The Log Jam The Official Publication of the Lake Murray Power Squadron A Unit of District 26 of the United States Power Squadrons Volume 53, Issue 1 January 2016 Inside this issue: Commander s Report 2 2016 THEME XO s Report 3 Administrative Report 4 SEO s Report 5 Safety Report & Boat Show 6 Holiday Celebration & Award Winners 7 This n That 8 Calendars 9 Our Dinner Meeting is Thursday 21 January. Location and Details on Page 4 Photo courtesy of Donna and Tony Dodson.
Commander s Report Page 2 by Cdr Jerry Wise, SN Christmas Party, Island Rules and Congestion at Saluda Shoals What a wonderful Christmas Party and way to close out the year. We handed out some awards, had some nice chats and enjoyed ourselves. We also welcomed a special new member with an Honorary Lake Murray Power Squadron membership. Richard B. Peterson, CEO of Lake Murray Chamber of Commerce will be a great ally in promoting boating activities and safety. Richard (along with the Commander) barely made it to the meeting with the extremely congested Christmas Light traffic. Saluda Shoals has stunning Christmas lights drawing people from around the State but this does present major traffic problems on roads leading into the facility. Thank goodness this year the Saluda Shoal's management opened a back way in for patrons using the meeting rooms. That entrance is on St. Andrews Road and scoots you right around all the holiday traffic right into the center. We'll be back there for the 2016 Christmas party and will make sure everyone knows about this secret back way into the facilities. Commander Jerry Wise, SN presents LMPS Honorary Membership to Richard B. Peterson, CEO of Lake Murray Chamber of Commerce. We had a somber moment during our award ceremonies. At the Bridge meeting just prior to the Christmas Party we learned a long time member and dear friend, Randy Hodge, passed after a long illness. At the suggestion of Tony Dodson, the Bridge unanimously voted to award Randy the Golden Anchor award this year. His lovely wife, Joselyn, joined us to accept the award on Randy's behalf. Randy's smile and true friendship will be missed. Fair winds and smooth waters on your new I think you'll find we have a more traditional slate of boating activities coming up. With gas prices going through the floor (instead of the roof) it will be a good time to get a longer ICW cruise in place. Our excellent Boating Activities Committee is hard at work on making this happen with the St. Johns River cruise looking good. We hope to add new members to our roster and cruises with our ABC course and involvement in the Columbia Boat Show. Hall Marine has offered us a sponsored booth in return for mentioning them as a sponsor on signage. This is a welcome donation on their part. Captain's Choice Marine also offered us display space during the boat show. It is in their Pro-Shop area with a table and literature. Their General Manager, Chance Taylor, is quite enthusiastic about the opportunities working with Lake Murray Power Squadron. We may not have the staffing to support two locations, but we want to graciously acknowledge all that offered us booth space this year. During our Bridge meeting in December we had a confirming vote on keeping the Flotilla Island rules as they are. They cover the Island reservation and rules process very well. We may do a small tweak to the dates at some point but as of now the current rules as posted on our website fit well. Just keep in mind the Flotilla Island Club House is shared with the US Coast Guard Auxiliary and our co-lease agreement requires the Bridge to notify them if we will be using it. So please make sure the Bridge is notified in advance of Club House activities. So overall we are looking for a great new year. We hope everyone is smiling when boating season comes to a close next year. SHARE Flotilla Island Rules Find the rules for using Flotilla Island on our website. Go to http://www.lmpsonline.org and click on Member Info, which is found in the left hand navigation. Below the link for the Membership Directory, you will find the Operating Rules for Flotilla Island, as well as Reservation Form.
