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The Commonwealth -1- Issue 9: March 2014


@ttention ^ll h^nds...

Greetings members of Region 20 ... ... and welcome to your newest edition of the COMMONWEALTH. I hope that the poor weather being felt across the region has not affected you too much and that you are managing to stay warm and dry. Our thoughts go out to those families that may have been affected by flood waters and we at Starbase 20 hope that the situation improves for you. On a lighter note, I know that a good number of took shore leave at the recent SF-Ball in Bournemouth. According to reports an excellent time was had by all. Indeed, the SF-Ball hit a bit of a milestone as not only was it their 20th anniversary but also its last outing in Bournemouth. Reports are coming that it will be at a new venue in Southampton next year. Speaking of venue changes, Starbase 24's Klingon Banquet has also moved to the Park Inn in Peterborough. It's a very popular event on the Trek calendar and I know that a good number of you will be there too. Staying on the subject of events, I know that some of you are keen to learn about the progress of our own event. The Regional Events Committee are currently investigating a number of venue options and costs. Once this is established, we will be in a position to move things forward. As soon as we know more on this, I will report back to you. There is so much more I'd like to say here, but my Comms Officer is getting rather anxious about "spoilers", so I shall leave you to enjoy the rest of this edition of the Commonwealth.

Alan

FLEET CAPTAIN Alan O'Shea

Regional Coordinator


In this Issue ...

Attention all hands... ........................................................................................... 2 In this Issue ... ...................................................................................................... 3 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................. 4 Issue Dates........................................................................................................... 4 From the new Vice Regional Coordinator............................................................ 5 Making Submissions ............................................................................................ 6 To make a submission, you only need an idea!................................................... 6 LT Adam Dolphin Does It Again! .......................................................................... 6 Starship Design: 'The Righteous'.......................................................................... 7 Award Winning .................................................................................................... 9 To boldly go where campers have gone before... .............................................10 USS York: NX-74219...........................................................................................11 The Naming of a Corp ........................................................................................12 GAME ZONE: Federation Commander...............................................................14 Med Lab Mayhem: Sub-Commander T’Vah’L’Qa’YiN boards ............................15 Fully Automated (FAC) Academy Courses .........................................................18 The College of Star Trek Episodes...................................................................... 20 Farewell Ark Royal ... Hello Stargazer!............................................................... 22 The Gunsmith.....................................................................................................23 AWAY MISSION: The SF-Ball ..............................................................................26 Ten Forward: Sudoku.........................................................................................27 Alien Art Gallery by Emma Charity ....................................................................28 REGIONAL VACANCY: Recruitment & Retention ...............................................30 Recruitment Officer ...........................................................................................30 Retentions Officer..............................................................................................30 The Artificial Gravity Well ..................................................................................32 STARFLEET Marine Corps...................................................................................33


@cknowledgements Our thanks go to this issue's

contributors (listed alphabetically):

FCAPT Dan Adams USS Stargazer

MCPT Amanda Barrow USS York

1LT Colin Barrow USS Stargazer

ENS Anthony Burr USS Stargazer

ENS Craig Cameron USS Stargazer

CRR Emma Charity USS Stargazer

MCPT John Hardy USS Iceni

CMDR Michael Hartley USS York

CRMN Timothy Lyth USS Iceni

LTC Bob Mabbit USS Stargazer

CAPT Scott Peter USS Alba

MGSGT Jamie Spracklen SFMC

ADM Greg Staylor STARFLEET Academy

Cover Photo: Tim Lyth and Claire Webber

The Commonwealth is the newsletter

of STARFLEET International – Region

20. Unless otherwise stated, all articles

are the property of the author. Any

opinions expressed are solely those of

the author and may not reflect the

opinions of the editors, STARFLEET

Region 20 or STARFLEET International.

Star Trek and all related trademarks

are the exclusive property of CBS. They

are used here without permission for

entertainment purposes only.

Issue D^tes The Commonwealth Magazine is our

quarterly magazine available to

download as an A5 PDF. This means

that you can copy it to your eReader or

read it on your PC, whichever you

prefer. Publication dates are as

follows:

Issue Date Deadline for

Submissions

SPRING

SUMMER

AUTUMN

WINTER

March

June

September

December

23 February

25 May

25 August

25 November

Please remember that the Editor only

edits the magazine so unless you make

submissions, the Commonwealth will

be very small indeed. All submissions

are welcome, but the Editor reserves

the right to edit, postpone or not to

publish a particular item.

Submissions should be sent to

[email protected].

Many thanks.

LT Anni Potts

Chief of Communications

20th Fleet


From the new Vice Region^l Coordin^tor

Vice Regional Coordinator: FCAPT Dan Adams

Hello Region 20 As you know, I’ve been appointed Vice Regional Coordinator. I’d like to

take this opportunity to thank Alan for giving me the post and look forward to supporting the region going forward.

