Is St. Louis FanForce Still Alive

ok well i tried about a week ago to post my information in the getting to know you thread, but that produced only one responce and that's from the Midwest RSA.

So here is my Question: Is there still a star wars FanForce chapter, and is it still active?

I understand that some groups do not like using the boards which i completely understand because until i moved to the St. Louis area i never used the boards and i am only doing so now to reach out and find a star wars group to join. I can see that the RSA is aggravated at a lack of activity here so i guess i have little reason to believe that there is life here. Honestly if this is the reality that st. louis fanforce is dead, i feel sad for you. Who says FanForce has to just be about Star Wars? some of my closest frineds i have met through FanForce and we do everything together, not just talk about the force! Fanforce can be so much more than a world that revolves around one made up universe, let it revolve around all Sci-fi fantasy and general geekdom. and allow it to be about the friendships not about the movies.

I was really hoping to join a group that could be a huge part of my life just like my old Fanforce group was, but i get the feeling that i am not going to find a group here in St. Louis.

Timothy Anderson

to contact me concerning the state of the St Louis Fanforce please e-mail me at PsiChapter43@aol.com

P.S. my brother was the one who posted on my behalf in the "is there anything i can do to get people on the boards again" thread. his board screen name is TheBothanJedi.

Still alive, but hardly kicking from what I've seen. I just joined a couple weeks ago. I'm gonna check this forum daily, and hopefully more St. Louisans come out of the woodwork. I'm also happy to discuss anything.

now when you say joined do you mean join the boards, or did you actually attend a meeting?

Guys, lets start with saying welcome. Tim I totally understand moving to a new area and looking for a fantastic social circle, which the fanforce and other Star Wars groups always are.
Is the St Louis Fan Force dead? well yes and no. Many of us still keep in contact and see eachother every so often. But we do not meet regularly, (which is one of requirements of the fanforce.) Our former leader is now very active with the 501st, I moved to Wisconsin, Dajuan moved to Iowa, a couple have moved to the other side of Missouri to attend college and are only home every so often. Others have lost their jobs, which made it financially difficult for them to meet for meetings/socials and so on........
Even though the old guard is not so active, that does not mean that a new group can not form. You aleady have two of you and who knows how many more are out there looking for you.

Well said, glad to see your looking at it my way.

Yes, I've only joined the forum, but I'm really hoping some more wayward St. Louis Star Wars fans find their way here so we can do something.

I think our big issue is that no one wants to be in charge of trying to make everyone happy. To plan meetings you have to make sure to meet on both sides of the river on occasion but then there would always be one or two who wouldn't come and complain just because it wasn't in their state. Or, it's not cheap enough. Or, they don't like the restaurant we meet at or the activity we choose to do. This may surprise you, but we seem to attract a lot of people who are socially inept. It is exhausting having to deal with the ones who are impossible to please and seem like their only goal in life is to cause strife...not always overtly...but it's there.

If someone is in charge, there is always a power struggle. It's nuts.

I just don't want to have to deal with all that. I'm tired of it. If I'm going to post on these boards I don't want any drama. But there always will be...cause it's human nature. It'll show up again eventually.

But, you guys go ahead. Get it going again. I'll be behind you. But if drama pops up...ugh.

As a lurker from Chicago, I know a little bit about drama

I think that this is my first post on these boards, but I wanted to add a little support
to our new RSA, Eric

I am pretty sure, that Eric would be happy to see anyone posting here.

I always like roaming and maybe discovering an exciting post like,

"Today I woke up and thought a little bit about Star Wars and remembered that
I still have to hang up my Star Wars lego T-Shirt" (ok that wouuld be me yesterday and yet posting the thought
here today)

For me today, my post would ramble as follows, (awake only 1 hour so far)

Went on-line to see how my fellow Star Wars fans are doing in the MidWest.

so, my answer to, "Is St. Louis FanForce Still Alive?"
is
As long as There is one Star Wars nut, still posting here, I know that it always will be.

As always, my best to my fellow Star Wars nuts everywhere

LOL, Amy do you realize your post just described Star Wars
"no one wants to be in charge of trying to make everyone happy"-sounds like we need a Vader (you just don't understand the POWER)---NOT
"socially inept"-Luke Skywalker (new hope)
"there is always a power struggle" Palpatine vs the Jedi, or Jedi vs Sith
"drama"- all Star Wars.
Life imitating art? hmmmmmmmmm

Personally I like the "you guys go ahead. Get it going again"-sounds like you just threw down the gaunlet.

Thats the Spirit Guys/Gals !!!

Tim, it looks like if you want to be involved in a St. Louis Fan Force group you'll have to organize it yourself with the help of Vykk-Draygo.

While that may sound like a lot of effort and responcibility, remember that the Long Island Fan Force only got started when Dana got fed up with travelling into Manhattan for meetings of the NYC fan force. If Dana and Abhay could get a group going on their own, you and Vykk-Draygo should be able to pull something together if you really want to.

Any advice and help you need or want I'm willing to give you.

As for the drama, from what I've seen and heard there is a lot of it amongst Fan Force, and especially on these mesage boards. But there doesn't have to be all this drama. Accept that you can't please everybody and that sometimes people will get pissy about it, and things will go much smoother. You can't please everybody, and trying to will just drive you crazy.

Good luck guys.

-- Daniel Anderson, President - Fan Force Long Island

And I have 5 years of CR/President experience , so I can give advise too. PM me or post if I can do anything.

I'd be extremely proud of any resurrection effort that succeeded in recreating the StLFF as a legitimate entity. Good luck to those undertaking that effort.

I think it's been pretty well covered: Most of our movers and shakers went away for one reason or another, and those that do still remain are more of the followers than the leaders. But it's looking like there's some new people around, so maybe it's worth trying to get together a bit more.

I've personally just moved back to St Louis as has another one of our old members, and I'm willing to try to spearhead organization even if it means getting people pissed at me now and then. I'm used to it.

Party at your house, Jon?

My apartment is tiny, but I'm sure I can convince my parents to let me use their place. Perhaps we should start a new meeting thread? Perhaps for August so people have time to see it?

Look at Jon, being the glue that keeps the FF sticky.

I'm in.

I would love to have a meeting. just a thought if no one is able or comfortable with having something at their house, mall food courts can sometimes be good meeting place, as long as it does not get too loud.

I would love to meet in august. Early august would work best for me. Being a Fraternal Traveling Consultant, my calendar starts to book up once the academic year starts in late august.

Tim

that way the scrolling bar at the top of the page saying "August's meeting under discussion..." would actually be true! lol

keep up the good work guys, Since asking if I could help with posting, Posting here has doubled.
Dont give up on resurrecting this FF.

Well, I'm more than happy to host. Got a barbecue even. The main issue that always comes up is whether or not people will be able to make it given we have people on both sides of the river. I'm located in Webster Groves just off 44, so I've got good highway access at the very least.

Downtown locations are usually good, central locations, but parking is either impossible to find or expensive. Plus locales are often loud, smoky, and some are 21+ (if we still have any younger members or people want to bring their kids).

Malls are convenient and cheap, but ultimately I'd say, pretty boring, unless we're going to see a movie or something.

Thoughts? Opinions?

Try your local comic book store or gaming store to see if they have a room they will give you for free. You could advertise the meeting's on local radio and newspapers(again for Free) and that will give them insenitive to host you. If not ask Boarders or Barns&Noble to host.

Well, since we seem to be getting this group (or some version of it) back together, I'll offer up my house as a possible meeting location. I've got plenty of parking and it's fairly easy to find. I'm happy to go anyplace else, though.

You do have a nifty place Susan, plenty of room for mischief and what not.