THE SCUTTLEBUTT

Dec. 2010 U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Scuttlebutt Flotilla 12-8, 7th District Charleston, South Carolina Vol. Vol. 36, 35, No. No. 12-December 3-March 2009 2010
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Flotilla Web Site: http://www.uscgauxcharleston.org

Commanders Corner
Alan Miles, FC 12-8
Bonjour Mes Amis. At last its time to welcome the warm joys of the Holiday Season and the end of the year. I hope that everyone enjoyed a peaceful Thanksgiving Holiday. Im also hopeful that our Mustang suits will still fit! If not we can always enjoy PT with the Citadel Cadets early in the mornings. As 2010 ends and the Christmas Holidays approach, I wish each and every one of you a peaceful Holiday Season filled with family and friends. Remember to keep our military service members near to our hearts and prayers as they serve AMERICA from so far away. In November at the monthly business meeting, we held our annual elections as scheduled. I am humbled and honored to be your Flotilla Commander again in 2011. Mr. Paul Thomas, FSO-HR, was elected to serve as the Vice Flotilla Commander in 2011. VFC Richard Daniel will continue as your VFC until the end of the year and has done a great job serving and supporting the Flotilla. Richard is a skillful manager and has contributed greatly to the daily operations of the flotilla. Please join me in thanking him for all his hard efforts. It was a job well done. I also wish to send a special
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Vice Commander
Richard Daniel, VFC 12-8
2010 comes to a close and we prepare for a hopeful 2011. We welcome a new Bridge for 2011 as we look back over a successful 2010 for 12-8. My one big regret as Vice was not being Inside able to encourage our FC ............. 1 membership more so that our VFC .......... 1 monthly attendance would be CM ........... 8 much higher. My greatest joy for CS ............. 3 2010 was serving with each one FN ............. 6 of you wonderful fellow mem- HR ............ 6 bers. As we enter the final stretch IS .............. 2 I hope everyone has a wonderful MA ........... 4 holiday and hopes for a Blessed MS ............ 4 and healthy 2011. Lets get be- NS ............. 6 hind our Flotilla Commander, MT............ 2 OP ............ 7 Alan Miles and our newly elected PA ............. 4 Vice Commander, Paul Thomas PB ............. 2 and give them your all. Enjoy the PE ............. 6 holidays and many thanks to the PV ............. 4 entire Staff Officers for your very SR ............. 5 VE ............ 6 hard work. Calendar... 9 Happy Holidays to all! Richard Daniel, VFC Trivia........ 8
Citadel ...... 3

Dont forget the Flotilla Change of Watch at the Riverview Holiday Inn on 18 December at 1700!

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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Member Training
Bob Mathewes, SO-MT
he New Year will see a total makeover of the AUXOP Program. For the nearly seventeen years that I have been an Auxiliarist there have been a group of Specialty Courses that had to be completed to attain AUXOP status. When I did it there were seven courses. The ADMIN course was later dropped leaving Communications, Weather, Seamanship, Navigation, Search & Rescue (later changed to Search Coordination & Execution) and Patrols. This concept will totally change at the stroke of midnight on 31 December. You will be able to attain AUXOP status without taking the two hardest courses. Instead you will need to get seven credits from three categories of courses. There will be three core courses which all AUXOP candidates must complete. The are the old Weather, Communications and Seamanship classes from the old program. They are worth one credit each. Then you must complete one leadership course from the following group: Auxiliary Leadership & Management Course (AMLAM), The Auxiliary Mid-Level Management Course (AMLOC), Auxiliary District Captains Course, Flotilla Leadership Course or the Auxiliary Senior Officers Course (ASOC). You can only get credit for one of these courses toward AUXOP . Then there is a group of elective courses from which you may select courses to complete your seven credits . For two credits each. you may select AUXSC&E, AUXNAV or Introduction to Marine Safety. The rest of the list is good for one credit each. This includes Patrols, AUX-06 C School (ATON), ICS 300 or ICS 400 (not ICS -210), AUX-15 C School (Aux Air

Coordinator). The following will earn you one credit for the class and 1 for the PQS (possible 2 credits): ICS-248, ICS-346, ICS -347, ICS-351, ICS-430 and ICS 440. Bob Mathewes, SO-MT

