April 2015 Newsletter

[Holnave (evan_loh)[TK]]

From the DL
In Memoriam
Legion News
Celebrity Q&A
Memoirs of a Stormtrooper
Advanced Tactics Awards
Follow FISD

Aloha kakou,

The first quarter of 2015 has been jam packed in both my Legion life and personal life. I am looking forward to things calming down after Celebration 7. Thank you for your patience as we get FISD back up and running after a rocky start.

During the Detachment Leader election Q&A process a recurring theme of the tone of our forums cropped up. I tried to address it in my answers but other burning hot subjects prevented me from diving as deeply into it as I would have liked. At some point shortly afterward a member announced he was walking away from FISD. He was tired of what he called elitism. I promised to respond to his concerns and like a jackass, I never did.

Rather than write something in his thread about leaving FISD I feel it is appropriate to write something here.

It is my opinion that "elitism" is a misnomer. To me elitism is about feeling superior and excluding others because of it. While there are a few people who feel they are better than others, the larger problem FISD has seen is less about actual elitism and more about members being condescending dicks. The irony here is that the examples I have seen of this dickishness usually occurs when someone is trying to provide some manner of helpful information.

Here is my promise to the brotherman who wants to leave and to the entire FISD membership. I will not tolerate anyone being anything less than professional and polite.

I have trouble with people taking me too seriously here because more often than not I am being sarcastic (this is not one of those times.) Please take into account that not everyone is well understood in text and to look at their intentions instead of what you may perceive to be a negative tone. We also have to account for miscommunication due to brevity in this age of tapatalk and mobile devices. Outside of people seeming like dicks due to an economy of words, I will not stand for it.

FISD has a Provost Marshal. Once elected appointed a Deputy PM as well. I hope to appoint one more in another time zone. It is their job to keep an eye on everything looking for people who break the forum rules. I rely on them to keep things civil.

My promises and the actions of the staff are only part of stopping people from being jerks. I need you, the membership of our forums, to help. If you sense someone is being less than professional or polite tell me or the Provost Marshals. Send me an email or PM and to say "That person was being a jerk." If need be I will put my pointy white leather foot down.

From my vantage point things are a little more fun these days on FISD. Levity is the key to changing the tone of our forums. If you disagree with me I want to hear it. In addition, if you have any ideas on how to make FISD more fun please let me know. My email and PM door is always open.

I added a some new members to the staff this year in the hopes of effecting change in tone with a fresh attitudes. Please welcome or welcome back your FISD 2015 staff:

• Executive Officer - Squeaky
• Deployment Officer - Gazmosis
• Provost Marshal - captsafe66
• Deputy Provost Marshal - Tolo
• Public Relations Officer - evan_loh
• FISD Ambassador - Dark CMF
• Membership Officer - NoVATie
• Merchandise Officer - TK4205
• Web Server Admins - svache and Locitus
• FISD Founder - Daetrin

We are working on a handful of formal projects for 2015. This is the short list of he major ones:

• CRL change policy
• TiKipedia
• Merch merch merch merch
• Attache program improvements

There are plans for more and different merch this year but we are waiting for after C7 to start that up. A coin run is planned soon as well as patches. A second run of the racing shirt may be needed in Q2 as well. I heard the cry from the membership about wanting more stuff and I promise to deliver. Please remain patient with us on this subject.

One bit of news that you may not have noticed is that the Female Legacy Trooper costume has come under the FISD umbrella. Say what you want about expanded universe vs. OT, I feel strongly that FISD has the resources to be the best steward of this costume. I will be making a bigger announcement once the CRL goes green.

For those of you going to Celebration 7 in Anaheim California I hope to meet as many FISD folks as possible. I may be wearing an orange lei for the majority of the time. Please introduce yourself if you see me out and about.

The details for the C7 FISD Stormtrooper Social are listed below. There are other things going on that night but please stop by for a few minutes. The more of us that shake hands and put a face to a nickname the easier it will be to get along over the interwebs.

