THE SCUTTLEBUTT

Jan. 2008 U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Scuttlebutt Flotilla 12-8, 7th District Charleston, South Carolina Vol. 34, No. 1-January 2008
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Flotilla Web Site: http://www.uscgauxcharleston.org

Commanders Corner
Joe Fleming, FC 12-8
2007 was an exciting year for many; it brought lots of fun and hard work. We are starting a new year with new challenges and new adventures. I would like to thank Hap for all his hard work and keeping us on the right path. Leadership like his will be hard to follow. I know I have him to help me, when time comes, I may need it. Hap will continue with his Leadership ability as operations for our Flotilla and Division, as well as training new members for crew and coxswain. If you missed our C.O.W. evening, you sure missed a great party. We all enjoyed the fellowship and food. I want to thank my helpers for setting up and running things for the event, Hap and Louise James, Bob Kreiling and Barbara Thibodeaux. The New Year is here. Im looking forward to working with our staff and the Gold Side leaders in getting the job done. Some of you have the expertise to do jobs asked of us by the Gold Side, so please step up to the plate when asked. Im going to be looking to our staff for helping keep this flotilla to move forward and accomplish great things. As a team, were a good force and an important presence on our waters, and will continue teaching boating safety. I want to thank all of our members for their support and leadership, for without YOU my job is impossible. I appreciate everyones help and participation, lets make 2008 GREAT! Thank you again, Joe Fleming, FC 12-8

Vice Commander
Bob Lovinger, FC 12-8 This is my first column in quite a while and my first as your Vice-Commander. I want to start by thanking the members for entrusting me with this office and I pledge to do my Inside best to justify that FC ............. 1 trust. As well, I want to acVFC .......... 1 knowledge that I am follow- AN ............. 3 ing in some big footprints CM ............ 4 left by Joe Fleming, and I CS ............. 5 am aware of my debt to the FN ............. 6 IS............... 5 model that he has set. I am also grateful to Bob Kreiling MA ............ 9 MS ............ 2 who mentored my initial MT ............ 2 training and Dean Creed OP ............. 3 who was similarly helpful, PA ............. 7 as were a number of other PB ............. 2 people, including the other PE ............. 7 Bobs; Mathewes & OrenPS .............. 7 stein. PV ............. 5 When we moved to SR ............. 4 Charleston after more than VE ............. 8 Calendar... 9 25 aquatic years in MichiTrivia ........ 8 gan, I was barely aware of the Auxiliary. Although I was an on-and-off member of the local Power Squadron, I had also seen these guys in blue uniforms at boat shows but did not think about them much. They never
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Confidentiality Notice: Telephone numbers and addresses of members are protected by the Privacy Act of 1974. As a matter of policy, rosters of names, addresses and telephone numbers shall not be made available to the general public or any outside organization. Privacy of all rosters shall be safeguarded and the page clearly labeled. The publication of these rosters, addresses, and telephone numbers on any computer on-line service including the Internet is prohibited by the Privacy Act of 1974. The Auxiliary is guided by the current equal opportunities policies of the Commandant of the Coast Guard. No Person shall be subject to

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Member Training

Marine Safety

Bob Mathewes, SO-MT 12 D7

ast year was a productive one in member training. I look forward to 2008 being even more so. In addition to training for our own membership, we will continue to assist with training for Flotilla 12-12 in Edisto. We finished up 2007 on a positive note with an AUXSAR class that consisted of students from 12-6, 12-8 and 12-12. The result was six new search and rescue specialists. By the time you read this I hope we have added two more to that number. There are more changes proposed for the AUXOP program during the new year. I will do by best to keep you up-todate as soon as changes come down the chain. If the interest is there, we will continue to have classes on the various specialty courses. Bob Mathewes, SO-MT 12 D7

Agnes Wright, FSO-MS

Publications
Bob Mathewes, FSO-PB

e have started the new year in grand style. Two of the staff officers have submitted articles before I finished my own. I am heartened by the enthusiasm. I hope it is contagious. The publication will only be as good as the material you submit. I would like to remind the new staff officers that your monthly submission to The Scuttlebutt constitutes your report of activities for your AOR to the flotilla. Last year we did pretty well and I hope to see improvement this year. Bob Mathewes, FSO-PB

