USS Horizon Ship’s Log – August 2016

 

1.    The club is forming a committee to redo the membership handbook.

2.    John & Bjo Trimble will host a question and answer session at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum as part of a three night celebration for the 50th Anniversary of Trek on September 9 and 10 sponsored by the Roddenberry Foundation.

3.    Starfleet IC2016 Flicker photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHskF7pRR4 and videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRYbW7-DuYwrEXl-d8tO3uw and an album at:

4.    IC2016 Closing Ceremony video:  https://youtu.be/eTgNJCO_-rg

5.    IC2016 General Session videos in parts: Part 1:     https://youtu.be/h0W9ec-IyLw;   Part2:       https://youtu.be/EZU_3S1mJCM;  Part 3:     https://youtu.be/-GTpH5zpsIg;  Part 4:     https://youtu.be/7Y1KpLPLMDs;  Part 5:     https://youtu.be/l_zh3-G_VRg

6.    Here is the “Meet the Candidates” panel video: https://soundcloud.com/user-808819441/ic-2016-meet-the-candidates-panel

7.    IC2015 in Rockford had about 60 present.  IC2016 in Louisville had 125.

IC2016 Videos: 1)  2016 Starfleet IC "Meet the Candidates" panel – introductions https://youtu.be/SsmZ5M7g_jo 

2)  2016 Starfleet IC "Meet the Candidates" panel - part 1 of 3  https://youtu.be/bbFbrrEtcBU  3)  2016 Starfleet IC "Meet the Candidates" panel - part 2 of 3  https://youtu.be/T7P3WmUbP4E   4)   2016 Starfleet IC "Meet the Candidates" panel - part 3 of 3  https://youtu.be/IoVlXE7T830

8.    Annual honorary membership goes to Warren Price.

9.    If you do not receive your ballot by Oct 7th, contact Jeff Victor directly: ig@sfi.org

10. Voting Method for this ballot: You will rank the candidates in the order you want them.  At the end of each round if no one has a majority, they remove the lowest candidate and then remove them from all ballots.  The next round they add the number ones again (which may be your number 2) and continue until someone has a majority.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqblOq8BmgM or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y3jE3B8HsE

11. IC2016 winners: The winners of the Star Trek trivia, IC Trivia and the video contest are

as follows: Star Trek Trivia:   1.   Jennifer Coleman;   2.   Nathan McClellan;   3.  None      IC Trivia:  1.  Lisa Shantz;  2.                         Jane Petrevich;   3.  Jennifer Coleman     Video Contest:   1.   Best Picture – Happy Fleet;  2.  Best Actor – Zombie Disposal Unit;    3.      Best Editing – Happy Fleet

12. The annual awards for 2015: Commanding Officer of the Year:  Vice Admiral Judy Waidlich, USS Avenger,

Region 7; Enlisted Member of the Year:  MCPO Steve Sardeson, USS Battle Born, Region 3; Flag Officer of the Year:  Vice Admiral Richard Trulson, USS Wernher von Braun, Region 2; Junior Member of the Year:  Cadet 2nd Class Kira McQueen, USS Valiant, Region 12; Officer of the Year:  Major David Jarrett, USS Diamondback, Region 3; Shakedown Chapter of the Year:  USS Selene, NCC-75014, Region 3; Support Ship of the Year:  USS New Orleans, NCC-57288, Region 3; Chapter of the Year:  USS Horizon, NCC-1000-B, Region 12.

13. The USS Katana 25th Anniversary is on Dec 10th or the second Saturday in December.  Who wants to join me?

14. For those interested, I have the annual reports for: Comms, SFA, CFO, CompOps, CS, OPS, and the VCS.  I also have the ECAB meeting minutes from 2015.

15. IC2016 You Tube Videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRYbW7-DuYwrEXl-d8tO3uw

16. New Shuttles:

a.    Animus, R11, Mothership is USS Tydirium

b.    Raven, R20, Mothership is USS Cuchulain

c.     

