Ranks

DoctorAwardedMedalIn the spirit of Starfleet seen on Star Trek, USS Kelly Crewmembers can earn ranks seen on the show. This is not a system to state that one person is better than another, but as recognition for individuals who have contributed time and energy to the fleet and are willing to serve fellow crewmembers at future activities. A quote often stated by Admiral Hollinger is “The more pips you have earned represent the more service you give.”

The requirements may seem daunting, however you will notice that as you continue to have fun and submit your monthly duty reports, you can continue to rise as far as you are willing to go. A Crewman is as welcome in the fleet as a Commander.

If you have any questions about these guidelines, feel free to contact your Department Chief. They are willing to assist you in locating the answers regarding the requirements for rank advancements. A few items are detailed here.

ACADEMY EXAM:

The Academy Exam is a closed book test given by Command Grade Officers to crewmembers who wish to advance in rank. THERE IS NO PASS OR FAIL ON THE EXAM. The exam consists of over 200 questions of different varieties. Further details and suggestions can be requested from your chapter’s Command Staff. It is set up to help the crewman and the Command Staff evaluate their Star Trek knowledge and skills. If you are lacking in a certain area, the Fleet has resources to help you learn and grow (such as Merit Sheets, projects, rank advancements, etc.) If a crewman scores a certain level off of their first exam, they can be eligible for automatic rank promotion to Ensign or Lieutenant (j.g.).

To schedule an Academy Exam, contact the Commanding Officer and make arrangements for date and which subject you wish to take. There are four exams, The Original Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager. For those under the age of 14 there is a Jr. Academy Exam which is given orally by any parent. There is no automatic promotions or awards given for the Jr. Academy Exam.

Merit Sheets

These are basically short open book tests usually ranging from 5 to 25 questions. Once you have found the correct answers you can bring your sheet to a Command Grade officer to be passed off. If you can answer three or more questions (decided by the tester) then that person will sign you off as passing that course. It is not completely dedicated to trivia however there are a lot of trivia courses.  There are several Merit Sheets for Leadership, Participation, Service and real life science.

There are two different type of Merit Sheets. Selected are various courses of different subjects and difficulty. The crewmember can choose which Selected Merit Sheets they wish to take and may work on more than one at a time. Required Merit Sheets are specifically developed by the Command Staff to assist in the development of the crewmember. They must be taken in sequential order. Also crewmembers will not receive the next Required Merit Sheets until the previous Required Merit Sheet has been passed.

The USS Kelly has posted the Merit Sheets online for download.  They can be found in Merit Sheets section.

COMMAND PROJECT:

A Command Project is a project designed to promote and enhance the club. It can be proposed by a crewmember or recommended by a member of the Command Staff. It can be performed at any time and is also designed to help develop leadership skills.  If you have an idea for a Command Project, feel free to submit a proposal form or contact your Department Chief.

RANK INSIGNIAS:

RANK: ABBREVIATION: INSIGNIA ON RIGHT COLLAR: NOTES:
Recruit Rec Interested in joining, has not received orders yet.
Crewman 3rd Class C3 New Member, under the age of 13
Crewman 2nd Class C2 New Member, over the age of 14
Crewman 1st Class C1 Also known as “Acting Ensign”
Ensign Ens Lowest Rank for a Staff Position.
Lieutenant (j.g.) Lt. (j.g.) Lieutenant Rank
Lieutenant Lt. Lieutenant Rank
Lieutenant Commander Lt. Cmdr Command Rank
Commander Cmdr Command Rank
Captain Capt Flag Rank
Admiral Adm Flag Rank

 

RANK GUIDELINES:

Having fun is the best way to advance in rank. As you turn in monthly duty reports to your chapter’s Executive Officer, you can earn Promotional Merit Points. PMPs are divided into four categories. Participation- coming to activities and other ways of having fun. Knowledge- learning about Star Trek and the world around us. Service- helping out the community and the ship. And Leadership- helping others have fun. Besides the points, Officers have other requirements as well. For more information on other requirements contact your Department Chief or the Command Staff of your Chapter. Items marked with an asterisk (*) can be completed before reaching that rank the item is required for.

