Navy League of the United States Metropolitan Detroit Council A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT... METROPOLITAN DETROIT COUNCIL.

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1 Navy League of the United States Metropolitan Detroit Council October 2012 Volume 3 Navy League Of the United States Inside this Issue A Letter from our President, Kevin MacFarland A Letter from our National President, Philip Dunmire Notice of Election Attend and Vote! Welcome New Members! Voice of Democracy Scholarship Opportunity! DAC Hosts Sailors for Navy Picnic Memo from Membership Chair METDET Social Club Did You Know Save The Date! NOSC Dedication America s War America s War Continued Calendar of Events A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT... METROPOLITAN DETROIT COUNCIL 23 SEP 2012 Greetings METDET Navy Leaguers! Autumn has arrived and definitely made its presence felt. I know that the cooler months are here now but I am hoping we will see some warm weather before the snow flies! The past month has seen a hugely successful Bicentennial Commemoration of the War of There were many great events throughout our city and we can proudly say our Council and its members were important contributors to them. From the Navy League Luncheon for 120 at the Detroit Athletic Club, to the Sea Perch Display, to the Navy League Display and Recruiting efforts, to the Young President s Breakfast, to the Picnic at the DAC, the Sea Cadets at the Moving Wall in Compuware, and the Eucharist Service at Detroit s Historic Mariners Church, the presence of our combined Motor City Spirit was felt by all. I wish to personally thank all who participated in these great events, whether you hosted them, chaired them, and participated in them in any way. I will not list you by name here, as we would need a much larger newsletter. But allow me to offer you my personal gratitude and thanks on behalf of our council. I do need to make one exception and thank our GREAT Chaplain, Rev. Paul Innes, Rector of Mariners Church, for his gracious hosting of the council at the Eucharist. We greatly appreciate his hospitality and support for our efforts to grow the council. His leadership and example have been inspiring to us all. As of this writing our membership recruiting is progressing with great momentum. In the month of September so far, we have added 4 new members, bringing our total to 31 for our year to date net gain. Our retention results stand at 77%. As you may recall, our goal for this year is 50. We need 19 more new members by 31 DEC 2012 to achieve that goal. I thank Will Kuypers and the entire membership team for bringing in all the new members and new ideas. Undoubtedly the many events of the past month will cause a great inflow of more new members! As you know, our next meeting will be held on 15 OCT 2012 at 1830 in the Schafer-Rachelle Post of the VFW. This is our Annual Meeting and will have elections of officers for the next calendar year. Due to the holidays coming up we need to have our elections so that we can start laying the groundwork for next year and leave time to enjoy the holidays. I strongly encourage all members to come to our meeting on the 15 th and take part in your council s work is going to be a great year for the Metropolitan Detroit Council. Many exciting events are in the planning for PLEASE COME AND VOTE! Best regards, 15 OCT 6:30 P.M. VFW SCHAFER-RACHELLE POST Mac

2 Dear Navy League Leaders: A LETTER FROM OUR NATIONAL PRESIDENT. Thank you for all that you have done in our fight against sequestration. Our message on the impact on the sea services, our national security, and our defense industrial base has been heard. As you would expect, legislators in the defense community have been the most vocal in speaking out and acting to stop sequestration. However, the fight is not over yet. There are many Members of Congress and members of the public for whom the defense and national security message is not enough. To help them see how sequestration will affect them in other ways, we need your help. Navy Leaguers are up to date and well-informed on the perils of these mindless cuts, and we need you to educate others in your community. We know that people who step up to take leadership positions in the Navy League like yourself are leaders in your community. The sea services need you to use that leadership to help stop sequestration. Please ask other community groups in which you are involved, or which you believe would be willing to listen, for the opportunity to brief them about the upcoming fiscal cliff ---which will impact jobs, the economy, national security, schools, health programs, and safety. We have created a presentation and issue paper, which is attached. It is also available at LINK. You will see that it appeals to a broader audience in covering the wide-ranging impacts of sequestration. You should use this presentation to brief your community groups. We have also prepared a toolkit, which includes a draft letter to your Congressman, phone script, and draft letter to the editor. These are also available at the Sequestration Action Center site. Please distribute these widely, and encourage your friends and neighbors to visit the site for materials to use. If you have questions or would like to be trained on this presentation, please contact Sara Fuentes at Navy League headquarters at sfuentes@navyleague.org or You should also feel free to contact your Legislative Affairs and Public Affairs VPs, who have familiarity with the topic and with presenting CSOPs to community groups. They will be a valuable resource. Please share these materials with members of your council. We need them to help educate others in the community. We are asking for your leadership in encouraging your council to get involved in this public education. We have a limited amount of time to stop sequestration. The cuts that will be coming to the sea services will be devastating. We are trying to stop this in every way can, and are approaching this fight from all angles. Just yesterday, the Commandant for the Marine Corps shared his concern that most of the country is unaware of the dangers of sequestration, stating: You go out across America, and they don't know....they have no idea what it would do to the defense of our country, the posture of our country, the fact that we're a global power, and our ability to be able to influence for good. All those things I think will be in jeopardy. We need all concerned Americans to contact their Congressional representatives and tell them to stop sequestration. Sincerely, Philip L. Dunmire National President Navy League of the United States

