Pipes Output http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.info?_id=02a3155174db495ac110bc0e494801d1 Thu, 01 Oct 2015 22:46:46 +0000 http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/ https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/departments/science-department/on-sensors/spacewhat%E2%80%99snextaftertheretirementoftheshuttle I recently read a article about the last flight of the space shuttle Discovery. It points out that the USA is starting to privatize space, and I thought I would expand on that. There are several companies currently working to get to space, either going a more traditional route of strapping a rocket to the bottom of a payload and pushing the ignition button, or by more unorthodox methods, such as launching a rocket from a mothership. In the first category is SpaceX. They have been building rockets 2002, got a rocket, Falcon 1,successfully into orbit 2008, although admittedly after several tries, and delivered their first satellite into orbit in 2009. They are currently working on the Falcon 9, which is a larger rocket capable of carrying heavier loads, and even manned missions to the International Space Station. The Falcon 9 missions will include a capsule called Dragon, which is quite similar to the capsules used before the shuttle, and currently by the Russians. It is capable of carrying either cargo or people. All of their rockets are reusable, and the planned Falcon X and Falcon XX will be even more capable. Another company working on the same kind of principle is ArianeSpace, that has been around for several decades now, and have been launching commercial satellites into space from French Guiana, a country located only 4 degrees north of the equator, making it much easier to reach geostationary orbit. Other companies are Orbital, and the big defence and aeronautics companies Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and EADS.  They are all building methods to get payloads into earth orbit, and beyond.In the more unorthodox category is Virgin Galactic, XCOR Aerospace, Bigelow Aerospace, and Rocket Ship Tours. Scaled Composites, who was bought by Virgin Galactic, is the first private company that reached space, and won the Ansari X-Prize. The X-Prize was conceived as a competition to give $10 million to the first company who could reach space twice within two weeks, without government intervention. SpaceShipOne did that October 4, 2004. The unorthodox method they achieved this was by flying the space ship attached to a specially designed place, called White Knight, to a altitude of 15km (50,000 feet), from where SpaceShipOne wass released, the rocket motor is ignited, and away they went. They went to the altitude of 100km, the generally accepted point where space starts. When they came down, they changed the configuration of the ship’s wings (is it still a ship if it has wings?), that allows them to descend much slower into the atmosphere without all the heat and stress that normally is associated with reentry. They are currently working on SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo, the combination of which they are calling VSS Enterprise :D, bigger, more capable versions that will be able to send people into sub orbital flights. They are currently taking bookings at $200,000, and looks like the soonest and cheapest way to get into space without spending at least 20 times as much. Watch the first crewed flight of the VSS Enterprise XCOR Aerospace and Rocket Ship Tours are a similar venture, but they differ slightly in that they have a craft that looks a lot like the Shuttle, but is much lighter and smaller, which will take off from a airfield, go to the 100km limit, and then glide back down. Check out the video. Another of the interesting ones is Armadillo Aerospace, a company created by John Carmack, the creator of the Doom PC games. They are working on a rocket that will be able to launch, and then land again on the rocket output of the rocket. To see what I mean, see this video: This idea has been around a long time, but has always been impractical, until now that we have the computing power to control the rocket direction very quickly. Beyond sub orbital and low earth orbit, the next step for private companies, as it was in the Space Race, is the moon. Google and the X-Prize foundation launched the Google Lunar X Prize competition. The goal of the competition is to launch and land a lunar rover on the moon. The prize money this time around is $30 million. There are 29 companies competing, some of them university teams. What quite a few of these companies have in common is that they are funded and created by people who made their money in the internet age, and are geeks. They grew up with modern science fiction, Star Trek, Star Wars, BSG, and other space based movies and series. The vision that good science fiction provides us, gives us the inspiration to do the work to go beyond our little blue planet. Jaco de Bruyn https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/1198261887675906447 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 08:18:46 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/departments/science-department/on-sensors/thefrontieriseverywhere (Submitted by PO2 Jaco de Bruyn) Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/5083135987316459411 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 12:17:07 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/departments/science-department/on-sensors/theyearinspacesunrisesunset (submitted by LT Darren Higgins)Alan Boyle writes: Earthlike worlds, otherworldly life on Earth, the fading of the shuttle fleet and the rise of the shuttle's successors made headlines in 2010. So what will 2011 bring?The past year has been marked by uncertainty over the direction of America's space effort, and the questions will continue into the next year. When 2010 began, NASA expected to be retiring the space shuttle fleet by now. When 2010 ends, the space agency will still have as many as three shuttle flights to go.The longer term is even fuzzier: Will NASA target a mission to a near-Earth asteroid? To the moons of Mars? Heck, the space agency doesn't yet know with certainty what its spending plan will be for the rest of the current fiscal year — and it's not clear how the political change-over in the House will affect the revised vision for the space effort.The space effort is more than NASA, however. Some of the year's highlights came from other quarters. For example, there was the extended test of the Pentagon's secret X-37B space plane. There was the first free flight of SpaceShipTwo, which could usher in a long-awaited era of commercial space tourism. There were the maiden flights of SpaceX's Falcon 9 launch vehicle and its Dragon capsule, which could resupply the International Space Station once the shuttles truly retire. There were space successes by other countries, such as China (with its Chang'e 2 moon mission) and Japan (with the return of its Hayabusa asteroid probe and the deployment of its Ikaros solar sail.)There were also setbacks and strange twists: Japan's Venus probe missed its mark just this month. NASA's Spirit rover fell mute on Mars. And what kind of year would it be without a few rounds of UFO reports, such as the spate of sightings in China, the release of decades-old "X-Files" in Britain and the testimony of military men about strange missile-base incidents?Every year since 1997, we've reviewed the top space stories of the previous 12 months and looked ahead to the trends to watch in the 12 months to come. It's up to you to choose which story from 2010 and which trend for 2011 should lead the list. To refresh your memory, last year's top story was the LCROSS moon-crashing mission — which, by the way, continued to make news this year. You projected that the top trend would be the impact of newly developed rockets such as SpaceX's Falcon 9 on future spaceflight.Here's this year's roundup. Please vote for your top story and top trend using the polls included on this page, or cast a write-in vote with your comments below. For a visual recap of the year, including some jaw-dropping imagery from Hubble's 20th year, check out our "Year in Space" slideshow — and please vote for your favorite space picture of 2010 at the end of the slideshow. On Dec. 30, we'll recap the winning choices for top story of 2010, top picture of 2010 and top trend of 2011.NASA's shifting course: President Barack Obama announces his plan to cancel the Constellation "back-to-the-moon" program and retool the space agency for a longer-term vision that would send astronauts to a near-Earth asteroid by 2025 and perhaps to the moons of Mars by the 2030s. Members of Congress bristle at some elements of Obama's plan, and prominent critics complain that America would be turning back from the final frontier. By the end of the year, policymakers jury-rig a compromise.Sunrise for private rockets: SpaceX notches two successful flights of its Falcon 9 rocket, and NASA doles out millions of dollars for the development of other private- sector spaceships that could take the shuttle's place. Scaled Composites and Virgin Galactic make headway on their suborbital space venture: SpaceShipTwo flies free at last during unpowered test glides.Earth-sized worlds on the horizon: Scientists sift through data about distant planets, including a "super-Earth" that could conceivably sustain life as we know it, just 20 light-years away. The readings are so delicate that it's difficult to confirm whether that particular super-Earth actually exists. Nevertheless, preliminary findings from NASA's Kepler planet-hunting probe suggest that there could be millions of planets roughly the size of Earth in the Milky Way galaxy. Such reports buoy hopes that Earthlike environments and even alien life may someday be found.Alien life, or false dawn? Speaking of alien life, a controversial study suggests that the chemistry of life could be different from what we assume has to be the case. Could atoms of arsenic take the place of phosphorus in the DNA and proteins of exotic bacteria harvested from a salty lake in California? The controversy is still raging as the year draws to a close, but the debate demonstrates that astrobiology is finally coming down to Earth.UFOs take the spotlight: Investigative journalist Leslie Kean makes a splash with her book "UFOs: Generals, Pilots and Government Officials Go on the Record." Skeptics question the book's assumptions, but