Ranks on the USS Kelly and the Seventh Fleet are unique because they are earned. They are not given out because you are the Captain’s friend, bribes for favors, etc. They are accomplishments in the club. Everyone (including Admiral Hollinger) started out as a Crewman.

An interesting item to note on the Command Ranks. If a crewmember is working towards a command of his/her own ship then they will be working towards a Bridge Officer position, which is a slightly harder path. A crewmember looking at earning just the respect of the rank can become a Line Officer. This was detailed by Lt. Commander Deanna Troi becoming a Bridge Officer in the TNG episode “Thine Own Self”.

TO JOIN-

  1. Attend Two Meetings
  2. Fill out Application
  3. Meet the Command Staff
  4. Receive Orders

TO REACH CREWMAN 3RD CLASS-

  1. Receive orders and be age of 13 or under

TO REACH CREWMAN 2ND CLASS-

  1. Receive orders and be age of 14 or higher

OR

  1. Earn 25 Participation Points

TO REACH CREWMAN 1ST CLASS-

  1. Earn 25 Participation Points
  2. Take Academy Exam (Age 14 or older) or Jr. Academy Exam (13 and Under)

TO REACH ENSIGN-

  1. Earn 15 Participation Points
  2. Earn 15 Knowledge Points *
  3. Earn 10 Service Points *
  4. Earn 10 Leadership Points *
  5. Pass 4 Selected Merit Sheets

Sheets

  1. Pass 1 Required Merit Sheets

OR

  1. Take Academy Exam (score 50%-79%)

TO REACH LIEUTENANT (J.G.)-

  1. Earn 25 Participation Points
  2. Earn 25 Knowledge Points
  3. Earn 25 Service Points
  4. Earn 25 Leadership Points
  5. Pass 8 Selected Merit Sheets
  6. Pass 2 Required Merit Sheets
  7. Be age of 14 or older

OR

  1. Take Academy Exam (Score 80%+)

TO REACH LIEUTENANT-

  1. Earn 50 Participation Points
  2. Earn 50 Knowledge Points
  3. Earn 50 Service Points
  4. Earn 50 Leadership Points
  5. Pass 12 Selected Merit Sheets
  6. Pass 3 Required Merit Sheets

TO REACH LIEUTENANT COMMANDER-

  1. Earn 100 Participation Points
  2. Earn 100 Knowledge Points
  3. Earn 100 Service Points
  4. Earn 100 Leadership Points
  5. Pass 15 Selected Merit Sheets
  6. Pass 5 Required Merit Sheets
  7. Attend 1 Out-of-State Convention *
  8. Plan 2 Chapter Activities *
  9. Earn 1-Year Service Pin *
  10. Complete Command Project *
  11. Pass Commanding Officers Test (after items 1-10 are completed)
  12. Approved by Seventh Fleet Review Board (after items 1-11 are completed)

TO REACH COMMANDER-

  1. Earn 150 Participation Points
  2. Earn 250 Knowledge Points
  3. Earn 250 Service Points
  4. Earn 150 Leadership Points
  5. Pass 15 Selected Merit Sheets
  6. Pass 10 Required Merit Sheets
  7. Attend 3 Out-of-State Conventions *
  8. Own your own Uniform *
  9. Earn 3-Year Service Pin *
  10. Complete Command Project *
  11. Pass Commanding Officer’s Test (after items 1-10 are completed)
  12. Approved by Seventh Fleet Review Board (after items 1-11 are completed)

TO REACH CAPTAIN-

These requirements are set by the Commander in Chief of the Seventh Fleet. Interested in becoming a Captain?  If so, then email Join@SeventhFleet.org