Other events that have occurred in recent weeks included Halloween gatherings, conventions and Ren Faires. It certainly has been a busy fall.

We are also approaching the last few days before it is known who won the Starfleet election. I wish to congratulate both teams for running clean, constructive campaigns. This election, unlike some in the past, stuck to the issues, brought up discussions and brought out some great ideas. Good work guys. Both teams actually made the campaign season enjoyable and interesting.

Whoever wins and whoever loses, you both have much to be proud of in the way you communicated your ideas.

R7 Command recently congratulated the USS Storm based in Atlantic City which became official earlier this month. We know this group has some exciting plans for the future and have worked hard during its organization stage. Sadly, we must note that while we gained one chapter, the USS Starlord based in Aberdeen N.J. has decommissioned. Starlord was around for at least 10 years and we wish their members well.

The year is winding down and we are approaching the holiday season. The USS Challenger is once again hosting its Holiday party/Cookie Swap, this year on a Saturday, Dec. 4 at the Seaside Heights Community Center. All are welcome. We will be collecting $10 for pizza (for those that want to eat pizza) to go along with all those cookies and milk. Other holiday festivities will be part of the fun.See the more detailed post from Commodore Jeff Victor, XO of the USS Challenger.

I’m sure chapters across the 7th Fleet are planning their own festive gatherings as well. Please share photos and writeups with Starbase 7 so they can be included on the R7 website.

IC2011 is plugging along well with many program ideas now being finalized as we round up panelists for some of the programs. Feel free to check out our Facebook site, our website and by all means, register early. Registration or IC merchandise makes for great holiday gifts.

The Kilometer of Pennies program has been restored and each chapter is asked to particpate, collecting your spare change during the year and bringing the total to Shore Leave (or sending it in via mail by check) if your chapter won’t be present at Shore Leave 2011.

The chapter that has the biggest total of copper coins (no we aren’t counting pennies at Shore Leave) will be awarded a prize (yet to be determined).

Any questions on this program that will benefit the R7 coffers, contact Wayne or I.

In closing, I wish to extend an early Thanksgiving wish to all of you. While the economy may be crummy, health issues facing some of us, and other less pleasant changes facing us, there are many things we should be thankful for and remember.

As for the 7th Fleet, we remain active with events (many of which are multi chapter events) and remain having fun and that of course, is our prime directive. I don’t think 2010 was a bad year for Starfleet or Region 7 and I think 2011 will be even better. Keep those MSRs coming in on time and as always, should you have an idea, complaint, project proposal or question for SF R7 Command. Wayne, Jeff and the rest of us are not hard to find. We are all just an e-mail or phone call away.

– Admiral Bob Vosseller

FARPOINT AND NEW CHAPTERS ON PATROL

Weather may have played a small role in attendance of FP this year but it still got a decent overall turnout and SF personnel.  During the SF meeting that was held the USS Susquehannock based in Pa sector (which I recall many of us first met during last year’s Farpoint) were commissioned as a full chapter and the USS Storm has been launched as a chapter in training. The storm is based in Atlantic City NJ.

From what I’ve heard, having been unable to attend this year’s FP for the first time ever, it was low key but fun.

Farpoint has always been a benchmark for some reason to check our SF membership and in recent years we’ve been hovering around 450-473 but this year we noted that our SF membership stands at over 500 which is a good sign.

While individual chapters who have been working on their crew retention and new members seem to have the increase in number, R7 Command is working with a few chapters who have some under strength issues. A few chapters also have some MSR reporting issues also but we hope to work through them in the months to come.

POLAR BEAR PLUNGE
Tomorrow, weather permitting, Four brave souls (or should that more accurately be crazy) will plunge into the Atlantic Ocean in Seaside Heights NJ as part of the annual New Jersey Polar Bear Plunge which Region 7 members have taken part in since 2004. Prior to that members began running into cold water back in 2002 in Maryland.

The fearless 4 consist of members of the Challenger, Storm and Avenger. Speaking as the co of the host chapter for the event, I’d like to thank everyone who has supported our plungers with donations and who may also turn up to hold a towel and who will take a few photos.

