THE SCUTTLEBUTT

Jun. 2008 U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Scuttlebutt Flotilla 12-8, 7th District Charleston, South Carolina Vol. 34, No. 6-June 2008
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Flotilla Web Site: http://www.uscgauxcharleston.org

Commanders Corner
Joe Fleming, FC 12-8 What a wonderful world we live in. We have the freedom to live our life as we wish. Some of us choose to help with the burden of keeping our home front safe and some of us choose to support those on the front. Every member of this flotilla took an oath to support the Coast Guard and its mission. I would ask all members to call a fellow member that he or she has not seen at our meetings or on a mission lately and encourage them to come to our meeting and see whats going on. Maybe we can help get them back. On 23 May, Sector requested 12-8 set up a static display at Patriots Point to show our support for the Coast Guard and its mission on boating safety. Commandant Allen was there to help promote boating safety week. Such short notice made it a challenge but with the help from Allen Miles, Agnes Wright and myself we pulled it off without a problem. Our Flotilla Boat was on display again for the public to see. There was lots of good reaction from the public. Station Charleston brought a safe boat with a crew, and Lt Roper coordinated a great show for the Admiral. CG Air Station Savannah put an H-65 on the ground
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Vice Commander
Bob Lovinger, VFC 12-8 Confession! I dont like paperwork and I dont know many people who do. So, although I have been in the Auxiliary since 2001, I had never filed a 7029. Inside There were a num- FC ............. 1 ber of presentations on how VFC .......... 1 easy it was to do so. BeAN ............. 3 cause I had to, I filed MisCM ............N/A sion Reports7030s but CS ............. 3 never a 7029. 7030s were FN ............. 3 not easy at first, so I figured, IS............... 4 MA ............ 2 unconsciously, that 7029s MS ............ 2 couldnt be any better, and since I thought I only had to MT ............ 2 answer to myself for not fil- OP ............. 5 PA ............. 3 ing 7029s, I just let it slide PB ............. 2 in spite of several New PE ............. 5 Years resolutions to the PS .............. 4 contrary. Okay! The floPV ............. 3 tilla elected me as ViceSR ............. 7 Commander. Now I really VE ............. 2 Calendar... 8 had to file 7029s. But there Trivia ........ 5 was that pesky unconscious again. But the end of the first quarter was approaching, so I gritted my teeth, went to the national website http://nws.cgaux.org/index.html, clicked on Members near the top of the page, looked to
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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

Materials

Bob Mathewes, SO-MT 12 D7

ith all the new members that Alan Miles is bringing in, it appears that there is going to be enough interest to warrant formal classes on the AUXOP or Specialty Courses. If as many as five or six of you are interested in a particular course, let me know and I will set it up. Some of you may wish to work on your own. The Communications, Weather, Seamanship, and Patrols courses lend themselves to self study. Let me know if youre interested in that method and I will get the material to you. Bob Mathewes, ADSO-MT (N)

Tom Beauchemin, FSO-MA

ome new materials are out. First the Vessel safety check form has been changed to reflect the deletion of the boating safety hot line. Old forms can be used until exhausted. Auxiliary operations policy manuals have been revised and are available on CD or paper. Please e mail me your requests. I have limited numbers becoming available. Please note that any materials being distributed with the Boat safety hot line number should have the number blacked out as it is no longer in use. Tom Beauchemin, FSO-MA

Publications
Bob Mathewes, FSO-PB

Marine Safety

nce again the elected and staff officers deserve a pat on the back for their participation in this publication. Seventeen of the eighteen expected articles have been forthcoming every month. This newsletter is like a jigsaw puzzle. I put the pieces together and make them fit but you supply the pieces. Without your input there would be no Scuttlebutt. Bob Mathewes, FSO-PB

Agnes Wright, FSO-MS

Vessel Examinations
Joe Fleming, FSO-VE

The date and location of the next VE Blitz will be announced at the next meeting. Joe Fleming, FSO-VE

ccording to AUXDATA, we currently have eighty members on the roster. We have thirty-six members who are listed as Boat crew or Coxswains. That means that approximately 64% of the membership is not directly involved in the operational side of our activities. If you are part of that majority, please consider getting involved in the M side. There are many opportunities for involvement in the Marine Safety aspect of the Coast Guard. Over the past year the many qualifications involved in the trident program have been outlined. Last month some specific qualifications that were needed by the Ensign Jim Litzinger. If on-the-water activity is not your primary interest, consider offering your talents and abilities to the M side. Agnes Wright, FSO-MS

