THE SCUTTLEBUTT

July 2011 U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Scuttlebutt Flotilla 12-8, 7th District Charleston, South Carolina Vol. Vol. 35, 37, No. No. 3-March 7-July 2011 2009
Page 1

Flotilla Web Site: http://www.uscgauxcharleston.org

Commanders Corner
Alan Miles, FC 12-8
Ahoy Members! At the last Flotilla meeting, Richard Daniel shared a presentation on a Civil War Ironclad ship the CSS Neuse, which he recently toured. Later in the meeting we discussed the results of our 2011 Safe Boating Campaign and looked at some of the hundreds of photos taken during the event. Its still boggles the imagination that our efforts resulted in delivering a safe boating message to over 2.5 million people. We concluded the meeting by presenting awards and recognition to members for Qualifying as Crew, Coxswain, Vessel Examiners, Partner Visitors, Telecommunication Operators, and Quite a few service awards. Again BRAVO ZULU to the members of 12-8. The list of recipients is quite large and I cannot sing enough praises for our members. As of mid year there have been an estimated 11 deaths in boating related accidents in 2011. The pressure is still on for us to actively reach as many boaters as we can. We have more Vessel Examiners, Partner Visitors, Coxswains and Crew members now than ever. We have several members that are helping with the Public Affairs Missions as well. We need to continue to
(Continued on page 5)

Vice Commander
Paul Thomas, VFC 12-8
The year is half over and we have made it past National Safe Boating Week and a Thank you, to everyone who participated in making that an over the top success. Inside As we approach the FC ............. 1 Fourth of July it is a time to have VFC .......... 1 fun with family and friends and to CM ........... 4 give thanks to our forefathers for CS ............. 3 creating this great country of FN ............. 7 ours. While the Fourth can be a HR ............ 7 joyous time it can be a deadly IS .............. 2 time especially on the water, for MA ........... 4 those crew members that will be MS ............ 5 doing patrols it can be extremely MT............ 2 stressful and I urge all crew mem- NS..N/A OP ............ 7 bers to be especially vigilant of PA ............. 7 your fellow crew members for PB ............. 2 signs of stress. PV.. ........... 3 This is also the time of SR ............. 6 year we have less members show- VE ............ 4 ing up for meetings and with ap- Citadel ...... 4 proximately 104 members on the Calendar... 9 roles this can create a problem. I Trivia........ 8 seek the active members help in calling our inactive members to see if they would like to come to a meeting so that we can have a meeting. It is also time to start thinking about leadership roles for the flo(Continued on page 3)

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

July 2011

Scuttlebutt

Page 2

Member Training
Bob Mathewes, SO-MT

Information Services
Bob Mathewes, FSO-IS

s stated in the Flotilla Commanders article the AUX Manual states that Sexual Harassment training is a requirement of enrollment. It is also required that each flotilla hold a Sexual Harassment Prevention Workshop annually. The good news is that for the first time in many years we have new material for the workshop. Having reviewed the material, I think it is a major improvement. There was recently an incident in 7th District which resulted in the disenrollment of an Auxiliarist. There is a major push to make sure that everyone has had this workshop before 1 August. We will hold the workshop on 27 July at 1900 in the Brass Buckle. Because of the importance placed on this by D7 this year I strongly urge all who can to attend. The uniform will be civilian casual and I promise that it wont be too long. Since D7 is keeping a close eye on who attends, do yourself a favor and be there. A four page ALAUX came out of the Chief Directors Office in June regarding uniform changes. For those who havent heard the Gold Side is no longer allowed to wear the Hot Weather Uniform. It is still allowed for the Auxiliary but the socks are to be white. It is, not authorized for wear while commuting to and from duty assignments, including in private vehicles. Some of the other changes include the fact that ball caps are no longer allowed with the Tropical Blue Uniform. The tucked version of the ODU, is authorized for Auxiliary wear until no longer serviceable. Bob Mathewes, SO-MT

ince we have a number of new Vessel Examiners I need to mention that although the form does not have place for it you need to insert the date of the of the exams and the location in the remarks section. I would suggest that when submitting e-mail forms you include yourself in the distribution. For some reason the system sometimes strips information from the forms in transit. If you send it to yourself you will be able to catch this and remedy it before I have to send you a e-mail saying that pertinent information is missing. As of this writing, there are still NSBW hours that have not been submitted. The longer you procrastinate the more likely that it will ultimately be forgotten and lost in the shuffle. Dont forget that you can see what hours you have on the flotilla web site and it is usually updated on Monday. Bob Mathewes, FSO-IS

