The Rainbow Connection!-January 2003

Remembering Margie ….
At the November meeting we learned that Heimdal member Margie Carrico died on Nov. 14 after a battle with cancer. Margie was
74. We hadn't seen Margie for quite a few months & attempts to contact her had failed. She was due for Starfleet renewal in October but didn't renew. I didn't understand why & thought perhaps after she came to several meetings we simply didn’t meet her expectations. Obviously that was a wrong assumption. Apparently a very private person, nobody knew Margie was ill.

Margie joined the Heimdal after coming to a meeting we advertised in the newspaper. Our guest speaker was the college professor who had done his thesis on Star Trek. A die-hard Star Trek fan, Margie arrived at the meeting in an original series Trek sweatshirt & joined the Heimdal & Starfleet that night. Her enthusiasm made it impossible to guess her age.

The last meeting Margie attended was last year’s Christmas Party. She seemed to genuinely have a good time, especially playing Dirty Santa & many of us will not forget her wonderful Pineapple Casserole. Although we had little time to really get to know Margie, she will be missed & not really gone as long as we remember her. In memory of one of our own, this issue of the Rainbow Connection is dedicated to Margie Carrico, our dearest blood.

Hello & Merry Christmas, Happy New Year & Happy Holidays!

Here we are at the end of another year & looking forward in April to the Heimdal’s 24th. anniversary as a Starfleet chapter. Our chapter is one of Starfleet’s oldest & most successful & when I’m counting my Christmas blessings, I’m especially proud & thankful for that. We were even Region One’s Chapter of the Year for 2006.

I’ve enjoyed this year with the Heimdal more than I can tell you. Since retiring almost a year ago, I’ve finally had the time to dedicate to this chapter that I always wished I had … time not split between being on call & working screwy hours & trying to balance the
job, my personal life & the Heimdal. It’s been wonderful.

We’ve gotten a lot of new members this year, we’ve had some excellent programs, we’ve had a lot of fun socials, done some team building exercises which include a fantastic job on the auction & our parade float, supported our community through
donations & sponsored a community service program. I’m so proud of us!

I’m keeping this message brief because we have so much in this issue. Mainly I want to Thank You all for the tremendous, selfless support you give our chapter & each other, & for being the really neat people you are. It seems that Willy is right … all our friends
DO have SCC numbers!

As we near Christmas, may the blessings of the season be with you all & guide us into a blessed & prosperous new year. I look forward to spending quality time again with you in 2008. And please keep in mind Willy’s Fruit Cake Theory, especially if you get one!!!
Remember … there’s really only One fruitcake in this whole world & since nobody really likes fruitcake, we just keep passing it around the world & regifting the thing!

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From Sick Bay

Special Get Well Wishes are sent out to Jeanne who had a stroke on December 12th. Our thoughts & prayers are also with her.
Jeanne is a tremendous part of our Heimdal “family.’

Get Well Wishes are also extended to Cheryl who was recently hospitalized but thankfully released on December 12th.

Get Well Wishes to newlywed George who had a knee scope on December 17th.

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Messages from Heimdal Friends

In this Christmas issue of the RainCon, I wanted everyone to know just how far reaching our Heimdal influence is. Following are
excerpts from several letters I’ve received recently from our friends around Starfleet, just FYI. It’s easy to be involved with what we
do as a chapter but I think it’s particularly exciting when we get accolades from other folks in our organization. Enjoy.

"Hey Linda!
This is Gary Hollifield, and we've met briefly at past summits and such, but I'm not sure if you remember me. Anywho, the
reason for writing is because I want to know your secrets for running a successful and large chapter. How did you get it that way?
What do you do to keep everyone involved? Do you have a handbook that helps you? Where do you get your ideas?

