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FALL/WINTER 2016
Newsletter of District 7 • United States Coast Guard Auxiliary
Is your division represented in this issue of our district newsletter? Can Social Media Replace Newsletters? (See our answer on page 33) Photo: Coast Guard and Auxiliary Combined color guard at D7 Training Conference. Photo by Bob Fabich
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A Heart Hea Heartfelt “Thank You” COMO Robert Weskerna
COMO JJudith Hudson, DCOS, DCO-e
News ews ws From Fro the North
Thanksgiving Message Thanks By Jud Judith Hudson, DCOS, Judit DCO-e CO
By D. Motes, District y Carl D Captain-North aptain-N
WHAT’S INSIDE....
Why Are A You a Coast Guard Auxiliar Auxiliarist? Paulette Parent, District By Paule Captain CaptainCaptain-West
By DSO-PA7 y Dottie ottie Riley, DS Hurricane urricane ricane Matthew: Matth Matthe How ne flotilla weath weat one weathered the torm. m storm. y Zoraida oraida Sorren By Sorrentino, FC otilla la 44 Daytona Dayton Beach Flotilla
District 7 Membe Members Explore Paddlecraft Prog Program SO-VE 14, By Phil Tallon, SO ADSO-VE-N D7
By Rick Leary, Flo Flotilla 12-8 Charlest Charleston The Commandan Commandant’s Own: The U.S.C.G. Pi Pip Pipe Band By y John Quinn, Se Senior Editor
USCG Auxiliary a and the USCG Academy Admissions A Partner tner Program By David John Sot Sot, Flotilla 29, Lake Lanier Georg Georgia Lanier, Geo
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Byy Ken P Plesser, DSO-AV and Doug Ar Arm DFSO Armstrong,
Division ivision vision Present Presented PresPresente ident’s dent’s ent’s Volunteer S Service Aw ward rd Award By y Larry arry O’Brien, D DCDR 11
United States Co Coast Guard Cutter Barque Ea Eagle
By Carl Motes, DCPT-N DCPT CPT N
District 7 AUXAIR’s Award Winning Publication
Bolling olling lling Fortso Fortson Douglas: Service is a P “Service Proud Jourey”” ney” y John ohn Quinn By Quinn, Senior Editor
District istrict trict 7 Newsletter Newslet Newsle ompetition Winners Winn Competition
On Watch
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Sensational Sensatio ensati Seventh
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From the Edi Editor By Dorothy Jo Joan Riley, DSO Riley DSO-PB PB 7
USPS Digital Med Media Library Nan Ellen Fuller Branch ranch Chief, L Liais Liaison U.S. Power Squadrons Squad Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary H Hold Joint Picnic nic By Andrea Rutherf Rutherfoord, Flotilla 36 36, Boca Raton
Photos from our divisions throughout this issue. We went the “extra mile” to include as many as possible!
Use Social Media to Help Spread the Boating Safely Message-Page 34 BREEZE
Issue 3 2016
Newsletter for District 7 USCG Auxiliary
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BREEZE Volume LXII Fall/Winter 2016 Read the BREEZE online at: www.uscga-district-7.org/breeze.html
UNITED STATES COAST GUARD
District Staff Officers
District Commander
Rear Admiral Scott A. Buschman
District 7 Staff Officers
Prevention Directorate Lawrence S. Berman, DDC-P Phillip L. Goodman, DSO-MS Allen L. Crothers, DSO-MT Agnes K. Mical, DSO-NS Ronald D. Foreman, DSO-PV Bruce A. Lindsey, DSO-PE William S. Griswold, DSO-SL Chuck Kelemen, DSO-VE
U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY
Response Directorate
Commodore Robert A. Weskerna
Craig Elliot, DDC-R Kenneth T. Plesser, DSO-AV Donald L. Wellons, DSO-CM H. Festus Burchfield, DSO-OP William F. Hanlon, DSO-IM
Director of Auxiliary District 7
CDR Xaimara Vicencio-Roldan Operations Training Officer
CWO4 Charles (Bee) Perry
District Commodore
District Chief of Staff
Judith Hudson Immediate Past District Commodore
Commodore John Tyson
Logistics Directorate James E. Dennen, DDC-L David A. Hastings, DSO-CS James A. Poole, DSO-DV Angela Pomaro, DSO-HR Susan Z. Hastings, DSO-IS Miguel E. Corco, DSO-MA Mary Patton, DSO-PA Dorothy J. Riley, DSO-PB Diane Riggan, NSBW Coordinator Alejandro de Quesada, D7 Historian David A. Hastings, Webmaster
District Captain-North
Carl D. Motes District Captain-West
Paulette P. Parent District Captain-East
Russell Dewey Jackson Auxiliary Sector Coordinators ASC Sector Charleston
COMO Henry G. Pratt III
Others Lillian G. GaNun, DSO-SR Douglas L. Armstrong, DFSO Braxton R. Ezell, DSO-LP James F. Stone, DSO-FN Theresa Sweeney, PPCDA District Administrative Assistant & Aide Gary Barth, D-AA Teresa A. Barth, D-AD Carolyn R. Hooley, D-AD Barbara D. Burchfield, D-AD Jacqueline B. Weskerna, D-AD Stephen M. GaNun, D-AD Craig R. De-Toma, D-AD Donna L. Miller, D-AD
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Division Commanders
Issue 3 2016
ASC Sector Jacksonville
Maxine Elizabeth Rattrie ASC Sector Key West
Elsie S. Metcalf ASC Sector Miami
Vacant ASC Sector St. Petersburg
Ronald R. Howington ASC Sector San Juan
Javier Bernabe
Division 1....................Jose I. Caban Division 2......Patricia A. McMenamin Division 3.................Joseph C. Aleba Division 4 ...............Charles R. Elliott Division 5.................William T. Butler Division 6............Benjamin R. Kidder Division 7................Eugene S. Keller Division 8..............William R. Beckett Division 9...........Frank Wondolkowski Division 10................Jack A. Grumet Division 11................Larry W. OBrien Division 12.................Allen N. James Division 13............Susan K. Redding Division 14................Victor J. Aquino Division 15..............Diane H. Berman Division 16............Rosemarie Moscia Division 17...............John W. Holmes BREEZE is the official publication of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary District 7 to provide articles of interest and information to its members. All articles and photographs submitted must be consistent with the policies of the Coast Guard and the Auxiliary. Electronic submissions are encouraged. Send high resolution images as attachments not embedded within a document or email. BREEZE articles and photographs may be reprinted with proper attribution to BREEZE and the author/ photographer. Send comments and submissions to: dottieriley1@verizon.net or to senior editor John L. Quinn: editor.uscgaux.d7.breeze@ gmail.com Personal information of members is protected by the Privacy Act of 1974. The use of these rosters, addresses and telephone numbers on any computer or online service including the Internet is prohibited by the Act. Submission deadlines: Feb. 15, May 15, Aug. 15, Nov. 15, 2016.
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Commodore Robert Weskerna
FROM THE DISTRICT 7 BRIDGE
A Heartfelt “Thank You” The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant. —Max DePree From where I sit here in the middle of November, it looks like the sun is well over the yardarm. Of course I don’t mean to imply that it’s time to drop the ice into the glass, but in terms of your Commodore’s tenure, it’s definitely time to say thank you. One of the most enjoyable moments of the past two years has been to brag about your Recreational Boating Safety (RBS) performance. While we do great work in all our missions, our RBS results for 2015 and again for 2016 are outstanding. With about seven weeks still remaining in 2016, we’ve nearly met our all-time record highs in RBS performance from last year. An example of your performance is easily illustrated using the Paddle Craft safety check count, which at over 7,000 is about 10 percent ahead of our record breaking 2015 results with seven weeks still to go. Thank you to all our instructors, our visitors and our vessel examiners. Well done. To our Food Service specialists, our Marine Safety specialists, participants in all facets of our Operations programs, air and sea, a huge thank you for the many hours of preparation and serving. We had our frustrations along the way, but you performed as the professional operators that you are. Well done, and thank you. To the radio operators, the watchstanders, our Navigation Systems qualified specialists, I thank you for your time and expertise. To the Flotilla Commanders, the Division Commanders, I thank you for your leadership and caring. I hope you were able to find time to make the Auxiliary experience fun for your members and yourselves. I know I’ve enjoyed visiting with you and sharing in your successes. It can be a touch lonely at the top, but you performed well, and I thank you. To the Auxiliary Sector Coordinators, the Auxiliary Unit Coordinators, the District Captains and all of the flight officers with district responsibility, you were very
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professional, prepared, and I was proud to serve with you. Each of you. To our world-class District Directorate Chiefs, I value your service, your friendship and your experience. I’ll miss all three of you. A leader’s greatest responsibility is to nurture his/her replacement. That’s true for all unit leaders, and particularly for me. Thank you Judith for your friendship and your talents. District 7 is in great hands as I step across the line January 1. To all my aides, I thank you for your countless hours of work. I can’t imagine doing my job without your talents and hard work. You all were great. Most members have no idea how much time you all put in. To the District Staff Officers and their assistants, it’s clear to me that this show would never go forward without your skill sets and tireless work. You are the best in the business, and I thank you. To my shipmates back in South Carolina, I’m coming home. I know there will always be a place at the table for me where it all started. You’ve been patient and supportive. Finally, to all the members. I’ve truly enjoyed meeting with you as we’ve traveled the district. You are amazing. You are special. You give of yourselves in ways that few from the outside can understand. Thank you for making me feel welcomed wherever I’ve traveled. Thank you all for giving me this opportunity to serve as your Commodore.