Kean holds her ground. The media spotlight follows UFO reports from China as well as from New York and Texas. Meanwhile, a U.N. space official stirs up a discussion over the procedure for dealing with potential revelations about extraterrestrial life.Cast a write-in vote: You have lots of alternatives to choose from, including the aforementioned X-37B mission, China's space effort and Japan's successes and failures in space. You could also go with the buzz over this year's total solar eclipse, the latest news about Saturn and its moons, or the stunning flyby of Comet Hartley 2. Feel free to let me know what I'm missing in your comments below.Now for the top trends of 2011:Farewell to the shuttle fleet: The likeliest schedule calls for Atlantis to take on the final space shuttle flight in late June, bringing the 30-year program to an end. But will NASA be able to stick to that schedule? Will SpaceX and other private-sector providers stick to their schedule as well for developing the spacecraft for resupplying the space station? By the end of the year, will museums really be making plans to exhibit the most complicated flying machines ever built?All aboard for suborbital rides: Virgin Galactic's billionaire founder, Richard Branson, said last month that commercial space tours would be flown on SpaceShipTwo (a.k.a. the VSS Enterprise) in "about 12 months." I'm doubtful about that timetable, but I'd love to be proven wrong. In any case, the schedule calls for the professional pilots to put new suborbital rocket planes to the test next year — not only SpaceShipTwo, but XCOR's Lynx Mark I as well.Sunset, sunrise for Mars missions: Will the Spirit rover's seven-year-long mission on Mars officially draw to a close in 2011? Will its twin rover Opportunity make it to the giant Endurance Crater? Will NASA's Curiosity rover be ready for launch as scheduled in the fall? What giant leaps will NASA consider for future missions to the Red Planet?Rendezvous with an asteroid: The Dawn spacecraft is due to go into orbit around the asteroid Vesta in July and spend a year studying the second-largest body in the asteroid belt. Some astronomers wonder whether Vesta should be considered a dwarf planet, like Ceres (which is Dawn's eventual destination) or Pluto. It really doesn't matter which planetary pigeonhole Vesta is put into — either way, the Dawn mission should be a real eye-opener.Exoplanet quest pays off: The next big release of data from the Kepler planet-hunting mission is due in February, and astronomers are already gearing up for big revelations. The findings could confirm earlier suggestions that super-Earths account for a significant proportion of the planets detected in Kepler's survey. Some scientists suggest that super-Earths could be even more hospitable to life than our own planet. What new light will next year's exoplanetary studies shed on the big questions we have about life, the universe and everything? Stay tuned. ...This article was published on Cosmic Log on the 20121220 and was written by Alan Boyle. Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/2405239598149324593 Fri, 24 Dec 2010 10:09:36 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/departments/science-department/on-sensors/wouldwarpdrivekillyou (This article cross-posted from my personal blog, 01 & The Universe) No. At least, not the way William Edelstein claims it would. In a nutshell, Edelstein claims that when a ship travelling at near the speed of light comes into contact with free-floating Hydrogen atoms in space, the relative velocities of the ship and the Hydrogen would turn it into a lethal blast of radiation, killing the crew. Edelstein used the crew of the Starship Enterprise as an example saying "Well, they're all dead." I'm not going to argue the physics with a physicist, but when he starts talking smack about Star Trek he's on my turf. There are several reasons why interstellar Hydrogen (and anything else that happens to be floating around in space) presents little to no threat to the crew of the Enterprise. Reason 1: Navigation Deflector. In the Star Trek universe, Starship designers have anticipated the problem of floating interstellar debris: be it asteroids, dust or molecular Hydrogen. As a solution, every Starship is fitted with a vital piece of equipment: the Navigational Deflector (also occasionally called the "Asteroid Beam"). Its function is to project a high particle-density stream of radiation out ahead of the ship so as to bump any small obstacles out of the way. You'll recognise the Navigational Deflector as the large, glowing (usually) blue thingy in the front of the ship: Glowing Blue Thingy Larger obstacles present a challenge for the Navigational Deflector, and must be navigated around. Hydrogen is not a problem. Reason 2: Bussard Collectors Encountering Hydrogen in space is, for a Starship, actually a very good thing. Reason being that Starships are powered by Hydrogen. For this reason, Starship designers have equipped most Starships with devices called Bussard Collectors, or Ramscoops. The second name being more descriptive as to their function. These are the glowing red (usually) thingies at the front end of each Warp nacelle: Glowing Red Thingy These devices project a strong magnetic field out ahead of the ship, capturing free-floating Hydrogen (having been ionised by the Navigational Deflector) and funneling it into a collector. From there it gets processed and eventually ends up in the ship's fuel tanks, ready to be annihilated with some antimatter. Reason 3: Warp Drive This is a tricky one. Although Warp Drive allows people in the Star Trek universe to travel at velocities far in excess of the speed of light, they're not really travelling faster than light. Because, well, that would be impossible. Instead, the Warp Drive uses incredibly powerful artificial gravity and electromagnetic fields to curve (or warp) space-time, thus effectively reducing the distance between them and their destination. The ship then travels at nice, comfortable, sub-light speeds through the newly warped space. As soon as the ship has passed through a particular region of space, it snaps back to its normal dimensions. You may have wondered why the image of the ship stretches out as we see it go to Warp... well, that's why. It's not really stretching, it's just travelling through a region of warped space-time. Not Really Stretching. Even if the Navigational Deflector and Bussard Collectors were to go offline, that free-floating Hydrogen wouldn't pose much of a threat to a ship travelling at an actual speed (relative to the space around it) of a few thousand kilometers per hour. Friction? Yes. Lethal blast of radiation? Hardly. So don't worry. Despite inflammatory headlines on MSNBC, Captain Kirk and the gang are quite safe on the Bridge of the Enterprise. They have more to worry about from Klingons and Romulans than free-floating Hydrogen. If you're interested in learning more about the physics and technology of the Star Trek universe, I recommend The Physics of Star Trek - Lawrence Krauss and Star Trek: Science Logs - Andre Bormanis. Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/6343660436121556820 Thu, 01 Apr 2010 08:29:23 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/departments/science-department/on-sensors/fireballdetectedoversectoralpha At approximately 23:00 SAST on Saturday the 21st of November 2009 (Stardate [-28] 02199), dozens of local residents of Gauteng Province reported seeing a bright flash in the sky.The Dauntless didn't have its sensors scanning that area at the time, but recent downloads from ground-based reconnaissance has yielded the following sensor data:Our initial analysis of this data suggests that the object was likely a rocky meteor, with a mass of several tons (perhaps about the size of a Type 15 Shuttlepod) with a high Copper content (hence the blue colour to the flame).It appears that the object exploded in the high atmosphere, so it is unlikely that any material residue will be discovered for analysis. Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/6203906277970322257 Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:58:41 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/departments/science-department/on-sensors/timruss-amateurastronomer As part of the International Year of Astronomy's new media outreach, the IYA committee produce a daily podcast called the 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast. The 365 Days of Astronomy is a collaborative podcast in which listeners themselves are invited to submit recordings relating to astronomy. The episode published on the 15th of September 2009 featured an interview with actor Tim Russ about his interest in astronomy.Russ is better known to us a 'Tuvok' from Star Trek: Voyager. Ed Sunder, a member of Flintstone Stargazing, asked Russ a series of questions about his hobby: astronomy. Russ gave details of the equipment he uses, the organisations he associates with and some of his favourite objects.Read the transcript or listen to the podcast here. Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/655439662704566082 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:17:14 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/departments/engineering-department/the-warp-core/howtoturnyourandroiddeviceintoaworkingtricorder In years gone by, cellphones have, to a large extent, born a distinct likeness to a popular Star Trek device: the mid 23rd century Communicator.      Mid 23rd Century Communicator  Motorola Q9c However, in more recent years a new class of cellphone has started to emerge: one combined with PDA-style handheld computers (which themselves happened to resemble 24th century PADDs). Erroneously referred to as "smartphones", this new kind of mobile device bears more of a resemblance to other Star Trek devices, the late 24th century Tricorder. Late 24th Century Tricorder HTC Desire "smartphone"Added to their superficial appearance, these new smartphones come equipped with an array of on-board sensors, just like their 24th century counterparts. Problem is, not all of those sensors are set up in such a way that a Starfleet Officer can use them effectively. Fortunately there are third-party software applications ("apps") that can be installed on these devices in order to turn them into a rudimentary, but fully functional scanning device!