Region 2 "Best Electronic Newsletter" Award, 2009
Region 2 "Newsletter of the Year" Award, 2nd Place, 2011
Volume I, Number 56
November 2012
CONTENTS
UPCOMING EVENTS
•  Sunday, November 25: Fall Business & TXA Staff Meeting
•  Saturday, December 8: Away Mission to Farragut Fest 2012
•  Saturday, Dec. 22: USS Republic & USS Atlanta Holiday Party

NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
•  Trekkiepalooza 2 fundraiser falls short of expectations
•  Last chance to announce candidacy for Commanding Officer
•  Star Trek Autographs for Sale
•  Personnel Records
•  Library Computer
•  Recent Chapter Event Photos

SIDEBAR
•  November Birthdays
•  USS Republic & USS Atlanta Membership Renewals
•  About the Republic
•  For More Information
•  USS Republic Online
•  Our Member Benefits Program Partners
•  USS Republic & USS Atlanta Crew Rosters
•  News from TrekMovie.com
   — 
J. G. Hertzler Joins Star Trek: Renegades Cast
•  News from The Washington Times
   — Pentagon Wants to Know: "Did Jesus Die for Klingons, Too?"
•  News from CNBC
   — Did Jesus Die for Klingons, Too?  Pentagon Wants to Know
UPCOMING EVENTS
Fall Dinner & Business Meeting and TrekTrax Atlanta Staff Meeting

1:00 p.m. Sunday, November 25, 2012
Holiday Inn Atlanta Perimeter Restaurant
4386 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, Atlanta GA  30341
1988
2013
25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
WHEREAS, the USS Republic typically holds two business meetings a year, one in the spring and one in the fall, to set the chapter's course for the following six months; and

WHEREAS, the USS Republic will celebrate its 25th anniversary in May 2013; and

WHEREAS, the USS Republic is also the host of
TrekTrax Atlanta, the annual Star Trek convention in Atlanta; and

WHEREAS, TrekTrax Atlanta will hold its third convention in April 2013; and

WHEREAS, TrekTrax Atlanta holds periodic volunteer staff meetings in the months leading up to the convention; and

WHEREAS, the USS Republic will hold its 25th anniversary celebration at TrekTrax Atlanta;

NOW, THEREFORE, all members and friends of the USS Republic and all returning volunteer staff members of TrekTrax Atlanta, as well as all those who are interested in joining either or both, are cordially invited to attend this joint USS Republic/TrekTrax Atlanta meeting at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 25, in the restaurant of the convention's host hotel, the Holiday Inn Atlanta Perimeter, in order to:

discuss the current and upcoming state of the chapter and make plans for its next six months;
discuss the current and upcoming state of the convention, announce and introduce new departmental directors, address staffing needs and recruit new volunteers, and coordinate the launch of an aggressive marketing campaign; and
select and empower a select committee of individuals to organize and coordinate the chapter's 25th anniversary celebration.

Yes, this meeting will be held on the Sunday of Thanksgiving Weekend.  In spite of the holiday, if you are interested in being a part of any of the above activities, please make every effort to attend this very important meeting.

We have arranged to have a special after-hours menu available to all who can attend.  Selections include a grilled chicken salad with mango vinaigrette, island fish wrap, Philly cheese steak, grilled chicken wrap and grilled vegetable panini. All selections include French fries and unlimited refills on coffee, tea or soda, all for only $10 plus tax and gratuity.  The hotel bar will not be open.

The hotel has asked us to give them an approximate head count by Friday, November 23, so that they can ensure sufficient quantities of food and staffing.  If you intend to attend, please RSVP to
USSRepublic@aol.com.

There's a lot to be discussed and announced about both the Republic and TrekTrax Atlanta 2013, and you are cordially invited to attend.


MAP & DIRECTIONS
Away Mission to Farragut Fest 2012

9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Saturday, December 8, 2012
Farragut Films Studios
451 West William Avenue, Kingsland GA  31548
Farragut Fest 2012 is a celebration of science fiction, Star Trek and "All Things Farragut" on Saturday, December 8, at Farragut Films’ studios in Kingsland, Georgia.  Kingsland is about 35 miles north of Jacksonville, Florida, and a 300-mile, 5½-hour drive from Atlanta.

Farragut Fest starts out with an open house, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., of the studios, featuring the largest display of freestanding Star Trek sets on planet Earth.  At 6:00 p.m., the premiere of Starship Farragut’s latest episode, "The Price of Anything," will be held at the nearby Camden County High School auditorium.  The premiere will include an introduction by the producers before the screening and a Q&A session afterwards.  Then, at 8:00 p.m., the producers will screen vignettes from their brand new sister series, Star Trek Continues, also to be followed by a Q&A session.

