America's Volunteer
Lifesavers

            

Flotilla 8-6 Venice, FL             www.cgauxvenice.org           7th District

Denis Keyes, Commander            Judi Bidwick, Vice-Commander

Flotilla Commander's Message

 

I extend my sincere congratulations to Judi Bidwick and Juan Hernandez on their election to the office of Flotilla Commander and Vice Flotilla Commander respectively for the year 2007. Stan Ozimek as Finance Officer and Ruth Bruno as Secretary will report directly to Judi and the remaining staff will report to Juan.

It is with mixed emotions that I report I will not attend the December meeting because I am relocating back north. The Change of Watch was my last formal Auxiliary engagement before traveling for the Holidays. Judi and Juan will officially take over as FC and VFC on January 1st but in the interim they will be making all the critical decisions and report to the Division Captain and Vice Captain. I will attend to matters of changing Command.

The opportunity to be Flotilla Commander of 8-6 for two years has been quite an encounter. The challenges, the opportunities, the successes, and frustrations are experiences that make the job unique among those in the Flotilla. As I preview the 2007 Roster the list of AUXOPS, Coxswains & Crew, Instructor, VEs, PVs, AVs, Watchstanders, and other qualifications is far beyond any normal Flotilla. The degree to which our members strive for excellence can be seen in the hours and performance and the awards received at the annual Division Awards meeting.

Having an outstanding VFC and Staff is essential to surviving as FC. Judi has always been there and never stops giving her time, expertise and wisdom. The Flotilla is lucky to have Judi as its next Commander.

As I mentioned at the COW, the success of any organization is good new members and we have been extremely fortunate in our recruiting and retention the last several years. They are the lifeblood of the Flotilla.

As I also said at the COW, as a member of 8-6 I feel the dedication, the enthusiasm, and the Esprit de Corps that I have not felt since being on the DMZ with the Marines in Vietnam in 1968. I mean that sincerely.

Good luck and farewell to all. I hope to return for a visit this winter accompanied by Maureen Hopkins, the girl I took to her Senior Prom and the one I will marry this December 30th.

Thanks for the opportunity to be your Commander.

Denis Keyes
FC

Denis Keyes, FC

Contents

 

Important Notice Best Viewed With Windows Internet Explorer Flotilla Staff Officers                CM - Juan Hernandez                CS -  Denis Keyes                FN -  Janet Heijens                IS   - Harry Bruno                MA - Richard Markwitz                MS - Roman Gzyl                 MT -  Lou Magyar                OP - Jim Sleichert                PA - Al Bidwick                PB - Judi Bidwick                PE - Judi Bidwick                PS - John Kandes                PV - Jerry Mitchell                SR - Ruthanne Bruno                                       General Meeting:               First Tuesday - 1930                  Training Center               On The Water Training               Every Thursday - 0830                Marine Max, Venice

Vice Commander's Message
Judi Bidwick, VFC

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Our flotilla is about to embark on a new year with a full complement of competent officers. I look forward to leading the flotilla and working with the officers and the general membership.

We have set and achieved our goals in the past two years with Denis Keyes as Commander. We all will miss Denis, his style of leadership, and his strong sense of direction for our flotilla. Although he will remain as an 86 member, Denis will not share his presence with us. He will, however, work with me long distance and has agreed to continue his work in several important areas in order to make a smooth transition. His position as Immediate Past Commander will be performed by long distance!

The new directives recently distributed by DIRAUX give us major changes in Operations. These were reviewed by Juan Hernandez at the last meeting and also in the November newsletter.

The Standing Rules will be updated this year. If you wish to work on that committee, please let me know.

Our Change of Watch was a success and is an example of the uniqueness of our flotilla.
The Marina Jack’s dinner cruise produced excellent food and an atmosphere of fellowship. With the speeches of invited guests and the swearing in of officers performed at dockside, we were able to relax and enjoy the whole time on the cruise.

