Region 2 "Best Electronic Newsletter" Award 2009
Volume I, Number 36  •  March 2011
CONTENTS

UPCOMING EVENTS
•  Saturday, April 23: Spring Dinner & Business Meeting
•  Saturday, May 7: Away Mission to Thor
•  Friday-Sunday, May 13-15: Outlantacon/Gaylaxicon
•  Friday-Sunday, May 27-29: TimeGate
•  Saturday, June 4: Away Mission to X-Men: First Class
•  Friday-Sunday, June 10-12: Sci-Fi Summer Con

•  Saturday, June 18: Away Mission to Green Lantern
•  Saturday, July 23: Away Mission to Captain America

NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
•  USS Republic introduces PayPal invoicing
•  Erratum
•  USS Republic and other web sites moving
•  Personnel Records

SIDEBAR
•  March Birthdays
•  About the Republic
•  For More Information
•  USS Republic Online
•  Related Sites
•  Our Member Benefits Program Partners
•  Crew Roster
•  News from TrekMovie.com
    — Star Trek: Phase II
’s “Enemy: Starfleet!” Now Available
    — Roberto Orci: Star Trek 2012 “Builds” on Star Trek 2009
    — Dan Curry Talks About Star Trek & Designing the Bat’leth

UPCOMING EVENTS
Spring Dinner & Business Meeting

7:00 p.m. Saturday, April 23, 2011
China One International Buffet
5975 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs GA  30328
(404) 303-6118
All members and friends of the USS Republic are invited to join us for our annual Spring Dinner & Business Meeting at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 23.  This will be an especially important meeting with at least three important business items on the agenda for discussion:

The current and ongoing situation regarding the Republic's status and relationship with STARFLEET International, as previously discussed at the Mid-Summer Business Meeting last August and in CO Capt Eric L. Watts' "State of the Chapter" address to the membership at the Christmas Party in December;
A report on the Republic's very first full-scale Star Trek convention, TrekTrax Atlanta, held in February, as well as plans for 2012; and
Chapter events and activities being planned for the next three months and beyond, including fan tables and/or room parties at Outlantacon, TimeGate and Sci-Fi Summer Con.

This is an especially important meeting for anyone who is interested in the future and general welfare of the USS Republic.

Please join us at the China One International Buffet restaurant in Sandy Springs, on Roswell Road just a quarter mile north of I-285, next to Lowe's.  Their 100-item buffet, featuring Chinese, Japanese and American cuisine, includes seafood, meat, vegetables, dim sum, sushi, hot bar and cold salad bar, ice cream, cookies, cakes, fresh seasonal fruits and more for only $9.99 per person.  Soft drinks are free!

Of course, it's not all business... you'll also be able to enjoy the company of your fellow shipmates and have a lot of fun as we celebrate our recent successes and chart our course for the future.  Please mark your calendars now and plan to attend!

RESTAURANT DETAILS
MAP & DIRECTIONS
Away Mission to Thor

Saturday, May 7, 2011
Time and Location To Be Announced
This epic adventure spans the Marvel Universe from present-day Earth to the mystical realm of Asgard.  At the center of the story is the mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war.  As a result, Thor is banished to Earth, where he is forced to live among humans.  When the most dangerous villain of his world sends its darkest forces to invade Earth, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero.

Make plans now to join the USS Republic on its "away mission" to see this highly anticipated movie—the latest in Marvel Studios' series of films featuring members of the classic Avengers.  Theaters and showtimes have not yet been announced, but save the date and plan on an early evening showing.

WATCH THE THOR MOVIE TRAILER HERE
Outlantacon/Gaylaxicon

Friday-Sunday, May 13-15, 2011
Holiday Inn Atlanta Perimeter
4386 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, Atlanta GA  30341
(770) 457-6363
Outlantacon is an Atlanta-based event for the "Queer Geek" audience.  In 2011, Outlantacon will be playing host to Gaylaxicon, the national GLBT convention for the queer audience.

