Messages

I assume your staff prefers 18+ as well?

Yes. Owing to the sometime sensitive nature of the information that can pass through ConOps, we only recruit staffers who are over 18, or will be by the time Fanime rolls around.

I will switch with you only if you bake me cookies.

On another note Chris, I saw that you said "While Rovers will seek out.." I thought you were going to say "Seek out new new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before!"

How about "...seek out new assaults, and new property damage. To boldly go where no unpaid staffer has gone before!"

So...if I sign up for ConOps, can I do that instead of my other position?  ;D

Absolutely! Heck we might even let you wear our oh-so-nifty shift lead hat.

Why thank you Steve! It's a pleasure to be here.

Do you enjoy sitting in the same room for eight hours a day? Are you proficient at answering a telephone? Do you have a basic grasp of the english language? If you answered yes to any of these questions, why not come work for ConOps?

Hi! I'm Chris, the head of Convention Operations, otherwise known as ConOps. For those of you who are unfamiliar with what we do, much like Rovers we are a department in which we hear all and see all that goes on at Fanime. The difference is that while Rovers will seek out new and exciting problems, we're quite content to let the problems come to us. We are part information clearinghouse, part radio and telephone switchboard, and part customer service. We operate as a information hub for all the departments of the convention, and we need staffers.

There are some things to consider before applying though. First of all, you must be at least 18 years of age by May 28th as we do not allow any minors. Second, a ConOps staffer will be expected to work six hours each day. That said, we also want you to be able to enjoy the convention, so we can work to setup a schedule that fulfills your commitment to Fanime while still allowing you to go to your events. Third, as I mentioned previously, we never close and we never go anywhere, so you must be comfortable sitting in the same room for hours at a stretch, but don't worry, ConOps is by no means boring.

So if any of this sounds interesting, and you'd like to try to be part of ConOps, drop me a line at [email protected] or [email protected], or come find us at one of the Fanime general staff meetings and introduce yourself.

Domo!
-
Chris

[law school]

Aww... the guy is in law school and still posts announcements for FanimeCon. Isn't he adorable? Truly awesome.  ;D

He is truly the Vinny Gambini of FanimeCon.

I believe the chain makes it qualify as a flail weapon correct?

Ah yes it does.

What do you do in that case I am wondering.

Allow me to prepend my comments by stating that while I am a Fanime staffer, I am not a member of the SoS department, and my opinions are just that and are in no way binding on the part of the convention.

The sword and the baton would likely be allowed so long as they are tagged as props and are not brandished in any fashion. The sole exception would possibly be for posing for photo ops. You would want the main body of the baton to be wooden. If there are bits of metal on it that are purely decorative such as on the grip, but not on the butt of the baton, that would probably be ok. To be absolutely on the safe side though, I'd go with 100% wood.

The kusarigama is a bit of a grey area. You'd likely want the main body of the weapon to be wood, but even then the scythe like shape of the handle and "blade" might still be a problem. If you can make the blade out of stiff foam or paper with a wooden handle, that might be more acceptable. A small metal chain might be acceptable, but a plastic chain would be even better. As for the weight on the end, I would make that out of foam and paint it to match. Basically, the more you can do have a prop that looks like a kusarigama but can't be used as an actual kusarigama, the more likely it'll pass muster.
It's also possible that even though it gets the green light, that you will be required to keep it secured/zip tied to your costume at all times.

As I said before, this is all just my take on the weapons policy as of 2009, and the ultimate decision rests with the SoS department. If you're local, I encourage you to attend one of the general pre-convention meetings and ask these questions of the SoS department head. They will be the one who actually writes this years policy.  :)

The next meeting will be on Sunday, November 22nd at 3 P.M. in Salon III of the Marriott Hotel if you are interested.