Also in the spirit of Starfleet seen on Star Trek, Seventh Fleet 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.

   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.). This is called Challenging the Exam if you take it while at the rank of Crewman 2nd Class.

   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. There is no automatic promotions or awards given for the Jr. Academy Exam.

   You may notice a reference to 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 any Lt. Commander (or higher) 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. Most Merit Sheets are Knowledge based, but there are other Merit Sheets based off of Leadership, Participation and Service. Usually when there are Star Trek events outside of the clubs they tend to be trivia based (such as contests on startrek.com, conventions or available in magazines).

   There are two different type of Merit Sheets. Crewman’s Choice are various courses of different subjects and difficulty. The crewmember can choose which Merit Sheet they wish to take and may work on more than one at a time. Captain’s Choice are specifically selected by the Commanding Officer to assist in the development of the crewmember. They must be taken in sequential order.

   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.

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 officer rank
Lieutenant (j.g.)	Lt. (j.g.)		Lieutenant Grade Rank. Required rank for all Department Chiefs.
Lieutenant	Lt.		Lieutenant Grade Rank
Lieutenant Commander	Lt. Cmdr		Command Grade Rank
Commander	Cmdr		Command Grade 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 in 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 Stark) 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) with a score of 49% or less or Jr. Academy Exam (13 or younger)

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 Crewman’s Choice Merit Sheets

6. Pass 1 Captain’s Choice Merit Sheet

OR

1. Challenge (take while Crewman 2nd Class) Academy Exam and score 50%-69%.

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 Crewman’s Choice Merit Sheets

6. Pass 2 Captain’s Choice Merit Sheets

7. Be age of 14 or older

OR

1. Challenge (take while Crewman 2nd Class) Academy Exam and score 70%+.

SPECIAL NOTE: As of 2015, this rank is the minimum rank required to be a Department Chief on a chapter. 

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 Crewman’s Choice Merit Sheets

6. Pass 3 Captain’s Choice 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 Crewman’s Choice Merit Sheets

6. Pass 5 Captain’s Choice Merit Sheets

7. Attend 1 Out-of-State Convention *

8. Plan 2 Chapter Activities *

9. Earn 2-Year Service Pin *

10. Complete Command Project *

11. Pass one of the Commanding Officers Tests with a score of 70%+ (tests can be taken any time after reaching the rank of Lt.)

12. Approved by Seventh Fleet Review Board (after items 1-11 are completed)

Note: Items marked with an asterisk can be completed prior to working on that rank.

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 Crewman’s Choice Merit Sheets

6. Pass 10 Captain’s Choice Merit Sheets

7. Hold the rank of Lt. Commander for two years.

8. Attend 3 Out-of-State Conventions *

9. Own your own Uniform *

10. Command a simulator mission *

11. Complete Command Project *

12. Pass the remaining Commanding Officer’s Tests with a an average score of 80% (tests can be taken any time after reaching the rank of Lt.)

13. Approved by Seventh Fleet Review Board (after items 1-12 are completed)

Note: Items marked with an asterisk can be completed prior to working on that rank.

 

TO REACH CAPTAIN-

   These requirements are set by the Commander in Chief of the Seventh Fleet. Interested in becoming a Captain? Send an email to Info@SeventhFleet.org