Region 2 "Newsletter of the Year" Award, 2012
Region 2 "Newsletter of the Year" Award, 2nd Place, 2011
Region 2 "Best Electronic Newsletter" Award, 2009

Volume I
Number 78
September 2014
CONTENTS
UPCOMING EVENTS
•  Sat., Sept. 20: Ninth Annual STARFLEET Bowling Challenge

SAVE THESE DATES NOW:  DETAILS TO BE ANNOUNCED

•  Friday, October 31: USS Republic Halloween Spooktacular
•  Sat.-Sun., Dec. 6-7, 2014: Farragut Fest 2014 (Kingsland GA)
•  Saturday, Dec. 20: USS Republic Holiday Party & CO Election

NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
•  2015: Changes are coming
•  That "super fan" reality series: A "change in direction"
•  Commanding Officer election coming in December
•  TrekTrax Atlanta, TrekTrak and Scotty t-shirts still available
•  Personnel Records
•  Classified Ads
•  Library Computer
•  Recent Chapter Event Photos

SIDEBAR
•  September Birthdays
•  August Member Reenlistments
•  Fall Membership Renewals
•  About the Republic
•  For More Information
•  USS Republic Online
•  Crew Roster
•  News from TrekMovie.com
   —
   Alec Peters on taking Star Trek to war + What's next for Star Trek: Axanar
   —
  Smithsonian moves original USS Enterprise model out of gift shop to prep for big hall display
UPCOMING EVENTS
Ninth Annual STARFLEET Bowling Challenge

6:30 p.m. Saturday, September 20, 2014

Midtown Bowl
1936 Piedmont Circle, Atlanta GA  30324
(404) 874-5703 || www.midtownbowl.com
PLEASE NOTE THE DATE CHANGE
Come on out and play, and let's have a great turn-out like we used to!  Above, our team from the 2007 event, and this doesn't even show the Furries!  Below, a great-looking group of members from our 2009 event.
Once upon a time, the USS Republic's annual STARFLEET Bowling Challenge was one of our most popular and well-attended costuming events, with the now-legendary 2007 challenge ("Furries vs. Klingons") receiving worldwide press coverage from G4 TV and Fark TV.  In recent years, attendance has declined and last year, only two players came out to participate.  We'll give this event one more chance this year and hope to see a significant turnout from the membership.  Please join the USS Republic for our Ninth Annual STARFLEET Bowling Challenge!

The game fee is $20.00 per person for two hours of bowling and includes shoe rental.  CASH ONLY, PLEASE, and please pay the Republic, who has already paid for the lane rental.  We have rented two lanes for two hours which accommodate up to six players each.  Please RSVP if you plan to attend so we can add lanes if necessary.  Please arrive no later than 6:30 p.m. to pay for play, get your shoes and choose your ball.  First ball rolls promptly at 7:00 p.m., so please arrive early and be ready to roll (literally) at 7:00 p.m.  Midtown Bowl's food grill offers a broad range of menu items and adult beverages are available at the full-service bar.

Costumes encouraged, but not required!  But if you can, please wear your best Star Trek costume or your USS Republic sport shirt or chapter t-shirt for this fun-filled family-friendly event!
NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

2015: Changes are coming
Stay tuned.
That "super fan" reality series: A "change in direction"
USS Republic CO Fleet Captain Eric L. Watts finally heard from the producers of that new reality series that he had been invited to participate in way back in July and who asked him to plan and coordinate some kind of big costumey type event in August that they could come down to Atlanta and film, but then who went missing for over a month.  When they finally decided to write back, they said, "The executives changed direction last minute and requested music/sports superfans for this first season.  However, I love your story and may reach out to you in the future."

While that may sound like a disappointment, it's actually a good thing.  Captain Watts had always been a bit skeptical about participating in this program, apprehensive about whether it would be a sympathetic portrayal of fans who are passionate about some particular interest, or an exploitative depiction of extreme fans whose obsession with their interest can be easily sensationalized and ridiculed.  By focusing exclusively on music and sports fans in their first season, we can now watch the series and judge for ourselves whether we would actually want to participate in any future season, should they actually decide to ask.  We'll let you know when the series premieres so you can watch it along with us.
USS Republic Commanding Officer election coming in December
Fleet Captain Eric L. Watts' fourth two-year term as Commanding Officer of the USS Republic will soon be coming to a close, and 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.

