10/1/2016 St. Mary’s Library ComicCon, Lexington Park

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10/1/2016 Junior Soldier Rally, Cumberland

So the troop was at the Salvation Army in Cumberland, and they were excited to have us there. The theme for the function was Star Wars. The kids were playing different Jedi games, and then they played the Imperial March when I came out. We did some photos, had lunch, and then the awards ceremony. For the awards, the kids got a certificate and I handed out the foam lightsabers they were to get as well. Shortly after that, we packed it up and left. It was a fun little troop.

Troopers:
Jake- TK

Squires:
Kami

10/2/2016 Independent of Autism Fair, Westminster

This was a very quiet, but fun event. The event was delayed a day due to rain. It was still misty, but the rain held off. Unfortunately, it scared away most of the attendees. All the vendors were very supportive. The Pangborn and Morley families came out and spent most of the morning with us. I suited up and started trooping at 0900 and then changed at 1200. Despite being quiet, it was an enjoyable morning.

Troopers:
Matt – TK
Jason – R2

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10/8/2016 Heather and James’ Wedding, Bel Air

TK-86347 and ID-13621 arrived at the mansion shortly before noon. We suited up in the dining room during the ceremony and met the bride and groom outside, where they were posing for photos. They were surprised but ecstatic to see us. We posed for some formal photos with the wedding party and then made ourselves available for selfies and for the photo booth. After several photos, the groom asked us to join him on the dance floor. TK-86347’s moves were most impressive. After a group hug with the groomsmen, several of whom had enjoyed meeting members of the 501st at the Weird Al concert in Baltimore, we said our goodbyes.

Troopers:
William – TK
Melissa – ID

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10/8/2016 SW @ Towson Library, Towson

The library was very appreciative that we were able to attend today. We were provided with a changing room and water. It was not very busy so we were able to get some fun pics around the library interspersed with pics taken with the staff and attendees. It was a nice, easy, and short troop. We were there about an hour and a half or so. The staff would like to have us back for more events in the future.

Troopers:
Jesse-TD
Bry-TA
Regan-DZ (GA)

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10/8/2016 Light the Night, Rockville

10/14/2016 Sandymount SW Reading Night, Finksburg

We arrived and were suited up by 6:15pm, and paraded into the auditorium to meet the kids. We were given a brief introduction for each of our characters then the kids were separated into groups. Each groups of kids (and families) rotated through activity rooms: the library with us, a craft room, a media room, and the gym for exercise. It was wonderfully organized, kept the kids occupied, and made the time go by quickly and without incident. After the rotations, everyone gathered back in the auditorium/gym where R2 led the parade of kids while we saluted them. Most of the kids were in costumes ranging from the prequels to Ep VII. At the end, we capped it off with a little dancing, some more photos, and lots of smiles. I think the best was the tiny TK that went down the line to shake our hands and thank us for coming out.  The Carroll County Times also covered the event.

Troopers:
Emily – Rex
Matt – TK
Rob Heck & Gabby – TK & 1st Troop!
Bill – TK
Brian Jones – FO TK
Melissa – Officer
Michael K & Ronan – TIE Pilot
Jason & Dan – R2

Jess – Mando
Josh – Mando

 

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10/15/2016 Brother’s Surprise 40th Birthday Party, Perry Hall

This is was a nice birthday party. It went longer than most. I got there at 1700 and changed. The birthday “boy” arrived blindfolded at 1730. I stuck around until 19:30. The guest really loved having us there. I had two little ones follow me around all night. I got lots of hugs from and was lead around by a little boy. The little girl was really excited to see a grownup dressed up, because she was really into being Spiderman. The birthday boy will be a future member. He has a TK on order. One of the Event Sponsors might be joining up as well.  I was able to slip into the kitchen to get a bite to eat. The caterer was also excited to have us. He may have some requests for us in the future.  The family just made a $150 donation to the Ronald McDonald House!!!

Troopers:
Matt – TK

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10/20/2016 Forest Hill Elementary Fall Fest, Bel Air

This was a really pleasant little event. The book fair was happening inside the library, while just outside were a good number of fall-themed crafts and activities. Several hundred students, parents, and siblings were in attendance throughout the evening. We suited up and made our grand entrance at about 5:45, with the principal making sure the DJ had the Imperial March playing for us. We mingled, took plenty of photos, and gave out lots of high-fives until about 7:15 or so. The crowd was surprised to see us, but enthusiastic in their interactions. Afterward, the school had drinks snacks and pizza for us, and most of us headed over to a local Italian place for yet more food. The staff (especially the principal) and PTSO parents were really grateful to have us there.