COMO Bob Weskerna, DCO7
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Comodore Judith Hudson, DCOS FROM THE DISTRICT 7 BRIDGE
Sensational Seventh! Over the past two years that you have allowed me to serve as your Chief of Staff, I have met many of you at meetings and events, and I am so impressed by the passion, skills, experience and commitment that you bring to District 7 Auxiliary. Firmly believing in servant leadership, I try to walk the talk, but we all know that it takes all of us to make missions successful, to teach the most effective training classes, to mentor in the best way. So, many times I have reached out to you asking for your help to accomplish some objective. What I have found is that you are always there. When it is impossible to assist due to other commitments, you have been honest in saying so. You make me proud to be a part of the District 7 Auxiliary family. So, I have adopted the mantra of “Sensational Seventh� because we are. Leading the way to be the Sensational Seventh has been our Commodore, Bob Weskerna. He is our pillar and the one who has guided us through storms and celebrations always keeping all of us and our welfare, as well as the goals and missions, foremost in his words and actions. We thank you, Commodore! Not far behind him have been our District Directorate Chiefs, Jim Dennen, Craig Elliot and Larry Berman. They have performed at a superior level, and have kept everything humming and moving forward at the district level, not just maintaining, but bringing innovation, improvements and new programs.
I thank them for their time, efforts and contributions. Together we haveplowed through the implementation of new programs, guiding our recreational boating public to be safer on the water, preparing for and cleaning up after hurricanes, welcoming new members, providing search and rescue missions and flying people and equipment to their destinations safely, reaching our highest levels of vessel safety checks, program visits and public education students, saving lives and property, standing watch, providing interpreter services, supporting our Coast Guard in so many ways, and much more. Thank you for all you do, and thank you for being shipmates in the Auxiliary. I hope your holidays are merry and bright, your Changes of Watch successful and memorable, and preparations for 2017 motivating and energizing. Stay safe! We will look forward to making District 7 even more Sensational next year!
Judith Hudson, DCOS-7, DCO (e)
No district can do without the support and wisdom of the District Captains who provide information from members, flotillas, and divisions, deliver communications, bring perspective, input, and solutions to issues. They serve the entire district in whatever is needed. Our District Captains - Carl Motes, Paulette Parent, Gary Barth (in 2015) and Dewey Jackson have been and are terrific leaders and partners. Considering that it takes a team to keep things going, track progress, overcome obstacles, share ideas and define new programs and processes, we are proud to have a very knowledgeable team; our District 7 Staff Officers who help us do all those things. They are our subject/mission matter experts.
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Carl D. Motes, District Captain-North FROM THE DISTRICT 7 BRIDGE
News From the North The north region of District Seven consists of the six divisions located in Coast Guard Sectors Charleston and Jacksonville. The divisions have seen an increase in operations and Recreational Boating Safety activities in the last quarter plus they have conducted elections and begun to hold Changes of Watch. Certain events such as Rescue Systems and Survival requirements and mandatory training are being managed well. As of November 7, the two sectors contributed 206,179 hours to the U.S. Coast Guard. The 1,469 men and women in the six divisions in the north region have contributed 31.5 percent of the total hours of District Seven although they comprise just 29 percent of the membership. Bravo Zulu team. Congratulations to Pat McMenamin on being elected District Captain-North for 2017. It has been my pleasure to work with Pat these past two years as she led Division 2. I am positive the north region is in good hands. Congratulations also to Allen James, John Sprague-Williams, Donald Wellons, David Patrick, Charles Robert Elliott, and John Holmes on being elected Division Commander and to Joseph Livingston, James McMenamin, William Ballard, Martin Goodwin, James Parker on being elected Division Vice Commander. Rescue Systems and Survival (RS&S) training of flotilla officers has taken place in Sector Charleston and Sector Jacksonville. All divisions have distributed equipment and implemented RS&S plans in accordance with Sector requirements. Concerns that we would see a 10 percent to 20 percent drop in operations after June 1, 2016, proved to be unfounded as a result of some very hard work and cooperation between the Sector Auxiliary Liaisons, the Auxiliary Sector Coordinators and the divisions.
Continuing work is being given to identification of Auxiliary assets that will reliably be available to assist in case of an emergency as there is considerable confusion by Division Commanders and Flotilla Commanders about “TAB A� and to the next stage of the GAP Analysis. Mandatory training efforts continue unabated as the deadline approaches. With division leadership and encouragement, our flotillas continue to get members through the process; sometimes in groups but more often by one-on-one contacts. The three divisions in Sector Charleston have 711 members on the rolls; Sector Jacksonville has 758 members. The picture is encouraging: The lowest completion number is 535 members in Sector Charleston who have completed the Security course. The highest completion number is 639 members in Sector Jacksonville who have completed the Influenza course. Bravo Zulu team. This is my final report to the north. These two years have been fun and satisfying. I thank each of you for welcoming me to your meetings and for working tirelessly to make the Coast Guard Auxiliary a true asset to our nation and to the Coast Guard. We have seen a few challenges in the last two years and despite some well-founded concerns, you have all pulled together to accomplish the tasks given to us and to justify our pride in wearing the uniform. Thank you for allowing me to serve you as your District Captain.
Hurricane Matthew took aim at Sector Jacksonville and Sector Charleston for a week but fortunately stayed just far enough off shore to spare us the full force of a Category Four storm. It proved to be a real life test of our ability to respond to an emergency. As with any such event, our strengths and weaknesses were highlighted. No one in our Auxiliary family was injured and all were ultimately accounted for.
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FROM THE DISTRICT 7 BRIDGE
A Thanksgiving Message In taking time to count our blessings this Thanksgiving season, I think the following suggestions are a way for all of us to be more aware of how much we have to be grateful for, and to keep in mind as we go about our daily lives that we can make a difference in our own lives, and in the lives of others if we practice these actions. They are from a bookmark of MacKenzie-Childs.
Be Kind, Sing more, Embrace Optimism, LISTEN, Do What You Love, Choose Happiness, Abolish Snobbery, Set the Table, Handwrite letters, Love your Home, Vote Your Conscience, Eat Local Honey, “Thank You”, Seek Beauty Everywhere, Paint it Chartreuse, Shift Your Perspective, Dream Big Dreams, Watch the Clouds, Expand Your Idea of Perfection, Decorate, Remember, Have Humor, Say Yes More Often, Take Chances, Stand Up for Something. Enjoy your family, and take time to appreciate what is truly a blessing— to live in the United States this Thanksgiving. Judith Hudson, DCOS, DCO (e)
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Paulette R. Parent, District Captain-West FROM THE DISTRICT 7 BRIDGE
Why Are You a Coast Guard Auxiliarist? During this time of the year, newly elected and newly appointed officers are taking an “Oath of Office” at their Changes of Watch. It might be worthwhile to take a look at that oath and really read and understand what it means. This is not just a formality where you raise your right hand and “repeat after me.” This is a pledge you are taking. You are affirming your willingness to support the Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Maybe we should look back and review the reason we joined the Auxiliary in the first place. Most of us would say that we wanted to “serve” and support the U. S. Coast Guard and its purposes (sounds like an oath, doesn’t it?). Yes, initially we all took an oath as members of the Auxiliary and we are bound on our honor to uphold that oath. However, once you take the oath as an elected or appointed officer you are assuming higher responsibility and assuming the inherent obligations thereof. You are a leader and as such, you set the example for others to follow. Your demeanor, your uniform, your attitudes are all part of your presence as an officer. Of course, there are more demands on you and more hours required for performing your duties. Now the big question is are your ambitions, personal goals and agendas taking over your defined purposes as a leader? This is not what we are all about. With the New Year in sight, all members should reconsider and reconfirm their support of the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary. Obviously, you will not always be pleased with what might be happening within the organization but also be aware that often those happenings are beyond our control. We must operate within the parameters that have been established and understand that change is inevitable. The vitality and future of the Coast Guard Auxiliary lie in its ability to adapt and overcome obstacles by whatever means possible and to surge beyond those barriers to achieve a better organization. Your willingness to assist in whatever position you have is paramount in that objective. Remember your oath and help to make the Auxiliary even better in 2017. Good luck to the incoming officers for 2017. In closing, I would like to thank all the members
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in D7, who have contributed to a record-setting year for our district. Serving as the DCAPT-W has been an honor and a privilege. Working with the Executive Committee has been an extremely enlightening and purposeful experience. I especially wish to thank the Division Commanders and Division Vice Commanders of the five D7 West Divisions for their support. Most importantly, thank you to all the members of D7-West for their support and dedication to our missions. You are what makes the West the Best! Ω Semper Paratus!
