America's Volunteer
Lifesavers
Flotilla 86 Venice, FL
www.cgauxvenice.org
7th District
James P. Sleichert, Commander Edward J. Stebner, Vice-Commander
|
|
James P. Sleichert, Commander Edward J. Stebner, Vice-Commander |
| January, 2010 Judi Bidwick, Editor Judi Bidwick, Photographer |
| Flotilla Commander's Message
|
James Sleichert |
|
|
|
January, 2010 |
Vice
Commander
FROM THE VICE FLOTILLA COMMANDER DESK:
I would like to express my appreciation to the membership for electing me as Flotilla Vice Commander for the coming year. I hope to perform well and take on all tasks of my position seriously. I have some ideas that I will bring to the January staff meeting for the year 2010. Members, remember to access information on the flotilla website. If you haven't had a chance to see the organizational changes, please check it out.The Flotilla Monthly Calendar is also very useful for safety patrols, operations, member training, public education classes, and monthly schedules. Lou Magyar publishes a monthly Member Training schedule, which is emailed through FSO-CS, Denis Keyes. This is very important to you for classroom scheduling & on-the-water training. Judi Bidwick takes care of the Public Education classes; help is always appreciated when these classes are being taught. My final thought is to encourage all of us to work together as a team and make it a great-year. We represent the Coast Guard and the Auxiliary so we should look our best and act in a way that enhances our membership. If we all look good the general public will certainly take notice.
Ed
Stebner |
|
January, 2010 |
Communications
I want to start my report by wishing everyone a prosperous and healthy New Year! I am looking forward to working with you during 2010 and developing a effective team of radio communicators for our Flotilla. My goals for the new year are to recruit new members for our team, offer focused training for radio communications, and expand our mission by adding the use of the Digital Selective Calling Tracking and Navigation System (DSC-TNS) to support Operations. At the onset, I want to focus on the new applicants for fixed land or land mobile radio facility certification and/or operation since they must be certified as a Telecommunications Operators (TCO). Current AUXCOM-rated members will continue to be eligible for facility ownership and operation indefinitely, as long as their AUXCOM was earned prior to August 1, 2008. The new Personal Qualification Standard (PQS) for Auxiliary Telecommunications is a task‐oriented qualification guide, designed to provide training and enhance skills to deal with both internal and external radio communications. I encourage all radio communicators, AUXCOM or not, to qualify as TCOs through completion of this PQS. This PQS is available on‐line from the National Auxiliary Operations Web site and from the Chief Directors Web site. Once a member completes the Telecommunications PQS, it will be reviewed and approved by a communications staff officer (FSO-CM) who holds either AUXCOM (earned prior to 1 August 2008) or TCO. The completed & CM‐approved Telecommunications PQS shall be submitted to DIRAUX for certification and entry into AUXDATA. I welcome your feedback and thank you for your support.
Juan C. Hernandez,
|
|
January, 2010 |
Communications Services
The 2010 Roster has been distributed by E-Mail and printed copies will only be available for the January Division Staff Meeting. The website has been formatted for the year 2010 and Staff Officers are helping update links that are no longer functional or available,
Denis
Keyes
|
|
January, 2010 |
Marine Safety
I would like to introduce myselfRoman E. Gzyl. I have had 39 years of boating experience in the Atlantic Ocean, inland lakes and rivers, and the Gulf of Mexico. Included in these experiences is a stint of duty in the military police as a Marine Environmental Protection official. Living presently in Osprey, Florida, I will dedicate my time and effort to Marine Safety in the Venice Area of Responsibility (AOR). My goals are as follows:
Work as a team to achieve the objectives of this office I invite all officers to join me in achieving these goals for the coming year.
