2013 Fall

Masthead &
Table of Contents
District 7 Bridge
Robert Weskerna
DCOS
Walter Jaskiewicz
IPDCO
Commodore
John Tyson
Dave Fuller
DCAPT-N
Judith Hudson
DCAPT-E
District 7 in Action
You and the Auxiliary
Feature Articles
Readers Opinions:
the New Breeze
Auxiliary Supports
Thunderbirds
National Photo
Contest Winners
Meet Gary Barth,
DCAPT-E elect
Not Your Typical-
Boot Camp
Weems & Plath
Discounts
Putting Our
Diferences to Work
News From Our
Partners
Member Spotlight:
Phil Goodman
Auxiliary
Assists Veteran
Chain of
Leadership
Auxiliary
Mentoring
Shock Around
Your Dock
The Great
Portage Race
Division 12
VE Competition
Dedicated to AUX,
William Kelly
Four In One Day! Assisting The
Shriners
Inspecing
Unusual Vessels
Proword
Patter
Working With The
Civil Air Patrol
We Know It
Happens, But...
4-H20: Kids,
Learning & Fun
Free Mobile
Saftey Checklist
Feature Articles
Breeze is the official publication of the
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary
7th District
UNITED STATES COAST GUARD
District Commander
Rear Admiral John H. Korn, USCG
Director of Auxiliary District 7
Commander Kathryn C. Dunbar, USCG
Operations Training Officer
Chief Warrant Ofcer Christopher W. Acklin, USCG
U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY
District Commodore
Commodore John D. Tyson
District Chief of Staff
Robert Weskerna
Immediate Past District Commodore
Commodore Walter R. Jaskiewicz
District Captain North
David M. Fuller
District Captain West
Braxton R. Ezell

District Captain East
Judith L. Hudson
BREEZE is the ofcial publication of the U.S. Coast Guard
Auxiliary 7th District and is intended as a publication to keep
the membership apprised of the activities of the Auxiliary.
All articles and photographs submitted must be consistent
with the policies of the Coast Guard and the Auxiliary and
may not be returned. Electronic submissions are encouraged.
Personal information of members is protected by the
Privacy Act of 1974. The use of these rosters, addresses
and telephone numbers on any computer or online
service including the Internet is prohibited by the Act.
Comments are encouraged and may be sent to Editor
(District Staf Ofcer - Publications) at: D7Breeze@
yahoo.com. Articles in the Breeze may be reprinted.
Make changes to addresses on: www.auxofcer.cgaux.org
Auxiliary Sector Coordinators
ASC Sector Charleston
Reginald B. Hollar
ASC Sector Jacksonville
David C. Cawton
ASC Sector Key West
Russell D. Jackson
ASC Sector Miami
William W. Tejeiro

