Volume I, Number 15  •  June 2009 
CONTENTS

UPCOMING EVENTS
•  Saturday, July 4: Fourth of July BBQ & Pool Party

NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
•  USS Republic: The New "Star" in STARFLEET!
•  USS Republic Forums web site now online!
•  USS Republic members appear in newspaper
•  Member Benefits Program news
•  USS Exeter files activity report for May
•  Now accepting orders for Republic sport shirts
•  Ship's Store features chapter merchandise
•  Recent Chapter Event Photos


SIDEBAR
•  June Birthdays
•  Welcome Aboard!
•  June Membership Renewals
•  Member Reenlistments
•  Wish List
•  About the Republic
•  For More Information
•  USS Republic Related Sites
•  Our Member Benefits Program Partners
•  News from STARFLEET International
    New CQ, New STARFLEET logo, New Online Store
    Fleet Admiral's Blog
    One Small Step, One Giant Leap
    New Perks for STARFLEET members!

UPCOMING EVENTS
Fourth of July BBQ & Pool Party

12:00 noon to late evening
Saturday, July 4, 2009 (Rain Date: Saturday, July 11)
Hosted by ENS2 Hal Doby
4651 Cedar Brook Drive, Conyers GA  30094
Ensign 2nd Class Hal Doby is pleased to invite all members of the Republic, as well as all our friends in the IKAV Nemesis, KAG Atlanta, Stargate Atlanta, Atlanta Outworlders and the USS Atlanta, for a full day of fun, food and water on Saturday, July 4!  This year, the theme is "The Classic American Mid-Twentieth Century Picnic," circa 1950-1960.  The menu is traditional American picnic food, such as hamburgers, chicken and hot dogs on the grill.  Ensign Doby and the Republic will provide sodas, burgers, chicken, hot dogs and the fixin's; attending members and friends are asked to bring covered dishes and sides such as fried chicken, potato salad, pies, cakes and other traditional picnic food.  But wait!  There's more!  Don't try to sneak in with just any old can of store-brand pork and beans.  Just for fun, we'll hold a "Republic Iron Chef" contest where people will vote on their favorite side dish.  The contest theme will be "The Classic American Summer Picnic" and the winner will get an award of some sort and the title of Republic Iron Chef!  Entries will be judged by popular vote based on originality, presentation and of course, taste.

Starting around noon, we'll open the pool to anybody that wants to splash around and have fun.  Don't forget to bring your swim trunks and a towel to dry off with!  The Republic will be providing ice and non-alcoholic beverages for your enjoyment.  The event is BYOB, so should you choose to bring spirits, please enjoy yourself responsibly.  The event will continue into the afternoon and evening for as long as everyone wishes to stay, so feel free to arrive as early or as late as you're able.  We'll show some classic sci-fi movies of the 1950s and 1960s on Ensign Doby's 57" Big Screen TV later in the day.  This invitation is open to all members and friends of the Republic, all other metro area science fiction fans, and anyone else that would enjoy a good time.  The command and crew of the USS Republic look forward to seeing you there!

MAP AND DIRECTIONS
NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
USS Republic: The New "Star" in STARFLEET!

STARFLEET chapters all over the world planned for months to capitalize on the release of J. J. Abrams' Star Trek movie in May.  STARFLEET printed a huge overrun of the 150th issue of its Communiqué newsletter to be able to use as a recruitment tool, Region 2 management created and provided to all Region 2 chapters a special promotional poster, and there was even a YahooGroups established for this particular purpose.  Nationwide, individual chapters contacted their local theaters to coordinate recruitment drives and many of them were featured in their local news media.  Here in Atlanta, the USS Republic began working with the Regal Cinemas in Chamblee as early as January to prepare for our three-day presence in their lobby.  After all the dust settled, we knew we did pretty darned good in our recruitment efforts, having signed up nine new members on Friday, nine more new members on Saturday, eight new members on Sunday, and four additional new members via our web site in the days following the opening weekend, for a month-end total of thirty new members—an astonishing 54% increase in our membership, from 56 to 86 members, in just three weeks' time.