Publications
Bob Mathewes, FSO-PB
e came close this month but didnt quite reach 100% submissions. We fell one short. Remember folks, the monthly article for the Scuttlebutt is part of your duty as a staff officer. It is your report to the flotilla of the activity in you AOR for the month. Your oath said you would perform all the duties of your office, not just those you enjoy. Remember there is a time lag between your writing and publication. Bob Mathewes, FSO-PB

July 2011

Scuttlebutt

Page

Communication Services John Sikes, FSO-CS

lectronic versions of Auxiliary forms are posted on-line to provide members with a quick and convenient method of obtaining good quality forms reproductions Forms are available in PDF format and the most recently released versions of Auxiliary forms are available. Most provide fill-in capability, and some include new printing and numeric totaling features. These forms are not recommended for use when there are e-forms available for use, these forms are marked with an "*" next to the form name. The E-Forms section has the newest feature in fill-in forms. You must have Acrobat 9 or above (or a compatible product) to use these. As these are test forms, expect frequent updating and revision of the features included, as well as additions to the forms offered. Changes to these forms will not necessarily be reflected on the FORMS NEWS page due to the rapid pace of updates. No forms will be available here that are not also available for download on the FORMS page. Other forms that are available are the required forms from COMDTINST M16794.51A for Qualification, Third Year Currency Maintenance, QE Request, QE Application and QE Examiner-In-Training. These will be converted to fill-in format in the near future. There are approved miscellaneous files which are not "forms". Included initially are business card templates and a new letterhead design. Where may all this be found? On the Auxiliary Staff Forms Warehouse website which may be found at this site: http://forms.cgaux.org/ . John Sikes, FSO-CS

Partner Visitor
Laura Meehan, FSO-PV

would like to start by expressing my appr eciat io n for t he suppo rt and guidance that the members of 128 have given me in my first year of service with the Auxiliary. I am having a blast and learning a lot from everyone! Thank you! Our program visitors (P. Thomas, B. Riley, R. Miller, D. Harris, and P. Berka) have been busy as boating season takes off and since the kick-off of National Safe Boating week. For example, Dwaine Harris has made contact with 6 partners in the beginning of June with the goal of adding the Cooper River Marina as a new partner! The activity of our PVs is important in that it is a huge way to reach the boating public, advertise our PE classes, VSC blitzes, and other public boating safety functions. PV is also a great way for new members looking for a way to get involved in the Auxiliary. It's a fairly easy process and something that can be performed on your own, in your own time. We're still looking for folks to join our ranks! You can start the training process here: http:// safetyseal.net/training.asp Laura Meehan, FSO-PV
SEXUAL HARASSMENT PREVENTION WORKSHOP WHEN: 27JULY @ 1900 WHERE: Brass Buckle

(VFC, Continued from page 1)

tilla for the coming year, time flies and elections will be upon us shortly. If you are interested in running for any office now is the time to be thinking about it and letting the FC know. May your Fourth be filled with happiness and joy. Paul Thomas, VFC

July 2011

Scuttlebutt

Page 4

Communications
Dick Clarke, FSO-CM
know my AO is COMS but I just want to tell you my recent experience. Joy and I just returned from a 24 day cruise to the Baltic and Scandinavia. While we were off the coast of Norway we witnessed a Helo extraction that was really well done. At around 2300 the captain came on the PA system to announce that a guest had suffered a heart attack and that a rescue helicopter was coming out to the ship to airlift the patient to a coastal hospital. He stressed the fact that NO ONE should use a flash on their cameras if pictures were taken. He explained the night vision scenario. The Helo came in low while the ship maintained a steady course at about 5 knots. The pilot then came over the bow of the ship in a slow moving hover so as to maintain good control of his aircraft. An EMT was lowered to check out the patient. The patient was quickly secured to a stretcher type basket and hoisted up to the aircraft. A strop was lowered to the EMT and up he went. The aircraft then exited the area and things got back to normal. The aircraft was an older type Sikorsky and the crewmembers were from the Norwegian Coast Guard. It was good to see that systems work no matter what country we live in. Dick Clarke, FSO-CM

