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Flotilla Commander Kent McCoin [email protected]  Vice Flotilla Commander George S. Crouch III [email protected] Aids to Navigation C.Dale Owen [email protected] Career Counselor Carl Brown [email protected] Communications Steve Davis [email protected] |
Communication Services Lee Olson [email protected] Finance Lynn Williams [email protected] Information Services Donald H. Davis [email protected] Materials James Smith [email protected] Marine Safety Hans Miller [email protected] |
Member Training Gerald J. Ruschkofski [email protected] Marine Dealer Visitor Albert C. Morgan [email protected] Operations George S. Crouch III [email protected] Public Affairs Edward C. Jones [email protected] Publications Joe M. Richbourg [email protected] |
Public Education Ronald J. Tvorik [email protected] Personnel Services Aaron R. Small [email protected] Secretary/Records Jeanette Brown [email protected] Vessel Examinations James Fleming [email protected] Division Captain Ellen Kreiling [email protected] |
I would like to express my appreciation to Frank Reynolds who shared his past Coast Guard experiences with us at the July meeting. Frank showed us a side of the Coast Guard that most of us don't get to see, such as manning the isolated LORAN stations in remote parts of the world.
Congratulations to all the coxswains who requalified last week and to Richard Lesneiski who qualified as crew. We really appreciate Bob Kreiling coming from Charleston to serve as the QE, and also thanks to Jim Smith for agreeing to become a QE.
I also want to thank Ed Jones, George Crouch and Steve Davis for responding to a "last minute request" to meet at the Lake Murray Dam at 0430 Hrs Wednesday August 7 in preparation for TV Channel 19's morning show broadcast in part from that location between 0500 and 0700. Ed and George each brought his boat and jet ski, respectively, for action shots on the water and the four of us were each interviewed by Mary Nguyen, WLTX Reporter/Field Anchor about various aspects of our Auxiliary activities and boating safety on the lake. Ed, as FSO-PA, orchestrated the plan and I personally think each of them represented Flotilla 12-3 and the Auxiliary quite well - in spite of the early hour! Viewers were informed several times how to contact us via our web site and we got a plug in for our BS&S class starting September 10.
Speaking of the BS&S class, it is coming up very soon. September 10th will be here before we know it. Ron Tvorik would like to meet with the instructors at the August meeting, as this will be the last meeting before the class begins.
Fall also means dues are payable. Please bring your $50 check made out to "Flotilla 12-3" to the August meeting. If you will not be at the meeting, please mail the check to me or to FSO-FN Lynn Williams.
One final note; while we are expressing our appreciation and congratulations to members for their recent accomplishment, we all need to take a minute and again let George Summer, "Lake Murray 8" know how much our flotilla, and the entire Lake Murray community appreciates what he does for us. Last spring, Captain DiNicola took time from his busy schedule as Commander of Group Charleston to make the trip to Lake Murray to recognize George, and I want to show you that photograph again as a reminder of what he means to the Coast Guard. George serves as our ears and our voice on the lake to hundreds of boaters. One way we can thank George is to step up and cover the radio watch to give him some relief.
I look forward to seeing you at the meeting on August 26th. Let's hope it will be a little cooler than last month.
Once again it's time to start a new school year and that means it's time for me to start phoning high school counselors and ROTC instructors to set appointments to leave literature with them and, hopefully to talk to students about the Coast Guard and the academy in New London. I feel that every year I learn more about this subject (and there is a lot of information to learn !)
Because my part -time job makes it difficult to make afternoon appointments, I would be more than happy to shift the load to anyone interested in helping out . It would be especially helpful if someone were able to visit schools in the afternoons. I would like to visit as many schools as possible.
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Not much is going on from the MA's office this month. I got a new pricing manual from District 7 calling for a $10.00 price increase in our BS&S books.
There was a bit of confusion over these new "crew-neck" tee shirts that was seeming were approved to wear on patrols but DIRAUX says they "cannot" be worn on patrols at this time!
I have several members wanting to order but until we get another e-mail, I'll hold off. I also have a local source in Chapin that can supply a bit better crew-neck tee shirt with "embroidery" instead of stencil markings over the left breast The cost for Haines cotton: sizes/ Medium--XL is $10.50 plus tax & XXL is $12.50 plus tax.
The picture this month is a "Big Smiley". I would like to congratulate several of our members for some major accomplishments over the past couple of months.
The first star goes to Jim Smith for passing AUXSAR. That's the most difficult of the AUXOP courses. Is anyone else ready to try? We now have two qualified instructors.
The next star goes to Richard Lesnieski for becoming our newest Crew qualified member. I understand that Richard was also Smitty's first QE examinee.
The next set of stars goes to our Coxswains (Alexander, Brown, Deaton, McCallister, O'Farrell, Owen, and Smith) and Crew(Mendenhall) members who were re-qualified by the QE last Sunday.
