Trek Fans Converge for 33rd Shore Leave

Summer in Baltimore means three things: heat, humidity and the Hunt Valley Marriott teeming with Trekkers. Or Trekkies, depending on your preference.

The Star Trek Association of Towson will be holding its 33rd annual Shore Leave sci-fi convention this Friday through Sunday.

Guests at the convention include Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica and Chuck), John DeLancie (Q on Star Trek: The Next Generation) and Sally Kellerman (Star Trek: The Original Series and M*A*S*H).

Except for two years spent elsewhere, fans have been beaming down to Hunt Valley since 1979 to score autographs from icons such as the late DeForrest “Bones” Kelley; to buy a plastic phaser or pen-and-ink drawing of Captain Kirk; debate Klingon grammar, or boogie the night away as a Romulan centurion.

“You’re juggling a lot of balls in the air, trying to get them to land in the right places,” said STAT member Marilyn Mann of Silver Spring. She recounted problems ranging from bickering "Klingon clubs" to female fans from from Belgium and Italy hoping to catch the eye of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" heart-throb, James Marsters, to actors with last-minute scheduling woes.

Despite the challenges, the family reunion quality of the convention keeps some folks coming back year after year.

“We have one lady who has been coming for decades and has beaten cancer seven times, she always drops us a line to let us know how’s she’s doing," said Melissa James of Randallstown. "One man in the military is being deployed again and was sorry he’s going to miss certain guests so we’re trying to get autographs for him as a surprise. You have people who came as children and now are grown-up and come with children of their own."

For Sharon McKleeven of Suitland, Star Trek and similar shows occupy a special place in her heart, representing something more than bug-eyed monsters and campy special effects.

“I liked ... the relationship between the actors, that it portrayed people from all walks of life," she said. "I grew up during the civil rights movements of the '60s and it was good to see other people, not just whites on the screen."

Shore Leave is STAT's biggest event but it's not the only thing the group does. The organization also visits local hospital children’s wards, visits libraries and schools to promote literacy, and participates in the Towson Area Fourth of July Parade. STAT holds an annual Red Cross blood drive, food drives for the Maryland Food Bank and collects toys for the U.S. Marine Corps’ “Toys for Tots” campaign.

As for the future, Mann and James agree that it’s time for younger STAT members to “step up” and take the jobs they’ve held for three decades, to “have new blood with new ideas.” But Shore Leave isn't going anywhere. Hunt Valley, home to science fiction, pop culture and horror conventions, works quite all right for them.

“Hunt Valley (Marriott) is just a great convention hotel. The parking’s free, it’s right off the expressway, not far from the airports and shopping, " James said. "Years ago, you had to walk down to Valley View (Farms on York Road) to get lunch, there was nothing around here … but this area has changed a lot, there’s lots of places now in Hunt Valley."