17. IC Flicker Group: https://www.flickr.com/groups/ic2016/

18. New Shakedown Chapters:

a.    USS Enlightened, 5th Fleet, Spokane, WA, Mothership is USS Crusader

b.    USS Blackstone, 12th Fleet, Sherwood, AR, Mothership is USS Aux Ark

c.     

19. IC2018 will be in Minneapolis Minnesota near the Mall of the Americas.

20. The USS Horizon won “Chapter of the Year” for 2015.

21. Very large incident on the firing of Robert Westfall is covered under a separate listing.

22. Starfleet’s Members Only Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/STARFLEETMembers/

23. STARFLEET Corps of Engineers group: modeling, costuming, set building and crafts.  Contact Gumby http://www.10kby2020.org/

24. SFA Newsletter: http://acad.sfi.org/news/newsletter1002.pdf

25. The following companies make plus size costumes and uniforms (not inclusive):

a.    Ya-Cos

b.    Kucos

c.    Cosplay Sky

d.    Vcos

e.    Dream Dance

f.     Dragonstore

g.    Allten

h.    Cossky

i.      CosplayDiy

j.      CosDaddy

k.    Small Monkey

26.  Information on the Westfall firing:

 

 

This is a summary of over 800 emails on this topic.

 

Information Available:

 

Aug 2, 2016

 

Various Posts of CS Post to List: (1) Public announcement of (a) Westfall Fired as Ops Chief and Secondary Membership Processing by CS, (b) Possible IG investigation (c) Given 48 hours to relinquish all materials.

 

RC12 Tolbert Post to List: He was not aware of problems before fact or notified of potential firing.

 

Post by RC20 Adams states has no idea why Westfall fired.

 

Post by SFA Commandant Pellerin states has no idea why Westfall fired.

 

Various Posts to determine that Secondary Membership Processing has been doing much of the work.  The person in charge of Primary Membership Processing (Bartholomew) was about to become inactive but on a later date (8/4/16) renewed in time.  

 

Other posts state that it costs a lot of money to transfer the materials from place to place.  [Note: 100 # at UPS oversized is $1000 as an example]

 

Accusation by USS Enlightened, CO Smith that Westfall refused to launch their shuttle.

 

Post by CFO Olson had no knowledge of problems or Westfall firing.

 

Aug 3, 2016

 

Westfall Post to List: Termination notice was unexpected, no knowledge why.  Mentions a shakedown chapter that had a missing VRR that was held up (no name given) and disagreement over an Award of Merit.  Also mentioned being notified by CS of lost or missing membership packets.  They planned to send them on the next processing session on 8/6/16.  Says requested info on charges filed against him from the CS and Adm Victor.  Will attempt to pass everything within 48 given but his passwords were removed which makes it hard to do.

 

CS Response to RC’s: Quotes rules that allow her to remove Westfall, Explained that Westfall voted against an award for the Grankite Order of Tactics for David Anderson approved by his RC (for traveling to Killough’s funeral from California, coordinating with SFI membership with information) [Note: I keep all emails.  I do not have this notification]  CS says can forward them to anyone interested.  CS attached Westfall reasons for NAY vote: Persons at funeral did not receive contact from Anderson, He missed funeral because overslept, Later Anderson crashed a private family ceremony.  Two votes changed (Pellerin, Victor) after Westfall’s statement.  COS Sanders and one of Wayne’s best friends (Personal statement by your CO) said that Anderson crashed the private ceremony (Yes, it was to be private) and the private family gathering (Reason your CO did not travel to funeral).  Anderson Response included: Award not important, Gave a shadow box to family (Not mentioned in award request), Wayne’s family did not know about SFI or the Marines, Did not crash (was invited by COS Sander who denies this), States Wayne’s dad did not know how important Fleet was to Wayne and if had known would have allowed an honor guard and Wayne to be buried in uniform.  Wayne’s dad invited him to the family function.  He overslept because of no sleep in 2 days due to work and travel.  CS says that Westfall violated 5 of 6 items in Handbook Member Responsibilities Section 2:05 Page 11 (Good Behavior, Performance of Duty, Impartiality, Courtesy, Know both sides of a dispute)

 

Note: Here is the text of Westfall’s NAY as it is the center of this incident.