I was for Regional Coordinator last year, and did so on the platform that Region 20 should be about fun first. However, I withdrew my candidacy. The principal reason was that I didn’t feel able to effectively meet those goals while carrying out the duties of RC.

While I did not feel that I was a suitable choice as regional coordinator, I still felt that the region needs to prioritise the fun aspect. Given my experience, I realised that I still had a lot to offer the region at this stage, which is why I finally decided to apply for the post.

Promotions? I can buy (and have bought) an Admiral’s Uniform off eBay. Certificates? I can make myself an award for being the best Trekkie in my house, straight from the “Federation Council”. They are great things, but they are enhancements. The region needs to be fun at its core. There needs to be events, discussions and games. It needs to be something to be proud of, otherwise our awards and commendations are only worth the paper that they are printed on. That’s why I decided to help make that a possibility.

But I can’t do this alone. I work with a talented team, but we might be going one way and you folks might want us to go another. This is where we need you; we’re fellow members so speak up. It might be that your ideas are great; it might be that we can’t work with all of them, but if we don’t start dialogue, we can’t do anything.

My door is open, and I look forward to hearing your ideas.

Take care.

Dan

FLEET CAPTAIN Dan Adams

Vice Regional Coordinator


M^king Submissions

To m^ke ^ submission, you only need ^n ide^! If you can write a full article, that's great, but don't be put off if you feel your

writing skills aren't up to it. Simply contact me with your idea and between us,

we'll pull it together. Some of the articles in the Commonwealth have been

formed from a single photograph and one sentence, so don't be put off. And rest

assured that anything we do, you will be able to approve before it goes to print.

[email protected]

LT @d^m Dolphin Does It @g^in!

Thursday, 26th December 2013

On behalf of the Rickard/Willcox and Killough/Bates teams, along with Fleet

Admiral Dave Blaser, I am pleased to announce that a winner has been selected

in the 40th Anniversary Logo Contest. It was a tough decision, as we had three

great submissions ... but in the end, "there can be only one".

We are pleased to announce that the logo we will be utilizing during our 40th

Anniversary was submitted by Adam Dolphin of the USS Iceni! Congratulations,

Adam! By having the winning submission, Adam has won a free membership,

courtesy of the Rickard/Willcox and Killough/Bates teams. Great job!

We would like to thank those individuals who submitted logos, our judge's

panel, and those that directly assisted with the competition. Your dedication to

STARFLEET and your drive to participate in our 40th Anniversary is inspiring to us

all.

Looking forward to working with all members of STARFLEET, and coming

together to celebrate a remarkable milestone for our organization!

In service,

Admiral Wayne Lee Killough, Jr., SFMD

Commander-Elect, STARFLEET


St^rship Design: 'The Righteous'

Designed by ENS Craig Cameron

Many of our members create starships and shuttles, but few of us are able to

take it the whole way and come up with not just a set of specifications, but visual

concepts as well. ENS Craig Cameron, however, has done just that with his

brainchild, an Agamemnon Class long-range fighter called 'The Righteous'.

He began his development of this craft in early 2013 and it soon caught the

attention of our Marine Department who were looking for a vessel such as the

one he was proposing. So, holed up in a top-secret laboratory on board the USS

Stargazer, he has slaved over the meticulous details in order to produce a craft

that would be able to undertake a number of mission types including

reconnaissance, escort detail, defence and protection.

Many of the details regarding this vessel remain shrouded in secrecy, but

authorisation has been given to release the some of the basic specifications.


Specification:

Name:

Fighter Class:

Working Title:

Status:

Range:

Speed:

Crew:

Firepower

Designer:

The Righteous

Agamemnon

PRO-X1-Alpha

Proto-type

Long range

Max Warp 6

Six

Fore and aft phasers / photon torpedoes

ENS Craig Cameron

The vessel, although developed and constructed on board the Stargazer, will be

available to all the fleet for special assignment.

Information sources also report that ENS Cameron is working on further designs.

Utopia Planitia—watch out!

A A A


@w^rd Winning

For quite a while now, I had been trying to verify whether or not THE

COMMONWEALTH did or did not win an award at the IC 2013. Many have

told me that yes, we had--they were there! They heard it first hand! But

getting confirmation of this has been rather difficult to say the least.

However, with the help of former RC, Dave Blaser, I do now have an eMail

clarifying the situation and it is as follows:

I know nothing about the web awards (that would be CompOps's wheelhouse), but the winners of the 'Fleet Newsletter Awards announced at IC were:

• Best Presentation: USS Avenger • Best Content & Information: USS Haise • Best Newsletter, Region or other group: Region 20 • Best Newsletter, Chapter: USS Angeles

These will be announced in the next issue of the CQ, which we're finishing layout on now. I've been trying to get someone to make me some certificates that I can send out to people via PDF, but so far both of my graphic artist volunteers have flaked on me. Still working on that! Best regards, Liz

So hang on to your hats, folks! It looks like it's true — you, yes, YOU —

won an award at regional level for your newsletter because without YOU

and YOUR contributions, thoughts and ideas, this would be ... nothing.