(The following guide is aimed specifically at devices running the Android operating system, and have all been tested on an HTC Desire running Android v2.2. It should also apply to all other Android devices. Some of these apps are also available for other smartphone platforms like iOS, Symbian and BlackBerry.)Optical ScanningThe most obvious scanning function of these devices is the ability to record static and moving images. All Android devices come equipped with at least one camera, as well as applications to use the camera to take photographs and record video. You don't need to install anything extra to use this functionality.Recorded images and videos can be moved from the device to another computer using either a USB cable, Bluetooth wireless transmission or email. By installing the relevant apps, it's possible to transmit them via the Internet to a variety of services including Picasa Web Albums, Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, DropBox and Evernote.But the optical scanning capabilities go beyond simple photographs and videos. By installing the Google Goggles app, your Tricorder will be able to scan images to extract barcodes, text and images - and use that data to search the web. In addition, text can be translated into another other supported language using Google's Translator (just like a Universal Translator!).Audio ScanningAs with optical scanning, your Tricorder is already able to record and send audio clips using the built-in Voice Recorder app. By installing Shazam you will be able to use your Tricorder to identify songs playing in the background. It only needs a few seconds of audio to compare against the Shazam online database and it can tell you the name and artist of the song you're listening to. (It can even send you straight to a website where you can buy your own copy of the song, if you like).In addition, by installing the Google Translate app, you can use your Tricorder as an almost real-time translator: speak into the Tricorder, tap "Translate" and listen as it reads out the translation to the person you're talking to. Then have them speak into the Tricorder have have it translated back into your language!Navigation and AstrometricsTo assist you in navigating around the planet's surface, most Android devices come with Google Maps installed. Maps is also to tie into the device's GPS and network location systems to determine where you are on the planet. Searching for your destination in Maps will provide you with step-by-step directions via car, bicycle, foot or public transport. In some sectors, it can even reroute you based on traffic density.In order to get an accurate astrometric reading, install the Google Sky Map app. Sky Map also connects via GPS to determine your location and local time, as well as connecting to the device's built-in compass and accelerometer to determine what direction you're holding it.To see what artificial satellites are in visual range at any given time, using the Satellite AR app can tell you what satellites are in range now, as well as a projected schedule of fly-overs for the future.Away Team CoordinationIf you've become separated from the rest of your Away Team, using Google Maps to connect to the Google Latitude service can show you where they, and all your other friends, are in near real-time. Of course, using the device's array of communication tools (such as Google Talk, Skype, Facebook Chat, Twitter or SMS) will help you keep in touch with your team-mates while on and off duty.General ScanningOne cannot overlook the useful and versatile Tricorder app, which is designed to read data from most of the device's sensors and display them on the screen, in a familiar LCARS interface.Your Tricorder is not without ts medical applications as well: you can measure your heart-rate, track the number of steps you've taken on your workout, and even log the route you've taken on your run. Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/2402836669746190535 Sat, 22 Jan 2011 12:38:45 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/departments/engineering-department/the-warp-core/apologiesfortheinconvenience If you are an RSS subscriber to the USS Dauntless' site, you'll no doubt have noticed that about 50 or so old posts from the website appeared in your feed as "unread" this morning. Here's why.Last week, Google announced that Google Sites were to start offering XML feeds for each individual "announcements" page on a Google Site. Before that announcement, our Engineering team had improvised an impromptu RSS feed aggregating the various announcements pages using a complicated sequence of publishings to various different web-based services. This new technology has allowed us to simplify and improve the process substantially.Using a combination of Yahoo! Pipes and Feedburner, we've streamlined our RSS output, but an unfortunate side-effect of the switch-over was that all old posts were added into the feed again. So we're sorry about that, but we hope you'll enjoy the new efficiency and speed (thanks to Feedburner's PubSubHubbub technology) of the new system. Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/4022480106762669627 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:21:43 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/departments/engineering-department/the-warp-core/foldersharingingoogledocs Google has announced that it is now possible to share entire folders in Google Docs with your friends, or even to make them public.This may prove useful for us aboard the USS Dauntless, as we use Google Docs extensively as a collaborative and publishing platform for our internal documentation.For a detailed overview of the new functionality, see the story at Google Operating System. Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/7338706614699298930 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:19:27 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/departments/command-department/ship-s-log/captainslogstardate-2711767 Captain's Log Stardate [-27] 1176.7 Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/3830456817107765601 Wed, 22 Oct 2014 09:45:07 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/departments/command-department/ship-s-log/anotherfullweekendahead2013-06-28 As is fast becoming the norm aboard our modest vessel, the coming weekend appears full of exciting activities!Tonight Alpha Team will beam down to The Zone @ Rosebank to see the new movie, Man of Steel, in 3D. A good turnout of both crew-members and civilians is expected. Their mission will be to Have a good time together, watching an awesome movie. This mission is commanded by COMM Owen Swart.Tomorrow afternoon, Tactical Simulations Division will host, in association with the Warzone gaming club, a HeroClix tournament at Jeppe Quondam in Alpha Sector. Their mission will be to explore various tactical scenarios through the HeroClix gaming system, in a motivated and competitive environment. This mission is commanded by SSGT Deon Barnard.On Sunday, Tactical Simulations Division will be hosting a function: Magic & HeroClix Day in SSGT Barnard's quarters. This monthly function involves a full day of gaming, primarily but not exclusively Magic The Gathering and HeroClix, with a mixture of Dauntless personnel and civilians. Their mission will be to explore a variety of tactical and strategic scenarios through various different gaming systems. This function is hosted by SSGT Deon Barnard.Sunday evening, Tau Team will beam down to the V&A Waterfront for a viewing of Star Trek: Into Darkness in 2D. Their mission will be to fully explore the new film and absorb nuances and subtleties that may have been missed upon the first viewing in 3D. This mission will be commanded by PO2 Evelyn Mervine Gauntlett.Monday evening will see our weekly Star Trek RPG session in the Captain's Mess. Our mission will be to immerse ourselves in the Star Trek universe and explore various tactical and other scenarios through the STRPG system. This function is hosted by COMM Owen Swart and commanded by CMDR Chris Sham.As is my habit these days, I expect to be processing a number of promotions next week. Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/8393446537405959246 Fri, 28 Jun 2013 09:15:57 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/departments/command-department/ship-s-log/busyfewdaysahead-2013-06-20 Captain's log, stardate 8731.3. Commodore Owen Swart recording.Over the next five days, the crew of the Dauntless will be even busier than usual with a variety of missions and functions currently planned.Tonight, Zeta Team will be beaming down for a SciOps away mission: Sceptics in the Pub - Durban. Sceptics in the Pub is a civilian outreach program that we operate in conjunction with the South African Sceptics designed to build and support the sceptical community devoted to science education and consumer advocacy. Our mission will be to organise and facilitate this event. The mission will be commanded by PO3 Clinton Armitage.Also tonight, Alpha Team will beam down to Rumble in the Pub - Midrand. Rumble in the Pub is a casual debating club, designed to help foster rational discourse and the free market of ideas. Our mission will be to organise and facilitate this event. The mission will be commanded by PO1 Suzanne Patterson.Tomorrow evening, the Tactical Simulations Division will hold a Star Trek CCG games night in the Captain's Mess for Alpha Team. Star Trek CCG is a trading card game produced by the Trek Continuing Committee and Decipher Inc. Our mission will be to explore various strategic and other scenarios through the Star Trek CCG gaming system. The function will be hosted by COMM Owen Swart.Saturday afternoon TSD will hold the weekly Saturday Afternoon HeroClix event at Jeppe Quondam in Alpha Sector, in collaboration with the Warzone gaming club. Our mission will be to explore various tactical scenarios through the HeroClix gaming system. This mission will be commanded by SSGT Deon Barnard.Sunday morning Alpha Team will visit the Body Worlds exhibition at the Sci Bono Discovery Centre. Body Worlds is an exhibition that's toured the world, in which real human cadavers, preserved in resin, are arranged in various artistic poses. The object of the exhibition is to educate the visitor on human anatomy in an engaging and aesthetically pleasing way. Our mission will be to visit the exhibition and learn as much as we can. The mission will be commanded by COMM Owen Swart.Monday evening, TSD will hold the weekly Alpha Team Star Trek Role Playing session in the Captain's Mess. The role playing game is built using Decipher Inc's material built on the Coda role playing system. Our mission will be to immerse ourselves in the Star Trek universe and explore various strategic, tactical and other scenarios though the STRPG gaming system. This function will be commanded by LCDR Chris Sham.A busy few days, with plenty of opportunities for excellence and advancement. I expect to see a couple of promotions next week.Swart out. Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/7935135482260128601 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 07:23:58 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/departments/command-department/ship-s-log/commandreport-september2010 Captain to all hands. Things are returning to normal aboard the USS Dauntless. Away Missions: In August we had three Away Missions: 2010/08/04: Sceptics in the Pub - Joburg (SciOps): The Joburg contingent of the SciOps team attended the monthly gathering. An important topic discussed was the formation of a formal civilian sceptics organisation to handle the planning and marketing of sceptical events and initiatives. (Photos) 2010/08/20: Star Trek CCG Night (Alpha Team): Alpha Team members met at the home of LTJG Bruce Smith for hours and hours of Star Trek gaming. (Photos) 2010/08/21: Sceptics in the Pub - Pretoria (SciOps): The Pretoria contingent of the SciOps team attended the monthly gathering. (Facebook Event)   We currently have three upcoming Away Missions planned for this month:  2010/09/16: Sceptics in the Pub - Port Elizabeth (SciOps) 2010/09/18: Medical Relief Mission (Alpha Team) Rendezvous at Bruma McDonalds at 10:00. 2010/09/18: Sceptics in the Pub - Pretoria (SciOps) Awards/Promotions/Graduations and Recruits: We've had no new recruits this month. We've had the following Academy graduations: ENS Dewald de Coning received a grade of PASS for Specialist I in Cartography from the IOST - Vulcan Academy of Science ENS Dewald de Coning received a grade of HONORS for VAS 107 - Specialist I in Mathematics from the IOST - Vulcan Academy of Science ENS Dewald de Coning received a grade of HONORS for KWA 101 - History & Government from the IOAS - Klingon Warrior Academy ENS Guy Sclanders received a grade of DISTINCTION for IOMS:COS-101 TOS Rank Recognition from the School of IOMS - College of Security ENS Guy Sclanders received a grade of HONORS for IOMS:COS-104 TNG Early Rank Recognition from the School of IOMS - College of Security ENS Dewald de Coning received a grade of HONORS for KWA 102 - Klingon Military from the IOAS - Klingon Warrior Academy ENS Dewald de Coning received a grade of DISTINCTION for KWA 103 - Physiology from the IOAS - Klingon Warrior Academy ENS Dewald de Coning received a grade of DISTINCTION for KWA 201 - Legends of the Empire from the IOAS - Klingon Warrior Academy ENS Dewald de Coning received a grade of HONORS for KWA 202 - Treaties of the Empire from the IOAS - Klingon Warrior Academy We've had the following reassignment: LCDR Jim Nave was reassigned to the position of Executive Officer We have had the following rank promotions: Ensign Dewald de Coning was promoted to Lieutenant (JG) Lieutenant Commander Jim Nave was promoted to Commander Marine Captain Paul Nott was promoted to Major Crewman Tyron Bennett was promoted to Petty Officer 3rd Class As always, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact me, your Department Head, your Away Team leader or any member of the Command staff. FCAPT Owen Swart Commanding Officer, USS Dauntless Acting Coordinator, Region 8 STARFLEET Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/8399825088375106304 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:07:53 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/departments/command-department/ship-s-log/commandreportaugust2010 Captain to all hands. It's been a relatively quiet month aboard the Dauntless, and one that was marred by the tragic loss of one of our founding members and beloved daughter of both our former CO's, CDT Margaret Donohoe. Away Missions: In the last month we've had two Away Missions: 2010/07/07: Sceptics in the Pub - Joburg (SciOps): The Joburg contingent of the SciOps team attended the monthly gathering. This time the event included a trip to a cinema to see the newly released bio-pic, 'Creation' about the life and work of the originator of the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection, Charles Darwin. (Photos) 2010/07/17: Medical Relief Mission (Alpha Team): A small contingent of Alpha Team attended the first medical relief mission in some time. Due to scheduling difficulties with the Soccer World Cup, it was necessary to delay this mission by a month. We currently have three upcoming Away Missions planned for this month: 2010/08/04: Sceptics in the Pub - Joburg (SciOps): at the usual Eastern Alpha Sector venue again: Dros, Edenvale.2010/08/20: Star Trek CCG Night (Alpha/Beta Teams): the details remain unconfirmed. (Discussion wave) 2010/08/21: Sceptics in the Pub - Pretoria (SciOps): at a venue that has yet to be finalised. Awards/Promotions/Graduations and Recruits: We've welcomed aboard one new Recruit: Guy Sclanders We've had the following Academy graduations: CRM Dewald de Coning received a grade of HONORS for OTS from the IOLS - Officer's Training School ENS Dewald de Coning received a grade of DISTINCTION for OCC from the School of IOLS - Officer's Command College CRR Guy Sclanders received a grade of PASS for OTS from the IOLS - Officer's Training School We've had the following reassignment: ENS Dewald de Coning was reassigned to the position of Deputy Chief Security Officer We have had the following rank promotions: Crewman Abel Joubert was promoted to Petty Officer 3rd Class Crewman Dewald de Coning was promoted to Ensign Crewman Recruit Guy Sclanders was promoted to Ensign As always, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact me, your Department Head, your Away Team leader or any member of the Command staff. FCAPT Owen Swart Commanding Officer, USS Dauntless Acting Coordinator, Region 8 STARFLEET Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/5143218968506428332 Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:40:27 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/departments/command-department/ship-s-log/captaintoallhands-july2010 As you may recall, we've decided to make an effort to put together a kind of internal report from the Command Staff to the rest of the crew on a regular basis. I'm going to try and do this every month - so far so good. Away Missions In the last month we've had two Away Missions: 2010/06/02: Sceptics in the Pub - Joburg (SciOps): The Joburg contingent of the SciOps team attended the monthly gathering, this time at Dros in Greenstone, Edenvale. The turnout was a little less than usual, probably due to the cold. (Photos: - the quality is a little off. I was still getting the hang of my new Tricorder.) 2010/06/09: Sceptics in the Pub - Pretoria (SciOps): The Pretoria contingent of the SciOps team (commanded by PO3 de Bruyn) attended the monthly gathering, at News Cafe in Menlyn, Pretoria We currently have one upcoming Away Mission planned for SciOps: Sceptics in the Pub - Joburg (July) is taking place on Wednesday the 7th at Bulldogs Pub & Grill, Rosebank Mall, Joburg, where we'll also be going to see the new movie "Creation" during the course of the evening.Awards/Promotions/Graduations and RecruitsWe've welcomed aboard one new Recruit: Dewald de Coning Although we haven't had any Academy graduations or reassignments in the last few weeks, we have had a few rank promotions: Crewman Recruit Veenay Mungal was promoted to Crewman Apprentice Crewman Jaco de Bruyn was promoted to Petty Officer 3rd Class Crewman Apprentice Kristin Miles was promoted to Crewman Crewman Apprentice Veenay Mungal was promoted to Crewman Crewman Recruit Dewald de Coning was promoted to Crewman Apprentice Crewman Apprentice Dewald de Coning was promoted to Crewman As always, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact me, your Department Head, your Away Team leader or any member of the Command staff. FCAPT Owen Swart Commanding Officer, USS Dauntless Acting Coordinator, Region 8 STARFLEET Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/8958948957740645741 Fri, 02 Jul 2010 08:40:46 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/departments/command-department/ship-s-log/captaintoallhands The Command staff and I thought it might be a nice idea if we sent you updates from time to time on all the activity that's been going on aboard the ship. Since I just filed our Monthly Status Report to STARFLEET Command, I'm the most up-to-speed person on board at the moment, so I'll get the ball rolling. Away Missions: In the last month we've had three Away Missions: 2010/05/05: Sceptics in the Pub - Joburg (SciOps): The Joburg contingent of the SciOps team attended the monthly gathering, this time at Dros in Cresta Shopping Centre, Randburg. (Photos: http://goo.gl/DVAi) 2010/05/21: Movie/Games Night (Alpha & Beta Teams): What had originally been planned as a joint movie outing with Alpha Team and visiting Beta team turned into Role Playing games night hosted by LTJG Bruce Smith. 