2000 was a weird year for me. For personal reasons I had to step back from the Legion. Tom and I focused on local events, trying to do our best to help our local community. Reading programs were important, as were school visits. Joining with local Star Wars fan Laura Buff, we toured local schools to spread Star Wars magic. It was, is, and always has been the mission of the Legion.
The South Carolina State Fair was a great place for Tom and I to refine our trooping skills. The Science Building seemed the natural place for a couple of ‘space soldiers.’ Crowds of locals, outside of any Star Wars event, are a special challenge. Some people don’t know what to make of you. We were dubbed “Cosmonauts” by some of the fair-goers. Well, another day in the life of a trooper…
In my absence, the Legion was now full-steam-ahead to keep growing. Scott Hawkins reached out to me, volunteering to help guide the fledgling club. He had a lot of ideas, some of them overdue for such a club. He set up the first website outside the GeoCities hosting site. He also made changes to the club’s logo. He felt the original logo was due for a change. On April 8, 2000 the domain 501st.com is registered and run by webmaster and Legion member Jason Brooks. The membership data base would move from my simple spreadsheet to a database run by Joyce Evans aka “PerlGurl.” The Legion was modernizing!
Other 2000 events:
March, 2000 : Dave Prowse accepts the title of Honorary Leader again, this time by accepting a plaque naming him our leader.
December, 2000 : I visit a local trophy shop and buy out their entire supply of wooden plaques. The idea: to begin inducting Star Wars celebrities as Honorary Members. The plaques caught my eye because they featured an oval cut-out that perfectly fit the new 501st Legion patches I started producing.
December 30, 2000 : Troops at Field Museum Magic of Myth exhibit in Chicago