Executive Officer s Report Page 3 by Lt/C Janice Ayers, AP As your Executive Officer, I m learning lots I didn t know about our squadron even after being a member for over 10 years now. This is a good thing and some changes are inevitable. Things do NOT have to be done like they always have. There may be better ways and new ideas to accomplish things. If nothing ever changed, there d be no butterflies! Your Bridge is striving to get everything ship-shape for an exciting and productive year. The Columbia Boat Show is coming right up on 12-14 February. Lt R.J. Becht is our hero in getting us hooked up again with Hall Marine. Please consider helping us staff these booths for the Boat Show. It is a fun experience and we hope to recruit students for the upcoming ABC course! Please be thinking about getting the word out about our free Vessel Safety Checks. Lts R.J. & Debbie Becht are our chairs for that outreach and we would love for you to help us. You can easily be ambassadors for boating safety by becoming an examiner or helping us coordinate some exposure to do VSC s and issue 2016 inspection stickers. When law enforcement on Lake Murray sees your sticker, they know that from your life jackets to your mechanical instruments, you are prepared for an emergency. Many times when a salesperson sells a new boat to someone, they don t mention anything about safety on the water. Our program can reach out to them and possibly save lives. I personally don t like the cold weather and can t wait for warmer days. Summer is when my hair gets lighter, skin gets darker, water gets warmer, music gets louder, nights get longer and life gets better. Until then, bundle up, enjoy a fire, socialize with friends, and if your boat isn t winterized, be ready to jump on it if Mother Nature gives us some unseasonable warm temperatures like she s been known to do around here! Sea ya soon!
Administrative Officer s Report Page 4 by Lt/C Kes Crumpler, P What's on the DOCK-et? I hope everyone is off to a good new start this year and made their New Year's resolution(s) BOAT More and BRING a Friend! We have a lot of great trips lined up for our members and guests this year. Make a point to join us for our January dinner meeting on Thursday 21 January at the Lexington Chamber of Commerce. This will be an opportune time to bring a friend that may want to become a member. All of this year s trip leaders, education and activity coordinators will be presenting and showing pictures of our upcoming calendar of events for the 2016 watch year. There are lots of people out there that do not realize how much we do. Don't miss it and miss out on what's happening this year. Please note that we will be meeting in a new location -- the Lexington Chamber of Commerce -- and enjoying a new caterer -- Old Mill Brew Pub! We will gather at 6:30 p.m. at the Lexington Chamber of Commerce, located at 311 West Main Street in Lexington. For dinner, Old Mill Brew Pub will serve Beef Tips in Demi- Glace, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Haricot Vertes (Green Beans), Salad, Rolls, Tea and a Cookie Tray. You are always welcome to attend even if you don't eat dinner! Calling All Volunteers Lake Murray Power Squadron is looking for volunteers to assist with various activities this year. If you would be interested in helping, please talk to a member of the Bridge. If you just want to serve on a committee, check out the list of committee chairs that you can contact by going to the website, clicking on The Bridge link on the left and then select the Committee Leadership link near the bottom of the page. Specific needs include: Membership Benefits: A volunteer to help remind our members of the many benefits of belonging to our organization. Whether its discounts at Office Depot or a reduction on your boat insurance, being a member offers benefits beyond the friendships, education and fun that we have. Email Kes Crumpler at adminofficer@lmpsonline.org. July Fourth Celebration: We need a coordinator for this event. Someone to help plan for one of Lake Murray Power Squadron s traditional BBQ events. P/D/C Jim Rakes will do his famous pig picking if we have enough folks attending to justify buying the whole hog! Betty and Jim Rakes can offer lots of guidance and advice, so if you re interested in helping, email Kes Crumpler at adminofficer@lmpsonline.org. Budget & Finance Committee: The Commander is looking to appoint two members to this committee. If you are interested, please email Jerry Wise at cdr@lmpsonline.org.