2010/06/02: Sceptics in the Pub - Joburg (SciOps): The monthly even for June was held at Dros, Edenvale. (Photos: http://goo.gl/3mt2) We currently have one upcoming Away Mission planned: Sceptics in the Pub - Pretoria is taking place tomorrow night at News Cafe, Menlyn. (http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=122902807744687) Awards/Promotions/Graduations and Recruits: We've welcomed aboard one new Recruit: Veenay Mungal. Although we haven't had any Academy graduations in the last few weeks, we have had a few rank promotions: Private Riaan Botha was promoted to Private First Class Crewman Recruit Kristin Miles was promoted to Crewman Apprentice Lieutenant Darren Higgins was promoted to Commander Crewman Recruit Veenay Mungal was promoted to Crewman Apprentice We've also had a few reassignments: LT Darren Higgins was reassigned to Tactical Officer CRM Jaco de Bruyn was reassigned to Astrometrics Technician LT Darren Higgins was reassigned to Chief Security Officer (again) VADM Kim Brooks was reassigned to Ship's Counsellor CMDR Darren Higgins was reassigned to Executive Officer As always, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact me, your Department Head, your Away Team leader or any member of the Command staff. FCAPT Owen Swart Commanding Officer, USS Dauntless Acting Coordinator, Region 8 STARFLEET Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/2236097342146943063 Tue, 08 Jun 2010 09:30:33 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/departments/command-department/ship-s-log/changeincommandpositions All hands.As some of you already know, the Executive Officer of the USS Dauntless, Vice Admiral Kimberly Brooks, and the Vice Regional Coordinator of Region 8, Commodore Tom Donohoe, have both decided to stand down from those positions.I have served under and with these two Officers for a number of years, and both the ship and the region owe them both a debt of gratitude for the tireless dedication and wealth of experience they have both brought to these positions. In the future I will continue to rely on that insight an an advisory capacity as they continue to serve in other positions aboard the Dauntless.Although two holes have now been formed in the command staffs of the ship and region, STARFLEET regulations are quite clear that both positions must be filled immediately. I've had a very difficult decision to make.A number of excellent candidates applied to step up and serve. After much careful deliberation, I have made my choice.Effective immediately the positions of Executive Officer, USS Dauntless and Vice Regional Coordinator, Region 8 will be filled by Lieutenant Darren Higgins.Commander Higgins, congratulations, and may the gods have mercy upon your soul.FCAPT Owen SwartCommanding Officer, USS DauntlessActing Coordinator, Region 8STARFLEET Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/731044404657128130 Thu, 27 May 2010 10:47:30 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/departments/command-department/ship-s-log/dauntlesscaps I'm pleased to announce a new addition to our officially recognised uniform set: official USS Dauntless caps.These caps are designed to resemble the traditional US Navy caps, with a side-view of the ship, surrounded by the ship's name and registry number. The only difference here being that our caps are in traditional Starfleet black instead of navy blue.To see what the caps look like, take a look at the new Caps page.Apart from a few Alpha Team members who already have their new caps, I'll bet most of you are wondering how you can get one. Well, there are several ways.Probably the easiest way is to order them from our Cafepress store. This is a printed version of the cap, with a slightly smaller version of the design on the front.Another way is to order them directly from me. I have a supplier here in Joburg who can make embroidered versions of the caps for R50 (ZAR) each. For those of you living in Southern Africa, getting you one should be relatively easy. For those living elsewhere, I'm afraid you'll need to send enough money to cover the shipping as well (I don't know how much that would be yet - I'd have to look into it on a case-by-base basis). This may still work out cheaper than buying from Cafepress though.If you have a supplier in your city who can make embroidered caps inexpensively, let me know and I'll send you the artwork files to give them. Away Team leaders: I'd suggest you look into this option for the sake of your team members.I'm looking forward to seeing photos of crew-members out and about in their Dauntless caps! Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/3965748264818248984 Mon, 22 Mar 2010 08:37:20 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/departments/command-department/ship-s-log/rankpromotionpath I've recently had a few crew-members ask me how the rank promotion path works. I admit it's a pretty complicated system, and the Promotion Requirements Document can be pretty daunting to interpret.So I thought it might be helpful to put together a chart showing the basic outline of how it currently works:Click on the image to see it in the original full size.As you can see, it's not quite as complicated as it sounds when trying to explain it verbally. Essentially you have two rank 'tracks', one for Enlisted Personnel and one for Officers. Switching from Enlisted to Officer is as easy as taking the OTS exam at STARFLEET Academy. Getting to Commander is slightly more difficult, in that it requires completing the OCC exam as well.This chart applies only aboard the USS Dauntless. Ranks Captain and above are determined by separate requirements laid out by STARFLEET in the Membership Handbook. The above chart only lists Naval ranks, but the Marine ranks follow the exact same pattern within the 360th MSG.If you need some clarification or have any other questions, please feel free to post them below or contact me privately. Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/1558614836129700199 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:44:04 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/departments/command-department/ship-s-log/newrecreationaluniforms One request I've received over and over again from Dauntless crewmembers is that we look into endorsing a new class of uniform. This new uniform had to be cheaper, easier and less formal than our existing classes, so that members could get themselves into a uniform sooner and more easily.We tossed around some ideas for months, many of which involved costly and troublesome printing, embroidery and expensive shipping... which were the exact problems we were trying to solve.This week, we finally hit on the solution: drawing on the simplicity of the Original Series uniforms, we're ready to announce the release of our new Leisure Uniforms!The beauty of these uniforms is that they consist of two things: a pair of ordinary blue jeans (which almost everyone already has in their wardrobe) and a Branch of Service coloured T-shirt, available at just about any good clothing retailer.The simplicity of it allows our many Away Teams to get their uniforms at their local clothing stores, instead of having to rely on costly and slow Internet retailers. And T-shirts are cheap enough that even students can afford to pick one up in time for their very first Away Mission. Although we lament the fact that this uniform doesn't display any official logos or insignia, there are plans underway to remedy that in the coming months. So stay tuned!To find out more about the specifics of these new uniforms, as well as the other recognised uniform classes, please visit the Uniforms Page. Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/2539423570351614966 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 10:30:38 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/departments/command-department/ship-s-log/internationaltalklikeapirateday Arrr, we, aboard the good ship Dauntless, have chosen t' honour the historical tradition o' pirates and pri'ateers: indi'iduals who chose t' sacrifice comfort and ease in fa'our o' freedom and self determination upon the high seas.  This is reflected in our coat o' arms, which bears a resemblance t' the Jolly Roger, and in the attitude each and e'ery Dauntless crewmember.  E'ery year on September the 19th, we celebrate International Talk Like a Pirate day, in order t' further celebrate that rich cultural history. So, this comin' Saturday, prepare t' trim the mainsail and batton down the hatches. A'ast, ye mateys, gar! Yoho! Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/1317900374222336787 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 07:23:00 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/mission-logs/startrekmonday-stardate-2728141 Members of Alpha Team gathered on the evening the 14th of September 2015 for the weekly Star Trek Monday at DeeTwenty Geeking Venue.Members played Star Trek Online, Ticket to Ride: Africa and watched screenings of Star Trek. Crew-members in attendance:RADM Owen Swart (commanding)LT Alexander FairbrassPO2 Gail ShawSeveral civilians were also present. Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/5591635880329493445 Tue, 15 Sep 2015 15:08:42 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/mission-logs/alphateammedicalreliefmission-stardate-2728014 Members of Alpha Team gathered on the weekend of 12 September 2015 at Hodges Coffee Shop in Cragihall for breakfast.  After breakfast, the away team headed upstairs to the local SANBS donor centre and gave blood. Lives saved: 3. Crew-members in attendance:RADM Owen Swart (commanding)CPO Suzanne PattersonSeveral civilians were also present. Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/7323915387384123658 Mon, 14 Sep 2015 17:57:07 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/mission-logs/startrekmonday-stardate-2727786 Members of Alpha Team gathered on the evening the 31st of August 2015 for the weekly Star Trek Monday at DeeTwenty Geeking Venue.Members played Star Trek Online and watched screenings of Star Trek. Crew-members in attendance:RADM Owen Swart (commanding)CPO Suzanne Patterson Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/3525569014991643638 Mon, 07 Sep 2015 17:48:33 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/mission-logs/medievalfayre-stardate-2727681 Members of Alpha Team gathered on the afternoon and evening the 5th of September 2015 for the annual Magical Medieval Fayre at Ball & All Driving Range and Pub.Members played Magic: The Gathering, and participated in various medieval-themed activities on offer. All crew-members present were disguised in appropriate clothing for occasion. Crew-members in attendance:RADM Owen Swart (commanding)LT Alexander FairbrassCPO Suzanne Patterson Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/1326107778963434181 Mon, 07 Sep 2015 10:24:02 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/mission-logs/startrekmonday-stardate-2727441 Members of Alpha Team gathered on the evening the 31st of August 2015 for the weekly Star Trek Monday at DeeTwenty Geeking Venue.Members played Star Trek Online, watched screenings of Star Trek and enjoyed a Holodeck Adventure simulating the Star Wars universe, as programmed by PO2 Gail Shaw. Crew-members in attendance:RADM Owen Swart (commanding, mission)PO2 Gail Shaw (commanding, Holodeck Adventure)LT Alexander FairbrassSeveral civilians were also present. Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/412361175065333302 Tue, 01 Sep 2015 07:46:40 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/mission-logs/wednesdaynightheroclix-stardate-2727191 Members of the 360th Marine Strike Group and Alpha Team gathered on the evening the 26th of August 2015 for the weekly Wednesday Night HeroClix at DeeTwenty Geeking Venue.Members played HeroClix, Magic: The Gathering, World of Warcraft and participated in an online competitive Hearthstone event called a Tavern Brawl. Crew-members in attendance:MGEN Owen Swart (commanding)CPO Suzanne PattersonSeveral civilians were also present. Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/6721658905020428736 Thu, 27 Aug 2015 15:33:20 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/mission-logs/startrekmonday-stardate-2727089 Members of Alpha Team gathered on the evening the 25th of August 2015 for the weekly Star Trek Monday at DeeTwenty Geeking Venue.Members played Star Trek Online, watched screenings of Star Trek and enjoyed a Holodeck Adventure simulating the Star Wars universe, as programmed by PO2 Gail Shaw. Crew-members in attendance:RADM Owen Swart (commanding, mission)PO2 Gail Shaw (commanding, Holodeck Adventure)LT Alexander FairbrassSeveral civilians were also present. Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/6079973024122135385 Tue, 25 Aug 2015 12:53:29 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/mission-logs/wednesdaynightheroclix-stardate-2726841 Members of the 360th Marine Strike Group and Alpha Team gathered on the evening the 19th of August 2015 for the weekly Wednesday Night HeroClix at DeeTwenty Geeking Venue.Members played HeroClix, Magic: The Gathering, World of Warcraft and participated in an online competitive Hearthstone event called a Tavern Brawl. Crew-members in attendance:MGEN Owen Swart (commanding)CPO Suzanne PattersonSeveral civilians were also present. Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/9156696413990282812 Wed, 19 Aug 2015 20:04:25 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/mission-logs/startrekmonday-stardate-2726739 Members of Alpha Team gathered on the evening the 17th of August 2015 for the weekly Star Trek Monday at DeeTwenty Geeking Venue.Members played Star Trek Online, watched screenings of Star Trek and enjoyed a Holodeck Adventure simulating the Star Wars universe, as programmed by PO2 Gail Shaw. Crew-members in attendance:RADM Owen Swart (commanding)LT Alexander FairbrassPO2 Gail ShawSeveral civilians were also present. Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/6394247840266805509 Mon, 17 Aug 2015 19:36:33 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/mission-logs/tsdalphateamroleplayingcampaignseason2complete The first two seasons of Alpha Team's official roleplaying campaign have been wrapped up, with our somewhat terroristy Maquis cell surviving all the way through to the arrival of the Dominion that ends the Maquis movement. After a couple months' break, we'll begin season 3, with the player characters now conscripted into Starfleet for the Dominion War.Those who'd like to read about all the gritty details of the story so far should look on Obsidian Portal. You can also read shorter summaries for season 1 and season 2 on my blog.New players are always welcome, and we may even have enough to run two groups in parallel.Crew-members in attendance (for both seasons):COMM Owen SwartCMDR James HoughLT Chris Sham (game master)LT Shaun van der BergPO2 Suzanne PattersonPO3 Alex FairbrassCDT2 Jay van der BergCivilian Scot BrimsonCivilian Sita SuzanneCivilian Gail Shaw https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/70936848148839086 Thu, 28 Mar 2013 00:38:39 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/mission-logs/alphateambreakfastandmedicalreliefmission-1 Members of Alpha Team gathered on the weekend of 29 December 2012 at McDonalds in Bruma for a session of gaming and breakfast. Games played were Magic: The Gathering and Star Trek CCG. After breakfast, the away team headed across the road to the local SANBS donor centre and gave blood. Lives saved: 3. Crew-members in attendance:COMM Owen Swart (commanding)CMDR James HoughMAJ Paul NottCPL Deon BarnardPO1 Patrick TillCivilian Basil Polydorou  https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/6378554174369869493 Tue, 01 Jan 2013 12:26:22 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/mission-logs/tsdsaturdayafternoonheroclix20121027 Every Saturday the HeroClix team of the Tactical Simulations Division meets at Warfair, a strategy gaming club in Johannesburg. This weekend, the plans changed. Upon arriving at the club, the team discovered that all the tables were occupied by a tournament of the WWII strategy game. CRA Deon Barnard kindly offered that we move the mission to his quarters, which we promptly did.More photos on Google+.Crew-members in attendance:COMM Owen SwartCMDR James HoughPO1 Patrick TillCRA Deon Barnard (commanding) Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/8921158165516774172 Mon, 05 Nov 2012 11:49:08 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/mission-logs/alphateambreakfastandmedicalreliefmission As members of Alpha Team are wont to do, they met this weekend at McDonalds in Bruma for a session of gaming and breakfast. Games played were Magic: The Gathering and Star Trek CCG. After breakfast, the cre headed across the road to the local SANBS donor centre and gave blood. Lives saved: 2. Crew-members in attendance:COMM Owen Swart (commanding)CMDR James HoughPO1 Patrick TillCRR Deon Barnard Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/474424992061355639 Wed, 31 Oct 2012 09:49:51 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/mission-logs/tsdgeneralgamesnight The new Tactical Simulations Division enjoyed a general games evening hosted by PO2 Patrick Till in his quarters.Games played that evening were HeroClix, Magic: The Gathering, Star Trek CCG and Star Trek: Fleet Captains.More photos and details here (access restricted): Google+Crew-members in attendance:COMM Owen SwartCMDR James HoughLT Shaun van der BergPO2 Mike BreytenbachPO2 Patrick Till (commanding)CRM Suzanne Patterson Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/5669955975120094481 Tue, 30 Oct 2012 09:20:38 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/mission-logs/alphateamrumbleinthepub20121025 One of our newest crew-members, CRR Suzanne Patterson, commanded her very first away mission! Recruit Patterson has been one of the organisers of the regular Rumble events for some time, but now having signed up with the Dauntless those events are now considered official Away Missions!The topics under discussion were:DeafnessBeing deaf has both its pros and cons. People identify as deaf before they identify in terms of race. The language is universal and the behaviour far more social. On the flip side, abuse of deaf people is more rife. A study in Texas showed that deaf people were the significant majority of violent sexual offenders.Are we failing deaf and disabled people as a society?What lessons can we learn from both the pros and cons of disabilities?Would you still be able to do what you do now if you were deaf?What is the sense you think you could most easily live without?Can obesity discrimination be justified?It has been said that obese persons are the last acceptable targets of discrimination. The World Health Organization found in 2008 that 1.5 billion adults around the world were overweight, and another 500 million people were obese.Victoria Hospital in Texas has stated they will no longer hire anyone with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 35 or higher. Chairs on the Queen Mary II broke under the weight of obese passengers. In 1989, 12 overweight passengers on an Olympic airline flight were made to disembark a plane and got into an argument over who was heavier. Between 1990 and 2000, the population weight gain cost American airlines an additional $275 million in fuel costs.If 200 million people around the world are obese, do they qualify for minority protection against discrimination?If studies can show that obesity causes drops in workplace productivity and excess sick leave, can a similar argument be made against smokers and diabetics and people with other problems that affect their health?If obesity is an addiction and disease much like drug and alcohol addiction, do workplaces not have a duty to similarly treat it by offering counselling and help?Are we as a society not contributing to the problem by gearing our lives towards sedentary living and unhealthy food supply? The most overweight people in the world are mostly people of colour - would this not lead to additional racial discrimination?The topics were provided by a civilian member of the Rumble group.Members in attendance:COMM Owen SwartCRR Suzanne Patterson (commanding) Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/469822138656170428 Mon, 29 Oct 2012 17:12:34 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/mission-logs/alphateamwaterkloofairshow2012 Alpha Team members joined over 100 000 other spectators including civilians and various military personnel at the bi-annual airshow at the Waterkloof Air Force Base. More photos and videos at Google+. Also at Facebook.Crew-members in attendance:COMM Owen Swart (commanding)CMDR James HoughPO3 Chris ShamCRM Adele HornCRA Leo Kruger Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/3318410959905217171 Tue, 25 Sep 2012 10:04:44 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/mission-logs/untitledpost And so, after a hiatus of almost a year, Skeptics Port Elizabeth has finally convened yet another (long overdue!) meeting at the Mediterranean. In attendance was yours truly representing the Dauntless, four other "veterans", as well as eleven "newcomers" to the relatively new Skeptics concept down here at the coast. The topic was "Are we better off in the 21st century than we were in previous centuries?" The ambiance was great, the food excellent as usual, and the discussion thought-provoking. Here's to hoping that Skeptics PE will be able to keep things afloat this time around. Dewald de Coning https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/3940942910327619129 Thu, 08 Mar 2012 22:24:03 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/mission-logs/betateamawaymission817 On stardate (-28) 05365.00, Beta Team met at the quarters of PO3 Dennis Brock to study the footage of the alternate timeline created by the Romulan Nero. A briefing was scheduled when it was discovered by ENS McCoy that CRR Todd Hoskins and Civilian Rudy Poglitsh had not yet seen the material.   The evening began with a full diagnostic on the food replicators, which were found to be functioning at maximum efficiency. Then all present settled in to discover just what transpired to create the new reality. After reviewing the video material, there was a discussion regarding the events that led up to Spock and Nero's travel back in time as outlined in the illustrated print, Star Trek: Countdown.   