Local Fan Clubs

by Simon Plumbe

There is an aspect of Star Trek fandom today that many people are either unaware of or underestimate - the role of local fan clubs. There are hundreds of small Star Trek fan clubs in the UK, all run by fans out of sheer enthusiasm for the series. While these won't offer you the perks and flash benefits offered by their commercial counterparts, you won't find a better way of getting involved and getting to make new friends.

Many local groups are set up just so fans have somewhere to meet, chat, and hopefully get to see new episodes. They can be a great way of socialising, and for those of you who are only interested in seeing new episodes, a great way to keep up to date. They are seldom run for profit, with many charging just a nominal membership fee (some providing regular newsletters) and holding meetings either in people's homes, pub function rooms or similar venues. Meetings are usually quite cheap for several enjoyable hours of Star Trek mayhem!

A number of clubs will produce quarterly magazines, or will offer occasional newsletters and can provide a platform for fans to air their opinions. Others even go as far as producing their own fiction publications inspired by the show. Usually, it is the larger, national clubs that tend to do this, but there are some local groups trying to encourage this as well.

You will also gain access to the Star Trek news network. Many people would be amazed at how quickly news spreads through Star Trek fandom. With the increasing use of the internet, and the fact that Star Trek fans everywhere communicate news they hear rapidly, the Star Trek fan network is almost as efficient as many of the commercial news organisations. If nothing else, you'll be kept right up to date with what is happening in the world of Star Trek.

In speaking to many people who have joined our own club, Alpha Quadrant, or those who attended Delta Quadrant, there are a growing number of people who have become interested in Star Trek through the increased publicity the show has received in recent years on television. Sadly, for these people, they find that they watch episodes, will but the videos and occasional items of merchandise, but their contact with other fans is sorely limited. There are many fans out there who have no contact with any other fans and they often feel isolated. Here, local clubs can be a wonderful for people to make contact with like-minded souls.

It can also help to form a unified voice for Star Trek fans. All too often, the wishes of fans are ignored simply because no-one will listen to a single individual. In times where fans feel that they need to take action regarding Star Trek, there is no better way than an organised campaign through Star Trek fandom. A typical example is regarding the Star Trek: First Contact behind the scenes video that was given away with The Sun some years ago. Many people are not too pleased with the distribution of this, but if fan clubs can all organise petitions, it will be far more effective than a handful of letters from individual fans. In many cases fan clubs will often know who needs to be approached with fan concerns and will have contacts that individuals couldn't possible hope for.

Also, membership of clubs can lead to plenty of other fun events. Most clubs will run cinema outings whenever a new film is released (there is nothing better than seeing a new Trek movie with a crowd of fans), and I know that a lot of fan clubs across the country had organised trips whenever the Star Trek Exhibition had visited their area. Also, the existence of clubs can be a wonderful way to help persuade venues to run special Star Trek events. I think it is safe to say that there are more than a few cinemas across the country that have run all-day screenings simply on the strength of local fan support.

There are even some clubs that have managed to make arrangements with local SF retailers to gain discounts for their members. As you can imagine, it all adds up to helping to promote both Star Trek and Star Trek fandom throughout the nation!

So try to support your local fan clubs. Even if you only attend meetings once every couple of months, you'll get to meet like-minded fans, and you'll help to build up a strong network of fans that can help to influence what is happening in Star Trek fandom across the country. If you can afford it, try and join one or two of the larger national clubs as well. The more of us who join together, the better things will be for everyone.