THE SCUTTLEBUTT

Nov. 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Scuttlebutt Flotilla 12-8, 7th District Charleston, South Carolina Vol. Vol. 35, 35, No. No. 11-November 3-March 2009 2009
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Flotilla Web Site: http://www.uscgauxcharleston.org

Commanders Corner
Joe Fleming, FC 12-8
This year has flown by so fast. We have had a lot of challenges put before us and some new adventures to experience. New members coming on board will learn what a fabulous team we are, and be proud to be a part of 12-8. You all know its election time again; so far we have VFC-Allan Miles running for FC, and Richard Daniel for VFC. Both are well qualified for the jobs they seek. All members need to attend the meeting on Nov. 11 to vote. Those of you that have not paid your DUES need to by the Nov. meeting or I have to submit your name for DISENROLLEMENT. Please, those of you that need to get this done, contact FSO-FN, Frank Leister or me concerning this. The Annual cook out at the base was fabulous! Our cooks, Dean Creed and David Beaudrot deserve a big hand. A big thank you is also due all the helpers; Allan Miles, Hap, Tom Beauchemin, Bob Mathews, Bob Orenstein, Barbara Thibodeaux, and Bob Kreiling. Thanks to Sr. Chief Lindsay for the help with clean up, he drives a mean vacuum cleaner!!! It took lot of team work to do this and what a TEAM we have.
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Vice Commander
Alan Miles, VFC 12-8
It is time to assess the effectiveness of our efforts in the flotilla. As I put my uniform back on the hanger in my closet I took a moment to reflect on what it has seen me accomplish in the Inside Auxiliary this past year. I FC ............. 1 asked myself if I have been wor- VFC .......... 1 thy of this uniform. Even though CM ........... 3 a lot has been accomplished in CS ............. 3 the last eleven months while FN ............. 6 serving as your Vice Flotilla IS .............. 4 Commander, I questioned if it MA ........... 4 was enough. I remembered that it MS ............ 3 was the flotilla that voted for me MT ............ 2 and carried me along the way. OP............. 5 Thanks to the support of all the PA ............. 4 PB ............. 2 members, officers, staff, the dePE ............. 4 tachment and the Gold Side. To- PS ............. 3 gether as a team we have accom- SR ............. 6 plished a great deal this year. VE............. 6 From new displays and booths, Calendar .. 8 tables, tents, and boats a great Trivia........ 6 deal has been accomplished. Our Uniforms have seen action in Kiawah and Summerville and from St. George to Goose Creek. Some of my endeavors were unfulfilled such as the radio broadcast from the harbor. But I learned a lot. I also reflected that there are shipmates in our flotilla that
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Confidentiality Notice: Telephone numbers and addresses of members are protected by the Privacy Act of 1974. As a matter of policy, rosters of names, addresses and telephone numbers shall not be made available to the general public or any outside organization. Privacy of all rosters shall be safeguarded and the page clearly labeled. The publication of these rosters, addresses, and telephone numbers on any computer on-line service including the Internet is prohibited by the Privacy Act of 1974. The Auxiliary is guided by the current equal opportunities policies of the Commandant of the Coast Guard. No Person shall be subject to

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Publications
Bob Mathewes, FSO-PB
or the sixth time in eleven months, let me congratulate the elected and appointed officers for 100% participation in the Scuttlebutt. That brings our average back above 95%. This month I am going to exercise the privilege of using this space for an editorial. I have never done that before but this is a special, if not a happy occasion. One 12 December 2001, we enrolled a new member who was to have a great impact on Flotilla 12-8. That new member was Allen Newberry James who we all know as Hap In the intervening eight years he has attained AUXOP status and gained his Coxswain qualification. He has served as Flotilla Vice Commander, Flotilla Commander, Flotilla Operations Officer and Navigational Services Officer. He has also served as Division 12 Operations Officer. Hap has always been ready to step forward when something needed to be done. He has performed countless patrols with his boat when no one else was there to fill the gap. The people he has trained as crew and coxswains may have felt that he was too demanding but he was training them to the level that they needed to be brought to be the kind of crew person or coxswain who could be counted on to perform well in all kinds of situations. The number of hours he has spent on surface patrols rivals the national debt in their vastness. Unfortunately for Flotilla 12-8 Hap and Louise are leaving the Charleston area. They are moving up the coast and Hap will still be Semper Paratus (Always Ready) to answer the call to service but it will be in one of our sister flotillas. Our loss will cer-

tainly be some other flotillas gain. His departure will leave a gap in our ranks that will be difficult for anyone to fill. If you see him before he leaves take a moment to thank him for all he has done to make 12-8 the asset to the Coast Guard that it has become. For my part I wish him Fair Winds and Following Seas. I will miss him. Bob Mathewes, FSO-PB