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).

As of September 14, there are five members of the Republic in good standing who hold the necessary credentials to hold the office of Commanding Officer.  In alphabetical order, they are:

  Captain Matt Ebeling, former CO, currently inactive
  Admiral Mike Henigan, currently serving as Executive Officer
  Admiral Kelly Hilliard, currently serving as Zone 2 Coordinator
  Lt. JG Robert Louis Simon, member-at-large
  Fleet Captain Eric L. Watts, the incumbent Commanding Officer

In addition to these individuals, four additional members have completed the OTS requirement and could be eligible to run for the office of CO should they complete the OCC requirement by the end of the year.  Those members are ENS2 Tracey S. Harwell, Ens Derek Leman, ENS2 Tracy O'Quinn and ENS1 Julianne Trew.

The election for the USS Republic's Commanding Officer for the 2015-2016 term will be held in December.  If more than one eligible member announces his or her candidacy before November 30, paper ballots will be mailed to each member in good standing in early December so that all members of record can cast their ballot.  If no member announces their candidacy before November 30, a voice vote will be held at the chapter's Holiday Party on Saturday, December 20.  Only those members whose STARFLEET and chapter dues are current will be eligible to vote.  The new Commanding Officer, if any, will assume office on January 1, 2015.
TrekTrax Atlanta, TrekTrak and Scotty t-shirts still available
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Still available!  A limited selection of commemorative souvenir t-shirts from this year's and last year's TrekTrax Atlanta, our previously offered Scotty fundraiser t-shirt, and even a few still-new shirts from the 2006 TrekTrak at Dragon*Con.  This year's con shirt features a full-color design with this year's celebrity guests Arlene Martel, Felix Silla and Jeremy Roberts on a high-quality Gildan 50/50 polycot blend shirt.  Last year's con shirt features an attractive three-color design with guest of honor Manu Intiraymi.  The TrekTrak t-shirt features George Takei, Denise Crosby and Tony Todd.  Available only in the sizes and colors shown in the drop-down menus.  All shirts are only $20 postpaid to domestic US addresses.  Please select your shirt from the PayPal buttons below.
TrekTrax Atlanta 2014 T-Shirts
SMALL, MEDIUM AND LARGE
XL AND 2XL
SIZE & COLOR
SIZE & COLOR
TrekTrax Atlanta 2013 T-Shirts
SIZE & COLOR
Scotty T-Shirts
SIZE & COLOR
TrekTrak 2006 T-Shirts
SIZE & COLOR
Personnel Records
WELCOME ABOARD!  
Ensign Kevin M. Fry
Lawrenceville, Georgia
Ensign Alan High
Lawrenceville, Georgia
   
Congratulations to Ens Kevin M. Fry, who received a grade of HONORS for the STARFLEET Academy course "Officer's Training School" from the Institute of Leadership Studies, completed on September 9, 2014

STARFLEET Academy is a special collection of correspondence courses available to every STARFLEET member.  Over 60 Academy Colleges offer courses spanning all aspects of Star Trek and science fiction; some courses even cover non-sci-fi real world topics.  Each college offers dozens of different courses at varying levels of challenge from super-easy to really hard.  In total, there are nearly 1,000 different courses available.  Take a course today!