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Communication Services
wealth of information concerning the Auxiliary is available on the National Auxiliary website. The site is at http://nws.cgaux.org/ from which we can access information for visitors and members. The Visitors page provides information on Boating Education Programs and Vessel Safety Checks, while the Members page will take us to the various offices and departments. On the Members pages, we can download and print the forms used to report our activities. We can also view and download many of the manuals that we use, and check on the proper manner of wearing our ribbons. Most of the national departments have periodic newsletters that may be viewed and/or downloaded. Workshops for the various departments are also available for downloading. If you havent visited the National website lately, take a few minutes to check it out. You may want to bookmark the site by saving it to your Favorites for future access. John Sikes, FSO-CS

Finance

John Sikes, FSO-CS

Frank Leister, FSO-FN

here is no news about the Flotilla's financial situation. No news is good news! The balance is nearly the same as reported at the last Membership meeting. Financial news is usually BAD! There is no mortgage crisis or the like in the Flotilla's future. So this "Ho Hum" report is good news. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, email me at fcl@lwinslow.com. Frank Leister, FSO-FN

Public Affairs

T
T

Tom Jerussi, FSO-PA

his past month we had several requests to support the Coast Guard in their activities. Following the Charleston In-Water Boat Show, 12-8 had a presence at the Air Expo in North Charleston, the Dragon Boat races at Brittlebank Park, and the Morningside Middle School Spring Carnival. Thanks to all those who volunteered their time for these events which were requested, at times, with little notice. Tom Jerussi, FSO-PA

ATONS
Allen James, FSO-AN

Partner Visitor
Paul Berka, FSO-PV o date this year forty-one visitations have taken place. Rick Miller has established another partner on Johns Island. Great work Rick. Paul Berka, FSO-PV

When I get our expert on ATONS, Richard Daniel, to go on patrol with us we will have an AN patrol. Hap James, FSO-AN

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Information Services

Personnel Services
reetings Shipmates! Here I am once again proudly reporting that we are definitely making an impact on our community and Team Coast Guard. We have personnel providing all kinds of services now and the Coast Guard is involving us in many fun and useful activities. As the demand for our services increases it is more important than ever that if you have not been active lately that you contact us and climb aboard and start serving again. My phone number is listed below, and call for any reason, Or drop me an E-mail. We have 35 new members in the queue that I am tracking to get on board. Our future looks really great and everyone is needed to train these new members. I am in the process of researching and encouraging old and new members alike to consider serving in an assistant staff position by putting together a series of fun training events to bond the staff together and unify us in our collective duties. Activities could be a Ropes Course, or maybe the Rock Climbing course at James Island County Park. If you have any suggestions I always appreciate your feed back. Alan Miles, FSO-PS

Frank Leister, FSO-IS

f you have the desire to size your contribution to the Coast Guard or if you want to verify your status on the activities or missions you have participated in you can do this through AUXINFO. Following is a report I pulled, (that is IT lingo). Here is how to do it. 1. From your web browser go to: http:// www.auxinfo.uscg.gov/cognos/ 2. Click on Continue. 3. Select AUXDATA Cubes (No idea why they are called cubes). 4. Select AUXDATA Member Activities. 5. Use All Missions by leaving the first pull down menu at the top alone. 6. At All Units select United States Coast Guard, then LANTAREA, then EAST, then District 07, then Division 12 and, at long last, Charleston 08. 7. You will see a list of member names, select yours. 8. Go to All Years, select CY 2008 or one of the CY Quarters 9. The report is complete. 10. If you want to print it, do so the usual wayFile Print. (You may or may not have trouble with this. If you do email me at: fcl@lwinslow.com and I will try to help. 11. If you want to store it do it the usual way with the same caveat above. Hope this helps. You may be a little frustrated by the interface but should you persevere it will work and you can be knowledgeable on your status. Again, as usual, please email me at fcl@lwinslow.com with questions or frustrations in accessing the data. Frank Leister, FSO-IS

Alan Miles, FSO-PS

Happy Birthday
This Month To:

Evelyn Egan...June 5 Dom Zito...June 10 Joe Fleming.......June 22 Mike Kahn.....June 24