ASC Sector St. Petersburg
Donald C. Hoge
ASC Sector San Juan
Mariano Velazquez
Division Commanders 2013
Division 1............................... Ramsey M. Rodriguez-Diaz
Division 2.................................................Nan Ellen Fuller
Division 3....................................................Daniel A. Hess
Division 4.................................................Frederick A. Hill
Division 5...........................................Leslie F. McDermott
Division 6..............................................Thomas R. Walker
Division 7...................................................J. Michael Shea
Division 8..............................................Paulette R. Parent
Division 9................................................David M. Shuster
Division 10.............................................Charles T. Phillips
Division 11..................................................Karen L. Miller
Division 12...............................................Allen L. Crothers
Division 13..................................................Elsie S. Metcalf
Division 14............................................William R. Sekeres
Division 15.................................................Paul P. Pelletier
Division 16.....................................................Lee E. Elvins
Division 17....................................................Carl D. Motes
District 7 Directorate Chiefs 2013
Logistics
James E. Dennen, DDC-L
Prevention
William J. Sorrentino Jr., DDC-P
Response
Craig Elliot, DDC-R
District Staf Ofcers
Logistics Directorate
David A. Hastings....................................................DSO-CS
Carl Lucas..............................................................DSO-DM
Phillip T. Poole........................................................DSO-DV
Angela Pomaro.......................................................DSO-HR
Susan Z. Hastings.....................................................DSO-IS
Theresa A. Barth.....................................................DSO-MA
Constance O. Irvin...................................................DSO-PA
Stephen Ellerin.......................................................DSO-PB
Diane Riggan.............................................................NSBW
Alejandro DeQuesada.............................District Historian
David Hastings ..................................................Webmaster
Prevention Directorate
Lyle E. Letteer.........................................................DSO-MS
Frank R. Lann.........................................................DSO-MT
David C. Cawton......................................................DSO-NS
Ronald D. Foreman.................................................DSO-PV
Gretchen V. Bacon...................................................DSO-PE
William S. Griswold.................................................DSO-SL
Chuck Kelemen.......................................................DSO-VE
Response Directorate
Kenneth T. Plesser...................................................DSO-AV
Henry S. Reynolds..................................................DSO-CM
Dudley W. Davis......................................................DSO-OP
Jerald D. Henderson...............................................Chief QE
Other
Lillian G. GaNun......................................................DSO-SR
Richard J. Petrucci......................................................DFSO
Andrew W. Anderson...............................................DSO-LP
James W. Mayer......................................................DSO-FN
Richard J. Leys.............................................................PPCA
Thomas Brickey..........................District Materials Center
District Administrative Assistant & Aide
Gary P. Barth................................................................D-AA
Richard F. Laughlin.....................................................D-AD
Carolyn R. Hooley........................................................D-AD
Volume LVX Fall 2013 Issue
www.uscga-district-7.org
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FROM THE BRIDGE
Half Empy, or Half Full?
John Tyson, District Commodore (DCO)................................................5
Past Auxiliary Stories
Walter R. Jaskiewicz, Immediate Past DCO...........................................6
The Meeting - an Update
Bob Waskerna, District Chief of Staf (DCOS)........................................7
Developing Leaders Who Lead
David Fuller, District Captain North (DCAPT-N)...................................8
Thank You and Farewell
Judith Hudson, District Captain East (DCAPT-E)................................10
Letters to the Editor: Readers Opinons
Stephen Ellerin, Breeze Editor...............................................................11
DISTRICT 7 IN ACTION
Thunderbirds Request Local Auxiliary Support
By Michael LeBlanc, Breeze Contributing Writer.................................12
Indian River Festival Celebrates Local Culture
By Michael LeBlanc, Breeze Contributing Writer.................................13
Two District 7 Auxiliarists Win National Photo Awards
By Ron Argo, Breeze Contributing Writer.............................................14
Educating the Public
By Nichole R. Betterson, Breeze Contributing Writer............................15
Miami Flotilla 6-11s Unique AUXPADET
By Bill Swank, Breeze Contributing Writer.............................................16
Auxiliary Assists Veteran on Intracoastal Waterway
Jack Margolis, ADSO-PB.........................................................................18
Amazing 14: VE Team from S.C. Sets, Meets Goals
By Everette E. (Billy) Shaver, Breeze Contributing Writer....................20
Member Spotlight Phil Goodman, ADSO-MS
By Judith Hudson, District Captain East (DCAPT-E)............................21
Meet Gary Barth, DCAPT-E, Elect
By Judith Hudson, District Captain East (DCAPT-E)............................22
YOU AND THE AUXILIARY
Not Your Typical Boot Camp
By Dick Risk, Breeze Contributing Writer..............................................23
Weems & Plath Ofers Discounts
By Dr. Chuck Truthan, Breeze Contributing Writer...............................25
Chain of Leadership Ensures Missions Accomplished
By Les McDermott, Division 5 Commander...........................................26
Mentoring: Is It Endemic within the Auxiliary?
By Darrel J. Graziani, Breeze Contributing Writer....................................27
Putting Our Diferences to Work
By Rev. Dr. Phillip Poole, District 7 Staf Ofcer for Diversity..............29
TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED)
News from Our Boating Safety Partners
Compiled by Bruce Johnson, Branch Chief - Youth Partners..............30
FEATURE ARTICLES
A Danger of Shock Around Your Dock
By Bruce Lindsey, DVC-BR....................................................................31
The Great Portage Race 2013
By Barbara Burchfeld, BC Liaison for RBS, ADSO-PB........................32
Florida Boating Advisory Council News
By Bill Griswold, DSO-SL......................................................................34
VE Competition in Division 12
Jack Margolis, ADSO-PB.......................................................................35
We Know It Happens, But
By Paulette R. Parent, AADSO-HR, Division 8 Commander...............37
Are You Ready? An Exercise with the CAP
By Kerry Eakins, Breeze Contributing Writer.......................................39
A Dedicated Auxiliarist: William Kelly
By Caroline Westerhof, Ph.D., Breeze Contributing Writer.................41
Four in One Day
By Karen L. Miller, Breeze Staf Member..............................................43
Auxiliary Assists the Shriners
Jack Margolis, ADSO-PB.......................................................................45
4-H20: Kids, Learning and Fun
By Burnette Shefeld, FSP-VE & Sue Carty, FSO-PA, 12-3..................48
Free Mobile App from ABYC
By Stephen Ellerin, DSO-PB and DVC-BL.............................................50
Inspecting The Odd and Unusual Vessels
By Kathryn Clatworthy, Breeze Contributing Writer.............................51
Proword Patter
By Burnie Radosh, Breeze Contributing Writer....................................53
VIEW FROM THE GOLD SIDE
What Team Coast Guard Does.............................................54
Cutter Crew Dedicates Time Of
By Robert A. Fabich, Sr. Public Afairs Specialist St. Croix, USVI........55
PPP
FROM THE BRIDGE
5
HALF EMPTY, OR HALF FULL?
Those who know me well know that I like to refer to the lessons in
life that I received from my grandmother. Gramma Tyson often
left her grandchildren wondering about some expression or riddle
that she had used deliberately, so we might beneft from thinking
about what she was telling us. Some expressions came as ques-
tions, such as, Is the glass half empty, or is the glass half full?
She used that one a lot when I was upset about not having accom-
plished something. I didnt truly appreciate her questions and
riddles then, but, as I grew older, I realized there was much wisdom
behind Grammas riddles. That wisdom probably has a lot to do
with why I am so optimistic today in my outlook on most matters.
And I know it certainly infuenced why I look at our Seventh Dis-
trict Auxiliary and only see upside potential and opportunity.
A few weeks ago, Douglas Armstrong, an Auxiliarist who lives in St.
Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, generously shared with me his copy of a
book written by former Coast Guard Commandant James Loy and
best-selling author Donald Phillips. Character in Action tells how
the Coast Guard develops and maintains leadership skills through-
out its forty-thousand member organization. While a discussion of
leadership practices may not sound exciting to some, the book has
numerous tales of Coast Guard men and women who displayed ex-
traordinary leadership during search, rescue and historical events.
I enjoyed the book so much that I could not put it down until I
had read every word. At times I felt
like I wanted to cry, I was so moved
by what I read about Coast Guard
men and women. At other times,
however, I wanted to cheer out loud because I was just so proud
to be a member of Team Coast Guard. And I felt really good as
I read stories of leadership by Auxiliarists who played an impor-
tant role in Coast Guard missions.
If you have not read Character in Action, I encourage you to get
the book from your local library. It is a terrifc guide to under-
standing the Coast Guard culture, and, when you have fnished
reading it, I believe you too will understand why we Auxiliarists
should consider our opportunities to serve with the Coast Guard
as a glass that is half full.
And speaking of feeling proud, how about the recognition that
our members, fotillas and divisions received at the Seventh
District Auxiliary Board and Training Meeting (DTRAIN) a few
weeks ago. Each of the units and members recognized had made
a signifcant contribution toward achieving the districts goals of
enhancing recreational boating safety activity, growing Auxiliary
membership, and improving leadership practices throughout the
organization.
(Continued on next page)
John Tyson
District 7 Commodore (DCO)
FROM THE BRIDGE
6
HALF EMPTY, OR HALF FULL? (CONTINUED)
Flotilla 78 (Pass a Grille, Fla.) members received the Flotilla Merito-
rious Achievement Medal for making Flotilla 78 the Best Perform-
ing Flotilla in 2012; Flotilla 54 received the Commodore Mansfeld
Trophy for conducting the highest number of Vessel Safety Checks ;
and Division 17 and Flotilla 78 each received the Commodores Cup
Award. Exemplary Leadership Awards for best performance in a
core mission activity went to Flotilla 14-2 (Jacksonville, Fla.) for the
highest number of Public Education graduates, Flotilla 12-6 (East
Cooper, S.C.) for Program Visits, Flotilla 14-4 (Jacksonville Beach,
Fla.) for Member Training hours, Flotilla 11-10 (Dunedin, Fla.) for
Operational hours, and Flotilla 17-11 for the highest Growth in Mem-
bership.
To all my fellow District Seven shipmates, thank you for your service.
Your commitment and dedication is critical to our continued suc-
cess. I value any feedback, please email me at: COMOfeedback@
uscg-district-7.org.
Semper Paratus
John
PPP
Our Auxiliarys history is our living
legacy. Its stories are not just stories of
our past missions and our members
accomplishments. Rather, those stories
defne, in many ways, who we are today.
Since our founding in 1939, our organization of volunteers has
been, and continues to be, populated by men and women whose
lifes stories are worth telling. These stories are heirlooms that our
new members deserve to inherit.
Many members stories clearly show self sacrifce that spirit of
self sacrifce behind the freedoms that our fellow Americans enjoy.
Behind many of our missions is the motivation to make our nation
a little bit better.
Never hesitate to acknowledge, with respect, those who paved
the way for those of us who wear the uniform today. Respect, and
share the stories of, those ardent activists whose passion made us
the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.
PPP
PAST AUXILIARY
STORIES
WALTER R. JASKIEWICZ,
IMMEDIATE PAST DISTRICT
COMMODORE
NEW BREEZE - NEW IMAGE - NEW CONTEST
For years, our Breeze logo has been the one that you see on the opening page and
masthead. (It is known in the trade as a logotype since the logo is composed
of type rather than an image.) As we launch our new look, wed like to update
our logo.
Although we could ask the artists in the Auxiliary Public Afairs Directorate to
design a new logo for us, we would rather turn to you, the Auxiliarists of District
7. If you have an artistic touch, please try your hand at designing our new logo --
whether you start with type, a graphic, or a photograph. Thanks to all who have
submitted ideas so far.
Forward your submission as a jpg, png, or psd fle to our new Letters to the Edi-
tors email, D7Breeze@yahoo.com.
FROM THE BRIDGE
7
At the Seventh District Auxiliary Board and Training Meeting (D-
TRAIN) in Orlando in September, I was asked to assist with present-
ing the Flotilla Leadership Course; in particular, the Meeting mod-
ule. This material is widely available and mostly very good, but Id
like to suggest some comments that refect priorities of my own. And
although the Meeting module mostly refers to the fotilla meeting,
my suggestions could be applied to meetings at all Auxiliary levels.
These thoughts come from various readings, experiences, and refec-
tions:
The senior ofcer (fotilla commander, division commander and
others further up the Chain of Leadership) should not dominate an
efective meeting. Dont be doing all the talking; youll bore your
members to death.
Meetings called to share information, rather than debate or dis-
cuss it, are mostly unnecessary. Use e-mail. This isnt always the
case at the fotilla level, where some members may not be partici-
pating with e-mail. Use good judgment with communications; its
very important.
Avoid jargon, buzzwords, acronyms or empty phrases Think
outside the box comes to mind as an example.
Be tolerant of mistakes, especially with newer members. Were
volunteers, and none of us is perfect.
Be optimistic. As a leader in the
Auxiliary, optimism is your respon-
sibility and Im not saying it will
always be easy. (For example, Im
writing this during the government
shut down)
Your members should feel that you
are nurturing success. Not your suc-
cess; their success
This you may have heard before, but I agree with this state-
ment, Leadership is one part leader and nine parts team. If
you forget this, youll end up exhausted, frustrated and without
accomplishing much.
This list isnt defnitive; but its a short list for efective meetings.
On another note, Id like to wish all our elected and selected leaders a
most successful term in 2014.
I hope you consider your District 7 experience an opportunity, and
make the most of it!
PPP
THE MEETING - AN UPDATE
Bob Weskerna
District 7 Chief of Staf (DCOS)
FROM THE BRIDGE
8
As some of you may know, my wife, Nan Ellen, lost her mother, Ethel
Sutton, on Friday, October 5, just a few days after we returned home
from the Seventh District Auxiliary Board and Training Meeting (D-
TRAIN) in Orlando. Her absence will leave a hole in our lives, and
I want to thank all the Auxiliarists who sent their condolences, and
were there in our time of need. This is truly a close-knit group, and
your support helped sustain us through a tough time.
As I write this article, we are in the middle of a funding hiatus and
are efectively shut down. This hiatus has caused a major disruption
in our plans for training, meetings and elections, social events, and
just about everything else we do. This will cause some scheduling
challenges for Division and Flotilla meetings and elections.
Although, by now, Divisions and Flotillas have a slate of candidates,
there can be nominations from the foor. When you elect your lead-
ers for 2014, carefully consider who you want as your leaders. Having
the right leader will make a big diference in the efectiveness of your
Flotilla and Division.
Do your current leaders and new candidates for 2014 have the heart
of a servant leader? Take a look at the Auxiliary Manual, Chapter
3, page 3-11 for the New Member Pledge. How long has it been since
you read it? Did you simply recite it, or do you really understand it
and try to live up to it? Below is an excerpt of the pledge we all take,
and I ask you to refect on this admonition.
The satisfaction you derive from your Auxiliary member
ship will be in proportion to your
level of participationin the orga-
nizations activities. The success
of the Coast Guard Auxiliary will
depend upon the extent of your
participation and upon the quality of the Auxiliary lead-
ers that you, the member, select.
In talking to members as I travel, one message comes through to
me loud and clear our members want leaders who lead. The Dis-
trict Bridge is committed to Leadership Development; it is a prior-
ity for the District. A highly skilled and specialized team is cur-
rently working on a program to help our leaders develop skills and
give them the information they need to make them more efective
leaders. We had an introduction to this new program at D-TRAIN
and it was very well received. You will see more on this program as
it continues development.
Please start taking a look at things you can plan for in 2014. If you
have dates of known or recurring events, put them on your calen-
dars now. This may help to avoid confict and duplication later. For
annual events, such as Flotilla and Division audits, appoint your
audit team now and start the process of inventorying the items
to list on page two, to have it ready for when your end of the year
bank statement arrives. You should complete your audit as soon
after the frst of the year as possible, and not put it of for later
months.
DEVELOPING LEADERS WHO LEAD
David Fuller
District Captain North (DCAPT-N)
FROM THE BRIDGE
9
DEVELOPING LEADERS WHO LEAD (CONTINUED)
Also, start thinking now about fotilla staf ofcer (FSO) and division
staf ofcer SO positions for 2014. Who will be the best person to fll
each position? Is it the person who has held that position for many
years, or is it time to pass the torch? I frmly believe one of the most
important responsibilities of any Staf Ofcer upon taking ofce is
to start the process of identifying and mentoring their replacement.
That way, someone is always in the pipeline and is familiar with the
job. This will allow for an easier transition to occur and less disrup-
tion.
This apprenticeship is particularly important for any member who
has leadership aspirations. Having the frst-hand knowledge of being
an FSO of as many programs as possible makes for a more knowl-
edgeable and well-rounded leader. Flotillas and Divisions who em-
brace this concept will have more participation and enthusiasm from
their members, and will have more satisfed members.
However, before we get to next year, we need to think about the bal-
ance of this year. Take a look at your Dashboards. For those areas
where we can make a diference in the time remaining, do we have
an action plan? Who is responsible for making it? Who knows about
it? Who is responsible for letting everyone know how much progress
we are making? The answer is that Leadership is responsible to our
members to make this happen. Leaders may delegate specifc tasks,
but if Leadership does not lead, we will achieve less than we are ca-
pable of achieving.
If you are not happy with the results you see, talk to your leaders and
ask them what you can do to help. We should be looking at AUXDA-
TA reports and checking members status to ensure members do not
go REYR unless they intend to do so. There will still time once this
funding hiatus is over to make up mandated training and get in those
RBS Program Visits, Vessel Inspections, and Patrol hours above and
beyond the minimum number required
Every member should catch up and
submit any AUXDATA forms that they
have not reported, so that the report
data matches the activity members have
actually performed. Remember that, in
2013 and beyond, having accurate, com-
plete, and timely information entered in
AUXDATA will be essential for several
reasons, not the least of which is putting
a number on the value of your work that
the Auxiliary gives to the Coast Guard
and the Nation.
My fnal thought concerns awards and recognition. Awards, both
formal and informal, are powerful ways of recognizing our ship-
mates for their work and accomplishments. Recognition is really
the only form of a paycheck that we can ofer our members, and
it is important to remember that any Auxiliarist can nominate any
other Auxiliarist for an award. This process is not limited to those
in leadership positions.
The hardest part about awards is not in fguring out who should get
an award you know who they are and what they did it is get-
ting started writing one. Fortunately, there is a very informative
section on the District 7 Website under Member Resources and
Awards. There, you will fnd a wealth of information, and many
sample templates, to give you a head start. We are very fortunate
to have Raymond Paysour as our awards coordinator, and he is out
standing at helping to polish our awards letters.
In closing, I am honored to have served you over the past several
years in various capacities. I am especially honored and very privi-
leged to have served you as your District Captain North over the
past 10 months. I look forward to another term and cant wait to
share in your challenges and successes in 2014.
FROM THE BRIDGE
10
THANK YOU AND FAREWELL
Fellow Auxiliarists & Good Friends,
This is my last opportunity to write to you in the Breeze as your Dis-
trict CaptainEast. As you know, my term of ofce ends on 31 De-
cember. Finding it difcult to know where to begin or what to say, I
will just say thank you, thank you, thank you for everything you have
done and continue to do. It takes every one of us to improve, ex-
pand, and execute our missions, and we have been an efective team.
Although all of our leaders say what a pleasure and honor it has
been to serve in their elected ofces, I really feel that way. You have
expanded my knowledge, shown me how much can be accomplished
when we work together, supported me with understanding and
friendship, and responded professionally when I requested informa-
tion and action on a multitude of subjects, often on short notice.
I have watched as Division leaders took their fotillas toward more
training and certifcations, better communications, expanded mis-
sions, renovated their meeting places, produced stellar publications,
and make signifcant progress toward implementing a division-wide
radio network system. Public Education, Sea Partners, and mem-
bership have reached new highs and relationships with our Coast
Guard Sectors are constantly improving. Our support for surface
and air operations is up and some Divisions are implementing elec-
tronic meetings to overcome geographical distance.
The facts show how fortunate I have
been to work with active and capable
leaders. However, not all our leaders
are elected or appointed members. Many of our members who
do not hold ofce have led the way in producing new projects and
executing missions.
While I will miss joining with you members and ofcers - on a
daily basis, I look forward to what 2014 will provide in the way of
opportunities to serve. You will fnd your DCAPT-E elect, Gary
Barth, responsive to your needs, a font of knowledge, and every
inch a leader for you (and he has more inches than I do).
I close with a favorite quote of mine from John Quincy Adams.
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do
more and become more, you are a leader. May we all dream,
learn, do, and become.
PPP
Judith Hudson
District Captain East (DCAPT-E)
11
READERS SHARE THEIR OPINION OF THE NEW BREEZE
BY STEPHEN ELLERIN, DISTRICT STAFF OFFICER - PUBLICATIONS (DSO-PB)
FROM THE EDITOR
TO THE EDITOR:
Do not like the format. Click out of one story and have to go back
to e-mail. Start all over. Pain to read the whole thing.
TOM HAYDEN
Flotilla 14-1 (Amelia Island, Fla.)
The writer is past Division Commander of Division 14.
Editors Reply: Tom, you are not alone. Please bear with us
as we transition to our new format. We trust that you will
fnd this issue a bit easier to navigate, and we will continue
to improve the mechanics of our new format with each is-
sue S.E.
TO THE EDITOR:
D7 Breeze is just great. Nice format, with very good pertinent
information.
PAUL GEORGES.
Flotilla 81 (Anna Maria Island, Fla.)
TO THE EDITOR:
Fabulous edition.
CHRISTINA DOONE
Flotilla 37 (Lighthouse Point, Fla.)
TO THE EDITOR:
On page 44 of the summer 2013 issue of the Breeze, the item be-
gins by saying that the Auxiliary Change of Watch is the same as the
Coast Guard Change of Command, just a diferent name. This is very
wrong...not the same thing at all.
Coast Guard commanding ofcers,
such as the commandingofcer of
Sector Miami, or District 7, actually
command their subordinates. Orders
must be obeyed...if not, the subordinate
could be court-martialed. A change of
command actually changes the guy who
can order you into harms way.
Auxiliary leaders do not command.
It is forbidden by Coast Guard regulation (and is spelled out in the
Auxiliary Manual). So we in the Auxiliary cannot have a change of
commanders (i.e., those who command); we just have a change of
elected leaders.
Obviously there are great similarities between the Change of
Watch and the Change of Command ceremonies, but still, not the
same thing, by any name.
BURNIE RADOSH
Flotilla 37 (Lighthouse Point, Fla.)
TO THE EDITOR:
This new format is momentous in scope and one can only won-
der how much thought and practice was put forward. The results of
the eforts deserve the appreciation and respect of all.
Today was the third time I began reading our e-magazine, there
is so much to read and absorb. A review of the articles I read so far
could easily be renamed Auxiliary 101.
EDWIN S. GREENFIELD
Flotilla 51 (The Palm Beaches, Fla.)
The writer serves as the public afairs ofcer
for Coast Guard Station Lake Worth Inlet, Fla.
PPP
12
Two Coast Guard Auxiliary fotillas swung into action on March 24
to support the TICO Warbird Airshow at the Space Coast Regional
Airport, Titusville, Fla. This year, the show headliners were the U.S.
Air Force Thunderbirds fight demonstration team.
Although the TICO Warbird Airshow is an annual event in Titusville,
this was the frst visit by the Thunderbirds. Due to budget restric-
tions, it may be the last. So the Thunderbirds wanted to make this a
really special show, and the organizers tapped the Auxiliary to help
make sure that everything went just right.
For four consecutive days, Auxiliary members of Flotilla 17-9 (Titus-
ville, Fla.) and Flotilla 17-6 (Central Brevard, Fla.) were tasked with
deploying exclusion zone marker buoys, conducting safety and secu-
rity patrols, acting as standby search and rescue, providing surface
visual navigation aids (artifcial extension of runway centerline onto
the river) for fight demonstration aircraft, public afairs and commu-
nications coordination.
As requested, the Auxiliary deployed facilities to maintain the des-
ignated security zone in the area of the Indian River that the Thun-
derbirds would fy over during their portion of the airshow. This was
no small task for the small fotilla from Titusville, but its members
eagerly accepted the challenge. Flotilla 17-6 deployed two facilities to
support the river operations.
Flotilla 17-9 Auxiliarist Jim Roche oversaw the river operations, Bob
Balke (Flotilla 17-9) provided a response vessel, and Mike LeBlanc
(Flotilla 17-9) directed the shore-based portion, which included the
public afairs booth and VHF communications with the patrol
boats. The Auxiliary team brought it all together through coordi-
nation and good communication.
On shore, Auxiliarists in the public afairs booth distributed safe
boating information to all passers-by and showed children how to
put on personal fotation devices. Everyone was in the right place
at the right time throughout the three days that the general public
attended the event.
THUNDERBIRDS REQUEST LOCAL AUXILIARY SUPPORT
By Michael LeBlanc, Flotilla 17-9 (Titusville, Fla.), Breeze Contributing Writer
On Station on the Indian River during the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds appearance
at the March 2013 TICO Warbird Airshow at the Space Coast Regional Airport, Titus-
ville, Fla., are Flotilla 17-9 (Titusville, Fla.) crew Bill Hanson (foreground), Jim Roache
(left), and Bob Balke (right). Auxiliary photo by Mike LeBlanc.
13
INDIAN RIVER FESTIVAL CELEBRATES LOCAL CULTURE
By Michael LeBlanc, Flotilla 17-9 (Titusville, Fla.), Breeze Contributing Writer
The Titusville Chamber of Commerce sponsored their annual Indian
River Festival 2.0 on April 13-14. The festival promotes the local
economy by celebrating the Indian River and its natural resources,
local food and culture, outdoor recreational opportunities, and
health.
Anytime there is an outdoor event around the water, you will most
likely fnd the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. Since the Indian River Fes-
tival takes place at Sand Point Park, in Flotilla 17-9s backyard, Flo-
tilla 17-9 would naturally be among of the many local vendors with a
booth.
Vendors are encouraged to set up displays for activities and products
that are essential to the communitys core outdoor recreation oppor-
tunities (kayaking, boating, cycling, hiking, paddle boarding, fshing,
etc.).
The fotilla provided information on the safe boating and paddle craft
classes they conduct, passed out various safe boating information
pamphlets, and ofered free vessel safety checks (VSCs), conducting
over twenty VSCs during the two day period.
PPP
THUNDERBIRDS SUPPORT (CONTINUED)
The fnal day of the show became the most stressful, as a cold front
loaded with imbedded severe weather cells headed toward the Titus-
ville area. Just before noon, the winds picked up to 40 knots, so that
vendor tents had to be taken down to prevent damage and most of the
aircraft and the parachute jumpers could not perform.
Although the two 35-foot boats which the Thunderbirds used for
visual navigation markers could not get underway because of the high
winds, the Auxiliary response boats were able to replace them on the
river. One of the response boats was even able to assist a vessel in
distress. Meanwhile, TICO organizers even moved up the show time,
which gave the Thunderbirds just enough time to delight the crowd
before the adverse weather moved in.
TICO organizers and staf, and the Thunderbirds, were very pleased
with how smoothly the entire event went, threatening weather and all.
PPP
Attendance was good on the fnal day of the TICO Warbird Airshow despite threaten-
ing weather. Auxiliary photo by Sarah LeBlanc.
14
The national Government and Public Afairs Directorate conducts a
yearly contest to recognize the best publications, public afairs pro-
grams, and photographs in the Coast Guard Auxiliary.
The photography contest recognizes Coast Guard Auxiliary photog-
raphers who have successfully captured interesting and compelling
images of Auxiliary members and assets in action across specifed
program categories.
The Photography Contest categories are:
1. Fellowship
2. Marine Safety
3. Member Services
4. Operations
5. Public Afairs
6. Public Education
7. Vessel Examinations
The winning photograph in the Fellowship category was submitted by
Christopher Todd of Flotilla 6-11 (Miami).
The winning photograph in the Vessel Examinations category was
submitted by Albert Bidwick, Flotilla 86 (Venice, Fla.)
Congratulations to both Auxiliarists!
PPP
Auxiliarist Al Bidwick of Flotilla 86 (Venice, Fla.) submitted the winning photo in
the Vessel Examinations category of the 2013 national Government and Public
Affairs Directorate contest.
Auxiliarist Chris Todd of Flotilla 6-11 (Miami) submitted the winning photo
in the Fellowship category of the 2013 national Government and Public
Affairs Directorate contest. In this photo, Auxiliarists in the lifeboat act as
passengers being evacuated from a disabled cruise ship.
TWO D7 AUXILIARISTS WIN NATIONAL PHOTO AWARDS
By Ron Argo, Breeze Staf
15
EDUCATING THE PUBLIC:
A NORMAL DAY FOR THE AUXILIARY
By Nichole R. Betterson, Breeze Contributing Writer
On Sept. 14, Flotilla 6-11 (Miami) held its monthly Recreational Boat-
ing Safety (RBS) Vessel Safety Check (VSC) Blitz at Crandon Park Ma-
rina. Flotilla members conducted courtesy VSCs and handed-out RBS
literature, including current state and federal boating regulations.
During the blitz, 18 VSCs were conducted, which six vessels passed
and 12 failed. Vessel Examiners showed owners of the non-compliant
vessels how to bring their vessels into compliance.
In 2011, the fotilla launched an aggressive RBS campaign to assist
Team Coast Guard in educating South Floridas ever-growing boating
public about safety on the water. This campaign helped reduce the
number of citations issued during vessel boardings conducted by ac-
tive duty Coast Guardsmen
PPP
Rhonwyn Ullmann, Flotilla 6-11 (Miami), offers a boater a courtesy vessel exami-
nation during an RBS blitz at Crandon Park Marina on Sept. 14. Auxiliary photo by
Nichole R. Betterson.
Flotilla 6-11 Takes Message to Miami Marina
On Saturday, Sept. 14, the Lowes Hardware in Stuart, Fla., held a
Safety Day. They solicited local community organizations to set up
displays and invited children to build a project while their parents
visited the vendor displays. Flotilla 59 (Stuart, Fla.) joined local and
state law enforcement and environmental protection agencies.
The fotilla fnds it easy to approach home improvement stores to
sell them on the Auxiliarys public education boating safety courses
and vessel safety checks. As a consequence, Flotilla 59 is allowed to
set up a table in each store on almost any Saturday to promote boat-
ing safety and public education classes.
Flotilla 59 finds a new partner
16
Flotilla 59 tries to convey public with the Guard Auxiliarys mission
ofers themselves as a resource for the community. They fnd that
static displays work great in this right venue.
The crowd-pleaser Coastie joins Flotilla 59 at a recent RBS event. Ready to roll and bring
the Auxiliary boating safety message to any location, Flotilla 59s van carries several static
displays onboard. Auxiliary photo by Hank Cushard.
Flotilla 59 finds a new partner (Continued)
MIAMI -- Flotilla 6-11s Auxiliary Public Afairs Detachment, or
AUXPADET, is a group of highly skilled Auxiliary members who spe-
cialize in providing public afairs, media support, publication design
and production, marketing, video and photography services to Team
Coast Guard units in the Seventh District.
Organized in 2009 by Chris Todd, a former 6-11 fotilla commander
and member of division, district and national public afairs stafs,
AUXPADET team members have been on the scene during a wide
range of mission assignments.
The AUXPADET team has provided augmentation services to the
Coast Guards Seventh District public afairs staf during the response
efort for Haitis earthquake in January 2010, the Deepwater Horizon
oil spill event in April 2010 and the Tidal Inlet Protection Strategy
exercise in August 2012. Most recently, team members worked with
the Coast Guard, cruise industry, U.S. and Bahamian governments
and other parties in providing photo and video coverage of all as-
pects of the Black Swan Mass Rescue Operation exercise in Freeport,
Grand Bahamas, in April. (See photo by Chris Todd on page 14). The
exercise has been called the largest and most complex mass rescue
operation ever conducted.
During the AUXPADETs existence, team members have planned and
produced several public service video ads in support of boating safety
and developed graphics and publications in support of events such as
fotilla vessel examination blitzes, boating safety courses and Nation-
al Safe Boating Week activities.
Working with the Seventh District public afairs ofce, AUXPADET
MIAMI FLOTILLA 6-11S UNIQUE AUXPADET
YOULL FIND THEM WHERE THE ACTION IS
By Bill Swank, Flotilla 6-11 (Miami, Fla.), Breeze Contributing Writer
PPP
17
members helped produce a pubic service ad using a famous Domini-
can baseball player aimed at encouraging Haitian and Dominican
residents to refrain from trying to sail in often unsafe, over-crowded
vessels while seeking a new life in the United States. Such vessels
have resulted in the deaths of many men, women and children over
the past several years.
Our team members have a wealth of experience in all facets of public
afairs activities, according to Nichole Betterson, detachment leader.
Weve provided photo coverage of both active duty and Auxiliary
changes of watch/command. Weve been there when the Coast Guard
has retired older facilities and welcomed new, state-of-the-art fast
response cutters. Team members have done television interviews in
both English and Spanish. Weve designed and produced fyers and
publications. Team members can be dispatched to support almost
any activity or crisis scenariowe are truly Semper Paratus and ready
to serve our Team Coast Guard associates.
According to Seventh District Public Afairs Chief Petty Ofcer Ryan
Doss, The Auxiliarys Public Afairs Detachment-Miami has been a
tremendous asset to the Coast Guard Seventh District Public Afairs
ofce. Since its inception, its members have provided countless pub-
lic afairs mission hours and worked seamlessly with our active duty
public afairs specialists for the past three years. They have worked
alongside us during numerous cutter commissionings, news briefngs
and training exercises. Its invaluable to have an Auxiliary PA unit
with members who are profcient, highly trained and are readily avail-
able to act as force-multipliers when needed. Under the leadership
of Ms. Betterson, AUXPADET Miami remains strongly aligned with
our public afairs missions and continues our proud tradition of being
ready to respond at a moments notice.
MIAMIs AUXPADET (Continued)
Through the teams tireless eforts and dedication, the unit has been
awarded the following National Auxiliary Public Afairs and Publi-
cations awards: 1st Place Division - National Public Afairs Contest
in 2012, 1st Place Flotilla National Public Afairs in 2011 and 2nd
Place - District Seven 2011 Flotilla Publication Competition.
For more information about AUXPADET Miami visit
http://www.auxpadet.org. Browse team member bios and view the
units support portfolio. No job is too big or too small for AUXPADET
Miamis dedicated team of experts -- and theyre sure to be where the
action is!
PPP
AUXPADET members not pictured: Audri Amoro, Iris Cohen and Carl Lucas.
Chris Todd & Bill Swank
Jan. 15, 2010
Felipe Pazos
May 24, 2010
Vickie Aponte
Jul. 23, 2013
Jose Acosta
Dec. 4, 2010
Nichole R. Betterson
Aug. 9, 2012
Joe Underwood
Apr. 2, 2013
18
On Sunday, Sept. 15, while on a Maritime Observation Mission
(MOM), an Auxiliary patrol from Flotilla 12-4 (Central Grand Strand,
S.C.)spotted a personal watercraft (PWC) with two passengers dead
in the water, in the middle of the Inter-Coastal Waterway (ICW). The
crew had already completed verifcation of the aids to navigation on
the Waccamaw River and had started to tow a substantial tree out of
the ICW to where it would no longer be a risk to watercraft.
The Patrol approached the PWC and asked if they required assis-
tance. The operator, Scott, said that his engine had quit and he was
unable to restart it. However, he declined assistance because he was
just waiting for his wife and other daughter on their PWC to return
for them as soon as she fgured out that he was no longer behind
her. Unfortunately, he had no means of communication aboard his
PWC.
The Auxiliarists told him that they would remain in the area and
check back with him as soon as they were done moving the tree.
The tree had begun to drift along the shore to the southwest,
pushed by the tidal current. Since it was now fairly close to the
shore, the Auxiliarists decided to try to use their wake to push
it into shore where the cypress trees would hold it. When it ap-
peared that this was successful, the Auxiliarists headed back to
check on the disabled PWC.
The same tidal current that had moved the tree had pushed the
PWC up against the western shore. The patrol found Scott and his
daughter trying to disengage themselves from the branches of a
tree, and again asked if they would like assistance. This time they
accepted.
AUXILIARY ASSISTS VETERAN ON INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY
By Jack Margolis, Assistant District Staf Ofcer for Publications,
District 7; Flotilla Staf Ofcer for Operations, Flotilla 12-4 (Central
Grand Strand, S.C.)
A patrol facility from Flotilla 12-4 tows a disabled personal watercraft to the
public dock at Wacca Wache Marina, in South Carolina. Auxiliary photo by
Tony Presson.
Army Gulf War veteran
Scott and his daughter
Jordan aboard the Auxil-
iary facility Dolphin after
being taken from their
disabled personal water-
craft. Auxiliary photo by
Tony Presson.
19
Scott said that his wife had tried to tow them but her engine had be-
gun to overheat from the load, so she disengaged and headed up the
ICW looking for help.
The crew tossed a line and pulled the PWC away from the shore into
a more favorable position for a stern tow. Scott and his daughter Jor-
dan came aboard and the Auxiliarists proceeded toward the nearest
safe harbor, Wacca Wache Marina, approximately two nautical miles
to the north northeast, with the PWC in tow.
As they talked, the Auxiliary crew learned that Scott was an Army
veteran of Desert Storm, having served with the 82nd and 101st Air-
borne. It felt good to assist a combat veteran.
AUXILIARY ASSISTS VETERAN (CONTINUED)
Scott, Jordan and personal watercraft arrive safely at Wacca Wache Marina. Scott
chats with coxswain Jack Margolis. Auxiliary photo by Tony Presson.
The crew dropped Scott, Jordan and their PWC at the Wacca Wache
public landing dock, took their data for the Auxiliary SAR Incident
and MISLE Case Data Entry Report (CG-4612, and bid father and
daughter farewell to continue the patrol.
During a follow-up telephone call the next day, Scott thanked the
crew for their assistance and expressed his gratitude for the work the
Coast Guard Auxiliary does for recreational boaters. In turn the crew
invited Scott to come to a monthly Flotilla 12-4 meeting and to have
his PWC inspected after it is repaired.
Thats what we train for.

