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1860 - http://www.sfi.org NCC VENGER 2018 ULY U.S.S. A U.S.S. J – THE #156 OF EWSLETTER N INSIDE THIS ISSUE: FFICIAL O Executive Thoughts .............................. 3 Ship’s BBS .......................................... 12 Image Gallery ..................................... 13 Star Trek Book News ......................... 11 In Memoriam: CAPT Matt Rielly ........... 4 STARFLEET and Region 7 News ........... 9 HE Membership Alley ................................. 3 Technology and Treknology: Impulse http://www.ussavenger.org http://www.ussavenger.org T Mission Docket .................................... 15 Drive ..................................................... 5 Roster Update ..................................... 11 Trekkin’ the Web ................................ 14 Second Star to the Left ........................ 2 U.S.S. Avenger Sit-Rep ........................ 7 1 Second Star to the Left BY SARAH ROSENZWEIG When you think about 33 years, perspective can tell you a lot the result of even small efforts can be rewarding and fun. about whether that is a small amount of time, or a large one. Whether it be sharing experiences like our trips to Liberty In terms of a human, 33 years is a third of our lifespan. So for Science Center, seeing movies together as a group, or even a human, we’re just getting started! If we start talking about a just discussing something that ignites our minds and our Vulcan, who has more than 200 years to play with, typically, it’s passions, and fills us with wonder, we gain reward beyond a little different. If we start looking at life on Earth, I haven’t measure from simple involvement together. met a cat or dog yet that has gotten to 33. (Sorry, Porthos!) We joined this organization because we sought others who So when we think about 33 years, to quote “Rent”, how will share our way of thinking, who share our appreciation of Star we measure a year in terms of the things that matter to us? Trek, other sci-fi/fantasy, and even real-life science. We looked What kinds of things do we think of that matter? Is it fellowship for something greater than ourselves, a sense of community. with our friends? Is it shared experiences? Is it marriages, Let that same sense of community give us a renewed sense families, children? What is it that matters to us? What is it that of purpose. Let’s get back to the basics of enjoying and brings us together at the end of the day? How we choose to appreciating each other. Even sitting together and bantering spend our time is valuable. It’s the most important thing we over a game can be enjoyable and stimulating. If we can get can ever have. Time is free, but once we choose how it’s spent, back to those simple aspects of building our community, we we can’t ever get it back. If we waste it, it’s wasted. There are can build a fantastic future for this club, one that can carry us no do-overs. through the next third of a century. When I look at giving a gift to somebody, the most valuable I share these thoughts with you on this important gift I can give is my time. Everything else is materialistic, and anniversary. We’ve gotten this far because we recognized the passes away. simple importance of appreciating each other, through So how are we going to make sure that the Avenger is whatever our lives have held. We will keep going if we don’t around for even more time? We’ve already done some amazing lose sight of that recognition. things. We’ve supported charities, from JDRF to the STARFLEET Scholarships to the Regal Cinemas’ Stars of Hope. We’ve Ad Astra! hosted two small conventions. We’ve helped bring a dozen other STARFLEET chapters into being, many of which have in turn supported still more new chapters. We’ve made friends Captain Sarah Rosenzweig with Star Trek celebrities, like George Takei and Keith DeCandido. We’ve even played a role in the formation of several families...including my own. Where do we want to take this chapter into the future? What great things do we yet have in store? As we saw at just the last meeting, a little bit more involvement can make for a lot of fun. There are ways we can come together, great and small, and Avenger News is the official newsletter of the science fiction based fan Submissions for Avenger News should be emailed to club, USS Avenger, and is published bi-monthly. The USS Avenger is a [email protected] or streetmailed to: Avenger News Home Office, chapter of Starfleet, the International Star Trek Fan Association, Inc. c/o Michelle Lampson, 716 West 3rd Street, Washburn, WI 54891 