Both the open house and the screening are free to the general public.

CO Capt Eric L. Watts is planning to leave Atlanta around 7:00 a.m. Saturday morning and hopes to arrive in Kingsland around noon.  He will be staying in the Microtel Inn on East King Avenue (one of seven nearby motels) overnight and return to Atlanta Sunday morning.  As of press time, ENS1 Joanne Trew was also planning to attend.  If you are interested in carpooling and/or sharing a motel room with Captain Eric and/or another group, please contact the Captain and/or post a message on our Facebook page to coordinate travel and accommodations arrangements.  Additional information about nearby motels and directions to the event can be found on Farragut Fest's web site.

FARRAGUT FEST WEB SITE
FARRAGUT FEST FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE
USS Republic & USS Atlanta Holiday Potluck Party, USS Republic Awards Ceremony & "2012: Year of the Phoenix" Closing Ceremony
A joint event with the USS Atlanta

6:00 p.m. Saturday, December 22, 2012
Hosted by and in the home of Theresa Parker
2114 Shadow Court, Norcross GA  30071
THIS IS IT!

THE END OF ONE ERA

THE DAWN OF ANOTHER

A YEAR IN THE MAKING

THE HISTORIC EVENT THAT WILL FUNDAMENTALLY TRANSFORM STAR TREK FANDOM IN ATLANTA... FOREVER

ASSUME NOTHING.  EXPECT ANYTHING.
DO NOT MISS THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENT IN RECENT USS REPUBLIC HISTORY
You're gonna be talking about this one for a very long time.

Hosted by longtime friend of the Republic Theresa Parker in her home in Norcross
Please plan to bring a generous hot or cold dish for a potluck dinner
The USS Republic's annual Member of the Year award will be given to the member whose distinguished service to the Republic in 2012 surpassed all others
The current Commanding Officers of the USS Republic and USS Atlanta will bring the year-long "Year of the Phoenix" campaign to a close with a historic announcement that will fundamentally transform Star Trek fandom in Atlanta... forever
An election will be held to determine who will be the Republic's Commanding Officer for the 2013-2014 term
After all the awards presentations, historic announcements and ceremonial speeches have been made, celebrate the holiday season with your friends and colleagues in a fun and festive environment
All members and friends of the USS Republic and the USS Atlanta and their guests are welcome to attend... we will ask for RSVPs next month
Additional details about this event to be announced next month
NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Trekkiepalooza 2 fundraiser falls short of expectations
"Trekkiepalooza 2: Resistance Is Futile" was held Saturday, October 20, at the Tucker Saloon in Tucker, as a fundraising event to benefit TrekTrax Atlanta.  In addition to screening a variety of Star Trek fan films, providing a wide selection of Star Trek games to play, offering all sorts of Star Trek and general merchandise for sale and serving a delicious selection of alien shooters, the event also presented the stage debut of local cover band The Good for Nothings and featured singer/songwriter Sean Kagalis as the headlining act.

Trekkiepalooza 2 was a follow-up to our first fundraising event, "Trekkiepalooza!", held on a Sunday in July, which brought out a couple dozen people and raised a little over $600.  Both before and after the July event, we heard from many people who expressed regret at being unable to attend and that they would have attended if it had been held on a Saturday instead of a Sunday.  With that in mind, we scheduled our second event on a Saturday and, understandably, expected a larger crowd to attend, which would help us raise an even larger sum of money for the convention.  We came loaded for bear and was expecting a really good crowd.

Imagine our surprise and disappointment when attendance for Trekkiepalooza 2 barely broke a mere dozen people.  This is a particular shame because our two musical acts held nothing back and put on outstanding performances that were truly worthy of a full house.  As a result of the poor attendance, donations and merchandise sales were down significantly from our previous event.  Gross receipts were a paltry $177 and after a few fundraising expenses, net proceeds were only $140... less than a quarter of the money raised in July.

In the month or so since Trekkiepalooza 2, no particular reason has come to light as to why the event drew so many fewer people and raised so much less money than the Sunday in July event.   Announcements were made and sent to all the same people and in all the same places as before, all of them emphasizing it being on a Saturday, and the only other local event that we knew of that might have been a conflict for some folks was the Stone Mountain Highland Games.  As far as we could tell then or can tell now, there was no good reason for the event to have done so poorly, unless it's a really simple reason that no one will admit to: Nobody cares any more.