Paulette Parent, District Captain West was prepared for Fun Night Sept. 24 at the District Conference in Orlando. She rode in on her steady steed with pistols blazing. Photo by Dottie Riley
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District 7 AUXAIR’s Award Winning Publication
ARTICLES OF INTEREST
By Ken Plesser, DSO-AV and Doug Armstrong, DFSO The AUXAIR D7 Operations and Flight Safety Newsletter began as an email in 2012 and was recognized nationally as the best District publication in 2016. Lee Bertman, who recognized the need for communication throughout the Auxiliary aviation (AUXAIR) district-wide program got the ball rolling. In January 2014, shortly after Lee assumed the role of Assistant District Staff Officer-Aviation-Technology (ADSO-AV-X), Doug Armstrong, District Flight Safety Officer (DFSO), assisted by Ken Plesser, District Staff Officer-Aviation (DSO-AV) signed on to help transform the email into a newsletter. In 2015, public affairs professional Bob Fabich signed on as ADSO-AV-C (Communications) and took over responsibility for the newsletter. A critical component of any aviation safety organization is a unified safety culture. Auxiliary Air (AUXAIR) leadership saw a newsletter as an effective tool in creating and maintaining this culture over a large geographic area. While this sounded good on the surface, having a good newsletter and having one that is read and internalized by our Coast Guard Auxiliary aviation crews presented the real challenge. Operational effectiveness and flight safety are inexorably linked. The aviation community needed effective guidance in sorting out evolving technology that included a growing number of tablet applications. There had been small email type newsletters in the district for some time. These contained good information but were difficult to maintain as a collateral duty for safety officers or crew members. As a result, they lacked cohesion from issue to issue and their content varied widely. Early editions were heavy on technology and not visually appealing. In fact, they looked pretty much like what one might expect from two engineers and an economist. A newsletter at the
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district level was seen as an effective tool to produce compelling and topical stories to provide an interesting read that would keep our crews engaged. In 2015, Lee Bertman moved on to fill the role of ADSO-AV-T (Training), leaving a void in the newsletter editor position. Serendipitously, Bob Fabich, well-known among the St. Croix AUXAIR community as a Public Affairs professional, was casting about in search of new challenges. He was a proven writer, photographer and advocated all things Auxiliary, especially AUXAIR. Bob was well liked and was comfortable w interviewing everyone from in new members to USCG Flag n officers. It was a perfect fit. o Bob agreed to step in and take B over the project in 2015, freeo ing the D7 AUXAIR leadership in to focus on safe effective misssion execution and to produce ssafety and operational content. He signed on as ADSO-AV-C H (External Communications) (E that, in 2016, evolved into ADth SO-AV-P (Publications). Bob’s S influence was felt right from the in beginning. Bold new layouts, b better editing, focused content b and new contributors shaped a the D7 AUXAIR Operations th and Flight Safety Newsletter. a With engaging photographs and a strong connection to the human element, the newsletter had a better visual design and was more readable. Crews at the Air Station annual workshops made it clear they were reading and discussing the newsletter. They enjoyed learning about what was working (or not working) across the District and were eager to be part of a growing mission. This was the crucial thread in achieving the goal of creating a district-wide collective ethos in the AUXAIR community. Bob’s newsletter was proof we were all on the same team, united by our desire to “put points on the board” for Team Coast Guard. (Continued on page 10)
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(Continued from page 9)
ARTICLES OF INTEREST
The impact of the newsletter has extended well past the AUXAIR members themselves. It has been widely distributed among the active duty members at the Air Stations and at District Headquarters. It carries an unmistakable message that the Auxiliary aviators view themselves as professionals and are considered valued members of the Wardroom at every Air Station. Auxiliary aviation in the 7th District can be justifiably proud of its contributions to 10 of the 11 statutory missions of the Coast Guard (Ice Operations ex-
cepted). The newsletter, under the leadership of Bob Fabich, has been an important element in communicating the leadership vision, sharing success stories among Air Stations, and developing a common district-wide sense of purpose. That the newsletter was voted as the best District publication in 2016 is cause for much celebration. However, there is an important distinction that should not be lost. AUXAIR in D7 does not claim excellence because of its award-winning newsletter; rather, it is the intrinsic excellence of the program, skillfully and accurately reflected in the newsletter, which warrants celebration.Ω
District 7 and National Publication Contest Winners By Dottie Riley, DSO-PB 7 Festus Burchfield accepts the D7 First Place Publications award earned by his flotilla at the D7 Training Conference in Orlando Sept. 23, 2016. He is flanked by (from left) CDR Xaimara Vicencio-Roldan, Director of Auxiliary, D7, COMO Robert Weskerna, District Commodore, and COMO Rick Washburn, Auxiliary National Commodore. Photo by Robert Fabich While the number of newsletters published in District 7 appears to be on a decline, the quality of newsletters published is on the rise. Not only did the district win the National Public Affairs district level Publications award with AUXAIR D7 Operations and Flight Safety Newsletter, but it also earned the national award for its district publication, Intercom, Division 7 newsletter, Dottie Riley editor. Winners of the District 7 newsletter award were presented plaques and certificates at the D7 Training Conference in Orlando Sept. 23, 2016. They are as follows:
Division newsletters: First Place: Intercom, Division 7, Editor: Dottie Riley Second Place: Charlie Noble, Division 15, Editor: Mary Patton Third Place: Pelorus, Division 12, Editor: William Carter Flotilla Newsletters: First Place: Lake Murray Mariner, Flotilla 12-3 Lake Murray, Editor: Barbara Burchfield Second Place: Fore and Aft, Flotilla 86 Venice, Editor: Judi Bidwick Third Place: Hatchcover, Flotilla 96 Wiggins Pass, Editor: Zarela Graves Congratulations to all of our winners! Does your flotilla publish a newsletter? Social media cannot replace publications. Newsletters help maintain unit morale and applaud your members’ efforts. Articles and photos in newsletters acknowledge members’ contributions to Auxiliary Operations, Public Affairs and Recreational Boating Safety missions. Ask any unit with a successful newsletter. They keep members connected and informed and encourage participation. Ω
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Bolling Fortson Douglas – “Service is a Proud Journey”
ARTICLES OF INTEREST
By John Quinn, ADSO-PB7 Each year a plaque, bearexploded. ing the words “service is In 1984, Bolling became a proud journey,” is given the first female Auxiliary to honor a member of the Qualification Examiner. U.S. Coast Guard AuxilDuring more than two iary who has served with decades, she traveled distinction during the prior throughout District Seven year. Not surprisingly, this and successfully trained award is named for Bolling and qualified hundreds of Fortson Douglas. Bolling, boat crew and coxswain a member of Flotilla 29, candidates. Lake Lanier, Georgia, died August 3, 2016 at age 90 Bolling was also a real in Tiger, Georgia. She was trailblazer in the boatborn July 7, 1926 to a life Photo of COMO Bolling Douglas as it appeared in ing industry. She was a on the water that included the Navigator 2005 Summer edition. licensed boat captain and 45 years of inspired sertrained in celestial navvice to the Auxiliary and a igation. She worked in trailblazing career for women in the boating industry. the marine survey business, eventually running her own business. In 1975, she became the first woman The daughter of Rear Admiral. Robert M. Fortson, accredited by the National Association of Marine USN, Ret. and Nellie S. Phinizy, Bolling grew up on Surveyors. As a member of the American Boat and the St. John’s River in Jacksonville, Florida. She Yacht Council (ABYC), Bolling impacted boat manmarried Allen H. Douglas in 1948 and bought the ufacturing by recommending stricter technical and first family boat in 1955. As a young mother she safety standards. She served on its Technical Board, sailed solo from Augusta to Savannah on an eight became Chair of its board of directors, Chair of the foot dinghy that she and her husband built from a ABYC Foundation, and received numerous awards, Sears Roebuck kit. Moving to Atlanta in 1962, the including the James Lippman Award and the ABYC family spent every available moment afloat on Lake Bunzl Boating Safety Award. With all these different Lanier. The family owned a Chinese junk that was a fixture on the lake in the 1960s and 1970s. Bolling responsibilities, she found time to become a private airplane pilot at age 50. Bolling played an important spent her last years of independent living on Last role in the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics sailing Dance, her houseboat moored at University Yacht venue in Savannah as the senior marine safety Club on Lake Lanier. expert. Unique to the event but no surprise to those Bolling was a trailblazer during her rewarding career who knew her, there were no marine accidents or in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary which spanned 45 personal injuries during those games. years. She joined the Auxiliary in 1960 and founded Family, friends, and members of the boating coma flotilla in Augusta. She later moved to Lake Lanier munity attended memorial services in the chapel at and became an active member of Flotilla 29. the University Yacht Club September 10 to celebrate In 1979, she was the first woman elected as a Com- a full life, well lived. Pipers from the U. S. Coast modore for District 7 of the Auxiliary. Shortly after Guard Pipe Band attended to honor her service to she was elected district commodore, Bolling assistthe U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and to the boating ed with the deployment of Auxiliary personnel and community. Ω assets in ‘Operation Key Ring’ as part of the 1980 The Breeze acknowledges COMO Mary Larsen, Cuban Refugee Sealift. past District 7 Commodore and her article in the In 1978, Bolling and her crew were awarded the U. Summer 2005 edition of Navigator. http://auxpa. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Plaque of Merit for pulling cgaux.org/Navigator/2005SUMMER.pdf a burning boat away from the University Yacht Club fuel dock and releasing it only minutes before it
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Auxiliary Meeting Ends With Fun and Fellowship Photos by Nan Ellen Fuller table and strove to combine the Tex-Mex and Auxiliary nautical themes. Table decorations included flowers and a hand-carved pineapple bird. The attendees enjoyed their creativity, the food and the hard work of Elinda and Kerry. Lunch after a meeting is such a perfect way to combine business and fellowship! Ω
MEMBER FOCUS
Local and out of town Auxiliary members attending the Division 2 meeting on June 11 in Georgia were treated to a special Tex-Mex themed meal prepared by Kerry Eakens, Auxiliary food service specialist and his wife, Elinda. The couple prepared and served a lunch that included savory chicken and spicy beef tacos with all of the toppings. Elinda decorated the
Members of Division 12 in northern Georgia enjoyed a Tex-Mex lunch June 11 prepared by Kerry Eakens, Auxiliary food service specialist. His wife, Elinda Eakens decorated for the event. Kerry carved the beautiful and tasty looking pinapple bowl with a pinapple bird perched on its rim. Photos by Nan Ellen Fuller
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Public Affairs Event a Hit (Source: Flotilla 54 Delray-Boynton Beach Facebook page.)
