Message from our President Rob Bender

Transcription

1 Message from our President Rob Bender Dear Philadelphia Council Member, I'd like to invite you to consider whether you're ready to lead the Philadelphia Council of the Navy League into the future. The Council s Board of Directors is seeking nominations from individuals who have a passion about our mission and the future of the Philadelphia Council and would be interested in serving on the Advisory Board or Board of Directors. These Boards will set a vision for our Council which will position us at the heart of sea service activities, and contribute to building our reputation for service throughout the Delaware Valley. Advisory Board members must be nominated by a Director and approved by a majority vote of the Directors. There is no limit to the number of Advisory Board members and they can offer their services to any of our committees, such as Membership, Ships, Youth, Development, Events, Public Relations, etc. The Board of Directors can consist of up to 35 members, and approximately 1/3 are elected each year to serve a three-year term. The Nominating Committee will submit a slate of nominees for election by the general membership at the Annual Meeting in December Your contributions are integral to this important process. To nominate yourself or someone you know, complete and return our Personal Data Form and read our Expectations of Board Members, no later than September 15 th To receive more information about this send an to : information@navyleaguephilly.com Advisory Board members and Directors are called upon to think strategically, engage in a flexible and open dialogue, work collaboratively; and advance the Council s mission by stewardship for the benefit of the Maritime Services, the Navy League and its members. Are you ready? We're looking for a few excellent leaders! This newsletter has information on three upcoming events the trip to the USS Philadelphia on August 19 th, the Sea Chanters Concert on August 21 st, and the Navy Day Luncheon on October 8 th. We also will probably have a ship visit and reception the weekend of September 18 th ; the ship visit has not been confirmed, so please check our website after September 10 th for confirmation. If we have your address, you will receive notices and reminders for all of our events. You may send or update your by sending an to information@navyleaguephilly.com Sincerely, Rob Bender Philadelphia Council President Rob Bender, President of Philadelphia Council, with guest speaker Admiral Kathleen Martin at the Philadelphia Council Quarterly meeting June 22, 2004.

2 Page 2 Philadelphia Navy League July 2004 The United States Navy Band Sea Chanters Saturday, August 21 Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge The Sea Chanters, the 20-voice chorus of The United States Navy Band in Washington, D.C., perform a variety of music ranging from traditional choral music, including the sea chantey, to Broadway musicals. Organized in 1956 as an all-male chorus specializing in songs of the sea, the group was named by Admiral Arleigh Burke, then Chief of Naval Operations. Female voices were added in 1980 and the chorus repertoire expanded. The Sea Chanters, under the leadership of Senior Chief Musician Russell J. Rathier and musical director, Chief Musician Keith D. Hinton, appear throughout the United States. They will be performing at the Freedoms Foundation campus, in Valley Forge, on Saturday, August 21, 2004 at 6:30 pm. There will be concessions and plenty of parking, with a donation. The concert is free to the public, so join us and make the Sea Chanters feel welcome from our home to theirs. The Navy League is sponsoring an old fashioned picnic at the Freedoms Foundation to coincide with the concert. 4:30 Navy League Members and their guests can take a walking tour of the campus to include the Medal of Honor Grove which is dedicated in honor of those men and women of America s Armed Forces who have received the Congressional Medal of Honor 5:00 Picnic, by the main building at the Freedoms Foundation 6:30 Concert The cost of the Picnic and VIP seating for the Concert is $10 per person. Make your check payable to: Philadelphia Council of the Navy League and no later than August 14 th mail to: ROB BENDER 45 GROVE AVENUE, FLOURTOWN, PA For Directions call x 270 or visit the website: Adopt a Sailor for a Day When a Navy ship visits Philadelphia, there are many young sailors aboard, that are visiting our city for the first time. In addition, at the holidays, there are many young sailors far from home. Both our visiting sailors and our local sailors at the holidays would appreciate someone taking an interest in them through our Adopt a Sailor for a Day program. The Adopt a Sailor for a Day program is only an idea now, but as we envision it, when a ship visits, or at holiday times for local sailors, we would have interested volunteers adopt one or more of them for a day, to show them our city (if they are on a visiting ship) and perhaps invite a local sailor to share a meal at the holidays. We hope that the general membership will support this idea. We would create an list of those members that indicate an interest and might be available. We would find out, from the ship or local commands, who aboard would like to be adopted. We would then send the details about the prospective adoptee to our list and try to facilitate a match. If you have any interest in this program, could you send me an with your name, address and phone number. You can contact me through our link on our website: or directly through our at: information@navyleague.philly. This program will demonstrate to our sailors are appreciation for what they are doing and it will make a our sailors feel welcome by our Navy League.

