[28] TK-47933 Troop Log

[Tilheyra[IPM]]

Troop #12

 

Indy PopCon is a major pop culture convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is the con where Star Wars Indiana goes all out with our different set pieces and recruitment efforts! We were fortunate to have another convention last month (Indiana Comic Convention), but we had much more space for all our sets and tables, so we could engage fans and prospective members in a much more inviting space. Our sets included the trash compactor, Emperor's throne, our Cantina with the bar and two standee tables, and a jail cell. Bounties were collected at the Cantina bar and those who were found and had a bounty were escorted back to the jail cell set for photos. All donations collected from bounties were for a local children's hospital, and we raised $1,760 in cash donations from the weekend!

 

I had previously decided that Indy PopCon was going to be the big con for me to use as a weekend away from home, so I booked a hotel room to be on site most of the weekend. I was able to get away from work sooner than I had expected on Friday to be able to be in costume and on the con floor for a few hours in the late-afternoon and evening! As expected, Friday was the lighter day of the weekend, and most of my time was spent hanging around the booth. A member got a great candid photo of me with the 501st banner in the background!

 

 

Saturday was a big day for me as I debuted my partially complete Legacy Fem TK armor in the morning! My fellow Star Wars Indiana members loved it! I got so many compliments and that was really touching! Here's a selfie that I took in my hotel room prior to walking to the convention floor:

 

 

I write a little more about this armor test in my Legacy Fem build thread:

 

 

After about 3.5 hours in my Legacy, I decided to switch to my shock trooper armor for the rest of the day. 

 

Once in my shock trooper armor, I took part in many bounty hunts. Many of us are probably familiar, but for those who do not know, folks who make a donation to charity (a local children's hospital) can put a "bounty" on themselves or a person they know (the person having the bounty placed on them has to be informed of the fact). The person with the bounty then wears a yellow card on a lanyard and is free to roam the vendor hall. If we see them, we then tell them they are caught and they accompany us back to our jail cell set for photos. We added a new element this time and had hand bells made to ring while we shout "SHAME" on the way back to the jail cell vis a vis Game of Thrones!

 

 

 

I also enjoyed a little down time catching up with fellow members...and apparently staring off into space...

 

 

Later on Saturday I discovered the craft soda stand, so I made many trips the rest of Saturday and all day Sunday to refill my mug. Good thing I didn't miss pouring the root beer in my mug, otherwise I think I would have made the owner mad. Fortunately, he is a member of the Great Lakes Garrison, so he probably expected a stormtrooper to miss when pouring (I need to see if I can find him on their garrison roster).

 

 

Sunday was more relaxed, but consisted of the same activities. More bounty hunts, more hanging out with fellow members, and personalizing the protective nature that is the Empire!

 

 

Overall, a great weekend away from home, a great opportunity to show the member groups of Star Wars Indiana to the public, and a great showing of charity for children in need!

[Tilheyra[IPM]]

Troop #13

 

May 4th was a 3-troop day for me, and the first troop was at the Toy Buzz & Fizz action figure/comic/soda shop in Plainfield, Indiana! The store had relocated, so this was the grand opening of the store's new location, and the owner was giving away free comics, had some food vendors on site, and invited Star Wars Indiana to provide the right atmosphere for May 4th!

 

 

Given some of the narrow aisles between shelves, I didn't want to bump into anything and knock merchandise all over the place, so I found some key locations in the store to stand guard. As happens when I don't move much, new folks walked in and figured I was statue, but then would jump when my head would move to visually follow them as they passed by. 

 

 

We were in costume in the store for about 90 minutes, and happened to be there during one of the busiest times that day!

 

Most of us were signed up for another troop that was scheduled for shortly after this troop, so we all got out of costume and headed to the next troop of the day, which was...

 

 

[Tilheyra[IPM]]

Troop #14

 

The Whiteland, Indiana library put on a Star Wars event for kids to celebrate May 4th! Kids were able to talk and take photos with those of us from Star Wars Indiana, make space-themed crafts, and check out the different science and Star Wars books at the library! One kid brought in a radio controlled droid he was working on and demonstrated it for us! 

 

 

During a quiet period, I took the opportunity to absorb some knowledge.

 

 

We certainly took advantage of the plethora of books to take funny photos!

 

Like the troop earlier in the day, this troop also flew by, so in what seemed like no time we were packing up and heading to the major troop of the day, which was...

[dblcross[TK]]

34 minutes ago, Tilheyra said:

Troop #13

 

May 4th was a 3-troop day for me, and the first troop was at the Toy Buzz & Fizz action figure/comic/soda shop in Plainfield, Indiana! The store had relocated, so this was the grand opening of the store's new location, and the owner was giving away free comics, had some food vendors on site, and invited Star Wars Indiana to provide the right atmosphere for May 4th!