Examiner. At this time the following have completed more than 25 VSC for 2011: Joseph Fleming, Alan Miles, Paul Berka and Randy Glas. Of the flotilla's 13 Vessel Examiners only 5 VE's have not met their yearly requirements of five VSC's for 2011. Paul H. Berka, FSO-VE

Materials
Chuck Chirila, FSO-MA

A A

s a result of National Safe Boating Week, boaters have been more receptive to boat inspections. So there has been a greater demand for both Vessel Safety Check forms and decals. Since the last Scuttlebutt issue, 200 more forms and decals have been ordered and distributed. In addition, 10 ABS manuals have been ordered for the June 25th ABS class held in Summerville. Semper Paratus and Safe Boating everyone. Chuck Chirila, FSO-MA

Citadel Detachment
Cadet Sgt. Wm. Singletary ll Detachment members are currently on Summer Furlough. I will not be submitting the next few months articles as I will be at USCG boot camp.* Cadet Sgt. William Singletary
* Our member, William Singletary, is currently enjoying the Summer season in Cape May, NJ as a member of the Unites States Coast Guard Reserve. After his Knob Year at the Military College of South Carolina, boot camp should be a breeze. (editors note)

Vessel Examinations
Paul Berka, FSO-VE o date 12-8 has completed 320 VSC's. Congratulations to Paul Thomas, Dwaine Harris and William Singletary for receiving their Certification of Qualification for Vessel

Happy Birthday U.S.A.

July 2011
(FC, Continued from page 1)

Scuttlebutt

Page

focus on the safety basics of #1 Wearing a PFD, #2 Have boats safety inspected, #3 Boat Responsibly, #4 Take A boating Safety Course. Every one of us needs to get involved in these programs. These are the basic four principles that we need to get to each and every boater in the state. Our work is not done yet so lets keep the pressure on. Its difficult to imagine how many lives we have saved or how many accidents have been averted because of our efforts. On another topicwe will hold our REQUIRED Annual Sexual Harassment Prevention Training on 27 July at 1900 in the Brass Buckle. The initial and annual refresher training is a REQUIREMENT as stated in the Auxiliary Manual COMDTINST M16790.1F, in Chapter 7, Paragraph B.2. states that All Auxiliarists will receive training in the areas of identification, prevention, resolution, and elimination of Sexual Harassment. This training is a mandatory condition for enrollment and it must be reinforced annually thereafter. We have a new presentation with all new material. The old movie is now gone. This training can be fun and rewarding and helps with our professionalism and team building. Lets all plan to attend the training together. On 15 June 2011, our Flotilla was present at Senior Chief Dales Change of Watch ceremony. SCPO Dale was relieved by SCPO Cory Gunkel. We presented SCPO Dale with an eagle statue and our sincere thanks for doing such a great job for Division 12. We also congratulated and welcomed SCPO Gunkle in his new assignment. Recently there have been some changes to the uniforms. Active duty members of the Coast Guard have abandoned the hot weather uniform and are no longer wearing shorts. We will continue to follow the uniform guidelines (with shorts) as

stated in the Auxiliary Manual in Chapter 10. You can view this publication by following the link on our Flotilla Web Site at http://www.uscgauxcharleston.org/. Please make sure you follow the uniform guidelines closely. Please note that US Air Force hats, and pants are not authorized. Also use caution to double check what you are ordering. If you have questions or before you place an order check with any Flotilla Staff Officer to ensure you are getting the correct item of clothing There remains about 4-5 months left in this year to consider serving as the next Flotilla Commander, Vice Commander, or as a Flotilla Staff Officers for 2012. If youre interested, you should start making plans. Several members have already indicated that they are interested in serving as Staff Officers. Now is the time to think about what programs and changes you will make to guide this Flotilla into the future. Please consider holding an office. I know Ill always be thankful that I served as an FSO, VFC, SO, and now as your Flotilla Commander for the past two years. SEMPER PARATUS. Alan J.P. Miles, FC

Marine Safety
Bob Orenstein, FSO-MS

have been in contact with Chief Ender and will get together with him shortly. The thrust of the meeting will be to discuss where the flotilla goes from here now that Gary Barnum has gone to the Pacific Strike Team. In addition, I want to set up a date for Chuck Chirila to sit his "oral board" with the Chief. More information to follow next month. Bob Orenstein, FSO-MS