A A A


To boldly go where c^mpers h^ve gone before...

Interview with 1LT Colin Barrow, USS Stargazer

2013 saw the birth of a new

event that looks like it could

become a regular thing.

Birthed as part of THE BIG HILL

CHALLENGE, the two away

missions were led by Ensigns

Barrow and Barrow, now 1LT

Colin Barrow and FCPT

Amanda Barrow.

In the true spirit of Trek, they are continuing the adventure this year in the

form of a camping event planned for the bank holiday of May—the weekend of

Saturday, 24th through to Monday, 26th May.

Absolutely everyone is welcome to attend AND their families. There will be

lots of events to take part in: walks (which will include map reading), stargazing,

safely lighting a fire and a BBQ, to name but a few.

"Think of it as a sort of first contact day for sci-fi who are soon to be friends ...

it's a time to get together, sit back and enjoy a time of peace."

The chosen site is http://www.brookmeadow.co.uk/index.php which is "is a

quiet, family run site open all year round in the tranquil countryside of the

Leicestershire, Northamptonshire border. Brook Meadow is a working farm set in

400 acres of peaceful pasture land, with 15 acres designated for a perfect

caravanning and tent camping experience. Brook Meadow offers self-catering

holiday chalets, caravans and camping facilities."

Colin tells me that "there may be a walk of around four miles one-way to

Naseby if people are up to it, and if the crew of the USS Naseby want to meet

up," so do check in

with Colin so that he

can keep you updated

as to events: CoS@ark-

royal.org

Colin also has a

limited amount of kit

available to borrow: a small tent, a couple of sleeping bags etc so please contact

him if you are interested. Similarly, if you wish to attend, please drop him a line.


USS York: NX-74219

Cl^ss: Defi^nt-cl^ss Registry: NX-74219 Comm^nding Officer: CDR Mich^el H^rtley Executive Officer: LTCR Tim McVey Constructed ^t: Bet^ @nt^res Shipy^rd L^unch D^te: 2387

It was with great pleasure and

pride that the 20th Fleet was able

to announce the launch of the

USS York.

Under the command of

Commander Michael Hartley she

began her maiden voyage—her

shakedown cruise—in January of

this year. Her captain was

generous to give us a short

interview before their departure.

"We are meeting chapter hoping

to meet on a monthly basis. We're also looking to complete at least four away

missions each year to include such things as paintballing, cinema invasions and

conventions.

"I am fortunate to have at my side Lt Commander Tim McVey as my XO and

FCAPT Amanda Barrow who has taken on the challenge to form a marine

detachment onboard that will be following the medical branch of the service.

"As to our maiden voyage, having been launched so shortly after the

destruction of Romulas, our first assignment is a patrol mission. We will be

stationed along the Federation/Klingon border where we will be able to run

shakedown operations."

Communications and IT protocols are undergoing final amendments (domain

name and eMail addresses) but until then, the CO can be contacted at

[email protected]


The N^ming of ^ Corp

MCAPT Amanda Barrow, USS York OIC, 386th Marine Corp " Mjølner "

With a new ship comes a new Marine Corp; in this instance, the 386th. A medical

marine corp, it is dedicated to the incredibly brave men and women who have

served and are serving in medical corps both on the battlefield and in the

rehabilitation units. Their dedication is beyond courage and I hope to explore

their work in the real world while developing their role in the time era of the

USS York.

But the dedication doesn't end there. Our unit is also a tribute to those

among us who are not well—who struggle with life each and every day. It is my

hope that some of their stories will come to light and that in some small way,

they will inspire and motivate us by their bravery.

With such an honourable profile to fulfil then, the unit needed a suitable

name, but what to choose? As the person tasked with making the selection, it

was one I did not take lightly.

Freyja

Meaning 'the lady' was a strong contender and

quite apt as Vulcan women are given the title

of T'sai, which means 'lady'.

Traditionally though, Freyja is a warrior

goddess who, whenever she rides into battle,

comes away with half of the souls of the dead

heroes. She is also a priestess and taught Odin

the magic arts. With her magical cloak made of

feathers, she can fly between different worlds.

She is also the patron goddess of crops and

childbirth as well as love: a goddess to whom

lovers may send thier prayers.

Freyja is one the two main goddesses in

Norse mythology. They were especially

worshipped by the Vikings. Freyja is said to be

the kindest among goddesses. As quoted in

Poetic Edda, a young man called Ottar always

trusted in the goddesses. He built a rock shrine


for them and Freyja answered his prayers. She disguised Ottar as her golden

boar and went on a trip to help him find his ancestors.

So you can see why I was particularly drawn to her. As a medical unit, we will

meet with death and birth and all the happiness and sadness that happen in

between, but a quick survey told me that unless you knew the history of Freyja,

it was just that—a girl's name. I had to look again.

