The leadership of Boston Lightsaber Stage Combat Club has had some major life changes over the course of the pandemic. We're all doing well, thankfully, but it's clear that we will not be able to restart the club.

And now, for many thank yous.

First and foremost, an enormous thank you to my stage combat teachers who taught me so much, and with a little luck, I'll be able to attend the occasional workshop to keep learning.

A giant thank you to Somerville Library, the Public Library of Brookline, and Arisia SF/F Convention - thank you for hosting our events. Thanks also to the wonderful staff who were our liaisons and made it so easy for us to put on our events.

To Jacky - thank you for everything you did for the club. You did so much more than what's listed below, and I'm very grateful.

To the directors of our shows: Jacky, who directed most of them, Krista, and Cael - thank you. There is absolutely no way we could have produced the shows we did without your guidance and hard work. Also our assistant directors: Andy and Krista, your assistance clearly made our shows so much better - thank you.

To the formal and informal club officers: Jacky, who never wanted to be club vice-president and yet did the work; Dagny, who gave me piercing insights when I needed to hear them; Simon, for being a social media wizard; Edmund, for being a club instructor who tackled the frenzy of beginners nights with the right mix of seriousness and playfulness; Connor, for helping out with the drudgery of dealing with the club's lightsabers - thank you, all.

To our friends who showed up to help staff and cheer on our shows - thank you. You helped us create and maintain a safe environment; you laughed at our lines and applauded our performances, even if they may not have fully deserved your accolades - thank you.

And, of course, everyone who showed up to our shows: thank you for coming! You're the reason why the club existed in the first place.

Lastly, a personal note: I'd like to thank Alexandra, Izzie, Cael, Anna, and Jacky - our multi-person choreo was looking so good, and we were about to film for real when the pandemic lockdown closed everything. As Director Krennic said: "We were on the verge of greatness! We were this close!" Well, okay, maybe not "greatness", but "something pretty darn cool" doesn't flow as well.

I've made so many friends through the club, for which I'm very grateful. I'm hoping we can have a dim sum outing when covid risk levels are low enough that everyone is comfortable showing up.

And to end, two quotes from my favorite Jedi:

"Remember: your focus determines your reality." -- Qui-Gon Jinn
"Balance and energy. A force. Inside me, that same force." -- Rey

May the Force be with you.

Dave Leung
Founder and President, BLSCC
1 September 2022