With Aloha and Unquestioned Loyalty,

Eric Brager
TK-9674 "Darth Aloha"
Detachment Leader


We honor the fallen

On the 10th of March, 2015, Lance Moore (TK-31088) of the 501st Legion's Georgia Garrison passed from this World. Lance is known best for his rich, jovial spirit and for bringing fun to any event. He was in Australia to realize his Life’s dream of reenacting scenes from Mad Max: The Road Warrior when the unrelated accident occurred.

A fund has been established to aide his family in bringing his body home and other related expenses. (by Fleetfang on 501st.com)



On the 26th of March, 2015, Scott Boynton (TD-78947) of the 501st Legion’s Star Garrison entered into the next Life. Becoming a Sandtrooper in the 501st was a life long dream and brought him great joy. Scott was known for his generosity and celebration of life. He is survived by his son David, daughter Chelsea, and wife Cara who shall forever be cheering for Scott. (by Fleetfang on 501st.com) There were 10 Legion members and R2-D2 present at his services.

If you would like to support Scott's family, please consider a donation here.

"He's the Trooper who makes the others laugh at an after Troop get together. He's the Trooper who asks what he can do to help. The one who gets folks in line and on point while getting suited up at a Troop. The one who writes you to say how much he loves trooping; how much being a member means to him/her. That was Scott."

- a quote from Chris Berban (Central TX Squad Leader) to Dean Plantamura (Legion PRO)



It is with great pride that we enter these troopers' names into the Hall of Eternal Legionaries.

Buckets off troopers....




FISD Group Photo

For approved members of FISD we will be taking a series of group photos the morning of Saturday April 18th. Troopers are asked to muster at 10am and the photos will start around 11am. The photo will be taking place on the fountain steps of the convention center. Check this thread for more information.

Stormtrooper Social

The night of Saturday the 18th at 7pm we are gathering in the nFuse lounge in the Marriott for merriment. Everyone is welcome. We have extended invitations to other detachments as well. If you have other plans that night please stop by and say hello on your way out. As of the writing of this newsletter there are about 40 people who RSVP'd. If you intend to attend please sign up here.

501st Costuming Panel

Your Detachment Leader is participating in a panel titled "Costuming in a Galaxy Far, Far Away" on Thursday the 16th at 4pm. Staff from SLD and the BHG are presenting as well. Feel free to attend and heckle our DL. Living mannequins are needed. If you are in costume during that time please attend and wander around the room during the panel.

Armor Needed For a Trooper

After some discussion about a certain armor on the main boards and who would be deserving of it, Cameron Smith (Agent of Chaos) from the Redback Garrison put forward the idea to help raise funds for a new set of armor for Scott Loxley, for those who don't know Scott is, he is walking around Australia raising Funds for Monash Children's Hospital. His armor has seen better days and it will no longer be 501st approvable once he finishes his walk.

Cameron thought considering what Scott is doing and the sacrifice he and his family have made for this cause, the legion should make an effort to replace his kit. He then started a thread on the main boards asking those who would like to help to get on board, donation thread here.

It didn't take long to reach the goal of $2000 and funds are still being sent in, the extra will help towards some new boots, socks, gloves and so on.

I would like to personally thank Cameron and all those who have donated, it is the true spirit of Troopers Helping Troopers.



Scott says thanks Tim for the can of coke

With Unquestioned Loyalty,
GLen Q Rhodes
TK-85421 "gmrhodes13"
FISD Imperial Propaganda Machine Team


Our Q&A this month is a little bit different. Usually, we have someone that comes from the Star Wars universe. This month, we have a Q&A inspired by a Troop that I recently attended.

On February 9^th, 2015 the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Dallas Mavericks hosted their first ever “Star Wars Night!†I was fortunate enough to attend in my TK, and I can assure you that we were treated remarkably by the Mavericks and the staff at the American Airlines Center from the moment we arrived, until we departed their offices for the evening.

In looking back on the event I can, of course, identify the benefit to us as members of the 501^st Legion – we once again had an opportunity to do what we do best; get out in public, promote our love of Star Wars, pose for a lot of pictures, and in the process we made a lot of people smile. In this particular instance, some of our members were part of on-court activities, and some were featured on television during the nationally broadcast game. The thought occurred to me though, why?