I want to thank Russ Wolf for his part in delivering the invocation. His words and guidance reflect his strong feeling for the Coast Guard, the Auxiliary, and the individual members of our flotilla. Russ continues to volunteer his time daily in the training center office answering calls and referring important matters to the appropriate officers.

We all appreciate the good job Lou Magyar did as emcee at our COW. Lou’s manner and knowledge of protocol made this demanding job look easy.

Our flotilla of boats that cruised to Marina Jack’s on Friday before the COW spent two fun days and nights filled with fellowship and fun. This gave us a chance to meet and spend time with Maureen, Denis’ “intended,” as well as experiencing the sites and restaurants of downtown Sarasota. The weekend was a wonderful way to close out the year.

Judi Bidwick
VFC

Vice Commander Elect
Juan Hernandez
 

I thank you for your confidence in electing me Flotilla Vice Commander and I look forward to working with you and Judi during the coming year.  Through your efforts we achieved excellent performance in all areas, as shown on the Unit Summary Data report.  As we reflect on these achievements, it is now time to set new goals and identify new challenges for next year.  I am enthusiastic about working with you on this endeavor.

 Happy holidays to your and yours,

 Juan C. Hernandez, VFC

  

 

Information Services
Harry Bruno, FSO-IS

 

 

 

Thank you to members who have been submitting forms in a timely manner. It has helped to maintain accurate records.
REMEMBER: If you have any address, phone or email changes you must report them to me so I can update AUXDATA.
I also request that you submit forms on a regular basis instead of grouping them in large batches and then sending them to me.
This process causes errors and omissions and ultimately will affect your hours.
My goal for the New Year is to encourage ALL our members to submit 7029 activity reports either monthly or every other month.
Thank you for your past cooperation.
Happy Holidays.

Harry Bruno
FSO-IS
 

Materials
Ruth Bruno, FSO-MA

 

For new members and as a reminder for old members:  The 7^th District store is available online so that you can place an order directly.  The website is:  www.cgaux7.org/d7store . 

You can also access the site through our Venice website www.cgauxvenice.org.   The District Store does not carry any type of trousers or shorts.  There address and phone number:

            Seventh District Materials Center

            18210 Paulson Drive

            Unit 7, Port Charlotte, FL  33954

            Phone 941-4\625-0600     

            HOURS:  Monday and Thursday only 0900-1400

The Operational Dress Uniform and other uniform items can be ordered at Uniform Distribution Center. 

The website address is:  http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-w/g-wp/udc/index.htm; click Stock Book.  There is also a link on our Venice website to access this center.  The site also has a size chart available for your use.

In reference to uniforms: at this time of year when we are wearing long work trousers for boat crew, or ODUs, long trousers with dress uniforms, remember BLACK socks go with long pants!!  (white socks when wearing shorts) 

Have wonderful holidays!   

Ruth Bruno
FSO-MA

 

Marine Safety
Fred Shaneyfelt, FSO-MS

 

FROM THE EDGE OF THE WATER

Through out the year all of us have projects that sometimes over lap into a New Year and MS is no exception.

The Venice Harbor Planning Committee was established in response to a workshop of the City Council relative to the Harbor Management Plan (HMP) that was held on Feb 7, 2005, and additional comments on harbor issues made at city council meetings. The committee was established in Oct 2005 and since June of 2006 has met every other Friday afternoon.
The committee is headed up by the Venice Police Department with planning support from Ms. Kathie Ebaugh.

The Venice City Council is concerned about or interested in the following:
1. Mitigation of potential hurricane damage from unregulated boats in the anchorage off of Higel Park.
2. Property damage from unregulated boats in the anchorage off of Higel Park.
3. Damage to the environment from unregulated boats in the anchorage off of Higel Park.
4. Increased business revenue if Venice were a boating destination.
5. Encouraging safe boating operations.

All of the committee’s energy has been to identify the needs and obtain input from the boater’s prospective. A survey was designed and will be distributed through news media

The committee is working to place the survey online to reach more boaters.

