STARFLEET International

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STARFLEET: The International Star Trek Fan Association, Inc., also known as STARFLEET International (SFI), is a club for fans of the television and film series, Star Trek. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, SFI is the world's largest science fiction fan club, and it currently has approximately 4,000 members.

SFI is incorporated as a not-for profit corporation under the laws of the State of North Carolina, United States of America, and has been granted 501(c)(7) status by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. The organisation derives its organisational structure from the fictional Starfleet organisation depicted in Star Trek, and within the organisation the name 'STARFLEET' is used exclusively to denote the fan movement, whilst 'Starfleet' refers to the fictional entity.

STARFLEET International places emphasis on community service, and encourages its chapters to take part in charitable fundraising activities and other public services.

The organisation has members worldwide, and splits the world into 20 regions, each with a coordinator who supervises activities in his or her own region. If members, usually living in geographical proximity, choose to form a group among themselves, they become a chapter of STARFLEET, taking the fictional form of a starship, space station or other vessel along the lines of those in Star Trek. Each member is given a fictional rank to show time in membersip and contribution to fan activities.

STARFLEET International organises a STARFLEET Academy, where SFI members can take exams related to Star Trek trivia and general knowledge, amongst other themes. It also has a sub-group, named the STARFLEET Marine Corps, made up of SFI members who prefer to role-play as military, rather than naval, personnel.

Among other publications, STARFLEET International produces a bi-monthly publication called The Communiqué, which all members receive.

1 History
2 Commander, STARFLEET
3 See also
4 External links

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History

STARFLEET was founded October 1974 as the USS Enterprise Fan Club out of Lufkin, Texas by a group of fans lead by John Bradbury. The group formed their club on the lines of a starship command structure, with ranks and position based on what was then known of the Star Trek universe. On May 23, 1974, in response to several other fan clubs in the US, STARFLEET Central was created. Bradbury became the first president as Chief of Staff of STARFLEET. By the end of 1976 there were 14 chapters nation-wide, including the USS Eagle which is still in existence as of 2006 and is the longest serving chapter within STARFLEET.

Starfleet Central would change it's name to Starfleet Command in the early 1980s and then finally just to STARFLEET during the tenure of Eric Stillwell. The fortunes of STARFLEET would wane then regroup after several episodes of membership & public laxness and politcal strife withinthe organization. The greatest threat to the exsistance of STARFLEET happened near the end of 1996 when many members and chapter left STARFLEET and only the resignation of the Commander, STARFLEET marked the beginning of a new period within STARFLEET when a determind group of members was able to keep the association afloat.

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Commander, STARFLEET

Since 1975 there has been 16 presidents, three who are considered 'interim' (i); Also referred to as the Chief of Staff, Commander-in-Chief or just plain Commander, STARFLEET. Since the eighth Commander, STARFLEET, that person has been he corporate President of the association. They are:

John Bradbury (1975-1977)
Adilene Longshaw (1977-1979, resigned due to family concerns)
Brandt Heatherington (1979) (i)
John Wetsch (1979-1981)
Eric A. Stillwell (1981-1984)
Fran Booth (1984-1986)
Steven Smith (1986-1989)
Jeanette Maddox (1989-1993)
Rob Lerman (1993-1994) (Term ended at Midnight New Years Eve)
Deborah Nelson (Jan. 1, 1995-Jan. 1, 1995) (i)
Daniel McGinnis (1995-Nov. 14, 1996) (Resigned)
James Herring (Nov. 14, 1996-Jan. 3, 1997) (i)
Michael D. Smith (Jan. 3, 1997-2000)
Les Rickard (2001-2002)
Michael Malotte (2003-2004)
Mandi Livingston (2005-Present) (Term increased from two to three years; ends in 2007)

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