PPP
Coxswain Jack Margolis completes the Auxiliary SAR Incident and MISLE
Case Data Entry Report after towing a stranded personal watercraft to a
public marina. Auxiliary photo by Tony Presson.
20
The vessel examiners (VEs) Flotilla 12-4 (Grand Central Strand, S.C.)
had a good year in 2012, with 153 completed Vessel Safety Checks
(VSCs). However, the team was not satisfed and developed a strategy
to increase their performance in 2013. They calculated that with 14 ex-
aminers now on the team, they had a good chance to meet their chal-
lenge to themselves.
The strategy was simple:
1. Find the boats or paddle craft;
2. Increase each vessel examiners knowledge;
3. Be available 24/7 and
4. Promote the vessel examination concept through additional chan-
nels, such as the visitation program, business cards, word of mouth,
visiting boating ramps and working with boat rental facilities.
Their
message:
VSCs
provide
a value
added
service
to our
boating
commu-
nity.
First the team set a goal of 200 VSCs, to include 50
paddle craft exams. To reach their goal, the amazing four-
teen started an in-house training program to bring each fotilla
member up to date on current boating standards and paddle craft
requirements.
Next they selected target boating ramps and other areas where
boats and paddle craft would be and committed to staf those
locations. They announced special blitz events. With sub teams
located in the Socastee and Murrells Inlet areas, the response
time from a VSC request was always less than 24 hours, and often
just hours.
OK, what happened? So far this year, the team has performed
320 VSCs, and 60 paddle crafts exams, for a total of 380. Thats
a 150 percent improvement so far over 2012, plus they added two
new members added to the team.
The boating months in Flotilla 12-4s area of responsibility are
May through Augustjust 123 days. Given 380 VSCs, that makes
more than three VSCs per day by the 14 team members.

PPP
AMAZING 14: VE TEAM FROM SOUTH CAROLINA SETS, MEETS GOALS
By Everette E. (Billy) Shaver, Flotilla Staf Ofcer for Vessel Examinations,
Flotilla 12-4 (Central Grand Strand, S.C.)
Auxiliary photos by Jack Margolis,
Flotilla 12-4 (Central Grand Strand,
S.C.), show members of the amaz-
ing fourteen at work.
21
Phil Goodmans Auxiliary career shows a logical progression from
new member in Flotilla 13-01 to his position today as Assistant Dis-
trict Staf OfcerMarine Safety (ADSO-MS). He started out as a
watchstander at Station Marathon, serving several times a week.
Because of that skill, he was called to help during Operation Deepwa-
ter Horizon, where he served for a month in Mobile, Ala. That expe-
rience showed him the importance of Marine Safety in the Florida
Keys.
So when Phil returned home to Key West, he started promoting
environmental awareness and safety training in Division Thirteen.
He frst went to school to become a HAZWOPER Instructor and then
developed a program of classes up and down the Keys. To date we
have over 600 civilians trained as HAZWOPER respondents.
His success has taken him beyond the Division to teach the class in
Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. So far, he has enlisted over 150
Vessels of Opportunity, non-Auxiliary vessels whose skippers have
volunteered to be on call in the event of any environmental emergen-
cy. Additionally, he has gone into classrooms to teach Sea Partners
to our school children, giving them an appreciation for stewardship
of our reefs and waters.
Phil currently serves as an Air Observer, an Assistant Pollution In-
vestigator, an Assistant Pollution Response Specialist, and a Public
Afairs Specialist III. He holds a Trident Device and certifcation as a
Coxswain, an Instructor, a Telecommunications Operator, and a Ves-
sel Examiner and is qualifed as AuxOp. He utilizes all these skills to
promote Marine Safety.
Phil also serves on several other agencies, including the National
Marine Sanctuary Board and the Mosquito Control Board of
Monroe County. The National Marine Sanctuary Board works
to protect our reefs and sanctuaries, while allowing recreational
boaters access to waters. Trying to fnd the balance of chemicals
needed to prevent mosquito larvae from maturing and prevent
dengue fever and other mosquito-borne diseases from spread-
ing while protecting endangered species of butterfies requires
the Mosquito Control Board to do a lot of research, analysis, and
problem solving.
All this makes Phil Goodman one really super Auxiliarist for our
district. Add the fact that Phil is a nice guy, responsive and ever
willing to help everyone, always with a smile on his face, and you
have a role model for all of us.