Member Training
Bob Mathewes, SO-MT

he majority of the formal member training that is currently in progress is due to the efforts of two of our other staff members. Due to the efforts of our FSO-CM, Dean Creed we are approaching the end of a successful Telecommunications Operator Specialty Class. The group has had nineteen members including one from Flotilla 12-12. Through the efforts of Bob Orenstein, our FSO-MS we are in the process of working on Auxiliary Assistant Pollution Investigator qualification for three of our Bobs. Those are Lovinger, Orenstein and Mathewes. One of them is also working on the Marine Environmental Education Specialist qualification. These MS programs are being taught and mentored by MST3 Gary Barnum and MST3 Jeanette Bouch. Hopefully when these programs are completed we can schedule a class on one of the Auxiliary Specialty Courses. Chuck Chirila has asked for the material so that he begin a self study program. I commend him for his ambition. If any of you are also desirous of working independently let me know and I will provide you with the material. Expanding your level of training make you better able to assist the Coast Guard mission Bob Mathewes, SO-MT

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Marine Safety
Bob Orenstein, FSO-MS

Communications

week and a half ago, the MER Team offered our trainees an opportunity to view some of their equipment at the County Farm Launching Ramp. Unfortunately, Bob M was not able to attend and I was on vacation. Bob Lovinger was able to fill the gap and, while it was a cold and rainy day, he reported that the equipment and the lecture on its' uses were quite interesting. When there is a "repeat" I will let all interested know about it. On another note, MER has been quiet with their personnel called away to other duties. As soon as the weekly missions start again you will all be apprised of the dates and times. As members of the Auxiliary, keep your eyes pealed at the marinas and along the shore line for any type of "spill" and, if warranted, notify MER of it. Bob Orenstein, FSO-MS

Dean Creed, FSO-CM

ithin the next month, I expect our Flotilla to have about a dozen members certified as Telecommunications Operators. This is the new certification required of Auxiliarists who want to be involved in radio communication support of the USCG. Thanks to Bob Mathewes for helping organize and lead the mentoring sessions we have recently concluded. Thanks to all the members who attended the sessions and studied sufficiently to receive their sign-offs. If you're interested in what Auxiliary communications support involves, please go to www.auxodept.org/telecoms. htm to find out. Dean Creed, FSO-CM

Communication Services John Sikes, FSO-CS

Personnel Services
Alan Miles, FSO-PS

s members of the Auxiliary also keep in mind the old clich that No Job is Complete Until the Paperwork is Done. As the year draws to a close, I urge everyone to set aside some time to submit your hours to Aux data on 7029s and 7030s. Please call me or FSO-IS Frank Leister if you need help or have questions. Please submit your time to AUXDATA this month. Remember, We make 12-8 GREAT!!! Alan J.P. Miles, FSO-PS

n order to help Auxiliarists understand IT and CS services such as the eDirectory, AUXINFO & AUXDATA, members can access the I Departments site at http://www.cgaux.org/it/ howto.htm . On this site there are also a number of tools that can be helpful to members. Feel free to check it out. John Sikes, FSO-CS Screening Committee Report There are only two announced candidates for the flotilla election. Alan Miles is a candidate for FC and Richard Daniel is a candidate for VFC. Both of these individuals meet the requirements for elected office. Bob Orenstein, Chairman

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Public Affairs
Barbara Thibodeaux, FSO-

Public Education

e've had a quiet month for PA activities but we are already getting requests for participation in up-coming events. These start with activities planned on the Yorktown to honor Veteran's Day. I will contact members, via chain of leadership, to see who is interested in participating at different events decided on by our Commanders. If you would like information on the events scheduled on the Yorktown just email me and I will forward them to you. I have already received requests from events planners on several boat shows starting in January and will keep you apprised. If you've never participated in PA events it would be great if you consider it. We work hard but we get so much more back from the public. Thanks to all who have given their time and assistance in previous events. Each person makes a difference! Please feel free to contact me at any time. Barbara Thibodeaux, FSO-PA

Bob Lovinger, FSO-PE

s the year winds down boating education for the public goes up. The BS&S class is well under way after a delayed start due to my late season cruise to Alaska. By the end of the month we will be nearly at the halfway point in that class. After the winter boat show, we should have enough names of people who have expressed interest to start a new BS&S class. As well, an ABS (About Boating Safely) class is in the works & I hope to know shortly whether there will be enough people for it to go. A minimum of 5 people would be enough to justify the effort. For the future, expanding PE would be desirable. Perhaps developing a committee of two or three people who would divide the work and rotate the leadership and responsibility would make this task more attractive. Anybody interested in being involved? Bob Lovinger, FSO-PE

