Greeting Marines,
We are gonna do it again! The SFMC Reading Challenge that is. Below is all the info you need to start things at an individual level. There will be tweeks here and there along the way as need, but all the basics you’ll need to get started at an individual level are listed below. Any specific questions, please contace me directly at LGN Jari James (DCOFORCECOM-OPS) E-Mail: sfmcforcecom-ops@sfi.org
Let’s read and have fun! Unit and BDE OICs/DOICs, please echo this message down the lines of your command.
With Regards,
LGN Jari “Gato” James
DCOFORCECOM-Ops
The STARFLEET Marine Corps Reading Challenge is a friendly contest conducted by FORCECOM of the STARFLEET Marine Corps to encourage reading at all ages. Members of the SFMC read as many books as they can in a certain set period of time and compete in categories such as most pages read by a single marine (Adult/Cadet), Marine Strike Group (Adult/Cadet), and Brigade (Adult/Cadet) for example.
To participate all a marine has to do is read books and report them to their MSG OIC for inclusion in their by-monthly reports. This information is then passed up the chain of command to COFORCECOM for compilation.
**The Details**
#1: Who runs this contest?: DCOFORCECOM-Operations of the STARFLEET Marine Corps.
#2: Contest period: DCOF-Ops determines the start and end dates for the contest. The 2023 – 2024 cycles will run from 1 June 2023 through 31 May 2024.
Any changes in the contest period will be announced and published on Discord and the SFMC Facebook page.
Please note that this contest may be discontinued at any time by COFORCECOM or the SFMC Commandant.
#3: Contest Eligibility: Any and all marines of all ages in good standing in STARFLEET: The International Star Trek Fan Association Inc. [paid member] and STARFLEET Marine Corps may participate. Cadets (as outlined in the SFMC Cadet Manual) may participate in this challenge; however they compete against other Cadets and not adults.
#4: Required Information:
1) Marine’s full name
2) Marine’s SCC number
3) Marine’s age – Cadet only [17 and under]
4) Title of Book
5) Author of Book
6) Page count
7) ISBN number or publishers information
Failure to include all the above information will result in that submission being discarded.
Online submission forms are in the process of being created. In the interim please track the required information on your own or use the handy dandy spreadsheet form found here in the files section.
FORCECOM is not responsible for any lost or incomplete submissions. If you’ve got concerns please contact me at the email address listed above and I’ll check into it. Just please don’t wait until the absolute last moment
Eligible Material:
Books in the genres of fiction, non-fiction, mystery, sci-fi, thriller, romance, etc… are eligible and can be either in printed or electronic form (Kindle, Nook, PDF, etc..). NOTE: Books and materials such as newspapers, magazines, comic books, cook books, and other such books are not eligible.
Audio Books are now approved and Marines using audio books must include the same information as a printed book. Page counts for audio books are determined by using the page count from the latest printed edition of the audio book in question.
Contest Winners: Adult and Cadet winners are chosen in categories for:
1) Most pages read by a single marine: Winners are determined by adding up all of an individual’s reported number of pages read.
2) Most pages read by a Marine Strike Group (MSG): Winners are determined by taking the total number of reported pages read by a MSG and dividing that number by the total number of marines on that MSG’s
roster that participated in the contest. This averaged number is then compared to other MSG’s numbers and the winner is the MSG with the highest average number of pages read.
3) Most pages read by a Brigade (BDE): Winners are determined by taking the total number of reported pages read by a BDE and dividing that number by the total number of marines on that BDE’s roster that
participated in the contest. This averaged number is then compared to other BDE’s numbers and the winner is the BDE with the highest average number of pages read.
Contest Awards and Prizes: The winning Units and BDEs will receive the right to add a Reading Challenge streamer to their guidon. This streamer is white ‘READING’ and the year it was earned in black letters. All winners will receive a certificate. Any other items or tokens may be considered by FORCECOM on a year by year basis.