Mjølner

In Norse mythology, Mjölnir (also Mjǫlnir,

Mjollnir, Mjölner, Mjølner or Mjølne) is the

hammer of Thor, a major Norse god

associated with thunder.

Mjølner (pronounced Mee-Yol-

n(ee)r) is depicted in Norse

mythology as one of the most

fearsome weapons, capable of

levelling mountains.

There are a number of different

versions to the tale of how Mjølner

came into being, but in essence the

hammer was created in the fires of an

dwarfish forge, and for those of us who

battle on a daily basis with a crippling illness (as though we are in a forge being

heated up and tested and tested), it seemed apt.

The associated symbols with Mjølner have so much meaning too. In this

illustration, on the handle of the hammer you can see the face of a berserker

(Norse warrior) and a simple snake curling below it. The two crows symbolise the

principle of creation in Scandinavian legend. The snake, in ancient times, was a

symbol of healing (just one though, not two like the Americans have which have

a different meaning altogether). So by combining these two very powerful

symbols together—the hammer 'forged in the fires of a star' and the snake, a

symbol of healing, is a message for each and every one of us that go through life

feeling that we at the end of our tether and that our 'healing' can come in the

most unexpected and surprising of ways.

And to go with the name, of course we have a motto ... "Beyond Courage".

A A A


G@ME ZONE: Feder^tion Comm^nder

Article concept by LTC Rob Mabbit, USS Stargazer

In a recent conversation with LTC Rob Mabbitt, the XO of the USS Stargazer, he

was telling me about a board game that he and his son often play, and he sent

me through a few details to have a

look at. He also suggested that it

was such a great game that we

should share it with the region, so

here it is ...

FEDERATION COMMANDER is the

exciting full-colour, fast-playing game

of starship combat. Including

mounted map panels (using full

colour NASA photos, double-sided

with hexes in two sizes), full-colour

laminated ship cards (each showing the operating components of a starship in

colour-coded boxes), full-colour laminated charts, easy-entry rules, streamlined

execution and full-colour playing pieces, FEDERATION COMMANDER is a superb

space combat game that you can begin flying a starship with in just a minutes

after opening the box.

While FEDERATION COMMANDER includes several products, all of them

require one of the two Starter Sets: Klingon Border or Romulan Border. For the

gamer on a budget (or one who is unsure of his interest in the game), there is

Academy, a low-cost version of the game with fewer ships. This could later be

upgraded to Klingon Border by adding the Graduation package.

In a nutshell, the game system is based upon energy. You count how much

energy your starship generates at the start of each turn, and pay for a “baseline

speed”. The rest of your energy is spent during the turn to fire weapons, operate

systems (tractor beams, transporters), to speed up, to slow down or to reinforce

your shields. During each of the eight impulses of each turn, ships move (up to

four times at the highest speed) and you have the opportunity to fire weapons

or operate systems.

The game is readily available along with its various extensions from many

outlets including Amazon.

http://www.starfleetgames.com/federation/fed_command.shtml


Med L^b M^yhem: Sub-Comm^nder T’V^h’L’Q^’YiN bo^rds

Chief Medical Officer, USS Stargazer aka MCPT Amanda Barrow, USS York

Newly assigned to the USS Stargazer, these are the personal log entries of Sub-

Commander T’Vah’L’Qa’YiN.

STARDATE: 2294.01.01

En route from my home planet of Nisan to rendezvous with the USS Stargazer

NCC-7991, I have taken this opportunity to study the files of those assigned to

the Medical Department on the USS Stargazer.

Captain Daniel Adams has provided transportation in the form of Shuttle

Penny 1. An interesting mode of transportation despite the intermittent

knocking sounds.

STARDATE 2294.01.04

My newly assigned quarters on the USS Stargazer have been a surprise. It is quite

pleasant to enter a room that has an ambient temperature, although I did notice

the security officers who escorted me from the transporter rooms both had very

elevated temperatures and a worryingly glassy look in their eyes. I have ordered

both to attend a full medical in Sick Bay at 04:00.

My luggage, I have been informed, will arrive shortly. In the meantime, I need

to determine the location of the specimens that have accompanied me from

Nisan and determine their survival rates.

STARDATE 2294.01.10

Two of the three core medical

staff have now reported for duty

in the newly refurbished

Stargazer medical suites. I have

been solemnly informed by One

of Four that the crew refer to

the medical facility as 'Sick Bay'.

Clearly this is an early indication

of the whimsical nature of which


I was advised by my colleagues on my home planet of Nisan.

The medical scans have revealed that One of Four and Four of Four are clearly

related. While this is not apparent in outward form, they do both seem to

share a fascination for technology. Curiously, when together they spend a

considerable amount of time engaged in 'laughing'.

Four of Four continues to perform admirably in her studies and maintains an

extremely high level of curiosity. However, this is mixed with seemingly

instinctive violent tendencies. After due consideration, I have activated voice

recording in the medical laboratory.