Comments can be emailed to VeniceBoatingSurvey@ci.venice.fl.us

Fred Shaneyfelt
FSO-MS
 

Operations
Juan Hernandez, FSO-OP

 

Thank you for support to Operations this year. As you can see on the FVC report, we were able to achieve significant Operations performance goals. Next year, under the leadership of Jim Sleichert and with your support, we will continue to maintain and enhance these performance standards.

Let me take this opportunity to wish you and yours a happy and joyful holiday season.

Juan C. Hernandez,
FSO-OP

Operations Elect
Jim Sleichert, FSO-OP

Before you know it another year will be here. As Operations Officer, I will do my best to keep the operations for the flotilla running as smoothly as possible. The flotilla calendar and patrol request form are the easiest way to keep current on flotilla events. Coxswains, please use the patrol request form whenever possible. Also, first look at the flotilla calendar and make sure that the dates you are requesting are still open. I will try to make sure everyone has a chance to go on patrol. If I get too many requests for a given month, then I will place the coxswains that did not get a patrol at the top of the list for the next month. If you are available for two dates, request both, and if I can, I will give you one of the two.

It also seems that coxswains are not sure how to cancel a patrol.

1. Any patrol orders that are cancelled for any reason must have a copy sent to Group St. Pete at the address shown on the patrol order with the "Attn: AUXLO" added in the address.

2. The orders should have the notation "CANCELLED" written across the face of the orders, in red. That is similar to the "VERIFIED" that is written on the face of the orders for patrols that were completed. This also must be mailed to Group St. Pete.

You must also access POMS and cancel the patrol in POMS. The coxswain for that patrol is the only one who can cancel in POMS.

If you do not have citrix on your computer please download that program onto your computer.

INFORMATION TO DOWNLOAD CITRIX (NOTE: Delete any previous version of CITRIX that you have.)

URL: http://www.citrix.com (This will work with both AUXDATA and POMS.)
The look of this screen changes daily so it will not look the same; however, the buttons should be the same. Click on “Download.”

For all crew members, please use the flotilla calendar to see which coxswains are going out on patrol. It is your responsibility to call the coxswain and request to be crew.

Wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year.

JAMES P. SLEICHERT,
FSO/OP
 

Public Affairs
Al Bidwick, FSO-PA

 

This month’s functions have been very successful.

The Change of Watch was enjoyed by all who participated and the pictures will be reflected at the end of this issue of the Fore and Aft.

We were all glad to see Louis Magyar, Lou’s son, when he returned from Iraq. Some of us were able to celebrate his return recently by taking him to dinner.

We had hoped to join in the Venice Christmas Parade this year but our trailerable vessel owners were not available. We’ll set our sights on this event next year.

Our largest fellowship of the year is the Venice Boat Parade and our picnic which was held on Saturday, December 2 at the moorings. A record number of members and their friends and family joined us for a great, pre-holiday celebration.

The cookout following the recent qualifications at the moorings was enjoyed by all. This ended up being a day and evening affair with requalifications in addition to our two coxswain and one crew qualifications. Bud Beeman’s hamburgers and hot dogs were a real hit!

We are looking for additional members for the Fellowship Committee. As Judi’s and my duties grow, it is becoming more difficult to get everything planned and completed in a timely manner. We need folks to bake for the general meetings, help organize our social events, and purchase the necessary items for our fellowship outings. Fortunately, we have volunteers who are willing to assist. Please think about assuming the responsibility for this important cornerstone of the flotilla.


Al Bidwick
FSO-PA
Fellowship Chair



 

Vessel Examiner
Henry Reynolds, FSO-VE

Congratulations to all the Vessel Examiners, Boating Safety Program Visitors, and Marine Safety staff that conducted this year’s Vessel Safety Inspections. The VEs conducted 433 inspections and passed 234 vessels. That means that there were 234 safer boats on the water this year. A job well done.

We have added one Vessel Examiner who is also a Commercial Fishing Examiner to our VE staff this year.