eres a new acronym for youMOM. For you medically oriented types, thats not Milk of Magnesia. It stands for Maritime Observation Mission. This is something you do, or should do, every time you go on patrol. It consists of observing, recording and reporting any untoward or unusual activity in the maritime environment. Essentially we have been doing this since 9-11. With the port facilities, bridges, environmentally sensitive areas, fuel storage areas etc. as well as container ships, cruise ships, Ro Ro vessels that frequent harbor and the Cooper and Wando Rivers there are numerous areas that we should be observing as we make our way around the local waterways. Remember that we have NO LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY. It is our mission to observe an d report. Be alert, If you observe something that you feel warrants further investigation, report to sector (by Cell Phone to prevent alerting the bad guys and scaring the general public) and let them decide on what needs to be done and by whom. You dont have to be on a vessel. When you are doing vessel examinations or dock walking you need to be observant. We need to more than show the flag when we are on the patrol. We must be alert and observant. Agnes Wright, FSO-MS

Remember the Division 12 meeting at the Beach Colony Resort in Myrtle Beach on 5 January

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ATONS

Allen James, FSO-AN

hose qualified as AN verifiers and anyone wanting to receive the certification contact me and we can set up patrol dates. Most of the time we will have our regular patrol and the AN as one in the same. However, night AN patrols will be special. Again, if you want to do this , contact me. Thanks! Allen James, FSO-AN

ligation to someone else. We volunteered our boats, now we are expected to do our duty. I will call OPFAC owners to schedule their patrol for the up coming month. January's schedule is Frank Leister, Hugo Endris and Allen James. Be thinking about February. Remember, the OPFAC owner will get a coxswain and together, a crew for the patrol. Anyone wanting to go on patrol just contact me and I'll direct you to the OPFAC going out. All coxswains, send me a copy of the 7030 so I can maintain proper records. Patrol orders must still be requested by the FC or the FSO-OP. Thanks! Allen James, FSO-OP

Operations

Allen James, FSO-OP

Attention ALL OPFAC owners, ALL VE's, ALL CX.

This requirement is in effect NOW. Reference item #3 . NO HAND HELD RADIO OR GPS/LORAN as primary equipment. Contact me for any questions. You cannot pass OPFAC inspection with hand helds. Thanks, Allen James __________________________________ DIRAUX Presentation D-7 Conference Facility Inspections 1. Use of Edition 4/2007 Form ANSC 7003 Only for Acceptance 2. Photo of facility, with sign boards and flag 3. Must Have Permanently Installed 25 Watt Radio, NO Hanhelds Accepted. Must have GPS or Loran Unit Installed on Boat. Again, NO HANDHELDS WILL BE ACCEPTED. 4. Must have VHF Antenna mounted on facility 5. Section III statement, unit and signature, proper boxes checked off,
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s your FSO-OP for 2008, I remind all boat crews that you must have twelve hours underway to maintain your currency. Hopefully, you will do much more than that because twelve hours is insufficient to maintain boat crew skills if called upon to use them. Now, having said that, you also must keep up with your hours underway. It is up to YOU to ask and receive a copy of the 7030 form filled out by the coxswain who was in charge of the patrol. If you do this, any correction can easily be made at the end of the year if AUXDATA is incorrect. Otherwise, some one has to go thru many records and spend hours on the computer to find out what you actually did. So, maintain your records! Patrols during 2008 will be the same as last year. We will alternate Saturdays and Sundays plus special patrols at the CG request. With our present number of OPFACs, each one should go out once each six weeks! If, for some reason, you can't go out; I expect you to make up that time later on. Otherwise, you are transferring your ob-

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incl certification or correct entries. 6. Section IV, VE endorsement, check boxes that apply. VE must be current or AUXDATA will reject name and offer for use will be returned. 7. Do not sign off for DIRAUX, Cause for rejection. 8. VIII, Must check box for authorizations, if not coxswain, and does not allow anyone to operate boat cause for rejection. 9. If boat is not properly equipped or is not in facility condition, you are not required to do inspection. Notify DIRAUX via DSO-VE for advise. 10. Boats offered for use that have not gone on patrol, question owner about renewing as non-operational facility. These boats are being given equipment from CG or Flotilla and depriving another facility of getting needed equipment. They serve no purpose or benefit for CG. Inspect as non-offered and give to FC for approval-DIRAUX not notified, they will not be entered in AUXDATA, and the feathers (on decal) must be removed. 11. If in doubt, contact Directors office via Herb Hanson for advice before you accept and do inspection.

laid in a confined and controlled place. Smoke was generated from the fire and a moistened blanket would control its emission to the sky. Proximity to a major traffic route for observation and communication was essential. Prearranged signals spelled out messages as the enemy could also see the signals. North American Indians are not the only group of people to use smoke as a means to communicate. The Chinese also used it. Although smoke signals do not have a clear code to decipher, there were some common messages. One puff would be to get the recipient's attention, two would be a sign that everything was alright and three would mean danger. Even though technology may have replaced the need for smoke signals , there is still a place for them in certain of today's situations. Dick Clarke, FSO-CM

Secretary Records
Rick Miller, FSO-SR As there was no business meeting in December, there are no minutes to report. Rick Miller, FSO-SR

Communications

D
sent.