July 2011

Scuttlebutt

Page 6

Secretary Records
Pam Bray, FSO-SR
The 08 June 2011 Flotilla 12-8 monthly meeting was called to order at 1900 by FC Alan Miles, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. New members Carl Huff, Will Carter and Gary McCullah were introduced. In attendance were Alan Miles, Pam Bray, Paul Berka, Dwaine Harris, Carl Huff, Randy Glas, Bill Riley, Bob Lovinger, Agnes Wright, Bob Mathewes, Chuck Chirila, Fred Schultz, Joe Fleming, Richard Daniel, Bob Orenstein, Will Carter, Bill Meehan, Laura Meehan, Dan Cowley, William Singletary, Paul Thomas, Gary McCullough, Kelly Duncan and Tom Jerussi. FC miles introduced Richard Daniel, who gave a most informative Power Point and slide show presentation of his recent visit to the CSS Neuse (Iron Clad) Museum in Kinston, NC. This iron clad scale replica was an amazing 158 ft in length with an 8 ft draft. It 1860s design featured angled armor cladding to effectively reflect any fire power in its path. It was powered by a locomotive engine, housed 2 cannons and carried an 88 man crew, all of which were drafted from the Confederate Calvary. The original boat was scuttled; however, its remains have been preserved for visitors to view today. FC Miles continued the meeting with a final report on National Safe Boating Week citing that it was the most successful to date. Over 500,000 people in our local boating area were reached with the message of Boating Safety Staying Responsible on the Water. From media interviews with Alan Miles, Proclamation Day by Mayor

Joe Riley, the efforts of all involved who helped fabricate, assemble, paint and install the markers and ramp signage to the boat launch landings in and around Charleston (thanks to Joe Fleming who spearheaded this effort and to Home Depot and USCG Station Charleston for their assistance), and to the Ready-Set-Inflate volunteers, who established a nationwide Guinness World Record. And a most heartfelt thanks to Barbara Thibodeaux and Laura Meehan whose diligence and hard work on this project made its success possible. VFC Paul Thomas asked for staff officer reports. Those in attendance gave their respective updates. Rick Miller, who regrettably had to release his position as Partner Visitor (PV) has been replaced by Laura Meehan, who accepted the position. Welcome FSO Laura Meehan! The RiverDogs and the USCG Station Charleston have partnered up to promote safe boating and the wearing of PFDs. Kicking off this promotion were FC Miles, Tom Jerussi, and Kelly Duncan, who passed out free RiverDogs game tickets to all young people 18 and under who were properly wearing their PFDs while on the water. Awards presented: Laura Meehan, Partner Visitor Certificate of Appointment; Bob Lovinger, 10 yr service; Robert Cowley and Paul Thomas: TeleCom Operator; William Carter, new member; Vessel Examiner and Program Visitor: Duane Harris and William Singletary. Congratulations to new Crew Pam Bray, Jay Bird, Chuck Chirila, Kelly Duncan, Dwaine Harris and new Coxswain Paul Berka. The meeting was adjourned at 8:39pm.

Respectfully submitted, Pamela Bray FSO-SR

July 2011

Scuttlebutt

Page

Finance
Frank Leister, FSO-FN
here is no material change in either the revenue, expense or balance positions for the Flotilla's finances. Dues will be invoiced on August 1 and due by August 31. The invoice will be dispatched to your email, thus it is vitally important that your email address be up to date. The Flotilla's FSOCS or FSO-IS can instruct you on how to check your record on the e-Directory. At the bottom of your record you will find an electronic and easy means to update any discrepancies. This will be sent to the FSOIS and will quickly find its way into AuxData and the e-Directory. Please assure that your email address is correct. Frank Leister, FSO-FN

Public Affairs
Barbara Thibodeaux,

Human Resources
Paul Thomas, FSO-HR
ecruiting is still on the upswing and I am a little behind on contacting some potential members that have been referred to me. I am currently working on catching up on phone calls and e-mail requests that I have received and hope to be caught up by our July meeting. I have sent out four applications and have two that are currently being worked on. Any new member that has not received an orientation by me, please call me at 843-810-9973 or e-mail me at paul.thomas@sba.gov so we can set up a time to get you oriented. Paul Thomas, FSO-HR Have you done your June 7029? If not, why not?