We didn't know how good we did, however, until STARFLEET Chief Communications Officer Commodore Jonathan Lane published Fleetwide recruitment results on the STARFLEET International web site on June 3.  In an article titled "Fleet strength surges!," Commodore Lane quotes STARFLEET Membership Administrator Fleet Captain Matt Ingles:

At the chapter level, it appears most chapters that gained members did so in 1's or 2's.  However, there were a few with increases in the double digits: in Region 3, USS Corsair [Baton Rouge, Louisiana] increased their membership by 10; in Region 5, the USS Thermopylae [Federal Way, Washington] also increased by 10; in Region 1, the USS Star League [Waynesboro, South Carolina] increased membership by 11; and in Region 2, the USS Republic increased its membership by 30!!  The Republic has more NEW members than any other chapter in R2 has members, and indeed, there are only a small handful of chapters Fleetwide with more than 30 members in their chapter.  The Republic's total membership count is now at 86 (the next closest chapter is the Thermopylae at 53).  In fact, the Republic's 86 members makes them the same size or even larger than eight whole Regions!!

Fleetwide, STARFLEET recruited 326 new members in May, increasing its international membership by 9.7% from 3,342 to 3,668.  Seventy of those new members were recruited in Region 2, increasing Regional membership by 14.7% from 476 to 546.  The Republic recruited 42.8% of Region 2's new members and 9.2% of all of STARFLEET's new members.  As of the end of May, the USS Republic is now three times larger than the second-largest chapter in Region 2 and represents 15.8% of the Regional membership.  Each of Region 2's 30 chapters represents only 3.3% of the Region.

These spectacular numbers could not have been possible without the hard work, dedication and loyalty of all those members and friends who came out to the Regal Cinemas over the premiere weekend to help work our recruitment table.  Commendations for outstanding service go to Capt Michael Cowart, Ens Todd Dissinger, Ens John Godwin, Ens Eddie Hines, Ens Chris Jones, ENS3 Sue Lin Lange, ENS2 Zannetta Law, ENS2 Mark A. Ozanick, Ens John Stump, Ens Marilyn Teague, ENS3 Jeff Trew, ENS3 Joanne Trew, ENS3 Julianne Trew, Crewman Jenilee Trew and Ens "Wolfie."  Also helping us at our table were Admiral Mike Henigan, Admiral Kelly Hilliard and ENS3 Marq Collins of the USS Atlanta; Kevin & Theresa Parker of the IKAV Nemesis; and Friend of the Republic Anthony Reed.

USS Republic Forums web site now online!
Thanks entirely to the efforts of Ens Drew Schlosser, the USS Republic's Forums web site is now not only online and fully functional, but can also be easily found at the nifty new web address of www.ussrepublic.info!  The Forums site is a new online community where our membership can log in, create a variety of topics for discussion, post messages and announcements and, best of all, not have such messages emailed to every member subscribed to our members-only YahooGroups message board!  The Forums site has been inaugurated with twelve different topics dealing mostly with various aspects of Star Trek.  Sometime soon, some additonal topics will be added that are more chapter-specific.  All members are encouraged to visit the site, register and get the discussions going!  And be sure to thank Ens Drew Schlosser for his excellent work!
USS Republic members appear in newspaper
USS Republic member Ens Eddie Hines was interviewed by the Marietta Daily Journal in early June for an article about the new IMAX theater in Kennesaw that appeared in the Friday, June 5, edition of the paper.  Twenty members and friends of the Republic were invited to see the new Star Trek movie at this theater on Wednesday, May 6, by the marketing firm representing IMAX (see Recent Chapter Event Photos below); the same firm arranged this follow-up interview with our Cobb County members for the MDJ.  Although the USS Republic was not mentioned by name in the article, three photos published in the print edition show several members of the Republic in costume, including a group shot where our chapter logo is clearly visible.  Members and friends visible in these photos include Ens Chris Jones, Scott Rennick, Cindy Rennick, D. A. Moore, ENS2 Zannetta Law, ENS3 Julianne Trew, Sarah Hughes, CRMN3 Jenilee Trew, Edward DeGruy, Cmdr Joe Campbell, ENS3 Joanne Trew, Capt Eric L. Watts, ENS2 Andrea Benton, ENS2 Mark A. Ozanick and Ens Marilyn Teague.  Oddly enough, although Ens Hines was interviewed in the article, he wasn't included in any of the photos!  Read the online edition of the article (without photos) here and the print edition of the article (with photos) here.
Member Benefits Program news
 •  Throughout the months of June and July, our friend Al Head at the Aspen Book Shop (one of our valued Member Benefits Program partners) is offering 75% off all Star Trek titles.  Drop by Aspen Book Shop soon and pick up some great titles at dirt cheap prices, and tell Al you're a member of the USS Republic!
 •  Effective immediately, All Fract Up is no longer associated with our Member Benefits Program.  Many of our chapter brochures listing All Fract Up as one of our partners are still in circulation; however, our association with them has ended.
USS Exeter files activity report for May
Commander John R. Sims, Commanding Officer of the Republic's shuttle in Jacksonville, Florida, chapter-in-training USS Exeter NCC-1706, submitted the following report for May 2009:

I am proud to announce that our new XO, Janice Neu, Chief Tactical Officer Ryan McDowell and Yeoman Hyo Soon have been promoted in rank. They passed their OTS exams and due to their unwavering service, they were given the ranks Lieutenant and Lt. JG.  Way to go!  Now we are awaiting our new XO to finish her studies to take and pass the OCC.  Then, we will finally be able to send in the required paperwork to get full ship's status.  We are hoping to get our confirmation at Dragon*Con. Thanks to the BEST CO a boy could ever have... Eric "Da Man" Watts!

Stardate 2009.05.02—The USS
Exeter had a fast and furious first two weeks this month. The last week of April, the CO was contacted by a photographer from The Florida Times-Union newspaper concerning a photo story they were doing about local Trekkers.  John Fletcher had been contacted by Norm Lidell, the CO of the USS Haven in Orlando (not a chapter of STARFLEET –Ed.).  He and I had met at the extremely dull Vulkon Orlando in October.  Mr Fletcher came to my quarters and did some preliminary interviewing for background information.  He shot a few photos here at the house and then we beamed over to my place of employment, Publix.  We took more photos by the area that most of my work is concentrated in. The customers were a bit surprised to see a Commander from the 23rd century posing in front of a milk display!  We finished and shook hands.  He informed me that the article would be out in the May 5th edition.

On May 2, we had a very busy day.  A week earlier, I had been contacted by Jay Mooney.  He is the AV director of the main branch library.  They were to have a
Star Trek-A-Thon.  He asked if we would like to attend this event and if I would like to addresss the folks in attendance.  Seeing as I have been an on-and-off again thespian, I jumped at the chance.  Besides, it would give me the opportunity to let the local fans know of our new ship and the opportunities to be had!  There were about 50-75 persons in the audience who enjoyed the event.  Shown episodes were "The Cage," "Where No Man Has Gone Before" and "The City on the Edge of Forever."  Jay had me bring along a DVD of the Star Trek: New Voyages episode "In Harm's Way" in case anyone would be interested in seeing what the fans are making.  And boy!  Did they ever!  I took the podium and spoke about STARFLEET, the Exeter and the really great fan-made episodes.  I explained that James Cawley has made us old hats very happy with his creations.  For some strange reason, I was given a standing ovation!  I guess that I can be a scenery-chewing SOB... just like The Shat!  We handed out flyers and headed over to my quarters for the ship's meeting.  Janice Neu, our new XO, and her two adorable little boys helped me at the library.

Then there was chaos!  My yeoman and I were witness to the biggest
Exeter meeting ever!  In attendance were Ed and Janice Neu and their sons James and Adam; Julie and Jordan Cain; Marian LaPlaca and her daughter; and two new prospective members, Mike & Lori.  They are, again, management members with the Publix grocery chain.  Mike is a lifelong fan and was extremely impressed with my knowledge of classic Trek as well as being mesmerized by my NASA collectibles.  We had some fantastic delicacies, again, prepared by my yeoman, Hyo Soon.  Korean BBQ, dumplings, noodles, etc.  Janice, Marian and I worked on the huge USS Exeter banners to be displayed at the movie theatre for the upcoming Star Trek movie.  We discussed our plans for the event, enjoyed the food and watched a personal favorite episode from the miniseries, From the Earth to the Moon, "Is That All There Is?—The Apollo 12 Mission."  We all had a great time and went our separate ways.

I was then contacted by the manager of the Regal Cinemas and told that there would be a "sneak viewing" of the new
Star Trek movie on Thursday evening.  My yeoman and I attended it and I must tell you, despite my trepidations, I was completely floored!  This is, in my humble opinion, the rebirth of our family of characters!  My yeoman was drawn to tears on the opening sequence... and me, too.

