Star Trek IFT Fan Club Relaunches Today
2 min readAfter months of preparation, The International Federation of Trekkers has become The Federation, with the unveiling of a new website and Voyages, a Star Trek e-zine.
The International Federation of Trekkers (IFT) was launched in 1984 in Cleveland, Ohio, with the blessing and help of Gene Roddenberry, is now an international non-profit corporation. “This is a very exciting day for me,” said Russ Haslage, president of The Federation.
“I promised Gene that I would take good care of this organization,” added Haslage. “I hope today he might be proud. Not so much of me, but of what the Federation has become.”
According to Haslage, Roddenberry wanted their organization to be one “where fans from all over the world, with different interests and different talents, would come together to do wondrous things. ‘Do as the crew of the Enterprise does in every episode…go places and help people’ Roddenberry told them.”
New features include a new website, “a Federation Marine Corps, for members who want to play in the land forces part of Star Trek, much like the MACOs seen in Star Trek: Enterprise,” and Voyages, a new magazine for members.
“I think the thing that is most exciting and will get the most acclaim is the new Voyages magazine,” said Haslage. “It is a top-notch publication that will rival any magazine on the market today. And what’s special about it is that it’s for fans, by fans and about fans. I think the magazine will really get a lot of attention.”
This month’s issue of Voyages includes messages from Voyages Editor E.J. Haley and The Federation President Russ Haslage, word of a new scholarship for working adults, an explanation of the new changes for the fan club, A conversation with George Takei, “OMG! Chase Masterson,” an article on ITF hero Matthew Haines, an interview with Star Trek Phase II’s James Cawley, The Virtual Federation, Rod Roddenberry and Trek Nation, upcoming conventions, several articles from our own TrekToday and more!
The website is designed well and has seven sections aside from the homepage. The sections are:
- HQ Command. Further divided into History, Mission and Departments.
- Docking. Where information on the various fleets and chapters can be found.
- Other Ports. Links to affiliates and other Trek-related sites.
- The Promenade. Fans are welcomed by none other than Cyrano Jones. This is where Trek-related merchandise will be sold.
- Habitat. Where fans go to play and to socialize. Several games are available in this section.
- News and Events. Details on membership are found in this section. A place where fans can find news from several Trek sites, including TrekToday. There will also be a blog here.
- Membership. The Federation offers extra perks, such as an extra game (TradeWars), their version of Facebook (Spacebook), a members’ forum and the e-magazine, Voyages, for members.
Fans are encouraged to check out The Federation. It has plenty to offer for the Star Trek fan.
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