Educational Officer s Report Page 5 by Lt/C Tony Dodson, SN-IN The holidays are behind us and winter is setting in; now it s time to start getting back refining your boating knowledge by signing up for the available membership classes. We currently don t have anyone signed up for the scheduled Sail and Engine Maintenance classes, so we need to know ASAP if you are interested and we can keep these on schedule. We are off to a good start with people signed up for the ABC Class in February and there is room for more if you know of anyone interested. The class will be held on two consecutive Saturdays, 20 & 27 February at Flotilla Island. The class begins at 0900 and registration will start at 0830 for any walk-ins. Please help spread the word to promote this great class and encourage boating safety among our community! We are still looking for a few more volunteers in the Educational Department to chair or instruct the following: Public Boating Course (ABC), Seamanship and Weather. If you are interesting in helping with these, please let Assistant SEO Lee Ayers or I know. If you have any questions or suggestions for the Educational Department, please do not hesitate to contact Lee at AsstSEO@lmpsonline.org or myself at SEO@lmpsonline.org. Lead with the fun while using your boating education! PUBLIC CLASSES ABC (America s Boating Course) Saturdays, 20 & 27 February Saturdays, 30 April (one day) Saturdays, 17 & 24 September MEMBER CLASSES (Class length can vary per Instructor) ADVANCED GRADES: SEAMANSHIP (8 weeks) Tuesdays, 8 March - 26 April Tuesdays, 4 October - 22 November PILOTING (8 weeks) Tuesdays, 17 May - 5 July ADVANCED PILOTING (8 weeks) Tuesdays, 12 July - 30 August JUNIOR NAVIGATION (8 weeks) Wednesdays, 14 September - 2 November NAVIGATION (8 weeks) Wednesdays, 16 November - 4 January ELECTIVES: ENGINE MAINTENANCE (8 weeks) Wednesdays, 3 February - 23 March SAIL (8 weeks) Thursdays, 4 February - 24 March WEATHER (8 weeks) Thursdays, 12 May - 30 June MARINE ELECTRONICS (8 weeks) Thursdays, 4 August - 15 September CRUISE PLANNING (8 weeks) Tuesdays, 1 November - 20 December
Safety Officer s Report by Lt Howard Pendley, N Cold Weather Boating To stay safe while boating in cold weather, you must be prepared with the right safety equipment and know-how. These are some of the precautionary steps to take before setting out on your adventure: Whistles Page 6 Whistles are an affordable and simple way to be heard over long distances when in an emergency situation. An easy way to have them handy is to attach them to your PFD. Attracting attention will increase your chances of surviving should you end up in the water. Conventional whistles don t work if the pea inside is wet, so choose a waterproof model. Think Safe, Be Safe and Look Out for the Safety of Others! File a Float Plan If you are planning to go cold-weather boating it is always important to file a float plan and follow it. Inform your spouse, a relative or a friend and tell them where you are planning to go boating. Leave as detailed a plan as possible so they know where you are. In case of emergency, they ll have pertinent information to share with the DNR, Richland/Lexington Counties Sheriff s Department and United States Coast Guard. Wear a Life Jacket Always wear a life jacket! Not because it is mandatory, but because it can save your life if you fall in cold water while boating. A life jacket should always be part of your winter boating gear. It is critical for keeping your head above the water and increase the odds of survival in cold water by hours. Personal Position Locator Beacon Otherwise known as PLB, a personal position locator beacon is a scaled-down version of the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB). When immersed in water or manually activated, both EPIRBs and PLBs transmit a signal that allows rescuers to pinpoint your location. Flares & Signaling Devices by Lt R.J. Becht The 2016 Boat Show is fast approaching. Debbie and I have had a great response in the past for those wishing to spread the opportunities that the Power Squadron offers to all Lake Murray boaters. This year we will have our own booth sponsored by Hall Marine Group. The dates for the show are 12-14 February and we will need your support for a two-hour shift. The show hours are as follows: Friday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Sunday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. If you can assist, please call or email R.J. Becht at 803-730-0930 or rbecht6518@aol.com so we can secure the times you need. Thanks again for everyone who has committed your time for this great event. It's going to be the best ever. While not mandatory on Lake Murray, it is a very wise decision to have signaling devices on board. It is also a good practice to have hand held or parachute flares in immersion suit pockets, secured with a lanyard when boating in cold weather. These devises will improve your chances of being seen if you have an emergency. Always study their instructions before you need to use them.
Lake Murray Power Squadron Celebrates the Holiday Season and Recognizes Award Winners by P/C Debra Allen, AP Lake Murray Power Squadron celebrated the holiday season at Saluda Shoals on Saturday 19 December 2015. The evening featured presentation of squadron awards, door prizes, a delicious dinner and time with good friends talking about boating. Cdr Jerry Wise, SN presented the 2015 awards since P/C Braxton Sorg, AP had other commitments that prevented him from attending. Page 7 Cdr Wise also thanked all those who did so much unselfishly this past summer for the kids of Thornwell Home for Children! We had 31 members involved along with their family and friends. Thornwell, Golden State Foods and the United States Power Squadrons recognize all those involved for a fantastic effort! Thank You! Finally, he presented a honorary membership certificate to Lake Murray Chamber of Commerce President Richard Peterson. This is the best part of the year and I am delighted to carry out this special honor, the Commander announced. It s kinda like getting the icing bowl after Mom does the cake! He said arrangements would be made to get the awards to those recipients unable to attend the Christmas Party. Unable to attend and accept their award in person were P/Lt/C Bryant Blakeslee, AP who was awarded the Commander s Award; Lt Hilarie Brush, P who was the LMPS recipient of the D/26 Catch the Spirit Award; and Lt Robert Arneson, P who was the LMPS recipient of the Chapman Award. P/C Sorg and Alan Stuart, P were both recognized for achieving educational proficiency during the year, while it was announced that P/C Billy Fanning, SN and Lt David Moxley, AP had achieved Order of the Mariner status. There was no Bent Prop Award nor a Rusty Anchor Award presented for 2015. First among the squadron's outstanding service awards, was the squadron's most prestigious -- the Golden Anchor Award. Presented annually to a squadron member "for distinguished and unselfish service to the squadron with outstanding leadership, vision and ability," the 27th recipient was presented posthumously to P/C Randy Hodge who passed away on 14 December 2015. On hand to accept the award was his wife, Joselyn. The final award of the evening was presentation of the Spark Plug Award that is given to a new member of two years or less who started their squadron career with a real spark. Janet and Johnny Floyd received the 2015 Spark Plug Award. Among their many contributions, they have taken on the Ship's Store to ensure our members have all of the LMPS gear they need.