We know what’s in it for us, but that last thought made me curious about the other side of that coin. What is it about Star Wars, released in 1977, that compels professional organizations like the Mavericks to dedicate an entire night of their schedule to it, and what is the benefit of having the 501^st Legion be a part of that night?

Fortunately, Lexie Randall, Sr. Marketing Manager for the Dallas Mavericks’ agreed to take part in a short Q&A for the First Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment (FISD) Newsletter and give us some insight into those, and other questions.

1.) First, thank you for taking the time to do this for us. As members of the 501^st Legion, we clearly love Star Wars, but what is the appeal of a Star Wars night for the Dallas Mavericks? This is after all, a film that is older than many of your fans, and certainly older than most of your players.

Lexie Randall: It’s my pleasure! The Mavericks aim to put on the best in-game experience in professional sports, and we are always looking for new ways to keep our fans excited and interested. The Star Wars movies are classics and we had staff, players and fans of all ages really excited to see Star Wars integrated with the Mavericks.

2.) Clearly, the product of your organization – the team – is out there competing against the other teams within the NBA. Is there a similar relationship behind the scenes, or do the different team offices work together throughout the league to discuss ideas like Star Wars Night, to better the fan experience across the league?

LR: It’s completely different behind the scenes. While teams are opponents on the court, Marketing departments around the NBA are very open to collaborating and sharing best practices.

3.) When the team hosts a themed special event like this, is there a metric in place that is used to gauge the success of the event, or is this more along the lines of something fun for the fans?

LR: The only real metrics include how much media attention the event received, how many tickets were sold and what the fan feedback was. By the number of calls and inquiries we received, we’d definitely consider Star Wars night a huge success!

Follow-up question: If there is a metric, can you tell us how Star Wars Night turned out for the organization from a standpoint of being considered a successful event when compared to other themed events?

LR: It’s difficult to compare different theme nights because there are many other factors (opponent, day of the week, etc.) The noticeable difference was the amount of fans who showed up to the game in costume or wearing a Star Wars shirt!

4.) Were you aware of the 501^st Legion before you began planning this event, and if not, how did you find out about us?

LR: I was personally not aware of the local 501^st Legion. I worked with the Atlanta Braves a few years ago when they did a Star Wars Night so I had seen the characters before, but I wasn’t really involved with the theme night so I didn’t how much went into creating the costumes and volunteering for these events. We see some diehard Mavs fans who know every player and statistic, so it was great to work with a group just as passionate about Star Wars!

5.) As an organization that requested our presence for your event, what is the appeal to you, of the 501^st Legion?

LR: See answer below to question 6.

6.) What do you feel the presence of the 501^st Legion added to your event?

LR: You provided a unique and interactive experience for Mavs and Star Wars fans alike. It’s not every day that we get to see Star Wars characters throughout the concourse of a Mavs game! The authenticity of the costumes was truly remarkable and our fans were so excited every time they walked around a corner to get a picture with a different character.

7.) Do you have any particular memory, story that you heard, or fan feedback from Star Wars Night, that you’d care to share with us?

LR: My fiancé is a big Star Wars fan, and he was at the game with his friends. I got a text from him right before tipoff in all caps that said “LEXIE…R2-D2 IS HERE! THIS IS AWESOME!†with a photo attached. Obviously, that made my night. J

8.) Finally, a two-part question which will put you on the spot a little bit: Which was your favorite costume that you saw in action during Star Wars Night, and if you could be a character for a day, which would you choose? (Seriously… No pressure or anything just because this is for the Stormtrooper Newsletter. J)

LR: Hmm… I hate to choose a guy from the dark side, but Darth Vader was pretty awesome. The fact that he could speak in that breathy voice added an extra cool element. I would LOVE to be an Ewok for a day. My brothers and I imitated those when we were younger…and still do sometimes.


Here's a picture of Lexie, sporting the always fashionable TK Helmet, during the Dallas Mavericks' Star Wars Night!

So, a big thank you to Lexie for taking part in the Q&A for us, and by extension to the Dallas Mavericks for hosting a Star Wars Night, for including us, and for allowing Lexie to take part in the Q&A.