 

 

Given some of the narrow aisles between shelves, I didn't want to bump into anything and knock merchandise all over the place, so I found some key locations in the store to stand guard. As happens when I don't move much, new folks walked in and figured I was statue, but then would jump when my head would move to visually follow them as they passed by. 

 

 

We were in costume in the store for about 90 minutes, and happened to be there during one of the busiest times that day!

 

Most of us were signed up for another troop that was scheduled for shortly after this troop, so we all got out of costume and headed to the next troop of the day, which was...

 

 

I really wish we had a laughing icon to click on instead of just a like button. It really looks like your having a great time! And I say really a lot lol.

 

 

Edited May 5 by dblcross

[Tilheyra[IPM]]

33 minutes ago, dblcross said:

I really wish we had a laughing icon to click on instead of just a like button. It really looks like your having a great time! And I say really a lot lol.

 

The awesome things I get to do as a member of the Legion are truly amazing! I am having so much fun! I wish I joined sooner!

[Tilheyra[IPM]]

Troop #15

 

May 4th was Star Wars Night at the Indianapolis Indians baseball game! The Indy Indians are a minor league baseball team, and are an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major league baseball team. The Indy Indians played the Buffalo Bisons of Buffalo, New York. The final score was 9 to 3, with the Bisons winning. Despite the result of the game, it was an eventful night, with many more photographs than I can remember taken with Star Wars and baseball fans!

 

 

My friend Mellissa (standing next to me) was also able to come and be my handler! She has decided to make a Jawa costume and join both the 501st Legion and Rebel Legion! Until her costume is made and approved, I'll be inviting her to some troops as a handler to experience trooping and meet members of Star Wars Indiana!

 

 

This will also be a memorable troop for me, as this was the first time both shock troopers of the Bloodfin Garrison were able to troop together! As many here are aware, with only 50 active shock troopers in the Legion (as of this writing), it is a relatively rare occurrence for any two to be trooping together, so we (the other shock trooper is TK-5305) took advantage of the opportunity by taking lots of photos and wandering around the stadium together!

 

 

 

 

 

 

An absolutely amazing May 4th! I took part in 3 awesome troops and got to be with my family of choice on a special day!

[Tilheyra[IPM]]

The library in Carmel, Indiana invited Star Wars Indiana to be part of their Nerdfest, which was intended to be like a pop culture convention, but much less costly and less hectic. Plenty of families were present, and many of the attendees also dressed in cosplay! Being at a library helped with the atmosphere being less hectic, but a lot of fun was had! They had a vender handing out free comics, there were plenty of arcade games, many photo opportunities, and different panels on various pop culture topics. A popular session was stage combat (with foam swords), which we made sure to keep a bit of distance from, lest we give the kids ideas of hitting us with their foam swords. 

 

As expected, much of our time was spent taking photos with the backdrop that had been set up:

 

 

However, we took advantage of some of the lulls in attendees to do some exploring.

 

 

 

 

 

Had an interesting game of chess:

 

 

Fought off threats to the Empire:

 

 

I also had the opportunity to give a lecture:

 

 

As usual, fun was had by all, and our Imperial (and Rebel) presence was welcomed by all!

Edited May 12 by Tilheyra

[Nairy[Staff]]

Yay!!! I love that you found a new best Shock trooper friend!

[revlimiter[Staff]]

Oh man, Shock trooper BFFs!!! Love it.

[Tilheyra[IPM]]

Troop #17

 

Multiple members of the Bloodfin Garrison told me about "the Joliet troop" a couple of months ago and recommended I make it there when the opportunity arises. Well, that opportunity came up, and I was able to go to Joliet with a couple other members of Bloodfin!

 

The Joliet Public Library holds an annual Star Wars Day that includes a parade, vendors, and plentiful photo opportunities for all in attendance. This troop is one of the major gatherings of Star Wars costumes outside of some of the big cons (at least in the U.S. Midwest), so I was excited to meet other members from different 501st garrisons, as well as members of other Star Wars costuming groups. Attendance was muted this year as it rained the entire day (going from light drizzle at times to heavy rain), but there was still a great showing of many, many members of the different groups, and turned out to be the largest troop by costumed members that I have experienced in my short time in the Legion.