Information Services
Bob Mathewes, FSO-IS

he end of the year is almost upon us. And despite the fact that we have posted on the flotilla web site each week a spread sheet showing the status of all Instructors, Vessel Examiners, RBS Visitors, Boat Crew and Coxswains. We are going to have some people find themselves REYR when the New Year is ushered in. I know that people assume that someone else is responsible for turning in your hours on-the-water hours or your IT hours. You know what assuming does. You probably have about two weeks to see if we can get unreported activity into the system before old father time rings down the curtain. Dont get caught short. Check out the AUXINFO page on the flotilla web site and see if you have fulfilled your requirements to retain your hard earned qualification. Once you fall into REYER status it takes a lot of work on your part as well as the FC to get you out. Dont let that happen . Bob Mathewes, FSO-IS

Publications
Bob Mathewes, FSO-PB
n spite of the early deadline this month we got articles from almost 90% of our officers. I want to thank Alan Miles, Richard Daniel, Dean Creed, John Sikes, Bob Orenstein and Chuck Chirila for not missing a submission for a single issue this year. Bob Mathewes, FSO-PB

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Citadel Detachment
hanksgiving furlough is behind us. For many it was their first opportunity to return home since school began. Despite the temperature falling, members of The Detachment still make their way to the chilly pool for PT Swim early in the morning. Basic Introduction to The Coast Guard course is meeting routinely and is filled with useful information. The Detachment had the fortunate opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge from Citadel Graduate LTJG Doria, PhD, USCGR. Many topics were covered and allowed for any questions to be answered with aptness. As The Detachments name spreads throughout the campus, newly interested cadets are showing up at meetings. Enrollment processes have been underway since October, and are still occurring due to a huge turnout with the current knob class. Flotilla Commander Miles swore in cadets Cardwell and Singletary on November 9th. All members are enjoying the fellowship that Auxiliary offers. Cadet Corporal Singletary

Communication Services John Sikes, FSO-CS

Flotilla Commander, Alan Miles swears in Cadets Mike Cardwell (nearest to camera) and William Singletary as members of the Auxiliary.

ue to unforeseen circumstances, we recently had to put the laptop we usually use in the computer hospital for about a week. The result was a total wipe of the hard drive, with loss of everything on it. We can credit a conversation with Bob Mathewes just a couple of weeks earlier for recovery from the loss. Bob had experienced a similar problem and was able to recover data because of his subscription to Carbonite, a backup service hawked primarily by Kim Komando. Because of Bobs experience, I had likewise subscribed to Carbonite for a couple of laptops I use regularly. As your flotillas Communication Services Officer, I am recommending that any valuable information on your computer (s) be backed up regularly, whether by use of an external hard drive, a service like Carbonite, or other means. Also, be sure to keep copies of programs that you use so they can be reloaded. As we found out, Carbonite backs up data files and not programs. We went through about three weeks of searching for some of the programs we had downloaded from several sources so they could be reinstalled to bring us back to where we had been. Thanks to having backup, our ability to keep the web site up to date has been restored and the AUXINFO information that Bob has been supplying on a weekly basis is once again updated weekly. I strongly recommend regular if not continuous backup of sensitive information so your losses will be minimized. John Sikes, FSO-CS

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Page 4 like aboard a small boat. Boat Owner's Legal & Financial Advisor - a variety of do's and don'ts aboard a boat, from purchase to Admiralty Law. The Liveaboard Report, by Charlie Wing- a boat dweller's guide to what works and what doesn't. Bowditch for Yachtmen - by Nathaniel Bowditch - best and most useful piloting information for skippers of small boats. Dressing Ship, by Janet Groene - how to furnish, refurbish, and accessorize your boat. BOB Orenstein, FSO-MS