Gaylaxicon, the annual GLBT convention event, makes its return to Atlanta in 2011, following a very successful first visit in 2007.  They'll be featuring all the usual Outlantacon goodies, just on a bigger scale.  Look for their own special versions of Family Feud, Project Cosplay (a big hit at Outlantacon 2010), live entertainment, etc; plus all the usual Gaylaxicon events like the Chocolate Symposium, Gaylactic Jeopardy!, and of course, the Gaylactic Spectrum Awards.

Commanding Officer Capt Eric L. Watts diligently works the USS Republic's recruitment table at last year's Outlantacon.  This year, he's an official guest!
Among Outlantacon's more than twenty guests are roleplaying and computer game designer Andrew Greenberg, who worked on the Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine RPGs and the Star Trek: Starfleet Academy computer game; and longtime Friend of the Republic Melissa Carter, former cohost of Q100's morning radio program The Bert Show and a self-proclaimed "out and proud" Star Trek fan.

The USS Republic will once again have an official presence at Outlantacon which may include a fan table and/or a room party.  Be sure to attend the Republic's Spring Dinner & Business Meeting on April 23 (details above) if you are interested in helping with either one, or contact the Captain if you're unable to attend.

Outlantacon memberships are $50 until April 30.  Children's and at-the-door rates are not listed on their web site.  For more information about Outlantacon's guests, programming events, hotel and memberships, please visit their web site.

OUTLANTACON WEB SITE
TimeGate

Friday-Sunday, May 27-29, 2011
Holiday Inn Atlanta Perimeter
4386 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, Atlanta GA  30341
(770) 457-6363
TimeGate is an annual science fiction/fantasy convention that focuses on Doctor Who and Stargate but also includes programming on a wide range of other sci-fi/fantasy interests.  So if you're into Stargate SG-1, Doctor Who, Stargate Atlantis, Torchwood or The Sarah Jane Adventures—or if you're excited about the new show Stargate Universe—this is the convention for you!  But if not, we'll also have Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars, Heroes, literary, horror and comics programming, too, along with many other topics.

Members of the USS Republic enjoy a group dinner at last year's TimeGate.  Clockwise from left: ENS2 Julianne Trew, Capt Michael Cowart, ENS2 Eric Lange, ENS1 Sue Lin Lange, "Wolfy," CO Capt Eric L. Watts, ENS2 Joanne Trew.
TimeGate's nearly two dozen guests include Melissa Scott, author of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novel Proud Helios and the Star Trek: Voyager novel The Garden; Heidi Arnold, a sequential artist and illustrator who drew "Inalienable Rights" in Uchu, the third volume of Star Trek: The Manga, published by Tokyopop; and our very own CO Capt Eric L. Watts, who has been named TimeGate's Fan Guest of Honor for 2011.

The USS Republic will once again have an official presence at TimeGate which may include a fan table and/or a room party.  Be sure to attend the Republic's Spring Dinner & Business Meeting on April 23 (details above) if you are interested in helping with either one, or contact the Captain if you're unable to attend.

TimeGate memberships for persons age 13 and up are $40 until May 6 and are $50 at the door.  For more information about TimeGate's guests, programming events, hotel and memberships, please visit their web site.

TIMEGATE WEB SITE
Away Mission to X-Men: First Class

Saturday, June 4, 2011
Time and Location To Be Announced
X-Men: First Class, following the classic Marvel mythology, charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga.  Before Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender) took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time.  Before they were archenemies, they were closest of friends, working together, with other mutants (some familiar, some new) to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known.  In the process, a rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto's Brotherhood and Professor X's X-Men.

Make plans now to join the USS Republic on its "away mission" to see this highly anticipated prequel to the first three now-class X-Men films.  Theaters and showtimes have not yet been announced, but save the date and plan on an early evening showing.