THE OLYMPICS RETURN
Perhaps you’ve heard, the Olympics are back! No not the Winter Olympics which will conclude on Sunday but the Trek Olympics which the Richtofen and the Pride of Baltimore are co-hosting. This event was a Maryland sector staple in years past when the USS Triton held them as a spring/summer event. It promises to be a fun event and will be held in May. Watch for further announcements and details.

CHAPTER CELEBRATIONS
The USS Avenger will mark its 25th anniversary in May and the USS Sovereign turns 20 in June and both have special formal occasions to mark their milestone birthdays. Check the R7 website for links to their chapter anniversary party details.

I*CON, MONSTER MANIA, CHILLER THEATER COMING UP
Along with a number of small comic book and collector shows, Stony Brook College will once again host I*Con in Long Island in late March. It is a great convention. Monsternania returns to Cherry Hill N.J. in 2 weeks. Chiller Theater follows in the northern end of N.J. weeks afterward.

SHORE LEAVE!
R7 Command is already looking at what we can do to maximize our presence and our fun at this year’s Shore Leave in July. The staff is kicking around ideas for panels, sprucing up our recruitment table and making sure people are aware of our SF meeting. Any ideas you may have will be welcome and you are encouraged to contact your sector chief or pass along your ideas to RC Wayne or I.

Well be it rain, sleet, slush or full out snow be careful out there. I guess we’ll all remember this winter as being..well a real winter such as 2003 and 1996.

We have had a record snow fall this year and from where I’m typing in South Jersey its whipping up like a snow globe but the shore area is not being pounded quite as bad. I’m hoping to get down there to settle in for tomorrow’s plunge so I can avoid the commute tomorrow morning and join my fellow plungers.

More details to come and more news in the next posting of Sub Space Chatter.

– Bob Vosseller

Thanks go out to Matt Moyer for coming and providing your Computer Operations services to the SFI Recruitment table. I want to thank Maryland/Delaware Sector Recruiting Officer Mike Allen for coordinating all aspects of this year's SL recruitment table and the many volunteers we had staffing the table during the last two days of the con. Good job.

More than a dozen new/renewed members of SFI were logged in, which doesn't count others who decided to mail in their memberships. We're even looking at the potential of a Central PA chapter forming in an area where no chapter exists. We picked up two members from the Friday night recruiting panel, they both found homes on two R7 chapters one being the USS Inferno. Kind of funny that a resident of Pittsburgh came all the way to Maryland to hook up and meet members of a Pittsburgh chapter.

It was great seeing old friends in and out of SF and meeting some new friends this weekend. Regarding the election, I can only echo Wayne's sentiments that this was a clean, honest campaign by all involved that brought out many ideas which will be fleshed out within the region to make it a better, more enjoyable experience for all.

I could tell that many of us had a lot of fun this weekend. The Pride of Baltimore celebrated their training cruise launching and the USS DeBraak observed their 5th anniversary. I attended both groups' gatherings as did many other R7 members. it was also great seeing the members I saw from the Inferno, the Sovereign, the Avenger, the Blackheart, the Britannic, Richtofen, Dragonstar, Top Gun, Asimov, Accord, Justice, Flying Fox, Edinburgh, Odin, Matrix, Adamant, Ascension, Alpha Centauri and any other chapter I may have somehow forgotten to list.

Thanks again, Adm. Joe Hoolihan, for serving as RC for the last two years. It is a difficult job for anyone who takes it on and was stated during the standing ovation you got during Saturday's SFI meet, we wish you well in the future and a fantastic vacation this week. That along with a big thank you! That extends to Adm. Beryl Washington who served as VRC or in her own words…VCR.

It was a weekend of fantastic food, friendship, conversations, frosty beverages, many laughs and little sleep, but all the above is typical of Shore Leave which marked its own 30th anniversary. I've been going since SL 13 and as was seen on Friday, have the T-shirt to prove it. It has over the years, become a true reunion ground for fandom but most especially a large gathering place for STARFLEET & Region 7. May that never change.

Okay, I said this wasn't going to be my usual LONG review post so I'm cutting off here and plan to get to bed early to catch up on some lost (but well spent) hours of sleep.

Adm. Bob Vosseller
CO, USS Challenger
"Enjoying its 20th Year of Service In Starfleet"
VRC/TIVO Elect SFI Region 7