The reason I am asking is because in January I will be the CO of the Star Runner. This ship has been my home for 10 years,
even after launching two successful shuttles and commanding another chapter to get her numbers back up to speed, and this has
been the spot I have been waiting for for that long. I hope that all makes sense.
I want my chapter to be half as successful as yours because even at half as good as yours, it will be a great chapter! You have the
secrets, and I am hoping you can share with me what works for you and yours.
Good luck on the MRSA seminar!
In Service,
FCPT Gary "Tiny" Hollifield, SFMC-R
Chief of Operations, USS Star Runner
Director, Alpha Squadron, Region One "

This one is from Marlene Miller from Ohio. Marlene is among the very few Starfleet members who have been awarded a Starfleet
Lifetime Membership:

"Hi, Linda,
Thank you for once again sending me a very readable and very interesting MSR.
I'm so sorry that Margie passed on to whatever comes next. You're right; she'll never be forgotten as long as someone remembers
her... I only wish she would have let all of you know she was ill so she could have seen how close a family you all are.
Congrats once again on the excellent example the Heimdal is when it comes to
Fun, Fellowship and Friendship.
Your pride in your Chapter and Crew is well placed!
Thanks again for always being there.
Marlene"

This letter actually contains excerpts from two correspondences I received from the USS Dauntless in South Africa:

"Greetings Adm Linda.
Wow! Now your region seems to be one to look up to and awed for everything that you guys do there. I hope I will be able to take some pointers from what you have accomplished and see if my own captain can try to incorporate.
Shaun"

And:

"Hi Linda
Can't wait to read your next newsletter and to see the pics of your Guardian Gateway and Halloween party stuff.
Shaun"

And this from our Region One Regional Coordinator, Bill Herrmann:

"STARFLEET REGION ONE HEADQUARTERS
Office of the Regional Coordinator
November 17th, 2007
Admiral Smith,
I Commend USS HEIMDAL for putting on this MRSA Seminar and would very much like for You to put together an Article for
the R1 Monthly Memo or the STARFLEET CQ on the Seminar of this most important of Medical Issues that can impact virtually
anyone at any time given it's proliferation in our Society in recent years. Nobody in Region One, STARFLEET, or anywhere inside or outside STARFLEET should underestimate the serious and potential impact that MRSA represents. But there are common sense recommendations and Medical Insight into preventing MRSA that can be most beneficial to all of us.
Again I wish the Seminar all the Best.
Serving and Supporting the Region One Regional Fleet and Members,
RADM Bill Herrmann, Regional Coordinator, Region One "
* * *
See you guys at the meeting, party, covered dish dinner on Saturday evening for good food, Dirty Santa, surprises, drawings & lots of
fun. Remember the time change to 6:00 p.m. instead of 6:30 so we’ll have more time to “pig out” & party. In case of bad weather,
we’ll let you know about cancellation or postponement through WSET & phone calls. We’ll reschedule the meeting if we have to but I
hope that doesn’t happen. See you there ……
Linda

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December Meeting

The December meeting will be on Saturday, December 22 at 6:00 p.m. at the Madison Heights Library. There are two things to note about that: 1
- we are meeting on the 4th Saturday, not the 3rd, in order to accommodate schedule conflicts, and 2 - we are starting at 6:00 instead of 6:30 because we’re having a REAL meal. Not the usual chips and brownies this time, no sir! You’re actually going to have to cook! The Heimdal is springing for a meat platter, but we’ll need things like casseroles, salads, side
dishes, drinks and dessert.

The other thing we do at this meeting besides eat is to play Dirty Santa. Here’s how it works: bring a wrapped gift, $5.00 limit. We’ll explain the
rules at the meeting. It’s really a lot of fun. Oh, almost forgot … there’s another reason you don’t want to miss this meeting! Way back we received a gift certificate for a night’s stay for 2 at the Holiday Inn Select downtown Lynchburg to be used for our Christmas Raffle. Since then we decided not to have a raffle because we did so well on the auction. So, what are we going to do with this gift certificate? Glad you asked! Everyone who comes to the meeting will get their name put in a hat and one fortunate person will walk away with a night’s stay for 2 at
the Holiday Inn Select!