Roman E. Gzyl
|
|
January, 2010 |
Member Training
I hope you all had a Merry and Safe Christmas. The Auxiliary Advanced Coastal Navigation (AUX-ACN) course will finish mid January with 23 students. 2010 starts a new year with many possibilities and opportunities for training. Even though I will be gone for January and February I have put together a good group of instructors (assistants) to carry out the training program in my absence. Below is the schedule for January. Remember Train, Maintain, Operate and above all be safe. 7 January 2010 TC
Back to Basics 14 January 2010 (boats) MM
The Non-Standard Boat (The Briefing) 21 January 2010 TC
The Re-Qual Task (table top) 28 January 2010 (boats) MM
Anchoring
Louis Magyar
|
|
January, 2010 |
Operations
Welcome to a new year of operations. We have some new boats and plan to fill the weekend patrols this year. If you need crew hours or coxswain hours, look at the FL 86 calendar and call the coxswain on the schedule or just call any facility owner and let them know you are interested in going on patrol. Lots of crew and coxswain need to engage the Qualified Examiner (QE) to remain current this year, and Flotilla Commander, Jim Sleichert, would like to have as many qualified by the end of April as possible. Patrols and Member Training are both great times to get more competent on the water. Every experience on the water adds something newand that is especially vital in meeting the unexpected situation. The repetition practiced on patrols makes your response faster and better when an emergency requires it. Member Training, Operations, Public Education, and Vessel Exams are the heart of the Auxiliary activities. Those programs, along with the support activities, make the Flotilla have a depth of meaning for all members, and to the public they encounter. To better learn any of these activities requires the initiative of the individual member. Choose a program, contact the FL 86 Officer concerned and learn more of what is involved. It is a real pleasure to again be Operations Officer of Flotilla 86; thanks for the opportunity.
Bud
Beeman
|
|
January, 2010 |
Public
Affairs
|
|
January, 2010 |
Publications
Our newsletter is normally published each month during the calendar year. We combine June and July and August and September due to the dirth of information that is available and the fact that our member training program is not fully functional in the summer. I encourage all members to read the newsletter to gain information and monthly schedules of events and training. All officers are expected to submit an article for each newsletter. This may be a report of things accomplished or it may be a topic of interest that relates to a particular office. Members may also submit articles of interest to the general membership. I recommend that you follow general guidelines for proper writing; submit in Times New Roman, 12pt, and proofread carefully before submitting to make sure what you write is what you intend to be read. If you need further guidance, I will be glad to send you the protocol for submitting articles for Coast Guard and Auxiliary publications. If you submit pictures, please send in the highest dpi possible and omit any dates that you may have set to appear on your photos. One of my jobs is to edit articles submitted and I do that to make sure they conform to general newsletter expectations. I never change the intent of the article. All articles should be submitted by the 20th of the month prior to publication.
Judi Bidwick
|
|
January, 2010 |
|
Public
Education
2010 BOATING SKILLS AND SEAMANSHIP - MON, THURS 6:30 TO 9:00 P.M. 1/04, 2/08 REGISTER, PAY AND PICK UP BOOK JAN 7, FEB 11 CHAPTER 1 Which Boat is For you...........................Helen Sarvis For the first BSS session only, Ch 2 and 3 will be taught on the first night (Jan 7) Ch 1 will be taught on the second night (Thurs, Jan 11) JAN 11, FEB 15 CHAPTER 2 Equipment for your Boat.......................Judi Bidwick JAN 11, FEB 15 CHAPTER 3 Trailering Your Boat.......................... JD Harrison/Ed Stebner JAN 14, FEB 18 CHAPTER 4 Handling Your Boat........................... Helen Sarvis JAN 18, FEB 22 CHAPTER 5 Your Highway Signs...........................Judi Bidwick JAN 18, FEB 22 CHAPTER 6 Rules of the Road.............................. Ron Hogarth/Judi Bidwick
JAN 21, FEB 25 CHAPTER 7 Inland Boating
................................ Bud Beeman JAN 25, Mar1 CHAPTER 9 Inland Boating ................................ Bud Beeman JAN 28, MAR 4 CHAPTER 10 Powering Your Boat......................... Juan Hernandez JAN 28, MAR 4 CHAPTER 12 Boating and Weather........................ Tom McGuire FEB 1, MAR 8 CHAPTER 13 Your Boat's Radio............................ Juan Hernandez FEB 1. MAR 8 CHAPTER 11 Lines and Knots/Review......................Judi Bidwick FEB 4, MAR 11 EXAM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ GPS FOR MARINERS-MON, THURS 7:00 TO 9:00 P.M. Training Center S Harbor Drive, Venice Feb 24 6:00 TO 7:00 PM REGISTER, PAY AND PICK UP BOOK MAR 3 CHAPTER 1-3 History, Background of Global Positioning.............. MAR 10 CHAPTER 4-6 Using GPS To Navigate, Selecting, Using Charts... MAR 17 CHAPTER 7-10 Chart plotting, Navigating, Practice....................... MAR 24 PRACTICE YOUR SKILLS, Computer Assistance........................... If you have any questions please call Judi Bidwick at 941-492-9504 or leave a message at the training center phone 941-492-5904.