Kim and Tim Layendecker Members from Flotilla 54 Delray-Boynton Beach together with members from Flotilla 51, The Palm Beaches, and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Volunteer Marine Unit participated in a Public Affairs event that included personal water craft demonstrations, Auxiliary vessels on the water and an information booth. Flotilla 51 members assisting included Melvin Marx, Tim Leyendecker and Kim Leyendecker. Flotilla 54 members Stuart Landay and Otto Spielbichler staffed the booth. Children and families attending much enjoyed his turtle and playing the “Talk Trash” game. U.S.C.G. Auxiliary photos
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Station Ft. Lauderdale and Division 3 Auxiliarists Provide Boat Rides for “Marina Day for Kids and Families”
MEMBER FOCUS
By Andrea Rutherfoord, SO-PA D3, Flotilla 36, Boca Raton brief talk from the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Gannet, and then they put on life jackets and enjoyed a 20-minute boat ride around Port Everglades on the 45-foot Response Boat Medium and two Auxiliary facilities, with 28 Auxiliarists from Division 3 working as coxswain, crew and shore-side line-handlers on the docks. Luckily for the guests, the rain held off just long enough for a barbecue picnic at a beach-side pavilion.Ω
PORT EVERGLADES—John Narducci, Assistant District Staff Officer-Marine Safety, D7 gave a Sea Partners demonstration showing how plastics in the ocean can injure birds and sea mammals. While the faces of the children are deliberately obscured, each of them watched transfixed by his words. Photo provided by Andrea Rutherfoord. On Sunday, July 24, 2016, a group of about 100 children with organ transplants and their families had a special beach-side picnic and boat ride around Port Everglades, courtesy of Station Ft. Lauderdale and flotillas in Division 3. The picnic and arrangements, the 10th annual “Marina Day for Kids and Families,” were sponsored by the Florida Organ Transplant Association for the “tiger kids” transplant group in Broward County.
PORT EVERGLADES--These “tiger kids” anxiously await their boat ride around Port Everglades as the Auxiliary facility arrives at the dock July 24, 2016. Photo provided by Andrea Rutherfoord.
The day started with a Sea Partners presentation in the galley of Station Ft. Lauderdale, given by Auxiliarist John Narducci, Assistant District Staff Officer-Marine Safety, D7 and his son, Nick. The lesson included videos and demonstrations to show how to keep the ocean clean of litter and protect marine life. Following the presentation, the guests were invited to the docks at the Station where they had a
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Hurricane Matthew: How one flotilla weathered the storm. By Zoraida Sorrentino, Flotilla Commander 44 Daytona Beach Early October, Hurricane Matthew pummeled District 7 from Florida to the Carolinas devastating our beaches and coastal areas. Hundreds of our members suffered mild to severe damage, especially those in northeastern Florida and Georgia. Docks were wiped out. Boats overturned. Beaches critically eroded, homes flooded, and several Auxiliary buildings sustained damage.
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Zoraida Sorrentino, Commander, Flotilla 44 Daytona Beach, wrote a telling account about her experience and those of her members in the flotilla’s October newsletter, “Sea Chest.” We publish a slightly revised version for sharing with all the members of District 7.
Commander’s Report I hope everyone survived the hurricane with minimal disruption. I still haven’t gotten used to camping out in my house. Having gone through Charlie, Frances and Jean in 2004, and now Matthew, I am learning the routine. As you should all be aware by now, we suffered considerable damage on the flotilla building. We lost the roof resulting in flooding of the interior of the building. Luckily before the ceiling collapsed, the water entry was initially concentrated in a few areas, sparing the radio and computer rooms. Several members of the
flotilla responded to the flotilla building immediately after the hurricane subsided and removed much of the electronics from the radio and computer room before the ceiling collapsed. Had this not been done, we would have lost a considerable amount of equipment. I would like to thank everyone who helped out with this. Regarding the expensive Coast Guard high frequency radio that was in the radio room, we received a call from our communications officer, John Polomarenko Thursday night just before the winds picked up. John requested that someone get to the flotilla building and remove the high frequency (HF) radio before the main part of the hurricane hit. Since John was evacuating, he was not able to do it. We agreed. Bill and I decided to venture out and drive around the flotilla building to retrieve the HF radio. While Port Orange had yet to receive heavy winds, the closer we got to the flotilla building the stronger the winds. As we approached Beach Street, dried palm tree fronds and all sorts of garbage and other debris were flying around everywhere and on the ground. I looked at Bill and said, “This is not good.” He smiled at me and said, “Where’s your sense of adventure?” I told him that I married him 46 years (Continued on page 15)
Hurricane Matthew Photo by NOAA
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(Continued from page 14) ago, and every year we have an adventure of some sort. We eventually reached the building and removed the HF radio.
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Bill decided that it was also time to take the flag down, which was already starting to shred. Helping him take down the flag, which he says was like handling a sail, I noticed the water was about a foot from the top of the seawall. We then secured the building and headed back out of the marina, again dodging debris. The closer we got to Port Orange, the calmer were the winds. During our whole trip, we only saw five cars on the road, including ours.
1.
Many members have volunteered to help out with the cleanup. While the cleanup is covered by insurance, I will be asking for volunteers at some point in time to help pressure clean the tables and chairs when they come out of storage. I again would like to thank those members who went into the flotilla building Saturday to retrieve equipment and other historical items before they were damaged. A special thank you to Eric Fisher for getting us the yacht club for the November meeting, and to John Polomarenko and Gary Ford for taking care of the flotilla boat, which did not sustain any damage. Ω
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4.
3.
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Flotilla 44 Daytona Beach suffered significant damage when October 9-10, hurricane Matthew traversed up the Florida coastline toward Georgia and the Carolinas. 1.) The ceiling collapsed from the weight of the water in the facility’s radio room. 2 - 3) Not a single room escaped water damage. 4.) Roofing material stripped off in section and landed on the lawn. 5.) Public Education materials are soaked. Photos by Eric Fisher.
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Members Conduct Vessel Safety Checks at Watson Island (Source: Division 6 Facebook page)
Watson Island Marina, Oct. 8, 2016--Flotilla 63 Coconut Grove conducted a Vessel Safety Check Day at Watson Island (near Miami Beach) Pictured here are Engelbert Pachecco, Flotilla Staff Officer-Secretary/ Records) and William Tejeiro, Immediate Past Division Commander 6. U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary photo by Alvaro Ferrando
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Contributing to Our Communities Off the Water:
Division 7 Participates in Efforts to Feed Families By Dottie Riley, SO-PB 7 Division 7 kicked off its “Feeding Tampa Bay” drive Oct. 16, 2016, at a fellowship event held at the Armed Forces History Museum in Largo, Florida. The program dove-tails with other national food drives including “Feds Feed Families” that ended earlier this year. Approximately 40 members of Division 7 and their guests attended the event and browsed for hours through rooms filled with war memorabilia, some dating back to the American Revolutionary War, and displays of vehicles and armament in settings that recreated wars and fronts where they were predominantly used. The “M.A.S.H. canteen” was decorated in patriotic colors and guests enjoyed chips and drinks while Gene Keller, Division Commander 7 introduced the food drive. It was a fun way to kick off a worthy effort: feeding needy families throughout Tampa Bay. Ω Top left: Members of Division 7 Tampa Bay and their guests tour the many rooms of war memorabilia Oct. 16, 2016, at the Armed Forces History Museum in Largo, Florida. Bottom left: Gene Keller, Commander Division 7, passes out boxes and explains how the food drive is to be conducted. Photos by Dottie Riley
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Flotilla 87 Participates in Beach Cleanup Bob Eckert, Flotilla Vice Commander (Reprinted with edits from “Anchor Line,” Flotilla 87 Englewood, Florida; Fall 2016) to the weight of over 100 Boeing 737s—was collected by nearly 800,000 volunteers during Ocean Conservancy’s 2015 International Coastal Cleanup.”
On Saturday, Sept. 17, members of Flotilla 87 Englewood, friends and spouses participated in this year’s Ocean Conservancy’s 2016 International Coastal Cleanup by picking up trash along Englewood Beach. The flotilla’s contribution to this year’s effort was over 100 pounds of assorted trash and debris; everything from cigarette butts (324) to strapping bands (two). As a special gift, each of the 14 participant in the cleanup received a 2016 International Coastal Cleanup tee-shirt embossed with the Conservancy’s Cleanup Logo.
Unlike other beach cleanups, the Ocean Conservancy has volunteers count and log every piece of trash collected. As a result, the Ocean Conservancy’s Ocean Trash Index is the world’s largest item-by-item, location-by-location database of trash found in near shore environments.
In 2015, according to a new report recently released at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-@) in Nairobi, Kenya, “more than 8 million kilograms (18 million pounds) of trash—equivalent
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In addition to scouring the beach for trash, members of the flotilla also setup an information booth adjacent to the beach where safe boating and pollution prevention material was distributed to the public.Ω
Division 9 Sponsors Diversity Training for Members of D7. Submitted by Tom Lane, SO-DV 8
The National Annual Briefing “Understanding Diversity” was held on Oct. 29, 2016. The seminar was presented by Division 9 at the Lee County Emergency Operations Center in Fort Myers. The annual seminar is open to all United States Coast Guard Auxiliary members of District 7. Robert Eckert and Tom Lane, members of Flotilla 87 Englewood attended and learned valuable lessons. Diversity means accepting, welcoming and valuing the differences inherent in every individual and recognizing the contribution that a diverse membership can make to our organizational effectiveness and operational performance. Understanding issues of diversity is important to all of our members.Ω
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District 7 members attending the 2016 Diversity seminar Oct. 29, 2016 in Fort Meyers pose for a group shot outside the Lee County Emergency Operations Center. Auxiliary photo provided by Tom Lane.
