STARFLEET International Conference

The STARFLEET International Conference, also know as IC(s), is a Conference where the international membership of gather to meet the leadership on an international level. In past ICs members from as far away as Germany and Australia have attended. The IC is a weekend event which usually starts on Thursday before with a board of directors meeting and informal Opening Session on Friday night. The conference ends with the Closing Session usually starting before noon on Sunday. There are also several classes in which members can attend to improve their knowledge of certain aspects of Trekdom within the association.

Initially called the 'National Conference', the International Conference is usually held in a location where travel is easy to get to, either by auto, aircraft or rail. Bidding for the ICs are done two years in advance with the announcement traditionally coming during the General Session held on the Saturday of the IC. The announcement for the 2007 IC was delayed several weeks after the 2005 IC in San Antonio, Texas due to a confusion in the guidelines and due date of the IC bids. The 2007 IC was held in Denver, Colorado and the 2008 IC will be held in Ithaca, New York. The 2009 IC was awarded to Greensboro, North Carolina during the 2007 IC and the 2010 IC was awarded to Wagoner, Oklahoma.

On the Friday of the IC, members of the Executive Committee (Commander, Vice Commander and each departmental Chiefs or their designated proxies) as well as members of the Admiralty Board (Each elected Region Coordinators or their proxies) meet to make major decisions that affect the association in a closed session that concludes on Friday afternoon.

The main event of the IC happens Saturday Morning with the General Session, a formal meeting which starts with the introduction of the Commander, STARFLEET, Vice Commander, STARFLEET, the Executive Committee and the Region Coordinators or their proxies and the presentation of the colors by a unit of the STARFLEET Marine Corps. Then each Region Coordinator reads a list of active chapters (starships) as well a chapters in training (starships with the 'NX' designation) within their regions. Afterward each Department Chief reports on the shape of their departments with the final address from the Commander, STARFLEET on the 'State of the Fleet'. Awards, promotions and special honors are announce toward the end of the session. It is not unusual to have members wear costumes and uniforms or even shirts with their chapters name or "STARFLEET" on them during the General Session.

Also part of the Saturday Afternoon sessions is the SFMC International Muster, in which active and reserve member of the SFMC come together. Usually a special inspection of members in uniforms as well as awards and honors are given.

The Saturday events culminate with a Banquet and Dance, the latter open to all members whether they attended the banquet or not. There is also usually an auction between the banquet and Dance with the proceeds going to a charity designated by the IC organizers. After the formal events of Saturday are over, there are also usually individual parties within rooms and suites staged by individual chapters and regions. Most are opened to the general membership.

The IC ends Sunday morning with the Closing Session and the dismissal of the membership. In recent years, prior to the Closing Session, the STARFLEET Counselor/Chaplain's FDC Department holds a non denominational service for those who wish to attend. The IC organizers usually hold a post IC gathering for the workers of the IC after the clean up is finished.

Most ICs are stand alone events but some have been associated with conventions that also were going on in the area that they were staged. In 1995 the IC was part of DragonCon in Atlanta. Several IC have had special guest, such as Chase Masterson in 1999, Vaughn Armstrong in 2005 and Tim Russ in 2007. A very special guest at both the 1998 IC in Lubbock, Texas and the 1999 IC in Charlotte, North Carolina was John Bradbury, considered the founder and first president of STARFLEET.

Locations

* 1990 - Kansas City, MO
* 1991 - Hunt Valley, MD
* 1992 - Kansas City, MO
* 1993 - Arlington, TX
* 1994 - Orlando, FL
* 1995 - Atlanta, GA
* 1996 - Oklahoma City, OK
* 1997 - Cherry Hill, NJ
* 1998 - Lubbock, TX
* 1999 - Charlotte, NC
* 2000 - Burlington, VT
* 2001 - Kansas City, MO
* 2002 - San Jose, CA
* 2003 - Greensboro, NC
* 2004 - Birmingham, AL
* 2005 - San Antonio, TX
* 2006 - Philadelphia, PA
* 2007 - Denver, CO
* 2008 - Ithaca, NY [ [http://www.ic2008.org IC2008] ]
* 2009 - Greensboro, NC [ [http://www.ic2009.org IC2009] ]
* 2010 - Sequoyah State Park, Wagoner, Oklahoma [ [http://www.ic2010.org IC2010] ]

Notes

External links

* [http://www.ic2008.org 2008 STARFLEET International Conference, Ithaca]
* [http://www.ic2009.org 2009 STARFLEET International Conference, Greensboro]
* [http://www.ic2010.org 2010 STARFLEET International Conference - Sequoyah State Park, Oklahoma]
* [http://www.sfi.org STARFLEET, the International Star Trek Fan Association, Inc.]