Quote: “..Always try to do your best. If you always try to do your best and fail, then you always know you failed trying to do your best..” - Robert Archer
Edict #20:
July 3rd, 2022
With the end of my 2nd term as President winding down, as is usual I asked a few weeks back for submissions for commending people at all levels of the club for their work in our community. Normally these are made a little later in the next month before the next term’s president takes over, but due to my commitments in life, work, family, and such I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to fully handle these in case of anything unexpected happened. So with that explained and out of the way let’s get started!
First up is a Cabinet Level Commendation for Abigail G for their intensive hard work this term in helping members on various ships, both in character and out of character. As well as being helpful to people in pms, and in public chat in Discord answering being welcoming to new comers and us older members, helping to answer questions, giving constructive feedback and the like. She is also an amazing writer on the ships she is on, and always tries to engage others in one way or another. All in all Abigail’s commendation here is well earned in my book.
Next up is a Cabinet Level Commendation for Sam Hayes for her work this past term being AFComm in Foremost Fleet, first under Jen and currently under Cale. She has shown for both of these two a tireless commitment to helping both in managing Foremost Fleet. She also has been quite open to learning how to do so more and more independently in time, perhaps being an FComm herself sometime. Her help with Jen was quoted as being ‘supportive above and beyond the call of duty, especially when things got tough for me’. It is important to remember that help like this for our community and positions are very trying, and having someone there to help support you and let you vent or the like when things get tough is an amazing asset in STF.
Next up is a Cabinet Level Commendation for Lindsay Bayes for their tireless work in many areas of the club, often not seen or heard about but still giving insight, and support to many she connects with. In addition her work on the Manhattan this past term has been huge in contributing and aiding stories, and character to those there. As well as being super supportive of Jen and James there in particular.
Following up on this is a Cabinet Level Commendation for Nicole Cline for her equally tireless work as XO on the Sentinel helping out its CO Matt B in many ways and keeping the ship active when he has had to take a brief break for one reason or another. Her help there has also been important to helping to recruit during the earlier times of the Sentinel and as of late. Further she has been noted to help new and old members alike in email, and Discord, lending a constructive and positive attitude to questions and if not answering things then being able to point the way to those who can help.
Next is a Cabinet Level Commendation for Jennifer Ward, this past term, she worked up until the last two months so hard as Foremost Fleet’s FComm. Her tireless effort to always give the best she can to someone, or a ship, as well as doing alot to include others into things both in character and out of character, not to mention being a wealth of information in her own right has made her time as FComm this term a joy to watch and speaking as a CO in Foremost Fleet she was always at the ready to help and provide advice or insight etc when I and I am sure other CO’s in the Fleet needed it.
Next we got a Presidential Level Commendation Sam Pennington who was not only our GM Director this term, but up till recently my XO on the Ark Angel as well! As GM Director he worked hard to take feedback given by others, based on things heard during one of our Voice Of The Club events in Discord. Through that he got a linked thread going for members to submit ideas for current or future GMs to use in their own ways in ship sims. He also has made efforts to recruit new interested players to take the GM Exam and provide constructive feedback to custom race/power submissions and some of which got passed too! As an XO he helped me in more ways then he probably can realize managing the Ark Angel. He helped me a ton in recruitment, keeping up on awol/loas, and just in general being a welcoming friendly person to those who joined the ship to make them included. I have also noticed that in other places he has been in the club he echoes these same ideals and many others gave me emails or pms to have him commended for this work alone.
Next commendation is a Presidential Level Commendation for James Sinclair. This past term as many may know he served as my loyal vice president. James since the start of the term helped me SO much in ways I can not fully put to words. From simple things like just listening to me rant about some frustration or another. Or reminding me on some detail of presidential process that had slipped my mind. To getting down into the trenches so to speak with STF’s community as a whole to listen, shake hands, kiss babies, and just basically be a great guy to meet and chat with that you could bring an issue too or ask a question, or give feedback and not fear you would be ignored or slapped down for it. While I made efforts to do likewise, his aide in this matter made it so much easier for me to manage things around the club. He also provided great ideas between us, to the point that both of us I hope share a close understanding of bouncing ideas and suggestions off each other. James’s efforts elsewhere in the club on OED V, the Manhattan and the like are equally high quality and enjoyable from feedback given by others. He strives to include others in big and small details or events.
Next is a Cabinet Level Commendation for Melissa Aragon and Steve Johnson who served tirelessly as FComm for Merdian Fleet, and up till an hour ago for many years as CO on the Bonaventure, and for Steve as Personnel Department Director and XO on the Bonaventure since before time was measured (joking....but it has been a long time!). In addition both are often helping out in other ways around the club either in joining writing on ships filling positions opened. Or by providing mentorship big and small to those they meet or are approached by. Melissa has shown she can be stern when needed as FComm in managing ships but also helpful and constructive at the same time. All in all Melissa your efforts this term are greatly appreciated by your peers. Steve, your writing everywhere is top notch, and your help this term in PDept in welcoming new members, assisting current members in finding new ships to play on, and more have been a much needed asset for my work as President as well. Thank you both!
