(source: "https://www.usenetarchives.com/view.php?id=alt.sf4m&mid=PDRtaW4yMiRiMWZAeGFuYWR1LmlvLmNvbT4") ALT.SF4M BIG FIRE ANNIVERSARY APPROACHING! Posts: 5 s******j@**.com 05/05/1996 00:00:000 UTC Tony just mentioned summer activities. This brought something to mind. June 13, a Thursday (meeting night, right?) will mark the 10th Anniversary of the Great Forum Fire of '86. The fire destroyed a large part of the collection, and water and smoke damage made the remainder of the books rather odiferous. Heroic efforts by Forumites, and donations from people around the country, allowed the 4M to eventually recover, and later increase the size of its collection. Finding a new home took many months, and the dedicated effort of many members and alumni. The 4M's new home in the basement of Central Hall was probably the roomiest and nicest it's every been in. It is a testament to the officers of the time that it's acquisition was pulled off. The usual way we celebrated in the years following the fire was to have a barbequeue and burn a worthless book (e.g., a romance novel, a horoscope book from 1978, something by Peirs Anthony) in commemoration. Being the tenth anniversary, something special should be planned. The Forum has managed to survive another ten years, despite temporary homelessness, demoralization and the loss of a significant part of its collection. I can't attend, being in Pittsburgh and horribly busy, but I hope someone can put something together. Stefan -- +-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-+ ***@***.com ~ s*****s@a*****.***u.edu ~ s******j@**.com http://www.ini.cmu.edu/~sjones/ e*****n@s********.*****n.org 06/05/1996 00:00:000 UTC >Being the tenth anniversary, something special should be planned. The >Forum has managed to survive another ten years, despite temporary >homelessness, demoralization and the loss of a significant part of >its collection. I can't attend, being in Pittsburgh and horribly busy, >but I hope someone can put something together. Why don't we burn the forum down to celebrate? No... That wouldn't go over too well. Maybe we could have a witch hunt and burn Teeks or NYPIRG people. We could burn a few bibles... Fringies... hmm... Maybe just a really big party would do it. Who knows... / Eric (2 of 2) a****4@f******.********n.ca 07/05/1996 00:00:000 UTC Eric S Roman (e*****n@s********.*****n.org) writes: >>Being the tenth anniversary, something special should be planned. The >>Forum has managed to survive another ten years, despite temporary >>homelessness, demoralization and the loss of a significant part of >>its collection. I can't attend, being in Pittsburgh and horribly busy, >>but I hope someone can put something together. > Why don't we burn the forum down to celebrate? No... That wouldn't > go over too well. Maybe we could have a witch hunt and burn Teeks or > NYPIRG people. We could burn a few bibles... Fringies... hmm... > Maybe just a really big party would do it. Who knows... How about a copy of the Communications "Decency" Act...the one that would make many of the books in the Forum illegal on the Internet or the discussion of them illegal. As a Witch, I vote against the Witch Hunt...Unless you would like to spend the rest of your life as a Newt! ttyl Farrell j*******a@c*****.**.******b.edu 06/05/1996 00:00:000 UTC Stefan E. Jones (s******j@**.com) wrote: : Tony just mentioned summer activities. This brought something to mind. : June 13, a Thursday (meeting night, right?) will mark the 10th Anniversary : of the Great Forum Fire of '86. : The fire destroyed a large part of the collection, and water and smoke : damage made the remainder of the books rather odiferous. Heroic : efforts by Forumites, and donations from people around the country, : allowed the 4M to eventually recover, and later increase the size of : its collection. Finding a new home took many months, and the dedicated : effort of many members and alumni. The 4M's new home in the basement : of Central Hall was probably the roomiest and nicest it's every been in. : It is a testament to the officers of the time that it's acquisition was : pulled off. : The usual way we celebrated in the years following the fire was to have a : barbequeue and burn a worthless book (e.g., a romance novel, a horoscope : book from 1978, something by Peirs Anthony) in commemoration. : Being the tenth anniversary, something special should be planned. The : Forum has managed to survive another ten years, despite temporary : homelessness, demoralization and the loss of a significant part of : its collection. I can't attend, being in Pittsburgh and horribly busy, : but I hope someone can put something together. : Stefan : -- : +-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-+ : ***@***.com ~ s*****s@a*****.***u.edu ~ s******j@**.com : http://www.ini.cmu.edu/~sjones/ Thank you for this tidbit of information. I actually had no idea that this year was the big one-oh of the bleakest of days the 4M has ever seen. I'll be sure to attend the party and wear red. And I'll make sure the officers put together something, dammit! -JC a****n@l********g.net 08/05/1996 00:00:000 UTC The meeting nights are on Wednesday, not Thursday, nowadays... but other than that, an event would be cool... -Aakin