United Federation of Planets (Australia)

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Fan Club
Name: United Federation of Planets (Australia)
Dates: 1990s?
Founder(s): Raymond Prasad
Leadership: Raymond Prasad & Shane K. Anderson & Gary Wellsmore & Robert Attwood (Sydney), Trish Baxter-Arnott (Brisbane), Sandy Bartels (Melbourne)
Country based in: Australia
Focus: role playing and information
External Links:
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The United Federation of Planets (Australia) is an Australian Star Trek club. They reported in 1994:

We are the only national Star Trek Role Play and Information group in Australia, differing from the average Star Trek Fan Club....


... Our Role Play takes a number of forms such as communicating with each other via post with the help of a special Role Play pack, exchanging video Sub-space messages - our own Role Playing activities, scripted, acted out and videotaped, and we enter the Holodecks and other areas on the U.F.P. BBS by modem.[1]

Membership

Leadership within the group was based upon Star Fleet rankings, with promotion being 'earned' through group involvement. Leaders might attain the rank of Admiral or Lt. Commander:

Where we are different, is that this group is based on Role Play. When a person joins they receive a package consisting of the latest edition of the Digest, the membership card for discount shopping, a "Treaty of Peace" and "Star Fleet General Orders". The General Orders has an application form on the back page for members to fill in, which enables them to graduate from the Starfleet Academy as an Ensign. They then work up in rank through involvement in the group.[1]

Meetings

The club ran structured meetings:

We conduct regular meetings called "Shore Leave" activities, during which we review Star Trek episodes, video sub-space messages from other groups, and plan our Role Play activities. At most of these group meetings, we also bring along a plate of food which is shared with the team just like a smorg-as-borg. We also have guest speakers, Show & Tell times were [sic] we swap Star Trek collectibles, and we plan visits to other Star Trek Groups in our areas.[1]

Charity

Individual chapters of UFP Australia each reportedly supported a charity, including the Starlight Foundation and the Cancer Council:

At our Sydney bases, we support the POWA Day Care Centre which helps those with AIDS. Our group recently donated a 48cm TV to this group so that they could enjoy their Star Trek episodes, and made them an official U.F.P. Federation Outpost.[1]

  1. ^ a b c d Shane K. Anderson, "In the service of the federation: Star Trek Gaming in Australia", The Science Fiction and Fantasy and Horror Fan Resource Book, pp. 136 & 137.