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Operations

Public Education

Allen James, FSO-OP

e have conducted six patrols for the month of May. Five were normal Marine Observation Missions while the special one was assisting the Cutter Dallas with exercises to train their crew in defending the ship. Our lunch was not sandwiches eaten while tied up but was served in the officers ward room. Baked chicken was the entree. Here is a trivia question.....who or what was the cutter Dallas named for? Thanks to Tom Jerussi and Alan Miles and all the crews who have worked hard this month for Dragon Boat Races and Harbor Fest. Our next event week will be the Fourth of July. All CX and CW save some time to help during this period. When you are on patrol, take your VE material with you. Several times we have had people ask for an inspection. You need the forms! Hap James, SO-OP 12

Eric Kilpatrick, FSO-PE

ay was busy for Public Education. We finished two sessions of ABC instructing a total of 23 participants with 21 receiving certificates. Thanks to the Instructors: Bob Lovinger, Richard Daniel, Bob Orenstein and Dean Creed. One session was run through Charleston County Community Education Program at James Island Charter High School with 9 people. These classes also had guest speakers from the Coast Guard and SCDNR, BM2 Ammen and Sgt. Donnie Pritcher. Both gentlemen offered much advice to the class on how to stay safe and avoid citations. The other session was taught in a one day seminar format at the Brass Buckle on 10 May. There were 14 participants in the class and despite the long day, it went well. More ABC sessions will be scheduled for the fall. Eric Kilpatrick, FSO-PE

(FC, Continued from page 1)

for public viewing. Bob Lovinger and I had the privilege of having breakfast with the Commandant, on Saturday, at Lake Murrays Flotilla. Admiral Allen is happy with our work in supporting the Coast Guard and is working on pay raises for all of us. He is also working on getting more equipment available to us. Operations are going well but more help is needed to keep up with Sectors requests for missions. Let Hap know when you can take a patrol or crew on one. Joe Fleming, FC 12-8

Nautical Trivia
Last months question was the other name by which the Coastal Picket Patrol , CGAuxiliary OPFACs used for anti submarine patrol, was know and the Disney character that adorned their emblem. Seven people identified the Corsair Fleet as the unofficial name and a piratical Donald Duck (below) as the emblem. There was another, less complimentary, name which was associated with this group. That was The Hooligan Navy. There is an interesting article on this group at: http://
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www.uscg.mil/Reserve/magazine/ mag1999/jun1999/cor.htm The magnificent seven were: Reggie Hollar, Bob Kreiling, Bob Lovinger, Charlie McCarty, Dick McLaren, John Sikes and Agnes Wright.

Our FSO-OP, Hap James, posed a trivia question in his article this month. Lets take that one as the question of the month. For whom or for what is the USCG Dallas (WHEC 716) named. This is an easy one and should attract some new participants.
(VFC,Continued from page 1)

the right for Members Quick Links and half way down clicked on Forms. When the next page opened, I looked at the third item Email Forms and clicked again and saw a big, ominous CAUTION notice. Brrr! But all that really means is that you should submit the form to Frank Leister whose email address is fso-is@uscgauxcharleston.org. Go about halfway down the page and there was the dreaded 7029 linkMember Activity Log. Click again on Member Activity Log and a .pdf form came up. Well, I got face-to-face with the form. In the top right hand corner, it asks for the Division and Flotilla. Okay, I can do that. 12 and 08 go on the lines next to Division and Flotilla.

Section I is Member Information and asks for my member number and name. Okay, I can do that. Section II has a bunch of lines with columns headed by DATE, TYPE & LOCATION OF ACTIVITY, and HOURS. HOURS has sub headings for ACTIVITY, PREP, TRAVEL, & TOTAL. Do I remember all that? Of course not, but a long time ago I bought a little Memo pad to record not only that information but mileage since any miles I rack up for the Auxiliary are tax deductible as charitable contributions. (More on that in another column.) So I whipped out my little pad & entered all that information; date and month, what I did, number of hours in the activity, prep and travel. Lets see, about half an hour to see my uniform was looking good. The form wont take times in less than one-hour blocks. Okay, one hour. Same for travel time. Okay, its their game; Ill do it their way. On to the next line. Finally entered all that I had done for the month and scrolled down to the bottom. Click on the Date Submitted box and the form offers TODAY in a red box. Click that and it enters the date for me. What could be easier? Below that is a box for my email address. I know that. The next box is for Frank Leisters email address. I got that too. Just above is the SUBMIT button & the PRINT button. If I want the .pdf form printed, I can click that button but no, it looks like too many lines, so just submit. Hmmm. It tells me that the form looks complete so do I want to send it? Yes. Well, what pops up but a Submission Receipt that summarizes the information without all that extra stuff. Okay, Ill print that. Why didnt anyone tell me how easy this was? Well, they did, I heard but I didnt listen. How about you? Bob Lovinger, VFC 12-8