With Unquestioned Loyalty,

Tim Waychoff
TK-51878 "Dark CMF"
FISD Ambassador

 

In this month's edition of Memoirs, FISD member "AsBlondeAsLuke" TK-95020 shares with us, and you - the readers - a memory that is near and dear to her Imperial heart. I'm sure that within a few moments, it will be near and dear to all of you, as well.

Diana writes...

I think my most memorable troop was when I smacked Dave Filoni in the back with my blaster repeatedly. Mind you, I did not do this intentionally. However, there are certain skills it takes some time to master and I definitely didn’t have them.

It was May 17, 2014 and I was at BigWow ComicFest San Jose with a number of people from my garrison. In the evening, there was going to be a special showing of Godzilla. Dave Filoni is a huge Godzilla fan so he’d come for this event, and spent a few hours in the afternoon at our booth.

In the middle of the afternoon, we took our group picture. We were all in our armor, except for Dave. As our honored guest, Dave was put in the first row. I ended up in the second row, which probably wasn’t optimal since I’m a bit… eh… short. But, anyway, there I was and we started taking our pictures. The “bucket on†pictures were easy enough. But, then in the end the call came for the “bucket off†shots. I’d taken my helmet on and off, at least a hundred times at home during my build. But, I’d never practiced it one-handed with a blaster in my other hand. Or, attempted to unsnap my holster with gloves on and quickly get my blaster tucked properly. Word to the wise, these are good skills to master at home so you don’t fumble these group shots.

So, as I was struggling to get my helmet off one-handed in very tight conditions with all of these people around me, I had no idea I was poking my blaster into the person in front of me. Apparently, I did so repeatedly. I didn’t become aware of my goof until the person in front of me turned around and gave me a bemused look.


You can barely see me in this picture since I'm the little trooper in the second row behind Boba Fett, right there in a perfect position to smack Dave.

Uggh.

Sorry, Dave.

It is a good thing the man has a sense of humor.

Ever since then I’ve been thinking he should add a segment to Rebels about a stormtrooper so hopeless with their blaster they desert their post and join the Rebellion. (Don’t shoot me. The show isn’t called Imperials. Although, that would be an epically good idea for a show.)

As the year went by, there were many more memorable troops involving stairs, tripping hazards, hot tarmac, and overzealous Marines. (Not all at once.) But, the story that never fails to make everyone laugh and cringe is my faux pas with the blaster.

With Unquestioned Loyalty,

Diana Wolf Torres
TK-95020
Executive Officer
Golden Gate Garrison


This month the First Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment would like to congratulate:

Expert Infantry Badge Award:


Paul "Butters" TK-34624
Sean "Veeds" TK-77477
Luke "Lidocaine" TK-44228
Ben "bearings" TK-65535

Centurion Award:


Takashi "studio_a_b" TK-70000
Scott "Tusken RTT" TK-24241
TIm "Dark CMF" TK-51878
Christopher "DarkOrder66" TK-69770
Andrew "fuumantroop" TK-24218

Stand tall and be proud of what you have achieved troopers. You will now be deployed into the First Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment Advanced Tactics Roster. Make us proud troopers!

The FISD is always looking for new applicants for our Advanced Tactics program so please do not hesitate to apply if you meet the standards! Our Deployment Officer and armorers are here to help and guide you through to success!

Feel like your armor is up to standards and worth of recognition? Apply for the Expert Infantry Badge Program now!

Want to go the extra mile, raise the standards of Stormtrooper armor, and be the envy of your peers? Apply for the Centurion Program now!

Note: Applicants need to be EIB approved before applying for Centurion.

With Unquestioned Loyalty,
Evan Loh
TK-24127 "evan_loh"
FISD Public Relations Officer



Don't Forget We're on Facebook and Twitter!

Facebook: www.facebook.com/whitearmor
If you're on FB, stop by and say hi, ask questions, and share stories!

Twitter: www.twitter.com/FISD501st or @FISD501st
follow FISD on Twitter!