 

We were fortunate that the rain mostly let up for the parade! There were a few sprinkles here and there as we lined up, marched in the parade, and got a full group photo at the end of the parade. As if by design, the rain soon picked up after the festivities moved indoors. For the parade, we staged many blocks away from the library (the changing area was in the library, so we walked to the staging area in costume), and wound our way back to the library in the parade itself. Imperials led the way, followed by Mandos, then Rebels, and the Galactic Academy following all. I didn't see from my position in the parade, but videos I have seen of the parade show us stretched out about 2 city blocks! We all then spilled into the main courtyard of the library for a group photo, and then the public were allowed on the grounds to take photos and visit the vendors inside.

 

Here's a photo of me as we were lining up for the group photo (to the DPROs: I am not sure if I have permission to share this photo off of the forum):

 

 

I found that I am not a good judge of rain when in armor, because most of the drops ended up on my armor, and very little ended up on my undersuit. The rain picked up during the outdoor photos with members of the public, but I did not notice that until water started dripping down from the brow of my helmet. The non-helmeted folks noticed the pick up in rain much sooner.

 

Given that June is Pride month, I wanted to get some sort of Pride-related photo when at this troop. I forgot to bring a rainbow flag for photos, so I was on the lookout for a good photo opportunity, and found it in a storefront painted in rainbow colors! As the crowd taking photos outside ebbed, I saw a member of Bloodfin walk by and quickly got him to take photos of me in front of the painted rainbow. Here's the best one:

 

 

With the main event complete (the parade), I wandered around the library and the nearby historical society building, because vendors were set up in both locations. Plenty more photos were taken as I was frequently stopped and asked to pose for photos. I was with Bloodfin's other shock trooper and one of Midwest Garrison's stormtroopers, so we made a good team patrolling and posing for photos!

 

As with many members in attendance, I eventually got out of costume and made my way around the vendor tables in my racing shirt, and I made sure to attend the pizza party after the festivities had concluded. It was a great troop, and I hope to be able to attend many such events in the future!

[Tilheyra[IPM]]

Troop #18

 

The Bloodfin Garrison was treated to another appearance of two shock troopers when both were in attendance at the Superhero 5K & Kids Dash on June 15th. I was told by other members that this is a fun event, so I signed up (despite it being a little further than I usually want to travel)! It was a laid back event, but with the local high school cheer squad, we were the main group to cheer on the runners as they began and ended the 5K race.

 

 

The usual camaraderie was also present and we took the opportunity for fun photos.

 

 

The fire department's ladder 421 was also present, so we naturally got photos with their truck!

 

[Tilheyra[IPM]]

Troop #19

Star Wars Indiana was invited to provide an Imperial, Rebel, and Mando presence in the lead up to the annual fireworks show at a local retirement community! The Empire was well represented with the inclusion of Darth Vader and Darth Nihilus!

 

 

But even the presence of Sith Lords couldn’t improve our aim…

 

[Tilheyra[IPM]]

Troop #20

 

The 501st Legion and Rebel Legion made a showing for the Kokomo Jackrabbits Star Wars Night! The Kokomo Jackrabbits is a baseball team composed of baseball players from different colleges and universities who want to continue their sport during summer vacation. As Kokomo, Indiana is a smaller town, I was impressed with the large following the team has, as well as the stadium being on par with some U.S. minor league baseball stadiums.

 

 

 

We made sure to loop around the grounds to greet attendees and keep up excitement and energy for the game. Of course, we also took some time for goofy photos:

 

 

Close to the end of our troop, we were directed down to the field for a "Guess that Character" game between innings. A couple of kids were designated to guess the characters we each portrayed, and the audience could shout answers and hints. We were happy to find some of the Jackrabbits players got into the guessing game as well! It seems one player may be a Star Wars fan as he correctly guessed almost all of our characters! It was nice to see during the guessing game, and during the baseball game itself, the greater level of interaction between the audience and baseball players than would be seen at minor league and major league baseball games!

 

 

It was a fun troop, but it was very hot, so we were pretty tired by the end of the troop!

 

 

This troop was bittersweet for me as it was my final troop as a member of the Bloodfin Garrison. Within days, I will move to Tennessee and transfer to the Midsouth Garrison. I have been fortunate to troop so frequently with Bloodfin in the 6 months since I was approved, and I am already looking for future opportunities to visit and troop with Bloodfin again! Here's to new adventures in my new home!

[Nairy[Staff]]

Congratulations on 20 troops Brian!!!  

[Tilheyra[IPM]]

Troop #21

 

My first troop as a member of the MidSouth Garrison!

 

This was a small troop at the library in Clinton, Tennessee, and we only had 2 troopers present. The event marked the end of a summer reading contest for local children. Families were able to drop by and hang out with stormtroopers and a local sword fighting club, and during lulls the two groups hung out and talked about nerdy things! We also handed out gifts for the raffle held at the end of the event.