3 Notice of Annual Meeting and Election of Officers Pursuant to the by-laws adopted at the June membership meeting, there will be an Annual Meeting of the Metropolitan Detroit Council on October 15 th at 6:30 PM at VFW 6782 located at Nine Mile Rd, Eastpointe MI. There will be an election of the following officers conducted at the meeting: President Three Vice Presidents Secretary Treasurer Judge Advocate You are encouraged to attend the meeting and help keep your council vibrant and active! 15 OCT 6:30 P.M. VFW SCHAEFER-RACHELLE POST

4 Welcome New Members! On behalf of the board of directors, officers, and members of the Metropolitan Detroit Council of the Navy League of the United States, we welcome the following new members to our council: Phyllis Baier CAPT Ken Barrett Donald Birdwell Andrea Birdwell 1SG Gary Bourdeau Mike Ferrans Steven Ferrell Sandra Ferrell CAPT William Gripman Dorene Harling Dan Horvath Rev. Paul Innes Mrs. Lynn Innes CDR Erik Isaacson Janina Jacobs Thomas Johnstone William Kuypers Marcia Kuypers Kevin MacFarland Lois MacFarland Brian Miller Dawn Novak Jim Novak Hon. Suzanne Pixley Thomas Pomaranski Mike Rizzo CDR Shivan Sivalingam Charles Stohlman Richard Tschirhart Gerard Van de Vyver Anthony Widenman See you at the meeting and bring a friend!

5 Voice of Democracy Scholarship Opportunity It s time once again for VFW s Voice of Democracy scholarship competition! For more than 60 years, VFW has supported the education of our country s most promising and talented students (grades 9-12) with impressive scholarships. First prize is a $30,000 scholarship Paid directly to the American college, university or vocational/technical school of the student s choice! Please help us get the word out to: High School Students Teachers Youth Groups Parent-Teacher Associations School Boards Our sponsoring VFW Shafer-Rachelle, Post #6782 in Eastpointe, will be happy to provide a stipend to the winner of the local competition. In addition, the Post's selection will go on to the District competition and upward all the way to Washington D.C. if selected as the winning entry. The total available scholarship is $30,000. But hurry! The deadline to submit an audio-essay to VFW Posts is November 1, Please contact Jerry VandeVvyer if you'd like to enter this contest. Be aware of the deadline; we'll need the entries before then. For more information please visit: 5

6 DETROIT ATHLETIC CLUB HOSTS SAILORS FOR NAVY PICNIC Members and management of the Detroit Athletic Club hosted visiting U.S. and Canadian Navy sailors for a picnic at their outdoor pavilion on Saturday, September 8. Metropolitan Detroit Navy League and DAC member John McCandless organized this event. DAC members young and old really enjoyed having the opportunity to entertain and get to know crew members of the USS DE WERT, staff officers of Carrier Strike Group Two, Coast Guard petty officers and members of the Canadian Navy as well, McCandless said. The day started with private tours of the USS DE WERT. Some 120 DAC families were divided into groups of 40 and bussed to the DE WERT docked just south of the Ambassador Bridge. The busses departed the DAC at 25 minute intervals starting at 10 a.m., so that each group could be escorted around the ship by petty officers from the DE WERT crew for in-depth tours. The busses returned to the DAC for the outdoor picnic, which continued until 2 p.m. The informal program included remarks by Rear Admiral Greg Nosal, USN, Commander, Carrier Hello! Strike Group Two, during which time he took questions from the DAC members. Admiral Nosal s interaction with DAC families was outstanding, McCandless said. From the questions, you could tell that all of those attending wanted to know how they could support the men and women of the United States Navy and other sea services. The Metropolitan Detroit Council for this calendar year has 31 new members. That s fantastic! Our Council is now the 2 nd strongest council in the Region. Let s keep it going and achieve our Council s goal of 50 new members this year. We can do it! The DAC has a long tradition of supporting members of our military. McCandless invited all those who attended the picnic to become new members of the Navy League and the Metropolitan Detroit Council. Remember, whoever recruits the most new members this year, the winner and spouse will receive a free dinner at the D.A.C. with the Council President, Kevin D. MacFarland, Sr., his wife, Lois, and the Membership Chair, Will Kuypers, and his wife, Marcia. Regarding the 1812 Bicentennial in Detroit last month, I want to thank all of the members who volunteered to recruit and inform the public about the Navy League at the Display Booth in the RenCen Wintergarden. We should see 6 or 7 new members sign up as a result of this event. John and Robbie McCandless, Rear Admiral and Liz Nosal and Met Detroit Navy Leaguers Jerry Special and thanks Diane to Soloman John Daniels from our National Headquarters who set up the Navy League Display Booth. John Daniels gave us valuable pointers on recruiting new members. Ask a friend today to join the Navy League! Will Kuypers Membership Chairman wtkmak714@comcast.net USS DE WERT sailors enjoy a picnic lunch with DAC member Charlie Rutherford DAC families tour the bridge of USS DE WERT

