Certain events have occurred within S.T.A.R. Central for the last 6 months that deserve to be aired.

Open Letter
Title:	Certain events have occurred within S.T.A.R. Central for the last 6 months that deserve to be aired.
From:	Laura Basta
Addressed To:
Date(s):	January 1974
Medium:	print
Fandom:	Star Trek: TOS
Topic:
External Links:
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Certain events have occurred within S.T.A.R. Central for the last 6 months that deserve to be aired. is a 1974 open letter by one of the editors of Star-Borne, Laura Basta.

It was printed in issue #11/12 of that newsletter.

A related 1977 open letter was The 1977 S.T.A.R. Open Letter by Sharon.

Some Topics Discussed

• fandom and profit
• S.T.A.R. Central and its legal and financial troubles
• over-reach and explosive growth
• the alleged greed of a fan
• being overwhelmed

The Letter

Certain events have occurred within S.T.A.R. Central for the last 6 months that deserve to be aired. The lateness of this S-B is one of the results of these events.

Originally, S.T.A.R. was supposed to be a nice little group of ST fans, and S.T.A.R. Central was a nice little committee of friends that published the newsletter. The only expenses even imagined in the beginning were those of printing the S-B, We just didn't think of phone calls, lawyers fees, artist supplies, etc. That was our first big mistake. But then, we were only fans and had never run a business before, and S.T.A.R. is most certainly a business. We really didn't comprehend just how much time or money was involved in running an organization as large as S.T.A.R.

Our membership didn't just grow, it multiplied almost geometrically. The demand was much greater than any of us could possibly meet, so we did the only thing that we could - we asked for help. We received many offers, but if those people didn't live within driving distance, they really couldn't do much good. You need warm bodies to collate S-Bs and not people living in California., So we welcomed all who offered to help into S.T.A.R. Central, and our little group of friends grew into a committee of people which most of the original members did not know personally. Some of these new people were great, trustworthy, honest and willing hard-workers. Some were goof-offs after their own personal glory with as little effort on their part as possible. And some were people that had we really known them, we would have never allowed them any responsibility when it came to S.T.A.R. But hindsight is a curious thing.

We know what we should have done in the beginning, but there was so much work to be done that we ignored what common sense would have warned us. S.T.A.R. Central authorized only on a limited basis certain individuals to handle certain matters. The major item of these matters were the model kits. But these individuals mis-used our trust greatly. One individual took upon himself the pretense that he was head of S.T.A.R. There is not, nor was there ever, a head of S.T.A.R. S.T.A.R. Central was always a committee with a rotating chairmanship. No individual was ever specifically named by the committee to be head of S.T.A.R.. All decisions concerning S.T.A.R. have to be approved by a majority of S.T.A.R. Central. No individual had any right to assume that he could dictate S.T.A.R.'s policies and financial matters according to his whims. But one individual did so. And naturally he did not tell us that he was doing so, for if he did, we would have stopped him immediately. This individual went around trying to arrange various business deals in S.T.A.R.'s name since his own credit was worthless due to a recent bankruptcy. And then this individual automatically assumed that Margaret Basta as S.T.A.R.'s treasurer would meekly turn over to him any monies he requested without questioning. Well, she didn't. The money in S.T.A.R.'s bank account is for S-B and legitimate expenses, and no wild business deals. Almost too late we really found out what this individual was doing. Some of those business deals that this individual arranged in S.T.A.R.'s name we were forced to honor. Some we had to cancel and deny knowledge of. The actions of this individual were illegal since he had not notified S.T.A.R. Central of his activities and therefore such deals were invalid. But try explaining that to someone wants their money. We were forced to hire a lawyer, Alan Meyers, to handle such matters as this, as well as becoming a legitimate non-profit organization.

One of the matters which this individual caused, was to somehow convince the press in Detroit as well as Cobo Hall, that S.T.A.R. was holding the Detroit Star-CON; this matter was false from the very beginning.

S.T.A.R. Central has never been secretive about our books. After the first year and a half, S.T.A.R. received over $5000 in membership fees, $800 from buttons and bake sales, but had spent over $7000 in printing and postage fees on S-B alone. The $1Z00 difference came out of the pockets of S.T.A.R. Central. It was donated to S.T.A.R. by us over the past years. And we're supposed to be running off with the money? Hopefully within the next few issues, a xerox copy of the more pertinent pages from the books will be published to prove to the membership just how much is being spent, and where it is going. You might think that we're being a little uptight about this matter, but please remember that the current members of S.T.A.R. Central are being accused of grand larceny in those rumors, and we most certainly don't want our labor-of-love-headache turned into a criminal matter, regardless how ridiculous the accusations are.

Unfortunately this kind of individual is not the personal plague of S.T.A.R. Central alone. Such individuals exist throughout the ST fandom, as well as sf„ In fact, they're plaguing the whole human race. But that is besides the point. These individuals whether it be for money, or for psychological motives known only to themselves, do some of the strangest most incomprehensible things. They start the most ridiculous rumors either because they have a grudge against some individual in fandom, or just simply for sheer maliciousness (ie. "LN died," or 'ST has been renewed," or "that girl is sleeping with that boy" - the fact that they're man and wife was never mentioned, etc...) For whatever reason, these rumors appear. Those that know better give them the credit that they are due which is nothing, but what about the people that don't know the people that these rumors are about? What about those people that believe everything they read? What about the den mother that won't let her cubs join a ST club because she had heard that that ST club's leader was immoral? Or Black? Or Jewish? Or whatever? Rumors do an awful lot of damage whether it be in ST or the world. If you care to gossip, that is a normal human condition, but Don't believe everything you hear or read. Newspapers are run by human beings. They can make mistakes. Fan clubs and fan magazines are published by human beings. They can make mistakes. S-B is published by Human Beings. We make mistakes too. Whenever you are in doubt about a rumor, go to the people the rumor is about and find out the truth firsthand.

This individuals also find amongst their numbers a few cheats. Most of the people selling stuff in the ST fandom are honest. In fact most of them doing it are doing it only out of love since I know from personal experience you don't make money off of small ST items. Now, not that we're pointing an accusing finger at anyone, but if people start advertising things in large quantities with high prices, be cautious. When at conventions, inspect whatever it is you are buying. Refunds are hard to come by. If you order something from a dealer that is sent by mail be sure you have a signed receipt stating how much you paid, what you ordered, and have the address of the dealer. (You'd be surprised how many checks S.T.A.R. receives with no return address. We don't mean to defraud individual: but we have to have a place where we can send the stuff ordered!) If you think that you have been cheated - and only after you have written the dealer (Please consider the mails, replenishing of stock etc. I know some dealers that have mailed out stuff ordered 2 years late - but it came anyway!) you can report them to the Better Business Bureau, which may/may not do some good depending upon whether they are a legal corporation, or whatever. If you have been taken, you've been taken. About the only thing that you can do is warn your friends, and write confidential letters to other people about the dealer. But make sure that you were cheated, and it isn't a misunderstanding, first.