of Formation of Branch of SCC with library of 400 scientific bks, a large collection of science fiction magazines, collections of ores, rocks, fossils, and prehistoric objects, & a chemicalaboratory & radio testing outfit. Pg 7: "Trends in Psychology" by LILLETH LORRAINE, concluded on 8. Announcement of article coming by Dr. Miles J. [illegible] (whose real first name, incidentally, it recently was learned is Milcaley.) Last we invite budding authors to contribute short SHORT storys for members' [illegible] to improve their styles & mayhap gain some good suggestions. Also solicited r scientific strips and cartoons & there is a good sketch of Einstein & another scientist, where identitys one was to guess...