RT0810- CINCSF Report
From StarFleet Bureau of Information
Assembled Delegates, ASR is a diverse and often exciting place where people from all over the world can get together and share their love of writing in a Star Trek environment. As an organization we have seen our share of highs and lows but through it all, it has been the teamwork of the players involved that has seen us through. Some players have set themselves apart by taking on roles of leadership for this organization and with it, have taken on the responsibilities that go with that leadership. I could name names but we all know who these people are, the people that make this place work and have given years of service to this organization. I want to start my report by thanking these people for the dedication and service, for making this organization what it is today by putting so much of themselves into making this work. I'm talking about more than just the members of the Flag Council; I'm talking about you the command teams of the units as well. If it wasn't for the hard work of the unit command teams, and the members of the Flag Council, there would be no ASR. Without you, there would be no stories, no frame work to guide the adventures, and no universe to play them out in; which is why I want to thank all of you for making ASR what it is today. The last six months have been hard on ASR and I foresee more hard times ahead. We have seen the closure of GREEN, the oldest fleet in ASR so I have been told. The manner and reasoning for closing GREEN is still painful to me as I took its closure personally but I take pride in the fact that many of the units of GREEN continue on in other fleets now. Getting through the closure has hard but we survived and the stories are still coming. The Flag Council has had to face other problems as well but we have been able to continue with our mission, to provide the guidance this organization needs to keep writing the stories. We are all human, with human feelings and egos, which means that not only can we feel harsh words we can also say them. As an organization, the biggest hurdle that we have to deal with, even beyond problems with recruiting, is the problem of communication. It is all too easy to read something into an email or to make an assumption about what someone else meant when reading a post. That is the problem with the written word; we all take our past experiences and jade the meaning of the author. In short, to effectively communicate, especially when there is a problem or high emotions are involved, we all must remember to give the benefit of the doubt when we can and to ask for clarifications. Most of all, I ask that we all try to remember that the other person is human, with human problems and a real life beyond ASR. Everyone won't always get along but I hope we can all learn to forgive one another and remember the real reason we are here, to have fun and to write the incredible stories that are commonplace here. Things are changing for this organization and we will need everyone's help to keep this organization strong and to continue growing. The next installment of the Star Trek movie franchise is set to be released in May of 2009. It's my hope that this will help to stir up a renewed interest in Star Trek and with it, a renewed interest in ASR. We must all work for continued recruitment of new players so that we can continue to grow and replace the retiring veterans who need to take a break. I also see another roadblock for ASR on the horizon that we must be prepared to deal with. Star Trek Online is an online multiplayer video game that is still in the building process. Currently I have not seen a release date for the video game but if the success of games like World of Warcraft is any indication, Star Trek Online looks like it could pose a serious obstacle by offering what we can not, the visual gaming experience. In conclusion, I know this report has gone on long enough; I would like to ask each of you to think long and hard about your involvement in ASR and what you can do to help. The last six months has been very painful for many of the Flag Council, through not only personal loss but the every day problems of real life. I think I can speak for several of us when I say that it isn't easy trying to balance the real world with our duties in ASR and time is becoming much more of a problem for several of us. Nothing is set in stone yet, but there is a possibility of one or more positions on the Flag Council coming open. Unless things in my life take an unexpected change, I know that I will not be seeking a third term as CINCSF this coming April. We may need to turn to you, the unit leaders, to step forward and help out at the Flag Council level. It is the players that make ASR strong and with your help and strength, ASR will continue to be a strong and fun organization. An organization where wonderful stories mix with friendship to make a truly entertaining place to be and a place where people will still want to come to write. Thank you for your time, and most of all, your continued support. Submitted, Bruce Summa CINCSF Chair, October 2008 Roundtable