WAVES

Watercraft and Vessel Safety

THE NEWSLETTER FROM THE U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY DEPARTMENT OF BOATING
VOLUME 6 02-06
Department Chief: Jesse L. Harrup, Jr., DC-B, 1201 Canterbury Lane, Colonial Heights, VA 23834-2709
Newsletter Editor: John Sikes, BC-BRN, 141 Southwold Circle, Goose Creek, SC 29445 [email protected]
Deputy Chief Introduction
Robert E. (Bob) Melvin, III, DC-Bd
First, a trip down memory lane! I am not a stranger
to the Boating Department. When our Department was
first organized with Como McAdams as our Department
Chief, I was the SLO for NC. I then moved up to the BC-
BSA job. As an aside, Jess Harrup was my SLO for VA.
This brings to mind the old saying, Be nice to people on
your way up because you are sure to meet them on your
way down. Ultimately, I was appointed and served as
DVC-BS. During this time, I was also very active in PE
and was working on a project to bring our classroom
lectures into the 21
st
Century using PowerPoint. I asked
Mac to give me a leave of absence from Boating to the
Department of Ed so that I could work on this project. He
graciously agreed and the rest is history.
It is great to be back in Boating and working with
many of the same people!
In my other life, I was in the Army, an Army Aviator,
did my tour in Nam flying Hueys. At my wifes (Carolyn)
insistence upon my return from that tour, I applied for
and was accepted into the Coast Guard as an Aviator.
Most of my Coast Guard flying was helicopter search
and rescue and as an instructor pilot at the Aviation
Training Center. My last 5 years in the CG were as the
Chief of Boating Safety and Director of Auxiliary for the
Fifth Coast Guard District (PA, NJ, DE, MD, DC, VA, and
NC). During this period, I was also a member of the
Auxiliary! I took the BS&S Class (along with Carolyn) in
Kodiak, AK in 1984 and joined the Auxiliary during my
tour in Savannah, GA in 1986.
My duties as DC-Bd are to oversee the day-to-day
activities of our Liaison and Industry (Marine) Divisions.
As always, the key to success with these programs will
be communications. Our internal, Department
Communications are, in my opinion, excellent. I do see
that we have a long way to go with our external
communications, both within the Auxiliary, with other
departments and with those external to the Auxiliary.
We, as a Department, do not have a District Staff
Officer equivalent. I see this as a real challenge to the
success of our programs and initiatives.
Establishing contact and rapport with the other
Departments is one of my major objectives. We have to
keep them informed of our programs in order to gain
their approval and support. An equal goal is to assist our
Division Chiefs in every way possible. I consider my job
as being a problem solver. When any of our people need
an assist with anything, give me a call, send me an e-
mail, let me know how you need to get your job done,
and how I might be able to help. Think of me as your
blocking back, you have the ball, run with it, and let me
take out the interference!
There are still a lot of people getting killed in boating
accidents every year. My goal in the Auxiliary is and
always has been To Save Lives Through Education.
There are many ways we can achieve this goal other
than in the classroom. Our job is to find those ways and
get them in place.
Thank you all for allowing me the honor to serve you
in the Boating Department. I am really looking forward to
working with you all! You have all of my addresses,
phone numbers, etc. If I am not at home I will have my
cell phone with me. Use them when you need them.
SAFE BOATING COUNCILS WEB SITE
William (Bill) Griswold, BC-BLN
Check out the NATIONAL SAFE BOATING
COUNCILs web site!! There are some new features
there for the serious boater, including Auxiliarists. Go to
www.safeboatingcouncil.org and begin a tour of the site.
? Upper right is a link to the latest Campaign
information. There you can list your organizations
events, free advertising, or see what events are
taking place in your neighborhood.
? There is a new Boating Arts and Photo Library, just
starting up. Donate your pictures for others to use.
You can download materials from this page.
? A new brochure for Homeland Defense is available,
500 limit for free. Check it out.
? Another new feature is a poster that comes in
various sizes and formats, ready to download, titled
Get Their Attention. This tells people about the
need for boaters to file accident reports and can be
used in Medical Care places to remind emergency
personnel about reporting requirements.
? Also, a carbon monoxide brochure is on the site,
available for downloading.
? Last of all is information about the upcoming
International Boating and Water Safety Summit, in
Las Vegas April 13-16, 2003. There is a scholarship
available to pay for the registration fee and the
application can be done on line. Go to the Summit
logo; its all there.
The Council is expanding their educational
materials; all you need to do is look at them on the site.
Enjoy and use their stuff.
2
GRANTS UPDATE
Karen L. Miller, DVC-BN
If someone offered you $2,000 wouldnt you be
interested? At least interested enough to find out what
you had to do to get it? Well, BoatU.S. is doing just that.
Heres the scoop.