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November Meeting

The November meeting was “Shrek Trek” night. We wore green, ate green food, (ask Linda or Judy what happens when you eat green
food ;), and watched Shrek 3. In honor of the occasion, Carl presented Linda with a green cookie shaped like a starship.
Among topics discussed at our ‘brief” meeting, we voted to increase our giving to each of our Christmas charities by $50, which
means each of our 10 charities received $150.

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Heimdal Donates to Christmas Charities

Our charities are as follows:
Salvation Army Food Pantry
Amherst Humane Society
Lynchburg Humane Society
UVA Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Sleepy Hollow “No Kill” Cat Shelter
Madison Heights Library
Salvation Army Angel Tree
Home Instead Senior Care Senior Citizen Tree
Lynchburg Social Services-Christmas for a Welfare child
Birds of Prey Recovery Shelter

We voted to add Birds of Prey after Jennifer Chadrue spoke to us at our June meeting and we realized her need. We have already delivered our Food Pantry donation which was over 200 pounds of food and $266. That’s the most we’ve ever had! All other charities have been delivered or sent checks. We will get a full report at this month’s meeting.

A special “Thank You” to Kathy Beck for purchasing & delivering pet foods to the Amherst & Lynchburg Humane Society shelters, to the Medical Department for purchasing gifts for our Angel Tree Child & to Communications for purchasing gifts for our two senior
citizens.

Our annual donation to the UVa Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is in memory of Heimdal member Sarah Sprinkle who died in
1996 from complications related to her Cystic Fibrosis.

The Thank You notes are already starting to come in.
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Food Pantry Donations

If anyone still has canned goods (Heimdal dues) to donate for this year or cash donations, please bring them to the meeting on
Saturday. Whatever additional donations we get now, Linda will take to the Salvation Army either now or will save for our Spring
donation to the Food Pantry when supplies are depleted after Christmas. Thank you so much.
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Heimdal’s Christmas Seniors
Recently on Living in the Heart of Virginia, Tab O'Neal interviewed a representative from Home Instead Senior Care. This is the
organization that has the Sr. Citizens tree at WalMart where Glenda picks a senior for us to give gifts to at Christmas. Last year & this
year we've been able to take 2 seniors because of our successful auction.

On the show, the Home Instead representative told about the program that provides names so that caring people like us can purchase
presents. For many seniors in the program, the gifts they get from the program / us are the only gifts they receive & the only indication
to them that they are not forgotten. Clips were shown of last year's seniors receiving the gifts & it was an emotional moment for several reasons - 1. because there's an entire senior population out there who are forgotten at Christmas & throughout the year - 2. because it fills me with some kind of warm, happy feeling that we are able to provide Christmas for at least 2 seniors who otherwise would be alone with nothing at
Christmas - 3. because even though we're a science fiction & Star Trek group, there's so much good in this crew & so much caring that we're still working all year to make these small miracles happen. I thank each of you for those big hearts you're hiding under your Star Trek shirts.
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The Heimdal’s “Guardian” Comes to Life at Parade

The Amherst Christmas Parade was December 1st. & for the 14th. year, the Heimdal entered a float in the parade. Unfortunately, & to
everyone’s disappointment, the Heimdal didn’t win a trophy this year. While it would have been a wonderful acknowledgement of our hard work to win two years in a row, we weren’t the judges & who can say what they were actually looking for.

The general consensus among most Heimdal members, however, is that we DID, indeed, WIN! The teamwork necessary for such a
project was incredible. We had people throughout Starfleet & Region One who were not only excited about our project, but couldn’t wait to
see the pictures. We took on a huge project, saw it to completion & ended up with a Guardian of life-sized proportions … a working
Guardian that spoke & blinked & took the “believer” back to a Colonial Jamestown Christmas while reminding us of the true reason
for this joyous season. It was spectacular!!!