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Division 10 Responds After Hurricane Matthew (Reprinted with edits from “Force Ten”, newsletter Division 10, issue dated Oct. 16, 2016, Don Funderburk SO-PB)
On Oct. 10, 2016, coxswains from Flotilla 10-10 St. Simons Island, Georgia, were summoned by Station Brunswick to a hurried Monday morning meeting and tasked to complete an ICW aids to navigation (ATON) check after Hurricane Matthew. They called in the boat crews in bravo status and staffed three facilities with crews and Aid Verifiers and were all underway by around 11:30 AM. They were intent upon completing their mission and reporting back to Station Brunswick before dusk as high winds and seas were predicted for the next few days. They launched from Oak Grove Island Damage to homes and other property across coastal Georgia as (Glynn County), Dover Bluff (Camden a result of Hurricane Matthew. Coast Guard crews utilize Hunter County) and Blue N. Hall Marina (McInArmy Airfield as a forward operating base for Hurricane Mattosh County). The water was rough and thew response efforts. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer winds were high but each boat took their 2nd Class Christopher M. Yaw/PADET Jacksonville D7 External assigned portion of the Intracoastal WaAffairs Inset: Auxiliary members from Flotilla 10-10 St. Simons terway (ICW) and ran all the way from St. Island check Aids to Navigation in the Intracoastal Waterway Catherina’s Sound to Kings Bay, reporting Oct. 10, 2016. U.S.C.G. Auxiliary photo. and photographing the many damaged rough ride in their 18-21-foot surface facilities. They and missing aids to navigation as they progressed. They were able to complete the mission also said that with the cold blustery conditions and sea spray, they were sure glad to have United States by late afternoon. Coast Guard Auxiliary issued rain suits. Ω The crew and coxswains reported that it was one The Story Of Matthew Hurricane Matthew 2016 was a very powerful, long-lived and deadly tropical cyclone which became the first Category 5 Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Felix in 2007. Originating from a tropical wave that emerged off Africa on September 22, Matthew developed into a tropical storm 35 miles (56 km) southeast of St. Lucia on September 28, after which it experienced explosive intensification as it tracked across the Caribbean Sea. Matthew became a hurricane 190 miles (310 km) northeast of Curacao on September 29, ultimately achieving Category 5 intensity the following day. Haiti was the worst effected area being responsible for up to 1,600 deaths and causing US $1.89 billion in dam-
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age. In Cuba, one million people were evacuated into shelters. The storm then tracked up along the east coast of Florida and the Carolinas. Preparations began in earnest across the southeastern United States as Matthew approached with several states declaring a state of emergency for either the entire state or just within coastal counties. Widespread evacuations were ordered for extensive coastal areas due to predictions of high winds and flooding, especially in the Jacksonville Metropolitan Area. The eye of the storm when passing by Jacksonville was only fifty miles off shore In Florida, over one million homes lost power as the storm passed to the east, with 478,000 losing power in Georgia and South Carolina.Ω
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Dision Members Presented President’s Volunteer Service Award By Larry OBrien, DCDR 11 morial Day, July 4 and Labor Day. Auxiliary coxswain and crews for these patrols are Operational Excellence qualified, having been vetted by Coast Guard Petty Officers.
As part of its program to recognize its members for outstanding contribution, Division 11 joined the President’s Volunteer Service Award Program (Points of Light) as an originating organization. Division 11 is geographically situated on Florida’s west coast comprising portions of Pinellas and Pasco counties. The area of responsibility covers coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico from Aripeka in the north to John’s Pass in the south, the adjacent Intracoastal Waterway, several rivers and lakes and a part of Tampa Bay which is essentially the same as the area of responsibility of Coast Guard Station Sand Key. Division 11 members support Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater in various functions including updating flight information publications on a 56-day cycle for Coast Guard aircraft, Flight Planning and Auxiliary pilots, crew and observers. The Division also supports C-130 flight training with surface facilities that serve as target vessels and which pick up and return the parachuted pump and other lifesaving equipment utilized in C-130 pilot and crew training. Over 100 such sorties will have been made by Auxiliarist and surface facilities from flotillas in Division 11 this fiscal year. Auxiliary Food Service personnel support the Air Station, Sector St. Petersburg and Station Sand Key as well as several cutters for extended deployment. In addition to extensive surface operations of safety patrols, Offshore Powerboat Racing and International Sailing Regatta patrols in the Gulf of Mexico, Division 11 provides direct support to Coast Guard Station Sand Key. Over 150 search and rescue standby and search and rescue missions will have been completed this fiscal year by members and surface facilities from the division’s flotillas. This includes deployments every Tuesday and multiday deployments at three staging areas in the AOR on the high density weekends of Me-
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Beyond support to Station Sand Key, Division 11 facilities were used as support for Port Security Unit 307’s anti-terrorism training. Several facilities provided spectator control for the annual Gasparilla celebration in Tampa Bay. The strong cooperation among Public Affairs, Public Education, Program Visitor, and Vessel Examination programs by division and flotilla Staff Officers promotes continued membership growth as well as enhancing the Public Education Program attendance. All Recreational Boating Safety (RBS) programs reflect the time, effort and dedication of the members promoting safe boating. National Safe Boating Week principles and guidelines are the year-round inspiration for RBS at Auxiliary Safe Boating Exhibits, Vessel Examination Blitzes, Program Visits, Public Education Classes and in print and electronic media exposure. Member training continues to be strong with division sponsored crew classes, Vessel Examiner, Communications, Weather, Flotilla Leadership, Incident Command System, Mandated Courses, Search Coordination and Execution, Telecommunications Operator, Team Coordination Training and Red Cross Certified CPR/First Aid. The division sponsored classes provide consistent training and support the development of member personal relationships throughout the division. In a true spirit of inter-division cooperation, several of these classes were attended by members of Division 7, 8 and 15.Ω
Photo by Joan Jennings, Flotilla Vice Commander, Flotilla 11-9 Tarpon Springs at the Division Change of Watch December 2015.
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ARTICLES OF INTEREST
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United States Coast Guard Cutter Barque Eagle By Rick Leary, Flotilla 12-8 Charleston (Condensed from the “Pelorus,” newsletter Division 12, Fall 2016)
When you step off the gangway onto the teak deck of one of the most famous sailing ships in the world, you have boarded a vessel that began its history in the gathering storm that was Nazi Germany, and ended with her bow plunging through the North Atlantic (literally traversing a hurricane) on a course shaped for the United States. Visitors to the USCGC Barque Eagle marvel at her sleek profile, complex web of lines, stays and sail - and all that makes a sailing ship both beautiful and ever challenging. The Coast Guard Cutter Eagle approaches Charleston Harbor Sept. 9, 2016. They stroll her wooden decks Photo by Walter Runck (Flotilla 12-6 East Cooper) and tilt heads far back to gaze up the tall steel masts that carNaval Base. In 1938, Hitler and Raeder visited the ry her many sails and rigging. ship, walked her decks, and even sailed on her for They admire the fresh-faced Coast Guard Academy cadets who seem almost too young to be sailing this about an hour with the nervous crew not daring to great and complex ship. They might have in mind the make a misstep! grizzled faces and hardened bodies of old seafarers But why was she named the Horst Wessel, and why of a time lost to our age - preserved in great paintwere such ships being built for the Kriegsmarine ings or depicted on the big screen. Yet, the young (War Navy)? men and women they see are her crew and well able to sail her beyond the far horizons. Horst Wessel was born in 1907, the son of a doctor who was also a Lutheran minister. In 1926, he Her keel was laid down Feb. 15, 1936, at Blohm and dropped out of university in Berlin to join the Nazi Voss in Hamburg, Germany. Just four months later, party and become one of the many thugs wearing she was launched on June 13, and Sept. 17 comthe brown shirts of Hitler’s paramilitary army, the missioned, with great Nazi fanfare, Segelschushiff Sturmabteilung (SA) or Storm Troopers. His mentor (Sail School Ship) Horst Wessel. The Horst Wessel, was Goebbels, and he rose quickly in the ranks. He named for a deceased member of the infamous was assassinated in January 1930 by a member Brown Shirts or SA (Storm Troopers), was one of five of the German Communist party (KPD). Goebbels vessels planned. One of these was the Mircea, built immediately seized on this to elevate him to Nazi specifically for the Romanian Navy, where she consainthood. So, as it was, this beautiful three-masted tinues in service. The others were the Gorch Fock, Barquentine became the only ship in the German Albert Schlageter and Herbert Norkus (the latter Navy named for a Nazi Party member. vessel was never completed due to the outbreak of war). The other part of the question had military ramificaAfter up-fitting, the ship was home ported at the Kiel
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(Continued on page 21)
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ARTICLES OF INTEREST
(Continued from page 20) tions. In 1933, the Nazi government withdrew from the League of Nations and henceforth, ignored the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles. That treaty had placed crushing sanctions on German military capabilities, inclusive of U-boat construction and operations. In order to circumvent this, the German Navy embarked on efforts to disguise its activities, especially in relation to U-boat construction, operations and training. This is where the Horst Wessel and her sister ships (excepting the Mircea) came into play. Odd as may seem, the ship you see today played a significant role in prewar U-boat Loking at Charleston Harbor through the wheel of the Coast officer and crew or training readiness. Her Guard Cutter Eagle. Photo by Walter Runck power plant was a M.A.N. diesel engine, which matched that of the type used for U-boats. This same engine remained in service until 1980, ly, the Eagle did not have enough American sailors when a Caterpillar C-399 engine and two 320kw trained and able to handle her. Thus a number of Caterpillar 3406 generators were installed. Her radio her former German crew, inclusive of her last skiproom was also configured to resemble that aboard a per, Kapitan-Luetnant Berthold Schnibbe, under the U-boat. These and other design features made for a command of then USCG Commander Gordon P. perfect U-boat classroom for officers and engineers! McGowan, who had been involved in her selection The Horst Wessel plied the seas in the years that followed, joined by her sisters Gorsh Fock and Albert Leo Schlageter - all sporting a magnificent gold eagle figurehead clutching a swastika in its talons on the bow. The breakout of War in 1939 confined these ships to home waters. However, during the War, the Horst Wessel was no unarmed sailing ship. She was up-fitted with up to eight (8) 20mm anti-aircraft (AA) guns. At the end of the War, the Horst Wessel, suffering collateral damage from allied bombings, was docked in the ruins of the Kiel Naval Base. She, as well as her sister ships were awarded to the victorious allies; the Gorch Fock to Russia, the Albert Schlageter to Portugal (after time with the Brazilian Navy) and the Horst Wessel to the United States. On May 15, 1946, after a lengthy refit at Bremerhaven, she was commissioned U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Barque Eagle after the U.S. Revenue Cutter Eagle built during George Washington’s presidency. In June, she left her former German homeland to make her way west across the Atlantic Ocean. Interesting-
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and up-fit, helped sail her west. There was some tension at first between the crews who had so recently been at war. But, soon the men realized they were indeed fellow sailors at heart and worked well together. A few life-long friendships developed with some of the German crew members eventually settling in the U.S. For years the Eagle’s hull was painted solid white, but in 1967 the now famous USCG orange and blue racing stripe was added to her paint scheme. USCG Eagle is homeported at The United States Coast Guard Academy at New London, Connecticut.