Dick Clarke, FSO-CM uring the next twelve issues of The Scuttlebutt I plan discuss the various types of communications systems both past and pre-

Mystery Man
The mystery man who appeared in the December Scuttlebutt was not identified by anyone. This was just a little fun. The member is dressed in the outfit he wore to go trick-or-treating with his grandchildren. He also wears this when conducting the new member class so that recruits know he means business. It is or FSO-PS, Alan Miles.

To "LOG ON" not so many years ago meant just that. Your sending station was a high place visible to another high place. The sender would lay "logs on" a fire

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Communication Services

John Sikes, FSO-CS

ike several other appointed staff officers, I have been asked to serve again as FSO-CS. Maintaining the flotilla's web site is more than a single member's job though. I need each staff officer, elected and appointed, to review the web site at www.uscgauxcharleston.org, particularly their own area, and let me know of any changes they would like to see made. Ideas may be sent to me at fso-cs@uscgauxcharleston.org. Likewise, each staff officer has a similar email address that is provided through the web site for the purpose of non-members contacting us without having our own addresses published. Generating our flotilla's web site has taken a lot of work but maintaining it is an ongoing project. We need your help. John Sikes, FSO-CS

Information Services
Frank Leister, FSO-IS
ou will have noticed, perhaps, that FC Fleming appointed yours truly to FSOIS. This is a job that will take time to perform well. I will try to minimize the hassle. I ask your forbearance. My goal is to track and assure that all your submissions recording your activities and status get processed and find their home in AUXDATA, the controlling data base for the Auxiliary. There are two primary reasons for this. The first is the hours you contribute; help the Division, District, and National understand how our Flotilla contributes to the overall Coast Guard Auxiliary mission. The number of volunteer hours we perform is a powerful tool that also helps show the contribution the Auxiliary provides to the Coast Guards overall mission (i.e. force multiplier). The second reason to assuring your admin-

istrative submissions are posted to AUXDATA is to keep your qualifications current. Should your patrol hours, the number of VEs you perform or the hours you instruct fall short you will need to requalify next year. This is a waste if you performed the tasks and the record did not get it into AUXDATA. It can be a hassle for the FC to negotiate for you as an exception to re-qualifying and very time consuming. Starting now, please email all your forms to me at this email address: 128FSOIS@gmail.com. Should you want to know, (and you should), if your hours, VEs and tasks got posted please call me at: 843-991-1118. This is a cell phone that is active all year. (Sometimes I may be in a dead spot for a few days but I will eventually get your call.) I will research your request and get back to you quickly. In the end it is your responsibility to complete the forms and forward them to get credit for what you did but I will do all I can to assist you. It is not difficult to track your posting and records in Auxinfo yourself. All you have to do is go to the District 7 Webpage and click on Auxinfo Reports on the bottom left of the page: http://cgaux7. org/index_members.asp. Im happy to provide guidance on how to use the D7 Auxinfo reports. If you havent tried using this method recently, I encourage you to give it a try. Its user friendly. The preformatted Auxinfo reports dont require a user password and provide the same information as AUXDATA without the hassle of drilling down to the specific information needed. No one likes to do paperwork -- no one, but it is a necessary task to advancing our success, your responsibilities and the Coast Guard's support of the Auxiliary on their team. Please email or call at the address and number above with your concerns and comments. Frank Leister, FSO-IS

Partner Visitor
Paul Berka, FSO-PV My plan for 2008 is to add members to the Partner Visitor group. Please call me at 843 559 4668 if you have an interest. Paul H. Berka, FSO-PV
Congratulations to our officers. We have 100% representation in this issue. Thats a first since I have been doing the Scuttlebutt.