Something special going on in your life?  Submit your Personnel Record for publication in the next issue of The Republiqué!
Classified Ads
WANTED AND OFFERED FOR TRADE
Original series-era Star Trek paperback novels.  Willing to trade any FIVE titles on the "For Trade" list from 1967 to 1998 for any ONE title on the "Wanted" list from 1968 to 2014.  DOZENS of titles wanted and available for trade!  Let's help each other complete our libraries by swapping our duplicates for titles we need!  Click the link to either list for additional information on titles and trading.
Library Computer
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
A scene that was filmed for, but cut for time from, the first-season Star Trek episode "Operation -- Annihilate!" included Peter Kirk, portrayed by Craig Hundley, visiting the bridge after his recovery from the alien parasites, wearing a child-sized version of a command division Starfleet uniform with lieutenant stripes, and sitting in the captain's chair.  It is also revealed that instead of moving back to Earth to live with his grandparents, Peter is going to be adopted by a colleague of his father and stay on Deneva.  After Peter leaves, Scotty tells Kirk his nephew might go to Starfleet Academy.  Kirk replies that he hopes he won't, not wanting him to face a similar decision like he just had to make (killing all the inhabitants of a planet to prevent the spread of deadly parasites to other planets).
Recent Chapter Event Photos
CLICK ANY PHOTO TO ENLARGE
Away Mission to X-Men: Days of Future Past  ||  May 25, 2014
USS Republic CO Fleet Captain Eric L. Watts
Wizard World Atlanta Comic Con  ||  May 30 - June 1, 2014
USS Republic CO Fleet Captain Eric L. Watts, Theresa Watkins, Remy Loste and Dean Patterson work the USS Republic/TrekTrax Atlanta fan table at Wizard World Atlanta Comic Con.
Captain Watts with "The Scarlet Witch" and "Ms. Marvel" (right) and with the TrekTrax Atlanta stand-up banner (right).
Captain Watts in the classic Batmobile.
Away Mission to Guardians of the Galaxy  ||  August 2, 2014
USS Republic CO Fleet Captain Eric L. Watts
Away Mission to Night at the Museum  ||  August 9, 2014
USS Republic members and friends at the Night at the Museum event at the Tellus Science Museum in Cartersville, Georgia: Jeanetta Holmes, ENS1 Eddie Hines, Libby Ellis, Susan Vandermere, Jack Moore, FCapt Eric L. Watts, ENS1 Wil Sims, "Ensign Wolfy," ENS1 Sue Lin Lange and Melissa Kerr.
ENS1 Wil Sims, ENS1 Sue Lin Lange, FCapt Eric L. Watts and "Ensign Wolfy."
ENS1 Eddie Hines and Jeanetta Holmes surrounded by various Star Wars characters.
A panaromic view of the Great Hall as the crowd prepares for the hourly Parade of Stars.
Capt Watts with "Uhura" and "Romulan Commander."
The Project Mercury capsule and Apollo 1 Command Module.
ENS1 Eddie Hines with "Captain America" and... "Sharon Carter"?

SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS

Monday, September 15
ENS2 Leslie C. Gronski

MEMBER REENLISTMENTS
These members renewed their SFI and chapter dues in August.  Thank you!

ENS1 Eddie Hines
FCapt Eric L. Watts

FALL MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS
These members' dues expire between September and November
.  Please renew now!

SEPTEMBER
Ens Robert T. Efurd
ENS3 Patricia Houk
Ens Derek Leman

NOVEMBER
ENS2 Tracey S. Harwell

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 September 17, 2014, the Republic crew includes 31 members who are active members of STARFLEET in good standing.
The Republic plans and coordinates an active schedule of events for its members, 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.  STARFLEET dues for one person are $20 for a "Standard Membership" or $10 for an "E-Membership" and chapter dues are $10 per person for either membership option.  A combined payment for all dues is collected by the Republic (family discounts are available with certain conditions and restrictions).  Additional information about the two STARFLEET membership options, amounts due for additional family members, payment options and payment instructions is on the "How to Join" page of our award-winning web site.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

USS REPUBLIC ONLINE

CREW ROSTER
AS OF SEPTEMBER 17, 2014
CDT Zarena Nova Tucker
ENS1 "Wolfy"