 

            OPS votes "Nay" on this Award

            This nomination flies in the face of everything I have heard of the event in question - from numerous people who were able to attend the funeral. David did not communicate - let alone                            "coordinate" - anything with them regarding the funeral... in fact he didn't even attend the funeral because he overslept and missed it (which he had also mentioned to me in a phone                         call). He also, according to what I heard from Tyler (Wayne's roommate who did coordinate aspects of the funeral, including things with Wayne's family) crashed the private                                           ceremony with Wayne's family... as he had not been invited.

            This whole thing just strikes me as wrong. But even though what I have heard has come from several different attendees, I was not there so cannot confirm anything one way or another.

            Robert

 

Petition to Impeach Woodell-Vitasek presented by former CS: Baser: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/impeach-robin-woodell-vitasek  Gross incompetence because of firing for voting NAY and method of delivery was disrespectful.  Cost of incident to Fleet for transferral of materials.

 

Agreement by Les Rickard on Petition a former CS.

 

VCS Bristol was unaware of why Westfall was fired or anything about it.

 

Aug 5, 2016

 

Second Westfall Post regarding this incident and the election: No ill will to the CS, wants leadership accountability, does not want chapters to leave Fleet but to exercise their democratic rights to fix things, (petition, vote for CS), to make SFI strong do not run away, stay and stand up for what you believe whatever it is.

 

Anderson Post (Not part of the CS previous post): 15 pages of fluff to support the CS’s decision to fire Westfall.  Supports the decision.  Nothing new except says he wrote the firing email.

 

Aug 6, 2016

 

Post that petition has enough signatures.

 

Public post by Blaser forwarded from Sanders that she was fired as the Chief of Staff the same day that Westfall was fired but privately.  She said was fired for publicly disagreeing with the CS.  (Note: this would be a normal expectation in industry)

 

Post by Anderson to go read post #1

 

Post by Wilson suggests Anderson threatened members. (I did not see any threats)

 

Post that Commodore Miller wrote the original nomination.

 

Aug 13, 2016

 

Post by RC12 Tolbert that the vote to impeach the CS at the ECAB was 9 yes, 1 no, 2 abstain, and 4 absent.  Needed 11 yes to pass.  There is now an IG investigation into her actions.

 

Unemotional Facts:

 

1. The initial post to the list was very unprofessional. (NC Misconduct Rules 8.4)

1A.  Also remember:  (Praise in public, chastise in private)

2. Westfall held the CS position per the club rules while the ECAB figured out who should have it.

3.  Both are running for CS in the fall election.

4. Rules allow her to fire Westfall as COO but not as Membership Processing (Handbook, Section 6)

 

Things to Note:

 

1.  I have no knowledge that another voter who disagreed with any CS on a Merit Award was ever fired.

2.  Why would anyone be given an award for going to a funeral?  If a color guard had transpired, or some other official thing of merit, maybe.

3. Why would someone get an award for posting information to a list, about funeral arrangements?

4. To my knowledge, no one else who attended the funeral was given an award or put up for one.

 

Unemotional Analysis:

 

1. If no IG investigation is ever done about Westfall, then the initial CS missive was intentional slander.

2. The CS also violated the same 5 portions of the handbook that Westfall supposedly violated.

3. Westfall gave an opinion during a vote and mentioned he could not confirm.  This seems to be standard meeting protocol and an opening for someone with information to announce same.  The CS stated she waited for questions.  Why wait if you have pertinent information?

4.  David Anderson is so silly he is entertaining.  Appears unfit as a leader.

5.  During the entire incident, Westfall has been extremely professional.