WATCH THE X-MEN: FIRST CLASS MOVIE TRAILER HERE
Sci-Fi Summer Con

Friday-Sunday, June 10-12, 2011
Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter NW
6345 Powers Ferry Road NW, Atlanta GA 30339
(770) 955-1700
Now in its eleventh year, Sci-Fi Summer Con is for fans, friends and anyone interested in science fiction, fantasy, horror and comics.  The Republic has had an official presence at this convention for the last several years, including our 20th anniversary celebration three years ago and our very own Captain Eric L. Watts being named last year's Fan Guest of Honor.  Sci-Fi Summer Con is Atlanta's only annual convention devoted exclusively to all forms of science fiction and fantasy.

Crmn Jessica Curtiss, Cmdr Dave "Grizzly" Slaughter, CO Capt Eric L. Watts and Ens Eddie Hines at the Republic's recruitment table at last year's Sci-Fi Summer Con.
Sci-Fi Summer Con has not yet announced any Star Trek-related guests for this year's convention, but we'll be sure to announce them in a future issue of The Republiqué if and when they do.

The USS Republic will once again have an official presence at Sci-Fi Summer Con which may include a fan table and/or a room party.  Be sure to attend the Republic's Spring Dinner & Business Meeting on April 23 (details above) if you are interested in helping with either one, or contact the Captain if you're unable to attend.

Sci-Fi Summer Con memberships for persons age 13 and up are $20 until May 20 and are $35 at the door.  For more information about TimeGate's guests, programming events, hotel and memberships, please visit their web site.


SCI-FI SUMMER CON WEB SITE
Away Mission to Green Lantern

Saturday, June 18, 2011
Time and Location To Be Announced
In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries.  Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps.  A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers.  But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds).

Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before.  But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity.  With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax… he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.

Make plans now to join the USS Republic on its "away mission" to see this summer's only movie from DC Comics.  Theaters and showtimes have not yet been announced, but save the date and plan on an early evening showing.

WATCH THE GREEN LANTERN MOVIE TRAILER HERE
Away Mission to Captain America: The First Avenger

Saturday, July 23, 2011
Time and Location To Be Announced
Born during the Great Depression, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) grew up a frail youth in a poor family.  Horrified by the newsreel footage of the Nazis in Europe, Rogers was inspired to enlist in the army.  However, because of his frailty and sickness, he was rejected.  Overhearing the boy’s earnest plea, Col. Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) offered Rogers the opportunity to take part in a special experiment… Operation: Rebirth.  After weeks of tests, Rogers was at last administered the "Super-Soldier Serum" and bombarded by "vita-rays."  Steve Rogers emerged from the treatment with a body as perfect as a body can be and still be human.  Rogers was then put through an intensive physical and tactical training program.  Three months later, he was given his first assignment as Captain America.  Armed with his indestructible shield and battle savvy, Captain America has continued his war against evil both as a sentinel of liberty and leader of the Avengers.

Make plans now to join the USS Republic on its "away mission" to see this highly anticipated movie—the fourth and latest in Marvel Studios' series of films featuring members of the classic Avengers.  Theaters and showtimes have not yet been announced, but save the date and plan on an early evening showing.

WATCH THE CAPTAIN AMERICA MOVIE TRAILER HERE
NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

USS Republic introduces PayPal invoicing for membership renewals
Because the USS Republic is a duly commissioned chapter of STARFLEET International and is bound and governed by its Constitution and By-Laws, membership in STARFLEET is a prerequisite for membership in the Republic.  STARFLEET membership dues are $15 annually (with family discounts available).  In addition, Republic chapter dues are $10 per person annually, for a total dues obligation of $25.  As a matter of convenience, it has been the Republic's policy for the past five years to collect membership dues for both groups from its members and to forward to STARFLEET its share.