Marine Safety
Bob Orenstein, FSO-MS
e seem to be in the "doldrums" with completing the requirements for Pollution Investigator. Many of you have attended all or most of the classes Gary taught, have taken part in the boom deployment and are ready to do the last few requirements to become PI qualified. Several of you have already spent time with Gary at Seahawk and need only a short additional extra hour or two. Call him at 843-740-7076, or e-mail at Gary.D.Barnum@uscg.mil, or myself at 843-821-0233 , or e-mail at bandjorensteion@bellsouth.net. Come on gang! We would like to have as many of you qualified for 2011 as PI's as possible. On a completely different note, Bob Lovinger has kindly donated several books to the Flotilla on various boating subjects. They will reside up in the storage facility in our locker. These books may be had on a LOAN BASIS, read them and return them! The list is as follows: Looking for a Ship, by John McPhee - a novel about one of the last American merchant ships. The Making of a Sailor, by Frederick Pease Harlow - the colorful story of life aboard a square rigger in the nineteenth century. The Hungry Ocean, by Linda Greenlaw - a sword boats captain's journey The Cruising Woman, by Diana Jessie answers to what a cruise is really

Materials
Tom Beauchemin, FSO-MA

easons greetings to all. Not much happened in November but December will be an important month to get orders in early for the activities that are planned for January. I will not be taking the materials office next year and would like to thank all of you for your support over the years. Tom Beauchemin FSO-MA

Public Affairs
Barbara Thibodeaux,
No report submitted.

Partner Visitor
Rick Miller, FSO-PV
No report submitted.

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Secretary Records
Pam Bray, FSO-SR
Secretary Records Meeting Minutes The 10 November 2010 meeting was held at the USCG Charleston Base in the Brass Buckle. FC Alan Miles called the meeting to order at 1900. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by FC Miles followed by a warm welcome to our guests, Mr. Randy Glass from our neighboring Georgia Flotilla and Mr. Bob Weskerna, District Captain-North. FC Miles continued the meeting highlighting upcoming and time-on-the-water events. Upcoming events include: Nov. 13 Navy Cadet Post Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on the Yorktown, Nov. 17 Radio Drill at 1900 VHF ch. 83 alpha, Nov. 20 Cub Scout tour of the Charleston base, Dec. 3 small boat decorating, Dec. 4 Parade of Boats, Dec. 8 Flotilla Meeting/Holiday Party, Jan. 7-9 Division 12 Change of Watch, Jan. 11 first 2011 Flotilla meeting. Time-onthe-water event descriptions and dates were delivered later in the meeting by each respective Flotilla Staff Officer as part of their Committee Report. The meeting was then turned over to VFC Richard Daniel who called for report updates and newsletter corrections. Committee Reports were given by all FSOs present. All reports will be detailed in the December Scuttlebutt. Please take time to read each Officers Committee Report carefully for all pertinent and updated information. FC Miles continued the meeting with New Business and the Election of Officers for 2011. Bob Mathewes, Chairman of the Election Committee, described the voting procedures for the two elected positions: Flotilla Commander and Vice Flotilla Commander. Candidate for FC: Mr. Alan Miles. Candidate for VFC: Mr. Paul Thomas. Both candidates have met the qualifications to hold these elected positions. With no nominations submitted from the floor, votes were taken. A unanimous vote was cast for VFC Mr. Paul Thomas. A unanimous vote was cast for FC Mr. Alan Miles. Mr. Bob Weskerna administered the pledge and oath to each of these two gentlemen, followed by membership applause. Congratulations to all! A warm thank you was given to outgoing VFC Mr.

Richard Daniel, for his service to Flotilla 12-8. FC Miles continued with New Business: FC Miles described our on-going relationship with The Citadel and its Cadets. Our Citadel liaison has put together a USCG AUX syllabus for interested Cadets to expand their involvement with our Flotilla. Currently, they function as a detachment to Flotilla 12-8. The SCDNR has developed an on-line Safe Boating Course on their website. For all new AUX members needing to take a Boating Safety Course and choose to sign-up for this on-line course, our Flotilla receives $5.00. Flotilla Flags: Due to the much needed replacement of both United States and USCG Auxiliary flags and flag stands, a motion and unanimous vote was carried for their purchase as discussed, not to exceed $500.00. National Safe Boating Week May 21-27, 2011: This will be our main focus for 2011, as we continue to educate the public on the importance of boating safety. The Home Depot and the SCDNR have already committed their involvement. Please begin thinking and share your ideas and suggestions with Alan Miles. Further discussion of this week of events will be on the 2011 meeting agendas. Call for 12-8 Memorabilia: A scrapbook and history of Flotilla 12-8 is being assembled by Marguerite Bishop and Alan Miles. If you have any newsletters, photos or history, please contact Marguerite or Alan. We are especially needing a copy of the original 1965 charter. A special thanks was extended to Marguerite Bishop for providing refreshments and to the Schmidts who donated a variety of items to the auction. With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 2015. Respectively submitted, Pamela Bray, FSO-SR

