Ninth Eastern Region Division 1

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1 November-December 2006 U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY Northern Lights The Official Newsletter of the Coast Guard Auxiliary Ninth Eastern Region Division 1 Division 1 Leadership Nancy Rudiger, Division Captain,01 Ron Semple, Division Vice Captain, 01 Steve O Brien, Flotilla Commander 1-1 Rich Matthias, Vice Flotilla Commander, 1-1 Wade Love, Flotilla Commander, 1-2 Peggy Morgia, Vice Flotilla Commander, 1-2 Mike Estes, Flotilla Commander, 1-5 Robert Scofield, Vice Flotilla Commander, 1-5 Richard Bauer, Flotilla Commander, 1-6 Cheryl Bauer, Vice Flotilla Commander, 1-6 Division Staff Officers James McNally IPDC Pat O Brien, SO-CM/CS Ed Sieber, SO-FN James Lutz, SO-MA Joe Welch, SO-OP Robert Laurer, SO-PB Mike Estes, SO-PE Ralph Bathelt, SO-MS Gary Kocher, SO-RBS Cheryl Bauer, SO-SR Robert Scofield, SO-VE Ray Dobmeier, SO-IS Rich Bauer, SO-PS Ben Shiro, SO-PA Staff Officer for Publications Bob Laurer Greetings all, Thank you to all that contributed to this latest edition of Northern Lights. As many of you know, Northern Lights was given a First Place award in the Division category of the Publications Awards at the fall Conference. The award was read by DSO-PB John Stockwell and presented by Commodore JJ Phillips. Thanks to all of you who made the award possible. Inside this issue: Gary Kocher Flotilla 1-6, PE Report 2 Division One Elections 3 Division Auxiliarist of the Year, Gary Kocher 4 Bob Ewing, Coastie Report 5 Nancy Rudiger, DCP-01, Captains Corner 7 Bob Laurer, 8 Marine Officer Promoted aboard CG Ship 9 Dates of Interest DCP Rudiger presents the Best Division Publication Award to SO-PB Bob Laurer 05 JAN Board & Staff Meeting, Dunkirk 27 or 28 JAN 2007 Division One Meeting 22 MAR District Conference 27 SEP District Conference Page 1

2 Alex Bay Flotilla Has Another Successful Season of Boating Safety Classes by FSO - PE Gary Kocher The Alex Bay Flotilla has successfully completed a total of 13 American Boater Safety Courses during this past summer of There was a total of 226 students that took and passed the course. The following instructor's hours that were completed are Gary Kocher 114, Richard and Cheryl Bauer 11, Dominic Centofanti 16, Dick Pooler 9, Fred Stenglein 9, Bill Hill 12, Bob Lauer 8, Ben Shiro 8, and Hank Parker 32 hours. It was interesting to see where the students came from to take the course. Some locations included Hawaii, England, Norway, Michigan Arizona, Florida, Colorado, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and most of the New England states. Most of the courses were taught at the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, with other locations at Alex Bay Village Hall, Clayton Fire Department, T-I Park, and Grindstone Islands one room school house. There was also two events held at Alexandria Central School in the Spring. The first event was the Safe Child Day were we put on a presentation for the Elementary students using Coastie. Thanks to Bob Ewing, Mike Estes, Dominic Centofanti and Gary Kocher for there work on this event. Gary Kocher also put on a presentation for the Elementary students at the end of June with the NY State Police, Coast Guard, NY State Park Police and US Border Patrol showing off there boats and talking with the students at the Village dock. I would also like to thank Fred Stenglein, John Young, and Hank Parker for helping out with this event. Bob Scofield and Gary Kocher also put on a presentation in August for the Noah's Arch Pre-School students in Redwood on water safety. We have had many positive feedbacks from the students that have taken the Boating Safety Courses. We include along with our topics some hands on activities and role playing, which helps keep the students attention. The students are required to try many different knot tying tasks, role playing the proper fit of life jackets, and role playing a drunk person by wearing DWI Goggles and trying to perform various sobriety tests. The DWI goggles always gets many laugh's and enjoyment from the students. The FSO-PE Gary Kocher would like to thank all of the instructor's and everyone else that helped out this season, and hopefully we will have another great year in Images from the Change of Watch, 4 November 2006 Page 2