Page 8 Anyone desiring reimbursement for expenses incurred during the 2015 Thornwell Day, please submit your request by 31 January 2016. LMPS Ship Store Watch for the February Issue of The Log Jam to read all about January s Crystal River Cruise! Brrrr! It s COLD out there! Wouldn t the cold winter weather go better in our official Lake Murray Power Squadron Jacket and/or Sweatshirt? OR, keep the sun at bay with our new caps. Lots of other items: Burgees, Lake Maps, polo shirts... Contact Janet Floyd to order 803-319-7459 The Log Jam Submission Deadline St. Johns River, FL 28 March - 2 April Contact: R/C David Allen, SN (dallenjr@sc.rr.com) OR P/C Charlie Bruce, SN-CN (charliebruce8@gmail.com) Please submit any articles, photo or information to be included in the February Log Jam by Monday 25 January to Lt Janet Floyd at JanetFloyd@aol.com
Page 9 January 2016 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 New Year s Day 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Crystal River, FL Trip 16 Crystal River, FL Trip 17 Crystal River, FL Trip 18 MLK Day Crystal River, FL Trip Bridge Meeting, Flotilla 19 20 21 Dinner Mtg, Lexington Chamber of Commerce 22 23 24 25 Log Jam Deadline USCGAux Meeting 31 26 27 28 29 30 Flotilla Island Work Day February 2016 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 Ground Hog Day 3 Engine Maintenance 4 Sail 5 6 Mardi Gras Celebration, Flotilla Island 7 Superbowl 8 9 10 Engine Maintenance 11 Sail 12 Columbia Boat Show 13 Columbia Boat Show Flotilla Island Work Day 14 Valentine s Day Columbia Boat Show 15 16 17 Engine Maintenance 18 Sail 19 20 America s Boating Course-Day One 21 22 Log Jam Deadline 23 24 Engine Maintenance 25 Sail 26 27 America s Boating Course-Day Two 28 29 USCGAux Meeting
Page 10 Lake Murray Power Squadron P.O. Box 2281, Columbia, South Carolina 29202 2016 Bridge Officers Commander: Cdr Jerry Wise, SN (commander@lmpsonline.org) Executive Officer: Lt/C Janice Ayers, AP (execofficer@lmpsonline.org) Administrative Officer: Lt/C Kes Crumpler, P (adminofficer@lmpsonline.org) Educational Officer: Lt/C Tony Dodson, SN-IN (seo@lmpsonline.org) Assistant Educational Officer: 1st/Lt Lee Ayers, SN-CN (asstseo@lmpsonline.org) Secretary: Lt/C Edie Godfrey, S (secretary@lmpsonline.org) Treasurer: Lt/C Kelly Lewis, P (treasurer@lmpsonline.org Assistant Treasurer: Lt Retta Strohecker, P (assttreasurer@lmpsonline.org) Members-at-Large Lt R.J. Becht (atlargemembera@lmpsonline.org) Lt Bonnie McElveen (atlargememberb@lmpsonline.org) Lt Fred Runien, JN (atlargememberc@lmpsonline.org) Lt Janet Floyd Email the editor at Janetfloyd@aol.com or call 803.319.7459 Lake Murray Power Squadron is on the web: http://www.lmpsonline.org Articles, opinions, and advertisements do not necessarily reflect USPS policy or endorsements unless so designated.