I have filed a Missing in Action Report for the two security officers who were

told to report to the medical facility. One of Four and Four of Four will be

interviewed at 03:00am.

STARDATE 2294.01.11

My first patient: George Pottster-Zig arrived today: a small specimen of

Polygeminus grex. He has been presented to the Medical Facility as, apparently,

there are no qualified veterinarians currently on board and I am expected to 'do

my best'.

CASE NOTES

• SPECIMEN: Polygeminus grex (NOT to

be confused with Megalopyge

opercularis)

• Common Name: " Tribble"

• HOMEWORLD: Iota Geminorum IV

• STATUS: "Pet"

• CONDITION: Unknown - currently

under investigation

• Attended by: Pottster Zig (Trill)

• Reported by Pottster Zig: "Tribble George has been very accident prone of

late. He's walked/run into the three more doors, fallen in the bath (and very

nearly drowned), and had a very near miss with the dog. (I keep telling him,

"Don't sleep with the toys! Milo won't realise it's you!). I have become

increasingly worried about him."

• ECCENTRIC BEHAVIOURAL EVIDENCE: Discovered looking at some very odd

images on the internet ... namely a variety of soft furnishing.

Research has revealed that these are best kept as herd creatures and will

naturally gravitate towards images of their own kind or, in George's case, what

the specimen perceives to be images of his own kind.


Specimens of Polygeminus grex genus require a great deal of physical contact

to ensure their survival. Once they have achieved maximum saturation they will

vocalise their contentment.

ADDENDUM 1

As Four of Four now has 15.4 siphonapterology marks, denials that petting the

creature, "George Pottster-Zig", are clearly unfounded. Both have been treated.

The specimen seemed to enjoy the sonic shower. The same could not be said for

Four of Four.

Four of Four denies feeding the creature, however, purring noises emanating

from her alcove would suggest otherwise. Four of Four has been called to my

office to review this new development.

ADDENDUM 2

The first difficulty was to remove the band aids from the fur of the creature.

Shaving the specimen caused the attendant, Pottster Zig, a great deal angst.

George is being kept overnight for observation.

Attendant Pottster Zig has been give a mild sedative and is now sleeping in

her Quarters.

STARDATE 2294.01.19

Luggage bags have not yet joined me. Last confirmed sighting: Nisan

Homeworld.

Preliminary investigations are underway regarding the missing security

officers. Four of Four is being questioned.

George, meanwhile, has been successfully assessed. After several hours, I was

able to adjust the tricorder to map his neural pathways. Subsequent scans of the

creature revealed a severe case of

myopia. Research in this area is

embryonic. However, after several

placement trials the optic enhancement

equipment now seems to be in the

correct place. I believe though that

once the fur has regrown, it will be

difficult to locate the creature's

blepharo.

You can follow Sub-Commander T’Vah’L’Qa’YiN at

http://tvahlqayin.blogspot.co.uk/ and also Tribble George on the Stargazer

Facebook page and in his own blog at http://tribblegeorge.blogspot.co.uk/.


Fully @utom^ted (F@C) @c^demy Courses

Interview with ADM Greg Staylor, STARFLEET Academy

I recently saw an eMail on the SFI Mailing List from Admiral Greg Staylor of

STARFLEET Academy that read as follows:

Hello all, First, sorry for the delays in getting the FAC program back online. As you know, the FAC program was completely re-coded to improve its

overall performance and to allow for newer technology in the code. Along with new coding comes some differences in the way the program works and looks. Most are behind the view of the student, hidden far into the code, but some changes are very apparent to the user.

One big change is the FAC program exams are no longer based on Adobe Flash and are now fully VB coded, which mean courses and exams can be taken from laptops, tablets (i.e. iPads) and, even, smartphones (i.e. iPhones). I am still working on some backend coding to allow the program to automatically update the student's records (in the FAC database, not the SFI database). So, until that is complete, I will manually force load the records as often as possible. As before, Directors will still need to update student records in the SFI database.

I have only loaded one FAC program course at this time. Appropriately, it is the Officer's Training School course (OTS). I will be loading more over the next week, but want to make sure I detect and fix any bugs before adding too many courses. If everything goes as planned, all previous FAC program courses will be working by the middle to end of February.

My curiosity was piqued. What FAC program? What was I missing out on? So I

got in touch with Greg, the creator of the Fully Automated Course (FAC) Program

and he very kindly agreed to be interviewed.

We all know about the academy courses at http://academy.sfi.org/ so how

does this new FAC program fit in please?

The FAC program is not new to Starfleet Academy. It was introduced as a new

method to take Academy courses nearly eight years ago when the first Fully

Automated Course (FAC) was taken on May 17, 2006. Since then the FAC

program has been used thousands of times allowing Starfleet members to take

Starfleet Academy course completely online.


