The U.S.S. Alaric  (pronounced "uh-LAIR-rick") is the western North Carolina chapter of STARFLEET, the International Star Trek Fan Association. As of early 2000, STARFLEET had over 3500 members worldwide in hundreds chapters.

The name "Alaric" originated with a king of the Visigoths. The Goths were one of the most powerful early Germanic tribes. From about the 4th century BC they lived along the shore of the Baltic Sea. They began attacking the declining Roman Empire about 214 AD and in 272 AD were given the rich land of Dacia along the Danube River (now Rumania) by Emperor Aurelian. During the next century they split into two groups, the Visigoths in Dacia, and the Ostrogoths living north of the Black Sea.

Alaric was born around 370 AD. In 395 he led the Visigoths on a rampage through Greece and Italy. He beseiged Rome three times, finally capturing the city in 410, an act which symbolized the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Though there was considerable plundering, the people were treated humanely and reiligous temples and Christian churches were spared. A plan to move south, invading and occupying Africa, was halted by Alaric's death the same year.

The USS Alaric was commissioned by Starfleet Headquarters in October of 1982, and was the first ship to be launched in the state of North Carolina. As a result, she is the proud parent (or in some cases, grandparent) of all the other chapters in this state. The original crew consisted of four members, led by Captain (Dr.) Diane Crane and First Officer Commander Michael McAllister. The Alaric started its career as a Saladin-class Destroyer (pictured below).

Click here for complete engineering specs on the Saladin-class USS Alaric

The Alaric's emblem was designed in the 1980's and reflects the club's history. The Starfleet insignia, of course, reflects the Star Trek emphasis, with the starship silhouette orbiting the state representing the Alaric as the North Carolina chapter. As groups from the Alaric localized and formed new chapters in the state, the Alaric took on a western North Carolina focus.

Later, when it became obvious that the time had come to upgrade our ship's systems, our own engineering department submitted plans to Starfleet Engineering for a new, Alaric-class Heavy Destroyer. Our design was accepted and approved, and on 9304.17 we were refitted as the first in this new line of starships.

Click here for complete engineering specs on the Alaric-class USS Alaric

From its humble beginnings, the USS Alaric has enjoyed over 15 years of service to both Starfleet and its local community. In that time we've seen a lot of faces come and go but as always we've had our eye on the future, looking for new frontiers to explore. We've grow from one small group of Star Trek fans to become the longest lasting NC ship in the fleet, launching a total of nine shuttlecraft which have gone on to become starships in their own right. We've gone from a one-page mimeographed newsletter to a 20-30 page bi-monthly publication, written and produced entirely by computer, taking advantage of word-processing and computer graphic technologies. And instead of relying on the U.S. Postal Service to handle our correspondance, we now keep in touch with friends, members and 'Fleet HQ by way of the Internet, coordinating through our own web page.

In all it's been a good run, but we're just getting started. Who knows what the future will hold, but whatever it is we'll be there ready and waiting. For a more detailed history, please access our computer log of the Alaric's  official timeline.