Each year we are asked to set goals for the following year. I would like to set the following as objectives for the 2007-year.
1 Conduct 500 vessel inspections (all types)
2 Add two Vessel Inspectors to the Staff
3 Add one Un-Inspected Passenger Vessel (UPV) Inspector to the Staff
(this is for the 6-pack license holders)

In closing I would like to thank everybody for their support this year and I look forward to another successful year.

Have a Happy and Safe Holiday Season.

Henry S Reynolds
FSO-VE

(MINUTES-November 7, 2006
U.S.C.G. AUXILIARY, FLOTILLA 86

Commander Keyes called the meeting to order at 1930 with 29 members present. The Pledge of Allegiance and Invocation followed.

FC REPORT: Denis Keyes -
* C.O.W. this Saturday. See Lou Magyar to make reservation as tonight will be the   close out. Event will begin at 1500 at Marina Jacks.
* The draft of the Directory was circulated for corrections or verification before   printing.  
* Due to legal changes at State level the County has notified us that they will no longer be able to provide us with grant monies. An email will be sent requesting our members to contact the Commissioners asking why we will no longer be funded.

MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING: Accepted by motion

FINANCE REPORT: Accepted by motion

STAFF REPORTS:
FSO-ATON: Ed Stebner reported ATONs as of end of October. Ed will hold a class in January.

FSO-CS: Bill Cabana announced the Newsletter will be online in the near future.

FSO-IS; Harry Bruno reminded everyone to check their currencies before the end of the year.

FSO-MA: Ruth Bruno reported on the shipment of packages to the soldiers in Iraq and stated that we will continue the project throughout the New Year.

FSO-MT: Bud Beeman announced a practice on Wednesday, 11/8 at 1700 for boat crew, coxswain and requals. Anyone needing u/w hours should try to attend. Thursday, 11/16 will be QE evaluation for 2 coxswains, 1 crew and a number of 5 yr. check rides. Hamburgers and hot dogs will be served about 5pm. All are invited.

FSO-OP: Juan Hernandez will turn over Operations to Jim Sleichert on 11/20. Juan also stated we have purchased some new PFDs. Members may trade their worn ones for the mesh type if they wish. Juan also reviewed changes to the qualifications in the Auxiliary Boat Crew Manual.
 
FSO-PA: Al Bidwick thanked everyone who participated in the Sun Fiesta parade last month. Al pointed out that we had very good coverage in the media for the BSS and GPS courses. Plans are underway for the Christmas boat parade picnic on
Dec. 2. Flotilla will provide hamburgers and hot dogs and members are asked to bring a dish to share. There will be a $3 pp charge (under 10 free). Set up begins 3:30 and picnic at 4pm.

FSO-PE: Judi Bidwick stated the BS&S class will be ending soon. The GPS class has begun and another one is slated for the spring. Advanced Coastal Navigation will begin Jan. 3 and runs 3 months. We will try to plan two ABC courses in the future on two weekends.

FSO-PS Paul Corcoran interviewed one person who will be in touch with him again in the spring.

Judi Bidwick stated one or two members of the BS&S class are interested in joining the flotilla.

FSO-VE: Henry Reynolds announced there were 430 VE given with 233 passing, 54% passing rate. Our goal is 500. New decals will come out soon for the New Year.

AWARDS:
Sustained Service: Pat Stebner, Ed Stebner Coxswain 5 yr: Ed Stebner
Facility: Union Jack SAR: Jens Westrick
Coxswain: Patrick Wheeler Nat'l Cert of Appreciation: Judi Bidwick
Letter of Commendation: Ed Stebner New Member: Jens Westrick

SWEAR IN NEW MEMBER: Jens Westrick

OLD BUSINESS: Judi Bidwick announced that if there is anyone who cannot access the Newsletter
online to please let her know. She can make arrangements for a copy to be mailed. A copy will also be available on the table at the Training Center.

NEW BUSINESS: Commander Keyes announced that he will be getting married in the near future and will be living in New York. Everyone wished him well and told him how much we would miss his presence. Denis will remain a member and will continue to assist in other capacities.

There being no further business the meeting was adjourned at 2025.

Respectfully submitted,

Ruthanne Bruno, FSO-SR