By Adm. Bob Vosseller, Vice Regional Coordinator, Region 7

Welcome to another edition of Sub Space Chatter, the official news bulletin of the staff of Region 7 Command.

Yes, I am behind by a month but it has been a busy month and our recent regionalcommand vote of confidence came in and Wayne Augustson easily won that VOC. He and his staff are happy to have received your support and we will continue todo what we can to make this region better.

We are looking at areas that need further attention in this new two year term and we’re coordinating this year’s R7 conference (see details further down).

Thanks again for your confidence in us and please let us know what you feel is needed and for those few who opted to vote in the negative, let us know why and what we can do to address your concerns. Wayne and staff coordinate the region through input from the chapters we serve and without that input, we can’t know what you are thinking.

MORE NEWS FROM STARBASE 7
Looking for R7 Conference information? Well here it is. Our R7 Chief of Staff post some information earlier but it certainly warrants repeating. First of all, as a reminder, the dates are October 19-21, 2012 and it will be held at the Crowne Plaza in Cherry Hill NJ. Rooms are at the rate of $118 per night. To make reservations, please use the
following booking link:
https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=9666815&utm_source=55412&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=13456615

The best way to support the conference, if you are attending, is to utilize the Crowne Plaza. The more rooms we have booked, the more money can go to the region’s coffers to support the Awards Program, support charities and do some other great things we’d like to try over the next year.

Registration will be $15 per person for the weekend. To register, you can visit Region7.com and click on the Region 7 Conference Registration link located on the menu bar on the left hand side. Payment is via PayPal. You must be registered for Region7.com to register for the conference.

On Friday Night, RC Wayne will be hosting a mixer in his room and you’ll be able to pick up your registration packets. We’ll run events starting at 9am on Saturday and end at about 3pm on Sunday.

On Saturday Night, we will be having a conference dinner for those who would like to attend at a private room at the Red Hot and Blue restaurant located up the street from the hotel at the Holiday Inn. The restaurant selection is tentative at this time. No matter where we go, however, it will be ordering off the menu and individually
paying on your own.

For programming, we’re planning on two days of great stuff. Of course, we’ll have our opening session and marine muster, as well as our closingsession plus the RC Q & A session. We’re also planning on panels like “So you want to be a CO?”, a Star Trek Online Roundtable, a panel on chapter fictional timelines and other great events. If you
have a panel idea, we’d love to hear your ideas and help you put it on! Programming will run from 9:00am to 4:30pm, with a 1.5 hour break for lunch on Saturday, and from 10:00am to 3:00pm on Sunday. This is your conference, so we want to fill the agenda with panels you want and information you need. Let Jeff, Wayne or I know as we’d love to hear from you.

So far we’re looking at a forum for the new Star Trek film, a discussion of whatwe know, rumors and what we’d like to see. Another panel concerns “What are you reading?” Not strictly ST or even Sci- Fi, an open forum on what you are finding enjoyable in print and audio novels count too. Another panel is “FavoriteFlicks” with another possibly being “What is good on TV these days?” Favorite flicks will be what films you enjoyed in the Sci-Fi, Horror, and Fantasy genre. From Snow White and The Huntsman to The Avengers what worked for you on the bigscreen.

TV would expand beyond the sci-fi, horror, genre and will include the period ofJan. 2012 up to Oct. 18.

Other panels of a more serious nature include “So you want to be a CO” featuring a frank discussion on the SF requirements and the things Starfleet doesn’t tell you about when you decide you want to command a chapter in Starfleet.

So what are you waiting for…register today!

SEND US YOUR PHOTOS
We love seeing interesting stuff online. Visit our Facebook page and post of a photo or two of your latest chapter event.