The opinions contained within do not necessarily reflect those of the Permission is granted to STARFLEET members to copy any part of staff, Avenger, or STARFLEET. this newsletter as long as proper credit is given to the author and Subscription to Avenger News is free to all members and $10 Avenger News. annually to non-members. To subscribe, send check or money order, Legal Stuff payable to USS Avenger, to: All published submissions become the property of USS Avenger and Avenger News 7 Keats Road, North Brunswick, NJ 08902-3426 may be edited. DISCLAIMER: Star Trek and Starfleet are trademarks Advertisement inquiries, letters, and address corrections of CBS Studios, Inc., all rights reserved. should be sent to the above address or emailed to: [email protected] ISSUE 156 BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Contributors—Susan Bolick, Matthew Rielly, Alex Rosenzweig, Sarah Editor-In-Chief—Michelle Lampson Rosenzweig, Copy Editor—Susan Bolick Contributors Erratum—Last issue, we failed to note that Layout Editor—Alex Rosenzweig photographs from the Rosenzweig Wedding used in “U.S.S. Avenger Distribution Officer—Alex Rosenzweig Sit-Rep” were taken by CAPT Norman Van Houten, who was the Wedding Photographer. Sorry, Norm, and thank you! 2 AVENGER NEWS #156— JULY 2018 Executive Thoughts BY ALEX ROSENZWEIG Greetings, all! CO, but eventually needed some pretty serious rest, and had been working on a business of his own in real life, so he stood Last issue, I wrote a pretty dark column. After months of down, and later let his STARFLEET membership lapse. He has near total inactivity from most of the members of the chapter, returned to the organization, though, and to the Avenger, CAPT Sarah and I were feeling pretty down. It looked like just because while he lives far from the chapter’s core (all the way about nobody cared whether the Avenger survived or not! So in Alabama, where, as it happens, Dan Adler lives, too, for the we did what we felt we had, in hopes that it would be a wake- moment), the chapters closer to him do not match up with his up call for everyone sitting back and thinking that he or she schedule. So he has volunteered to get back involved with his doesn’t have to anything, that Sarah and I would just do it all. first love, engineering, and volunteered to lead the division. We The short version of what we both wrote was: We won’t. If thank Dave, too, for his support! that’s everybody’s expectation, Avenger might very likely meet I hope that folks will take a moment or two to say hi to both its end. Dan and Dave. I know that people are busy. I’m not always the The good news is, a few members have responded. Some fastest at replying, myself, sometimes. But they’re taking time are now pitching in to help rebuild the chapter. A few others out of their busy schedules to step up and try to make the have taken the time to let us know that they still support the chapter fun for others. I’d like to hope that we’d all at least let Avenger, even if time has been tough on them lately. The them know we appreciate their efforts. I can absolutely say biggest news is that we’ve had some interest in leadership that I do! roles. For a time, two of our newer members had stepped up to take the posts of Chief Engineer and Chief of Security, though Our biggest challenge, though, is finding a way to break for various reasons they were unable to remain in those through the apathy. I know it’s a well-worn track on this disk, positions. More recently, though, we’ve had some additional but I have to say, CAPT Sarah and I have a ton of ideas for interest. So, I’d like to welcome to the Command Staff the things to do. But they’re not so much fun without more of our following members: friends and crewmates joining in. Recently, we held a couple of Lt. Commander (Brevet) Dan Adler as Chief of activities that actually had some good turnouts. And they were Communications fun! It was good spending time with our fellow members, and I Fleet Captain Dave Lynch as Chief Engineer hope very much that we can do it again soon. It doesn’t In less positive news, we also have a new opening on the change the fact, though, that every event is a struggle to get Command Staff, as Captain Norm Van Houten has stepped attendance, and it’s a struggle we shouldn’t have to have. We down from this position. We appreciate his service to and have great members, people who are fun to be around, and support of the chapter, and we wish him well in his future who make us think, and who inspire us to have even more fun.

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