Is that it?  Does nobody care any more?

GOAL:
$5,500
RAISED:
$1,223

22.4%
Capt Eric L. Watts has been working nonstop on other projects to raise money for TrekTrax Atlanta, having sold more than $225 worth of personal effects on eBay, as well as advertising Star Trek-related autographs and t-shirts on Facebook to raise the badly needed money required to keep the convention running.  All total fundraising efforts to date, which stood at 11.3% of goal in August, now stands at 22.4% of goal.  In dollar amounts, we have raised $1,223 of our $5,500 goal.  We still need to raise another $4,267 in the next couple of months just to keep TrekTrax Atlanta alive.

There are currently no plans to hold another Trekkiepalooza fundraiser.  Raising $140 doesn't make the last event a failure (losing money would have been a failure), but certainly, considering the time, effort, expense, manpower and volunteer participation required to make such an event worthwhile, those resources need to be better utilized to produce a more successful and profitable fundraising campaign.  To that end, we are currently developing two different crowdfunding campaigns that will allow us to reach out to our friends for support across the country and around the world.  Clearly, the amount of money we need to raise in the next two months exceeds what could be reasonably expected of our Atlanta-area friends to donate by themselves.  By moving our fundraising efforts to multiple crowdfunding platforms, hopefully we can reach our goal and be able to hold a really great convention next April.  When these two online campaigns are launched, we will need your help in spreading the word to all your Facebook friends with your words of encouragement to support this very important cause.

Be sure to check out the photos from Trekkiepalooza 2 below as well as on its Flickr page.
Last chance to announce your candidacy for Commanding Officer
Captain Eric L. Watts' third and possibly last two-year term as Commanding Officer of the USS Republic will be coming to an end next month.  As of press time, no one has announced their candidacy for the position.

There is very little time left to hold an election.  Anyone who is interested in the positon must announce their candidacy before the next issue of The Republiqué is published, which will likely be in two weeks.  Candidates should notify the Captain of their decision so that their candidacies can be included in the newsletter.

Candidates for the position must be a member in good standing of STARFLEET International, must have taken and passed Officers Training School (OTS) and Officers Command College (OCC), and must be at least 18 years of age.  Members interested in taking OTS and/or OCC should visit the STARFLEET Academy web site.  In accordance with the Republic's Rank Assignment & Promotions Policy, members who take and pass both courses receive an automatic promotion to Lieutenant, Junior Grade (Lt. JG).

If and when any candidates are announced, all members in good standing will be asked to cast their vote for the candidate they want to lead and administrate this chapter for the next two years.

As of November 4, there are three members of the Republic in good standing who hold the necessary credentials to hold the office of Commanding Officer.  In alphabetical order, they are:

  Commander David Churvis
  Captain Matt Ebeling
  Captain Eric L. Watts

No currently eligible member has, so far, announced his candidacy.  Eight members of the Republic currently hold an OTS diploma but need an OCC diploma to be eligible for CO.

If more than one eligible person announces his or her candidacy, paper ballots will be mailed to each member in good standing in late November.  Cast ballots can then be mailed to the chapter's mailing address or delivered by hand at the Republic's Christmas Party in December.  Ballots will be counted by three noncandidate members and the results announced during the evening.  The new Commanding Officer, if any, will officially assume office on January 1, 2013.
Star Trek Autographs for Sale
CLICK ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Now Available!  Autographed 8 x 10 glossy prints of Tim Russ as "Tuvok" from Star Trek: Voyager and Barbara March as "Lursa" from Star Trek: Generations.  Only $20.00 each!  Each print will come in a plastic sheet protector mailed to you in a sturdy envelope.  Your purchase of these autographed prints helps defray the expenses of putting on TrekTrax Atlanta.  Choose the autograph(s) you want and place your order today!  Thank you!
Personnel Records
ENS1 Zannetta Law Tucker and ENS3 Richard Tucker are pleased to announce that their daughter Zarena Nova Tucker had her first birthday on Saturday, November 10, 2012.
Something special going on in your life?  Submit your Personnel Record for publication in the next issue of The Republiqué!
Library Computer
A long shot showing the top of the saucer and nacelles of the 11-foot-long USS Enterprise model.  This shot is believed to be from 1965, from the second pilot period.  Click image to enlarge.
Recent Chapter Event Photos
CLICK ANY PHOTO TO ENLARGE
Trekkiepalooza 2: Resistance Is Futile  ||  October 20, 2012
Republic CO Capt Eric L. Watts mans the merchandise table
Capt Watts with longtime Friend of the Republic Susan Rey
Capt Watts with Ensigns Robert T. Efurd and Derek Leman
Capt Watts with Ensigns James and Leslie Gronski
Capt Watts with longtime Friend of the Republic Kathy Wynn
A hoard of Star Trek games available for play
A small but enthusiatic crowd enjoys the music
Cover band The Good for Nothings made their stage debut
Headlining singer/songwriter Sean Kagalis rocks the house with his original tunes and energetic performance
 