Commodore Karen Mitchell Carothers is a member of our R7 recruiting staff and she is looking for photos from you to help in a recruitment project set for Shore Leave in August so e-mail her some of your best chapter event pics showing thefun you are having to her at trekkieturtle@gmail.com

SUMMER PICNICS/BBQS

The USS Challenger is among those holding BBQs this year. The Avenger is holding their’s on June 23 and the Challenger will break with tradition and hold its annual anniversary bash on Saturday July 14 rather than the 4th of July weekend. This is the weekend that normally, the region would assemble at Shore Leave but as we know, SL moved to August this year. We decided to hold our BBQ at its usual location of 202 8th Avenue in Ortley Beachon that weekend so as to avoid at least some of the usual holiday traffic to make it easier for our guests. Cost of event this year is $10 to cover food costs. Contact me at 856-495-6476 for your RSVP.

TREKOLYMPICS
Forget the London Olympics next month, the Spring Trek Olympics was a blast according to RC Wayne and he was even on the winning team. The Maryland based event had a lot of participation, good weather and demonstrated a true account of the kind of athletic prowess our members have…(not saying that is great prowess but prowess none theless and whoever said SF members are the most physically fit in the galaxy) Fun was the true name of the game and it worked out well.

R7AWARDS PROGRAM

The R7 Awards program concluded and participation was about what it was last year and awards will be presented at Shore Leave in August.

SUMMERFLICKS
I am planning to see either Prometheus or Snow White & The Huntsman later today. Amazing Spider-Man is coming up and the third installment of the Batman trilogy is coming up next month as well. It has been a pretty good year for bigscreen blockbusters. Again, share your thoughts on our R7 listserv and on ourFacebook page.

Summer is definitely here and I know many of us are very busy. Have a great summerseason and we look forward to seeing you at a future BBQ, convention or otherevent in the near future.

Keepin touch!

Farpoint Meeting
18 February 2012
Crowne Plaza, Timonium, MD

Wayne welcomed all to the meeting.

Beryl performed the role call of chapters of Region 7

Wayne read the Financial report from Mike Stein.

Joe gave a report about Communications.

Mike Allen gave the Recruiting report. Karen Mitchell Carothers has joined the Recruiting Department.

Wayne then gave the Chief of Staff report. The Regional Conference was announced, and details were given. It will be October 20th and 21st.

Beryl gave the Regional Awards report. Regional awards will be opening Monday, February 20th. Award nominations will end on April 1st. Beryl showed what the Awards page looks like, via a printed copy. She also explained what she is looking for in the Awards nomination page. She will not accept nominations submitted in any way other than the Web page. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Beryl.

The Sovereign is doing a raffle during the meeting.

Bob was not at the meeting, as he was on the road getting to the Con.

Wayne gave his report. We have launched one new chapter, the USS Robert E Lee, the CO is LGEN Larry Neigut. Wayne thanked all for filing the reports this month on time. Bid period for Regional Conference is going on currently.

Upcoming events include ICON and Shore Leave.

The election for Regional Coordinator will be in May.

Joe gave the Marine Report.

Beryl and Joe gave the Reporting Certificates to those who had Perfect Reporting.

Karen gave out one promotion award for the USS Richthofen. She also discussed the Trek Olympics, which will be May 19th.

Keith discussed some of the activities that the USS Abraham Lincoln will be doing in the upcoming months.

The USS Susquehannock will be having Sci-Fi day, September 22nd.

June 23rd the USS Avenger will be celebrating their 27th anniversary.

The winner of the Sovereign Raffle was Judy. The raffle raised $75 for the Region.