Materials
Tom Beauchemin, FSO-MA

Information Services

Frank Leister, FSO-IS

orm submissions remain at a very low level. Maybe two 7029s, Member Activity Logs, arrived last month and just a handful of 7030s, Mission Activity Reports, were submitted. It is not clear what causes such low reporting. It could be there has been no activity or it could be that members simply are not reporting their activity. Any ideas? Frank C. Leister, FSO-IS

aterials is slow this time of year as always. The state regs are becoming scarce and I will attempt to shake some loose. With elections just around the corner it is time for some new faces to step up as a materials officer. This position only requires a few hours per month and can be done in the convenience and privacy of your home. The pay and the benefits are priceless. Tom Beauchemin, FSO-MA

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will support you no matter what. When you cant go another step, they are there to shoulder some of your weight so you can go on. We heard taps for a member and we have seen valuable members transfer out. But through it all we continued to pull at the oars together. Thanks everyone. We have read articles about our flotilla in many publications for the first time. We have received group and individual honors from the US Coast Guard. As a team, we have reached out to many thousands of Low Country citizens with our message of safety on the water by conducting vessel inspections, instructing boaters, and rescuing over 5000 fishermen with a small wooden helicopter from shark infested artic waters. We were a uniformed presence in First Grade classrooms teaching the life jacket lesson, and a pollution lesson. Officer Myrtle paraded in a PFD to kiddies to try to connect to them. If we have saved only one person from the thousands from drowning we have been highly effective. As I closed my closet door I realized I am also closing this chapter as your Vice Flotilla Commander. It has been a good eleven months. My buttons had tarnished somewhat but were shiny nonetheless. The sweat stains in my hats are my medals of honor. I feel no sadness, Im confident that we made a difference. So the next time you put your uniform on the hanger, take a moment to look at it. Let it speak to you, and tell your story. Tell me about it at the next meeting. I want to hear what it tells you. S E M P E R P A R A T U S Alan Jean Pierre Miles, VFC

Operations
Allen James, FSO-OP

ooler weather is now with us. Even though the water temperature is not lower than 60 deg, start preparing your Float Coats and Mustang Suits for wear. Obtain cold weather gear and wash it in warm soapy water by hand. Do not put in a washing machine! Hang up to dry then lubricate the zipper with the proper lubricant. The FC, VFC or MA will issue the necessary equipment. See them ahead of your patrol time. On 15 Oct., 12-8 was called on to assist in testing the AIS (Automatic Identification System) where information on a ships movement is automatically seen on the screen or radar at Seahawk. Its main purpose is to avoid ship collisions. Any vessel equipped with AIS can identify other ships similarly equipped, as to range, bearing and name. Other information can be included such as speed, name, IMO number and Lat./Lon. Our purpose was to test a security zone. Yes, we were detected! Allen James, SO-OP
(FC, Continued from page 1)

As I finish this report, I am preparing to leave for Miami to pick up our new trailer, which will be used for boating safety and communications. This is an exciting addition to our equipment and will provide more opportunities for us to offer our help to the boating public. Joe Fleming, FC

Happy Thanksgiving

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Secretary Records
Rick Miller, FSO-SR

Vessel Examinations
Joe Fleming, FSO-VE
ur last blitz was Wappoo Landing. Dick Morgan AND I did sixteen boats. Summer boating is coming to a close. Lets see what the weather does next month on the 21st for inspections at Leeds Ave boat ramp. Joe Fleming, FSO-VE

T I

he annual cookout on October 14th was held in lieu of the monthly business meeting so there are no minutes to publish this month The next meeting is at 1900 on 11 November at the Brass Buckle on the Coast Guard Base. Rick Miller FSO-SR

Finance
Frank Leister, FSO-FN
n the last month a few more members paid their dues, but there are still too many who have not. Some have, either when I called them or by email, said they would but the checks have yet to arrive. If your name is on the list below and you have sent a check, call me at 991-1118 or email at me at FSO128-FN@yahoo.com I always wondered why previous FNs started collecting the dues in June. Now I know. The members were billed on August first and yet twenty-four, not counting cadets have YET TO PAY! They are: Baker, Bishop, Bokern, Cowley E., Cowley R., Devilleir, Egan, Gomez, Jackson, Kahn, Lowe, Morris, Ortega, Pelletier, Puckhaber, Rees, Rhodes, Robinson, Schmidt D., Schmidt T. Simmons, Thomas, Wolf S. and Wolf H. Frank Leister, FSO-FN

Happy Birthday
This Month To:

John Jackson...Nov. 02 Bob Lovinger...Nov. 05 Paul Berka........Nov. 08 Spencer Toberman...Nov. 23 Bob KreilingNov. 25 Bob Mathewes.Nov. 25 Allen James..Nov. 29 John SikesNov. 29

Nautical Trivia
Last months question was to name the year that the very first crude navigational light was established on the site of the present Morris Island Light. This light being a crude light consisting of a fier ball of oakum and pitch that was elevated in an open iron basket and was lighted every night. Once again the Faithful Five came through by identifying the year as 1673. The correct answers came from Dean Creed, Reggie Hollar, Dick McLaren, John Sikes and Agnes Wright. Since we are in the middle of the football season, lets do a Coast Guard football question. The gentleman whose name we are
(Continued on page 7)

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looking for graduated from Northwestern University where he attended on a basketball scholarship and was named to the AllAmerican team in 1944. He also played football, baseball and played the cornet in the university band. He finished third in the 1943 Heisman Trophy voting. Since we were still in WWII he entered the Coast Guard upon graduation. In 1946 he began his professional football career in the All-America Football Conference which was a rival to the NFL. In 1949 the AAFC folded with some of its teams being absorbed into the National Football League. In the four years this individual played in the AAFC his team won the league championship every year. In their first season in the NFL they also won the title. Over a ten year professional football career he played in the championship every year and won seven championships. He closed his career by winning the NFL championship over the LA Rams in December of 1955. In 1959 he was commissioned a commander in the Coast Guard and became the head football coach and athletic director at the Coast Guard Academy, positions he held for seven years. In 1963 he produced the first undefeated, untied team in the Academy's history. In 1966 he became coach and general manager of the Washington Redskins. He was promoted to captain in the Coast Guard Reserve at that time. He returned to the Coast Guard as athletic director in 1970 and retired in 1985 with the rank of captain. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1965, his first year of eligibility and is consistently ranked as one of the top passers of all time. Who was this Coast Guard Officer who excelled in three sports and left his mark in the record books of the NFL? No!. It wasnt Joe Namath.

The picture above was taken at the October Division 12 meeting. From left to right are Reggie Hollar, the District Captain for our area; Alan Miles and Capt. Michael F. McAllister, commander of Coast Guard Sector Charleston. The occasion was the presentation of the Auxiliary Commandants Letter of Commendation and the accompanying ribbon and medal to VFC Miles for his work and dedication as FSO-PS for our Flotilla The commendation reads in part as follows: 1. I note with pride and am pleased to commend you for your performance of duty from January 2007 through April 2009 as FSO-PS of Flotilla 12-8. During this period you displayed outstanding recruiting abilities especially among young people. Primarily through you own efforts the flotilla gained, during that period, a total of fiftyone new members. During this period you also created and developed at the expenditure of your own funds and over 500 hours of labor a Helicopter Rescue game for use at Boating Safety Booths and Vessel Safety Check sites. This game, which has proved a great attraction for the young boating public, graphically teaches a basic rule of boating safety. Already, over two thousand children have played the game and learned the value of wearing a life jacket. It goes hand in hand with the Wear It program to teach the value of wearing life jackets. Your dedication of time, talent, and professionalism were in evidence throughout your tenure. You are commended for your outstanding performance of duty. By your meritorious service you have upheld the highest tradition of the United States Coast Guard and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.

2.

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November 2009
SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT

1
Daylight Savings Time Ends

2
Full Moon

3
Election Day

10

11
Veterans Day Flotilla Meeting

12

13

14

15

16
New Moon

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26
Thanksgiving Day

27

28

29

30

Flotilla Officers
Flotilla Commander Joe Fleming joeflemingjr@comcast.net Finance Frank Leister fso128-FN@yahoo.com Member Training Bob Mathewes rhmathewes@comcast.net Publications Bob Mathewes rhmathewes@comcast.net Flotilla Vice Commander Alan Miles bigcid@comcast.net Information Services Frank Leister 128FSOIS@gmail.com Navigational Services Allen James jamesan38@bellsouth.net Public Education Bob Lovinger rlovinger@earthlink.net Communications Dean Creed dbcreed@comcast.net Communication Systems John Sikes jsikes@netrockets.com

Materials Marine Safety Tom Beauchemin Bob Orenstein tbeauchemin001@sc.rr.com bandjorenstein@bellsouth.net Operations Public Affairs Allen James Barbara Thibodeaux jamesan38@bellsouth.net barbara.thibodeaux@gmail.com Personnel Services Alan Miles bigcid@comcast.net RBS Visitor Paul Berka phberka@comcast.net IPFC Allen James jamesan38@bellsouth.net

Secretary Records Miller, Rick rick.mllr@gmail.com

Vessel Examination Joe Fleming joeflemingjr@comcast.net