The FAC program is just one method to take Academy

courses. Originally, all Academy courses were handled by

postal mail with the student and the Academy Director

mailing applications, course materials and an exam.

The student would then mail the completed exam

back to the Director. The Director would grade

the exam and mail back a diploma. The postal

mail process could take weeks for a student to

complete a single course. When email became an

option, the Academy started providing courses by email with a similar process,

but cutting the exchange of "paperwork" by sending applications, course

materials, exams and diplomas through email. That cut the time for a course to

be taken down to several days on average. The FAC program is the next evolution

in technology for taking Academy courses. It allows a student to take courses

from start to finish in hours instead of days or weeks. It provides a link to the

course's online materials (or may state a show/movie that is used as reference

for the course), it presents an online exam, when then student submits the exam,

it is immediately graded and produces an immediate score and diploma for the

student.

I notice that you’ve chosen one course to start with (the OTS) so does this

mean that anyone wanting to take that exam must now take it here or will

they have a choice?

In most cases, Academy courses are offered by email as well as through the

FAC program. While some courses may be created specifically for use in the FAC

program, most FAC courses will also be available by email.

Would it be possible for me to see how the exam works? Can I perhaps start to

take it as a try-out

please?

All Starfleet members

can take FAC program

courses at no cost. You

can take the OTS which is

currently available (even

if you already had OTS -

just email the Director of

OTS to let her know you

are "testing" the FAC


program and have already taken OTS).

Will all exams end up in this format?

We hope to provide hundreds of Academy courses through the FAC program,

but it takes time to create each FAC program course. So, we will add more FAC

program courses over time.

Will the traditional methods also be available for taking exams?

If the course is taken by postal mail or email, the exam will be done by those

methods. Courses taken through the FAC program require the exam to be taken

online in the FAC program.

Will the FAC completely replace the http://academy.sfi.org/ website at some

point?

No, the FAC program is a tool for the Academy to use. The Academy website

provides many other useful purposes than presenting courses.

You speak of an FAC database. Is this accessible by members to check their

record or is this admin only please?

I am working on finalizing it so students will be able to directly access all their

FAC records, but at this time, they can only download a copy of their diplomas.

Well, that all sounds like some really great stuff going on at the academy and I've

noticed more courses still being added...

The College of St^r Trek Episodes

CAPT Scott Peter, USS Alba

I joined SFI around 5 years ago now and one of my first

experiences was not with a chapter (R20 didn’t exist) but

with the Academy.

I did the OTS exam not long after joining and then

began to explore the other courses available in the

FAC (Fully Automated College). After a while, I delved

into the full catalogue and have since tried exams from a variety of colleges on

various subjects, but noticed something was missing.

Although a few episodes of the various Trek franchises are covered in some


colleges, there was no college dedicated purely to the various series i.e. TOS,

TNG, DS9 and VOY. I submitted my idea to the Academy and was put in touch

with Judy Waidlich who is Dean of Institute for Star Trek Studies. She liked my

idea and so I began to draft exams based upon actual episodes.

The process of setting up Academy courses is quite thorough. They have to

go through a stage of being beta-tested by other directors and deans at the

Academy who provided feedback or suggestions for improvement. Only then

and once approved, can the exams can go live.

There are now currently five exams available based on the first five episodes

of TNG. More are in the pipeline and should be available soon. I also have two

Assistant Directors, CMDR Eilidh Montgomery and CMDR Michael Hartley.

Michael is beginning to draft exams based on DS9 episodes, so watch this space!

My hope is that people taking these exams will revisit episodes they’ve not

seen for a long time or look at a Trek franchise they didn’t really like first time

round. Some of the exam questions are observational, so you must be viewing

the episode to answer!

So please check them out at:

http://academy.sfi.org/courses/ststudy/coste.php

Constructive and helpful feedback always welcome!

For the Academy and its exams, go to http://academy.sfi.org/ and for the FAC

program exams www.StarfleetAcademy.co (note it is .co and NOT .com).


F^rewell @rk Roy^l ... Hello St^rg^zer!

FCAPT Dam Adams, USS Stargazer

We have carried the Ark Royal name since 2011.

Feeling that the time was right, we have

chosen to change our name in order to

better tie into Star Trek, and the on screen

Starfleet's goals of expanding knowledge

through exploration of space.

To continue to honour the Ark Royal

name, we are keeping the ship's motto -

"zeal rests not", not just a zeal for battle,

or even victory, but a zeal for knowledge, to

explore and see what's out there.

This is not the first time our chapter name has

changed. Our history can be traced back to the

ISS Rassilon and many of the crew that set up the chapter before that were

involved with the ISS/USS Saratoga. We are proud to continue that lineage and

move forward with our sister groups in SFI, and our fellow Trek groups in the UK

and around the world.