3 Division Elections Bob Laurer Elections have been held across Division One. It is my pleasure to congratulate all the new officers both elected and appointed that have stepped up to take over their new post January first. A special thank-you to those leaving office this year, Ron Semple, Mike Estes, Wade Love and Steve O Brien. Your efforts left a division much better prepared to deal with future events as they unfold. Who s who: Captain, Division One: Nancy Rudiger Vice Captain Division One: Bob Laurer Photo Of the Month! Division One Flotilla Commanders and Vice Commanders Sackets Harbor Flotilla Commander: Peggy Morgia Vice Commander: Phyllis Murphy Messina Flotilla Commander: Rich Mathias Vice Commander: Worth Worden Ogdensburg Flotilla Commander: Bob Schofield Vice Commander: Jackie Schofield Alexandria Bay Flotilla Commander: Rich Bauer COLUMBIA RIVER (June 15, 2005)--52 foot cutter Triumph used for Coast Guard training in turbulent waters Vice Commander: Cheryl Bauer north of the Columbia river. USCG photo by Larry Kellis Page 3

4 Auxiliarist of the Year Gary Kocher Gary Kocher, Division One Staff Officer for Recreational Boating Safety Division One Captain, Nancy Rudiger Gary Kocher accepting his Paychecks from has been chosen as the: Division One Auxiliarist of the Year! Gary s tremendous efforts in RBS, VE and Public Education were evident in the District Awards he received at the Division Change of Watch. The hours Gary has put in along with the sheer numbers of events qualified him for this very special award. All of us in Division One Congratulate Gary for being nominated the 2006 Auxiliarist of the Year and thank him for all his hard work and dedication to the Auxiliary and his Community. Mr. Kocher with his Auxiliarist OF The Year Award Page 4

5 Coastie Manager Bob Ewing and Mr. C There is a NEW COASTIE OPERATOR TRAINING DAY, December 9 th, 2006 in Gasport, New York (near Buffalo) for Division Three. It sounds like it will be a fun time for all. Mr. C and I will be there! DIVISION ONE TEAM COASTIE MEMBERS: please think about next year. Send me the dates you want Coastie, I want to be the first to get my schedule in to the Commodore. Coastie is a great teaching tool. He should be used at malls, Wal-Mart, K- Mart and Gander Mountain stores so adults will see him in action. The more people see him, the more people will want their children to see him at school. The best place for Mr. C is in the class room. Please think of becoming a member of TEAM COASTIE. It s easy, it s fun and you will get a great feeling teaching children safe boating and water safety. Thank You, Bob Ewing (Division One Coastie Manager) Page 5