7 The Metropolitan Detroit Council for this calendar year has 31 new members. That s fantastic! Our Council is now the 2 nd strongest council in the Region. Let s keep it going and achieve our Council s goal of 50 new members this year. We can do it! Remember, whoever recruits the most new members this year, the winner and spouse will receive a free dinner at the D.A.C. with the Council President, Kevin D. MacFarland, Sr., his wife, Lois, and the Membership Chair, Will Kuypers, and his wife, Marcia. Regarding the 1812 Bicentennial in Detroit last month, I want to thank all of the members who volunteered to recruit and inform the public about the Navy League at the Display Booth in the RenCen Wintergarden. We should see 6 or 7 new members sign up as a result of this event. Special thanks to John Daniels from our National Headquarters who set up the Navy League Display Booth. John Daniels gave us valuable pointers on recruiting new members. Will Kuypers Membership Chair wtkmak714@comcast.net Ask a friend today to join the Navy League!

8 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS! 08 OCT JIM NOVAK 21 OCT CHRIST STOYANOVICH MEMBERS CELEBRATING OCTOBER WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES 05 OCT 74 BRENT and HELEN SMITH 08 OCT 94 DONALD and ANDREA BIRDWELL IF YOU WISH TO INCLUDE YOUR BIRTHDAY OR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY FOR FUTURE ISSUES PLEASE CONTACT LOIS MACFARLAND AT or call (586) Just a reminder that the Navy Ball will be Oct. 27 at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club. Hope to see you there. See for more information. WANT TO STAY CONNECTED? LIKE US ON FACEBOOK FIND OUR PAGE AT Metropolitan Detroit Council Navy League of the United States

9 DID YOU KNOW Our METDET Clubroom, located inside the VFW Shafer-Rachelle Post #6782 in Eastpointe, happily invites all members of the Navy League of the United States to use their private clubroom as their own personal gathering place for themselves and their guests. The clubroom offers a variety of food and beverages, has a great juke box, three TVs to watch your favorite team in action, super friendly bartenders and a great atmosphere. Domestic Beers are a mere $2.00 and Wednesdays are "Coney Days at the V" with a Coney dog going for $.85 and beer for $1.50. Chili Fries are also available. See You At The V! Save the Date December 8th - Hard Rock Detroit "Battle of the Beasts" Army-Navy Football Game Party Watch for details in November's issue of the WAVE!

10 The Commanding Officer Navy Operational Support Center Battle Creek Cordially invites you to the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for NOSC Battle Creek on Saturday, 17 November, 2012 from 1400 to 1500 Our council is taking two vans with seating for 23. The vans are filling up fast. Contact Mac at or if you wish to attend. This is a great opportunity to show your METDET/USN/AUSN/Sea Cadet/Veterans Pride!

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13 OCTOBER OCT 6:30 PM METDET GEN MEMBERSHIP MTG VFW POST 6782 EASTPOINTE ****ELECTION OF OFFICERS**** Nominations will also be taken from the floor. 27 OCT 6:00 PM SE MICHIGAN NAVY BALL GROSSE POINTE YACHT CLUB NOVEMBER NOV 2:00 PM NOSC DEDICATION FORT CUSTER BATTLE CREEK 19 NOV 6:30 PM METDET GEN MEMBERSHIP MTG VFW POST 6782 EASTPOINTE DECEMBER DEC TBD NAVY/ARMY TAILGATE TBD TBD 17 DEC 6:30 PM METDET GEN MEMBERSHIP MTG VFW POST 6782 EASTPOINTE ALL COUNCIL EVENTS AND MEETING DETAILS TO BE CONFIRMED VIA COMMUNICATIONS PRIOR TO EVENT TENTATIVE FUTURE EVENTS DETAILS TO BE ANNOUNCED 2012? TBD USS FORT WORTH (LCS-3) VISIT DETROIT 2015? TBD USS GERALD R. FORD (CVN-78) COMMISSIONING VIRGINIA? 2015? TBD USS DETROIT (LCS-7) DETROIT? As with all Navy League Metropolitan Detroit events your full participation is being requested and encouraged. We ask that you make arrangements ahead of time to attend the events and drills. Do your part in supporting our council by participating! Thank you!