Nimoy-In

Star Trek Convention
Name:	Nimoy-In
Dates:	August 31, 1968
Frequency:	once
Location:	the basement of The Happy Corner Church in Englewood, Ohio
Type:	fan-run
Focus:	Star Trek and Leonard Nimoy
Organization:	Capsule 7
Founder:	Louise Stange and others
Founding Date:
URL:
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Nimoy-In was a gathering of fans in a church basement in Ohio.

The "Nimoy-In" was sponsored by the fan club Capsule 7. It took place from 12 noon to 7:00 pm, featured door prizes (Leonard Nimoy LPs and Star Trek books), "some movies taken from Star Trek episodes and movies taken from the President and Vice-President's trip to California last summer." There was plenty of food and soft drinks. Cost was .75 per member and each member could pay 1.00 and bring one guest.

While there was hope and enthusiasm for other "Nimoy-Ins," this was the only one.

In a 1978 article in LNNAF, Louise Stange reports there were about 50 attendees. However, that number was actually 30.

There probably many such fan gatherings while Star Trek was in its original run on the air, and the "Nimoy-In" was just one of them. A much more widely-publicized one was Star Trek Con (1969 convention), a con held in a library in New Jersey in March 1969.

Planning the Gathering

From Louise Stange in The Crewman's Log #13 (September 1968):

The actual planning for the Nimoy-In began about six months ago when we decided that it would be terrific to have a get-together of as many members as possible.

Our first idea was to have a picnic-type affair, out in the open, in one of the numerous state parks. However, then we considered that is usually rains... Then we figured out that the only place to have it would be in a hall. After calling and calling, it appeared that halls required one thing which we did not have much of—money! What could we do!? For a while, it looked like our dreams of having a Nimoy-In would never come true! Finally, as one last try, I called a little county church which is about half a mile up the road from my house. They have a terrific basement which is used for a recreation center, complete with kitchen! They often let various groups in the area use it—at a price we could afford!! I explained what type of an outing it would be, and they said they would call back on Tuesday and let me know if it was alright. It was!!! We were able to use it the same Saturday we wanted it! That meant that we could finally sit down and set up final plans.

We decided that noon to seven would be good time to have it, and that we would have a picnic style lunch. Also, we had to figure out how to raise enough money to pay for everything as our treasury could not have handled it. An admission of $.75 cents for members and $1.00 for a non-member friend was decided on. It worked out perfectly! We had just enough money to cover everything!

Finally, all was ready, and the Nimoy-In was set to happen. Approximately 30 members and their friends were going to attend. Everyone was very enthusiastic about it, and we were all hoping it would be a big success.

On the day before the Nimoy-In, I received a few TERRIFIC surprises!!!!! While at work, I received a call from Western Union saying they had a telegram for me! As soon as they said it was from Garland, Texas, I immediately knew it must be from the wonderful president of the [Leonard Nimoy Association of Fans] LNNAF, Peggye Vickers! It read as follows: "WISHING CAPSULE 7 A GROOVY NIMOY IN. HAVE A SPOCKTACULAR TIME! PEGGYE VICKERS." What a surprise!! I was so surprised I...I couldn't say anything for three or four minutes!!!!

The Quickie Quiz

• 

  page one of the "Quickie Quiz" from Nimoy-In, from issue #14/15 of The Crewman's Log

• 

  page two of the "Quickie Quiz" from Nimoy-In, from issue #14/15 of "The Crewman's Log"

Con Report

[Saturday morning], we picked up [Stefanie R], a member who flew in from Chicago to attend. As we pulled into the driveway, my sister said that at 7:00, someone was going to call from Los Angeles, California! Stefanie and I both looked at each other and started to think of who it could be! We hoped it was someone, but thought that was impossible! The phone rang, and I guess it proved the impossible can happen -- as I said hell, I reconized the voice of Leonard Nimoy's great "gal Friday", Teresa Victor! I was so excited I could hardly thing! She said that Leonard Nimoy wanted her to be sure and call and wish everyone a good time at the Nimoy-In. She also told me that they were thinking about taking that great song on THE WAY I FEEL, "Here We Go Round," and putting in on a single! Wouldn't that be just terrific!!!!??!!. After we finished talking, I was so -- well -- flabbergasted would be the best word to use, to think that three wonderful people, Leonard Nimoy, Teresa Victor, and Peggye Vickers, would take time out of their terrifically busy schedules to think about us! How very wonderful!!!

