In August of 1992, a group of five Star Trek enthusiasts met to form the Shuttlecraft Rubicon. At that time, the interest that bound us together was a fascination and dedication to Star Trek. Some of us were Classic Series fans and others were Next Generation fans, but regardless of our affiliations, we all had a hope and desire for a future of progress and peace.

Originally, our group was organized for fun, but, if any group or club is going to last, it must grow, and as the ship grew, so did our vision and purpose. The ideals expressed by Gene Roddenberry cannot be achieved by inaction. If we wish to achieve our goals, we must start by changing ourselves, and we must begin those changes now. We do not feel we can change the world with our influence, but like a child who is learning to walk, we must begin with the first step. Thus our original purpose evolved into involvement with our community and environment, through community service.

As has been said by every preceding generation, this is a turbulent time in the history of man. Each generation has its' own set of problems. Terrorism, drugs, unemployment, poverty and the environment are just some of the problems facing us and future generations. Our future lies in the hands of our children: and so we try to build an awareness of our world in our cadets through understanding and active participation in community service projects.

We are, however, a varied and multi-purpose ship. When we work, we work "hard", and when we party, we party "hard". An inside joke among our members is 'We are not a depressed group".

The U.S.S. RUBICON NCC-71816 was named after the Rubicon River in central Italy. Julius Caesar, in crossing the Rubicon in 49 BC, initiated a civil war between his forces and those of Pompey the Great. Upon riding his horse into the river he exclaimed "Alea jacta est!" (The die is cast.) The expression "crossing the Rubicon" is still used to describe a decision from which there is no return.

Thus our motto:
ONCE YOU HAVE CROSSED THE RUBICON THERE IS NO TURNING BACK!

This has many meanings, including that of our extended vision of starting to work toward a peaceful, prosperous future and continuing until those goals have been achieved.

Our ship continues to grow, as our departments and sub-departments become more active, and lifetime friendships are formed making our ship feel more like a family than a club.

Our ship's uniqueness lies in its' diversity. Crewmembers range in age from 10 to seniors, and unlike many other ships, it is equally divided between male and female. You definitely will not find women in our crew delegated to the galley. We also have a great diversity in the occupations of members. We have scientists, biologists, metallurgists, engineers, nurses, college teachers, radio announcers, students (college, high school and elementary school), computer programmers, and bank clerks. You might say that we have the variety needed to actually run a starship.

Another unique aspect of our ship is that we actually have three generations of fans.

We hope by our active participation in our community to change the perceived image of the 'Trekkie" to that of concerned people with the hope for a positive future. We wish to honor the ideals set fourth by Gene Roddenberry, whose wonderful imagination and dreams of the future, turned our eyes to the stars.

Commissioned ~ Timeline:
Beginnings – August 1992

Shuttlecraft Rubicon – December 1992

Galaxy Class Starship U.S.S. Rubicon – September 1993 by Starfleet International.