S.T.A.R. Central

Name:	S.T.A.R. Central
Date(s):	1972 - 1974??
Profit/Nonprofit:
Country based in:	USA
Focus:	Star Trek: TOS
External Links:
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S.T.A.R. Central is the name of the group of fans that ran the main S.T.A.R. fan organization and were involved with producing the newsletter Star-Borne.

The "S.T.A.R." organization was created by George Chrisholm, and he and Margaret A. Basta and Laura T. Basta were the three main leaders of the group.

Chrisholm, however, had moved on when "S.T.A.R. Central" was formed, and he was never a member.

In January 1974, "Star-Borne" listed the then current members:

Since by now you should have read the S.T.A.R. Chapter Charter. You should have gathered that S.T.A.R. Central is a pretty liberal group. We are a mixture of many races and religions. In fact, WASPs are in the minority.

To officially define S.T.A.R. Central, the membership consists of: Laura Basta; Margaret Basta - editor SB and treasurer; John Benson - librarian; Mary Brenner - historian; Roberta Brown - office assistant; Ken Cramer - publicity contact; Gerry Felipe, Jan Donaldson, Patti Helmer; Carol Lynn - secretary. Employees of S.T.A.R. on a salaried basis: Allen Myers - lawyer; Michael Otafinsky - accountant.

Bank accounts are kept at Standard Federal Savings where the passbook account earns 5 1/4% interest, and soon-to-be-opened checking account at National Bank of Detroit. For both accounts, 4 Central members have authorization to withdraw or deposit S.T.A.R. funds. For both accounts, 2 signatures are required to withdraw any money. All monies received by S.T.A.R. are deposited within the accounts, unless they are postage stamps.

S.T.A.R. Central is a committee that follows the rules of democracy with a rotating chairmanship whose total function is to moderated formal meetings. At formal meetings, Robert's-Rules-of-Order are followed.

Members

May 1972: Laura T. Basta, Fred L. Reiss, Margaret A. Basta, and Carol Lynn

June/July 1972: Laura T. Basta, Fred L. Reiss, Margaret A. Basta, and Deidre Matthews

Sept/Oct 1972: Margaret A. Basta, Fred L. Reiss, Carol Lynn, Jan Donaldson, Deborah Goldstein, Deirdre Matthews, Roberta Brown, and Laura Basta

Nov/Dec 1972: Margaret A. Basta, Laura T. Basta, Fred L. Reiss, Dave Lillard, Jan Donaldson, Carol Lynn and Spock

Jan/Feb 1973: Margaret A. Basta, Laura T. Basta, Fred L. Reiss, Dave Lillard, Jan Donaldson, Carol Lynn and Spock

Mar/Apr 1973: Margaret A. Basta, Laura T. Basta, Fred L. Reiss, Dave Lillard, Jan Donaldson, Carol Lynn, Gerronimo (Gerry) Felipe, Debbie Goldstein, Scott Decker, Ken Cramer, and Spock

May/June 1973: Margaret A. Basta, Laura T. Basta, John Benson, Jan Donaldson, Carol Lynn, Dave Lillard, and Gerry Felipe

Aug/Sept 1973: Margaret A. Basta, Laura T. Basta, Roberta Brown, Ken Cramer, Jan Donaldson, Gerry Filipe, and Dave Lillard

Sept/Oct 1973: Margaret A. Basta, Laura T. Basta, Roberta Brown, Ken Cramer, Mary Brenner, John Benson, Carol Lynn, Gerry Felipe

Dec (1973)/Jan (1974): Laura Basta, Margaret Basta, John Benson, Mary Brennar, Roberta Brown, Gerry Felipe, Jan Donaldson, Patti Helmer, Carol Lynn.

June 1974: Margaret A. Basta, Laura T. Basta, John Benson, Mary Brenner, Roberta Brown, Jan Donaldson, Gerry Felipe, Patti Helmer, Carol Lynn. ASSISTANTS: Todd Bake, Gail Brown, Cy Chauvin, Ken Cramer, Ron Sandier, Woody Wu, Leah Zeddes

Aug/Sept 1974: Laura T. Basta, Margaret A. Basta, John Benson, Mary Brenner, Roberta L. Brown, Gerry Felipe, Patti Helmer, Carol L. Lynn. ASSISTANTS: Todd Bake, Gail Brown, Denise Bozung, Laura J. Basta, Cy Chauvin, Ken Cramer, Jan Donaldson, Ron Sandier, Woody Woo, Leah Zeldes

Troubles

S.T.A.R., and by default, "S.T.A.R. Central" had many difficulties regarding legalisms, over-reach, money, fans jockeying for power, and more. See The Rise and Fall of S.T.A.R..

"This Individual"

One of them involved a single member.

From Certain events have occurred within S.T.A.R. Central for the last 6 months that deserve to be aired. (1974):

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.

Ceased

S.T.A.R. CENTRAL, the focal point of the STAR TREK Association for Revival groups, has been listed as disband/inactive by the STAR TREK Welcommittee. Many of the individual chapters around the country are still very much alive, but the parent organization in Deerborn [sic], Michigan is no longer in existence. Many of S.T.A.R.'s chapters have changed their names, but others will still retain that anachronism for their club's title.

S.T.A.R. Central Charter

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  first page of the S.T.A.R. Charter, printed in Star-Borne #11/12 (January 1974)

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  second page of the S.T.A.R. Charter, printed in Star-Borne #11/12 (January 1974)

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  third page of the S.T.A.R. Charter, printed in Star-Borne #11/12 (January 1974)