The BoatU.S. Clean Water grants application
submission for review is open and will continue through
December 6
th
. This is an ideal opportunity to come up
with creative ideas to promote environmentally oriented
projects. BoatU.S. wants to fund projects that educate
boaters about environmental issues or that inform the
public of related events or programs. They expect these
projects to reflect a unique and repeatable way to reach
the public with the clean water message. Go to
http://www.boatus.com/cleanwater/grants/cg_grg_online
_instructions.htm and submit an application via the
routing described on the application.
Here are some of the projects that worked in prior
years. Dont let this limit your thinking. Instead, use it as
a way to stir up those ideas that are just waiting for
funding.
1. Conduct an on-the-water research program to
collect and identify non-point source pollution in the
Herring Run watershed.
2. Implement a "Green Boating Initiative" pledge
campaign in the Gateway National Recreation Area.
3. Distribute prizes to junior sailors who exhibit
environmentally-sensitive behavior while boating.
4. Implement a spring clean up event at the water's
edge as part of the "Keep the Harbor Clean!"
campaign.
5. Implement the "Fill, Don't Spill" campaign for
marinas and boaters.
6. Distribute bilge socks with flyers on clean boating
tips.
7. Produce "Seven Sound Tips" brochures for boaters
to compliment their "Dirty Dozen" traveling displays
of marine debris.
8. Produce brochures to educate boaters about "no
discharge" zones and pump-out locations.
9. Produce "Officer Snook Water Pollution" activity
books for children to address environmental issues.
10. Use signs to educate boaters about trash disposal
and pump-out laws.
11. Produce brochures locating area pump-out
locations, public restrooms and marinas.
12. Produce pamphlets to acquaint boaters with their
impact on local environmental conditions
13. Poster campaign to show the harm and hazards of
improper waste disposal.
14. "Boat It Out, Boat It In" program that uses flyers,
posters and nylon bags with a message to
encourage boaters and SCUBA divers to bring trash
back to shore.
15. Printing brochures that promote the local Vessel
Pump-Out Program and educate the public about
environmentally safe boating practices.
16. Childrens "Its Your Gulf, Keep It Clean" Poster
Contest and the printing and posting of winning
posters at area boat launch ramps.
17. Print and distribute the brochure, "A Boaters Guide
to Manatee Protection."
18. Boat Fuel Clean-Up Project on fuel docks.
19. Multi-lingual brochures that promote low impact
fishing practices in the area, with particular
emphasis on Asian and Latino communities.
20. Develop the curriculum for a program that teaches
children at local schools about marine pollution.
Be Creative. Think Big. Watch the deadline. Good Luck.
STATE LIAISON BUSINESS
Anthony Lorenc, DVC-BS
2002 was a tumultuous year for the BS Division, with
a number of SLOs replaced and especially, a 66% BC
turnover. As a result, we have two new Branch Chiefs,
one in the Pacific Region and one in the Atlantic - East
Region. The new BC for the Pacific Region is a very
capable and experienced Auxiliarist - COMO Barbara
Sands, from Anchorage, Alaska. She's held many jobs in
the Auxiliary, serving in every position, on the District,
Division and Flotilla level. Most recently, she served as
the National Vice Commodore P; in addition she is
also a SLO for her state. She comes to us with
enormous experience in all Auxiliary fields; this
experience will undoubtedly enrich all members of the
Division. The entire Division and Boating Department is
looking forward to working with Barbara and getting her
support in doing our jobs. Barbara can be reached at:
[email protected].
The second new Branch Chief, for the Atlantic -
East, is another talented and experienced Auxiliarist,
from Tallahassee, Florida, Rich Rasmussen. He's also
held many jobs in the Auxiliary, serving on the District,
Division and Flotilla level. In addition, he has experience
in the SLO, LLO and PR arena and he comes to us
highly recommended from other National level officers.
Rich's enthusiasm for the SLO activities is contiguous
and the Division is looking forward to his engaging style
and supporting us in our jobs. Rich can be reached at:
[email protected]
Finally, one other small change applies to Tony
Lorenc, the new Division Chief. Tony took over for Ed
McGill who resigned, however, Ed is still supporting the
Division via his activities in the LLO Department. Tony is
not new to the Division as he moved over from a BC-
Atlantic position to the present DVC-BS. Tony can be
reached at: [email protected].
The entire Boating Department has high hopes for
all new appointees and welcomes them with best
wishes.
Distribution: Via direct email from BC-BRN to: NEXCOM, N-H, G-
OPB-2, G-OCX-1, GOCX-2. Upon receipt, DCOs are encouraged to
copy and/or provide the widest possible dissemination to DCPs;
DCPs are further requested to provide the widest possible
dissemination to FCs. Upon receipt, FCs are asked to copy and
provide copies to Flotilla members.