The banker reached into the folds of his gown,
pulled out a single credit note.
“But eat first — a full belly steadies the judgment.
Do me the honor of accepting this
as our welcome to the newcomer.”
His pride said no; his stomach said YES!
Don took it and said, “Uh, thanks!
That’s awfully kind of you.
I’ll pay it back, first chance.”
“Instead,
PAY IT FORWARD
to some other brother who needs it.”
Between Planets
by Robert A. Heinlein
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The most important aspect of Robert Heinlein’s legacy that we at The Heinlein Society support and adhere to is his concept of paying it forward.
BLOOD DRIVES: With Dragoncon again leading the pack in 2022 with 2,996 donations of all types society blood drives have exceeded 50,000 donations since 2001. Arisia, Wondercon and Worldcon lead the smaller convention drives. But they all count even the startups. Let us know how we can help you with your THS drive!
HEINLEIN FOR HEROES: Founded in November 2013, Heinlein For Heroes – H4H – is a program for placing science fiction books, especially Heinlein books, into the hands of active military personnel—particularly those deployed—their families, and into the hands of veterans in veterans’ hospitals. Total books shipped to date: 38,010
SCHOLARSHIPS: Four $4,000 scholarships are awarded to undergraduate students of accredited 4-year colleges and universities.
EDUCATION: In 2005, in partnership with Cascadia Con, Science Fiction Museum, and Reading for the Future, the Heinlein Society produced an “Education CD” of materials for educators interested in using Science Fiction to teach their students. The materials involved cover a variety of age groups, and include a significant amount of material specific to the works of Robert A. Heinlein, not least of which is the complete text to three Heinlein shorts provided courtesy of The Heinlein Prize Trust. Leading SF educators like Julie Czernada, C. W. Sullivan III, and Robert James are represented.
THE HEINLEIN JOURNAL: Since its inception in 1997, The Heinlein Journal has been the leading source of new scholarship on Robert A. Heinlein. The Heinlein Society is pleased to announce that The Heinlein Journal has been rejuvenated, with new issues available for digital download.
In all our programs we could use your support, your enthusiasm, and your volunteer help.
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How You Can Pay It Forward
- Donate blood, whether at a Heinlein Society blood drive or elsewhere.
- Organize a blood drive in your area, or at a convention you attend. Contact The Heinlein Society for assistance.
- Donate Heinlein books to your hometown library. You never know when you’ll affect the life of someone by introducing them to Heinlein.
- Support the Butler Public Library in Robert Heinlein’s hometown of Butler, Missouri.
- Practice “pay it forward” in your everyday life.