We are working on transferring to a new domain, but currently the ark-

royal.org websites and eMail address remain active. We invite all of our friends

to join us at our newly renamed Facebook page here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/officialussarkroyal/


The Gunsmith

Interview with ENS Stefan Blakemore

There is something undeniably

fascinating about weapons.

Putting aside their cruel

lethality, the skill and

workmanship with which they

are crafted is incredible. Large

or small, every weapon has been

designed and engineered over

the years in a range of formats

to achieve its objective with

maximum efficiency as has its

carrier, the gun.

In the world of Trek, we have a completely different calibre of weapons: from

the various alien cultures: ushaan-tor, chaka, senepa, lirpa, bat-leth and, of

course, phaser weapons. The cost of replica weapons for costuming though can

be very high indeed and so when I came across our very own gunsmith, I had to

find out more. I caught up with Stefan in late January ...

How long have you been making weapons?

I've been making rifles for about three years. It came about because I found

some diagrams that I could use to make a phaser rifle. I had always wanted one

but they were always far too expensive for me to afford. After I got the diagrams

printed to the right size, I went into the garage and started working. After a

while, I had completed my first phaser rifle. I still keep it hanging on my wall and

bring it to conventions sometime.

How precise to the originals are your designs?

They are replicas inspired by the original design, but with significant

enhancements. The scopes on the rifle, the section underneath and elements on

the barrel (both versions) are different to the originals, primarily due to the fact

that the diagrams I used were not as detailed as they needed to be to capture all

the details, but also my own limitation. It's not easy to capture all of the details

because what little information I can find on the original designs come from

screenshots attained from the series/movies themselves. The fact is I do the best I


can. At the same time though, this helps because while they are passable

replicas, they are not exact copies which means I've just about sidestepped the

copyright laws.

What are they composed of? Are they heavy?

They are fabricated from MDF pieces sandwiched together with glue. There

are some small plastic pieces but just about all of it is MDF. The rifles aren't

terribly heavy; they are actually lighter than the resin versions, but they do have

enough solid weight to them to feel 'authentic'. I can carry mine around all day

during a convention without any trouble.

Do you make any other items?

At the moment, I make two different versions of the Type 3 phaser rifle from

First Contact: the type 3A with the rounded barrel and the type 3B with the

square barrel. I am trying to make other items, but these are currently 'in

development' right now, for example the Star Trek Nemesis tricorder.

I also noticed in his album that he made the Sword of Kahless replica too.

Is there any part of the manufacturing process that you are particularly proud

of?

I'm quite proud of how I managed to make the rifle and connect the handle to

the butt of the rifle. Basically, the handle/trigger is one separate piece and I cut

out sections from the main body pieces of the rifle. The handle section fits inside

snugly and once glued into place, there's no chance of the thing moving. But the


part I'm most proud of is when the rifle is completed—seeing it on the table with

nothing else left to do is a rather special feeling.

Have you supplied many weapons?

I've made about fifteen to eighteen in

total. It's taken a long time, but I've always

received high praise from the buyers. It's

slightly difficult because I don't have a

website available to advertise and the only

time I get people interested in my rifles is

from word of mouth. Also, I have

deliberately set myself limitations. For

instance, I will not sell outside of the United

Kingdom mainly because of the postage

costs.

Do you take orders for weapons?

I do take orders, however the fact is that I

have had very few orders and I am working

on starting a local business repairing games

consoles. I will still work on phaser rifles but

they will be as a part-time venture only.

Do you undertake commissions (where

people tell you what they want and you

design it)?

I have attempted to do that in the past

but the problem is finding diagrams of the

items in question, for example the hand

phaser. I would like to make them but I don't

have any frame of reference, and I doubt anything I make would stand up to

scrutiny.

How can people contact you to place orders or take about what they'd like to

commission?

The best way to contact me is by Facebook.

You can also contact Stefan via the editor [email protected] and I will

forward your correspondence on.


@W@Y MISSION: The SF-B^ll

MCPT John Hardy, USS Iceni

Day 1

Left for the away mission by air tram. Traversed an ion storm on the way but

arrived safely at the hotel. Booked in and reported for bowling and target

practice on the phaser

range with fellow

attendees.

Day 2: Friday

After breakfast a wide

range of training

activities were on

offer. We played a

multitude of games

including Double or

Drop and there was a

dance class followed by a pub quiz. After that, the Gold Cocktail Meal was served

where everyone was given a small bag of goodies. Got to sit on a table with the

stars!

Day 3: Saturday

Explored the hotel and found the games

rooms where guest speakers were

chatting. In the evening, the meal was

followed by a cabaret by J G Hertzler

(General Martok ) and Robert O'Riley

(Chancellor Gowron). Group photograph

taken which I got autographed by

J G Hertzler and Robert O'Riley! Then,

during the day, there were quizzes like

Universally Challenge. Was having so

much fun, I went to the front desk to

book for next year! Then, in the evening,

there was the disco and karaoke.