Next is a Presidential Level Commendation for Nick V. Nick’s efforts this past term have resulted in tons of progress made on the creating technical manual updates for the new library with newly passed ship submissions, technology submissions and converting existing such designs into the new library and flagging those not to be used for updating the ship graveyard. He has also been a wealth of older knowledge for the Engineering Department for many endless years in reviewing ship and tech submissions, and helped new comers this term in big and small ways alike.
Next is a Cabinet Level Commendation for Gene Gibbs. He has served as a GM on many ships over the years, but this past term has held several sims on ships to the enjoyment of many. He also is approachable, constructive, and a joy to work with and chat with in many different forms. I’d also like to note that out of all commendations I got submitted to me Gene got the most for this reason in some form of wording or another by almost 5+ more then anyone else noted above and below. You go Gene!
Next is Kirt Gartner with a Cabinet level Commendation. Kirt is one of those folks who has risen up slowly but surely through the club. Having been his mentor in the past I can say he often at each step felt ‘this was as far as I go in stf. But time and again he gets proven wrong. His work this term as CO on the Memorial has not been an easy one but he keeps trying and sticking it out to improve and make the ship succeed. He has passed his GM Exam this term, and is currently taking his GM Training Sim which I believe will no doubt result in an amazing pass on the Chimera to much success. He also stepped up into the role as AFComm for Meridian Fleet, helping out Melissa there. This and more shows to me that Kirt just needs to be supported, or believe in himself to keeping trying and learning both in and outside of STF. Keep it up Kirt!
Next is Travis Good with a Cabinet Level Commendation. This past term Travis has worked hard around the club to learn and grow in different roles. His hard work to make the Chernov succeed is quite impressive. It has been a rocky road for him and the ship’s crew but I hope they keep it up with their new role as a self-sim ship. He has also recently taken up the role as assistant academy commandant and has filled in the big shoes to fill role of SOX in XFleet management. Travis also is often welcoming to members new and old alike, and while a bit spunky to some (in a good way I promise!) I feel with continued mentoring, and experience he could grow into a further fine addition to STF’s community.
Next is Gavin Burkhardt, with a Presidential Level Commendation. Gavin this past term was a HUGE support to me when half way through the term the usual suspects who helped make the STF Awards a reality were not able to do so this year. I stepped up to get them going but needed help. Despite being a ‘new hat’ to such things Gavin was willing to step up and help me learn the ins and outs of making this all work. Together he helped me greatly in designing ideas for a sort of ‘how to’ Google Doc for future Award’s organizers to use step by step with pictures. He also contributed many wording refinements to the categories, and better explanations of what a category meant or who qualified etc. As a ‘new hat’ to such a role he brought a fresh perspective to such things that I probably would have overlooked being much ‘older’ then he in doing things in STF. Further, after some delay he stepped up to help Katy Darrah as assistant enginerring director in the EDept. Through his help with Katy, Ray Branch was able to get his Brazen Mark-II Escort design completed just in the past month. Further, his writing contributions to the club in places he serves is top notch, and he has often been a fixture in this term’s Voice Of The Club events in Discord giving constructive feedback and ideas to many discussions or topics that got placed.
The next Presidential Level Commendation is to everyone currently active this past term in TECH. Your contributions and often unseen or heard of work to maintain and develop the site we all enjoy and play on is without question appreciated in ways and words that can not be described. I hope you all keep it up and will not hesitate to reach out to the club at large now and then to fish to see if new comers have skills you all could use to ease up your no doubt difficult tasks.
The last commendation is a Cabinet Level Commendation for Jason Wolfe. This term Jason has been a fast rising star up through STF. When it was active he held the XO role on the Viking, and helped immensely in wrapping up the previous sim when the GM left suddenly. He has been a delight to converse with in many topics and provided a fresh take on different policies and ideas in STF that have been around for a while. While some many not work out for one reason or another, his willingness to plays Devil’s Advocate, as well as being upfront when he sees a potential problem on the horizon is great to see for someone who could contribute in the future in STF’s day to day running.
These were the people who got submitted to me by others up till my deadline given. As I said I put it in place to ensure I had plenty of time to write all this up, and make sure if anything unexpected happened in my life I was not rushing these out at 0-Hour of the term. Congratulations to everyone. Even those who may have not been noted. I hope you will not feel sour or cheated of recognition. STF does not exist without our community working together. We will disagree, bicker, get heated, and more at times, its just the way or the internet and the like. But at the end of the day we are all here for having fun, and jointly writing together in the Star Trek Universe. So I hope no matter those differences we can all agree on that, and when discussions or such come up we can put aside things to meet in the middle to ensure that STF continues to exist for another 30+ years!
Quick edit to fix the error in the 2nd to last commendation of M Lyon to Jason Wolfe.
Robert Archer