nother month has gone right by us! I have to admit it was like a lull compared to all the events we had going the month of May. I hope everybody got a little R and R after all our activities. I welcomed a grandson, Jake Ryan, into this world on the 9th. In June we participated in a Safety Event at Home Depot on Northwoods Blvd., North Charleston on the 25th. BM1 Miller was kind enough to send a crew with a safe boat and we maintained a booth. Parents and children alike enjoyed it. Also at the event were several Fire Departments, CERT members, Red Cross, and Police Department. The weather was clear and hot, but the public had a lot of good questions and comments. At present, I only have one event request for July. CERT advises they have already requested our participation in another Safety Event, and I will pass on details as I get them. Thank you BM1 Miller, your crew and Joe Fleming for helping make this event a success! Enjoy the summer and stay safe. Barbara Thibodeaux, FSO-PA

Operations
Joe Fleming, FSO-OP
perations wer e nor mal last month. A continued search for the part needed to repair one of our facility motors finally yielded the part! We can now look forward to repairs and getting the facility in regular operation. Operations has activities planned for the Fourth of July and I will be making contact with members to set schedules. I am looking forward to the new coxswains and crew members participating in patrols and operations. Joe Fleming, FSO-OP

July 2011

Scuttlebutt

Page 8
MORE PICTURES FROM NSBW

Nautical Trivia
Remember that in todays society shooting the messenger is frowned upon. Since the June question was submitted by Jim Andrews of Flotilla 12-12, I was just the messenger. I didnt think that the question was overly difficult but I must have been wrong. We had the fewest number of correct answers that we have had any month this year. We had several incorrect answers submitted by regular participants. Since Jim came up with the question, that took him and Karen out of the competition. That left nine other people who had answered one or more questions this year. Only four of those ca me up with the fact that the First anti-submarine vessel on scene after the Black Point was sunk by the German submarine U-853 off Point Judith was the USCGC Moberly (PF-63). The Moberly took tactical command of the operation that resulted in the sinking of the last German submarine to be sunk during WWII. The four that prevailed were Reggie Hollar (Flotilla 12-12) and Dick McLaren, John Sikes and Agnes Wright of 12-8. Construction began on this Chesapeake Bay lighthouse in 1904. It was destroyed by a storm before completion and it wasnt until 1908 that it was lit. At the time of its construction, it was the world's tallest caisson lighthouse. In 1964 it became the first and only American lighthouse powered by an experimental form of power. Two years later a conventional electric generator was installed. It is now powered by another rather unique power source. What is the lighthouse? What was the experimental power source and how is it powered now?

Joe youre getting ashes in the paint.

Alan shake hands with his campaign manager as he announces his candidacy for Mayor of Charleston

Alan presents trophy to departing Command Master Chief Dale

July 2011

Scuttlebutt

Page

July 2011
SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT

1
New Moon

2 9 16 23 30
New Moon

3 10 17 24 31

4
Independence Day

5 12 19 26

6 13
Flotilla Meeting

7 14 21 28

8 15
Full Moon

11 18 25

20 27

22 29

Sexual Harassment Preven-

Flotilla Officers
Flotilla Commander Alan Miles bigcid@comcast.net Finance Frank Leister fcl@lwinslow.com Flotilla Vice Commander Paul Thomas paul.thomas@sba.gov Human Resources Paul Thomas paul.thomas@sba.gov Communications Dick Clarke clarkerrc@att.net Communication Services John Sikes jsikes@netrockets.com

Information Services Materials Bob Mathewes Chuck Chirila rhmathewes@comcast.net cchirila@sc.rr.com Navigational Services Joe Fleming joeflemingjr@comcast.net Public Education Alan Miles bigcid@comcast.net IPFC Joe Fleming joeflemingjr@comcast.net Operations Joe Fleming joeflemingjr@comcast.net RBS Visitor Laura Meehan victoriayx32@yahoo.com Detachment Commander Cadet Greg Battenfield battenfieg1@citadel.edu

Marine Safety Member Training Bob Orenstein Bob Mathewes bandjorenstein@bellsouth.net rhmathewes@comcast.net Public Affairs Publications Barbara Thibodeaux Bob Mathewes barbara.thibodeaux@gmail.com rhmathewes@comcast.net Secretary Records Pamela Bray pamelagbray@gmail.com Vessel Examination Paul Berka phberka@comcast.net