The Walking Dead Halloween Spooktacular  ||  Oct. 27, 2012

Capt Michael Cowart
ENS1 Julianne Trew
ENS1 Hal Doby
Capt Eric L. Watts
Our hostess, Theresa Parker, and ENS1 Hal Doby
ENS1 Hal Doby (right)
with partner Mark Carrier
Mike Antol
D. A. Adams
Richard Burke and
Angela Tebbe
Kathy Wynn and
ENS1 Julianne Trew

NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS

Tuesday, November 27
ENS2 Tracey S. Harwell

Wednesday, November 28
Ens James P. Gronski

USS REPUBLIC MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS
These memberships expire in December.  Please renew now!


ENS3 Barry Bynum
ENS3 Kenneth Cribbs
ENS1 Michael Shipley
ENS3 Richard Tucker
ENS1 Zannetta Law Tucker
ENS Leslie Williamson

USS ATLANTA MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS

These memberships expire in December.  Please renew now!


Capt Bernadette Ackley
CRR Brian Ackley

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.  As of November 18, 2012, the Republic crew includes 38 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 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 and reenlist is on our award-winning web site.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

USS REPUBLIC ONLINE

OUR MEMBER BENEFITS PROGRAM PARTNERS

CREW ROSTER
AS OF NOVEMBER 18, 2012
USS ATLANTA CREW ROSTER
CRR Brian Ackley
Cheris Courtney
Ens Travis J. Heller
Michael Smith

NEWS from
J. G. Hertzler Joins Star Trek: Renegades Cast
By Anthony Pascale
November 19, 2012
In September, TrekMovie reported that Tim Russ and Walter Koenig were reprising their Star Trek roles for a new independent movie, Star Trek: Renegades.  The project has just one week left for its Kick-Starter funding and they are only $25,000 short of their target.  Also, J. G. Hertzler has joined the cast, which now includes nine veteran Trek actors.
Star Trek: Renegades is a brand new independent Trek film, being developed by the same team that created Star Trek: Of Gods and Men.  This time, they have gone to the crowdfunding site KickStarter to finance the project.
The project's goal is to bring in $200,000 by next Monday. Currently, they have a bit more than $175,000, so they need less than $25K.  You can pledge as little as $10, which gets your name on the official web site and full access to exclusive web content. $25 gets you access to an HD version of the final film along with extras.  And there are additional perks for higher donation rates, including getting props, set visits and even a role in the film.
J.G. Hertzler Joins Expanding Cast of Trek Vets
The latest Trek vet actor to join the cast is J. G. Hertzler, best known for playing the Klingon Martok on Deep Space Nine.  Hertzler will be playing Borrada, the main antagonist in Renegades.  Other vets in addition to Russ and Koenig who have signed on include Gary Graham (Soval, Star Trek: Enterprise) and Garrett Wang (Harry Kim), Robert Picardo (The Doctor), Ethan Phillips (Neelix), Manu Intiraymi (Icheb) and Richard Herd (Admiral Paris), all from Star Trek: Voyager).
The series has also picked up a number of non-Trek vets.  The role of Captain Lexxa Singh will be played by Adrienne Wilkinson (Xena, Star Wars: The Clone Wars).  Other non-Trek vets who have joined the cast include Larissa Gomes (Saw films), Courtney Peldon (Entourage) and Vic Mignogna (Dragonball Z).
REPRINTED FROM TREKMOVIE.COM
© 2012 SciFanatic Network

