Trooper ArcticFox came on to our forums a month or so back with the idea of getting involved and asked for sponsors and fellow troopers to join him. Come the 11th – 13th of March, the fox pictured bellow, will shave off his long hair, and if he raises enough money, maybe even his beard too.  So if you would like to get behind Arcticfox and his fellow troopers, join up on the forums and see how you can help out.

TAG Recruitment poster winning design by Arcticfox TC 7717

With the first two months of the year now over, the Terror Australis has been keeping busy with Legion and Garrison Elections, the Launch of the new Star Wars range of clothing and shoes by Adidas and Trooper warming up for “Relay for Life” events in South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria.  Planning is also well underway for the Australian Garrisons reunion to be held this June in Perth during the SupaNova convention there.

First up, the elections have been run and won with Legion founder Albin Johnson retaining the role of Legion Commanding Officer and myself being voted back into the position of  TAG commanding officer. It was a good election season, with voter turn out with 79% of our members voting. The second highest percentage in the Legion, just 1% behind the Dutch Garrison.

With the huge success of January and Februarys Adidas Star Wars range product launches at Adidas Originals Stores around Australia, our Troopers are set yet again to hit them again with phase 3 of the range due out in March.  Keep an eye on your local Adidas store to see if our troops will be making an appearance soon. Money is being donated to TLC for Kids and Starlight Childrens charities by Adidas, on behalf of the Terror Australis, Southern Cross and Redback Garrisons for our appearances at these stores.

Convention season is about to start up again with Supanova hitting Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane over the next four months.  To coincide with the Western Australian leg, our Perth Troopers will be hosting the Australian Garrisons Annual reunion in June.  Many of our troopers will be heading to WA for the weekend to participate, so if you are in the area, or at any of the Supanova conventions be sure to drop by and say g’day.

One of the primary focuses of the 501st Legion is the raising of donations for different charities in our communities, especially when children are involved.  For the last few years, our  South Australian troops have been participating in the Cancer councils ‘Relay for Life‘ events.  A 24 hour event where teams help raise money for the Cancer council by continuously walking a circuit over a 24 hour period.  The Southern Dewback Squad have this year inspired the other states to participate and will undoubtedly lead the way in raising some serious coin for this great cause.

Finally, our Troopers have been busy this past month coming up with designs for our 2010 Garrison recruitment poster campaign.  The votes are in and a winner has been decided. Congratulations Arctic fox for your winning poster.  The winning design will be hitting the press’s over the coming weeks, so Keep an eye out for them at an convention or event near you, soon. They are sure to be collectable.

Yours in Trooping,

Troy “DesTROYer” Henderson

TAG Commanding Officer

Many will notice changes are already taking place here with the retirement of the Redback Squad logo from the forums, the partial closing and relocation of the Redback Squad forums to the Garrison archives and a new link in the Squad area directing Queensland members to the new Redback Garrison Forums at www.501qld.com

There are a few more changes to be made over the coming days, including the removal of Redback logo from the website and its members removed from the TAG roster. These things unfortunately never run without a few hiccups along the way, and we ask that you all be patient over the coming weeks, as, especially with the Elections coming up, the Legion Webteam will be quite busy. If you find that when members of the new Redback Garrison have been moved across and you believe you should have been moved along too, please let us know by posting in this thread.

Congratulations Redback’s, under Kevin’s guidance I am sure you will continue to grow in 2010 and beyond. You will be always welcome to visit our forums and come troop with us in the southern and western states soon.

As the Terror Australis Garrison’s Commanding officer, I have been very pleased to see our Garrison grow bigger and stronger with many new members, the formation of the ‘Knightfall’ and the ‘Southern Dewback Squads’ and the creation of a new Garrison covering New South Wales, the ‘Southern Cross Garrison’.  Strong bonds have been built between the two Garrisons and with a third Garrison for Australia on the way, we hope to continue to strengthen these bonds, with an Australian Garrisons Reunion in June 2010 to be held at Supanova in Perth, Western Australia.

The work we do on behalf of the Legion, raising money for charities and visiting sick children in hospital makes me very proud to be a member of this great organisation and of all my fellow Legion brothers and sisters.  When the Bushfires hit Victoria hard early in the year, Troops around the country stepped up to the plate to help raise money for the victims. Patch sales, tin rattling and collections were the order for the day, with one trooper, Jacquie “Moxxxie” Doyle (TK6232)  in Queensland going above and beyond, raising over $25,000 in one day by herself for the cause.  I have no doubt this contributed to her being nominated and voted TAG’s Trooper of the year for 2009.  She was joined by a new Trooper to TAG from Western Australia Russell “Jowwarr” Thomas (TC 6811) who was voted Rookie of the Year 2009, for his great efforts in expanding Trooping in WA and for his services to the troopers and recruits in TAG.

The command, Admin Staff and Squad leaders  of TAG this year have been exceptional, stepping up to the ready line to ensure that the troopers are well informed, looked after and happy.  The Forums and website have finally been updated and look great and with more upgrades planned, are sure to be an invaluable resource for troopers for years to come.  Thankyou to Jason, Matt, Jeff, Cen, Ryan, Greg, Kristain and Beejay for all your help over the year.  We could not have had our most successful year with out you all and without the co-operation and  friendliness of our troopers.