The next day was another doozie of a day.  After working a 10-hour day at work, I met XO Janice Neu and her two sons at the Regal Cinemas and set up shop.  The manager, Frank, was very generous and let us do our thing.  We displayed props, models and costumes.  We also had membership forms, CQs (supplied by Eric) and made small talk with all individulas who seemed interested.  The really cool part was when Scott Johnson, a reporter from the local TV station WJXT, came to do an interview with us.  He was fair, but a bit snarky.  From my experience from my days on the
Excalibur, this was to be expected.  The interview went well and aired that evening at 10:00.  I have receved many calls after that and we are hoping to get these possibles to come to a meeting and see that the Fleet is fun!

In closing, I would like to thank our support ship's CO for all his help in this endeavor, as well as Jack Eaton, who sent us a really cool poster that we displayed at our display.  We are hoping to get full ship's status at Dragon*Con and as soon as our new XO, Janice Neu, completes the OCC, we WILL send the paperwork post-haste!

As of June 5, the USS Exeter crew included eight STARFLEET members in good standing.  Visit the Exeter's web site here.
Now accepting orders for Republic sport shirts
Members of the Republic looked great in our embroidered sport shirts on Georgia Public Broadcasting last December
Detail of our embroidered sport shirts
With a huge influx of new members, the Republic is once again accepting orders for our popular chapter sport shirts—a high-quality collared shirt with a black yoke, collar and sleeves with a royal blue torso, reminiscent of the Voyager-style STARFLEET uniform—with the Republic's red, blue, yellow and black logo embroidered on the left breast.

These shirts have been very popular at Republic events and activities where full Star Trek costumes aren't necessary or desirable.  Available in all sizes from Small to 3XL, these great-looking shirts are available once again for only $40.00 each.  Because they have to be special-ordered, we must have a minimum order of ten shirts.  We already have a commitment from three members for a shirt, so at this point we only need seven more commitments before we can proceed with our next order.  If you would like to order one of these awesome shirts, please contact the Captain.  Orders may be placed by check, cash or PayPal, and will be accepted until we reach the minimum of ten.
Ship's Store features chapter merchandise
The USS Republic's Ship's Store has plenty of merchandise still available.  Help stimulate your chapter's economy by purchasing one or more of these exclusive, custom-made, Republic-branded items that are the envy of all other Region 2 chapters.

Our very own, custom-designed chapter comm badges, designed and created by Capt Michael Cowart, feature the Republic's "Delta Shield/Capital R" logo rendered in a Deep Space Nine/Voyager-style comm badge that can be worn with your Next Generation-era style uniform.  Each badge is individually cast in urethane resin and painted by hand to closely resemble the silver and bronze colors of comm badges actually used on the modern Star Trek series.  Available in your choice of traditional butterfly clutch (most secure) for $10.00 each or magnetic backing (won't harm fabric) for $12.00 each, these unique chapter comm badges will be a perfect addition to your uniform for all future chapter events.  Show your pride in the Republic and visit the Republic's Ship's Store to order yours now!

HALF-PRICE Calendars!  Printed in full color and on heavyweight card stock, drilled and comb-bound for easy wall-hanging, the USS Republic's 2009 calendars feature twelve photos from the Republic's highest-profile events and activities from 2008, as well as member birthdays, federal holidays, major religious and seasonal observances, and most Atlanta-area science fiction convention dates.  THE calendar for all your fannish needs, this full-sized (10¾" x 17"), limited edition calendar, regularly priced at $10.00, can now be yours for only $5.00 postpaid.  Visit the Ship's Store to order yours now!

