The April meeting will be at the Aviation Training Center Thursday, April 20, at 1930. The meeting will be held in the Simulator Training Facility’s Conference room. A short tour of the hanger will follow the meeting. Contact Mike Case 645-3966 for further information

Mike Case administered the New Member Pledge to Ronnie Wolfe and Jack McDole.

Larry Patrick – Award of Merit; USCG Aux Award for Outstanding Contribution to Growth of the Aux; Flotilla Silver Oar Award; Dist 8 Loren C. Bowie Award (highest net percent increase flotilla award); and Betty A. Finnigan Growth Award;.

Michael Case – Div 3 Most Improved Auxiliarist; Dist 8 600 or more Total Mission Hours; and Certificate of Appreciation for Dist 8 Conference Assistance.

Nick Nichols – USCG Aux Award for Outstanding Contribution to Growth of the Aux and Div 3 Charlotte Kindred Personnel Services Award.

Ken MacRae – Dist 8 200 or more Mission Hours Commodore’s Commendation and Dist 8 75 or above Total Instructor Hours Commodores Commendation.

Ron Waters – Dist 8 50 or more Total Operations Hours Commodore’s Commendation.

Howard Hickey – Commodore’s Certificate of Appreciation for Dist 8 Conference Assistance.

Michael Grimes – Boat Crewman Certificate.

Wayne Holifield – Boat Crewman Certificate.

Deborah Shaw – Boat Crewman Certificate.

Through April 13,2000 we have completed 30 Vessel Safety Checks and 16 received the Decals. Our next Boat Ramp Day will be April 29th at the Beachcomber Marina. That is also the Dauphin Island Race day so I expect lots of boats will be out.

We have also made 24 Marine Dealer Visits and signed up 18 first time dealers. There are still plenty of places left to visit and we need more members to do the job right, See Ken MacRae if you are interested in becoming a Marine Dealer Visitor.

Tony Morris, DC-Id

If you don't have web access, an e-mail message to [email protected] is an alternative, though it will take longer and it relies on manual entry to the directory (with potential errors, etc.).

Peter Urgola N-V

USPS member training and qualification process. Conceptually, the USPS will be responsible for qualifying their members to the established program standards. This will include eligibility requirements, training, testing, and all record keeping. The suggestion for joint training was premised on the common technical process, and standards that all vessel examiners will use. And that joint training would lay the groundwork for future joint efforts within the framework of the Vessel Safety Check program. USPS members can thus be invited to local Auxiliary training sessions while they are also directed to their District's VSC program liaison for USPS qualification process details. Any enthusiasm we encounter for the VSC program should be encouraged and nurtured.

Bob Platt, N-A

The AUXMIN Student Study Guide is undergoing revision to bring it into line with the current Auxiliary Manual and to make other significant improvements. In the interim, the existing Study Guide has gone out of print and will not be reprinted. The Department Chief - Training has authorized the temporary use of a revised AUXMIN Study Guide prepared by Bob Platt (N-A) which brings the existing publication into line with both the current Auxiliary Manual and the interim AUXMIN examination. The interim study guide is online at

in Adobe Acrobat(tm) format.

Art Murray, BC – ONB

Auxiliarists generally are familiar with the Aids To Navigation that are on our waterways to guide vessels safely as they make their passage. These aids include lighthouses, lighted and unlighted beacons, range lights, range markers lighted and unlighted buoys, and other structures to warn the navigator of danger or to provide direction. Whenever any of these aids are found to be damaged or not functioning properly, the knowledgeable Auxiliarist will report this to the Coast Guard. However there is one category of lighted navigation aids that is often ignored to some extent in some Districts. This category encompasses the lights placed on bridges over navigable waters specifically to aid safe navigation. Some Districts have active programs for monitoring bridge navigation

lights on their waters and this is commendable. Those Districts, which do not have such programs, should make some effort to implement one. To that end it is probably worthwhile to review what sort of navigation lights are required for the various types of bridges. The requirements for bridge lighting are given in good detail in the BRIDGE ADMINISTRATION MANUAL, COMDTINST M 16590.5 A.

Navigation lights for a specific bridge are specified by the Commander of the Coast Guard District where the bridge is located.

There are eleven Bridge Administration Offices in the various Coast Guard Districts ranging from Boston, Massachusetts to Juneau, Alaska The navigation lights for bridges are classed as private aids to navigation and must be installed and maintained at the cost of the owner of the bridge. A bridge may be owned by an agency of a State, a County, a Municipality, or a private company.

Whether on a scheduled patrol, a leisurely cruise, or just driving by, any Auxiliarist who sees a bridge light that is extinguished, malfunctioning, or damaged should report it. How and when to report such a discrepancy will often be a judgment call. A critical discrepancy would be one where failure to report it by the most expeditious means could result in loss of life and or damage to a vessel. An urgent discrepancy would be one where there is no danger of loss of life but it could contribute to the grounding or stranding of a vessel. A routine discrepancy is one that has little likelihood of contributing to a grounding or stranding of a vessel but does call for corrective maintenance. Discrepancies that are deemed to be critical or urgent should be reported to the nearest Coast Guard Station by radio or telephone. U S. Mail is sufficient for routine discrepancies. All reports by radio or telephone must be followed - up with a written report. The written report should be made on form CG - 5474, AIDS TO NAVIGATION REPORT.

The word BRIDGE should be typed or written above the title of form CG - 5474 to alert the recipient that the reported discrepancy involves a bridge. Since bridge navigation lights are considered to be private navigation aids, there should be no direct contact made by any member of the Auxiliary with the entity owning the bridge regarding any discrepancy with the lights.