THE SCUTTLEBUTT

U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY FLOTILLA 12-8, 7TH DISTRICT CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA VOL 27, NO 7 JULY 2001 FLOTILLA WEB SITE: http://www.uscgauxcharleston.org
FLOTILLA COMMANDER COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS MATERIALS PUBLIC EDUCATION PUBLICATIONS

Dean B. Creed . 843-971-1541 Brett J. Grooms . . . . . 553-216 Richard R. Clarke . . . 953-6853 Richard Daniel . . . . . 556-8453 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

VICE COMMANDER

FINANCE

MEMBER TRAINING

Brett J. Grooms . . . . 553-2168 Dominick Zito . . . . . . 795-1012 Bob Kreiling . . . . . . . 559-5221 John Sikes . . . . . . . . 569-0994 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

AIDS TO NAVIGATION

INFORMATION SYSTEMS

OPERATIONS

SECRETARY/RECORDS

Mark E. Ratliff . . . . . . 884-2538 Jerome J. Bishop . . . 766-1741 Bob Kreiling . . . . . . . 559-5221 James L. Tindall 803-829-2608 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

CAREER COUNSELOR

MARINE SAFETY LIAISON

PERSONNEL SERVICES

VESSEL EXAMINATION

W. Brent Hepburn . . 884-6625 Robert Orenstein . . . 821-0233 James E. Curran . . . . 216-7546 Bob Orenstein . . . . . . 821-0233 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

COMMUNICATIONS

MARINE VISITOR

PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Marguerite Bishop . . 766-1741 Barbara J. Yeatman . 795-4149 Bob Carpenter . . . . . 402-0351 Dick Clarke . . . . . . . . 552-0428 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

IMMEDIATE PAST FC

FROM THE COMMANDER

Please never hesitate to simply pick up the phone, send an email, or take us aside to share whats on your mind with Brett and me. Involvement is the key to what were all about. Thanks to all of you for making us proud of each other and the value we continue to create!

Theres no such thing as a small thing here. It takes every thing to make it all work out. It is the professional manner in which you go about carrying out our many roles and responsibilities, doing many exciting and, yes, many often seemingly mundane tasks, that make it all come together and add so much value to the boating public and Team Coast Guard. For your involvement, I cannot thank you enough. Theres been no pay raise, no cost-of-living adjustment, and still no vacation benefits or a 401(k) plan! Nonetheless, you continue to generously give your time, often making sacrifices and turningdown what I know may often be more glamorous ways to spend your precious days and nights, to help with our mission. Please always know that your volunteering spirit is respected and highly regarded by many folks, and positively affects many that youll never see or speak with. Finally, ideas are the key to our future. I often mention that Brett and I very much want to hear your ideas. They are always welcomed, and are how changes and improvements happen.

FINANCE
Dom Zito, FSO-FN have been advised that the annual membership dues are actually due July through September, I wish to thank those members who paid their dues early.

Please be aware that of the $30.00 dues flotilla 12-8 collects, only $7.00 goes into our account. The remaining $23.00 is apportioned to National, Division and District dues. If you havent already, nows the time to pay up. Please bring your check to the meeting on 11 July or mail it to Dom Zito, FSO-FN, 1750 Crystal Lake Dr, James Island, SC 29412. Thank you for your cooperation.

Information contained in this newsletter is for official US Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary use only under the Privacy Act of 1974. The Auxiliary is guided by the current equal opportunity policies of the Commandant of the Coast Guard. No person shall be subject to discrimination in the Auxiliary or its programs because of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, or disability.

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The Scuttlebutt

July 2001

PUBLIC EDUCATION
Richard Daniel, FSO-PE

Accordingly I thought this would be a good time to explain and bring you all up to date as to the System du Jour. The procedure to follow when a Coxwain or Crew candidate satisfactorily completes a task is stated on page 3-5 of the Auxiliary Boat Crew Training Manual (COMDTINST M16794.51) as follows: When satisfied that the trainee meets the standard, the Mentor verifies completion by signing off the task at the bottom of the task page. He should then turn to Appendix A (Record Of Completed Tasks section, pages A-1 thru A-5) and sign/date that one specific task only. The practice of the Mentor signing at the top of the page and drawing a line downward through all the tasks is unacceptable. Admittedly this was the practice. No doubt some of the QEs that signed you off may have used this method. To ensure accuracy QEs were subsequently instructed to sign and date each line individually. Now that Mentors rather than QEs are assuming the testing function, the above procedure should be followed by them as well.

embers and visitors alike can view the 12-8 web site and see this years boating courses available to the public. I have given some thought to Public Education and realized a few things that are worth mentioning. One, each of us in the Auxiliary is part of the general public. When was the last time you took a boating course as a review? We all get forgetful and slide into a few bad habits. Please consider taking one of the boating courses that are being offered this year. Two, each of us can add greatly to helping one another. Several members of 12-8 added huge value to my personal boating enjoyment and knowledge. Please consider joining folks like this in helping your fellow Auxiliarists as well as the general public. Boating Skills and Seamanship is coming up in the fall. We can all learn from, and re-learn, the many practices that add to fun and safe boating. Why not sign up now?

RECRUITING VIA VSCS

VESSEL EXAMINATIONS
Bob Orenstein, FSO-VE

here are two points to cover in this months article.

hether performing VSCs on the ramps or docks, or while youre manning a VSC station:

Be Selective look for well-kept boats and knowledgeable, competent skippers or those who are clearly interested in learning more. Be Complementary compliment the skipper about the boats appearance ... show your interest by asking a few questions about it. What do you used your boat for? Fishing? Cruising? Water skiing If the boater is relatively inexperienced, extend an invitation to attend your flotillas next PE course. Or, some owners may be interested in additional ways to use their boats without increasing their expenses. If so... Would you be interested ... in using your boat for Auxiliary patrols or chart updating ... or helping the Coast Guard in search and rescue missions ... or as an experienced boater, in sharing skills with others? The Coast Guard Auxiliary will train you by ... providing courses of advanced seamanship and afford you opportunities to gain underway experience on Auxiliary operational missions. Use Auxiliary business cards to stimulate interest. They can help create curiosity about the Auxiliary and open the door for a productive recruiting dialog. (You may order cards through your Materials Officer.) The conduct an organized follow-up with interested prospects. Have a friendly get-together for further discussion and commitment ... develop friendships, send invitations ro meetings, classes and social events. You are one of the most critical factors in recruiting new members.

First, I will be holding a class in VSC ... Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Vessel Safety Checks ... about the middle of July. While it is not mandatory to attend, I know that there are a few of you out there with questions which may never have been answered to your satisfaction. We will endeavor to give you complete answers. I would like to see some role-plays done for this seminar and will contact a few of you shortly. As soon as I have a date, you will be notified. Second, let's continue with the blitzes. It seems the only way to really get the job done. They will be set up on Saturdays and will last only a few hours each of those days. The first one will probably be in place at the end of July and again, I will notify all of you with the dates. Thanks for the cooperation. We hope to see you out there with us!

WORTH REPEATING
Bob Kreiling, FSO-MT

There appears to be a case of Nobody got the word.. I have noticed that the Mentors in two of our Flotillas, when signing off trainees, were using a method that is no longer acceptable.

his is a repeat from last month and is for those who serve as mentors in the Boat Crew Program.