GPB Pledge Drive DVDs: We came, we answered phones, we conquered!  Twenty-one members and friends of the USS Republic answered phones for two hours during Georgia Public Broadcasting's live semi-annual Pledge Drive on Saturday, December 6... and we've got it on DVD!  See Capt Eric L. Watts be interviewed on live TV!  See Ens Eddie Hines ham it up for the cameras!  See two fully ridged Klingons try to hold phones to their heads!  See it all for only $5.00 per each postpaid DVD!  In addition to 40 minutes of televised Republic samaritanism, this four-hour DVD also includes the last half-hour of Celtic Woman–The Greatest Journey: Essential Collection; Victor Borge: 100 Years of Music & Laughter! (1½ hrs); Yanni Voices (30 min.) and the first hour of My Music: My Generation–The 60s, hosted by Michelle Phillips.  Visit the Ship's Store to order yours now!
Recent Chapter Event Photos
OutlantaCon  ||  May 1-3, 2009
Commanding Officer Captain Eric L. Watts at the Republic's member recruitment table during the three-day OutlantaCon weekend.
Star Trek Movie IMAX Premiere: Kennesaw  ||  May 6, 2009
Kneeling: D. A. Moore, Edward DeGruy, ENS2 Zannetta Law.  Standing: ENS3 Sue Lin Lange, Ens "Wolfie," ENS3 Julianne Trew, Cmdr Joe Campbell, ENS3 Joanne Trew, Sarah Hughes, Capt Eric L. Watts, Cindy Rennick, Scott Rennick, ENS2 Andrea Benton, ENS2 Mark A. Ozanick, Ens Marilyn Teague, CRMN3 Jenilee Trew, Capt Michael Cowart.
Star Trek Movie Opening Weekend: Chamblee ||  May 8, 2009
Anthony Reed, Capt Michael Cowart, ENS3 Joanne Trew, ENS3 Julianne Trew, CRMN3 Jenilee Trew, Capt Eric L. Watts, Ens John Stump, Admiral Kelly Hilliard (USS Atlanta), Kevin Parker, Admiral Mike Henigan (USS Atlanta).
Star Trek Movie Opening Weekend: Chamblee ||  May 10, 2009
Donna Collins, Ens Chris Jones, Ens Todd Dissinger, Ens John Stump, ENS2 Zannetta Law, Capt Eric L. Watts, Kevin Parker, Theresa Parker.
TimeGate VIII  ||  May 22-24, 2009
Capt Eric L. Watts, Ens Todd Dissinger, ENS3 Julianne Trew, ENS3 Joanne Trew and Capt Michael Cowart at the Republic's member recruitment table during the three-day TimeGate weekend.
USS Republic's TimeGate Room Party  ||  May 23, 2009
Seated: ENS2 Sue Lin Lange, CRMN3 Jenilee Trew, ENS3 Julianne Trew.  Standing: ENS3 Joanne Trew, Capt Michael Cowart, ENS2 Mark A. Ozanick, ENS2 Zannetta Law, Capt Eric L. Watts.

JUNE BIRTHDAYS

Tuesday, June 2
Ensign Blake G. Anderson

Sunday, June 7
Crewman Alex Jackson
ENS2 Michael Shipley

Wednesday, June 10
ENS3 Chadd Franklin

Tuesday, June 16
Ensign Andrea Benton

Friday, June 19
ENS2 Brooke Perry

Saturday, June 27
Crewman Cody Harner
Ensign Jose A. Torres

Sunday, June 28
Ensign Richard Wood

Tuesday, June 30
ENS2 Clint Mull

WELCOME ABOARD!
30 New Members in May!


Ensign Glenn Albertini
Ensign K'La Albertini
Ensign Blake G. Anderson
Ensign Diane Arkin
Ensign Scott Ash
Ensign Lisa Burrows
Ensign Tennille Clayton
Cadet Karl Dissinger
Ensign Kevin Harris
Ensign Stacy Harris
Crewman Elizabeth Hurst
Cadet Michael Hurst
Ensign Raye Anne Hurst
Crewman Alex Jackson
Ensign Bill Lahaise
Ensign Vicki Morea
Ensign Michael D. Peck
Ensign Pamela C. Richards
Ensign William Russell
Ensign Drew Schlosser
Ensign Bill Searcy
Ensign Chris Seckinger
Lt JG Christian M. Shepherd
Ensign Eric Solomon
Ensign Patrick Stephens
Crewman Aaron Towhey
Cadet Noah Towhey
Ensign Sue H. Towhey
Ensign Lisa Willey
Ensign Richard Wood

JUNE MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS
These members' dues
expire in June


Commander David A. Slaughter
Ensign John Godwin
Ensign Todd Dissinger
Ensign Chris White
Ensign Marilyn Teague

CLICK HERE TO RENEW!

MEMBER REENLISTMENTS
These members renewed their memberships in May


ENS2 Nelson M. Barnhouse
ENS3 Michael A. Knight
ENS2 Clint Mull
ENS3 Jeff Trew
CRMN3 Jenilee Trew
ENS3 Joanne Trew
ENS3 Julianne Trew

WISH LIST
The Republic needs certain items on a continuing basis to operate.  To help keep our expenses and membership dues as low as possible, donations of the following items would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you for your support!