PPP
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT PHIL GOODMAN, ADSO-MS
By Judith Hudson, Coral Gables, Fla., Flotilla 6-10, District Captain East (DCAPT-E)
USCG CAPT Aylwyn S. Young, Commanding Offcer of Sector Key
West, presents the Trident Award to Phil Goodman and thanks him
for his service to the sector. Auxiliary photo.
22
Gary Barth has been in uniform since he was 17 years old and has
dedicated his life to service of his community and country. Garys frst
uniform was that of a Navy Hospital Corpsman, assigned to the U.S.
Marines Corps. After active duty, he continued 4 years in the Navy
Reserve.
Gary became a police ofcer with the Columbus, Ohio, Division of
Police. He retired after 28 years of active service, but continued on as
a non-paid Reserve Senior Ofcer for an additional eight years. After
retiring, Gary joined the Columbus Public Schools as a Criminal Jus-
tice, Law Enforcement and Private Security instructor. This program
prepares high school students for employment possibilities in Criminal
Justice.
It was during this time, in 1998, that Gary joined the Coast Guard Aux-
iliary, wearing that uniform as well.
Gary and his wife, Terry (D-AA), moved to Florida in 2002, where he
took on a third career teaching special needs students at Sebastian
River High School. The Automotive, Marine and Welding Department
provides job skills to autistic and other special needs students.
If variety is the spice of life, that must be why Gary Barth is so drawn
to the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Now retired, he tells everyone about
the multitude of opportunities an Auxiliarist has, and has personally
taken advantage of many of them, himself. Since 1998, he has served
as FSO-SR, FSO-PB, FSO-IS, FSO-PE, ADSO-PB, ADSO-MA (FedEx),
VFC, FC, CDR, DCDR, and CPR Coordinator Sector Miami. If that
werent enough, he is also DEA C Schools Coordinator, Assistant
Program Director for
CPR Sector Miami, a
Personal Watercraft
Operator and Boat
Crew, spending many
hours out on the water
in support of Coast Guard Stations Fort Pierce and Miami.
Gary has already volunteered more than 15,000 hours to the
Coast Guard Auxiliary, and it doesnt appear that hell be slowing
down any time soon. As DCAPT-East, he plans to spend a great
deal of time working closely with the divisions. His philosophy
as fotilla commander and division commander was to be vis-
ible and available. He plans to continue this practice as District
Captain-East.
Gary has the respect and support of those who have worked with
him and is well known for his positive interaction with members.
Gary promises, When a Division Commander has a problem or
concern, I will be there for them, either in person or by phone. I
will provide guidance and advice based on Auxiliary rules and
regulations. I will assist in any way possible, with the understand-
ing and emphasis that it is the division commanders responsibil-
ity to lead their own Divisions. My role will be to work with and
assist the Division Commanders, Auxiliary Sector Coordinators,
the Commodore, and the Director of the Auxiliary. I will continue
my established practice of utilizing a team approach to accom-
plish and improve our missions.
PPP
MEET GARY BARTH, DISTRICT CAPTAIN EAST (DCAPT-E), ELECT
By Judith Hudson, Coral Gables, Fla., Flotilla 6-10, District Captain East (DCAPT-E)
23
NOT YOUR TYPICAL BOOT CAMP
By Dick Risk, Breeze Contributing Writer, Flotilla 72 (St. Petersburg, Fla.)
Its not your traditional boot campthe initial indoctrination and
instruction given to new military personnel. However, Flotilla 72 (St.
Petersburg, Fla), has implemented their own version of Boot Camp
as a more efcient successor to the typical mentoring programs found
in the Coast Guard Auxiliary.
Eugene Scott (Gene) Keller, fotilla commander, came up with the con-
cept of presenting six monthly sessions, covering 12 independent top-
ics, led by staf ofcers in their own specialties. He put the concept in
place at the beginning of this year. Boot Camp is now repeated twice a
year so that newcomers can join the sessions at any time and complete
the course in their frst six months.
Keller credits his predecessor, Rick Short, and previous human re-
sources staf ofcer Marla Short with instituting a mentoring program
to teach new members of Flotilla 72 the essentials of being an Auxilia-
rist. It had a great deal of success and really did improve the degree to
which people in the fotilla new members especially felt enfran-
chised.
But Keller wanted to take the new member orientation a step further
by developing a system that grabbed people immediately, giving them
the sense that they could become leaders of the fotilla.
Under the old system, adds Bryan Cook, fotilla vice commander, each
new member was partnered with a mentor whose job was to show the
new member all the facets of the Auxiliary, teaching how to report
hours, how to engage with the Auxiliary, how to access the various Web
sites to get information, how to fnd training, and all the administrative
pieces that go with being an Auxiliary member.
Keller notes that each Auxiliarist brings a unique skill set to the
program. The mentoring program that existed in Flotilla 72, and still
exists in many other fotillas, relies upon one person. The problem
with that can be that were not all experts in every area. So, all of the
questions having to do with uniforms, for example, ended up going
to our one person in the fotilla who is really an expert on uniforms.
And down the line it went.
So, by having each of our experts [address all new members twice
a year], weve made the system more efcient.
Theres a ton of information that a new Auxiliarist has to learn in
order to be efective, explains Cook. We decided to break it all
down into its elements, and then divide all the training into specifc
modules.
Bryan Cook, left, vice commander and chief of staff
of Flotilla 72, developed the Boot Camp program,
creating 12 modules to be presented by each of the
Flotillas corresponding staff offcers. Theres a ton
of information that a new Auxiliarist has to learn in
order to be effective, he explains. All photos are
accessible from the video on page 25.
Gene Keller, right,
Flotilla 72 com-
mander, looked for
a way to improve
the effciency
of new member
orientation over the
traditional mentoring
model. Were not
all experts in each
particular area, he
says.
24
There are now 12 modules. We deliver two modules per session
two topics per night and it goes on a six-month rotation. We
have the training session once a month, which lasts about an hour
about 30 minutes per topic. We ask our fotilla staf ofcers come
in and speak about their area of expertise in the Auxiliary, the core
competency that they are responsible for.
Current Boot Camp topics include human resources, member train-
ing, uniform guide, information services, public education, program
visitation, vessel examination, operations, communications, publi-
cations and public afairs, communication services, and navigation
systems.
Since staf ofcers change over time, Keller felt it was important to
standardize each presentation, to ensure that the information being
given was consistent and accurate. To help staf ofcers make their
presentations, he and his staf developed graphic presentations to
use on-screen in their particular areas.
Exposing new members to a structured overview of all the difer-
ent tasks they can participate in helps them chart their course, Cook
points out. They get up to speed much more quickly; and they get all
the information delivered in sections, so it is easier to retain. Its not
a huge, one-time event, where all the material is thrown at them in
one day and all blends together.
New members become more efective quicker, claims Cook, be-
cause theyre able to enter their volunteer hours sooner. Theyre able
to get on the Web site and see the calendar of events and learn more
about the Auxiliary a lot faster.
Once people make a decision to join the Auxiliary, Keller notes, they
soon have to make other choices: Do they stay? Will they become a
part of the organization? Will they give of themselves to their fullest
capability? He believes that reinforcing the second decision to
stay is a common problem among fotillas.
The fotilla Boot Camp dovetails into another program, which tries to
bring every new member in as an assistant to a fotilla staf ofcer.
David Rockwell, left, Flotilla 72 staff offcer for the
Recreational Boating Safety Visitation Program,
talks about opportunities to partner with local busi-
nesses to promote Auxiliary training opportunities,
ensuring that the businesses have an ample supply
of literature to pass out to their customers.ng that
the businesses have an ample supply of literature to
pass out to their customers.
Jim Fogle, right, Flotilla 72 staff offcer for
Public Education, tells his audience that
the primary mission of the Auxiliary is to
promote and improve recreational boater
safety. A past fotilla commander, and
national branch chief liaison to BoatUS
and West Marine, Fogle teaches that all
auxiliarists are educators and recruiters.
BOOT CAMP (CONTINUED)
25
The quicker we give new members a re-
sponsibility, Keller contends, the more
likely it seems that they choose to stay
with us. And thats the real motivation
behind this program.
PPP
BOOT CAMP (CONTINUED)
TO VIEW A VIDEO OF THE BOOT CAMP TRAINING, CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW
Boot Camp participants (left to right) Jim
Campau, George Fischell and Russell
Huekler listen intently. Huekler is assistant
staff offcer to Jim Nelson, who handles
Human Resources and Member Training
for Flotilla 72, including coordination of Boot
Camp. Campau, not in uniform, has recently
applied for Auxiliary membership.
WEEMS & PLATH OFFERS DISCOUNTS TO AUXILIARISTS
By Dr. Chuck Truthan, Flotilla 15-3 (Ocala Fla.),
Flotilla Staf Ofcer PA/CS/MT/HR/OP
Weems & Plath, purveyors of charts, plotting equipment, and a host
of nautical products, both functional and decorative, ofers a signif-
cant discount to Auxiliary members.
I have just placed my second order with Weems & Plath, and re-
ceived the discount.
To do this, I ordered online at http://www.weems-plath.com/ and,
during the checkout, I entered GOV under the Promotion Code.
I then entered in my shipping address as USCGAUX and my 7
digit Flotilla number as the company. This helps the company to
identify us as being entitled to the Government rate.
If the discount does not appear, call the ofce, 800-638-0428, and
they will take great care of you.
PPP

26
CHAIN OF LEADERSHIP ENSURES MISSIONS WILL BE
ACCOMPLISHED
By Les McDermott, Division 5 Commander
The Auxiliary has a Chain of Leadership (COL) that lets Auxiliarists
express their views to our local, regional, and even national leaders.
Please permit me to communicate the importance of using the Chain of
Leadership, and the proper procedure to follow, when your mission or
task does not appear to be proceeding as you feel it should.
Following the Chain of Leadership is not optional. Even when the Aux-
iliary processes for a mission seem frustrating (or annoying), we follow
the COL.
There are a number of reasons for this; all are signifcant. In this ar-
ticle, I feature a few that are relevant to the subject.
First, although Auxiliarists are volunteers, Auxiliarists are members
of Team Coast Guard. Consequently, we are required to follow Coast
Guard specifed policies and practices. (This is often the most signif-
cant issue that long-term Auxiliarists have with the New Auxiliary.)
The fact that we are volunteers does not modify these requirements.
Second, each elected or appointed ofcer has a function, whose respon-
sibilities are specifed in the Auxiliary Manual. These specifcations
are given to identify clearly who is responsible for accomplishing any
mission or task. If the elected or appointed ofcer does not accomplish
the assigned mission or task, it is the responsibility of the next higher
individual in the Chain of Leadership to provide support or get the task
accomplished. This is why it is so important that, even as volunteers,
elected leaders do not circumvent or allow the Chain of Leadership
to be circumvented in the name of efciency or of accomplishing
the mission. If the responsible leader is not getting the job done,
the proper procedure is to escalate the issue by bringing it to the
attention of next higher individual in the COL. Prior to escalation,
the originally-responsible person should be informed of the action.
Third, circumventing the Chain of Leadership causes loss of ac-
countability, often creates duplication of efort, introduces con-
fusion, breaks the orderly fow of information, and therefore in-
creases workfow. This extra reporting and workfow (particularly
for volunteers) eats up time and efort that would be better spent
accomplishing other missions. It also diminishes the motivation
to be supportive, and, annoys the beejeebers out of some people
(like the Division 5 Commander) who must explain why procedures
are not being followed and resolve issues that they did not previ-
ously know about. This is particularly signifcant whenever the ac-
tive duty Coast Guard is involved.
Fourth, while it may appear that a mission or task is being ignored
or is not being accomplished as efciently as practical, enforcing
proper procedures does ensure the most efcient accomplish-
ment of the mission or task. There may be reasons why the system
doesnt appear to be functioning properly or why something cannot
be communicated down the COL. In those cases, it is the respon-
sibility of the Chain of Leadership to identify and resolve system
anomalies.
Ultimately, one responsibly of elected members of the Chain of
Leadership is to track the status of assigned missions and commu-
nicate the statue up the COL. They cannot do so if members cir-
cumvent the chain.
PPP
27
Over the past few years, formal mentoring programs have become
essential in many organizations as they seek to develop future lead-
ers. This formal approach ensures that an organization focuses on its
future by identifying and grooming individuals with the desired skills,
knowledge, and abilities for future positions on the leadership team.
In an efort to jump start a mentoring program, some organizations
have implemented forced mentoring by requiring managers to be
mentors as part of their job description. These forced programs typi-
cally miss the main objectives of a mentoring program and often fail.
Over time, I have been involved in several mentoring programs.
Three of these are noteworthy. The frst was a forced program, in
which upper management mandated that all managers meet with
their subordinates individually every quarter in a mentoring ses-
sion.
Soon mentoring became an essential standard in each employees
performance appraisals, with specifc requirements, including man-
dated time (no more than one hour), and its own work progress
evaluations (to be entered on new a form that documented the
meeting).
What we discovered was that very little mentoring was completed
under this program; although some coaching took place, mostly it
became an informal, documented counseling session with specifc
implications for the organizations disciplinary program. The formal
program was ended within two years, amid cheers from everyone.
The second was a voluntary program. This program was part of the
Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) Environmental
Public Health Leadership Institute and was available to each person
as part of the class. The program was exceptional in that specifc indi-
viduals were teamed with mentors based on their current positions and
resumes.
My mentor, a professor at a North Carolina university, had a back-
ground similar to mine, in environmental regulation. The mentoring
program asked us to identify three short-term goals and two long-term
goals. We then reviewed and discussed these goals, and eventually
selected just one to accomplish during the year. This proved to be very
successful and the discussions with my mentor were extremely enjoy-
able.
Like the forced program, my mentoring sessions were scheduled and
had a set time limit. However, the choice to work with a mentor was
voluntary. The CDC primarily encouraged participation to help enhance
mentoring skills.
The third is the current Auxiliary program. This program, from what I
have seen over the past two years, appears to be a hybrid of the forced
and voluntary programs.
The Auxiliary has much to ofer its members in the way of training and
activities. The formal side of Auxiliary training programs includes both
mentoring and coaching, with associated documentation. As volun-
teers, members of the Auxiliary can participate in training and activi-
ties as they have time, leaving their progress within the organization to
their own initiative.
In my professional experience, it is extremely important to get new
members involved, early and often, in a variety of activities to see what
interests them and identify the talents they have. And mentoring give
us a good tool to do so.
MENTORING: IS IT ENDEMIC WITHIN THE AUXILIARY
CULTURE?
By Darrel J. Graziani, Flotilla 59 (Stuart, Fla.), Breeze Contributing Writer
28
Recent discussions at my fotilla staf meeting about designating
mentors were met with the comment, We tried that and it didnt
work. That confrms my observations, above, about forced pro-
grams.
However, the Auxiliary already has a voluntary mentoring program,
with a crew of mentors and coaches, that far exceeds anything I have
seen in either the public or private sectors.
My observations confrm that mentoring is natural within the culture
of the Auxiliary and that many Auxiliary members are already great
mentors and coaches.
But mentoring is a two-way street that requires both mentor and
mentee to have a common goal, from which they can work to achieve
positive results for both, with an overall beneft to the Auxiliary and
the people we serve.
MENTORING (CONTINUED)
By understanding some of the diferences between mentoring and
coaching, Auxiliary members can enhance their abilities as both a
mentor and a coach by realizing what they already do.
(You can read four fundamental diferences between coaching and
mentoring, with the roles of each, at http://www.management-
mentors.com/resources/coaching-mentoring-diferences/).
So far I have worked with fve mentors in the Auxiliary, all of whom
ofered suggestions, encouragement, insights and guidance. Ad-
ditional Auxiliary mentoring programs should focus on helping
members identify the positive traits they already possess and how
best to utilize them. PPP
Coaching
Coaching is task
oriented
Coaching is short term
Coaching is
performance driven
Coaching does not
require design