NEWS from
Pentagon Wants to Know: "Did Jesus Die for Klingons, Too?"
By Stephen Dinan
November 15, 2012
From a workshop on whether Jesus' salvation would apply to aliens to determining the color of the feathers on a 150-million-year-old creature deemed the Earth's first bird, the Pentagon has spent money on some questionable projects, according to Sen. Tom Coburn.
At a time when many Republicans argue the Defense Department cannot afford new spending cuts, Mr. Coburn, Congress's top waste-watcher, released a report Thursday arguing that in fact the Pentagon is awash in billions of dollars of non-security spending that should be cut.
"The American people expect the Pentagon's $600 billion annual budget to go toward our nation's defense," the Oklahoma Republican said.  "That isn't happening.  Billions of defense dollars are being spent on programs and missions that have little or nothing to do with national security, or are already being performed by other government agencies."
Mr. Coburn said that over the next decade, the Defense Department will spend $6 billion on non-military research, $9 billion on running grocery stores, and some $37 billion on support and supply services that could better be done by civilians or the private sector.
Among the more curious spending was:
• $300,000 spent by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research to fund Brown University's research into archaeopteryx, the 150-million-year-old early bird, in which the researchers determined the creature likely had black feathers
• an Office of Naval Research research project that helped spawn Caffeine Zone 2, an iPhone application that tells people how to schedule their coffee breaks
• $1.5 million to develop a special new roll-up beef jerky, which Mr. Coburn said was funded by taking money out of a weapons program
• $100,000 for a 2011 workshop on interstellar space travel that included a session entitled "Did Jesus Die for Klingons, Too?"  The session probed how Christian theology would apply in the event of the discovery of aliens
But Mr. Coburn said the problems went beyond bad program funding choices.
He said the military now has more generals and admirals per troop than it did at the height of the Cold War.  He recommended cutting 200 generals and admirals, which he said would also cut 800 support personnel, for a savings of $800 million over the next decade.
FROM WASHINGTONTIMES.COM
© 2012 The Washington Times, LLC

NEWS from
Did Jesus Die for Klingons, Too?  The Pentagon Wants to Know
By Eamon Javers
November 15, 2012
According to a new report from Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) sponsored an effort called the 100-Year Starship initiative, which advocates human interstellar travel.
As part of that initiative, DARPA---the legendary advanced research arm of the Pentagon that's known for sponsoring way-out-there research---last year paid nearly $100,000 for a workshop that included a discussion session entitled "Did Jesus Die for Klingons, Too?"  The seminar focused on the implications for Christianity if intelligent life were to be found on other planets, the report said.
Klingons are a fictional warlike alien race from the long running Star Trek franchise.  But the theological question could be just as easily posed of Romulans, Vulcans or even Ewoks, although Ewoks are from Star Wars, and are more cuddly than Klingons.
Coburn's point is that in a time of staggering budget deficits and potentially rising taxes, the Pentagon---even in its pointy-headed research department---ought to be more judicious with taxpayer dollars.
Coburn's report notes that headliners at the event included former Star Trek actors LeVar Burton and Nichelle Nichols, and it included an event called an "intergalactic gala celebration" to which attendees were encouraged to wear "starship cocktail attire."
The Klingon discussion is just one example of Pentagon waste drawing Coburn's ire.
Coburn wrote that the Department of Defense has become the "Department of Everything," engaging in a wide range of unnecessary activities, from conducting non-military research to running a redundant elementary school system to operating grocery stores.  Just the overhead costs alone at the Pentagon, Coburn pointed out, are greater than the GDP of entire nations like Israel and the UAE.
All told, he said the Department of Defense budget could be slashed by $69.7 billion over 10 years without impacting America's fighting strength.
Pentagon officials defended their spending Thursday.
"The DoD budget is aligned to strategic priorities we have identified to keep America safe and maintain the strongest military in the world," Pentagon spokesperson Lt. Col. Elizabeth Robbins said in an emailed statement.  "Over the past several years, we have redoubled our efforts to make better use of the taxpayer's defense dollar and meet our fiscal responsibilities."
Other programs Coburn singled out include a $1.5 million effort to develop a new type of beef jerky that is flat like a Fruit Roll-Up, rather than round, like a Slim Jim.  The report noted that "a variety of flavors are being developed, including salami, chipotle, turkey, pork and smoked ham.  There is also a product made from fish," but the food scientist involved in the process said, "the recipe needs to be tweaked to make it less fishy."
And Coburn also drilled down on Pentagon-funded research into the swimming patterns of groups of goldfish.  The report noted that researchers claimed "experiments on fish paired with mathematical models and computer simulations 'can ultimately provide insights into humans’ political behavior.'"
And what about the eternal souls of those Klingons?  According to media accounts, the philosophy professor invited to give the lecture argues that Jesus did not die to save them.  If Klingons sin, they're on their own.
REPRINTED FROM CNBC.COM
© 2012 CNBC LLC
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, USS Republic
  Captain Eric L. Watts
Commanding Officer, USS Atlanta
  Admiral W. Michael Henigan

The Republiqué Volume I, Number 56, November 2012.
Published monthly by and Copyright © 2012 USS Republic NCC-1371.
Captain Eric L. Watts, Editor.

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