Troopers:
Chris – TR
Mike – TK (Carida)
Andrew – TK
Zoe – Sabine (GA)
Saffy – DZ (GA)
Ryan – DZ (GA)
Chloe – ANH Leia

Squires:
Nick

 10/22/2016 Baltimore Buddy Walk, Baltimore

TK86347 and ID13621 showed up to the Rusty Skipper parking lot a bit early to meet some awesome film students, so we could suit up and do a quick interview for a PR/class project they are doing. After that, we walked down to the event and greeted all the kids and adults who came out this chilly morning. (Last time these two were here there was a heat index of 120, so the cold was welcomed) we took photos with all the kids and supporters, including the Oriole Bird. One little girl was very curious of the TKs name and kept asking him several times during the event. We unsuited around 11:30 when our appeal seemed to diminish. Great event and great cause!

Troopers:
William-TK
Melissa-ID

This was a nice troop. The folks that we met at the Salute to Heroes invited us to come out and support the Carroll County Ag Center. They provided us a large office to change in. Andy and I wandered the flea market a bit before getting suited up. We did find a few Star Wars things, but nothing worth buying. We did get an invite to a Baltimore Sci-Fi convention that I had not heard of before, though. After suiting up, we wandered the market and met with kids that were trick-or-treating at the booths. I think we got more attention from the vendors than some of the kids. Most importantly, it was Andy’s first official troop! Congratulations! (No trees were injured during the trooping of this event.)

Troopers:
Matt – TK
Andy – TB

10/22-23/2016 Brick Fest Live, Lutherville-Timonium

Stuart, myself and Jason showed up about an hour early to get the lay off the land and figure out what we were going to do. Luckily Jason had his nifty backdrop with him so we set that up, suited up and hung out for photos once the doors opened. The line for photos was pretty constant with a good crowd and a lot of excited kids and adults. Once the 76ers and Joe arrived they suited up and took over the photo op for a bit while Stuart and I wandered around. Then the TD’s took a little time to wander around. We broke down around 2 to 2:30 and called it a day. Overall it was a pretty good experience. No real issues and a lot (and I mean a lot!) of people were excited we were there. Definitely worth doing again if they come back around.

 10/27/16 Spooktacular Perryville Middle School, Perryville

 10/28/2016 Liberty HS Homecoming Parade, Sykesville

We arrived at the school and were shown to the special ed classroom to change. Our hosts had snacks, water, and Gatorade for us. Once we suited up, we made our way to the Junior Class float, which was decorated with stars and a TIE fighter up front. The students were all in home made costumes with a Han, a Leia, and several ewoks. We followed the float through the parade route, which was a bit longer than expected (just shy of 2 miles) and at a very brisk pace. The students threw candy to the crowds lining the parade route. The sports teams behind us kept trying to throw candy at our student friends, hitting the troopers instead. While their targeting skills might indicate potential as future stormtroopers, their temperament wouldn’t meet the Empire’s standards. The spectators were glad to see us and cheered when one of the TKs high-five his miniature doppelganger. The parade lasted about an hour, after which we returned to the classroom to change and share some pizza.

Troopers:

Jason – R2
Melissa – ID
William – TK
Todd – TK

Squires:
Prameya

10/29/2016 KidsPeace Trick-or-Trot 5k/1 Mile Walk, Baltimore

10/29/16 SW Reads Month Cockeysville Library, Cockeysville

TK 86347 and ID 13621 showed up to the library who had placed signs around saying the characters would not be there. After the initial excitement that we were there they gave us a conference room to change in. After suiting up we greeted a few fans and took many photos with the staff. The troop was rather short but still very rewarding.

Troopers:

William-TK
Melissa-ID

9/2–Episode IV Screening, Silver Spring

Everyone showed up by 1800, and they gave us their big conference room that they have provided before. They supplied us with popcorn and water as well. They wanted us suited and out by 1820. This year they had an area outside the theater room they were showing the movie for us to stand and take pictures. Everyone was so excited when they saw us standing there waiting for them. The showing was sold out. Before the movie started they did an introduction, and we walked down to the front of the theater. After that we all got changed and headed down to our saved seats to watch the movie. A special welcome to Brian who came out as a new squire!

Troopers:
Shep – IG
Melissa – ID
William – TK
Jason – R2

Squires
Brian

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9/3–Episode V Screening, Silver Spring

We arrived and got ready in the AFI’s 3rd floor conference room. The AFI had sent a photographer and an aspiring future trooper to document the evening. Once we were all ready, we took the elevator down to greet fans in the lobby. The AFI had a step & repeat set up where we posed for pictures. We also headed out for some photos in front of the theater and to entertain the hopefuls in the long waiting list line. We were introduced and marched down to the front of the theater right before the film. Lord Vader and the bounty hunter exchanged some dialogue and the crowd went wild. After that, Lord Vader got some photo ops on the roof and in the projection booth. A good time was had by all.