Wayne Johnson, Flotilla 59, works on his own
KSAs (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities) while
acting as a mentor and a coach.
Auxiliary photo by Bill Gelpke.
Past Auxiliary mentoring
programs were not mandatory
or even formalized. Rather,
people naturally cliqued as
they worked together. Howev-
er, cliques are so 1980s and,
in the new millennium, new
members (like new hires)
look to someone whom they
trust to help them get involved
and succeed. Mentoring has
become an essential program
in our culture.
One of Flotilla 59s newest members, Con-
nor Jewitt, with Coast Guard Commandant
Admiral Robert J. Papp Jr. Could any Auxil-
iarist ask for a better mentor?
Auxiliary photo by Diane Riggan.
As a volunteer organization,
the Auxiliary continues to
grow and succeed thanks
to its mentors and coaches.
In picking mentors, leasers
should recognize that desig-
nating a person as a mentor
does not make him or her
one. On the other hand,
while training a person to
be a mentor may be dif-
cult, it is not usually impos-
sible.
Mentoring
Mentoring is relationship
oriented
Mentoring is long term
Mentoring is development
driven
Mentoring requires a
design phase

29
As members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, we help protect the greatest
nation in the world. It is a nation that welcomes, indeed encourages,
the active participation of every citizen regardless of race, gender,
creed or color. It is a democracy founded on the promise of opportu-
nity for all. It is also a nation whose demographic makeup is continu-
ally changing, refecting the infux of new immigrants and the growth
of minority populations.
The Auxiliary must be cognizant of this: to the degree that we truly
represent the makeup of our democracy, we are a stronger, more rel-
evant, uniformed volunteer organization.
Diversity is mission critical to Team Coast Guard if we are to accom-
plish our mission tasks. Everyone in the Auxiliary contributes to this
mission, and everyone brings to the collective efort unique capabilities
to help accomplish the mission. How we foster our talent base afects
our ability to successfully accomplish our number one goal of Recre-
ational Boater Safety.
Like any organization in times of change, we can thrive on the infusion
of new ideas and diversity of thought. This is particularly true today,
when understanding the mores, customs and ideals of diverse cultures,
as well as the perspectives of other people, remains critical to keeping
our nation safe.
As Auxiliartists in District 7, we must make an active commitment
to attracting, recruiting, mentoring and retaining those who want to
serve with us as we serve our communities, regardless of race, gender
or creed. Through seeking out, respecting, appreciating and valuing
the uniqueness of all walks of life, making opportunities available for
all, we will strengthen our core membership and be better able to
become force multipliers in accomplishing our mission tasks.
For the Auxiliary to derive the most from diversity, every individual
within our membership must be encouraged and enabled to reach
his or her full potential. Auxiliartists must be inspired and empow-
ered to attain the most senior levels in our Chain of Leadership. That
empowerment can be unleashed today, tomorrow and in the future
by an involved, thoughtful, proactive and enlightened membership.
We are each entrusted with the duty and responsibility to create an
environment where every individuals contribution is valued and
respected.
As District Commodore John Tyson leads National Commodore
Thomas Mallisons diversity initiatives in District 7, I challenge each
of you to do your part through your Chain of Leadership, mentor-
ship, service and personal example to create and enable this type of
environment.
The diversity of thoughts, ideas, and competencies of our members
keeps our Auxiliary strong, empowering the protection of the very
freedoms and opportunities we enjoy each and every day. The vast
talent, diversity and experience of our members will continue to be
our strength, ensuring the Auxiliarys relevance and our nations
security and prosperity.
By enhancing, and empowering, the diversity of our membership,
we help ensure that our nation remains a global force for peace. Let
the diversity of our membership epitomize the ideals that make the
Auxiliary great and our nation the best hope of freedom.
Let us all do our part to strengthen the Auxiliary by putting our dif-
ferences to work for the greater good of all.
PPP
PUTTING OUR DIFFERENCES TO WORK
By Rev. Dr. Phillip Poole, District 7 Staf Ofcer for Diversity
30
NASBLA Opens Public Review
Period for Revised DRAFT of
National Boating Education
Standards
traditional lithographic (paper) nautical charts. Coast Survey will
continue to create and distribute other forms of nautical charts,
including Print-on-Demand paper charts as well as electronic and
digital formats...
(NOAA-certifed Print-on-Demand partners will continue to sell up-
to-date paper nautical charts)
Education Standards Panel
Announces Calls for Proposed
Revisions to the National
Paddlesports Education Stan-
dards
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 4, 2013) Originally adopted in 2009, the
National Paddlesports Education Standards were developed for use
by paddlesports education course instructors, paddlesports educa-
tion text authors, and other paddlesports education professionals
who intend to submit course materials for NASBLA review and
sanction. These standards apply to courses for operators of manual-
ly-propelled recreational boats such as canoes and kayaks.
The Panel has issued a Call for Proposed Revisions to the content of
the most currently approved version of the National Paddlesports
Education Standards (which went into efect January 1, 2009).
Submissions are encouraged from any party materially afected by
the Standard, including NASBLA members and non-members alike.
The Call for Proposed Revisions period will be ninety (90) days,
commencing September 4, 2013. The comment period will close on
December 2, 2013.
PPP
NEWS FROM OUR BOATING SAFETY PARTNERS
Compiled by Bruce Johnson, Branch Chief - Youth Partners
The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators will
be opening a 45-day review period for the newly revised National
Boating Education Standards. The public review period will be 45
days, commencing Oct. 17, and closing Nov. 30.
Instructions for submitting comments (including how to obtain login
credentials for the EZ-ESP website) and documents containing the
current Standard (efective Jan. 1, 2012), the reformatted DRAFT
Standard, a document illustrating tracked revisions to the Standard,
and the Education Standards Panel Rules are available for download
at http://esp.nasbla.org/es.
NOAA Announces End of Traditional
Paper Nautical Charts
NOAAs Ofce of Coast Survey, which creates and maintains the na-
tions suite of over a thousand nautical charts of U.S. coastal waters,
today announced major changes ahead for mariners and others who
use nautical charts.
Starting April 13, 2014, the federal government will no longer print
FEATURE ARTICLES
31
A DANGER OF SHOCK AROUND YOUR DOCK
Bruce Lindsey, Division Chief Communication Services (DVC-BR)
Reprinted from RBS-Outreach (B) Directorates WAVES, Summer 2013;
http://bdept.cgaux.org/pdf/WAVES-2013-Summer.pdf, p.6
Summer may be over, but, in some parts of the country, its not too
late for swimming. And most swimmers are not aware of the danger of
swimming near any boat dock or marina that has electric power to the
dock or to a boat at the dock. If the dock is yours, check your wiring
before you dive in.
Swimming is prohibited in most marinas for many reasonsboat traf-
fc, pollution, and debris top the list. Here is another reason: Be cau-
tious of any waters if there is electricity present. Around places like
marinas and private docks, there is an unpredictable and often unde-
tectable danger of electric shock.
Extensive information on Electric Shock Drowning is available. The
diagram in this article, from the Boat US Foundation, illustrates how
electricity from the dock gets into the water, either from the dock or
through a boats (any boats) running gear.
Once youre in the water, especially fresh water, your body is actually
a better conductor of electricity than the water, itself, and then it is too
late to do anything about it.
While you may feel a warning tingle from light current and consider
yourself lucky high current is paralyzing.
Therefore only way to help a swimmer who is caught in an electric cur-
rent is to shut the power of. Would you know where the switch is?
There are various ways to determine if dock and boat electrical
connections are safe, but all require extensive testing by a knowl-
edgeable individual. Furthermore, in a marina, boats are constantly
changing, so what is safe today may not be safe tomorrow.
When swimming near a dock or marina, make sure you understand the dan-
gers of electric shock drowning. This graphic from the Boat US Foundation
illustrates the dangers of electric shock drowning.
So the best rule of thumb is to stay out of the water near any marina,
and, when swimming at a private dock, to make sure that the shore-
side power has been disconnected before you get in the water. Once
youre in the water and near an electrical source, it may be too late to
be safe.
Even walking barefoot along a dock that has power cords can result
in electric shock!
PPP
FEATURE ARTICLES
32
Two-by-two, the young Sea Cadets hauled their red canoes to the
beach, the launching point of the Great Portage Race 2013 at Dreher
Island State Park at Lake Murray, S.C., on Sept. 14.
The Navy League Councils of South Carolina are the primary sponsors
of the Great Portage Race, along with Foster Family Fund, SCE&G,
Belser & Belser Law Firm, South Carolina State Parks, Coast Guard
Auxiliary and the Columbia Sports Council.
Competition was intense among the three Navy Sea Cadet Corps
(NSCC) divisions in South Carolina: Columbias Palmetto Division,
Mt. Pleasants Yorktown Division and Beauforts Port Royal Battalion.
Naturally, the cadets who represented their divisions in the race want-
ed the distinction of frst place.
The co-ed competition was divided into two age categories Navy
League Cadets ages 11-14 and Navy Sea Cadets ages 15-18. The Sea
Cadet Corp is a youth group organization that encourages, trains and
aids youth to develop sea-going skills, and to teach patriotism, cour-
age, self-reliance and kindred values. Sixteen cadets competed in the
canoe race, two in each canoe.
This Saturday morning, the wind picked up along the water, ensuring
that all cadets would put their abilities and strengths to work in the
race to the fnish line.
The course featured six arrival and departure checkpoints, starting
at the Primitive camping area and continuing around the southern
end of the park. Upon launching, cadets had to locate each check-
point using only a map, and then portage [from the same French
root as port to carry, as in trans-port (eds.)] their canoe over-
land, passing knowledge tests at four of the checkpoints. The
questions called upon their previous training, such as identifying
cloud formations, navy specialty ratings, fags and pennants, and
common nautical knots. The points they earned would be com-
bined with their race times to determine the winners. They could
earn extra bonus points for additional correct answers in the
knowledge tests.
Some of the cadets had participated in the Great Portage Race last
year and were more experienced. However, race ofcials reversed
the starting and ending checkpoints this year. What was once a
THE GREAT PORTAGE RACE 2013
By Barbara Burchfeld, Branch Chief, Liaison for Recreational Boating Safety,
Outreach Directorate - Atlantic States South;
Assistant District 7 Staf Ofcer for Publications
Coast Guard Auxiliary members supported the race, providing communications for
the canoes during the race, and keeping a safety zone between the shoreline and the
many, faster power boats. Auxiliary photo.
FEATURE ARTICLES
33
downhill canoe portage at the starting line was now a long uphill trek
to the fnish line, hauling a canoe the whole way.
Navy League volunteers and uniformed Sea Cadets watched at every
checkpoint to monitor the progress.
To help out, Coast Guard Auxiliary members from three fotilla units
based in Charleston, S.C.; Lake Marion, S.C.; and Lake Murray sup-
ported this event, both on the water and on land. Auxiliary members
also lent fve VFH radios to race ofcials to let them monitor the land
checkpoints and stay in constant contact with event happenings.
GREAT PORTAGE RACE (CONTINUED)
Operational facilities Master Chief and Voyager position for the race start and
communicate the canoe positions with race offcials. Auxiliary photo.
On the water, two facility boats and one personal watercraft (PWC),
under orders from Coast Guard Station Charleston, provided a safety
zone for the paddlers between the shoreline and the many faster
power boats in the area.
Aboard operational facility (OFPAC) Voyager, coxswain Festus
Burchfeld led crew members Bob Weskerna and Al Crothers, all
from Flotilla 12-6 (East Cooper, S.C.) and Don Carty, Flotilla 12-3
(Lake Murray,S.C.).
OPFAC Master Chief coxswain Jay Dahlgren was supported by crew
members John Owen and William Hayes, all from Flotilla 12-1 (In-
land Sea-Lake Marion, S.C.).
PWC operator Ann Graham. Flotilla 12-6. operated OPFAC Voo Doo.
Ann could maneuver her PWC operational facility into shallower wa-
ters than the larger boats and made a welcome addition to the Auxil-
iary safety patrol.
Race committee chairman, Thomas J. Brown, had spent months
planning the logistics and communicating with team leaders, in a
monthly teleconference. Burchfeld was lead coxswain for the second
time, participated in the monthly meetings and collaborated with fel-
low Auxiliarists.
Now underway, excitement built as the canoes launched from the
beach, one-by-one, 10 minutes apart. With only a map for guidance,
the Sea Cadets paddled their way from checkpoint to checkpoint with
fnal advice from a volunteer to keep the land on your port side.
It must have been comforting to know that those two boats and a
jet ski with friendly, trained Coast Guard Auxiliary members stood
watch from the starboard side.
FEATURE ARTICLES
34
At the formal ceremony followinig the race, James Ofutt, national
president, Navy League of the United States; Bryant Kohut, race coor-
dinator; and Thomas Brown presented the awards. First place for the
fastest time went to Philip Gee and Frank Drose from the Yorktown
Division. Second place award went to Josh Smith and Conrad Long
from the Palmetto Division. Third Place award, for third best time to
fnish, went to Amy Haslip and Spencer Williams, representing the Co-
lumbia Palmetto Division.
Best Team award went to the team with the least number of minutes.
This handsome ships post and bell will be displayed at the Divisions
meetings and other events. Palmetto Division was this years winner
again.
The Spirit Award goes to the team that demonstrates the spirit of the
race, showing a positive attitude, courage and determination. It went
to Tabatha Olson and Elizabeth Erker of Port Royal Battalion for the
winning spirit of miles of smiles through leagues of exhaustion.
All other teams received the Navy League Challenge Coin, a distin-
guished honor presented by the president of the Navy League, James
Ofutt. Every cadet who fnished the race was a portager and had
proved their abilities to themselves and their shipmates.
This year, Auxiliarist photographers Barbara Burchfeld and Sue Carty
covered the race from start to fnish for both the Auxiliary and Navy
League, expanding on our partnership in yet another way.
Once again, the Coast Guard Auxiliary had com-ported themselves
well: the race was a success, no one was hurt or injured, and we had
made some new friends.
PPP
Florida Wildlife Commission oversees at least 200 boat ramps,
provides state and Federal grants for creating and maintaining,
and has pages on their web site detailing every ramp under their
jurisdiction. A public boat ramp fnder can be found at: https://
public.myfwc.com/LE/boatramp/public/default.aspx
Legislative activity Senate Bill 320 has been drafted setting
standards on parasailing operators. Basically, it will address re-
quiring a Coast Guard Captains license, insurance levels of $1/2
million per incident, a VHF radio plus another device that can re-
ceive weather reports, and weather minimums which have been
involved in 90% of accidents to date. Other voluntary standards
from the industry will be included in the bill. A House bill is ex-
pected to join this efort, and legislative committees are beginning
their work in preparation for the March 2014 opening session.
The Anchoring/Mooring Pilot Program, which is now in efect
in 5 localities around the state. Those areas are St. Petersburg, St.
Augustine, Sarasota, Stuart/Martin Co., and Monroe Co. Mara-
thon and Key West. This pilot program will terminate 1 July 2014.
An extensive survey has been completed about the program which
will be submitted to the Governor, Senate President and House
Speaker in January. An extension of the program for three years
will be requested to allow more experience with the regulations
and allow another extensive survey.
PPP
FLORIDA BOATING ADVISORY COUNCIL NEWS
By Bill Griswold, DSO-SL
GREAT PORTAGE RACE (CONTINUED)
FEATURE ARTICLES
35
VE COMPETITION IN DIVISION 12
By Jack Margolis, Flotilla 12-4 (Central Grand Strand, S.C.), Breeze Content Editor
Within Division 12, a good-natured competition for Vessel Safety
Check (VSC) supremacy rages between Flotilla 12-4 (Central Grand
Strand, S.C.) and Flotilla 12-6 (East Cooper, S.C.). But there is more
to the story than just the number of vessel safety checks performed.
Apparently the pride of the two fotillas is at play here.
The lead in VSCs between Flotilla 12-4 and Flotilla 12-6 has been
see-sawing, with the lead changing several times during the boat-
ing season. The Blue (2012) and Red (2013) columns in Figure 1,
below, shows a dramatic increase in the number of VSCs performed
by Flotilla 12-4 in 2013, keeping pace with Flotilla 12-6s outstand-
ing performance. It appears to be a horse race between these two
fotillas, with Flotilla 12-6, the 2012 leader, currently holding a one
VSC lead of 416 to 415, but Flotilla 12-1 not far behind.

