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TCBOR Teslathon

Story Clamp, All,

Regarding the Teslathon, invitations, attendance, etc.

I coined the word Teslathon in 1989 when I planned our first one.  This 
was to make it distinct from the west coast "un-conventions" which were a 
similar bash held only two years during the mid 1980s. (reported on in 
the TCBA NEWS.)

Since then, we have held a Teslathon every year here in Richmond, 
Virginia at my lab.  They are by invitation only and are considered a 
closed and not public event.  I have discovered that 45-50 souls is the 
absolute max-capacity that my home and lab can accomodate.

The Teslathon here has become somewhat of an "old boys" club or network. 
 I have a standing group of "real coilers" numbering about 30-40 which 
return each year from as far as Washington state, California, Colorado, 
Texas, etc.  These folks are on a permenant invitation list and thus, 
each year, I have only about 10-15 slots for "other guest invitations".
Thus, to keep from having any hard feelings about refusals, I have never 
advertised the event.  We always seem to pickup a few extras throughout 
the year to ultimately fill the roster.  This year we had 44 people show 
up for the festivities.

I sent out the usual invitations about May, and every one responded 
making the list about 40.  I also picked up 4 from my tape subscriber 
list.  This made 44.  Somehow, some folks on this list contacted me 
privately and asked to be included.  So I told them to snail mail me a 
request.  They did, I sent out a formal invitation and all returned mail 
saying they would definitely be there. Others requested to come, but I 
pushed them aside saying "we're full up".  Only one of the folks on this 
list, who was not signed up under this list, called to cancel.  I invited 
another who was next on my list to fill his vacancy.  Of those 6 on this 
list who swore to attend, not a one of them did, and not a one of them 
called to cancel!  Thus, 6 people who might have come in their place were 
kept out needlessly.  I have come to not trust the stability or firmness 
of comittment from some of the folks on this list.

Therefore, I will only entertain firm commitments in the future to attend 
with a promise of cancellation notice from any "extra invitees".  If you 
are on this list, and want to attend a future Teslasthon, mail a snail 
mail request and I will put them in a pile in order of receipt for 
notification when I normally mail out the invitations in late May or 
early June.  If you actually attended this year's bash don't worry, you 
are automatically "in" as I send invitations based on the sign-in roster 
from this years attendance list.

So the bottom line is Yes!!  Ya'll come!  But be prepared to be refused 
based on the "old boys" filling up slots.  As cancellations are received, 
I will linearly select and notify the next applicant.

Barry Benson and Steve Roys sort of let the cat out of the bag by 
posting, but hey, good things can't be kept a secret forever.  I just 
wish I had free use of a football stadium so I could have every one over.

Some of you sensitive types may feel a sting of elitism from me.  Thats 
your problem, not mine.  Besides, smart money would say start up you own 
yearly bash!  Steve Roys did!!  He now holds the TCBOM teslathon at his 
home (payback is hell Steve).  We need more Teslathons!!! 

 This internet stuff is just a lot of wind over th' twisted pair. 
(Chip's list is somewhat of an oasis and haven from the blasts.)

  If our tapes and pictures are worth a thousand words, then being there 
is nirvanna!  You get to see all the dorky idiot-syncrasies of all the 
clowns in Tesla-dum.  You learn that the intelligent tighly controlled, 
scientific person you have interneted with is actually a silly-looking 
gnome who drools a lot and has a speech-impediment.  But hey, that's life 
and life ain't the internet.

If you do decide to hold your own Teslathon, it will be great until the 
list hits 30 people in a few years!  Then it is a tedious effort where 
you are running around in a daze trying to see to everyone's needs and 
preparing the next demo, directing traffic to the "head", fetching soda 
and ice, etc..  Now that a couple of other 'Thons are going, I love to 
attend them and suck up the other guy's soda, harrass the hell out of him 
and generally hang around with the intent purpose of doing absolutely 
nothing except going one on one with my fellow coilers. (something you 
can't do if you are in charge).

Richard Hull, TCBOR


7103 Hermitage Road, Richmond, Va 23228