Troopers:
Bryan – Fett
Melissa – ID
William – TK
Rob C – Vader

Squires:
Brian B
Becca
Henry
Rick

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9/10–Locust Point Festival, Baltimore

We had a little trouble getting in. There was very little parking around and, when we called the event contact, she told us she wouldn’t be there and to just find street parking. We parked about 4 blocks away and suited up in the recreation center. There were a lot of vendors and food stations set up in the park plus some activities for the kids by the playground area. We patrolled the festival, took pictures with kids and adults alike, and chatted about the empire with a few interested children. It was exceedingly hot, so we were only able to stay for a few hours. They seemed very glad to have us there.

Troopers:
Melissa – ID
William – TK

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9/10–Essex Library SW Celebration

It was a small troop with two cadets, two sandtroopers and Pat V. to help out as a squire. We all had fun even though it was only an hour long. There were about 40-50 people present. Our cadets did really well! They had a Star Wars toys display by the Rebel Legion, droid building, coloring pages and books for the occasion.

Troopers:

Mike P-TD
Jesse P-TD
Ragan P-DZ (GA)
Keira P-TB (GA)

Squire:
Pat V.

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9/10 & 11–Special Olympics Salute to the Military

Saturday:

This was a nice event, even if it was hot (94 degrees…) We suited up about 09:30. After that, we wandered around and met with some of the Special Olympics folks. We visited the indoor and outdoor vendor booths. In addition to us, they had various groups providing live music, a motorcycle ride, and short fun walk. The sponsors were kind enough to provided us water and a few air conditioned areas to take breaks in. We also got leads on some upcoming events.  Most importantly, it was Brian’s first troop! Congratulations!!!!

Troopers:
Brian – FO TK
Matt – TK
Jason – R2

 

Sunday:

We arrived shortly after 9 and were told that they weren’t expecting a good turnout based on yesterday, so it was up to us if we still wanted to troop. We decided to go ahead with it, but let Scott know that we didn’t expect needing a squire. We got suited up and went down to the Shipley building, where most of the tables were set up. Attendance was very light but there were a few kids who were very excited to see us. There were also representatives from the Cubs Scouts that were interested in learning more, so we gave them some of the OLG business cards. We wrapped up around noon. Even though the event was small, everyone was very nice and accommodating and we had a great time.

Troopers:
William – TK
Melissa – ID

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9/11–Travis Manion 9/11 Heroes Run, Annapolis

Most of us arrived around 10/10:30am to start getting set up and eat some Mission BBQ breakfast. The Blast-A-Trooper booth was set up with a 2nd photo backdrop and the PR table. We were suited up and ready to go by noon when the crowds started funneling in. We had a few folks wandering in kit while a few stayed back at the tables to staff the BAT and take photos with runners and their families.

At 2pm, we went up to where the race would begin to hear a few words, stand for the National Anthem, and watch the runners take off. It’s always emotional to watch the runners in full Fire Fighter gear or combat gear run the 5k while carrying the flag. After the 1 mile runners took off, a few of us tagged along at the end of the line to finish up the race.

We started to break down everything around 3/:30pm as the event started to die down. Thanks to our efforts, $106 were raised in a couple of hours. This is always a solid event and it’s definitely growing. Hopefully, we’ll be asked to come out again next year.

Troopers:
Emily – CC
Shep – Table Duty
Barron – TB
Devin – TB
Jarred – TB (Carida)
Chris – TR
Warren – Veers
Charles – Scruffy the Imperial Janitor
Matt – TK
Stephen – TK
Jake – TK
Delaney – Boussh (GA)
Ryan – Jawa (GA)
Jason – R2

RL:

Kathryn – Padme (Ghost)
Joy – Rebel Pilot
Joe – Jedi

Squires:
Kami
Kelly

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9/16–Boys and Girls CLub Flix at the Field, Olney

We arrived and little before 6 and met up with Marc from the mandos. We got suited up in the restrooms behind the concessions stand while the screen was being set up. The event was pretty big with a giant inflatable screen set up in the football field. VIPs had reserved seats in inflatable recliners that looked most comfortable. We patrolled around the field, concessions stand, and food truck and posed for photos with the guests. One young man and his mother heard that rebel scum are planning an exploit in December and wanted information about joining the empire before then. They took down the name of the garrison and we’re interested to hear that we had a Galactic Academy. We headed back to the changing area when it became too dark to troop without tripping. The weather was beautiful and the boys and girls club was very gracious and accommodating and offered us free food and drink from the concessions stand. Very fun troop.