NEWS from
Alec Peters on taking Star Trek to war + What's next for Star Trek: Axanar
By Anthony Pascale
August 23, 2014
In Part 1 of our interview with Alec Peters, the star and producer of Star Trek: Axanar talked about the fundraising effort, schedule, designs, hiring of professionals and experienced actors and more.  Today, we get into the story and the fit into Star Trek.
TrekMovie: Let's talk about the story of Axanar.  The film is set 21 years before the original Star Trek, but Prelude did show a glimpse of the USS Enterprise.  Will it play a role?
Alec Peters: Yes, but a very minor one.  We tell that story in Prelude, where there is this arms race and the Constitution class was the Federation's answer to that arms race.
TrekMovie: The original series portrays the USS Enterprise and the other Constitution-class ships as ships of exploration.  Are you ret-conning them into weapons of war?  And do you feel like you are treading into pushing canon there?
Alec Peters: Not so much.  There is nothing to say those ships were military purposed before they were ships of exploration.  They are just really powerful ships.  It is not necessarily that they were built for war, but they were certainly built during a war.
The USS Enterprise under construction in Prelude to Axanar
TrekMovie: How would you describe what kind of film this is?  Would you describe it as a war movie?  Action movie?  What is Axanar?
Alec Peters: I think it is action-adventure.  But it is a Star Trek story.  I have said at times it is a war story set in the Star Trek universe, but then, what is a war story?  War stories are drama.  War stories are about people.  Sometimes you have war movies like Midway or The Longest Day, which is a procedural.  Here is what happened at these battles.  But the greatest war stories are about people.  Saving Private Ryan is about a bunch of people.
TrekMovie: Are those the movies that are influencing you and [director] Chris Gossett when making Axanar?
Alec Peters: There are a bunch of movies.  Certainly Midway has influenced us about how it tells the story of a grand scope.  Even though that is a procedural about how the battle unfolded, the people are what make it fascinating.  Saving Private Ryan is another.  David Gerrold has referenced Run Silent, Run Deep and The Enemy Below, which are great submarine war movies.  But it isn't about explosions and starship battles; it is about people.  How people react to war is an amazing thing sometimes.
TrekMovie: Are there specific Star Trek films or episodes that capture the type of film or the tone you are trying to set?
Alec Peters: Films?  I don't think so.  It is hard to say any specific episodes are influencing us except that we are huge Star Trek fans.  So of course "Balance of Terror" is an important episode.  But we are not copying anything; we are treading new ground.
TrekMovie: But Star Trek films have a certain tone—there are certain threads that run throughout them.  They are, in a way, their own sub-genre.  Do you feel like this film would fit with the pantheon of twelve Star Trek films or are you going for something different?
Alec Peters: I think we are going for something different.  We haven't seen the Federation at war.  What is that like?  We set that up in Prelude.  I think you could see where we are coming from about the Federation at war.  Some fanboys will say, "Star Trek is not supposed to be about war."  Well, no.  Star Trek is about many things and how we have evolved as a people 200 years from now is one of them.  In Ramirez's speech in Prelude, he talks about not losing the dream of the Federation when fighting the Klingons, and I think that tells you everything about Gene Roddenberry's vision of the future.
TrekMovie: But is there a concern about sticking with that vision?  Gene Roddenberry himself balked at some of the militaristic elements of the Nick Meyer Star Trek films.
Alec Peters: Ironically, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is considered the best Star Trek movie and it is also potentially the most militaristic.  The idea is man is perfecting himself and we are becoming better and we are focusing on working together to better the entire galaxy.  That is what Star Trek is about.  If Gene didn't like the militarization, OK.  But if there is a war going on, what are you going to do?  We address that head on.  We address what does the Federation do when forced into war.  You can say all you want about how that is not what Gene wanted, but Gene talked about the Romulan War.  So it is not that he is against war.  He is trying to picture a future where people are better than they are now.  So the answer is how we approach war.  It is not a question of whether or not there is war; there will always be war for the rest of eternity.  The question is, how do we as enlightened people deal with it, and that is what Ramirez was saying [in Prelude].  We need to affirm our values as the Federation and win this war the right way and extend that value system to our enemy.
TrekMovie: There are a couple of elements that are constants through Star Trek that differentiate it.  One is the hope and optimistic future, and the other is a bit of humor mixed in with the drama.  Do you feel that Axanar will continue that tradition?
Alec Peters: Absolutely.  That is part of Star Trek.
TrekMovie: A lot of what you are talking about sounds like some of the elements of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, which a lot of fans (myself included) really liked, but some didn't like the darker themes and war elements.  Do you feel that Axanar will especially appeal to DS9 fans?  And might it also run into some of the same critiques?
Alec Peters: I am not sure it will especially appeal to Deep Space Nine fans, because I am not sure that all DS9 fans like it because it was about war.  It is my favorite Star Trek outside of TOS because of Sisko, he is my favorite captain.  It will be similar to Deep Space Nine in that it is set up against the backdrop of a war.  It is not about whether it is war story or not.  It is about everything.  It is about how you communicate what the story is about.  I think there are a lot of TOS fans who will love Axanar as well and from the other shows, too.  I think we will have our fanbase and it will be because of the characters we write.
TrekMovie: So after you release Axanar, have you put any thought into what is next for yourself and the team?
Alec Peters: Honestly, I can't tell you.  I don't know.  I know that we want to use this as a résumé piece to show the work we can do.  We want everyone to see it.  We have shown that we can make something impressive on a really tiny budget and I think that is a commodity that people in Hollywood are interested in.
TrekMovie: Is the goal to try to get an officially licensed Star Trek production made or to move on to other low-budget sci-fi films?
Alec Peters: All of the above.
TrekMovie: Would it be fair to say that the relationship with CBS for these types of productions is sort of a "don't ask, don't tell" kind of thing?  They aren't involved, but they don't stop you, either.
Alec Peters: Exactly.  They just want us to behave and not rock the boat.  So we don't charge for anything or make any money.  There are certain requirements as to how big "Star Trek" is within the logo, like "Star Trek" can't be bigger than "Axanar."  We respect their IP.  There is boilerplate that is supposed to be on the web site at the bottom.  You do things like that, and we try to minimize the use of actual Star Trek IP in Axanar.  We aren't using the chevron logo uniforms, for example.  More and more, we will just be using the branding "Axanar," because people know what that is now.
TrekMovie: When you look at how LucasFilm—and now Disney—have embraced fan films—even doing official awards—would you like to see CBS get more involved like that or do you prefer the hands-off approach?
Alec Peters: No, I would like to see them actively involved.  That would be a dream come true.
For more on Star Trek: Axanar, visit the official site at www.startrekaxanar.com.
REPRINTED FROM TREKMOVIE.COM
© 2014 SciFanatic Network

