Newsletter/Submissions/CC/IC

From the Center Seat

Happy New Year everyone!
I hope everyone had a great Holiday Season. Even though 2005 was very rough on many people World Wide, with Hurricanes & Typhoons, massive Rains & Flooding, Brush Fires across California and Oklahoma, Earthquakes, Terrorism and more, in other ways, it was also very productive. The world has seen More people pull together in 2005 to help each other in their times of need than ever before. Agencies World-Wide have worked together to Search, Rescue, Evacuate and help rebuild areas in need. The great part is the amount of INDIVIDUALS that have ALSO been seen pulling together to assist neighbors and strangers alike, in all kinds of situations along side the official groups and organizations. A true showing of IDIC.... Helping in any way they can, by contributing goods and funding to Charitable Organizations, or contributing their own personal time & manpower, dilivering food & water to neighbors, swinging a hammer to rebuild a house, or simply transporting refugees to safer locations in their own personal vehicles.

In a similar fashion, MFI has had some set-backs, made many advancements over the year and has accomplished a great deal. Although MFI had some hacker problems with the web site that redirected our Main Pages, rendered our Academy virtually useless and played hell with our List-Servs, if it had not been for them, we would not have moved to a dedicated server, reworked the lists, or have switched to our MFI-Wiki format. It also Spurred us to rework our Member Database and make the Academy better and stronger (as you should all see shortly). All very positive changes for MFI as a Whole. Switching to the MFI-Wiki format has allowed MFI to make itself even MORE Member oriented than it was before. Members may now make their own User Pages, as well as Chapter pages. Branch Heads and Zone Coordinators may now edit their areas any time they wish, without having to submit a Comp-Ops service ticket. Members may contribute to the Continuing Story pages, carry on Simulations, upload Graphic files to be shared by all and much, Much MORE.

MFI also showed us what we can pull off as a group if we pull together and try. We are the only Fan Organization with Echelon Badges and the only Fan organization to make a full set of Quality Metal Rank Pins. "Martok" and "Gowron" BOTH thought the workmanship of MFI's rank pins was professional enough to have been Paramount sanctioned. Quite a feat for a "Free" Fan Organization with a "Zero Budget".

Although MFI did see a few Members and Chapters leave to go their separate ways, we gained more chapters in 2005 than we lost, as well as seen a few members from the departing Chapters return. We welcome all the New Chapters that have joined our ranks over the holidays, as well as Welcome Back returning members and friends.

I hope that 2006 is "Kinder & Gentler" on the World as a whole and allows MFI to advance to become even stronger than we did in 2005. We have a few ideas and projects in the works. You have seen some of them being discussed in the members-list.
Until next time,
Rob Johnson, IC