CRITICAL NEED: HP 10 black, cyan, magenta and yellow ink cartridges

Also:
Wi-fi enabled Windows XP laptop with remote mouse
HP 10 black, cyan, magenta and yellow printheads
postage stamps
13 x 19 70-lb. smooth white opaque text stock
Avery 8160 or compatible address labels
9 x 12 manila clasp envelopes
8½ x 11 90-lb. white index card stock (Springhill 15101)
clear packing tape

ABOUT THE REPUBLIC
Commissioned on May 14, 1988 at Dixie-Trek in Atlanta, Georgia, the USS Republic NCC-1371 is a chapter of STARFLEET International (SFI) and a member of STARFLEET Region 2.  The Republic currently has 86 active members (as of June 10) and is now the largest chapter of STARFLEET in the world.

The 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.

Membership in the Republic includes membership in STARFLEET International.  Annual dues are $25 per person for both groups (family discounts are available with certain conditions and restrictions).  Membership in the Republic includes a subscription to our award-winning quarterly magazine, The Sovereign Star, access to our YahooGroups message board, voting privileges in chapter elections and a personalized laminated membership card which entitles the member to discounts and rebates on products and services offered by our Member Benefits Program partners.  Additional information on Republic membership and how to join is on our award-winning web site.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

USS REPUBLIC RELATED SITES
XBox Live Gamertag:
"USS Republic"

OUR MEMBER BENEFITS PROGRAM PARTNERS

NEWS
from
New CQ, New STARFLEET logo, New STARFLEET Online Store
Saturday, June 20, 2009
LOTS of news, fellow members!

First up, the new CQ #152 is posted to the member database and ready for download.  Just go to sfi.org and click on "Login to Database" or go directly to db.sfi.org.  Once inside the database (using your username and password), click on the "Comm" section on the left and then click on "Latest CQ."  The PDF is 13.2 MB in size.

The printed version of CQ was also completed this week and will be mailed out to members beginning next week.  Then it's all up to the Post Office.

There's some great stuff in this issue, including part one of an awesome two-part article about five members of the USS Omega Glory acting as part of an evacuation team during a cave rescue of two trapped and injured spelunkers (cave explorers).  Author Max Khaytsus does an amazing job of putting you right inside the cave with them.  You'll sweat, you'll gasp for air, you'll marvel at the true-life heroism of your fellow STARFLEET members through this wonderfully-written, true-to-life rescue adventure.  Look for it on pages 33-34.

Second and third, we've got a new STARFLEET logo and new online store, and the two go hand-in-hand.  The new store is IN ADDITION to the existing STARFLEET Quartermaster; it doesn't replace it.  However, the QM must buy items first and then hope they sell, which costs STARFLEET money up front.  But there are some web sites out there that let you create virtual products for free that aren't printed until someone orders them.  Most of you have probably heard of Cafe Press, but they aren't allowed to carry Star Trek-related items due to an exclusive agreement with Paramount.  But such is not the case with Spreadshirt.com!

So we now have a "Spreadshop" featuring T-shirts, sweatshirts, bags and a few other items with the STARFLEET logo on them.  The great thing about Spreadshirt, though, is that they use a printing process known as "Flex" which allows printing on dark colors and the option of using metallic inks... that never fade!  Seriously, the shirt will disintegrate before the image ever does!

The reason for the new logo, however, is because of the complexity of the old STARFLEET logo.  It's too intricate to shrink down to fit on certain items like the bags.  So to allow more variety of merchandise, I created a new STARFLEET logo based more on the new movie.  Both logos are up on the new online store, and both are considered "official" (I'm not ready to say good-bye to the old logo yet).  :-)

If you want to take a look, the new store is located at shop.sfi.org.

The old logo comes first, then the new one.  Also, note that the 3XLs are separate from and located below the smaller sized shirts.  The reason for that is the 3XLs are slightly more expensive than the smaller sizes (different products).  There is also a 4XL, but it only comes in white at the moment.  (You'll find 4XL on the third page.)

A quick word about prices.  Spreadshirt has a base cost for item, and STARFLEET can add on a "profit" for ourselves.  To keep costs as low as possible for members while still generating some revenue, STARFLEET's profit has been set at between $1.50 and $2.50 (depending on the item).  In other words, don't think we're jacking up the prices by ten bucks a shirt or anything.  The EC wanted to keep things affordable, and one or two bucks seemed a fair margin... just in case anyone was curious.

