Return-Path: <ascent!dtc@uunet.uu.net>
Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1993 17:16:06 -0500
From: ascent!dtc@uunet.uu.net (David T. Clemens)
To: uunet!ai.mit.edu!cgdemarc@uunet.uu.net
In-Reply-To: <9311011901.AA18142@theta> (uunet!ai.mit.edu!cgdemarc)
Subject: Re: GSB/GSL Messages

Carl,

Congratulations on your position as Scout Master.  I'm afraid I don't
have possesion of any copies of old GSB messages, though I think your
cause is noble.  I tried to login to my old ai account but couldn't
get past rice-chex, for some reason.  You are free to check whatever
is left of my directory there, if you can find it.  I may have some
copies of one or two old messages.  There have been some fine authors
over the years.  My favorites came from Bruce Donald (brd, now at
Cornell) and John Canny (jfc, now at Berkeley), who were my
predecessors.  Of course, I've also enjoyed some of the more modern
notes, such as those from pgs.  Other early helpers were Nancy Pollard
and Jeanne Speckman, and probably many others at various times, but I
can't recall.

I presume you know the story of the origin: GSB stands for Girl Scout
Benefit.  The goal was to empty as many beer bottles as possible, so
that the bottles could be returned by girl scouts for the deposit.
The scouts never materialized, but the effort continues undaunted.

It began as a weekly event for TLP's robotics group in the Faculty
Lounge, probably around 1984.  It seemed to fill a social absence at
the lab, so I believe WELG suggested that it move to the 7th floor
playroom.  As more students heard about it, more faculty were also
urged to attend (and lose theirs).  After a while, though, it became
challenging for faculty to make appearances every week, so attendance
thinned.  Student attendance seems to have gone through several
swings.

Do you still get ice from the Polaroid cafeteria?

-David