Looking at the relative height of the columns for 2013, these two
fotillas stand out as the leading competitors for the most VSCs in
Division 12.
Neither the calendar year, nor the extended boating season, here in
South Carolina, is yet complete, so the fnal numbers are not in yet.
Division 12 is already ahead of its 2012 VSC record most probably
because of this competition between the fotillas.
So why have Flotilla 12-4s numbers increased so dramatically over
2012? This writer believes it has to do with leadership. Everette E.
(Capt. Billy) Shaver, an Auxiliarist for just over a year, organized
VSC blitzes at two of the most popular landings along the Central
Grand Strand during National Safe Boating Week, and in North
Myrtle Beach at the West Marine. He has also qualifed two new
vessel examiners. His infectious spirit, determination, and constant
encouragement to get out there and do more VSCs has to be a key
factor. He refers to his team of vessel examiners as the Amazing
14.
His counterpart in Flotilla 12-6, Walter Runck, is no less enthusi-
astic. It is rumored that he checks AUXINFO frequently, and when
Flotilla 12-4 takes the lead, or is in striking distance of the lead,
ratchets up the pressure on his team. And of course, Billy lets us
know at our monthly meetings when Flotilla 12-6 is back in the
lead. Friendly competition can be a good thing, if it benefts the
whole organization.
So it appears that the closeness of this competition can be attrib-
uted to the dedication and enthusiasm of the vessel examiners, and
the leadership of the fotilla staf ofcers for vessel examinations.
Figure 1. Division 12 VE Statistics (2012 vs 2013).
FEATURE ARTICLES
36
VE COMPETITION (CONTINUED)
Statistics show that Flotilla 12-6 really has excelled in the area of
paddle craft inspections. There, they lead Flotilla 12-4 242 to 59, and
have accounted for nearly two-thirds of the 398 paddle craft inspec-
tions performed by all of Division 12.
There has been an increase in the popularity and variety of paddle
craft in the Coastal Charleston area, resulting in an explosion in the
number of human-powered watercraft in recent years. This might
very well be attributable to the renewed emphasis on exercise and
healthy living, the increase in the cost of fuel for power boats, and
that paddle boating can be a good social activity, with new clubs pop-
ping up regularly.
The Auxiliary has responded to this increase in the number and vari-
ety of paddle craft and paddle boaters with safe boating classes de-
signed for paddle boaters and with VSCs for paddle craft.[Ed. Note: A
new Auxiliary paddle craft certifcation is also under consideration.]
PPP
Tony Presson in-
spects a pontoon
boat at Socastee
Landing, S.C.
Auxiliary photo
by Jack Margolis
Comparison of this years Vessel Safety Checks performed by the vessel examin-
ers of Flotilla 12-4 vs those of Flotilla 12-6.
The increase in Division 12s inspection of paddle craft refects the increasing
popularity of human powered watercraft and the friendly competition between
Flotillas 12-4 and 12-6
FEATURE ARTICLES
37
Summer is over but, unlike our northern friends, our boating season
is about to kick into high gear. The snowbirds will be returning to
escape the cold and snows of the north and to enjoy the warm waters
of District 7. They will bring their boats, wave runners, paddle boards,
tubes, etc., with them. Many have never taken a safe boating course
and truly have no idea about the seriousness of safety on the water.
However, those of us who live here year-round are all too familiar
with the dangers they may encounter on our beautiful waterways.
We hear on the news at least weekly about someone who was lost
while swimming in an area where rip tides are a known occurrence.
We know about those powerful tides because we have that pearl of
wisdom known as local knowledge.
Then there is the seasoned fsherman who gets surprised by one of
our sudden (but not unexpected) summer thunder storms, is washed
overboard, and spends hours in the water hoping for rescue. If s/he is
lucky, she is wearing a life jacket; if not, he may get rescued neverthe-
less, which makes him very lucky. Too often, the outcome is not lucky
at all.
One of the most dangerous persons on the water is the tourist. He
wants to enjoy being on the water and experience the thrill of wind
and salt water in the face as s/he speeds over our waters in a boat that
s/he just rented for the day. If the boat has all the required equip-
mentwhich is a rarity and that recommended equipment is virtu-
ally non-existent.
Even with the proper equipment on board, the odds that our tourist-
turned-captain-for-the-day knows how to use it are doubtful. Our
WE KNOW IT HAPPENS, BUT
By Paulette R. Parent, Assistant District 7 Staf Ofcer for Human Resources;
Division 8 Commander
captain may also think it is perfectly alright to have his lovely fan-
cee and her girlfriend sitting on the bow of the boat with their feet
hanging over the edge and the wind blowing their hairdo beyond
repair.
Or perhaps our tourist does not rent a boat, but opts for something
smaller and easier to get into trouble with. Wave runners, or per-
sonal watercraft, have been the nemesis of inexperienced boaters
since day one.
The wave runner can perform spectacular stunts and provide thrills
beyond imagination, even when the operator has no idea how he
managed to hang on or how she performed the extraordinary stunt
in the frst place. Here is where being lucky again comes into play.
Knowing that riding on a wave runner is akin to riding a motorcycle,
the question arises, Where is your protection? The only thing
connecting our tourist to the machine he is riding is the piece of
cord that connects him to the kill switch, which shuts the engine
down should he take an unexpected dip. That is assuming she has
the lanyard attached both to her wrist and the switch. Did the rental
company stress that s/he must both wear a life jacket and have the
lanyard connected? Maybe, but that was before lunch, and the beers
may have washed it from his memory.
This leads us to what has proven to be the most dangerous situa-
tion on the water, the boater who has had a few too many celebra-
tory beers or hard lemonade or wine coolers for the day. The Coast
Guard and other law enforcement agencies have their work cut out
for them, trying to keep the waterways safe and free of intoxicated
operators. Sometimes it is the innocent ones who sufer because
their friend, who was feeling no pain, decided to suddenly push
FEATURE ARTICLES
38
his vessel to the limit, throwing his companion overboard. Hope-
fully, the mishap is discovered right away or the now wet companion
may have a long swim home. Thats if he makes it.
And the speed often kills another innocent victim the manatee.
So, you may ask, what is the point of this article?
We have all seen or heard about these incidents, and we all have
stories that have made an impression on us through the years about
a boater who never made it home or a swimmer who was never seen
again after going under in twelve inches of water.
The point is that we, as Auxiliarists, are on the frontlines trying to
combat the tide of casualties on our waterways. We ofer safe boat-
ing classes that include local knowledge. We ofer vessel safety
checks to ensure that boats have all the necessary equipment, and
we take the opportunity to talk to the boat owner about
Rules of the Road USCG Auxiliary
image.
safe operation. We visit marinas and speak with boat rental loca-
tions to impress the need for safety on the waterways. We set up
exhibits at public events, handing out tons of brochures and talk-
ing with everyone who stops by about boating safety.
It is impossible to know how many people have been saved be-
cause of our actions, but we do know frsthand that we need to
continue our eforts. We see it every day and we know our mis-
sion.
Are we succeeding? Impossible to know, but you can bet there are
people who are thankful that they attended that boating course, or
stopped and spoke with an Auxiliarist at a fsh festival, or were on
the dock fueling their boat and remembered an Auxiliarists ad-
monition to turn on the blower.
That is what makes Auxiliarists so special.
PPP
Boat on
the Rocks
Auxiliary PA
Directorate
photo.
WE KNOW IT HAPPENS BUT ... (CONTINUED)
FEATURE ARTICLES
39
The Coast Guard is SEMPER PARATUS always ready for emer-
gencies. However, some emergencies require more than just the Coast
Guard. And just as the Coast Guard considers the Auxiliary its force
multiplier, so we in the Auxiliary team up with other agencies to
multiply our efectiveness. Such partnerships, whether formal rela-
tionships covered by Memoranda of Agreement at the national level,
or informal coordination, at the local level, can improve our readiness
for any emergency that may arise.
Although the national Memorandum of Understanding between the
Civil Air Patrol (CAP) and the Coast Guard Auxiliary has ofcially ex-
pired, there is no reason our two groups cant still work together.
In this spirit, on Saturday, Aug. 24, Flotilla 29 (Lake Lanier, Ga.) and
CAP Group 2 from northeast Georgia coordinated several air-sea
search and rescue (SAR) exercises on Lake Lanier.
The mission called for the CAP and Auxiliary to practice SAR together
and resolve any diferences in areas such as communication protocol,
frequencies, etc., that might hinder our efectiveness in a true emer-
gency.
The exercise coordinators positioned practice aircraft emergency
locator transmitters, to simulate the transmitters that a downed plane
might activate, at one or more shoreline locations, and the Auxiliary
provided the CAP with a marine band radio, in order for their spotter
plane to communicate with the Auxiliary station and vessels. Finally,
coordinators placed several decommissioned vessels around the site
to allow practice location-fnding using grid coordinates.
ARE YOU READY? AN EXERCISE WITH THE CAP
By Kerry Eakins, Flotilla 29 (Lake Lanier, Ga.), Breeze Contributing Writer
The diferent radio protocols used by each group became one of the
frst obstacles to address. Each group utilized diferent frequen-
cies with diferent forms of modulation. Furthermore, some of the
aircraft could only transmit using AM, while marine band radios
use FM. CAP technicians re-tuned some of the aircraft radios to
receive and transmit in the marine band. However, one of the spot-
ter planes had to be provided with a marine band radio, and CAP
reciprocated by providing the Auxiliarists with an aviation-band
radio. Fortunately, some Auxiliary members were also members of
CAP, so this sharing of equipment was fairly easy. Otherwise, this
communications challenge could have hampered the success of the
mission.
Auxiliary personnel used signal mirrors to practice identifying our
facilities for the CAP planes. In turn, this gave the Auxiliary person-
nel experience in using the call signs for planes and crews.
Auxiliarists from Flotilla 29 head off on personal watercraft to participate in a
joint Auxiliary-Civil Air Patrol (CAP) search and rescue exercise. Auxiliary photo
by David Joyce.
FEATURE ARTICLES
40
The grid coordinate portion of the exercise proved invaluable, as we
realized that the Auxiliary and CAP use diferent coordinate patterns.
The Auxiliary identifed coordinates in degrees, minutes and decimal
minutes, whereas the CAP uses degrees, minutes and seconds. This
diference required us to recalibrate the GPS settings on all our equip-
ment.
Mother Nature even added a touch of realism, giving us weather just
slightly inclement.
Auxiliary members used both personal vessels and Auxiliary facilities,
plus PWCs for access to areas which might not have been otherwise
accessible to rescue personnel.
The public, who might be listening in on the marine-band frequencies,
learned what they could expect in the event of an emergency on the
lake and were told continuously that THIS IS A DRILL.
Of course, no one wants emergencies to happen, but, when they do,
Flotilla 29 and CAP Group 2 intend to be ready.
PPP
ARE YOU READY? (CONTINUED)
Dont see your article or photo
in this issue of the Breeze?
Perhaps you forgot to send it to us?
Send letters or comments and article and photo submissions
to the Editors at D7Breeze@yahoo.com
Auxiliarist Milton Loudermilk, Flotilla 29 (Lake Lanier, Ga.) communicates with
CAP spotter plane on aviation radio. Auxiliary photo by Robert Quigley.
Working with the CAP provides one Auxiliarist with an opportunity for compass
training. Auxiliary photo by Robert Quigley.
FEATURE ARTICLES
41
It is always ourselves we fnd in the sea.
e.e. cummings
William Kelly, Flotilla Commander 11-7 (Hudson, Fla.), is an anom-
aly in Floridahe is not a transplant here. Kelly was born and raised
in St. Petersburg, Fla.
He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1964 and trained as an electronics
technician. After the Navy, Kelly became a certifed electrical con-
tractor and eventually opened his own business.