3 Volume 4, Issue 12 Page 3 Welcome Aboard We would like to extend a sincere Welcome Aboard to the following new members who joined the Navy League in the first half of the year. Life Members Regular Members Husband And Wife Members Rocco Abessinio Lawrence C. Braun Donald L. Irby Charles & Glendora Shadle Carolyn M. Di Paulo Emilio Comparoto Alan J. Kirsch Mr. And Mrs. Shelanski Antoinette Kaufman Val V. Fiorillo David L. Marshall Thomas R. Metzger Stanton T. Fitts Christopher Nuneviller David G. Walsh Michael J. Gubicza Robert C. Oliver David E. Hankins Deborah Smith Webster Recruiting new members is something all Navy Leaguers can do. Members need to simply tell people about the Navy League and some of the various activities of the Philadelphia Council, and then invite them to visit or join. Everyone that members come in contact with (except active duty military) can become a member of the Navy League. You do need to have served in the Maritime Services, you only need to support the Maritime Services. Membership information and an application are at our website: Reminder - USS PHILADELPHIA TRIP SPACE IS LIMITED!! RSVP By: Departure: Documents Required: The event: August 10 (you must be American Citizen and Navy League Member) 6:00 SHARP, US Army Reserve Center parking area, Bristol, PA Thursday, August 19, Picture ID, (current drivers license, or Passport) You'll go aboard the Philly, meet the crew, and receive a comprehensive tour of the boat. The ships store will be open, so you'll want to buy remembrances of your visit. The Philly Council & The Philadelphia Sailors Assn. will jointly present an award to commemorate the Philly's 1000 th dive during her last deployment. The crew of the Philly will host a BAR-B-QUE PICNIC in the Admiral Fife Park near our hotel. On Friday morning after breakfast we'll check out of the Marriott, and proceed to the Submarine Base Where we will either tour the Submarine School and visit the simulators, or go to the USS Nautilus (SSN571) Submarine Museum & Library More details at: or call Ron Kohl at

4 Page 4 Philadelphia Navy League Sea Power 21 will reach its full potential by attracting, educating, challenging, inspiring, rewarding and retaining the right Sailors! A remarkable revolution is taking place in the Navy s education and training programs. The Navy is making great strides in equipping Sailors with the right tools to better serve themselves, and the Navy through progressive programs like Navy Knowledge Online (NKO), the 5-Vector Model, and Web-based and self-paced training. The value of improving training and education opportunities is providing challenging growth and development opportunities throughout a Sailor s career. The Navy is boosting career opportunities, improving Sailor performance, and reducing costs daily. For example, the first Sailor to complete the Interior Co mmunication Technician (IC) training pipeline graduated this month. The training, which took 59 days, equated to a 45% reduction in timeto-train, yielded a savings of $7,000 for one student, and produced a highly qualified Sailor ready for service in the Fleet. Strategy: The corporate approach. While military service demands a culture and commitment like no other profession, the Navy is adopting several of corporate America s winning approaches to human capital development. These winning approaches include, when possible, hiring semi-skilled individuals with experience, accredited training and certification; and providing opportunities for apprenticeships and on-the-job training under master technicians. Once members successfully complete their initial training and orientation period, training and certification goals are set, formal training and mentoring continue, and performance-based merit reviews occur. In return, expectations for superior performance -- to include accreditation or certification within a specified time -- must be met. This comprehensive, end-to-end, career long approach to growth and development benefits both the individual and the company. Strategy: The Navy approach. The Revolution in Training is pursuing new human capital approaches to best develop and leverage the extraordinary talent of our Sailors. The Navy is re -engineering training courses to reflect Fleet-requirement driven education, incorporating self-paced instruction with different learning environments and graduating Sailors who are better prepared to enter the Fleet with exact knowledge of their rating. A few examples are: Setting individualized goals for Sailors in specific rating areas to gain a proficient level of expertise and then recognizing and rewarding accomplishments. Tracking annual growth and development goals, and conducting periodic merit reviews. Leadership responsibilities. New training strategies will produce a coherent, adaptive ready force to meet the challenges of an uncertain future by shaping capabilities, behaviors and attitudes to optimize work force productivity. Broad-based skills and knowledge will ensure the operational primacy of our Fleet and accelerate our #1 Advantage our Sailors. Guiding principles include: Top-level executive responsibility (covenant leadership) for the success of our Sailors. Disciplined, yet unbounded growth and development opportunities to promote lifelong learning for Sailors who will develop an attitude and desire to continue progressing and developing their professional skills. Master-level mentors in individual ratings, available to Sailors regardless of geographic location, to mentor, advise and encourage the pursuit of a professional naval career. Flexible, tailored learning opportunities that will create a comprehensive, end-to-end, career-long approach to growth and development that benefits both the individual and the Navy. Successes. Snapshots of recent Revolution in Training successes: The Center for Naval Intelligence Fleet Intelligence Training site, Pacific (FITPAC) continues to cut training costs by employing Web-based training modules via SIPRNET. Since migrating previously in-house delivered training modules to an online Our Navy is entering an age where education will take on a greater significance in the daily work lives of our Sailors. Those in the fleet today want to be a part of the responsive, flexible and agile force of the future. It is our obligation as leaders to make sure they have the education, training and leadership they ll need to succeed. - MCPON Scott Military service Naval service in particular demands a culture of commitment like no other. We must be responsible for, and committed to, the success of our Sailors as strong warriors, leaders and lifelong learners. Simply stated, it is the right thing to do for our Sailors and our Navy. - VADM Harms, CNETC environment, more than 11,000 courses have been completed. Assessments of the elearning modules reveal exam scores consistent with, or better than those delivered in -house. The Storekeeper (SK) A School is currently being transformed into a Web-based, self-paced course, scheduled to be piloted in August. The conversion to a learner-centric course is expected to yield 58 man-years worth of savings, as well as making the course available 24/7 to Sailors around the Fleet through NKO. The school conversion is a major part of the larger Meridian Project, in which the Yeoman, Storekeeper, Ship s Serviceman, Religious Program Specialist, Personnelman and Disbursing Clerk A schools are being converted to a self-paced format. The Meridian Project has an annual return on investment of $900,000 annually or 157 man-years. The Revolution in Training efficiencies in both time and money are compelling, the bottom line is that we are getting a better-equipped Sailor to our Fleet.