Finally, before each crewman returned to quarters it was decided that Beta Team would gather again when the mission log of "Captain America" was released in Swaziland.   In Attendance: ENS Dan McCoy (commanding) PO3 Dennis Brock CRR Todd Hoskins Rudy Poglitsh (civilian) Amy McCoy (civilian) Zwakele Brock (civilian) Cadet Thandeka Brock Debra Hoskins (civilian) Hlengiwe Shongwe (civilian)   Daniel McCoy https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/1547613036381610403 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 13:20:43 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/mission-logs/medicalreliefmission20110813 On Stardate [-28] 05345.00, Alpha Team attended their regular blood donation mission. Plancast page. Photo album. Crew-members in attendance: FCAPT Owen Swart (Commanding) LT James Hough LT Shaun van der Berg LTJG Jaco de Bruyn Luna van der Berg (civilian) Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/589612010873065968 Sat, 13 Aug 2011 10:26:00 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/mission-logs/betateam-holodeckpartyandds9 On stardate Stardate: [-28] 04405.00, Beta team met at CMDR Nave's house.  *   The first four hours of the mission was spent on the holodeck, reliving the battle between the "Red Hand" and the city of "Brindol", as part of a greater holodeck story arc in "The Rescue at Rivenroar". Each member's Starfleet training came in handy during the tactical excercise, and while many of the city guard died in the battle, the attackers were ultimately repelled. Afterwards, there was a lively discussion about the virtues of each Captain (of the television shows), what is THE worst episode of Star Trek, and what is the best season of DS9. Afterwards, the team watched "DS9 - The Adversary", followed by "DS9 - Emissary".   In attendance:  CMDR Jim Nave (Commanding)  LTJG Lisa Nave  PO3 Dennis Brock  CRR Dan McCoy  Amy McCoy (Civilian) Hlengiwe Shongwe (Civilian) *photos forthcoming https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/6502626227372949924 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 07:52:48 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/mission-logs/medicalreliefmission-february2011 On Stardate [-28] 04400.0, Alpha Team attempted a mission to supply the South African National Blood Service with much needed human blood: by donating it themselves. A sizeable contingent of Alpha Team had a hearty breakfast at McDonalds before heading across the road to the local SANBS clinic. The mission was a success! Four lives were saved this time. In two months, Alpha Team will attempt it all over again! Photo album Dauntless crew in attendance: FCAPT Owen Swart (Commanding) MAJ Paul NottLT James Hough PO2 Jaco de Bruyn CRM Mike Breytenbach (Photographer) Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/1159006761075448277 Sun, 06 Feb 2011 07:21:34 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/mission-logs/alphateammedicalreliefmission0410 On Stardate [-28] 02965.0, Alpha Team attempted a mission to supply the South African National Blood Service with much needed human blood: by donating it themselves. A sizeable contingent of Alpha Team, as well as some civilian supporters, had a hearty breakfast at McDonalds before heading across the road to the local SANBS clinic. The mission was a success! Six lives were saved this time. In two months, Alpha Team will attempt it all over again! Photo album Dauntless crew in attendance: FCAPT Owen Swart (Commanding) LT James Hough LT Gordon Reid MCPT Paul Nott LTJG Anya den Teuling Colleen Reid (civilian) Bruce Reid (civilian) Attend the next Medical Relief Mission:  Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/1594421187594232759 Sat, 24 Apr 2010 11:48:47 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/mission-logs/betateammeetingreport-1 After a long hiatus, Beta team met on January 28th, at CMDR Nave's house to welcome their newest member, Crewman Dan (Leonard*) McCoy.  The original plan was to meet in Gauteng with the Alpha team for a joint Away Mission, but due to the late-term of the Brocks' pregnancy, the plan was altered to stay in Mbabane. The party started early, around 4 and lasted till 11 in the evening.After cooking a ton of meat (oops.. we forgot the salad and vegetables again), we played Munchkin for several hours (classic, and Star-Munchkin (who played the Redshirt card?) ), had a lively discussion about Trek literature, and played D&D (on the holodeck of course ;) ).It was great fun to meet up again after so many months and it seems that more Beta Team meetings on the near horizon.In attendance: CMDR Jim Nave (Commanding) LTJG Lisa Nave PO3 Dennis Brock CRMN Dan McCoyZwakele (Thulile) Brock (Civilian, and Cadet Brock – in Utero)   Amy McCoy (Civilian)* not really :)     https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/6591529164923750434 Sun, 30 Jan 2011 06:46:51 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/mission-logs/betateammeetingreport On November 26th, the Beta team met together to celebrate the American Thanksgiving. The night entailed quite a bit of TV as we skimmed through some Voyager, watched a Futurama special, some Star Wars: Clone Wars (Animated) and finished off with watching “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”. In attendance: CMDR Jim Nave (Commanding) LTJG Lisa Nave PO3 Dennis Brock Zwakele (Thulile) Brock (Civilian, and Cadet Brock – in Utero) Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/6426205949326750823 Mon, 06 Dec 2010 13:35:10 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/mission-logs/kappaawayteammissionskepticspe A very successful 2nd away team mission was enjoyed by Kappa team at The Mediterranean Seafood House on Thursday evening, October 21st. Our topic for the evening was "Why do people find it necessary to believe in conspiracy theories?" As usual I went a little overboard, being the only one to pitch up with a full compilation of notes. Thanks go out to civilian Camila for regaling us on some conspiracy theories from her native country of Chile, and to civilian Wilma for entertaining us with a very interesting conspiracy theory regarding a naked lady on a bicycle. Disclaimer: No children were harmed during the making of this movie! Civilian Ronnie was the life of the party as usual. Note to self: must try the snails next time. We were fortunate enough to add two new converts to the skeptical cause with our 2nd meeting already. As you can see from the photo, the ambient temperature down here at the coast is finally on the up and up. Summer is finally here. Keep watching this space. Our next meeting has been scheduled for November 18th, venue and topic to be announced.On the photo from left to right:civilian Camila Diazcivilian Gerrit Penningcivilian Barrycivilian MickeyLTJG Dewald de Coning (I'm the one that always looks like a dormitory supervisor)civilian Wilmacivilian Ronniecivilian Clive van der Riet Dewald de Coning https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/1026505671697006309 Thu, 21 Oct 2010 21:22:02 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/mission-logs/betateam-extendedawaymission On Friday, October 1st, the Beta Team got together for yet another night of awesome and win – the first after a long hiatus in team meetings.The night consisted of a braai, followed by copious amounts of soft-drinks – which was preceded by a trip to town for even more soft-drinks.Once we returned back to command headquarters, we had a quick video overview of all the “Doctors” since Tom Baker, and then settled into a high-def experience of “Dark City”, which put us late into the night. However, after the ladies went to bed, “Genesis of the Daleks” was enjoyed, followed by some “Next Generation” – A very full, and very late night.The  mission was such a success, that the mission was extended the follwing day, and the Brock family stayed until Sunday the 3rd! Episodes of the latest Doctor (2011 - Matt Smith) were devoured, some Star Wars Unleashed played, and a gourmet meal consumed. The mission came to an epic conclusion with the watching of "TNG" - season 5 episode of "Darmok". (Themba, his arms wide!)In attendance:CMDR Jim Nave (commanding)LTJG Lisa NavePO3 Dennis BrockCivilian Zwakele BrockCivilian Hlengiwe Shongwe https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/7061020142377792165 Mon, 04 Oct 2010 12:08:11 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/news/captainslog-stardate-2727443 Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/8972915543212646672 Tue, 01 Sep 2015 08:11:47 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/news/captainslogstardate17979 Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/4293471592071851119 Mon, 23 Feb 2015 15:13:32 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/news/newcrew-membergerdacloete As of Stardate [-28] 09315 Crewman Recruit Gerda Cloete has begun his tour of duty aboard the USS Dauntless NCC-74214. Leo Krüger https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/9072993929487335085 Tue, 15 Oct 2013 13:21:27 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/news/promotionwaynelee Effective as of Stardate [-28] 08855.00, the following promotion is in effect:  C/3C Wayne Lee, Cadet 3rd Class, USS Dauntless, is promoted to the rank of Cadet 2nd Class. Leo Krüger https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/5335760646566664513 Mon, 15 Jul 2013 10:17:57 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/news/promotionalexanderfairbrass Effective as of Stardate [-28] 08970.00, the following promotion is in effect:  ENS Fairbrass, Ensign, USS Dauntless, is promoted to the rank of Lieutenant (Junior Grade). Leo Krüger https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/6728607697355544847 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 14:27:28 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/news/promotiongerdacloete Effective as of Stardate [-28] 09360.00, the following promotion is in effect:  CRR Gerda Cloete, Crewman Recruit, USS Dauntless, is promoted to the rank of Crewman. Leo Krüger https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/7485882569439180448 Fri, 25 Oct 2013 12:37:40 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/news/promotionjackiegauntlett