The events of that Friday were so fantastically exciting that the time really flew. It was hard to believe that finally, after planning and planning, the Nimoy-In would be the next day!

Early Saturday morning, about 9:00, the Vice-President, Barb Dixon, along with [Shirley S], [Stefanie R], and myself piled into a car loaded down with decorations, tape recorders, signs, movies, cameras, (there was hardly any room for the people!) and headed up the road to the Nimoy-In.... As soon as we arrived, we started to move tables and chairs into place, put up signs, and streamers while listening to Leonard Nimoy's new album! We had some dandy signs, one of them said "Ears to Leonard Nimoy," another "LNNAF is Fab," another "Capsule Seven Swings" and there were many, many more. (At the end of the day, we let everyone grab their fave poster to take home -- that was the fastest we've ever seen anything taken off the walls!)

Well by now everything was ready, so we thought! Then we remembered... we had to find a place to store the ice until supper time! Luckily, Barb save the day by whizzing it down to her house and placing it in their deep freezer. We also had a bit of a problem transporting the huge cake we had. It took up the entire back seat of the car, and we had to get it out without having it split. With five people carrying it in, we did O.K. By this time, it was 10:30 and everything was ready -- this time for sure!

[snipped is a list of 28 people and where they were from]

Now everyone had arrived, and we were set to begin. I said HI! and welcomed everybody to the Nimoy-In. I first told everybody about the wonderful telegrams and phone call I had received the previous day. I then briefly outlined Capsule 7's first year, our hopes and plans for this year, and talked about some of the happenings for the day.

First on the agenda was get-acquainted time. Since hardly anybody knew anybody else, it was a good opportunity to get to know each other. Each members stood up, gave his name and where he was from, and also his interests, and just for fun, we had everyone try the Vulcan Salute. Barb was armed and ready with the [sticky] tape in case anybody was uncoordinated that day. Most everyone could do it, and those who couldn't, could after having their fingers taped together! Thanks to "The Vulcan Salute in 5 Easy Lessons," within a few minutes, everyone could do it!

Next, was an activity which really proved to be a lot of fun. It was a 100 question quiz on Leonard Nimoy, Mr. Spock and STAR TREK which had been prepared by Barb and myself.

[snipped: much about the quiz, some about a door prize winner]

Then we had a "Question Box" period in which anyone could ask anyone else a question. Someone asked how many people present had met or seen Leonard Nimoy in person. There were four... We had a wonderful time talking about his wonderful portrayal of Kreton at the Pheasant Run Playhouse last March, and meeting him on the set of STAR TREK last July '67. [Doug H] had brought some terrific still photos he had taken off of his TV set of STAR TREK. They were really fabulous! He also explained how it was done. [Stephen S] brought along some pics he had done by copying those great caricatures used in STAR BLEECH, the MAD Magazine satire. We then got out the movie projector and screen and got ready to show some of the movies I had taken off the television set of Leonard Nimoy's appearances on various TV shows and STAR TREK. We pulled the drapes, and rolled the projector, starting with THIS SIDE OF PARADISE, of which I had taken two rolls. Then we showed some of the films from the first season episodes, some of which people many people had never seen.

We showed movies until about 4:15, and then it was time for lunch. We opened the doors which were above the counter in the kitchen, and everyone lined up. Thanks to two hot doggers cooking full blast, we cooked 50 hot dogs in no time flat! We also had plenty of Coke and potato chips to go with them! To make lunch complete, we put Leonard Nimoy's great new album which many of the members hadn't had an opportunity to hear yet. Everyone loved it! I then got out the knife and cut the cake. It was really some cake! My sister volunteered her services and spent six hours baking and decorating it...

After everyone had as much as they could eat, we gave way another door prize. [snipped: more door prizes and some personal member acknowledgements]

We then showed the remainder of the movies, which were mostly from the second season of STAR TREK. After viewing the movies, we all had an informal "chat" period which proved to be just terrific!... [snipped: much about the chat subjects]

Cars started pulling into the parking lot, and it was time for everyone to leave.... [snipped: much about clean up]

By now, most everyone had left, and all that was left of our Nimoy-In was an empty hall -- no, not really; we will all remember it as being a lot of fun, and getting together with a lot of wonderful people. I am certain that well have another in the future, as this one was so successful. Thank you everyone for making Capsule 7's Nimoy-In really IN!!