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Finance

Frank Leister, FSO-FN

My plan for 2008 is to add members to the Partner Visitor group. Please call me at 843 559 4668 if you have an interest. Paul H. Berka, FSO-PV that accumulation should be identified with a future specific mission related project. We have some funds for nonmission related projects too but not so much to require designing a goal for them. Some of that goes to the Commanders Discretionary Fund though most of the FCs discretionary spending is probably mission related. For instance the Coastie of the Quarter award can reasonably be classified under the mission -- Supporting the Coast Guard. One change you may see in 2008 is that dues notices for next year will go out by email and Scuttlebutt. For those that don't respond, I will personally contact to make sure they get the "word". It is very useful for each member to have a current email address in AUXDATA. Please let me know if you are uncertain about that address. In summary it was an OK financial year. We collected what we could and spent what we should. The Flotilla Change of Watch at the Outboard Motor Club was a smashing success. Great fellowship, a good program, lots of food and drink! The only downside was
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he major financial events for 2007 are: there are no major financial events for 2007. There should be no major events if everyone pitches in and everyone did. We passed the audit, which comes as no surprise because if we hadn't you would have heard about it! Past FSO-FN Joey Bokern used Quicken starting in 2005 to handle the details of our financial "ins" and "outs". Yours truly maintained that process, made it a little more detailed and added the budget function. We are required to have a budget and we do. Keeping a few more details in the accounting permits me to say the following: Our Fellowship income just about matched our Fellowship expenses, off less than $200. We accumulated enough money from that part of your dues that is not earmarked, (oops sorry), designated for Division and National Dues to cover that and more. Our budget, area of responsibility by area of responsibility, was rough but that was to be expected given this was our first detailed budget in awhile. I would hope we would be more precise in 2008 now that we have some history and experience to guide us. By the time you read this, each officer will have received the results of their 2007 budget to help them compose their area budgets for 2008. With their cooperation, I will present that no later than February 2008. We have a considerable amount that can be invested in mission related activities. We are urged, maybe required to invest this, as the Flotilla is not an investment club. If we do accumulate significant sums,

reached out to me so I was not aware of

how easy it was to join the Auxiliary. This is one error we do not make to the same degree but I plan to do what I can to both increase membership and to make the meetings as interesting and engaging as possible. I am aware that these are two important tasks that will not be easy or simple, but progress is my goal. In addition I want to work with the Staff Officers in any way that will help facilitate their individ(Continued on page 7)

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Public Affairs

Tom Jerussi, FSO-PA

spent another afternoon finishing the organization of the various publications in 12-08's storage room on the third floor. All the literature is now off the floor and out of the boxes. It is now apparent that we need to order the following for upcoming boat shows: SC state boating regs, pamphlet display holders, pencil and/ or pen giveaways, and coloring booklets and crayons for the kiddies. It would also be nice if we could come up with the funds to purchase a large "Flotilla 12-08" banner. Tom Jerussi, FSO-PA

comfortable we felt to be to be part of this organization. Thank you so much for that experience. It made our day! So with that all said, I am looking forward to serving by your side in 2008. Lets just see how great it can be! Remember : In 2008, 12-8 can be GREAT !!!!!!!!! Fair Winds, and Calm Seas,
Alan J.P. Miles, FSO-PS

Public Education
Eric Kilpatrick, FSO-PE My thanks to all Instructors who participated in the Public Education courses in 2007. We had a total of 37 people pass the ABC course during 07 and hopefully your efforts will show in their future safe boating activities. We already have another session scheduled beginning 19 FEB through the Charleston County Community Education Program at James Island Charter High School. We need to get more people into the classes this year so please be an Ambassador for the Flotilla and persuade people to sign up. Information about the class can be found at the following link: http://www. charlestoncoce.org. I look forward to great things in the coming year for Public Education. Eric Kilpatrick, FSO-PE
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Personnel Services
Alan Miles, FSO-PS Happy New Year Ship Mates, It is not quite yet Christmas, yet I find myself writing next years Scuttlebutt article. I hope I survive the Holidays and can see it in print. The Change of Watch was great in December and I am proud to have served under the guidance of Hap James as well as the other senior members. I am very much looking forward to serving with this Flotilla in 2008 under the skillful direction of Joe (wheres the coffee) Fleming. At the Christmas/Change of watch Dinner I have to comment. Miss Lynn (My Wife) and I were a little late arriving at the party due to other obligations and partly because of my poor ability to follow printed shore directions, but as I walked through the door into the inner SANCTUM of 1208, Youse, (for the benefit of Transplanted North East Personnel), or You (for the rest of us), people applauded us upon our arrival. I cannot express in words just how wonderful that made us feel as well as how

ual missions. I am more familiar with MT & PE than some of the other staff functions but it is my intent to become as familiar and helpful as I can in these other areas. Finally, although I have been in the Flotilla nearly seven years, there is a lot that I do not know. If anyone has advice or a suggestion, I want to hear it. Know that I am open to hearing what the members have to say, even if I cannot always follow their recommendations. Bob Lovinger, VFC 12-8

