The USS Republic NCC-1371 is a Star Trek fan club headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and a chapter of STARFLEET International (SFI), a not-for-profit organization incorporated in the state of North Carolina in order to provide a social organization in which people of diverse backgrounds with similar interests can interact to promote the optimistic future as envisioned in the Star Trek universe and to support that optimistic future through community service, social activities and creative endeavors.

•  The USS Republic was commissioned on May 14, 1988, as a chapter of STARFLEET International

•  STARFLEET International currently includes more than 3,400 members in 226 commissioned chapters, grouped in twenty “Regions” around the world

•  USS Republic is a member of STARFLEET’s Region 2

•  Region 2 includes 30 commissioned chapters grouped into five “Zones”: Zone 1 (Florida, thirteen chapters), Zone 2 (Georgia, five chapters), Zone 3 (Alabama, eight chapters), Zone 4 (Mississippi, four chapters) and Zone 5 (the Caribbean Islands, no chapters)

•  USS Republic currently has a crew roster of almost 70 members who live mostly in Georgia but also in Alabama, Florida, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Iowa and Indiana

•  USS Republic is currently the largest meeting chapter of STARFLEET in the world

•  USS Republic plans and coordinates an active schedule of events for its members, frequently partnering with other local science fiction groups in the Atlanta area for joint activities, but does not hold meetings on a consistently “fixed date” each month

•  USS Republic is currently under the command of Captain Eric L. Watts, who was elected to that position in May 2006, reelected in January 2007 and again in December 2008.  His current term as commanding officer will expire in December 2010

•  Captain Watts is also Dragon*Con’s Director of Star Trek Programming and creator/producer of the highly acclaimed and world-famous TrekTrak

•  Captain Watts received Region 2’s Commanding Officer of the Year Award in March 2007 and STARFLEET International’s Commanding Officer of the Year Award in August 2007

•  Membership in STARFLEET International is a prerequisite for membership in the USS Republic.   STARFLEET membership dues are $15 annually and Republic chapter dues are $10 annually.  Members who join both organizations at the same time may make a single payment of $25 to the Republic; Republic command will forward the appropriate paperwork to STARFLEET for processing

•  Membership in the USS Republic includes a personalized laminated membership card which entitles the member to receive discounts or rebates on products and services offered by our Member Benefits Program Partners

•  The USS Republic publishes a full-sized, full-color, magazine-format quarterly chapter newsletter, The Sovereign Star, which accepts contributions from all members and is available to non-members for $3.00 per copy.  The Republic also publishes a monthly e-zine, The Republiqué, which is emailed to all our members and friends to announce our upcoming events