[Stormy]

Every now and then I get a little nostalgic or reflective. Today was one of those days.

I decided to scroll through the membership roster and see how many active members there were who had joined prior to my arrival in mid-February 2011. It was not a contest, nor do I see this as bragging rights. I knew there were several because I still see them on the boards and/or in game quite often. For those who may not be aware, this fleet precedes Star Trek Online by several years. It has seen multiple leadership changes, an evolving focus, and countless members who have come and gone through our ranks.

But I digress slightly. On to the count.

Here is what I found:

The UFP currently has 638 active members (not accounting for anyone who joiined or resigned after this post). That in itself speaks highly of this fleet. We have stood the test of time when many fleets have fallen to the wayside. Of those, about 60 precede my arrival... a little less than 10 percent. While not all, most of them are still an active part of our group.

Basically, these members provide a solid foundation for the fleet and I tip my cowboy hat (yes, I really do wear one in real life) to each one.

But do you know what is just as exciting to me. While scrolling, our newest member has been on board just three hours. That is exciting because this person is our future... or at lleast an example of it. This member, and every one between he and our most senior member of the fleet, are equally important to the continued success and survival of the UFP. May she be here long after I am gone... for good.

Thank you for yoru time, for we never know exactly how much we have and should count every moment as a gift.

[AlexRider]

Thank you so much for these very nice and very true words, Stormy!

[RavenSplat]

I'm one of those newer members who only joined the UFP just over a year ago and only started to participate properly about 5 months ago. What I am always astounded by is how many members we have active and the different perspectives everyone brings from their different. I feel here on UFP we truly strive for Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations (IDIC) and it is always great to see to new members joining and to see the old members sticking it out here. I hope to hang around here a bit longer to maybe become one of the older members eventually though I have a long wait till then.
To all old members thank you for providing a strong bedrock for this fleet to stand on.
To the new members, A warm welcome to you we hope you enjoy it here, you are the future of the United Federation of Planets, so no pressure.