5 Volume 4, Issue 12 Page 5 SAVE THE DATE! 2004 Navy Day Luncheon A Tradition Commemorating The 229 Anniversary Of The Founding Of The United States Navy When: Friday October 8th Guest John Lehman Where: Philadelphia Union League Speaker: Secretary of the Navy Presidential 9/11 Committee Member Mail To: Navy Day Luncheon Committee Tickets: $50 per person, $450 for table of 10 5 Lantern Way Cash Bar Wayne, PA Pay to: NLUS Phila. Council Name: Address: City, State, Zip: Telephone: Ticket Quantity: Guest Names: Amount enclosed $ for ticket (s) for Navy Day Luncheon or contribution$ U.S. NAVAL SEA CADET CORPS Sunday, May 16, 2004 was a great Navy Day for over 300 Navy Leaguers and friends attending a casual reception aboard the USS THOMAS GATES at Penn s Landing. The CO, Commander Rick Rainer, and his crew were outstanding hosts that made this social event a most successful affair. Commander Rainer conducted a special awards ceremony that identified the Outstanding Cadet of the Year in each of the three Sea Cadet divisions sponsored by the Philadelphia Navy League Council. As the cadets stood in formation, Commander Rainer presented the Navy League Outstanding Youth Medal to each cadet as they exchanged sharp salutes. The honored cadets are: Cadet Petty Officer First Class Brandon Waller BARRY (DDG-52) Sea Cadet division: A junior at William Penn HS and his 4 th year in the Corps. Recently selected as the Head Drum Major for his high school band. This summer he will attend a special advanced training session for cadets at the U.S. Navy School of Music at NAVBASE Little Creek, VA. Cadet Anthony Barbaeri PENNSYLVANIA Sea Cadet division : A 9 th grader at the Penn Wood East JHS. He is a member of unit color guard, President of the Student Council, a receipt of the Union League of Philadelphia Good Citizenship Award and wants to be a Mechanical Engineer. Cadet Taimur Harris TRAINING SHIP MASON (DE-529): A sharp 14 year old cadet who maintains a 3.5 grade point average in school. He also holds certificates in Safe Boating and CPR and is an active worker in the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program. Other Sea Cadets in the 3 Philadelphia units are attending various Cadet training programs this summer. First year cadets are required to attend a 14 day Recruit Training bootcamp. Most cadets will be training aboard Navy & Coast ships and bases, working in Navy SeaBee camps and other challenging training events.

6 Rob Bender 45 Grove Ave Flourtown, PA NEWSLETTER CONTENT DEADLINE TO SUBMIT O CTOBER 15, 2004 Sea Power Ambassador Action Center The fleet of the U.S. Navy has dropped from 594 ships in 1987 to 295 ships today. This represents the smallest Navy in our Nation's history since For 12 years, the nation has been ordering just six new ships a year, on average. This is the lowest rate of naval ship production since 1932, and if continued, our Navy will shrink to a fleet of 180 ships. While the Navy's fleet is on a dive course, the need for a larger and more capable fleet is more imperative now than at any other time in our history. Below are number of actions you can take to ensure America's naval fleet remains the most powerful in the world. Each action can be completed online and only takes a few minutes to complete. Please send a message to Congress and other decision makers and urge them to do everything they can to restore American sea power in the 21st century. Navy Eyes Cutting Submarine Force The U.S. Navy is considering slashing its attack submarine force by as much as a third. Tell to Congress to stop any efforts to weaken the vital sub fleet. Send a Message to the Presidential Candidates Tell President Bush and Senator Kerry that you support a strong American naval fleet. Urge them to make it a campaign issue. Urge Congress to Support a Naval Fleet of 375 Ships Send a message to your representatives urging them to support the National Naval Force Structure Policy Act. Your involvement will make a difference!