(Note: Horst Wessel and USCGC Eagle information compiled from various sources, inclusive of USCG Eagle website, Wikipedia, www.military.com, online archive notes from German sailors, article by T.H. Holtkamp - “Connecticut Explored” magazine, 2011)
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Boating Safety in a Venue Dedicated to History and Education.
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(Source: Division 13 Facebook page)
MEMBER FOCUS
History of Diving Museum photo from Wikipedia Commons
Flotilla 13-8 Upper Keys members presented a boating safety class at the History of Diving Museum, Islamorada, Aug. 20, 2016. The lead Instructors, Jim Marcotte and Marlene DeTienne taught the class in a venue which per its website, “is dedicated to collecting, preserving, displaying and interpreting artifacts, antiques, books, documents, photographs, and oral history relative to the History of Diving. We tell the international story of man’s attempts to explore, understand and venture under the sea.” U.S.C.G. Auxiliary photos
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District 7 Members Explore Paddlecraft Program By Phil Tallon, SO-VE 14, ADSO-VE-N D7 (Reprinted with edits from Nor’Easter, published October 2016)
Larry Berman, District Directorate Chief-Prevention (DDC-P), has been researching and attempting to identify members who are interested in developing and participating in an Auxiliary Paddlecraft (AUXPAD) program. Berman and Phil Tallon, Staff Offi-
cer-Vessel Examinations 14 and Assistant District Staff Officer-Vessel Examinations-North D7, have been talking to various people at the national level, American Canoe Association (ACA), and a member or two in the district who have expressed interest. Nothing concrete, however, has been developed yet. Steps to design and implement an AUXPAD program: 1. Identify a member who is willing to lead this effort, with considerable time to make the program his/hermajor interest for a while at least. 2. Identify a small group of members willing to help and actively participate in initiation and implementation of the program. 3. Work with the DDC-P, National staff, and Director (Continued on page 23)
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(Continued from page 22)
•
Develop time frames for each step.
of Auxiliary (DIRAUX) to develop a D7 Plan.
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Research costs.
4. Establish time frames and costs for either starting a pilot program in areas of responsibility (North, East and West) as defined by our District Captains (DCAPT’s).
• Develop documentation and record keeping requirements and considerations. Obviously, DIRAUX would be taxed with part of this, so would need to be included in helping to draft this part of the Plan.
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5. District Commodore and District Chief of Staff review program for input. 6. Present program to Executive Committee (EXCOM) for review, input and approval, with Director as EXCOM member to be included. Some funding and record keeping may be needed from DIRAUX, or at least some other support.
• Oversight checks and balances. There are probably other action steps or subject areas that we should include in a program for D7. Berman and Tallon are open to suggestions from more knowledgeable members.
8. Publicize program to find interested members and locations. 9. Start the program. This AUXPAD program is one of the goals in the division’s Operations plan 2017-2018 and should cover the following: (per COMO Judith Hudson) •
Purpose & Philosophy.
•
Action steps and division of responsibilities.
• Identify members with current ACA credentials, qualifications and experience. • Identify members who personally own paddlecraft and personal protective equipment. Identify members who want/need training.
• Develop explanation of requirements for different levels of qualification, including how to qualify an Auxiliary facility, and what ongoing training and participation is needed to re-certify/retain qualifications • Identify safety factors and considerations and list of safety equipment.
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Required support and other resources from Coast Guard Auxiliary national, district and Director of Auxiliary. (Include ACA?) • Recognition program for participation - what we can do as a district and what we might want to propose to national.
7. District Commodore presentation and approval.
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Division 14 has several members interested in becoming Paddlecraft Operators. They are so enthusiastic that some (like Tallon) are willing to pay the initial $500 - $650 cost for ACA qualification. The above information might help make a positive recommendation for the program that we need in District 7 and especially in Division 14 as our paddlecraft community is booming. We have kayakers and canoers and paddle boarders in all sorts of activity at our beaches, lakes, rivers and Intracoastal Waterway and the numbers are growing. Tallon has joined the ACA with inquiries to become an ACA certified instructor in anticipation of District 7 AUXPAD program implementation even over several years, to be prepared and use the knowledge to help participants become safer boaters.Ω Photos courtersy National Safe Boating Council at USCGBoating.org
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Division 15 Members Participate in “Feds Fighting Hunger”
MEMBER FOCUS
By Linda Jones, Flotilla 15-1
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Member Earns Prestigious Gold Volunteer Service Award
(Source: Member Facebook post)
For the last eight years, the U.S. Coast Guard, along with the reserve and the Auxiliary, has participating in helping to aid local Food Banks all over the country. This is part of the “Feds Feed Families” (FFF) national program of the Department of Agriculture, in partnership with Chief Human Capital Officers Council on behalf of all Federal Agencies. This year’s theme is “Feds Fighting Hunger,” and the Coast Guard is hoping to top last year’s total of over 200,000 pounds of donated food. The campaign started July 1 and runs through Aug. 31. As part of this initiative, the USCG Auxiliary Flotilla 15-1 of Crystal River collected 90 pounds of food items through member donations. Members brought non-perishable food items to their flotilla meeting and their fellowship dinner. The food was then donated to the Citrus County Community Food Bank. Ω
We belatedly congratulate Jack Miller, a member of Flotilla 17-6 Central Brevard, who in April 2016 received a Lifetime Achievement Gold Award signed by Barack Obama, President of the United States, for the thousands of volunteer hours that he spent working with the United States Coast Guard. Jack was nominated by the Coast Guard Auxiliary Division 17.Ω
Top Photo: Jack Miller displays his prestigious Volunteer Service Gold Lifetime Achievement Award. Jack Miller stands in front of the Coast Guard Cutter Confidence after a Coast Guard Change of Command Ceremony July 2016. Photo source: member’s Facebook page
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ARTICLES OF INTEREST
: Photo: U. S. Coast Guard
John Quinn, ADSO-PB 7 (...and proud member of the U.S. Coast Guard Pipe Band)
The U.S. Coast Guard Pipe Band, now also referred to as “The Commandant’s Own” by Admiral Paul F. Zukunft, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, is proud to support all members of the U.S. Coast Guard and their families. Now in its 16th year, the Band performs nationally and regionally at changes of command, the commissioning of ships, memorial services, retirements, parades, and other solemn and patriotic events. Under the direction of U.S. Coast Guard Combat Veteran, Pipe Major M. L. Loudermilk, the Pipe Band has recently won a trophy at the National Law Enforcement Week Pipe Band and Honor Guard competition in our nation’s capital. The Pipe Band has also been honored with a plaque in the Walk of History in Grand Haven Michigan, “Coast Guard City, USA.” Brief History Chief Warrant Officer 3 Kevin Gilheaney learned to play the bagpipes under the tutelage of then Lieutenant Steve Young while stationed at the Marine Safety Office in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 2001Gilheaney set the wheels in motion to form the U.S. Coast Guard Pipe Band. His first objective was to pull together a group of like-minded individuals to field a band at the 2002 U.S. Coast Guard Festival in Grand Haven, Michigan. By August 2002, seven
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U.S. Coast Guard Pipe Band
Pipers and three drummers were committed to the event.Traveling at individual expense from as far as Seattle, Washington, and New Orleans, Louisiana, everyone met at Coast Guard Group Grand Haven and played together for the first time. They then went on to play at the memorial service later in the day. They piped Vice Commandant Ronald Barrett into the Enlisted Men’s Dinner that night. They then lead the Coast Guard Festival Parade the next morning. To say they “hit the ground running” would be an understatement! How did this all come together? A number of people deserve mention, in addition to CWO Gilheaney. JoAnne Pendleton got the idea of presenting her husband, CWO Mike Pendleton with a kilt made of Coast Guard Tartan as a retirement gift while watching the West Point Pipe Band play at a Scottish festival in New Hampshire. As the Coast Guard did not have an official tartan at the time, she made this her personal mission. Her efforts led to a meeting with Commandant James Loy in 1999 and his eventual approval of the official tartan on 1 November 2002. Andrew Anderson, CDR, USCG (Ret.) and Drum Major of the young Pipe Band called on friend and renowned kilt maker, Alexis Malcolm, to order the tartan from a mill in Scotland and begin making the kilts. Commandant (G-I) letter dated Nov. 6 2001 granted authority to use the name “U. S. Coast Guard Pipe Band, Inc.” Through the efforts of CDR Anderson, on Sept. 6 2002, the U.S. Coast Guard Pipe Band became incorporated as a nonprofit organization. While (Continued on page 26)
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the U. S. Coast Guard Pipe Band is not an official part of the United States Coast Guard, it is formally recognized as an affiliated organization dedicated to supporting all members of the Coast Guard and their families, and promoting public recognition of the history, traditions, and sacrifices of the men and women of the U. S. Coast Guard. The Band now has 115 members. They hail from Alaska to Miami and all places in between. Membership is open to all active duty, reserve and retired members of the U. S. Coast Guard; active members of the U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary; and honorably discharged wartime veterans. Membership is not limited to persons of Scottish descent, but is open to any person meeting the membership requirements regardless of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, age, religion, gender, or disability. The band welcomes beginning through advanced pipers and drummers, as well as non-musicians willing to serve as members of the Color Guard or to provide administrative support.