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Nautical Trivia
I thought that the December trivia question would be an easy Christmas present. I guess I miscalculated. If your starting point is the pole, any direction is South. If you go three miles South, that put you on a on a meridian that circles the pole. If you then turn ninety degrees East or West you remain on that meridian. As long as you remain on that course you are still three miles due South of the pole. When you turn North and go three miles you are back at the pole or your original starting point. Five Navigators that would equal Columbus or Magellan got the right answer. They were Reggie Hollar, Hap James, Dick McLaren. John Sikes and Agnes Wright . Congratulations to those who submitted twelve correct answers in 2007. They were Dick McLaren, John Sikes and Agnes Wright. Our IPDCP, Reggie Hollar hit it nine times and didnt start in the beginning of the year. The first naval shot of the War Between the States was fired in Charleston Harbor in April of 1861 when this vessel fired a shot across the bow of the steamer, Nashville. Name the ship which began the sea war of that terrible struggle. Notice regarding ID Cards
E-mails were recently sent to the e-mail address listed in AUXDATA for each member in the flotilla. The e-mail requested that everyone would send Bob Mathewes the expiration date on the back of their ID card. 29 of the 68 responded. 26 of those expire this year. The procedure for renewal involves taking a new ID photo and filling out a short form. Turn around time is less than two weeks. We will be prepared to handle this at the end of each meeting for those whose card expires the following month. I will remind those whose expiration date I am aware of to be sure to be present in uniform. If you allow your card to expire, you may not be able to get on the base. The procedure is in place, The rest is up to you.

Happy Birthday
This Month To:

James MorrisonJan 10 Shirley Wolf.Jan. 13 Rick Miller...Jan. 20 John SchmidtJan. 21 Diane Schmidt.Jan. 22

Materials

Tom Beauchemin, FSO-MA

he new year is upon us and the staff changes have been made. I look forward to working with all of you again as FSO-MA. At present I have nothing new and exciting. Winter is now here and this is the time to take stock of materials we have and the ones we will be needing for the next twelve months. Please make your requests ASAP as the process can take some time in different areas. Dont forget to plan for the January boat show. Tom Beauchemin, FSO-MA

Vessel Examinations

Joe Fleming, FSO-VE

ew decals are on the way, I am looking for the support of VEs in the New Year. Lets get the word out on safe boating. Please send me any suggestions that you have to accomplish this. Boat shows will start in January and we will need all the help we can get. I will get decals out as soon as they arrive. Joe Fleming, FSO-VE New Terminology
National has decided that PFD is out and we should use the term Life Jacket. Please adjust your vocabulary accordingly.

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January 2007
SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT

1
NEW YEARS DAY

6
Division Meeting Myrtle Beach

7
New Moon

10
Flotilla Meeting 1900

11

12

13

14
1st Quarter

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22
Full Moon

23

24

25

26

27

28

29
Last Quarter

30

31

Flotilla Officers
Flotilla Commander Joe Fleming joeflemingjr@comcast.net Communication Systems John Sikes jsikes@netrockets.com Marine Safety Agnes Wright Seabrownie@bellsouth.net Publications Bob Matheaes rhmathewes@comcast.net Flotilla Vice Commander Bob Lovinger rlovinger@earthlink.net Finance Frank Leister fso128-FN@yahoo.com Member Training Bob Mathewes rhmathewes@comcast.nett Public Education Eric Kilpatrick ekilpatrick@earthlink.net Aids To Navigation Allen James jamesan38@bellsouth.net Information Services Frank Leister 128FSOIS@gmail.com Operations Allen James jamesan38@bellsouth.net Personnel Services Alan Miles bigcid@comcast.net Communications Dick Clarke clarkerrc@comcast.net Materials Tom Beauchemin tbeauchemin001@sc.rr.com Public Affairs Tom Jerussi jscaaty@bellsouth.net RBS Visitor Paul Berka phberka@comcast.net IPFC Allen James jamesan38@bellsouth.net

Secretary Records Miller, Rick rick_ann_miller@knology.net

Vessel Examination Joe Fleming joeflemingjr@comcast.net