USS Lafitte
USSL/CATS originated as the Calcasieu Area Trekkers Society (C.A.T.S.), and was the dream of one dedicated Trekker and Science Fiction/Fantasy fan to bring organized sci-fi/fantasy fandom to Southwest Louisiana. Stuart Griggs, a lifelong resident of Lake Charles, had sought to share his enjoyment of Star Trek in particular, and sci-fi/fantasy in general, with other fans in a locality where the genre is not widely appreciated. Despite the odds, and investing his own funds into the effort, Griggs, along with his good friend and compatriot Duane Bergeron, successfully launched C.A.T.S. in July 1994 with a small group of charter members, many of whom are still active today. USSL/CATS has survived many changes and tribulations in society, and the lives of its members.
Did you know that 80 percent of all sci-fi/fantasy fan clubs started in America go belly-up after only a couple of years of existence? Yet USSL/CATS has endured, thanks to a dedicated group of core members whose interest lie in many sci-fi/fantasy interests: Babylon 5, Xenaverse, Whedonverse, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and the work of J.J. Abrams, print and electronic media, comics, modeling, gaming, and cos-playing. Members also attend various conventions around the country (including operating the local “CyPhaCon” event with its members) and get together for local theatrical film screenings. It’s all geared for USSL/CATS members to have fun sharing the sci-fi/fantasy experience.