STARFLEET is an international Star Trek Fan Association (www.sfi.org). It is the largest fan run organization in existence with over 4,000 members in over 200 chapters worldwide. Our chapter, the USS New Hope, is located in Region 2, which is comprised of several states in the southeast. STARFLEET has many different activities to participate in, such as STARFLEET Academy, where you can learn more about the Trek universe as well as the real world, conferences, web chats, and many other activities offered by the local chapters. Everyone is bound to find something of interest. Still, the best part is the camaraderie that exists among the members.
Basically, we’re a group of people of all ages and walks of life who enjoy Star Trek and other science-fiction shows and literature.
We’re based upon the Starfleet command structure seen in the Star Trek TV series. Our Commanding Officer is equivalent to a president/chairman. Committees are represented by various departments such as security or engineering, which are run by Department Chiefs. When you join Starfleet, you’re assigned a fictional rank to indicate your level of participation or length of service. Each club member brings his or her special abilities to the group.
Our activities include social events such as meeting at someone’s home, eating out for dinner, conventions and going to places of interest. We usually meet on the 3rd Saturday of every month. We also are active in our community. Our community service projects include raising money for charities and volunteer work at several local organizations. Participation in all our functions is completely voluntary. However, the more involved you get, the more fun you will have! Children are welcome at all of our functions and we try to have special activities for our “cadets”. Anyone may participate in our ship functions all for free but we recommend that all members join STARFLEET in order to be considered full members. STARFLEET individual memberships are $15 per year. Family memberships range from $20 to $35 depending on how many members are in the family. With your STARFLEET membership you will receive a membership handbook, membership card and certificate. You will also receive a subscription to the Communiqué, a bimonthly newsletter containing information about STARFLEET, as well as articles on Star Trek, science, convention news, reviews and more. But the most beneficial aspect of membership is intangible: you’re joining a family of like-minded individuals who share your love of “all things Trek (or sci-fi).”
The best way to find out if the USS New Hope is right for you is to attend one of our meetings or activities. For more information, contact Nancy O'Shields at imn2trek@charter.net