Effective as of Stardate [-28] 08785.00, the following promotion is in effect:  CRR Jackie Gauntlett, Crewman Recruit, USS Dauntless, is promoted to the rank of Crewman. Leo Krüger https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/642213461627217693 Mon, 01 Jul 2013 11:32:49 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/news/promotiondeonbarnard-2 Effective as of Stardate [-28] 08785.00, the following promotion is in effect:  SSG Deon Barnard, Staff Sergeant, USS Dauntless, is promoted to the rank of Gunnery Sergeant. Leo Krüger https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/2573788417643553122 Mon, 01 Jul 2013 11:22:35 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/news/promotionsuzannepatterson-2 Effective as of Stardate [-28] 08755.00, the following promotion is in effect:  PO2 Suzanne Patterson, Petty Officer 2nd Class, USS Dauntless, is promoted to the rank of Chief Petty Officer. Leo Krüger https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/4710383028215067780 Thu, 27 Jun 2013 08:10:11 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/news/promotionadrianjayvanderberg Effective as of Stardate [-28] 08755.00, the following promotion is in effect:  Cadet Adrian Jay van der Berg, Cadet, USS Dauntless, is promoted to the rank of Acting 2nd Lieutenant. Leo Krüger https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/5720600277307071709 Thu, 27 Jun 2013 08:06:18 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/news/promotionkevinparry Effective as of Stardate [-28] 08680.00, the following promotion is in effect:  PO3 Kevin Parry, Petty Officer 3rd Class, USS Dauntless, is promoted to the rank of Petty Officer 2nd Class. Leo Krüger https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/522630475783246395 Mon, 10 Jun 2013 10:01:19 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/news/promotionmandygreeff Effective as of Stardate [-28] 08665.00, the following promotion is in effect:  PO3 Mandy Greeff, Petty Officer 3rd Class, USS Dauntless, is promoted to the rank of Petty Officer 2nd Class. Leo Krüger https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/7210443787478939057 Sat, 08 Jun 2013 07:23:58 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/news/pressrelease-startrekfansbeamdownforintodarkness 3 June 2013, JohannesburgThe twelfth feature film in the immensely popular Star Trek franchise, Into Darkness is set to be released in South Africa on the 7th of June 2013. Members of the local Star Trek fan community are wasting no time in making sure they're among the first to see it.The USS Dauntless is a social group dedicated to celebrating the Star Trek experience. They enjoy frequent events including Star Trek screenings, paintball, games days, educational outings as well as regular, old-fashioned South African braais.The members of the USS Dauntless will be making an appearance, in full uniform, at the Ster Kinekor cinema in The Zone @ Rosebank on opening night, Friday the 7th of June."We've been avoiding the Internet for weeks!" said ‘Commodore’ Owen Swart, president of the Johannesburg-based Star Trek fan club, the USS Dauntless."Into Darkness was released overseas in May, but for some reason we've been forced to wait. It's like we're back in 1998, when we would only see movies months, if not years after they were released in the States. In these days of social media, we've been forced to avoid our favourite websites so as not to accidentally come across key plot details that might spoil the movie for us.""It's not everyday we get to see brand new Trek!" exclaimed Swart. "If this isn't the perfect opportunity to get out in public wearing our Starfleet uniforms, I don't know what is!"Star Trek: Into Darkness is a sequel to the film simply titled ‘Star Trek’ which was released in 2009 and grossed over $75 million on its opening weekend. J.J. Abrams, creator of hit television shows Lost, Alias and Fringe, as well as films Cloverfield and Super 8 returns to create the successor to his previous successful Star Trek movie. Into Darkness continues the adventures of Captain James T. Kirk (played by Chris Pine) and the crew of the Starship Enterprise on their voyages in a new, reimagined continuity, separate from that of the original Star Trek television series and films of the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s. Into Darkness is the first Star Trek film to be released in 3D. The film will be released in both 3D and 2D by both Ster Kinekor and Nu Metro. As of the time of writing, neither Ster Kinekor nor Nu Metro were prepared to release show-times for the opening day, despite an enourmous, dedicated fan community clamouring to make early bookings. The cinema chains could not be reached for comment.The USS Dauntless is a chapter of STARFLEET The International Star Trek Fan Association Inc (SFI). Based in Johannesburg, the USS Dauntless has members across South Africa and several other African countries. ‘Commodore’ Swart is the chapter president (or "Commanding Officer") as well as the Regional Coordinator for Africa and the Middle East.For more information: http://dauntless.region8-sfi.org - owen.swart@region8-sfi.orgPress release PDF Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/4038104000073120817 Mon, 03 Jun 2013 07:38:49 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/news/crewreassignmentsindecember2012 The following crew members were assigned to serve in new departments in December 2012.CPL Deon Barnard assumed the position of Marine in the 360th Marine Strike GroupCRA Mandy Greeff assumed the position of Tactical Non-Commissioned Officer in the Security departmentCRM Stuart Newton assumed the position of Laboratory Technician in the Science departmentCRM Leo Kruger assumed the position of Chief Engineering Non-Commissioned Officer in the Engineering departmentCRM Clinton Armitage assumed the position of Astrometrics Technician in the Science departmentLT Shaun van der Berg assumed the position of Astrometrics Officer in the Science department  https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/5711525527096852993 Tue, 01 Jan 2013 11:34:30 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/news/promotionsindecember2012 The following crew promotions were awarded in December 2012. CRM Victor Mackay effective as of Stardate [-28] 07735.0PO3 Evelyn Mervine Gauntlett effective as of Stardate [-28] 07775.0CRA Mandy Greeff effective as of Stardate [-28] 07790.0CRM Kevin Parry effective as of Stardate [-28] 07790.0CRM Stuart Newton effective as of Stardate [-28]  07855.0CRM Alex Fairbrass effective as of Stardate [-28]  07855.0  https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/5605491572378111889 Tue, 01 Jan 2013 11:22:05 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/news/promotiondeonbarnard-1 Effective as of Stardate [-28] 07550.0, the following promotion is in effect:  CRA Deon Barnard, Recruit, USS Dauntless, is promoted to the rank of Crewman. Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/2437613574029549329 Mon, 05 Nov 2012 12:42:12 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/news/promotiondeonbarnard Effective as of Stardate [-28] 07550.0, the following promotion is in effect:  CRR Deon Barnard, Recruit, USS Dauntless, is promoted to the rank of Crewman Apprentice. Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/4777821365311775949 Wed, 31 Oct 2012 14:02:24 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/news/promotionsuzannepatterson Effective as of Stardate [-28] 07540.0, the following promotion is in effect:  CRR Suzanne Patterson, Recruit, USS Dauntless, is promoted to the rank of Crewman Apprentice. Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/4555977391600097525 Mon, 29 Oct 2012 19:44:31 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/news/promotionpatricktill-4 Effective as of Stardate [-28] 07545.0, the following promotion is in effect:  PO2 Patrick Till, Recruit, USS Dauntless, is promoted to the rank of Petty Officer 1st Class. Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/8766007252301493330 Tue, 30 Oct 2012 10:57:00 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/news/promotionpatricktill-3 Effective as of Stardate [-28] 07390.0, the following promotion is in effect:  PO3 Patrick Till, Recruit, USS Dauntless, is promoted to the rank of Petty Officer 2nd Class. Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/8116349229345082720 Tue, 25 Sep 2012 09:39:15 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/news/promotionsuzannepatterson-1 Effective as of Stardate [-28] 07540.0, the following promotion is in effect:  CRA Suzanne Patterson, Recruit, USS Dauntless, is promoted to the rank of Crewman. Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/5432669060810535464 Mon, 29 Oct 2012 20:19:05 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/news/promotionleokruger-1 Effective as of Stardate [-28] 07390.0, the following promotion is in effect:  CRA Leo Kruger, Recruit, USS Dauntless, is promoted to the rank of Crewman . Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/896952400022772124 Tue, 25 Sep 2012 10:24:27 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/news/newcrew-memberdeonbarnard As of Stardate [-28] 07540 Crewman Recruit Deon Barnard has begun his tour of duty aboard the USS Dauntless NCC-74214. Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/3573307188687195764 Mon, 29 Oct 2012 16:33:07 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/news/newcrew-membersuzannepatterson As of Stardate [-28] 07540 Crewman Recruit Suzanne Patterson has begun her tour of duty aboard the USS Dauntless NCC-74214. Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/3088649535092208698 Mon, 29 Oct 2012 16:14:18 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/news/newcrew-memberevelynmervinegauntlett As of Stardate [-28] 07270 Crewman Recruit Evelyn Mervine Gauntlett has begun her tour of duty aboard the USS Dauntless NCC-74214. Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/4115768476625922445 Sat, 01 Sep 2012 07:39:36 +0000 https://sites.google.com/a/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/Home/news/promotionchrissham Effective as of Stardate [-28] 07335.0, the following promotion is in effect:  CRR Chris Sham, Recruit, USS Dauntless, is promoted to the rank of Petty Officer 3rd Class. Owen Swart https://sites.google.com/feeds/content/region8-sfi.org/dauntless/7958330277836017543 Fri, 14 Sep 2012 09:08:10 +0000