To the Members of Flotilla 12-8 We wish you a Merry Christmas, and/or a Happy Hanukkah and a Happy New

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Finance
Frank Leister, FSO-FN
wenty-five members have yet to pay their dues. The Flotilla will be billed $26 for each member whether they pay or not. That is a loss of $650! Or to put it another way, we must make that up with the $9 the Flotilla retains from the $35 dues. That amount is more than a full year of retention. If you have not paid, send a check made out to USCG Aux Flotilla 12-8 and mail it to: Frank C. Leister, FN 31 B Archdale St. Charleston, SC 29401 843-991-1118 Should those unpaid members pay up, the Flotilla's finances are in good shape fully able to support our mission. We received extra income from the donation process organized by Paul Berka, FSOVE, and the auction so ably "called" by FC Miles. Frank Leister, FSO-FN

My thanks to all the instructors who participated with both the ABS & BS&S presentations this year. Bravo Zulu! Happy Holidays & Safe Boating. Chuck Chirila, FSO-PE

Vessel Examinations
Paul Berka, FSO-VE

n November 13, 2010 Alan Miles, Frank Leister and Paul Berka completed 2 vessel safety checks at County Farm Landing. Alan miles completed three vessel checks in the Summerville area on the same day. Paul Berka completed one vessel check on November 15, 2010 There will be no more schedule vessel checks this year. Paul H. Berka, FSO-VE

Human Resources
Paul Thomas, FSO-PS
e current ly have three applications for new members pending and I am pursuing three more members, which I hope to have contacted before this is published. If any new members want a course on how to fill out 7030s and 7029s please contact me and I will schedule a meeting with them. I can be reached at 843-810-9973. Thanks to all who have sent me contacts for potential new members. Paul Thomas, FSO-HR

Public Education
Chuck Chirila, FSO-PE
he ABS presentation in Summerville has been canceled due to the lack of interest. But an ABS class will be presented to the Citadel Detachment recruits and Flotilla 128 new members on December 4th. On November 20th, a presentation and tour of the USCG Base was presented to the Cub Scouts Den 3 Pack 505 along with FC Alan Miles, FSO-PA Barbara Thibodeaux, FSO-SR Pam Bray and FSOPE Chuck Chirila. Charlie Oscar was a big hit with the 10 Cub Scouts.

Navigational Services
Joe Fleming, FSO-NS
No report submitted.

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Thank You to Bob Weskerna, Division 12, for taking the time from a busy schedule to attend our general elections and for doing such a wonderful job as the Division Commander of Division 12. We wish him the very best in his new job. Do you remember the song Someones in the kitchen? In November three of our members attended Aux Chef School in Port Canaveral Florida. Auxiliarists Pam Bray, Tom Jerussi, and Michael Marcus have all completed the necessary requirements to work in Coast Guard galleys and chow halls. Pam Bray has already established herself at the Charleston Station Galley by helping prepare and serve meals to station personnel. I recently toured the chow hall where she is known as Mrs. Bray. Everyone there said she was so wonderful and very helpful in the daily operations of the galley. See her photos in this issue. The end of the year also means its time to wrap up getting your hours turned in on 7029s, and 7030s. By the time this issue is published there will only be a precious few days left to get your hours turned in. We will need time to enter them into AUXDATA where they will count. Please make this final effort a mighty one. On December 18th at 1700 hrs, Flotilla 12-8 will join together to celebrate the Season at the 44th Annual Flotilla Change of Watch. This years Holiday Banquet will take place at the River View Holiday Inn. This year the Flotilla will be sharing the expense of the event. Each year, Auxiliarists gather together to witness and celebrate the Changes of the Flotilla Leadership. Send your RSVP and checks ($15.00/ person) to Flotilla Secretary Pam Bray as soon as possible. I am looking forward to the Fun, Fellowship, and Food. The Riverview Restaurant is located at the top of the Round Holiday Inn on Savannah Highway

and has spectacular views of River and City as well as wonderful food and amenities. Miss Lynn and I look forward to celebrating this special time with all of the members and guests of the flotilla. Joyeux Nol et bonne anne! Alan Jean-Pierre Miles, FC

FSO-SR, Pam Bray checks on culinary delights at Station Charleston.