After closing his business, at the age of 60, the Coast Guard Auxiliary
beckoned as the way to continue to serve the United States. Conse-
quently, he joined Hudson Flotilla 11-7, serving as a crew member,
earning his coxswain qualifcation, and achieving the Operational
Excellence Award. In 2011, he was elected Flotilla Vice-Commander,
and, since 2012, has served as Flotilla 11-7 Commander.
In early 2013, Kelly answered the call for Auxiliary help in the Pollu-
tion Response Department at Sector St. Petersburg. After attending
classes and getting on-the-job training, he passed the corresponding
tests and became an active member of the pollution response team.
As such, his service often involves duty with United States Coast
Guard personnel. His assignments have involved a number of pollu-
tion investigations.
Kelly also served as crew on an Auxiliary facility during the 2012
Republican National Convention in Tampa (see the corresponding
A DEDICATED AUXILIARIST: WILLIAM KELLY, FLOTILLA COMMANDER 11-7
By Caroline Westerhof, Ph.D., Flotilla 11-9 (Tarpon Springs, Fla.), Breeze Contributing Writer
article in Breeze, Winter 2012). There, his responsibilities included
patrolling the Courtney Campbell Bridge, which crosses Tampa Bay
and links Tampa to Clearwater/Saint Petersburg, Fla. The sea was
calm and the surveillance did not make media headlines, but the
crew actively demonstrated how the Coast Guard Auxiliary protects
we the people.
Kellys dedication, abilities, love of the sea, and his always on call
readiness to assist are his gifts of service to the Auxiliary and the
Coast Guard. For fotilla members, he serves as a continuous real-
ity check, challenging members to reach the highest profciencies
they can, and personally demonstrating our united pledge to the
United States of America.
On location, Bill investigates potential pollution from a grounded commercial
fshing vessel in the Anclote River. Auxiliary photo by Michael Howland, Flotilla
11-9 (Tarpon Springs, Fla.).
FEATURE ARTICLES
42
PPP
A DEDICATED AUXILIARIST (CONTINUED)
Bill and other auxiliarists from the Pollution Response Team investigate the pol-
lution damage that may have been caused by a sunken shrimp boat in Hudson
Channel. Auxiliary photo by Michael Howland, Floltilla 11-9 (Tarpon Springs,
Fla.)
Pollution can enter our wa-
ters from the most unlikely
sources. After local offcials
hauled this truck from the
water in Hudson, Fla., William
Kelly evaluates the gas and oil
pollution it may have caused.
Auxiliary photo by Michael
Howland, Flotilla 11-9 (Tarpon
Springs, Fla.).
Bill ties off debris
from ffty-foot
commercial fshing
vessel that had
burned at Tarpon
Springs dock.
Auxiliary photo by
Michael Howland,
Flotilla 11-9 (Tarpon
Springs, Fla.).
Did you know that District 7
has a Strategic Plan?
Commodore Tyson has continued this important
planning exercise and it is available for you to down-
load. Please click on this link for the 5MB fle:
2013-2016 District 7 Strategic Plan
FEATURE ARTICLES
43
Coast Guard Station Sand Key in Clearwater, Fla., employs Auxiliary
Division 11 facilities and crew on a regular basis for B-0 (which calls
for a 30-minute notice-to-launch time) and Search and Rescue (SAR)
standby. They do so almost every Tuesday and Thursday, enabling
station personnel to concentrate on training and boat maintenance.
These Auxiliarists back up Station personnel and boats on most major
holidays and during surge operations. All members who participate
in these B-0 missions must be Operational Excellence certifed, which
means they have been tested by active duty station coxswains.
One such B-0 mission took place over Labor Day weekend. Station
Sand Key had Auxiliary facilities (OPFACS) and crew positioned in
FOUR IN ONE DAY
By Karen L. Miller, Flotilla 11-1 (Clearwater, Fla.), Breeze Staf Member
the south in the Johns Pass area, in the middle in the Clearwater
area, and in the north in the Tarpon Springs area. On Sunday, Sept.
1, the OPFACS No Mercy was stationed in Tarpon Springs. It is
owned and was operated by Dudley Davis, District 7 Staf Ofcer for
Operations, and was crewed that day by Mike Howland and Rich
Miccio from Flotilla 11-9 (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) and Bill Kelly from
Flotilla 11-7 (Hudson, Fla.).
No Mercy was scheduled to get underway at 4 p.m. At 3:25 p.m.
they received a call from Station Sand Key regarding people in the
water and asking how soon they could get underway. The answer:
No Mercy was underway within fve minutes.
At 3:45 p.m. the station called back to say that Florida Fish and
Wildlife (FWC) was on-scene, but asked if No Mercy could proceed
to a boat that was taking on water in the vicinity of Anclote River
Light No.1. Accordingly, the Auxiliarists changed course for Light
No. 1.
Once on the scene, however, they saw no boat taking on water. They
did spot a FWC boat in that vicinity and asked the FWC ofcer if he
was aware of a boat taking on water. He did not, however he was re-
sponding to a commercial fshing boat, Gulf Star, which had struck
a 30-foot Rampage in the Gulf of Mexico.
When Coxswain Davis called Sand Key, he received updated coordi-
nates for the boat taking on water and proceeded to the new loca-
tion just north of Marker 5A.
Sea Tow was already on the scene, watching two men push the boat
across a shoal, from which they would tow the boat into the Anclote
Park boat ramps. Davis notifed Sand Key that the boat was in very
shallow water and that Sea Tow appeared to have the situation in
Auxiliarists know that training makes the mission. Joe Blevins, left, and Rich Miccio,
both from Flotilla 11-9 (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) begin a training cruise. Auxiliary photo
by Karen Miller.
FEATURE ARTICLES
44
hand. Sand Key asked No Mercy to stay with them to the boat ramp
to obtain the owners information and report back to the station. The
owner said he had just bought the boat, and a through-hull connec-
tion had started leaking. He had been able to plug it and the bilge
pump was keeping up.
While No Mercy was returning to the Anclote Park boat ramp, they
came upon a 23-foot Baha tied to Marker 17. They informed the
owner that he could not tie up to a marker. He explained that he
had lost propulsion and could not make way. Davis notifed Station
Sand Key and took the boat in a side tow, back to the dock at the boat
ramp. The boat ramp is on the input side of a Duke Energy power
plant, and the pumps were running at a high speed. Furthermore,
the ramp area was extremely busy, with boats leaving and returning.
After safely mooring the disabled boat, the crew obtained the owner/
operator and boat information to pass to Station Sand Key. As they
were completing that process, Sea Tow arrived, bringing the boat tak-
ing on water to the dock, so No Mercy helped clear a path.
No Mercy went back on patrol and swept the North Anclote Sand Bar
and Three Rooker Bar, both popular gathering spots reachable only
by boat. Since both areas were relatively quiet, Davis and crew de-
cided to go back to the chaos at Anclote Park Boat Ramp.
It was now getting dark, when they noticed a boat drifting away from
the docks, until it snared, bow-frst, in mangroves along the bank.
They asked the woman onboard if she needed help and she replied
that she did.
Again, the crew notifed Sand Key and put a line on the stern to pull
the boat out of the mangroves. Once free of the mangroves,
FOUR IN ONE DAY (CONTINUED)
No Mercy put the boat in a side tow and moored it safely to the dock.
Again, they got all pertinent information to relay to Sand Key.
No Mercy moved to the fxed docks just to the north of the boat ramp
so they would not impede boat trafc at the ramps. While at the dock,
the crew noticed the driver of one boat tied up there removing his
engine cover. While Davis passed information on the previous case
to the Sand Key Watchstander, the crew went over to ask the boater
whether he needed help. Apparently, a fuel problem caused his en-
gine to die every time he tried to accelerate. Once again, Davis noti-
fed Station Sand Key, who asked the crew to tow the disabled boat to
the boat ramp.
This was easier said than done. The boat was bow-frst into the slip,
and, when they tried to pull him out backwards, the uncommonly
strong current from the nearby power plant pumps was too strong.
Bill Kelly, Flotilla Commander 11-7 (Hudson, Fla.) at the helm of No
Mercy, patrols off Station Sand Key in Clearwater, Fla.. Crewmem-
bers Dudley Davis, Flotilla 11-9, facility owner, and Larry OBrien,
Flotilla 11-10 (Dunedin, Fla.) at the stern, prepare for their assigned
tasks. Auxiliary photo by Karen Miller.
FEATURE ARTICLES
45
Instead, the crew fxed lines to the boat and pivoted it 180 degrees,
so that it now faced bow out. They then rigged for a stern tow, snak-
ing their towline around the vertical pilings, to the boats bow.
Coxswain Davis stationed crew member Kelly on the disabled boat
to help handle the line. They then proceeded away from the dock,
working their way through returning boats, to an area farther from
the power plants current. The crew now re-rigged the disabled ves-
sel for a side tow and proceeded to put it safely on the dock.
No Mercy almost had a ffth case. Earlier in the day, a jet boat had
lost power and was swept into the foating barricade by the current
from the power plant. When they hailed him, however, the owner/
operator stated he had commercial towing insurance.
By local agreement among the Coast Guard, the towing companies
and the Auxiliary, Auxiliary facilities will not take cases away from
commercial enterprises unless the situation turns into a distress call.
Since this was not a distress situation, the crew of No Mercy told him
to call the towing company while they stood by to make sure the ves-
sel and people on board stayed safe until help arrived.
It proved a full day by any Auxiliarists standards and, as Dudley
Davis reminded his crew, it was a testament to their training.
None of these cases would have been completed, he told them,
without the crew working so well together as a team.
PPP
FOUR IN ONE DAY (CONTINUED)
AUXILIARY ASSISTS THE SHRINERS
By Jack Margolis, Assistant District Staf Ofcer for Publications, District
7; Flotilla Staf Ofcer for Operations, Flotilla 12-4 (Central Grand Strand,
S.C.)
Five members of Flotilla 12-4 (Central Grand Strand, S.C.) assisted
the South Atlantic Association of Shrine Motor Corps (SAASMC) at
this years South Atlantic Shrine Association (SASA) Fall Festival, in
Myrtle Beach, S.C..
The Festival ran from Sept. 19-22, and the Auxiliarists served as
judges of the competition of motorized units, at the Old Myrtle Mall
parking lot on the morning of Sept. 20. This is the third consecutive
year that Flotilla 12-4 members have supported this event.
Jim Nelson inspects Shriners vehicles in Myrtle Beach, S.C., on Sept. 20. Auxil-
iary photo by Thomas Williamson, Flotilla 12-4 (Central Grand Strand, S.C.).
FEATURE ARTICLES
46
Williamson selected Nelson and Margolis to perform the inspec-
tions because of their past military experience. The inspections
were conducted military style, with the Shriners lined up in front
of their vehicles, and in line with the person on either side of them.
Nelson inspected the vehicles, looking for faws and imperfections,
and checked that they were lined up and evenly spaced, and of the
same type. The competitors even went so far as to ensure that the
valve stems on every tire faced in the same direction.
Uniforms criteria included cleanliness, SAASMC collar pins worn
correctly, shoes polished, fez worn correctly (one inch above
the eyebrows), proper haircut and clean shaven or beard neatly
trimmed.
SHRINERS (CONTINUED)
Betty Hayes judges three-wheelers at the Shriners motorized unit competition in
Myrtle Beach, S.C. Auxiliary photo by Thomas Williamson, Flotilla 12-4 (Central
Grand Strand, S.C.).
The Shriners are a brotherhood of men committed to family, en-
gaged in ongoing personal growth, and dedicated to providing qual-
ity care for children and families in need. They maintain 17 hospi-
tals and fve burn units in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
These hospitals ofer advanced care for children with orthopedic
conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate.
Tom Williamson organized the fotilla participation, assigning Tony
Presson and Betty Hayes to serve as judges for the two-, three- and
four-wheel vehicle competition. Jim Nelson and Jack Margolis in-
spected each of the competing units prior to their competition.
Our liaison with SAASMC Jerry Phillips, briefed the Auxiliary team
on their duties, and gave them the criteria for inspecting and judg-
ing the competing units. Jerry is one of the event organizers, and a
past President of SAASMC.
Vehicle inspections preceded the unit competition. Although not
every unit submitted to a uniform inspection, every unit had to have
its vehicles inspected. The vehicles varied from two- and three-
wheel motorcycles to replicas of Model Ts; from Formula 1 racers to
Go-Carts.
Wives played their parts, ensuring that their husbands uniforms
were spify and that the men were properly lined up. Others insured
that the vehicles were lined up properly, clean and shiny, and ready
for inspection.
Nelson inspected the vehicles (spotless was one of the inspection
criteria) while Margolis reviewed each competing Shriners uniform
and personal appearance.
FEATURE ARTICLES
47
One by one, the competitors performed specifed precision forma-
tion maneuvers, such as columns two and four, fgure eights, double
circle, plus 11 other maneuvers. When the horn sounded, each unit
had no fewer than fve minutes and no more than 10 to complete
their maneuvers. During maneuvers, they were required to maintain
proper intervals and formations, with timing as important as unifor-
mity.
Although the Auxiliary has no formal national Memorandum of
Agreement with the Shriners, the event was a great example of local,
civic-minded organizations working together to improve their com-
munity.
PPP
SHRINERS (CONTINUED)
Jack Margolis and Jim Nelson confer after a vehicle inspection at the Shriners Fall
Festival in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Auxiliary photo by Thomas Williamson, Flotilla 12-4
(Central Grand Strand, S.C.).
On the other side of the parking lot, competition organizers had set
up various courses for the vehicle competition.
While Auxiliarists Presson and Hayes judged the performances of
each motorized unit, their liaison here, Medd Box, past President
of SAASMC and past Potentate of Omar Temple, Charleston, S.C.,
helped them identify the unit performing and control the grading
forms.
The judges and inspectors worked from specifc check sheets, noting
deductions against each grading criterion for the members, vehicles,
and performances.
Personnel inspection begins at the Shriners Fall Festival. Auxiliary photo by
Thomas Williamson, Flotilla 12-4 (Central Grand Strand, S.C.).
FEATURE ARTICLES
48
Over the past several years, Clemson University Cooperative Exten-
sion, through their 4-H program, has partnered with community asso-
ciations and state agencies to produce youth water quality education
science camp programs on lakes throughout South Carolina.
4-H2O is a youth education program that has been held annually
across the state for more than 12 years. It is a water-based science
camp that runs in more than 15 counties across South Carolina, giv-
ing students an opportunity to learn about and experience this states
water resources frst-hand.
4-H20: KIDS, LEARNING AND FUN
By Burnette Shefeld, Flotilla Staf Ofcer-Vessell Examinations, Flotilla 12-3
(Lake Murray, S.C.) and Sue Carty, Flotilla Staf Ofcer-Publications, Flotilla
12-3 (Lake Murray, S.C.)
This hands-on science inquiry program teaches children and adults
about their local water resources and develops the feld, analytical
and critical thinking skills they need to make intelligent decisions
that afect the quality of these aquatic systems.
Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 12-3 (Lake Murray, S.C) became
involved about fve years ago, when the Clemson Cooperative Exten-
sion wanted to include Flotilla Island, used by both the Auxiliary
and the Power Squadron, as one of their venues for their programs.
Since then, this has been an annual event, usually held for one week
in late June at SCE&Gs Recreational Area on Lake Murray. It is
open to 20 campers ages 10-12.
On Monday morning, June 24, the 4-H2O campers began with a
trip to Flotilla Island on pontoon boats, as part of their introduc-
tion to water science studies, the lake, and how we interact with our
natural resources.
Dennis Snowden of Sea Tow explains how he does his job when boats break
down on the lake. Auxiliary photo by Sue Carty, Flotilla 12-3 (Lake Murray,
S.C.).
Master Deputy Troy Livingston of Lexington County Sheriffs Department talks with
campers at the Clemson University Cooperative Extension 4-H20 camp. Auxiliary
photo by Sue Carty.
FEATURE ARTICLES
49
Flotilla 12-3 participates in the program by educating the campers
about safe boating, life jackets, patrolling the lake and the impor-
tance of radio communications while Auxiliary patrol boats are on
the lake.
Auxiliarist Don Davis, Flotilla 12-3, introduced the Auxiliary and
explained how we assist the Coast Guard.
The Clemson Cooperative Extension also invites other local organiza-
tions to participate, including:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Steve Naglic, Meteorologist for the National Weather Service
Lexington County Sherifs Dept. Master Deputy Troy
Livingston
Sea Tow Dennis Snowden
Lake Murray Association Dave Landis, Bob Fickling and
Stephen Phillips and Sharon-Leigh Miles
Clemson Extension Agents and Counselors Bill Blackston
(retired), Mary Cafisch (Water Resources), Leona Parr (4-H)
and Rachel Schilling (Clemson University intern)
4-H youth counselors accompanied the children, and law enforce-
ment personnel put on demonstrations.
Steve Naglic, meteorologist, gave a presentation on weather. Follow-
ing that, the campers formed groups, that moved from station to sta-
tion, about 20 minutes per stop. Topics included safety equipment,
radio, weather, law enforcement and other frst responders on Lake
Murray (sherif, fre, etc.).
Don Davis, Flotilla Staf Ofcer-Information Systems, organized the
4-H2O (CONTINUED)
event. Other participating Flotilla 12-3 members included Kenny
Uschelbec, Flotilla Vice Commander; Kent McCoin, Flotilla Staf
Ofcer-Public Education; Dale McCoin; Jerry Ruschkofski, Flotilla
Commander; Don Carty, Flotilla Staf Ofcer-Human Resources; and
Sue Carty, Flotilla Staf Ofcer-Publications.
The campers, speakers from the participating organizations, and fo-
tilla members enjoy the annual event. The campers interact eagerly
with instructors. They ask many questions but also have fun espe-
cially getting their turn at using the water canon to spray water from
the sherifs patrol boat.
Such an experience also benefts the Auxiliary, giving us a chance to
educate our youth about safe boating. Their parents often catch the
campers enthusiasm and, we hope, may follow what their children
have learned the next time the family goes boating. Some families
even sign up for a boating safety course.
Some information for this article came from Clemson University Co-
operative Extension 4-H20.
Kent McCoin demonstrates the proper use of a marine radio, com-
municating with Kenny Uschelbec on the other end. Auxiliary photo by
Sue Carty
FEATURE ARTICLES
50
PPP
4-H2O (CONTINUED)
Boat Essentials-USCG Safety Gear is a simple checklist app to help
boaters identify the safety items they are required to have onboard. It
also suggests other items that
will make a boat safer and
more comfortable.
Useful for all powered and
non-powered boats operated
in the United States and ter-
ritories waters. This app also
contains features to help maintain a boat, buy supplies for a boat,
and to notify the user of important dates.
The American Boat & Yacht Council, ABYC, was created in 1954 as
a non-proft organization to develop safety standards for the design,
construction, equipage, repair and maintenance of boats. The mis-
sion of ABYC is to improve boating safety and reduce the number of
injuries and fatalities.
DOWNLOADABLE PAPER CHECKLIST
LINK TO THE APPLE ITUNES
STORE FOR THE MOBILE APP
PPP
FREE MOBILE APP (OR PAPER CHECKLIST) FROM THE
AMERICAN BOAT & YACHT COUNCIL (ABYC)
By Stephen Ellerin, DSO-PB and DVC-BL (Chief, Recreational Boating Safety -
Outreach, National Liaison Division)
Master Deputy Troy Livingston supervises campers taking turns spraying the water
hose on the law enforcement boat. Auxiliary photo by Sue Carty.
FEATURE ARTICLES
51
The new visitor to central Florida perceives it as flled with orange
trees and theme parks. We also have a lot of lakes, rivers and miles of
farm land, flled with cattle.
The area of central Florida in which I live can be stereotyped as the
red neck area. Its not unusual to see people leave their horses tied
outside the Cat Fish Place restaurant as they have lunch. Nor is it
uncommon to hear folks revving the engines of their air boats as they
blow across the street and enter the water.
Between the air boats, cattlemen, fshermen and tourists are those
few inventive individuals who take boating to a whole new level. As
a Coast Guard Auxiliary vessel examiner (VE), one must realize that
Florida has both salt water and fresh. Although the vessels we inspect
may be similar, they do have many diferences, as do the people that
own and drive them. VEs must take this into consideration during
inspections.
A boater with a 35-foot center console on the Gulf Coast probably has
a good idea of the dangers they face during storms on the high seas,
but may feel lakes are much safer because they are small and sur-
rounded by land. They dont understand that lakes in central Florida
are very shallow and, when the afternoon storms arrive, those shallow
lakes can become as rough as the ocean during a hurricane. I have
personally been on the lake when its calm waters became turbulent,
pelting 3-6 foot waves over the bow as we struggled to get ashore.
Many lake vessels do not have VHF radios, GPS, radars or other safety
equipment that most owners consider unnecessary. Those who sail
INSPECTING THE ODD AND UNUSUAL VESSELS
By Kathryn Clatworthy, Flotilla 7-16 (Gulfport, Fla.), Breeze Contributing
Writer
the ocean would not be found without them.
Some of the best places to fnd people in need of a VE or just some
boating education may not be the boat ramps or marinas, but at the
local restaurants, gas stations and shops. Like most VEs, I always
keep a clipboard in the back of my car with standard VE inspection
forms and stickers. I also keep a box flled with an array of educa-
tional pamphlets, along with the phone numbers and emails of local
fotillas with whom a boater could sign up for boating classes.
Several weeks ago I was getting gas at a local WalMart, when a
truck towing a small power boat drove up next to me. By comment-
ing on how nice his vessel looked, I struck up a conversation with
the owner about boat safety and vessel exams. Within moments we
pulled our cars out of the way and I was doing a vessel inspection.
Just as I was fnishing up, the boater said, Take a look at that will
ya. I turned around to see what made his mouth drop open. It was
a weird looking canoe, with a huge American fag attached to its
bow, strapped to a lawn mower bed trailer. Unfortunately, I was
unable to get a photograph of this so I will do my best to describe it.
Angry with cheaply made foreign watercraft, the owner, a retired
Marine turned engineer, decided to make his own American made
paddle craft. He had taken four oil barrels and quartered each of
them. He then welded the barrels into a canoe shape and then
welded on two seats.
On the stern he built in a cooler, propane stove and a cutting board
for cleaning fsh. Under each seat were life jackets, a fre extinguish-
er, fash lights, fares (up to date) and a solar panel for charging his
battery-powered lights. The entire inside had marine-grade fotation
foam, air, and was covered by fberglass.
FEATURE ARTICLES
52
The outside barrels appeared to be professionally sprayed, in a green
camoufage pattern.
This All-American guy was very proud of his creation. He looked at
us looking at him, and said, with a decidedly Southern accent: Look-
ie here, this was made in the good old U-S-A and the dang thing
wont sink.
He could recline his seats to make a bed for night fshing and naps.
To top it of (literally), he could insert poles with a topper to keep the
weather out. Attached to his battery and solar panel were port, star-
board and even an anchor light. Yes, he actually had an anchor and
extra paddles.
This was the frst time I had ever come across a homemade paddle
craft and was not sure if I could legally inspect it. However, this little
paddle boat would easily do well in both fresh and salt water. He
had a small built in box containing a GPS, and a depth fnder that he
could plug in when necessary. And all this for a lake?
He had no hull identifcation number or registration number, but
then again he had no engine. I asked him about adding an electric
motor but said, I can get more exercise with the paddles.
Although his craft seemed a pass on every Auxiliary VE safety
inspection imaginable, I was not sure about awarding him a sticker.
Homemade paddle vessels were not something we covered in VE
class.
The man told me that I could fnd him fshing on the local lakes each
weekend, or fying his home made ultra-light (plane), or working on
ODD AND UNUSUAL VESSELS (CONTINUED)
his environment friendly house. Handing him one of my VE cards,
I informed the gentleman that I would consult my chain of leader-
ship to see about awarding him a well-earned sticker.
Unfortunately, my original boater and I were so intrigued by this
mans ingenuity that I forgot to get his number. Luckily, he men-
tioned his weekly physical therapy sessions at the Orlando Depart-
ment of Veterans Afairs hospital, and that he and I shared the same
medical team.
Hopefully I will receive a favorable answer to the sticker dilemma.
Being a VE has its moments, but this was certainly a frst.

