FLA’s 2022 Holiday Message

Hello to all members of The Royal Manticoran Navy: The Official Honor Harrington Fan Association, Inc.

2022 has been an interesting year for the organization in more ways than one, and we will see some changes in 2023, but more on that in a little bit. In less than a week, it will be a New Year, and as such, it is time for me to ruminate on what has happened this past year.

With COVID becoming endemic this year, TRMN came out of a global health emergency for the better. During the pandemic, members took to platforms that supported virtual meetings, and we had an incredible run of the TRMN Social Hour; all of which served to bring our members together when we all needed the support. This year, I am very pleased and proud to see TRMN members participating in conventions again. With a lot of conventions taking up the banner of health and safety, it is wonderful to see our members leading by example in employing all possible precautions. We’re taking the initiative in getting vaccines and boosters as recommended by health organizations all over the world. As we live with this new condition, we should continue to remain vigilant when it comes to protecting each other from further exposure.

Of course, not all our events were successful. Prior to the pandemic, we had plans to run a special one-time LARP in conjunction with Quest Productions. Unfortunately, Quest departed the project due to COVID-related concerns, and although we attempted to go it alone, ultimately we were left with the decision to cancel the event entirely. It is my hope that once we’re clear of the fallout leftover from the pandemic, we might see if interest in a LARP would make a future event possible. I am personally disappointed we didn’t get to see this to fruition as I think it could have been a phenomenal experience for our members and our organization.

In a few days, it will be a New Year. 2023. It will be an important year for the Fan Association in many respects. Our updated Corporate ByLaws go into effect on July 1, at BayCon, which is also MantiCon. Within the new Bylaws is corporate governance that will keep us compliant as a non-profit corporation, changing the nature of how our Board of Directors is designated. This change will move the Royal Council to a steering committee for the overall member operations of the club. Now, for the average member, these changes will be seamless, but they will streamline many of the operational issues we currently have and also it will give us much tighter control over our overall finances. More information on these changes will be disclosed in the months leading up to their date of effect. All of the current members of the Royal Council have been briefed on those changes, so I encourage you to discuss it with your branch leaders if you have questions.

This brings us to a discussion of who we are. We are The Royal Manticoran Navy: The Official Honor Harrington Fan Association, Inc. What does that mean? It means we are fans of Honor Harrington and, by extension, the Honorverse. We are a fan club of an amazing female protagonist who has demonstrated that women can do anything a man can do, sometimes even better. We are a fan club who accepts that a Queen and Empress can be a Person of Color, and that this does not limit or diminish her in any way. We are a fan club which rejects racism, rejects misogyny, rejects bullying, and rejects discrimination of all kinds. We are a fan club which provides a Safe Space to all. We are a fan club which welcomes all, regardless of gender or race. We are a fan club which embraces empathy and compassion toward all our members. We are a fan club that prioritizes openness and friendship. We are a fan club which supports honesty, transparency and support for all of our members. This is who we, The Royal Manticoran Navy: The Official Honor Harrington Fan Association, Inc are.

Further, as of January 1, 2023, we will be striving to live up to the ideals of who we are as a Fan Association. Within our Membership Handbook is our Code of Conduct, and in the past, we’ve irregularly applied it. Moving forward, we will be holding our members to that code with an even hand approach. To that end, I will be working with the Office of the Judge Advocate General to ensure we have an understandable interpretation of the Code of Conduct and its application toward the membership. This information will be shared so that every member understands what our Code of Conduct means.

This year also marks the half-way point through our current Ten-Year Plan. We are hitting most of our goals, to which I applaud our leadership team, including our branch leaders and space lords. For those goals where we are falling behind, we will be working together to catch up. Amongst those goals not yet reached is the translation of our documentation to include our friends in countries where English is not the primary language. We’re also making some course corrections, as one expects that a goal that looked great on paper in 2017 may no longer be applicable in 2023 and beyond. This obviously includes goals such as recruiting and retention, and the hope to reactivate some members who have fallen off the map. These will require work with many divisions and departments and may cause some changes there as well. I’d like to recognize the Bureau of Ships and the Bureau of Personnel as two of the many groups in our organization who’ve been working hard against global events; we’ll be working with them to adjust those goals in 2023.

Another change coming soon will be the creation of the Second Lord of the Admiralty. This position will act as the Deputy for the First Lord of the Admiralty. Once a person has been put into that role, I will begin training them to step into the role of First Lord of the Admiralty, and after five years, I will be stepping down. At that point, I will have led TRMN for twenty-five years.

A lot of changes are coming next year, and our members have proven that they’re up to the challenges facing our organization. As we move forward together, I hope that everyone will take up the mantle of Honor Harrington and drive to be a better organization and lead by example in the fandom community.

With that in mind and in heart, I would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year, and in the memorable words of our namesake, “Let be about it!”

In Service to the Empress,
Admiral of the Fleet Martin A. Lessem, KSK, GCR, GCE, SC, OGL, DSO
First Lord of the Admiralty
Grand Duke, Lynx
Duke, New Scania