Instagram: www.instagram.com/501stfisd

With Unquestioned Loyalty,

Evan Loh
TK-24127 "evan_loh"
FISD Public Relations Officer

On behalf of the 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment Command Staff and the Imperial Propaganda Department,

<End Transmission>

[Tusken RTT]

Nice job, great pics guys!  We need more of Lexie! 

[Snaps[TK]]

Another great newsletter! Great interview and memoir story! My bucket off to those we have lost.

Edited April 11, 2015 by Snaps

[kylebeagle[TK]]

Nicely done...

 

Thank you for the time and effort!

 

[crow62[501st]]

Yeap, buckets off, nice redaction, thanks Evan

[Clamps[TK]]

Great job Propaganda team. Excellent newsletter.

[Holnave (evan_loh)[TK]]

Yeap, buckets off, nice redaction, thanks Evan

Thanks Giovanni!

 

The Newsletters are a product of the hardwork of the IPM Newsletter Team:

 

Tim (DarkCMF)

Clint (cm325i)

Glen (gmrhodes13)

Clive (ninjabiscuit)

and Eric always updating us in the "From the DL" section too

 

So credit goes to them as well

[fuumantroop[TK]]

Woohoo 3 Star Garrison Centurions in one newsletter! Stand tall FISD! Great newsletter! Can't wait to see what this year brings us in The Age of Aloha!(patent pending )

[JEDISTAR[TK]]

Great newsletter and R.I.P. to those we lost..buckets off..

[sandtrooper[501st]]

Enjoyed reading this very much.

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Great job everyone

[Daetrin[Admin]]

Great work! One of the better ones, for sure.

[swibowoj[TK]]

Enjoying read this month Newsletter, but I miss the Tip of The Month 

[Pickles[TK]]

Just the tip?

[Dark PWF[Staff]]

Just the tip?

ROFL... I'll admit that I am laughing like a seventh grader.

[Dark PWF[Staff]]

Thanks Giovanni!

The Newsletters are a product of the hardwork of the IPM Newsletter Team:

Tim (DarkCMF)

Clint (cm325i)

Glen (gmrhodes13)

Clive (ninjabiscuit)

and Eric always updating us in the "From the DL" section too

So credit goes to them as well

Also, Evan.

[Holnave (evan_loh)[TK]]

Enjoying read this month Newsletter, but I miss the Tip of The Month 

Noted. We will keep more than one eye out for upcoming tips!

[agentsmith]

Hi all,

if you are looking for the link to donate for Scotts armour, the link is here..

http://www.gofundme.com/owotfg

It will be open for a little while longer..and thanks to anyone who donated.

 

Regards

Agent of Chaos (legion boards)

Agentsmith  (all other boards)

Edited April 12, 2015 by agentsmith

[AsBlondeAsLuke[TK]]

Great newsletter, guys.  Loved the whole issue.  Always glad to see our fallen honored and recognized and efforts made to take care of the families.  I also loved reading the update on the initiative to get Scott a new sandtrooper kit.  So heartening to read about the collective generosity of the group in taking care of their own.  Tim, excellent job on the interview with Lexie!  Sounds like "Star Wars Night" was a big hit.  This was a particularly interesting point, though, and a very good question to ask:

>>4.) Were you aware of the 501^st Legion before you began planning this event, and if not, how did you find out about us?

>>LR: I was personally not aware of the local 501^st Legion. 
We did a corporate event very recently and they loved working with us, and wanted to do so again, but their reaction also was: "Wow. You guys are great.  How come we never heard about you guys?"

 

So, great questions to ask, Tim.  Thanks for an excellent newsletter.

[TKRalf[TK]]

Awesome work troopers!

[Tolo[TK]]

Great Newsletter troopers!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 6 using Tapatalk

[MinionTK[TK]]

Another great newsletter! 

[bzb]

Well done!  Kudos to all involved in this edition!

[Griffin-X[TK]]

Great newsletter, thanks team!

[YouCantBe Sidious[TK]]

Cool! That's my bucket on Lexie, from the Mavs organization!

Definitely good times!

 

Here's my video captures from the TV broadcast:

https://youtu.be/GhwUoBiAosE

(some of the clips were left in, because my band's music is playing in the arena )