Reminding our members of their upcoming dues expiration dates and collecting their renewal dues has been an administrative challenge for the last several years.  With as many members as the Republic has on board, dues collection and member retention is often a full-time job just by itself.  In an attempt to streamline the dues renewal process for both the chapter and its members while simultaneously increasing member retention, in early April the Republic introduced PayPal invoicing for membership renewals.  The Republic values your membership, hopes that each member finds his or her membership a valuable and rewarding experience, and encourages every member to renew his or her membership in a timely manner when a membership renewal invoice is received.

STARFLEET International regularly sends dues renewal reminders to our members and some of our members have paid their STARFLEET dues directly to STARFLEET.  Members who pay their STARFLEET dues directly to STARFLEET are reminded that chapter dues should also be remitted to the Republic.  A PayPal link for your chapter dues-only payment is available on our web site.
Erratum
In the last two issues of The Republiqué, CO Capt Eric L. Watts was incorrectly listed as an official guest of the upcoming Outlantacon convention.  In fact, Captain Watts is the Fan Guest of Honor for this year's TimeGate and will be participating as a panelist in all of TimeGate's Star Trek programming events.
USS Republic and other web sites moving
The USS Republic and TrekTrax Atlanta web sites, among others administrated by CO Capt Eric L. Watts, will all be moving to a new web host in the next couple of weeks.  The transfer is already underway and should be completed by the end of this month.  If all goes according to plan, the move will be completely transparent with no interruption of service.  Of course, that's what we said three years ago, when the Republic's web site moved from DotEasy to DreamHost... and it didn't quite work out that way.  Hopefully, no such hiccup in service will occur this time around.

The Republic would like to thank Dave Lowe for serving as our web host for these last three years and for providing us registrar services and web hosting at an incredibly inexpensive rate.  Dave, however, is getting out of the web hosting business and is shutting down his host servers next month.  Accordingly, the Republic and TXA web sites are moving to the same server that has hosted the TrekTrak web site for nearly a decade.  Our new host is not as inexpensive as our former host, but the charges will be shared equally by all four of Captain Watts' web sites, mitigating the financial impact of each.
Personnel Records
ENS2 Joanne Trew, center, receives the prestigious 2009 Member of the Year Award from CO Capt Eric L. Watts, left, and XO Cmdr Brian Holloway, right.
Congratulations to ENS2 Jeff Trew and ENS2 Joanne Trew, who have purchased their "dream home" in Florida and will be relocating there "at some point" after their home in Whitesburg sells.  Ensigns Jeff and Joanne have been two of the Republic's most active members for the last four years and Ensign Joanne was awarded the Republic's prestigious Member of the Year Award for 2009.  They will be missed!
Congratulations to CRMN2 Jenilee Trew, who is graduating from Alexander High School in Douglasville, Georgia, on May 27, 2011.  She will be attending Georgia Tech in the fall.

Something special going on in your life?  Submit your Personnel Record for publication in the next issue of The Republiqué!

BELATED MARCH BIRTHDAYS

Wednesday, March 9
ENS1 Lea Hepler

Friday, March 11
Ens Brad Carrne

Wednesday, March 23
ENS2 Will Sims

Saturday, March 26
ENS3 Reginald Franklin

ABOUT THE REPUBLIC
The USS Republic NCC-1371 was originally commissioned as a chapter of STARFLEET International on May 14, 1988, at the Dixie-Trek convention in Atlanta, Georgia.  After 22½ years and multiple name changes, the Republic was decommissioned by STARFLEET in November 2010.  The Republic operated as an independent organization until April 2011.  Effective April 9, 2011, STARFLEET recognizes the "USS Republic - STARFLEET Registry: NX-1371, a Constitution-Class, Enterprise-Subclass Heavy Cruiser... as a Meeting chapter in Shakedown Cruise."  As of April 20, the Republic crew includes 45 members who are active members of STARFLEET in good standing.

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.

