Croaker Restoration Committee Formalization Project
(Ken Nichols, 13 Nov 2002)
(This page updated 20030211)

USS Croaker (SS/SSK 246)
Returning to the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park
08 August 2002

The Buffalo Base chapter (BufBase) of United States Submarine Veterans, Incorporated (USSVI) has declared in several venues that one of its missions is to assist in the restoration and maintenance of the ex-USS Croaker (SS/SSK 246), which is located at and under the control of the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park (NMP), Buffalo, New York.

To date, BufBase's involvement with the Croaker has been strictly informal. Work has been done on the vessel, funds have been raised specifically for projects aboard the vessel, and materials have been received (primarily historical artifacts) which will be and currently are positioned on the Croaker. Additionally, plans have been developed and proposed to continue the these efforts.

However, clear and incontrovertible guidelines do not exist.

It is the intention of this project, the Croaker Restoration Committee Formalization Project, to develop the guidelines necessary, and to form them into a set of Amendments to BufBase's Constitution and Bylaws. These Amendments will clearly establish the following:

1 - A formal statement of BufBase's intent with regard to the restoration and maintenance of Croaker.

2 - Specific tasks in connection with these intentions.

3 - Assignment, by position, of the responsibilities and authority to carry out these intentions, including handling dedicated funds, controlling material (fixed, consumable, historical) and employment of these materials, personnel efforts, and all communications required including liaison with NMP, USSVI National, various USN and other governmental agencies, and any other agencies or organizations that may be involved with the Croaker.

4 - Policies and procedures to fill the required positions, for reporting, and for contingency considerations.

5 - Compliance with USSVI National directives, starting with the National Constitution(revised October 2002) and Bylaws (revised September 2002).

Once these Amendments are fully developed, they will be presented to the membership of BufBase, in accordance with the provisions of the existing Constitution and Bylaws, for incorporation. At the time they are incorporated, this project, the Croaker Restoration Committee Formalization Project, will be considered completed.

BufBase members currently working on this project are:

Lyle Doody
Ken Nichols
John Sherman
Donn Schubert
Dennis Staley
John Farrell
John Trubee
John Williams (added 20030211)
Bruce McCausland (added 20030211)
Scott Black (corrected 20030219)

All above

Additional commentary:

The need for this formalization comes about from two specific considerations -- funds (dollars) are being generated and expended in this effort; and material assets are being acquired from a variety of sources.

The first obviously requires formal procedures, especially considering the magnitudes already involved. There is an additional consideration of taxes in this endeavor, which at this time, may or may not be necessary to look into.

The second consideration has to be addressed to prevent future conflicts concerning ownership of the material. Potentially, expensive and unnecessary legal action could develop. Binding and uncontestable procedures/policies for custody or ownership of material assets is a must.

In addition to the above considerations is the need to have clearly defined duties and responsibilities so that a person accepting a position on this committee will know what is expected, and so will everyone else.

A final note at this point in time  any efforts made by USSVI Buffalo Base concerning the Croaker's condition will provide justification when requesting grants, donations, or other specific things. Having a detailed set of guidelines/procedures/assignments (and keeping a good record of what is done) will go a long way in providing this justification. (20030211)(KLN)