Force Projection
800*600
This is the Academy of the IKV Melota.
This is where you will find useful information on HOW TO to many of the things that we assume are regular processes for our ship.
Wikipedia tells us that power projection (or force projection) is a term used in military and political science to refer to the capacity of a state to conduct expeditionary warfare, i.e. to intimidate other nations and implement policy by means of force, or the threat thereof, in an area distant from its own territory.
Sometimes you know that a ship is nearby. Granted that "near" is relative.
In the Cold Revenge Quadrant, a nine hour drive is "near" enough.
So, this ship is nearby, but you just cannot seem to convince them to come to your events.
"Dudes! We really think that you would like to participate in our ________ event coming up."
That X hour drive is just too far for them to want to drive.
The solution that the IKV Melota created was to perform "Force Projection". Pack up your show, uniforms, banners, weapons, the whole kit and kaboodle and drive to their back yard and put on your event. As a corollary, convince your target ship to put on their own show and show up for it.
When you show up in their back yard for their event (or yours) you have met your goal of getting the ships together. You have also proven that they can drive to your event since you drove to theirs.
Ok, you are not inflicting a political change on them by threat of violence in their back yard.
However, you have probably affected their policies by being cool.
Years ago, we collaborated with the IKV Deliverance to create a paintball war to draw in other ships. At the height of the IKV Deliverance's Deliverance Wars, the IKV Melota (TX), MAV veStargh (TX), IKV Bloodsword (OK), IKV Anpu (MO), IKV Dangerous Blade (MO) were all together at the same Deliverance War.
This was by being willing to drive (at the time) nine hours to support the IKV Deliverance in pulling in ships from as far away as Springfield (MO).
We have since found a seven hour route.
After years of trying to get the IKV Bayou Serpent to come to our Tournaments, we convinced the IKV Bayou Serpent to put on an event so that we could come visit them. They put on a paintball war for us. We brought our Ceremonies and basic Batleth to them. This started the awesome Venom Wars series that has had eight annual events so far. The IKV Bayou Serpent and IKV Melota have been collaborating on joint ventures, trips, events for the last eight* years. By being willing to drive the five hours to visit the IKV Bayou Serpent, we have enjoyed years of a relationship from which both ships have benefitted.
* At the time of this 2011 update.
Grethor, I and my family have driven to see members of the IKV Bayou Serpent just to have family fun together. The IKV Bayou Serpent has sent members to DFW to assist the IKV Melota with commercial and professional gigs. I and my family have collaborated with members of the IKV Bayou Serpent to attend cons and family outtings further east of their normal sphere of influence. Ripar drove to DFW so that I could make armor for his camcorder. Both ships have really benefitted as have our families.
Not only should you go visit your target ship, but bring your camcorder to video your force projection event. Send your raw footage to your host so that they can, if they so choose, make their own video. Send them a copy of your final product with dual billing under the Creative Commons license and encourage them to distribute it as their own.
This simple statement includes by reference the information on the Academy pages about:
Ceremonies Concepts
Videography Concepts
Website Concepts
Pack up your stuff and take your show to them
Now, please read this excellent article by Commander Ripar of the IKV Bayou Serpent.
Hom Salek, Sutai
Ship's Brewer
Commo Officer, IKV Melota
www.janissaries.net
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The IKV Melota is a non-profit organization supporting Mr. Roddenberry's vision of the future. We find it very distressing that Viacom and Paramount do not share his visions. We recognize all trademarks and copyrights as belonging to their owners and hope that the owners have sense enough to realize that we fans pay the bills. There is no need outside of testosterone and rectal attitudes to pursue fan sites.
Given that this is not a commercial venture, as webmaster, I partake of the KISS principle and shall have a very simple site. Simplicity is beauty, like the curve of the Ba'Leth.