Judi Bidwick |
| January, 2010 |
Recreational Boating Safety
Coast Guard Auxiliary Recreational Boating Safety (excerpted from US Coast Guard Auxiliary National Marketing Group (December 2009 update) Introduction: The number of boaters who drowned not wearing a life jacket has remained at 90 percent for the past ten years. For that reason, its time to approach boating safety exhibits differently to get better results. Take a moment and ask yourself, what is the purpose of having the exhibit? We believe you will agree the reason is to attract visitors and share your message with them. So make good use of these proven concepts that will make your exhibit a success. Goal: Reduce boating fatalities by promoting Wear It to most at risk boaters and boating education courses. Publicizing Americas Waterway Watch is a linked message. Method: Make an exhibit display say, Come see me to promote Wear It and About Boating Safely courses to the recreational boating public using tried and proven marketing techniques. A professionally designed and staffed RBS exhibit will boost member recruiting. Four Principals of Recreational Boating Safety are:
Life
Jackets Save Lives - Wear a Life Jacket
Groups of boaters most at risk for a boating fatality:
Operators of open outboard motor boats 21 and smaller.
Approachability is the key: According to Florida Boating Law Administrator Captain Richard Moore, an effective exhibit is 1. The topical nature of the exhibit; 2. The personality of the people manning the exhibit and their ability to draw you in and, 3. Some sort of freebee. If the personality and topical nature of the exhibit needs are met, there will be plenty of dialogue. Leave one out, and approachability will be diminished. An exhibit must be able to attract a visitors attention and entice them to stop. It takes a visitor about four seconds to walk the length of a ten foot exhibit space. You are in competition with other event distractions for that short time. In addition to planning the display, selecting the right Auxiliarists to operate it, and having them appropriately attired is equally important. The concept for a successful exhibit is for visitors to be able to relate to the Auxiliarists staffing it as affable rather than authority figures. Auxiliarists must be physically and mentally able to perform the demanding duties, and remain personable. We recognize it is sometimes difficult to obtain enough volunteers to stand watch. If you have those who volunteer read this guide, your Exhibit Operating Procedure, and Inflatable Life Jacket Basics article ahead of time, they will know what is expected. If they are still up to the task, they will have a job description for the duties, and be able to answer questions about inflatable life jackets.
|
|
January, 2010 |
Mentor Program
Mentor : Experienced and trusted advisor
The status of the mentoring program for our Flotilla in 2009 is alive and thriving. Mentors have been assigned to all members requesting their service. Please keep up the good work in 2010. It has been my pleasure to help members to achieve their personal goals.
Patrick Wheeler
|
|
January, 2010 |
|
Meeting
Minutes
U.S.C.G. AUXILIARY, FLOTILLA 86, December 1, 2009
Commander Juan Hernandez called the meeting to order at 1930 with 17 members present. The Pledge of Allegiance and Invocation followed.
Commanders report: Juan Hernandez, FC, thanked his staff individually for their assistance to him during his term as Commander. He also said our COW was successful. The Coasties won the cruise prize and Juan hopes that we will be able to offer this at future COWs. · Division FC meeting will be held this Saturday at our building at 9:00 a.m. · The GPS class is completed and the ACN class continues with students from different areas in our Division.
MINUTES: The Minutes of November 2009 were approved as they appear in the Fore and Aft. FINANCE: Janet Heijens presented the Treasurers Report which was accepted, subject to audit.