Troopers:
William – TK
Melissa – ID
Marc (Kyrimorut Clan)

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9/17–Poolsville Day & National Drive Electric Week Celebration

We arrived around 8:00 and made contact. There was a large section reserved for us and the electric vehicles off the end of the parade route spanning two parking lots and a large grassy area. We were given use of an RV for changing and cooling off. We had plenty of time, so we decided to go ahead and do the parade. Bill enjoyed a slightly precarious ride down to the parade start standing on the back of a golf cart. After a fair amount of waiting, the parade got started. We walked about a half a mile back to the electric vehicle area, waiving at many fans. There was an impressive assortment of electric vehicles, including several that had been converted from gas cars. We took pictures with the cars and owners, who enjoyed our presence very much. When we started to get hungry, we walked down to the food trucks. It took about an hour to go two blocks because of all the excited kids and adults who wanted photographs. When we made it to the food trucks, we enjoyed some particularly good Mexican food before heading back to the electric vehicles. It was a beautiful day but still a little on the warm side. We changed back at about 2:30. This was a fun event and very well attended, probably about 15,000 or so guests. We probably only saw about 1/3 of it in total. Our sponsors was very glad to have us and treated us very well with plenty of water, snacks, and soft drinks available. He indicated that he hopes we can return next year and in greater numbers.

Troopers:
Melissa (ID)
Bill (TK)

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9/17–15th Annual Buddy Walk, Frederick
The weather was great for this troop! The kids were wonderful! We got lots of hugs today. Like last year, we spent most of the time roaming. The sponsors were kind enough to provide us with food and t-shirts. Thanks to the three Rebel Legion and four Mandalorians that trooped with us! We would also like to welcome our new Squire/Cadet, Lexie. This troop will be on my must-do list for next year.

Troopers:
Jacob – TK
Matt – TK

Squires:
Lexie
Kami

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9/18–Curefest for Childhood Cancer, DC

Everyone found their way to the changing tent between 10 and 11; it was a small tent so we all took turn changing. We were also set upon by Mando Mercs, but we worked everything out in the end. To say it was hot and muggy would be an understatement, but we soldiered on. I would say that we were a hit with the crowd once we emerged from the changing tent. We made our way to Tent 1 where our POC was situated, and we stood there for the most part to take pictures with the crowd. At noon the walk took place, and we stood on either side encouraging those that were walking by giving high fives. Around 1300 we started slowly de-suiting due to the heat and humidity and by 1400 everyone was pretty tuckered out.  Thanks to Andy and Shannon for coming out to squire for us they did a great job!

Troopers:
Shep – IG
Bryan – BH
Melissa – ID
William – TK

Squires

Andy
Shannon

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9/24–Ellicott City Music Fest, Columbia

They gave the three groups (501st/RL/Mercs) trailers where everyone got suited up. We met the R2 Builders in the “Star Wars Village” where we had set up Jason’s backdrop for photos and a shared table for 501st and R2 propaganda. A couple of the troopers roamed while another group stayed at the table to take photos with folks. We sold 66 stickers to donate to the Ellicott City relief! We broke the area down around 4pm. It was a good time and the crowd seemed to enjoy having us again.

Troopers:
Rob C – Vader
Matt M – TK
Michael P – TD
Jesse P – TD
Bill – TK
Melissa – Officer
Warren – Veers
Delaney – GA
Stephanie – DS
Jason – R2

Squires:
Emily
Brian
RL:
James
Norman
Kix

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9/25–7th Annual Montgomery County VisionWalk, Rockville

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9/25–Carter’s 7th Birthday, Rosedale

We arrived at the location and we’re met by the parents. They provided one of the kids’ bedrooms as a staging area for us. We all got suited up and headed out the front door to walk around to the back yard to surprise Carter and his friends. We were well received, even though the birthday boy seemed a little shy at first. He quickly warmed up to us along with the other kids. My GA Jawa was making the kids laugh and passing out little toys as Stephanie and James were answering some well thought out questions from the others. This was an outside party, and luckily there was a shady part of the yard that we could stand in.

We then posed for a bunch of photos; group, individual, and family. The father then inquired about joining our ranks, and we answered a bunch of questions on that. James encouraged the father to hop on the boards and get some advice from some of our members before just buying something. He also discussed his com pad unit and the purpose of his code cylinders. Stephanie answered what seemed like a million questions regarding Luke, his whereabouts, his hand, etc. I was asked a bunch of questions about droids, why I cant shoot straight, and how hot it is on Tatooine. Then, after messing around and acting up with the kids, we sang “Happy Birthday” to Carter. We then hung out for a bit more before packing it in and calling it a day. (1.5 hours)

I also issued Carter an Imperial (MEPD) Citation for his unauthorized Rebel gathering, as well as harboring fugitive droids. (His BB-8 Birthday cake).

~Jesse

Troopers:
Stephanie – MJ
James – TI
Jesse – TD
Regan – Jawa (GA)

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