Day 4

Returned home by shuttlecraft. Had to battle my way through two ion storms

and the Briar Patch, but arrived safely back aboard the USS Iceni.

Can't wait until next year!

Ten Forw^rd: Sudoku

LEVEL 1: E@SY LEVEL 2: INTERMEDI@TE


.

@lien @rt G^llery by Emm^ Ch^rity

CRR Emma Charity, USS Stargazer

CRR Emma Charity of the

Stargazer is quite the artist.

A huge science fiction fan,

she can often be found

drawing characters and

mythical animals, all

completely from memory.


Emma, aged 13, has a

truly wonderful talent

and I'm eager to see

her future creations.


REGION@L V@C@NCY: Recruitment & Retention

The posts of Recruitment Officer and Retentions Officer

remain open, so what do they involve?

Traditionally, the role has always been one but

recently it was proposed that maybe it should be two

roles as they are (or could be) quite different.

RECRUITMENT traditionally is the act of getting

people to join SFI while RETENTION is about keeping them. The question is, is it

one role or two? Effectively, it could be either. The splitting of the roles gives

that flexibility, but both posts could be held by one person.

Recruitment Officer Bearing in mind that every chapter already has someone responsible for

recruitment, be it the Captain or a Recruitment Officer, the primary role of the

Regional Recruitment Officer

is to support those people and

make sure that enough

information is available about

the Region and its chapters for

those making enquiries. This

could perhaps involve

compiling an introductory

handbook about the Region

with a page dedicated to each

chapter as well as the regional

resources. This information

needs to be regularly updated

as our region and its members

and chapters evolve.

Retentions Officer With over 150 members in the

Region of which twenty-three

remain unassigned to a

chapter, the duties of the

Members

154


Retentions Officer primarily focus upon the unassigned—those in space dock.

Most members get updates and information via their chapters and COs so it is

essential that these are not left out of things by not being assigned. At the same

time though, their liberty should be respected. The object of the exercise is not

to get them assigned to a chapter, but to ensure that they are getting the same

value for their membership fee as every other member. However, if they would

like to join a chapter, all the necessary information about the available chapters

should be made available to them. This could use the same document that the

Recruitment Officer has compiled plus, for example, details of a guest program

whereby members can "sign" up to a chapter for a month or two to see if they

like it (an idea suggested by CAPT Scott Peters of the USS Alba).

So ...

... reading this, have you been inspired? Perhaps you think that it is something

you could do.

If so, please contact Alan [email protected] to discuss it in more detail.

He'd be happy to listen to any suggestions you may have and even happier to

hear from applicants.


The @rtifici^l Gr^vity Well

Ensign Anthony Burr, USS Stargazer

I would just like to take the

opportunity to update

everyone on the progress of

my Artificial Gravity Well

project.

After extensive

experimentation adding a

weighted lever to operate the

waves on the prototype, I

discovered there could be

another factor that needs to

be taken into consideration,

namely, area.

I have simplified and begun

testing the area factor by

fanning the weighted lever

through the axle to enable an

increase in area and weight. Special springs have arrived but do not give the

sharp closing action required. More long steel bars are needed to facilitate an

area increase to more waves to complete experiments. These will be purchased

as soon as funds permit. This will be after the deadline for submissions to R20's

Commonwealth but before

USS Equulus' sold out

event, First Contact Day

2014, where I intend to

display the latest

prototype.

Making a simple triangle

mechanism to compress

the wave through the axle

was the point of realization

that increasing area should

be considered. The GW after area was considered.


ST@RFLEET M^rine Corps

MGSGT Jamie Spracklen, OIC 20th Brigade SFMC

Dear Members

Now is your chance to nominate your fellow marines for our annual SFMC

‘Valour’ awards—the highest awards that you can win solely within the

20th Brigade.

Full details regarding the awards: how to nominate, nomination rules etc, can

be found on the News Channel along with some guidance about what to include. http://starfleetregion20.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/sfmc-20th-brigade-valor-award.html

To summarise though, the award categories are as follows:

CROSS OF VALOUR (aka Brigade Marine of the Year)

SWORD OF VALOUR (aka Brigade Officer of the Year)

SHIELD OF VALOUR (aka Brigade Volunteer of the Year)

STAR OF VALOUR (aka Brigade NCO of the Year)

LEGION OF VALOUR (aka Brigade Unit of the Year)

SFMC CADET SWORD OF VALOUR (aka Brigade Marine Cadet Leader of the Year)

SFMC CADET SHIELD OF VALOUR (aka Brigade Marine Cadet Volunteer of the

Year)

SFMC CADET STAR OF VALOUR (aka Brigade Marine Cadet NCO of the Year)

SFMC CADET LEGION OF VALOUR (aka Brigade Training Detachment of the Year)

I look forward to receiving your nominations.

Well, th^t's ^bout it for this issue. See you ^g^in in June, but don't forget to send in your ^rticles,

photos, jokes etc in the me^ntime!

[email protected]

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