STAFF REPORTS: (Staff reports appear in the Fore and Aft) FSO:CS: Denis Keyes stated that the Roster will be out before the end of the month. FSO:MA: Ron Roth announced that he had items for sale on the back table. FSO:MT: Lou Magyar stated he has an excellent ACN class. He has added some lab days and expects to complete the class at the end of January 2010. Al Bidwick and John Susek will proctor the test. Lou will be looking for instructors to teach Ops training and AUXOP courses. There will be a one hour TCT refresher course on Thursday, 12/10 at 9:00 am followed by the completion of the TCO by Henry Reynolds. Henry asked members to please review the quizzes online. This Thursday, 12/3 we will be doing towing. Lou stated he will standardize our procedures to coincide with the Coast Guard procedures. This standardization is at the instruction of CWO Walthers , Braxton Ezell, DCDR and Lou is in agreement. 12/17 will be the last Ops training for this year. DR cruise will be planned and then executed. We will have lunch at our destination. This is for members only. Lou said he is trying to work out a CPR and First Aid course with the Nokomis Fire Department. The cost would be about $50 pp and may be planned for March 2010. More information will follow. FSO:PE: Ruth Bruno announced registration for the next BS&S will be held January 4, 2010. FSO:PS: Paul Corcoran stated he has met with 3 e-responders and is processing one new member. Maintenance: Ron Roth has fixed our outdoor lights. Jim Sleichert and Juan Hernandez extended their thanks for his hard work. Henry Reynolds asked about our security system. Lou Magyar has spoken to Miami regarding the system but has received no information. Jim Sleichert mentioned that we are now paying our own phone bill. The calls to Cortez are 30cents per minute and the only long distance allowed. He asked watchstanders to utilize their cell phones.
AWARDS: Interpreter: Frederick Varricchio; Guenther Hennig; Juan Hernandez Qualifications/Facilities: Walt Jennings; Roman Gzyl; John Harrison Sustained Service: Henry Reynolds; Denis Keyes; Ruth Bruno TCT-8 hr: Harry Bruno, Ruth Bruno, Charles Weede, Roman Gzyl, Jim Sleichert; Matt Weede; Denis Keyes, John Harrison.
Special Appreciation Award: Roman Gzyl Certificate of Appointment: Charles Beeman-FSO-OP; Denis Keyes-FSO-CS: Roman Gzyl-FSO-MS.
Old Business: Nothing at present.
New Business: Henry Reynolds discussed a 65 ft crank tower that was offered to our flotilla. After discussion a motion was made by Jim Sleichert, seconded by Harry Bruno that we not accept the offer. A unanimous hand vote carried the motion. Henry Reynolds also presented information regarding the antennas that we have and will not be using. Discussion followed, with suggestion that we offer them to other flotillas and, if no one is interested, that we then sell them on eBay. Bud Beeman made a motion to give Henry Reynolds full authority to carry out the above suggestion. Matt Weede seconded. The motion was carried unanimously by hand vote. The meeting was closed at 2020. Our next flotilla meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 5, 2010. Social hour at 1900; meeting at 1930.
Respectfully Submitted,
Ruthanne Bruno,
|
|
January, 2010 |
|
Monthly Calendar MONTHLY CALENDAR--JANUARY, 2010 Calendar of Events
Advanced Coastal Navigation .. 0930 Monday, January 4 Register for Boating Safety and Seamanship ...1800... .Monday, January 4 Flotilla Staff Meeting .1800 Tuesday, January 5 Flotilla Member Meeting ...1930 Tuesday, January 5 Member Training, Training Center, Back to Basics ..0830 .. ..Thursday, January 7 BSS, Chapter 2,3 ..1830 . ...Thursday, January 7 Advanced Coastal Navigation .. 0930 .Monday, January 11 BSS, Chapter 1 .1830 .Monday, January 11 Member Training, Marine Max, Tows, Duties 0830 .Thursday, January 14 BSS, Chapter 4 .1830 .Thursday, January 14 Division Orientation Meeting, Keating Bldg, City Isl .....0830 . Saturday, January 16 Advanced Coastal Navigation . .0930 .Monday, January 18 BSS, Chapter 5, 6 .1830 .Monday, January 18 Member Training, TC, Charts, Re-Qual Tasks, Comms..0830 .Thursday, January 21 BSS, Chapter 7, 8 .1830 .Thursday, January 21 BSS, Chapter 9 .1830 ..Monday, January 25 Member Training, MM, Anchoring, Man Overboard ..0830 ..Thursday, January 28 BSS, Chapter 10, 12 1830 . Thursday, January 28 Gasparilla Boat Parade .. . January 29 & 30 BSS, Chapter 11, 13 .1830 ..Monday, February 1 Flotilla Member Meeting 1930 .Tuesday, February 2 Member Training, MM, Towing .0830 .Thursday, February 4 BSS, Exam ...1830 .Thursday, February 4
|
January, 2010|
|
General Information VADM Robert Papp Jr., Commander LANTAREA Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano announced the nomination and presidential appointment of Vice Admiral Robert J. Papp, Jr. to be the next Commandant of the United States Coast Guard
|
.jpg)