Hamilton, the nation’s first Secretary of the Treasury who in 1790 oversaw the Revenue Cutter Service, the forerunner of the modern day U.S. Coast Guard. Each color of the USCG Tartan tells a special story: Red: Symbolizes the courage and sacrifice of the men and women of the Coast Guard and its predecessor services, and their families, in war and peace for more than 200 years. White: There are 10 threads of white representing of the original 10 Revenue Cutters commissioned by Secretary Hamilton in 1790. They were: the Massachusetts, Scammel, Active, Eagle, Diligence, Argus, Vigilant, Virginia, South Carolina and General Greene. Blue: Symbolizes the seas and skies plied by cutters and aircraft of the Coast Guard as they carry out their missions to serve and protect. Each member of the Coast Guard Family that proudly wears this tartan represents a thread in the whole cloth. We do not stand alone. This is what makes our Coast Guard family strong.Ω
Official U.S. Coast Guard Tartan The design of the United States Coast Guard Tartan was inspired by the family tartan of Alexander
NEW YORK — Andy Anderson, a former Pipe Band Major strikes a pose at the 2008 St. Patrick’s Day Parade sporting the kilt and full plaid of the U.S.C.G. Pipe Band. The tartan is inspired by the family tartan of Alexander Hamilton, the nation’s first Secretary of Treasury who in 1790 oversaw the Revenue Cutter Service. U.S. Coast Guard photo.
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There's an app for that! Alex, the first named storm of the 2016 hurricane season has already formed in the Atlantic.
ARTICLES OF INTEREST
With the hurricane season in mind, here is an app that can help you prepare. Best yet, should disaster strike, the app can help you be found by emergency response teams as well as apply for assistance. The FEMA app is FREE and available through the Apple app store, Google Play and for Blackberry. Look for other FREE apps. The Florida Department of Emergency Management also offers an app through Apple and Google Play.
USPS Digital Media Library
Power Squadrons member serving as a Vessel Safety Examiner.
Nan Ellen Fuller Branch Chief, Liaison U.S. Power Squadrons
The USPS Digital Media Library is produced under a grant from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund administered by the U.S. Coast Guard
The United States Power Squadrons (USPS), one of our major partners in Recreational Boating Safety, recently launched a new Digital Media Library (DML) as a repository for multiple formats of digital media focused on boating safety and safe boating education. The following is a link to the website: http:// uspsdml.org/
Link to press releases: http://www.24-7pressrelease. com/press-release/united-states-power-squadrons-digital-media-library-launches-428788.php If you have questions or need additional information please contact Nan Ellen Fuller.Ω
The Digital Media Library (DML) website and mobile app launch date was Oct. 1 2016. The DML will introduce 18 -20 “how to” Boat Safe videos and slide shows of 3 to five minutes each featuring different types of boats with professional voiceover narration. Each week from the launch date to the end of the year, two new safe boating videos as well as boater education slideshows will premiere in the DML across all major social networks. The United States Power Squadrons (USPS) debut of its streaming media video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G732v7EWn5U&feature=youtu.be focused on Vessel Safety Checks (VSCs) in its Digital Media Library (DML) The new “Vessel Safety Checks” video shows viewers how to schedule a courtesy VSC, at no charge, with a qualified U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary or United States
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ARTICLES OF INTEREST
USCG Auxiliary and The USCG Academy Admissions Partner Program By David John Sot, Flotilla 29, Lake Lanier, Georgia The U.S. Coast Guard Academy is the smallest U.S. Federal Service Academy. The Academy offers qualified applicants a four-year Bachelor of Science degree with a curriculum heavily oriented in math, science and engineering. In addition, the Academy provides a structured military regimen and competitive athletics. Students receive a full scholarship valued at $500,000. In return, graduates serve a five (5) year military commitment after graduation. Admission to the Coast Guard Academy is based on nationwide competition and no congressional appointments are required. Who are Academy Admissions Partners? Admissions Partners are volunteers located throughout the country who support the Academy’s Admissions Office, located in New London, Connecticut. They recruit, interview and assist in recommending candidates. Currently there are 344 Auxiliarists who serve as Admissions Partners, comprising 30 percent of the total Admissions Partner group. Partners attend college fairs, participate in Congressionally sponsored Service Academy events and present appointment certificates at graduation award ceremonies. Partners meet with high school guidance counselors, math and science teachers, coaches, civic leaders, and community youth organizations. Partners may also visit with prospective cadets and their families to share information about the admissions process and the cadet experience. In addition, they also conduct interviews with qualified applicants in their local area. All these venues
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present an excellent opportunity for Partners to act as Academy representatives and goodwill ambassadors. The weeklong Summer Academy Introduction Mission (AIM) Program is one of the most challenging and rewarding opportunities for college-bound high school students who are interested in finding out what it is like to be a U.S. Coast Guard Academy Cadet. Students participate in a program that challenges their self-discipline, physical stamina, commitment to service and capacity for teamwork. The AIM Program is one of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s largest recruiting efforts. Five hundred of the most qualified high school rising seniors are selected for the AIM Program. Each applicant must be a U.S. citizen, a junior in high school and be between 16-18 years old when attending the program. Attendees should be in good health and physical condition as they must be able to run, do pushups and situps, all while contending with Connecticut’s summer heat and humidity. Selected Academy Partners assist the Active Duty and Reserve members of the Coast Guard during each AIM Week. They stand watches in the Operations Center; participate in engineering sessions, serve as duty drivers for the students, and provide other support as requested. The opportunity for Auxiliarists to participate in the AIM Program as an Academy Partner is priceless.
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(Continued from page 28)
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Auxiliarist interested in becoming an Academy Partner should visit the website www.uscga.edu/partners. Click on “”Steps to becoming an Academy Admissions Partner” and you will be guided through the application process. Qualified applicants who are selected and successfully mentored will receive the designation, “Academy Admissions Partner, Assistant Branch Chief” and awarded two (2) stripes. The mission of the USCG Auxiliary Human Re-
sources Directorate, Academy-AIM Division is to facilitate communication between the leadership and management of the Coast Guard Academy and the national leadership of the Coast Guard Auxiliary to support the Office of Admissions through the Academy Admissions Partner Program. Ω
Note: Mr. Sot is a USCG Academy Admissions Partner and a member of the Academy’s Partner Management and Advisory board, New London, Connecticut.
Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary Hold Joint Picnic Division 3 Hosts Joint Fellowship Picnic for Auxiliary and Station Ft. Lauderdale Personnel Story and photos by Andrea Rutherfoord, Flotilla 36, Boca Raton About 100 people that included 70 active duty personnel and their families from Station Ft. Lauderdale and about 30 Auxiliarists from Division 3 had a joint fellowship picnic sponsored by the division July 2, 2016. Attendees brought families, pets, and even some specialty dishes to share. They enjoyed a picnic lunch prepared and served by Auxiliary chefs and other volunteers. Children played in a bounce house and enjoyed a snow cone machine. Auxiliarist standby patrols allowed even more members of the station to enjoy the afternoon with their spouses and children. Lt. Mark Ketchum, Commanding Officer and his family joined in the festivities. He thanked the Auxiliary for providing such a pleasant day, particularly as they were preparing for a busy holiday weekend. He also introduced Commander Xaimara Vicencio-Roldan, the new Coast Guard District 7 Director of Auxiliary who also brought her family to the event.Ω Top right: Allan Rosier from Flotilla 38 and Auxiliary chef candidates Jose Muniz and Carlos Arenas, Flotilla Commander Flotilla 37 prepare salads, side dishes,and desserts for the picnic. Bottom right: Mario Stagliano, Flotilla Vice Commander and Tom Janata from Flotilla 36 grill about 100 burgers and dogs.
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On Watch: A Day in the Life of a Radio Watchstander
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Carl Motes, ASC Sector Charleston Sunday. It’s dark, it’s 0545, my bed is warm and my wife and dogs aren’t happy when the $9.95 alarm clock from Wal-Mart starts beeping; I shut it off and wonder if 15 more minutes will help. It won’t, so I roll out of bed, slowly so as not to disturb Higgins, the Cavalier that sleeps by my side. I tiptoe gently into the bathroom, slowly so as not to step on Dr. Watson, the Cavalier that sleeps on the floor in front of the bathroom door. I close the door so as not to wake my wife. My watch at Station Port Canaveral starts at 0745 and my “commute” is an hour each way, plus add a bit of time to park, grab some coffee and walk the docks and, well skip the time calculation; it works for Carl Motes in the communications room at Station Port Canaveral. me. It’s 0700 as I pull up to the front gate and wonder why a big yellow traffic cone is blocking my path. It’s still dark although the rosy red fingers of dawn (to steal directly from some long dead poet) are just beginning to show. I call the station and finally realize the gate is out of order courtesy of either Hurricane Matthew or the mechanical and electrical gremlins that live at the station. OK, drive around and come in the east gate, park and check in at Comms to see if the watchstander needs a break. Mercifully, no one is underway so onward to the galley for something that was, at one time, coffee. It’s still dark. FS2 strolls out of his galley to make some fresh joe and answers my ritual question that breakfast will be bacon, sausage, hash browns, eggs to order, pancakes and probably a few other items but you get the idea. I’m overweight. 0745 and I am in the chair behind the screens, radios, computers, telephones, walkie-talkies and pagers that make up the stuff of watchstanding. It was supposed to get light but a slow rain is blowing ashore along with a 10 to 15 knot easterly wind. Seas are 3 to 4 feet so most boaters will stay home or stay on the rivers. At least that’s what I hope. The Officer of the Day (OOD) pops in to say good morning and head off to breakfast. In fact, every-
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one pops in to say hello and head off to breakfast. Before the off-going watchstander relieves me for a breakfast that I eat with gusto (did I mention my weight problem) the phone rings, I glance at the video screens to see if someone wants in and then page a gate guard to let in a couple of BM2s for the CG Cutter Vigilant. The phone rings every 5 minutes for the next couple of hours as the weekend crew for the Vigilant come and go and as the Reserves arrive for a day of training on the water. 0945. The Reserves load into a truck and haul one of the station 29’s over to Jetty Park to launch. At first I’m puzzled because they normally just take one from the floating jet dock but when I look out the window there is no floating jet dock and the 45 is tied alongside the CG Shrike’s dock. Hurricane Matthew may not have made landfall at Cape Canaveral but 130 mph plus winds at the Kennedy Space Center attests to what would have been catastrophic had in jigged west instead of jagging east. What else was damaged: the boat shed for two of the 29’s was tangled aluminum and steel; several surveillance cameras were off line; the main gate is out and miscellaneous stuff was still being discovered and fixed.