Smithsonian moves original USS Enterprise model out of gift shop to prep for big hall display
By Anthony Pascale
September 14, 2014
The studio model for the USS Enterprise from the original Star Trek has been on public display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC since the museum opened in 1976.  The ship has moved around a bit over that time, but since 1999, it has been on display in the gift shop inside a special case.  In April of this year, the Smithsonian announced the ship would be moving again, this time to the central "Milestones of Flight" Hall, which is being renovated.
USS Enterprise on display at the Air and Space Museum Gift Shop
On Friday, in a blog post, the Smithsonian revealed the Enterprise display was taken down on September 11.  Renovations to the new "Milestones of Flight" Hall will be completed in time for the museum's 40th anniversary in 2016.  According to the Smithsonian, the11-foot long Enterprise model is in need of "some conservation" before it can return for public viewing.
The model is now being transported to the Emil Buehler Conservation Laboratory in Virginia, where it will be "evaluated and treated."  According to the Smithsonian, the model "has not had any significant treatment other than a basic dusting since 2000."
The Smithsonian announcement explains their approach to conservation:
The Museum's general approach emphasizes conservation over preservation and preservation over restoration.  Restoration is bringing an object back to its appearance and condition at a determined point in time in the past.  With a restoration approach, there is less concern for preserving original materials and more focus on returning to the original specification, often through the addition of non-original materials.  Preservation is an overall philosophy that favors keeping original material over creating an ideal physical appearance, while keeping the artifact from deteriorating any more.  Conservation follows the preservation philosophy and is minimally invasive, utilizing scientific investigation and techniques to maintain original materials, preserving the object's physical history of ownership and use.
USS Enterprise model being removed from display on September 11, 2014
The almost 50-year-old piece of Star Trek history was previously treated by the museum back when it was donated in 1974 and again in 1984 and 1991.  The model was first on display at the "Life in the Universe" display, but had been moved at least twice before ending up in the gift shop in 1999.  One of the reasons for the move was concern over how the ship was being displayed by hanging it and how that could possibly damage the structure of the model.  So they built a special case with custom stanchions to support it, and it remained there in the gift shop until this week.
Once the work is completed, the model will be part of the display in the "Milestones of Flight" Hall, which is the central exhibition space that greets visitors entering the museum.  This hall includes some major pieces of history, including the Spirit of St. Louis and the Bell X-1.  The hall has remained mostly unchanged since the museum opened, but thanks to a $30 million donation from Boeing, it will be going through a number of renovations, including adding an Apollo lunar module (and the starship Enterprise).  There will also be a new floor plan, new digital "mobile experience" and more.
REPRINTED FROM TREKMOVIE.COM
© 2014 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
  Fleet Captain Eric L. Watts
Executive Officer
  Admiral W. Michael Henigan

The Republiqué Volume I, Number 78, September 2014.
Published monthly by and Copyright © 2014 USS Republic NCC-1371.
Fleet Captain Eric L. Watts, Editor.

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