Good Morning Scrappers! This week I take a trip down memory lane to the first (and best) Star Trek convention I ever attended wa-a-a-ay back in 1976. It was the Star Trek Bi-Centennial-10 Convention in New York City that celebrated the 10th Anniversary of our beloved original Star Trek series. Why was this the best one I ever attended? Well, the main reason was that it was probably one of the last conventions before the Star Wars era, when TOS was at its zenith of popularity, before Star Trek became something called a franchise, when the expressions ‘Keep On Trekkin’ and ‘Star Trek Lives’ were on the tongues of everyone enamored of the series. There was something quaint, yet universal about a bunch of people gathering to celebrate this little show. I think a lot of us felt that we were misfits; geeky types who were socially awkward, the stuff of ridicule and mockery. Yet here at the convention, as a shy 15 year old, I felt accepted for the first time in my teen life by a community of people from all over the U.S., enjoying and conversing about pointed ears and mini-skirts.
I attended with my Mom, Anna and my older sister Kathy. They, and the fact that this was my first ever trip to NYC, were a big part of why this was a special event for me. Looking back as a Mom myself now, I really appreciate any stress this might have caused for my Mom, who had been widowed only 2 years before, to take on (for us) a big undertaking. (Thanks Mom!) Kathy, along with several of my other older siblings had introduced me to Trek in the first place, which, at the height of my mania was something I think she regretted for a while. But for now NYC, The Convention, and the possibility of seeing Trek stars in the flesh for the first time was a thrill beyond belief. I’ll always look back at this with fond memories, even though my pocket camera took awful pictures that didn’t develop too well!
For Today’s Flashback, here’s the first few pages of the official program from the convention, and even a scan of the custom plastic tote bags it came in! (custom plastic tote bags were a novelty in ’76) Note how The Enterprise is zipping past the Statue of Liberty! Enjoy, and if any of my readers attended this convention and have any memories to share of it, please post them here! Thanks, and ‘Keep on Trekkin’ , Therese
The bag!
The Program! (with the date I scrawled on it)
The intro page, written by the famous Star Trek Welcommittee, with my Saturday badge stuck to it.
TrekkerScrapbook 