+ ALL PHOTOS BY NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER STEVE ERICKSON
► In February, members converged on Orlando, Florida, for the 2025 Annual Meeting of America’s Boating Club | United States Power Squadrons As in previous years, we celebrated member achievements, presented awards and had lots of fun
Make plans to join us this fall in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for the 2025 Governing Board Meeting, and in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for the 2026 Annual Meeting!
DURING THE AWARDS NIGHT DINNER ON THURSDAY, FEB 6, LIFE MEMBERS ARE HONORED FOR EARNING 25 MERIT MARKS
CHIEF COMMANDER RALPH BERNARD HONORS NEW MEMBER EMERITUS DUANE O. LEATHERS.
CHIEF COMMANDER RALPH BERNARD HONORS NEW MEMBER EMERITUS JAMES R MCCURRY.
2025 Members Emeritus
THIS YEAR, THE ORGANIZATION WELCOMES NINE NEW MEMBERS EMERITUS, WHO REPRESENT IMMEASURABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO BOATING SAFETY AND EDUCATION MEMBERS EMERITUS HAVE AT LEAST 50 MERIT MARKS AND YEARS OF SERVICE TO AMERICA’S BOATING CLUB | UNITED STATES POWER SQUADRONS:
+ Rodney M. Allen
+ SP Chapman Jr
+ Bernard W Conrad
+ Duane O. Leathers
+ Kenneth J. Mart
+ James R McCurry
+ Robert A Ridle
+ Douglas R. Rocho
+ Robert G. VanEwyk
FINLEY SEA SCOUT SERVICE AWARD
THE FINLEY SEA SCOUT SERVICE AWARD RECOGNIZES SEA SCOUTS OR AMERICA’S BOATING CLUB | UNITED STATES POWER SQUADRONS MEMBERS FOR EXTRAORDINARY SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY, ABC | USPS, AND THE SEA SCOUTS CHIEF COMMANDER RALPH BERNARD (CENTER) PRESENTS USPS FINLEY SEA SCOUT SERVICE AWARDS TO STEVEN BAKER, SUSIE BECVAR, MONICA KG CROSS, ALAN W CROSS AND QUINN E LAFFEY (NOT PICTURED)
COOPERATIVE CHARTING AWARD
THE COOPERATIVE CHARTING COMMITTEE’S HORST BOETTGE EXCELLENCE IN COOPERATIVE CHARTING AWARD RECOGNIZES OUTSTANDING EFFORTS AND PARTICIPATION IN NAUTICAL OR GEODETIC COOPERATIVE CHARTING THIS YEAR’S AWARD GOES TO JERRY L. BROWN OF FORT VANCOUVER SAIL & POWER SQUADRON/32
COMMUNITY RELATIONS AWARDS
DEBRA ALLEN ACCEPTS THE FIRST-PLACE COMMUNITY RELATIONS AWARD ON BEHALF OF AMERICA’S BOATING CLUB LAKE MURRAY/26 PRESENTED BY THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, THE FIRST-EVER COMMUNITY RELATIONS AWARDS HONOR CLUBS FOR THEIR EFFORTS TO BUILD, SUSTAIN AND PROMOTE BENEFICIAL LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS SECOND PLACE WENT TO MINNETONKA POWER SQUADRON/10, AND THIRD PLACE WENT TO FORT MACON SAIL & POWER SQUADRON/27.
BOATUS-USPS CIVIC SERVICE AWARD
EACH YEAR, BOATUS AND AMERICA’S BOATING CLUB | UNITED STATES POWER SQUADRONS HONOR SQUADRONS AND CLUBS THAT GO ABOVE AND BEYOND IN CIVIC SERVICE THIS YEAR’S BOATUS-UNITED STATES POWER SQUADRONS CIVIC SERVICE AWARD WINNER IS AMERICA’S BOATING CLUB ATLANTA/17 SQUADRON SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENT CHAIR CONNIE SHAY (RIGHT) JOINS BOATUS FOUNDATION’S TED SENSENBRENNER TO PRESENT THIS YEAR’S AWARD TO COMMANDER CINDY RINGWALL ON BEHALF OF THE SQUADRON.
JAMES ACHESON MEMORIAL ENDOWMENT FUND AWARD
CHIEF COMMANDER RALPH BERNARD (LEFT) AND PAST CHIEF COMMANDER ROBERT BALDRIDGE PRESENT THE INAUGURAL JAMES ACHESON MEMORIAL ENDOWMENT FUND AWARD TO JAMES C ACHESON, WHO PASSED AWAY IN 2023, FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE IN SUPPORT OF THE FINANCIAL STABILITY OF AMERICA’S BOATING CLUB | UNITED STATES POWER SQUADRONS HIS WIFE, SUSAN, ACCEPTS THE AWARD ON HIS BEHALF.
USCG EXCELLENCE IN RECREATIONAL BOATING SAFETY AWARD
ON BEHALF OF THE US COAST GUARD,CHIEF COMMANDER RALPH BERNARD PRESENTS DIANNE MARSHBURN WITH A BURGEE RECOGNIZING HER HUSBAND, PAST CHIEF COMMANDER ERNEST MARSHBURN. HE AS WELL AS MARTY LAFFERTY RECEIVED POSTHUMOUS RECOGNITION FOR THEIR SUBSTANTIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO RECREATIONAL BOATING SAFETY.