What’s planned for 2010?  Next year is set to be another big year for the 501st in Australia.  Celebration V has been announced and is scheduled to take place in August, at the Orange County Convention Center, Florida USA.  We have quite a few Troopers who are looking to go and we wish them the best.  Star Wars: The musical Journey, an orchestral Arena event, is likely to be coming to OZ in 2010 so keep your eyes open for that.  The clone wars series is continuing into the new year and we will all be kept busy recreating the many new costumes from that great Animated series.  TAG’s second Squad is looking to follow in the Southern Cross Garrisons footsteps and form the Redbacks Garrison early on too, so we wish them the best for the coming year and hope they continue to have close ties with the rest of Australia.

I am planning on again running for CO of TAG in February/March and hope to continue to keep this Garrison rolling to bigger and better things for the future.  I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, happy new year and hope to see you all out on the field of valor in the new year.  Happy Trooping.

Raising funds for TLC for Kids, The Troopers of both Legions will be rattling cans, posing for photos and holding a great raffle with hundreds of dollars worth or prizes.

First Prize
Lego – Republic Assault Shuttle
Hasbro 501st Trooper with Speeder
Hasbro 4 x Clone Wars Figures (Droid Builder)
Hasbro Mace Windu Lightsaber
wii The Force Unleashed with wii lightsaber adaptor
Scienceworks family pass
2 x tickets to the One Man Star Wars Show

Second Prize
Lego – Separatist Shuttle
Lego Crab Droid
Hasbro 4 x Clone Wars Figures
Scienceworks family pass
2 x tickets to the One Man Star Wars Show

Third Prize
Lego – Assassin Droids Battle Pack
Hasbro 2 x Clone Wars Figures
Hasbro Micro Machines – Tie Fighter
Scienceworks family pass

So make sure you come along, join in the fun, and make sure you say gday.

Special thanks to the following sponsors:

With All proceeds raised going to:

@009 Telethon Kids Carnival

The troops over in Western Australia have finished an amazing weekend at the 2009 Telethon Kids Carnival, by adding a little color and excitement to this worthy cause.

Great fun was had by all involved, with lot’s of pictures and video taken of the event, and plenty of smiles put on kids faces. There were hugs-a-plenty for the troopers, and for any little ones out there who we didn’t wave to, we’re sorry, it’s hard to see out of those helmets!

About the event:

The Kids Carnival was held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Center on Saturday the 3rd and Sunday the 4th of October. We were not required to fundraise, just be there in armour to help add some colour to the event. Sunday saw the troopers enter the Phone Room, where they created quite a stir and everyone had a lot of fun.

[quote]

Telethon is Western Australia’s most loved children’s charity.

The Telethon Weekend live 25-hour appeal will be held at the Perth Convention Exhibition Centre and televised on the Channel 7 Network and the Golden West Network.

The opening and closing shows of Telethon are not to be missed, with spectacular performances by leading Australian celebrity entertainers, local performers and your favourite Channel 7 Network personalities. Plus join in with fun on the panel all whilst raising vital funds for Telethon!

There are also many fun events taking place at the PCEC over the weekend including the Telethon Bank of Queensland Kids Carnival, the Brownes Telethon Celebrity Kitchen and the Telethon Beneficiaries Expo.

The Weekend is a celebration of the dedication of Western Australian’s who support Telethon each year.

[/quote]

Needless to say, the activites of all involved leading up to and including the event, as well as communication of some core WA members and event organizers, has secured us for upcoming events where we will be out in force, helping raise awareness, spreading a little excitement, and most importantly, to help raise funds.

To all the parents who saw us, took photos, and said hello, thanks for your support and smiles, we look forward to seeing you all again soon.

We’ve got a few photos online at out Flickr page so you can see the fun that was had!

Well done to all involved!

Ryan – TK 9027

Imagine Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, C3PO and Chewbacca – all on stage, all performed by just one actor. In this fast paced show Charles Ross brings to life all the characters from the original Star Wars trilogy live on stage!

As a Star Wars addict, who has seen the trilogy over 400 times, Ross handles all the characters and special effects himself, without props or costumes to hilarious effect.

Charles buzzes like a light saber, growls like a wookie and whooshes like a millennium falcon as he sings the music, fights the battles and condenses the plots of all three original films into just one hour!
Enjoy a fast-paced, side-splitting evening that’s out of this world. Why not get your friends together and come dressed as your favourite characters!

See One Man Star Wars one last time before Charles Ross switches legends in 2010 to the highly anticipated Australian premiere of his critically acclaimed show – One Man Lord of the Rings.

Perfect for Star Wars fans of all ages.