6 History of USCG Station Golden Gate A Coast Guard presence has been in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1854, when the U.S. Lighthouse Service erected the first of sixteen lights on the West Coast at Alcatraz Island. Others followed at Fort Point, Point Reyes, Point Bonita, Point Montara, and Point Ano Nuevo. U.S. Lifesaving Service Postcard (1929) The history of Station Golden Gate begins in 1877 before the establishment of the U.S. Life Saving Service, an agency later absorbed into the U.S. Coast Guard. On June 20, 1877 the Secretary of Treasury, realizing the need for resources like those of the Massachusetts Humane Society on the East Coast, constructed a life saving station at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Following the creation of the U.S. Life Saving Service the Golden Gate Park station became the first of five in the agency's West Coast or Twelfth District. Supplemental stations were later established at the Presidio's Fort Point, Point Reyes, Point Bonita in the Marin Headlands, and Southside at the southern end of Ocean Beach in San Francisco. In 1914 the Life Saving Service merged with the Revenue-Cutter Service and the new organization became the United States Coast Guard, resulting in the renaming of the station at the Presidio as Fort Point Coast Guard Station No 323. With the introduction of the motor lifeboat and the gradual phasing out of oar-powered lifeboats, the stations at Golden Gate Park, Point Bonita, and Ocean Beach were closed and consolidated into Station Fort Point, leaving it the only operating facility in the Bay Area. Station 323 Due to expanding responsibilities resulting from the service merger the station was equipped with two 40 foot "speedboats" and two 30 foot motor lifeboats to not only perform their own duties but also to support the Mile Rock Light Station, the Point Blunt Light Station on Angel Island, and the Alcatraz Light Station. In August 1970 two air cushion vehicles, or hovercraft, were also assigned to the station but were removed shortly after their introduction when the experimental program was abandoned. For almost one hundred years Station 323 protected those who traveled on the seas; rescuing them from danger, and protecting the port from crime and attack. A need for expansion brought the U.S. Army, National Park Service, and U.S. Coast Guard to negotiations in June 1987 and a decision was reached to move the station to East Fort Baker in Marin County. In 1990 Station Fort Point was decommissioned and its lifeboats and crew moved across the Bay to the new Station Golden Gate. The traditions and accomplishments of past life saving stations continue to live on in their successor at Station Golden Gate and at station's throughout the Bay Area. This article courtesy of the United States Coast Guard and can be found at the following web address: Page 6

7 CAPTAINS CORNER by DCP 09ER-01 Nancy Rudiger Division One had a busy summer, but one person had a tremendous summer. CONGRATULATIONS to GARY KOCHER, Division One Auxiliarist of the Year. He had 114 PE hours and he also did 83 VSC s and 133 MDV s. Thank you, Gary for your hard work and dedication. You make Division One look good!!!! The Division Change of Watch was very well attended. Commodore Phillips presented National Achievement awards from National Commodore Gene Siebert to two of our Flotillas. Alexander Bay received a Certificate of Achievement for being one of the top 100 Flotillas and Sackets Harbor received a Certificate of Achievement for being one of the top 100 performers in the Vessel Exam Program. Congratulations to both Flotillas and their members. Four Sackets Harbor members received the Operational Excellence Award. Very few Auxiliarists have ever earned this award, so congratulations to Wade Love, Margaret Morgia, Phyllis Murphy, and Joe Wargo. Congratulations to Mike Estes for his award for 117 underway hours. Fred Bremer has been added to the list of AUXOP. Ron Semple worked many long and hard hours with his Dunderheads. His effort, work, and support for the Division and me are greatly appreciated. His work with our Emergency Disaster Plan earned us District recognition With our busy schedules and the holidays, there will be no Division meeting until January 27 or 28. We may go back to a Saturday meeting. Let me know which day you prefer. We re looking ahead to another great boating season and the District CONFER- ENCE!!!! With the workers and ideas in this Division, I know it will be successful. Remember to let us know if you would like to be in on the planning for this event. I d like to welcome Bob aboard! He is very eager to get started and has many ideas and projects planned. It will be a fun year. We will be attending the Board meeting in Dunkirk on January 5 th and 6th. If there is anything you want addressed, please let us know. Happy Holidays!!!! Nancy Page 7