Because the USS Republic is a (soon-to-be once again) duly commissioned chapter of STARFLEET International and is bound and governed by its Constitution and By-Laws, membership in STARFLEET is a prerequisite for membership in the Republic.  Combined annual dues for both groups are $25 per person and is collected by the chapter (family discounts are available with certain conditions and restrictions).  Membership in the Republic includes 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 ONLINE

RELATED SITES

OUR MEMBER BENEFITS PROGRAM PARTNERS

CREW ROSTER
Capt Matt Ebeling
"Wolfy"

NEWS from
Star Trek: Phase II’s “Enemy: Starfleet!” Available for Streaming Now
By TrekMovie.com Staff
April 16, 2011

The popular Star Trek: Phase II fan series hasn’t seen a new episode since November 2009.  But that all changes today with an early streaming release of "Enemy: Starfleet!"  The Phase II team has set up a streaming page exclusively for TrekMovie readers.

Star Trek: Phase II’s "Enemy: Starfleet!" streaming now
The Star Trek: Phase II episode "Enemy: Starfleet!" has an official premiere date of April 22nd (when you can download it), but today they have put a streaming "sneak preview" of the full episode online, just for TrekMovie readers.

Here is the official description:

"Enemy: Starfleet!" (written by Dave Galanter and Patty Wright, based on a story by Galanter and Greg Brodeur) is the seventh full-length episode produced by the Star Trek: Phase II production team.  Veteran actress and Star Trek alumna Ms. BarBara Luna ("Marlena Moreau" in the Star Trek original series episode "Mirror, Mirror") joins the cast of "Enemy: Starfleet!" as "Alersa," a space terrorist leading a faction of alien aggressors who steal a starship and reverse-engineer it to create a marauding fleet—an "enemy Starfleet."  Featuring special guest star Paul R. Sieber as Kyril.

You can watch the entire 58-minute-long "Enemy: Starfleet!" episode streaming here.

The regular download release of "Enemy: Starfleet!" via their international mirror web sites is set for Friday, April 22, 2011 ("Earth Day") at 5:01 p.m. (1701) Eastern Daylight Time.
REPRINTED FROM TREKMOVIE.COM
© 2011 SciFanatic Network

Roberto Orci: Star Trek 2012 “Builds” on Star Trek 2009, But Not Just for Trekkies
By Anthony Pascale
April 18, 2011

In yet another Wondercon snippet from Roberto Orci, the co-writer/producer says the 2012 Star Trek sequel will be "building on" the 2009 Star Trek movie, but will not require viewers to be Trek fans or even to have seen the 2009 movie.

Orci: Star Trek sequel "builds" on Star Trek 2009 – but don’t need to be a fan
Yet another straggler Wondercon interview with Roberto Orci has cropped up with some more comments on the Star Trek sequel.  Bob confirmed again that filming is expected to start in the fall and offered the (joke) spoiler that it "would take place in space," but Orci did offer some info on how they approach the audience for the film.

How is this next [Star Trek] going to catch the fans again?

Roberto Orci: "Well, even though it’s a sequel, we want to make sure that, again, just like with the first one, you don’t have to be a Trek fan to know what’s happening.  It doesn’t rely on your previous knowledge of Trek or even the previous movie.  It’s still building on that movie.  If you watch the first movie, you’ll see where the characters have gone, but every movie has to stand on its own.  You can never just rely on the fact that it’s a sequel."

Is that a hard fan base to deal with?

Roberto Orci: "Yes."

How do you handle that?

Roberto Orci: "By engaging them, actually, I think.  Because they are one of the most long-standing, vocal fan bases around, from the very beginning when we signed on to those movies, we were interacting with them online and any time we ran into them.  And literally, the fans in a sense are consultants on these movies because we really do read what they have to say, because I was a fan and I wouldn’t want someone ruining my Star Trek without at least my getting to complain about it directly to management.  The comment box is always open."