 

We also found the Star Wars books!

 

 

A fun little troop in my new garrison, and the start of my service to the Empire in my new home!

[revlimiter[Staff]]

Congrats on the move and new garrison!

[Morgi[Staff]]

Congrats on the new Garrison and the move! A library troop certainly seems like a great first troop with a new Garrison 

[dblcross[TK]]

On 7/26/2024 at 7:15 PM, Tilheyra said:

My first troop as a member of the MidSouth Garrison!

Welcome to the Midsouth Garrison!

[Tilheyra[IPM]]

Troop #22

 

The Tennessee Theater in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee had a matinee showing of Return of the Jedi, so naturally, the Empire was called to maintain order at this showing!

 

We were posted out in front of the theater, so both ticketholders and the general public got their chance to take photos with some of their local troopers!

 

[Tilheyra[IPM]]

Troop #23

 

An Imperial presence brought joy and excitement to the East Tennessee Children's Hospital!

 

This was my first hospital troop, so I was a bit nervous because it seemed a troop like this has a bit higher stakes, but everything went well and my nervousness went away shortly after we started! The children and teens there were very excited to see us, and it was very touching to see how much joy and excitement we brought to everyone we encountered at the hospital.

 

[BAZINGA[TK]]

It is good to hear that the nerves went away once you started.  I had a chance at one next week but I did decide against it.  Partially from nerves and partially because they were a 7 hour round trip driving for very short times with the kids.  It was a hard decision to make and balance.

 

Bart

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Each hospital experience can be different, they can be extremely rewarding but also extremely sad, one particular experience was visiting a 5 year old who was succumbing to cancer, everything was setup for our visit the following week after the request came in, when we arrived at the hospital we had been told the youngling had just lost his sight and was in isolation, we were able to see him through an outside window and his family was telling him who we were and what we looked like, was such a sad day with many of our troopers shedding a tear or two, he unfortunately passed a few days after our visit.

[JBar[TK]]

I remember my first hospital visit. I was extremely nervous as it was also my first troop with a new garrison. Like you said the nerves went away once it all started. For me I have to remember from a kid perspective just looking at a stormtrooper and all that cool armor is often enough. A simple wave or giving away a trading card is the coolest thing for someone young. That thought helped take the pressure off to perform. These are now my favorite troops

[Tilheyra[IPM]]

23 hours ago, gmrhodes13 said:

Each hospital experience can be different, they can be extremely rewarding but also extremely sad, one particular experience was visiting a 5 year old who was succumbing to cancer, everything was setup for our visit the following week after the request came in, when we arrived at the hospital we had been told the youngling had just lost his sight and was in isolation, we were able to see him through an outside window and his family was telling him who we were and what we looked like, was such a sad day with many of our troopers shedding a tear or two, he unfortunately passed a few days after our visit.

 

That is one of the things that did make me nervous beforehand. I have survived cancer myself, so I was putting it in my mind that I may choke up or shed a tear if one of the kids was having an especially difficult experience with cancer. 

 

5 hours ago, JBar said:

I remember my first hospital visit. I was extremely nervous as it was also my first troop with a new garrison. Like you said the nerves went away once it all started. For me I have to remember from a kid perspective just looking at a stormtrooper and all that cool armor is often enough. A simple wave or giving away a trading card is the coolest thing for someone young. That thought helped take the pressure off to perform. These are now my favorite troops

 

Seeing how happy the kids were is what really made me relax! It's rare to be visited by stormtroopers!

 

On 8/17/2024 at 5:50 PM, BAZINGA said:

It is good to hear that the nerves went away once you started.  I had a chance at one next week but I did decide against it.  Partially from nerves and partially because they were a 7 hour round trip driving for very short times with the kids.  It was a hard decision to make and balance.

 

Bart

 

I bet the travel distance is a difficult part of garrisons that are so geographically spread out. Many big events in my new garrison are a 5 hour round trip (Nashville, Tennessee) or further (Memphis), so I've found myself having to be choosy with what I may attend. At least events in Knoxville are frequent enough!

[Tilheyra[IPM]]

Troop #24

 

After nearly 2 months without a troop, I was finally able to get back in armor!

 

This event was Boo at the Zoo at the Knoxville, Tennessee zoo! We had 3 TKs, a Tusken, and Chewbacca also made an appearance.

 

As I assume is done at many other zoos, the children and their families would visit different booths throughout the zoo to get candy, and then would roam around and get photos with members of different costume groups! We were next to the Smoky Mountain Ghostbusters, so both groups were a major draw for photo ops!

 

 

 

We are repeating this event on Saturday, October 26th, so I plan to be back at the zoo in a couple of weeks.