8 Computer News for Auxiliarists Bob Laurer Greetings fellow computer enthusiasts.. As Auxiliarists in these changing times the use of a computer becomes that much more important. One of the handiest tools out there is Adobe Acrobat full version. The full version allows you to save the various forms and add and save text you have entered. The best part of the software is the ability to save Microsoft word documents as.pdf files. When you save a document or spreadsheet as a adobe acrobat. PDF file it makes the document easy for all in the auxiliary to open and read. You could acquire a new version via download from the Adobe website or perhaps get an older version off EBAY or other web sites. Those of you operating with an old computer can take heart! During the holiday season it is expected that the cost of the average computer will plummet. I have seen Pc s as low as $200. Depending on your use the need for a hot-rod computer may not be there. A basic machine with a standard software load including Microsoft works will be AOK for Auxiliary work. Complete units including LCD display, printer and CPU at Kmart and Wall-Mart will set you back $400 to $500, still a good deal. Right after Christmas expect Compaq s and HP s around $299. Those of you in SO or FSO positions be sensitive to those flotilla members with no internet access or computers. Take the time to partner with them and introduce these people to the world of computing. Demonstrate to them that the computers will not self-destruct when the wrong key has been hit. Be aware that perhaps the member cannot afford a computer. If that s the case contact your Flotilla Commander and make him aware of the situation. Many times there are spare or older machines sitting in members houses that could be shared with less fortunate members. Make the effort to bring these folks up to speed by demonstrating the use of a basic platform like Yahoo. After you have done that send some messages to them they need to answer. That way we can keep all our members in the loop. Final note, I AOL instant message with my daughter on a daily basis. The use of chat rooms has been discussed but not used much. It may be fun to set up a virtual meeting once in a while and see what's on everyone's auxiliary mind. Till Next Time, Happy Computing! Page 8

9 Marine Officer Promoted Aboard Coast Guard Ship Article by U.S. Coast Guard PA1 Kyle Niemi If you've never seen a military advancement or promotion ceremony, here's the usual protocol: the member being awarded the next higher rank is brought before their assembled crew. With the senior officer presiding over the ceremony, a citation is read and the individual's new collar devices are attached by the supervisors, peers or family members of his/ her choosing. That, with some variation, is the normal routine. So, why would a senior officer in the Marine Corps, a service known for its long history and storied traditions, request to conduct her promotion ceremony aboard a Coast Guard cutter at a Coast Guard base 500 miles from her duty station? Kate Tate was authorized to be promoted to colonel in September. She decided not to conduct her promotion ceremony at her unit, the 2nd Marine Air Wing at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., where she serves as assistant chief of staff for intelligence. Instead, she would travel to Philadelphia on Sept. 5 and be promoted aboard the Coast Guard Cutter William Tate, a ship named for her great-grandfather. "It was a real honor to be promoted aboard the ship," said Tate. "The Coast Guard is such a great organization." Tate's father and husband, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel, pinned on her silver eagles, the collar device of a colonel. Capt. Ted Harrop, deputy commander of Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay, presided over the ceremony, read the promotion citation and administered Tate's oath. The ship's crew attended the morning ceremony, held on the bridge of the ship at its homeport of Philadelphia. Tate, from Ventnor, N.J., reported to the 2nd Marine Air Wing in June after a tour of duty at the Pentagon. In her current position, she advises the commanding general and staff on all matters pertaining to intelligence and provides intelligence support for planning and operations. "I was honored to fulfill the colonel's request to be promoted aboard my ship," said Lt. Brian Huff, commanding officer of the William Tate. "Besides supporting a fellow servicemember, it gave my crew an opportunity to remember William Tate and honor his contributions to this country." The crew was given the opportunity to speak with Col. Tate's father, James Tate, Jr., about his grandfather, the ship's namesake. His first visit to the ship in years, he enjoyed a tour of the engine room. "I was happy that my father could attend and participate in the ceremony," said Kate Tate. "It's a real honor for him to be able to visit this ship again and remember his grandfather." Page 9

10 US Department of Homeland Security United States Coast guard US Coast Guard Auxiliary Staff Officer For Publications 9th Eastern Region Division One Tuckahoe Road Williamson, New York, OFFICIAL BUSINESS TO: Member Training Central Greetings to All! I have enjoyed tremendously my position as Member Training Officer for Division one. Many thanks to all of you who made this year a member training success. Commodore Bill Hill has graciously accepted the Division One Member Training Officer position for the year Bill will bring a high energy level to the member training job. He has already grabbed the spring training event for 2007 and is in the process of assembling class modules, instructors, facilities and meeting rooms. I am sure that next year s event will be the best training event ever. Best of luck to Bill as he embraces his new work. Bob Laurer Page 10