And finally to our members who recently completed Sea School for OUPV(6-Pack) USCG License (Richbourg, Jones, Armstrong, and Ruschkofski) and Sea School for Master USCG License(Richbourg, Jones, Armstrong, Ruschkofski, and K. McCoin.)
Many thanks to Don Davis and others who helped put the QE testing and training together. Wow, this has been a busy month!
Stephen Pstrak informed me that the mayor of Chapin would like to have 6 patrol vessels in the Labor Day Parade. Please call Stephen at 730-0809 for details.
Submissions for the newsletter are due the 10th of each month. Any member can submit material, not just the elected and staff officers. In fact, I encourage anyone to do so. I also would like to again remind those officers (elected and staff) of the importance to our membership of your reports. I can't publish it if you don't write it. I know you are just trying to make my job easier by giving me less and less to publish, but that's not the way it is supposed to work. Thank you to those who do take the time to do their reports each month.
Inland/International: You are underway in a power vessel in low visibility and sounding fog signals. What changes would you make in fog signals immediately upon losing propulsion?
A. Begin sounding two prolonged blasts at two minute intervals.
B. Begin sounding one prolonged blast followed by three short blasts at two minute intervals.
C. Begin sounding one prolonged blast followed by two short blasts at two minute intervals.
D. No change should be made in fog signals.
The first correct response will qualify for a prize at the August meeting, courtesy of Ed Jones.
On 09/26/02 CDR Tunstall, CO of the USCG Group Charleston, will speak to the Navy League. The meeting/lunch will be held at the Palmetto Club, located on Sumter Street, behind the State Supreme Court. Lunch will start at 12:00 noon, and the cost will not exceed $14.00. Since CDR Tunstall is scheduled to be the speaker, Larry LaDue of the Navy League thought our CG Aux Flotilla would have some members interested in attending. He mentioned to me that it has been some time since a CG officer has addressed the Navy League.
If interested our members can make reservations through Larry LaDue at 803-788-9224 or 803-896-4334 or e mail at [email protected]
All members are reminded that the Fall Boating Skills & Seamanship class is just around the corner. The first class begins on Tuesday, Sept. 10th, from 1900 to 2100 hours. Class will be held for six consecutive Tuesdays at the Seven Oaks Recreation Center on Leisure Lane, across from the Honeywell Plant off St. Andrews Road. Please take every opportunity to promote this class. The BS&S staff invites all Flotilla members to attend as many classes as possible, especially the last class on Oct. 15th. The last class consist of the Final Exam and Awards, so a strong show of our membership promotes a positive "public relations image" and recruitment possibilities. Please remember to wear your dress uniform when you attend.
At this time, there are no VSCs scheduled for this month. There are still several Vessel Examiners that haven't completed there ( 5 ) VSCs for this year. Those requiring a few more VSCs to keep the VE rating, can always pick up a few VSCs at any of the launch ramps on the weekend, or by doing VSCs for a friend, or neighbor. Remember, you don't have to be in uniform to do them.
At our Division Meeting in Charleston, on July 27th.,Commander Tunstall offered the attending members a VIP tour of the USCG Barque EAGLE. It was in Charleston for the weekend on a "Good Will" Tour. Several of our members signed up for the tour, and were afforded the luxury of being allowed to board the "EAGLE with out waiting in the long line, in the July heat.
For those not familiar with the EAGLE�s history, it's a three masted square-rigger,295 ft. long displacing 1816 tons. It was built in Hamburg Germany in 1936,and is the seventh USCG Cutter to bear the name "EAGLE" It was taken by the U.S.A. as a war prize from Germany, after W.W.II. A Coast Guard crew, and German crew sailed the EAGLE to the U.S.A. in 1946. It is now used as a seagoing classroom for USCG Cadets.
The "EAGLE" has it's own webpage at : www.cga.edu/eagle/eagle.htm
Trivia : Most Vessels have only ONE ROPE on board. (remember this one)
The USCG barque "EAGLE" has THREE:
1-- Bell Rope --- to ring the ship's bell
2--Monkey Rope --- to steady ones self in the life boats as they are being lowered into the water. (They have monkey fists " tied about every foot in the line so one could get a good hand hold if the life boat would suddenly drop.)
3-- Foot Rope ---The ropes that are strung just under the sails and yards for the crew to walk on as they set the 22,000 square feet of sail.
September 10th, Fall BS&S Class begins (6 weeks through October 15th.)
October 26th, Division Meeting, Mt. Pleasant
December 16th, Flotilla 12-3 Change of Watch dinner meeting
January 25th, 2003, Division 12 Change of Watch, hosted by Flotilla 12-3
Confidentiality Notice:
Telephone numbers and addresses of members are protected by the Privacy Act of 1974. As a matter of policy, rosters of names, addresses and telephone numbers shall not be made available to the general public or any outside organization. Privacy of all rosters shall be safeguarded and the page clearly labeled. The publication of these rosters, addresses, and telephone numbers on any computer on-line service including the Internet is prohibited by the Privacy Act of 1974.