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(Continued from page 30) 1000. It’s a quiet day. An active duty crew takes the 45 out to train with the Reserves on the 29 and so that an active duty BM3 can qualify on the 45.
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1030: CG Watchstander (me) on the radio: CG 29226, CG 29226 Station Port Canaveral, CG 111 (a secure VHF radio frequency). Reserve on the 29: Station, 226, over. Me: 226 Station, Ops and Position. Over Reserve: Station 226. Ops normal alongside 45614, Middle Basin, over. Me: 226 Station. Roger. Out. And that’s the way the next couple of hours went; actually the 45 got back in time for lunch which was chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, asparagus spears, salad and a dessert that I just did not have room for. The Reserves headed south for a short patrol outside the Port. The afternoon went as the morning had gone, a steady stream in and out of the east gate but no calls for help from the boating public, at least not while I was on duty. Evidently the night crew had gone out looking for a couple who found themselves out after dark and in need of assistance. No GPS, no radio
and no flares made for a three-hour search (successful, thank goodness) that could have been done in minutes had they been properly equipped. Vessel examiners take note and please double your efforts to encourage boaters to add the “optional” equipment in addition to reminding them that current flares are a good idea even if they have no intent to be out after dark. They become a legal requirement when they find their plans have changed and sunset turns to dark. If you are interested in standing watch make your desire known. The process is more complicated than most Auxiliary certifications, as it should be because you are being certified by a Coast Guard Station to stand watch. In addition to great food you can expect to be truly welcomed and appreciated. An Auxiliarist who regularly stands watch becomes part of the crew and that is a good feeling to have. Your time on watch means some young active duty person can get just a bit more rest, some additional training or even be off duty for a weekend or holiday. Give us a call and arrange to drop by sometime.Ω Note: This article deliberately uses military time to compliment the author’s voice.
Remembering Our Veterans Admiral Paul Zukunft reminds us that freedom is not free as he places flags on the graves of fallen Guardians at Arlington National Cemetery Nov. 11, 2016. Click image to watch video
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From the Editor The “Breeze” Is the official newsletter for District 7 members. While we hope our Publications and Public Affairs Officers contribute regularly, any member of the district may submit articles and photographs. Got an idea for a column you’d like to write? Tell me about it. Columnists increase readership, so yes, we are interested! (This is especially true for Recreational Boating Safety topics.) Send all of your “Breeze” submissions to John Quinn (copy me). He is one of the best wordsmiths in our district and will shape your words into clear sentences and paragraphs. Trust me! He fixes mine! While we are at it, the digital age is upon us. When you post activities to social media, tag me or share with me so that we can include some of your activities in our next issue. Just be sure your post includes who is pictured, the name and date of the event, where it took place, and who took the photographs. Staff Officers- send copies of your division monthly reports to the Assistant District Staff Officers for your area of responsibility. You may use whatever report format your division prefers. Every publications officer, both at flotilla and division levels, should also include the Assistant District Staff Officers (and me) when distributing their newsletter. Our ADSOs may catch an article or story that should be published in the “Breeze” for the entire district to enjoy. We need your submissions to best showcase the members of D7 and their many varied activities. Tell other divisions what your members are doing, and don’t forget-other districts see our periodical as well. Every article; every photograph in the “Breeze” goes out to the whole of the Auxiliary as well as many Coast Guard officers. The “Breeze” is your opportunity to crow! Is your division represented in the “Breeze?”
Submission Guidelines Send articles in text documents, preferably Word®. Don’t worry about not being a great writer. We will shape your words into clear sentences. Just make sure you provide complete information: WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, HOW (this was done) or WHY (it is interesting or significant). Preferred maximum length: 750 words. Send high-resolution photographs with complete caption information. (Same info as above.) Be sure to include the photographer’s name. Never embed photos in an email or document. Always send as attachments. Please send us the unedited, uncropped images. Cropped photos limit the placement of photos on the page. Deadlines for each issue: Feb. 15, May 15, Aug. 15, Nov. 15, 2017. While these are the deadlines, we encourage you to submit as soon as the event is past and you have written the article. It gives us time to get any additional information required and to edit when necessary. Articles and stories of interest are always welcome. Great photographs with complete captions can tell a story as effectively as an article. Besides acknowledging our members’ efforts, a newsletter can serve as a great recruiting tool. Be sure that your unit’s activities appear on these pages so that a prospective member will say, “I want to be a part of that!”
District 7 Virtual Library Help us preserve our history! Send newsletters, flotilla records, histories, etc. in digital format to the District 7 Virtual Library. http://d7virtuallibrary.com/
Dottie Riley, DSO-PB 7 BREEZE
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From the Editor Can Social Media Replace Newsletters?
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By Dottie Riley, DSO-PB As a passionate supporter of newsletters, I have heard repeated arguments against the medium from officers of the Auxiliary at all levels. I have even been called a dinosaur. I have been told that newsletters are no longer relevant. “Newsletters are a thing of the past. The new wave is social media.” Really? How true is that? The answer for that question lies in what each medium is and how it works. The technical name for an organization’s newsletter in the news industry is a ‘house organ.’ Newsletters report a group’s activities, offer updates and publish articles of interest. Within the Auxiliary, we usually follow The Associated Press and Coast Guard guideline’s mirroring newspapers. In truth, we have far more leeway. Newsletters are not strictly bound by the same rules as newspapers. Auxiliary newsletters are usually published in PDF format and distributed electronically through emails or posting to unit websites. Our flotilla and division staff officers often write monthly reports, which may include department updates, anecdotal information and articles. Our elected leaders publish columns that acknowledge member contributions and encourage participation. Other articles may cover marine related subjects on everything from boat handling to protecting our marine environment. Except for the occasional reprint of an interesting article from another source, it is all original content. The Miriam Webster Dictionary defines social media as “forms of electronic communication (as websites for social networking and microblogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages and other content (as videos).” On social media platforms like Facebook®, everyone has their own news feed so your friends do not see the contents of yours unless you SHARE a post to your page, and the only way group activities or posts from other pages appear in your news feed is if you LIKE and subscribe to that page. In other words, unless you LIKE and SHARE, recent activities from your flotilla or division’s Facebook® page
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will not be seen by other members, and critical Recreational Boating Safety messages will never reach their intended audiences- the boating public. Most posts to social media are SHARES from other pages and links to outside sources. The only original contents are the photos and messages the user posts, and most often, the only articles are links to external publications. The user’s “community” is restricted to ‘FRIENDS’ and pages “LIKED.” Most posts are limited to a few words or brief sentences. Many Auxiliary units from national to flotilla levels have Facebook® pages. Unfortunately, especially at flotilla and division levels, social media pages often are not maintained and posts can be from several months to years old. While social media are great things (the author is an administrator on several Facebook® pages), newsletters have the advantage of: 1. Tailoring news for your specific audienceyour unit members. 2. Publish articles that are more than a few words or brief sentences. 3.
Provide relevant original content.
4.
Encourage prospective members.
5. Offer words of appreciation and encouragement from your local elected leaders. 6. Can be linked to from unit webpages to social media and deliver more traffic to your webpage. Yes, social media are great things, but no, they have not yet replaced newsletters. And, by the way, since the creation of WOW webpages, all content for every flotilla and division webpage is pretty much the same. Set your unit webpage apart by posting your newsletter to your page! Let other members and the public see what you are doing. It can entice inactive members and bring in new ones. Ω
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Use Social Media to Help Spread the Boating Safely Message
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Auxiliary Social Media Auxiliary social media pages are a good source of information and ideas as well as a great way to spread the recreational boating safely message and recruit new members. But…yes, there is a caveat… to help spread the boating safely message you must do three things: 1. LIKE the page so that its posts appear in your newsfeed. 2. LIKE posts that appeal to you, and 3. SHARE these posts on your page so that your friends can see these messages.
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Seventh District on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uscg.auxd7/
Everyone has their own newsfeed so your friends do not see the contents of yours unless you SHARE on your timeline. Spreading the word is not all that difficult. LIKE and SHARE!
United Staes Coast Guard Auxiliary Seventh District
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary on Facebook: https:// www.facebook.com/uscgauxiliary/
While you are online, check out all of the new features on the District 7 Web page. Between the links on the sidebar and the ones within the table, it could not be any easier to find what you need!
U.S.C.G Auxiliary Recreational Boating Safety on Facebook:
http://www.uscga-district-7.org/
https://www.facebook.com/RecreationalBoatingSafety/ Please remember to LIKE and SHARE!
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