Everyone has a different perspective on winning. Most of us agree about the teamwork, the sharing of our dream with people not only
throughout Starfleet but with our DAUNTLESS friends as far away as South Africa. Talk to anyone who was at the parade & they will tell
you what the Guardian meant to them & mostly we all share pretty much the same feelings. Willy, who shares the teamwork, sharing
perspective also said:
“It’s been especially hard for me to get off from work on time this year & make it to float building sessions - a real hassle, actually -
but I didn’t miss any. The time I spent with my friends on the project laughing, working, sharing, eating cookies, drinking coffee, seeing our Guardian come to life are what was important to me. Driving the van that pulled the float was also a treat. I wore my Vulcan ears & got a kick out of hearing the crowd yell out that I had’ neat ears.’ I also loved hearing people in the crowd call us ‘ the Star Trek people’ & I even heard several people call out ‘The Guardian’ & the name of the Star Trek episode – City on the Edge of Forever. So it was the fun, the sharing good times from
start to finish with good friends & doing something really neat that were important to me & made our Guardian a real WINNER.”

A special Thank You to Carl who is & always has been the guiding force behind our participation in the Amherst Parade. Even when we lacked enthusiasm, he’s egged us on & we’ve never been sorry that he did. Thank Yous are also in order for Linda, Willy, Bonnie, Glenda, Dan, Judy, Tim, Martha, Millard, Karen, Kelly & Jason for their hard work in bringing our Guardian to life by building, tearing paper, donating time & even funds, donating talents & technology towards making this year’s parade entry our very best EVER. Thank You, too, to Judy & Kenny for filming & taking pictures of the parade, to Dee, Daryl, Chris, Martha & Millard for coming to the parade.

The Guardian was so impressive & so amazing. Today the Guardian … tomorrow the stars!!! You don’t know what you can do until you try & everyone associated with this float project did an incredible job worthy of praise for years to come. I hope we do it again.
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Heimdal Receives WalMart Grant

For the 4th year in a row, the Heimdal has received WalMart’s $500 block grant! With $1100 now in the fund, we are well on our way to sending a child to Space Camp, a cost of $1300.
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Another Grant

We have also applied for a $5000 grant from the Lynchburg Retail Merchants Association. Their board meets in January and we will hear something shortly after that. (Wow, with that much money, we could send 2 or 3 kids to Space Camp!)
We had to list the Heimdal’s Board of Directors when applying for this grant. Several years ago when we got our 501©(3) designation from the IRS, we had to list a Board of Directors & the Heimdal doesn’t have one. At that time we were having our trip on the Whatley’s houseboat & Linda chose the first 7 people who stepped off the dock onto the houseboat to be the Heimdal’s Board of Directors!!!! OK, in case you’ve forgotten who you are, our Board of Directors includes Linda, Willy, Jeanne, Tammy, Dan, Glenda & Karen … just in case anybody ever asks you!!!
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Region One Recognition Awards

Linda contacted the Region One Awards Program for recognition awards for the following Heimdal members. The awards were presented at
the November meeting:
For FiveYears of Service or more: Robin Hudson, Karen Delano, Daryl Gooch, Chris Thompson, Cheryl Lynn, Jay Lindsay,
Ten Years of Service or more: Jeanne Wilson, Tammy White
Fifteen Years of Service or more: Carl Davis, Bonnie Davis, Kelly Copes, Dan Blanks, Glenda Blanks
And last, but by no means least, the Region One Legion of Merit Award for 20 Years of Service or more, went to Willy Smith!
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Report from the Auction Committee

The Auction Committee met last month just prior to the November meeting. The biggest news is that we have a place to hold our auction - a
room at the Kirkley Hotel in Lynchburg that will accommodate 75 -100 people. The really good news is that the room is only costing us $150.
Normally this room rents for $275, but they’re giving us a deal because we’re a 501©3 nonprofit organization. We’ve always said that if we could
combine the room size of Fort Early with the parking of Tree of Life we’d be in great shape. Well, we’ve done just that with the Kirkley - plenty of room, lots of parking and right on a main road close to the mall … easy to get to. It was too good to pass up.