——————————————————————————–

PRE-SALE DATES & TIMES

FROM: 9am Thursday 10th September
TO: Midnight, Sunday 13th September

PASSWORD:SKYWALKER

PUBLIC On-Sale Date: Monday 14 September 2009

——————————————————————————–

SHOW DATES & BOOKING DETAILS

SYDNEY ENMORE THEATRE – WED NOVEMBER 11
BOOK NOW 9550 3666 & ticketek.com.au 132 849

NEWCASTLE CIVIC THEATRE – FRI NOVEMBER 13
BOOK NOW 4929 1977 & ticketek.com.au 132 849

CANBERRA THEATRE PLAYHOUSE – SAT NOVEMBER 14
BOOK NOW canberratheatrecentre.com.au 6275 2700

ADELAIDE FESTIVAL THEATRE – TUES NOVEMBER 17
BOOK NOW bass.net.au 131 246

MELBOURNE FORUM THEATRE – NOVEMBER 19, 20 & 21
BOOK NOW 9299 9800 & ticketek.com.au 132 849

LYRIC THEATRE QPAC – SUNDAY NOVEMBER 15
BOOK NOW qtix.com.au 136 246

——————————————————————————–

One Man Star Wars Trilogy is performed with permission of LucasFilm Ltd.
All Star Wars elements property of LucasFilm Ltd. All rights reserved

The Terror Australis Garrison and 501st Legion Welcomes the Southern Cross Garrison to the Legion. Already the SCG are breaking new ground and impressing us all with their work. We are looking forward to having our first inter-garrison troop with them next Month at Melbournes Armageddon Pop Culture Festival (Oct 17-18). Well done C.O. David Javis and the SCG. See you soon Troops. www.501scg.com

Armageddon Melbourne (17-18 October) is looking to be a huge event for TAG again this year, with Troopers from WA, SA, QLD, NSW, TAS and VIC getting together with the Rebel Legions Tatooine base for what will likely be the biggest gathering of Legion Troops in Australia this year. Hosts, Knightfall Squad, and thier Mos Eisley Cantina set, fresh from being on display at Science Work’s for the Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination, will be there again as well as another great Star Wars Raffle and a few new surprises to be announced. http://armageddonexpo.com/au/

ScienceWorks Melbourne exhibit, Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagaination, is in its 4th month and is still going strong and is breaking all records for an exhibit at Science works. Together with the Rebel Legions Tattooine base and the Skywalking Fanclub, Troops of TAG’s Knightfall Squad have been hitting the exhibit hard, adding their great costumes to the atmosphere of the exhibit. Recently members of all three clubs were present to film a segment for Chanel Nine’s Afternoon childrens TV show, the Shak, so keep an eye out over the coming weeks for the segment. http://museumvictoria.com.au/starwars

GenCon Brisbane (Sept 18th, 19th, 20th) is nearly here too and Queenslands Redback Squad have been going great guns to bring a great exhibit to this massive show. If your in the Brisbane area, make sure you get along and see the 501st strutting their stuff and raising money for Make A Wish. Remember, Sunday is kids day, so if you have some Jawa’s, bring them along. http://www.genconoz.com/

The Melbourne Myer Christmas Parade (Nov 20th) is on again this year and the Terror Australis Garrison has been invited along for the 3rd year in a row. This year is set to be the biggest and best yet and a massive crowd attendance is expected. Star Wars will be represted by over 26 members of the Terror Australis Garrison and Tattoine Base, so make sure you come along and shout out your support.

Remember, the 501st are all about our comunity, if you have an event you would like to see us or our sister organisation, the Rebel Legion at, make sure you let us know by filling in the event request form on this site. And keep up to date with your local Squad by checking out the forums. New members are always welcome.

Keep on Trooping
Troy “DesTROYer” Henderson
Terror Australis Garrison Commanding Officer

SupaNova is Australias premier Toy, Anime, and Science Fiction event, and not to be missed. This year the WA crew will be there in force, so come along, say hi, take a pic or two and join the legion!

What’s it all about?

Gathered from the wonderful worlds of science-fiction, pulp TV/movies, toys, console gaming, trading cards, animation/cartoons, fantasy, comic books, entertainment technology, books, music, sport, internet sites and fan-clubs, Supanova Pop Culture Expo is where the adoring public comes face to face with the creative talent that inspire their imaginary worlds under one big roof.

It’s where burgeoning talent can also display their work and where industry comes to get new ideas and network within the community.

Celebrity guests, tournaments, special events, exclusive screenings, interactive competitions, product launches, collectables, nostalgia and more drawn from the international elite of popular licenses and intellectual properties combined with the very best of Australia.

So whether you’re seven or seventy, whether it’s business or pleasure, Supanova is the place to be!

Supanova… It’s a blast!!!

Details:

What: SupaNova Pop Culture Expo
When: 10am to 6pm, July 4th and 5th, 2009.
Where: Claremont Showgrounds, Western Australia
Website: http://www.supanova.com.au/

View Larger Map

We’ll have plenty of pics and video of the event, so check back later. See you all there!

- TK9027

We still have some work to do and have many more things in store for implementation, but it is with great pleasure I know declare the new TAG website open.

As it is still a work in progress, there is sure to be a few glitches, so please feel free to let us know of any problems you may come across and any ideas you have for making the site bigger and better.

Thank you,

Troy ‘DesTROYer’ Henderson
TAG Commanding Officer
TB/TS/DZ 8564