And that's the news from Communications, folks.  I've already started working on CQ #153, and the submission deadline for #154 is July 31.  Send stuff to cq@sfi.org.  Write early, write often.

Commodore Jon Lane
STARFLEET International
Chief Communications Officer
comms@sfi.org


Fleet Admiral's Blog:
STARFLEET's Growing Membership!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Last month, I spoke about how excited I was to see STARFLEET engaged with the media and the frequent calls I was getting regarding the new movie.  Since that time, the phone is still ringing but it's mostly from new members asking questions about the organization and others asking how to join.  And a few days ago, I received an email from John Halliday, our Chief of Computer Operations, telling me that our membership is now around 3,850 active members!

WOW!  It is an exciting time to be in STARFLEET and I want to say "Welcome" to those who have recently joined.  STARFLEET has been and continues to be a great organization.  The Executive Committee is just finishing up their votes for the Annual Awards that are given out at our International Conference being held, this year, in Greensboro, NC.  It is probably the toughest vote that the Executive Committee is tasked with, each year: to pick those members who actually tope their respective catagories and recognize their acheivement.  Everyone who is nominated is a winner in that they all serve to enrich our organization and their communities.

I hope that some of the new members will have an opportunity to meet these fine folks that are spread thoughout STARFLEET—actually, I hope to see some of these new people receiving some of these awards in the future.

As I've learned in my 17 year membership, anything is possible in STARFLEET!

Fleet Admiral Sal Lizard
Commander, STARFLEET

One Small Step,
One Giant Leap
The 2009 STARFLEET International Conference will be held August 6–9 in Greensboro, NC
"One small step."  Those words resonate as the defining moment when man stepped onto the face of another world.  When STARFLEET was born as a small Star Trek fan club in 1974, it took its own "small step" as well.  It stepped into a world of fandom that has defined our culture and made another phrase as significant and recognizable: "To boldly go where no man has gone before."

At the 2009 International Conference, we hope to bring to the members of STARFLEET two very important events.  We plan to celebrate STARFLEET's 35th anniversary as one of the world's largest and most active Star Trek fan organizations. We will bring to the membership that which they have come to expect from an IC: food, fun and fellowship!

We are going to bring the party to the member in a way that pays tribute to the 40th anniversary of man's landing on the moon.  Our theme for the entire weekend will be a retro "Mission Control" atmosphere with games, panels and a guest who has indeed "gone boldly."  Considering the time until this event, we are still in discussions on the identity of the guest.

In keeping with the theme of this event, the charity will be two-fold.  Our primary charity will be to send a deserving local school student, who would otherwise never get the opportunity, to NASA Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama.  Any proceeds beyond the Space Camp Scholarship will go into the STARFLEET Scholarship Program.

This IC Team has worked hard to put together an outstanding event with a well thought out theme that is appropriate for that special year—a year celebrating the beginning of two things that are important to the membership and everyone on the planet.  That is just the beginning!

Les Rickard
Chair, IC 2009 Committee
International Conference Web Site

New Perks for STARFLEET members!
Monday, June 8, 2009

Did you know that STARFLEET offers perks beyond just the membership card and certificate and six issues of CQ each year?

Let me tell you about the latest promotion offering STARFLEET members special discounts!

Motel 6 Discount—They'll leave the warp core on for you!  Motel 6, through Accor Hotels Promotions, is offering any STARFLEET member an additional 5% discount from any Motel 6 room rate if you make your reservation through the link on our web site and/or over the phone using the special STARFLEET Corporate Plus ID #545646.  (You will need to show your STARFLEET ID card at check-in to confirm the rate.)  What's awesome is that Accor Hotels will be sending STARFLEET actual Corporate Plus ID cards (with our logo on them!) to drop into all new membership packets starting in another month or so.  The most cool thing about all this, though: Motel 6 came to us!  And when I asked them why, they said that we look like a very impressive organization with a lot of active members, a professional web site and top-of-the-page search engine results on the web.  What's more, Accor/Motel 6 is purchasing a half-page ad in CQ.  Things are definitely starting to take off around here, folks!

Commodore Jon Lane
STARFLEET International
Chief Communications Officer
comms@sfi.org

STARFLEET Membership Perks
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The Republiqué Volume I, Number 15, June 2009.
Published monthly by and Copyright © 2009 USS Republic NCC-1371.
Captain Eric L. Watts, Editor.

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