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Secretary Records
Rick Miller, FSO-PA
Flotilla 12-8 Membership Meeting Minutes 14 May 2008 The meeting was called to order at 1905 by FC Joe Fleming and commenced with the Pledge of Allegiance. Members present: Joseph Fleming, Rick, Miller, Paul Berka, Bob Mathewes, Agnes Wright, Eric Kilpatrick, Tom Jerussi, Gayle Ortega, Barbara Thibodeaux, Lou Mintz, Marguerite Bishop, Jerome Bishop, Richard Daniel, Alan Miles, Brett Hepburn, Robert Cowley, Robert Lovinger, Tom Beauchemin, Hugo Endris, David Deboben and Frederick Schultz. Visitors/Guests: William Jay Millard, FC Norwalk, CT, Greg Johnson USCG Civilian - Commercial Fishing, CWO Jay Bealer USCG Active Duty, Caroline Pelletier, Patrick Lowe and Paul Thomas, prospective members.. FC welcomed all the guests. The minutes were approved as published in the Scuttlebutt... FC presented the following awards: Eric Kilpatrick received a certificate as a Certified Air Observer. FC Joe Fleming, Hugo Endris, Bob Mathewes and Agnes Wright received the auxiliary Performance award for outstanding contribution to Operations. VFC Lovinger, called for Staff Officer Reports: FSO-OP Allen James is on the water assisting in a training exercise with the Cutter Dallas. He is working with Richard Daniels to schedule an ATON patrol. FSO-PE Eric Kilpatrick stated that the Continuing Education office is closed for the summer. A total of 9 people completed the class on James Island held on four consecutive Tuesday evenings and 14 people completed the one day class. Three students were under the age of 17. A total of 21 people passed the test. FSO-PA Tom Jerussi stated that the Flotilla had a booth at the Dragon Boat Race in which the Coast Guard participated.

FSO-PV Paul Berka stated that he brought in uniform parts donated by a former member for distribution to members needing uniforms. FSO-MT Bob Mathewes stated that the last opportunity for mandatory annual crew and coxswain training is tomorrow at flotilla 12-6. Mandatory annual training on prevention of sexual harassment will be held in two weeks. Bob thanked the officers for submitting articles for this months issue of the Scuttlebutt. FSO-PS Alan Miles stated that he is tracking 36 potential members. We are tops in recruiting in the area. The booth at the boat show was a great success. We recruited several potential members and demonstrated the proper wearing of a life jacket. He is working on a game for children that will teach the importance of wearing your life jacket. Old Business: FC Joe Fleming stated that there would be a VE Saturday from 9AM to 1PM at Bushy Park. New Business: VFC Bob Lovinger and FSO-PS Alan Miles will call on inactive members in an attempt increase participation in the Flotillas activities. FC Joe Fleming stated that on the water uniform is ODU blouse, ODU shorts, white sox and short boots. While underway the blouse can be removed provided you are wearing a blue auxiliary tee shirt with US Coast Guard Auxiliary markings. Program: Greg Johnson, USCG civilian employee in Commercial Fishing discussed the proper use of flares and showed a short DVD starring our own Lou Mintz. Th DVD will be made available to commercial fishermen. CWO Jay Bealer, First LT on the Dallas discussed the highlights of his career in the Coast Guard and expressed his appreciation for the assistance of the Auxiliary over the years. Meeting adjourned at 20:25. Next meeting will is June 11th at the Brass Buckle on the USCG Base at 1900. Rick Miller FSO-SR

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June 2008
SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT

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New Moon

10
First Quarter

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Flotilla Meeting 1900

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Flag Day

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Father's Day

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Full Moon

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1st Day of Summer

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Last Quarter

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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