INDY KNIGHTS:HOOSIER DADDY, LUKE?

The Indy Knights started out simply as a group anonymous posters on a message board. The Force.net ("TF.N"), arguably the most popular fan-based Star Wars site on the net, decided to implement a grassroots campaign to bring Star Wars fans together in cities throughout the United States. The first post on the Indianapolis message board occurred on May 21, 2000. For the first month or so, only a handful of members visited and posted on the board regularly. Some folks would drop in and say "Hi," only to leave and never be heard from again. But some of us stuck together during those early days and cemented the group by posting daily and forming solid online friendships. The "regulars" on the board actively sought out others of the same mindset, such as family or friends who enjoyed Star Wars. By late July 2000, approximately 10 individuals were consistently posting on the boards, at which time we decided to plans our very first face-to-face meeting. We thought there was no better place to meet than during Magic of Myth in Chicago.

The first meeting of the Indianapolis TF.N message board was in July of 2000. Five of our group members took the road trip to Chicago. Soon thereafter, we determined that we needed a name that would distinguish us as a true group. After much debate and online brainstorming, we adopted "Indy Knights:Hoosier Daddy, Luke?" as our official fan chapter name.

In August 2000, we all met once again for a barbecue in Lafayette, Indiana hosted by one of our original members, and we went bowling the month after that. With every successive group event, more and more people attended. During the fall and holiday months, we settled into a flexible routine of meeting monthly outside of the forums. By the end of 2000, Indy Knights had grown to a membership of nearly a dozen active members, with a considerable number of others who regularly posted on the boards.

In early 2001, we saw a sudden increase in postings on the message board when TF.N moved the city forums to their regular forum page. After it was announced that the 2002 Celebration would be held in Indianapolis, our membership shot up again. In February 2001, we decided to formally meet monthly. When one of our meetings saw participant numbers swell to 15, it was clear that our group had grown far beyond a simple online forum. We agreed that the Indy Knights required more structure in order to accommodate our growing membership. In mid-summer 2001, we held our first election of the following officers: President, Vice President, Secretary, and City Rep/Webmaster. We also adopted our first official set of Bylaws. By the end of 2001, the Indy Knights achieved a total 71 members, with 52 of those having an active membership status. This number has continued to rise with each passing month.

We have grown from a simple message board to a full-fledged organization and have since moved to our own message board syste,. We have various Special Interest Groups (SIGs) that meet monthly, a website, and monthly meetings and activities that are open to all. More individuals are inquiring about Indy Knights and showing up at meetings and events. There is little doubt that our membership will continue to grow.

One of our most notable accomplishments is that our group is rich in diversity. Although the group is composed of mainly adults (the average age range is 18 to 50), The group has seen an increase in younger member participation, due to the group’s sincere promotion of maintaining a positive and fun environment for fans of all ages. Both sexes, as well as many different races, belief systems, occupations, and personalities are represented within our group. Regardless of which environment or context in which it occurs, there is no question that diversity presents its own unique set of challenges. The benefits reaped from such an alliance--such as an ever-flowing stream of ideas and a distinct collection of skills and abilities--heavily outweigh any hurdles to be faced.

Indy Knights is destined to receive more than its lion share of challenges staying true to our Mission Statement (simply to have fun and enjoy our common love of Star Wars with our fellow members), however, the Indy Knights will rise above any dark forces and march into the coming year with a valor second only to that of a true Jedi Knight.

Updated 9/30/2005