Please keep in mind: Next year’s auction will be August 16, 2008. Already we’re dividing the area into sections that need to be canvassed for donations. A sign-up sheet will be available at the December meeting. We need everyone to take a section of town, so that there is not too much of a burden on any one person. You can’t have an auction without things to auction!
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Congratulations!

Congratulations to George Flanik who was married December 8th. He & his new wife, Dot will be living in Lynchburg. The Heimdal
extends very best wishes for a happy life together.
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Free R/1 Summit Membership

Just a reminder that Heimdal member George Flanik has a membership to the Region One Summit that he will give to the first Heimdal member who contacts him. This is a free admission to the Summit for all three days, May 2 – 4 in Pigeon Forge, TN. Hotel room & food are not included but the membership will be a big savings since the membership fee increases the closer we get to the actual Summit.

The R/1 Summit includes panels on all regional departments, parties, a banquet, an auction, a costume contest & a dance. It’s also a chance to meet & spend time with folks from the 8 states that make up Region One.
Contact George at gflanik@riveroflife.com if interested.

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Star Trek Jackson Part 5 by Daryl Gooch

Crew
1. Capt. Everett P. Colby
2. Comm. John Irons
3. Lt. Comm. Victor Stone
4. Lt. James Horner is the son of Doctor Horner and the father of Lt. Comm Horner
5. Doctor James Horner
6. Lt. Comm Mac Horner is the Chief Engineer of the Jackson
7. Lt. [JG] Al D. Hammer is a long time friend of Captain Colby.
8. Ensign Kyle Rayner
9.Ensign Lilandra Hudson
10.Ensign Julia Chord

Irons: Leave me! Your phaser's gone... You can't help... get the captain clear!

Lt. Horner: I am sorry, # 1. Sir, I cannot do that. This difficulty is easily remedied .... once I put my mind to it. There, easy as cake!

Irons: That's pie, but thanks any way.

Colby: Come on, we're getting out of here, all of us!

Irons: This way, Sir.

Colby: Why don't we just beam out # 1?

Irons: Sorry, Captain. While we were all out cold, the Jackson caught a bad dose of Alien Flu and all primaries are off-line.

Mr.Rayner and Dr. Horner are working on it. Until then we're walking home.

Colby: Walking?

Stone: Yes, Sir. We got onboard by space walking along the tendrils that are ensnaring the Jackson to this vessel. I guess we're going back the same way.

Irons: Problem, Lt. Horner?

Lt. Horner: The tricorder readings, they do not correspond with those I took earlier as we followed the Captain's life signs. I configured our escape route based on them but the internal geography has changed.

Colby: I'm not surprised. The NHAMVUS can probably alter the interior of this ship as easily as we flex a muscle.

All 4 of them: EAAHHHH!

Colby: Everybody .... Brace for impact! Is any one hurt? No broken bones?

Irons: The only thing wounded is my pride! This place's disgusting! It's the inside of a Giant Stomach!

Colby: Uhh... #1 ... I don't think we're alone in here!

NHAMVUS : We are the NHAMVUS.... Why do you resist the rapture of the flesh... the sacred of harmony of Blood, Bone and Gristle? Your action, motives are incomprehensible to us.

Colby: You violate my mind -- want to cannibalize my crew for spare parts and do the same to our home worlds, and you wonder why we resist you!

NHAMVUS: Yes ... in our sector - zone the blending of the flesh, the cohesion of species into life achieving a single union of wholeness, is a
blessed state to be striven for. A freak warp malfunction stranded us here. We must replenish, restore the mother ship's damaged life works with raw material. Organic life is rich here, ample for our needs. We will return later with harvester craft to reap this bounty.

Colby: Then we will be forced to stop you, even if you can't understand why! We will fight you to the last drop of blood!

NHAMVUS: How appropriate.............

Colby: Stand Ready! Here they ...come!
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… And Next Month …
Don’t forget that January is our Annual Chili ‘Fest & Movie Night. Buy Beano & GasX early, plan to attend & enjoy.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Glenda