Sub Space Chatter: 
The Post Farpoint/Spring is Almost Here Edition
By Adm. Bob Vosseller, VRC Region 7
Farpoint has come and gone and a lot of fun was had this year as in years past. This year’s R7 breakfast required extra seats as the turnout was fantastic. The SF meeting was also well attended and much was discussed. From reports I’ve heard, everyone enjoyed themselves and the guests were highly entertaining.
IT’S AWARDS TIME AGAIN
Many of you probably watched at least part of the Oscars last night and that should bring to mind that R7 has its own awards program. R7 Awards Coordinator Adm. Beryl Washington posted the details of submitting your nominations. Last year’s winners included the following:
Chapter of the Year: U.S.S. Avenger
Shakedown Chapter of the Year: U.S.S. Storm
Support Ship of the Year: U.S.S. Challenger
Flag Officer of the Year: Glendon Diebold (USS Niagara)
Officer of the Year: Eric Schulman (USS Matrix)
Edgar Torres Memorial CO of the Year: Debbie French (USS Inferno)
Enlisted Member of the Year: Maggie Restivo (USS Richthofen)
Staff Member of the Year: Bob Vosseller (USS Challenger)
Electronic Newsletter of the Year: “The Peacekeeper”- USS Niagara
Printed Newsletter of the Year: “Avenger News”- USS Avenger
Helping Hands: John Wilson (USS DeBraak) 
All submissions for this year’s program can be done by going to www.Region7.com (http://www.region7.com/) on the right side of the home page you will find the awards section. Click on it and the award page will come up. 
Please click on the award you wish to nominate someone in and the page will come up. Fill in the blanks and then write an informative essay on your nominee. While the box looks small it will hold all you write. “I’m urging you to use the award page. I will no longer cut and paste your information as it stills leave to many blanks,’’ Beryl said.
”Please nominate and honor those on your crew who have taken their dedication to another level. There are also Regional commendations, use them and nominate those who have gone the distance,’’ she added.
All awards must be filed by midnight on April 1.
STARFLEET NEWS
Vice Adm. Laura Victor worked hard on Saturday to restore service to the SF website which had suffered difficulties. Good work Laura though it is a shame that such effort had to be made to correct the issue. 
Laura also reminded members this weekend that SF has a Press Kit & PR Guide in the SF website Documents Center: http://www.sfi.org/portal/index.php?option=com_docman&Itemid=475
REGION 7 CONFERENCE 2012
Yes R7 members there will be a conference this year and it will be at the Cherry Hill NJ Crowne Plaza hotel this fall. Our R7 Chief of Staff made the announcement in recent weeks and we are looking for programming ideas. Please contact me at co@usschallenger.org if you have any ideas.
KEEPING UP ON STARFLEET MEMBERSHIP STRENGTH
The Region is in good shape with around 579 members as of Shore Leave 33. We did have a few chapters with lower than the required 10 members. We are working with the USS Top Gun which has its membership number but has had some reporting issues which have now been taken care of and the USS Thor, which has been out of contact for some time. Last month we had a perfect reporting record. Lets keep this trend up!
EVENTS COMING UP THAT ARE OPEN TO THE REGION
The USS Challenger’s annual Intergalactic Food Festival returns this Sunday at 1 pm at the Seaside Heights Community Center in Seaside Height’s NJ. Uniforms/costumes encouraged though not required but what is required is that you bring a food item that will feed 6 people or beverages that accommodate the same. This is an open house event for the chapter and will hopefully introduce fans to Starfleet and we are hoping for some media to be present. If you have any questions visit the USS Challenger website or the USS Challenger Facebook page or e-mail me at co@usschallenger.org
The USS Storm is noting its one year commissioning anniversary on March 25 and is coordinating walk team for an AIDS walk benefit in Atlantic City in May. See their website and Facebook page for further details.
USS Richtofen CO and SF Communications staffer Karen Carothers recently announced that their fourth annual Trek Olympics will be held on Saturday, May 19, at the Hollofield area of Patapsco Valley State Park in Catonsville, MD. Last year, the event had representatives from the Richthofen, Pride of Baltimore, and Matrix.
” I’m hoping we can maybe double the number of ships represented this year. Don’t worry if you don’t have enough available crew to field a team, we can mix and match,’’ Karen said.
Karen stressed that “I REALLY NEED folks to RSVP to me if they plan to attend. The shelter I have is for 20 people. I will happily reserve another nearby if we need it, and there are also a few free picnic tables in the area of our shelter that are first-come, first-serve.’’ For more information contact Karen.
Well that concludes this bulletin. I look forward to seeing many of you at the events coming up. As always should you have any ideas, compliments, complaints, project proposals or questions for the staff of SF Region 7, reach out to us. Our contact information can be found on the R7 website or simply post us an e-mail to this list.