PPP
Being a vessel exam-
iner in central Florida
has taught Auxiliarist
Kathryn Clatsworthy
always to be prepared
to inspect almost any
vessel. But nothing
prepared her for this
paddle craft, photo-
graphed in Charleston
(S.C), Harbor (not the
paddle craft described
in the article). Auxiliary
photo by Ann Graham,
Flotilla 12-6 (East Coo-
per, S.C.)
FEATURE ARTICLES
53
Never, never
say over and out together
Nothing is wronger,
I cant say this stronger
cause over and out
(now listen, dont pout)
are antithetical prowords
think cats and birds
over wants a response, thank you
out says good-bye, see you
nothing is more confusing
than the other party choosing
between hanging up or talking more
because you didnt know the score
and gave him or her over and out together
which you should do never, never

Chorus:
Yo ho ho and a can of cola
a boat and a radio makes us bolder
when were done talkin we love to shout
Roger, Wilco, Over and Out

Roger has a good set of ears.
Notwithstanding your worst fears
he always has satisfactorily received your transmission
His friend Wilco meets every skippers wishin
For he received, understands and will comply
So my friends I do not lie
PROWORD PATTER
By Burnie Radosh, Flotilla 37 (Lighthouse Point, Fla.)
When I say that Roger and Wilco
Like General Halftrack and Sergeant Bilko
Are not properly found together
In foul or fair weather
Because the received OK is redundant
So on all of us it is incumbent
To use one or the other as may be apropos
Or our ignorance will show

Chorus:
Yo ho ho and a bottle of lube oil
Nothing you say will make our brains toil
With a boat and a radio were in clover
Wilco, Roger, Out and Over.

FEATURE ARTICLES
54
You are so verbose
it makes me comatose
You use one hundred words
when two will do
those who hear us
think were nerds
and for a few, its true!
Let me give you prowords, a smattering
without the defnition
stop your mouth from mindless nattering
engage it on a mission
I SAY AGAIN...
WAIT...
am I tempting fate
WORDS TWICE...
WRONG...
are you following along
I SPELL....
CORRECTION...
you get the direction
about three dozen to master
then our coms will be faster

Chorus:
Yo ho ho and a cup of tea
this proword blast is the thing for me
SAY AGAIN EVERYTHING, you artful dodger
Over and Out, Wilco, Roger.
PPP
PROWORD PATTER (CONTINUED)
WHAT TEAM COAST GUARD DOES:
Note the number of sea rescues this year in District 7s Area of Responsibility
(AOR):
See the whole picture at http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/sarsat_res-
cues_2013.html
PPP
55
GALLOWS BAY, St. Croix - Crew onboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter
(USCGC) Reef Shark met with members of the Coast Guard Resident
Inspection Ofce (RIO) St. Croix, Coast Guard Auxiliary and Hovensa
representatives during a port stop at the Gallows Bay Commercial
Dock July 28, 2013. Lieutenant (LT) Katherine E. Murray, Command-
ing Ofcer (CO) of the Reef Shark and the crew dedicated their per-
sonal time of to hosting a luncheon and tour. The 87-foot-long Reef
Shark is stationed at USCG Sector San Juan, Puerto Rico and patrols
the Caribbean waters.
It is important for me to relate a face to a voice, a person to a posi-
tion, and a duty to an operation explained LT Murray. Conducting
emergency operations, vessel boarding, or dealing with the weather at
sea can be stressful. Getting to know Coast Guard and other support-
ing organization personnel, understanding their available local re-
sources and how they can support our missions from St. Croix is very
comforting.
Team Coast Guard encompasses many agencies and organizations
that support Coast Guard operational missions. The Coast Guard RIO
located in Castle Coakly is the hub for the Coast Guard on St. Croix.
LT Roger Bogert, Supervisor RIO, oversees the operations for port
safety and security, foreign ship inspections, USCG Boat Forces, com-
mercial fshing, pollution, environmental water protection and coastal
disaster preparedness.
Auxiliary Flotilla 16-1 Christiansted provides team support with sur-
face and air assets. Members of the Auxiliary utilize privately owned
boats and aircraft to assist with Search and Rescue (SAR),
CUTTER CREW DEDICATES TIME OFF TO TEAM
COAST GUARD ST. CROIX
By Robert A. Fabich, Sr., Public Afairs Specialist, St. Croix, U.S.V.I.
GALLOWS BAY, St. Croix - FS2 Hilary Neal (left), food service specialist, thanks fellow
shipmates BMC Gustavo Giron (rear), LT Katherine Murray (center), and MKC Heather
Friedrich (right) after serving a luncheon onboard the USCGC Reef Shark July 28, 2013.
The crew spent their personal time off hosting representatives from the Coast Guard,
Coast Guard Auxiliary and Hovensa on St. Croix. USCG Auxiliary photo by Robert A.
Fabich, Sr.
establishing safety zones for boating and swimming events, pol-
lution assessments, checking navigational aids, conducting recre-
ational boating safety checks and logistical support.
Government and territory agencies such as Customs and Border
Patrol, Virgin Islands Territory Emergency Management Agency,
National Park Service, Virgin Islands Police, Fire and Rescue De-
partments, Red Cross, Virgin Islands National Guard, National
Weather Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Ofce of
the Governor and the Community Emergency Response Team are
also supporting resources for the Coast Guard on St. Croix.
56
Following the superb meal made from scratch by FS2 Neal, represen-
tatives from USCG RIO, USCG Boat Forces, Auxiliary and Hovensa
enjoyed a tour of the cutter. LT Murray explained how the navigation,
communication and mechanical equipment of the boat is integrated
with resources used on St. Croix.
We always appreciate meeting with active duty Coast Guard when
they come into port. said Mr. Lee Elvins, Commander of
Coast Guard Cutter Reef Shark. USCG photo.
GALLLOWS BAY, St. Croix - LT Katherine Murray, commanding offcer,Coast Guard Cut-
ter Reef Shark, explains the operation of navigation equipment on the bridge. The July
28, 2013 informal training was presented to members of the USCG Auxiliary Flotilla 16-1
Christiansted during a scheduled port stop. USCG Auxiliary photo by Robert A. Fabich,
Sr.
Auxiliary Division 16.
Greeting the new crew, exchanging ideas, and learning the opera-
tion of new equipment is essential. It was an honor to be invited
here on their free day. The crew of the Reef Shark gave up their
personal time of for the betterment of Team Coast Guard.
To learn more about the U.S. Coast Guard or the Coast Guard Auxil-
iary in the Virgin Islands, visit the Flotilla 16-1 Christiansted Web-
site at http://a0701601.wow.uscgaux.info.
PPP
CUTTER CREW (CONTINUED)
Scenes from District 7 D-TRAIN
Photos courtousy of Auxiliary photographers.

2013 Fall

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