Of course, before every Star Trek film, producers going back to the '80s would talk about how their Trek film didn’t require a knowledge of Trek.  However, in reality, Star Trek films usually did mostly appeal to the fanbase, with some exceptions (especially Star Trek IV).  The 2009 Star Trek film certainly reversed the trend of the previous two Trek features which had little mainstream appeal.  Of course, as fans, we want to be rewarded with nods and connections to both the 2009 film and the franchise as a whole, but if done right, Star Trek continuity can be thread into a movie without confusing general audiences.
REPRINTED FROM TREKMOVIE.COM
© 2011 SciFanatic Network

Visual Effects Artist Dan Curry Talks About Time with Star Trek & Designing the Bat’leth
By TrekMovie.com Staff
April 18, 2011

Dan Curry talks Star Trek and Bat’leth
In a new interview with Crushable, Star Trek vet (and 7-time Emmy winner) Dan Curry talks about his current job as Visual Effects Supervisor for the NBC show Chuck, but the interview also delved into Curry’s long history with the Star Trek franchise:

Q: What’s it really like to be associated with Star Trek?  It seems like it would be surreal sometimes, because the fan base is so passionate and intense.

A: Working on Star Trek was a profound privilege as all involved recognized that the whole was greater than the sum of the parts.  The Star Trek fan base is generally very intelligent and technically savvy.  Working with such great talents in front and behind the camera was humbling.  Seeing the dedication of cast and crew to turn out a great product was inspiring.  We all knew how important Star Trek was to our audience and understood that Trek was a global cultural phenomenon that carried with it great responsibility because of the millions of people that would see our work, possibly for generations to come.
Personally, I considered it to be a high honor to be able to contribute to the Star Trek legacy and create iconic images.  It’s pretty cool to know that your work is seen by so many people all around the world and entertains and sometimes inspires so many.  Many of us were together for 18 years and it came to feel like family.

One of the things Curry is most known for is designing the famous Klingon Bat’leth, which was first seen in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Reunion".  Crushable talked to Curry about the birth of the Bat’leth (although they got the first episode wrong).

Q: Your martial arts background is really incredible.  It makes me embarrassed about all the karate classes I’ve dropped out at at the Y.  And of course you designed bat’leth for the “Rightful Heir” episode of Star Trek: TNG.  I don’t think there’s a person alive who doesn’t remember that episode.

A: I had been imagining this weapon for a long time.  I made a foam core version bat’leth.  I went to Rick Baker [Star Trek's makeup artist] and said we need something unique, fresh.  I showed him this thing.  I wanted to design something ergonomically appropriate.  Dennis Madalone, our stunt coordinator, at first wasn’t cool with the idea.  Then he became an evangelist convert after showed him what I had in mind.
It was modeled after a Chinese fighting crescent.  Now it’s become one of the iconic images associated with the show.  Even last week I got an email from some guy showing video of him demonstrating it.

Curry’s Bat’leth lives on
The Bat’leth went on to appear in a total 29 episodes of Star Trek (TNG, DS9, Voyager and Enterprise), plus Star Trek: Generations.

The vicious bladed weapon has also become iconic to Star Trek and has entered the mainstream pop culture.  You can even buy one on Amazon ($64.95).  Bat’leths have shown up outside of Star Trek, such as the March 31st episode of The Big Bang Theory ("The Zarnecki Incursion").
REPRINTED FROM TREKMOVIE.COM
© 2011 SciFanatic Network
USS Republic NCC-1371
B O L D L Y    G O I N G 
 B O L D L Y    D O I N G™
2902 Aspen Woods Entry
  Atlanta, Georgia  30360-2759
  www.USSRepublic.com
Commanding Officer
  Captain Eric L. Watts
Executive Officer
  Lt. JG Dave Churvis

The Republiqué Volume I, Number 36, March 2011.
Published monthly by and Copyright © 2011 USS Republic NCC-1371.
Captain Eric L. Watts, Editor.

If you prefer not to receive any future issues, please let us know.