About 30 years ago, some science fiction fans in Vancouver started getting together every week. Eventually, they came to call the group "FRED" for "Forget Reality - Enjoy Drinking." (Or at least, that's the acronym we use in polite company.) FRED had a huge advantage compared to other fan clubs: it met every week, so people didn't have to keep track of which week it was. ("If this is Friday, then tonight is FRED.") It met in the same place, so people didn't have to keep track of which place to go to this time. It didn't have membership fees, or a newsletter, or anything to organise. The rules were simple:

1. show up
2. have fun

ROWLF is an effort to take the ideas that make FRED work, and spread them, so that similar informal drop in groups can happen anywhere fans want to make them happen. Then too, ROWLF is intended to be a place where fans can look up drop in fanmeets in other parts of the world, so that, as you travel, you can find a fanmeet in the city you're visiting, so you can get in touch with the local fans.