Operations
Joe Fleming, FSO-OP

ope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving and hope everyone got a tummy full. Operations are running smoothly, Richard Daniel has his new boat up and running. It is a fabulous OPFAC, plenty of room and moves well in rough water. Frank Leister has the DUCK back in the water and ready for work. Congratulations to our coxswains and crew members for completing thier requals this month. Performing the tasks that coxswains and crew do under normal conditions are hard enough, but adding a strange person watching every move you make and grading you on it, will make you nervous. The Parade of Boats is coming in December; along with a couple of parades we are planning on participating in. We need the help of all our members, so please try to participate where you can. Joe Fleming, FSO-OP

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Communications
Dean Creed, FSO-CM
lotilla 12-8 held its second Directed Radio Net on 17 NOV. We practiced initiating, conducting, and concluding a formal communications network among Auxiliary Radio Facilities. Four stations, located from northern Mt. Pleasant to Johns Island, participated in the test, which included establishing the reliability of our network in terms of coverage area and signal strength. We would greatly welcome additional Radio Facilities. It is relatively easy for a member to establish one. All that is required is becoming certified as a Telecommunications Operator and having your mobile or land-based VHF radio inspected. Please consider helping us ensure that the Auxiliary in support of the Coast Guard will be able to provide an essential communications network for a planned or unplanned event. Auxiliary Communications has a lot to offer beyond Radio Facilities. If you want to expand your radio communications knowledge across a broad spectrum, the Co mmunicat ions Specialt y Course (completely updated in 2010) is for you. If you want to help monitor communications in a Coast Guard communications center and handle telephone and routine radio traffic, plus gather and relay information in distress situations, the Watchstander program is for you. Please co nt act me at dbcreed@comcast.net or 843-708-1541 for more information or to begin your participation in the Communications program! Dean Creed, FSO-CM

Nautical Trivia

he trivia question last month referred to the storms of November on the Great Lakes. A specific victim of these legendary storms was referred to. She disappeared on 10 November 1975 on Lake Superior with the loss of twenty-nine lives. This incident would have probably been forgotten if it was not for the efforts of a Canadian singer/songwriter who immortalized the event. Nine lovers of music and nautical history identified Gordon Lightfoot as the writer/performer who immortalized The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Those submitting correct answers were James & Karen Andrews (Flotilla 12-12), Reggie Hollar (Flotilla 12-10), Charlie McCarty (Flotilla 12-6); and Eric Kilpatrick, Dick McLaren, Alan Miles, John Sikes and Agnes Wright of 12-8. This was Erics first shot at Nautical Trivia. Congratulations to all. Aids to navigation can employ bells, horns, transmission of more code letters, in addition to lights to identify themselves. According to Reggie Hollar our outgoing District Captain-North, who submitted this question; In 1911 a 600 pound bronze bell was cast and the bell was mounted on a sea buoy at the entrance to Charleston Harbor. Shortly after it was mounted it was sunk during a storm. It was recovered by the Coast Guard in 1987. Where is the bell located now? To expand on that, the bell was cast by the E.A. Williams Bell Founders, Jersey City, NJ. Bells like this were used by the United States Lighthouse Service as fog signals at lighthouses and on lightships.

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December 2010
SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT

1
Hanukkah Begins @ sundown

2 9 16 23 30

3 10 17 24
Christmas Eve

4 11 18
Flotilla C.O.W.

5
New Moon

6 13 20 27

7
Pearl Harbor Day

8 15

12 19 26

14

21 Full Moon 22
1st Day of Winter

25
Christmas Day

27

29

31
New Years Eve

Flotilla Officers
Flotilla Commander Alan Miles bigcid@comcast.net Finance Frank Leister fcl@lwinslow.com Flotilla Vice Commander Richard Daniel rbdaniel1829@aol.com Human Resources Paul Thomas paul.thomas@sba.gov Communications Dean Creed dbcreed@comcast.net Communication Systems John Sikes jsikes@netrockets.com

Information Services Materials Bob Mathewes Tom Beauchemin rhmathewes@comcast.net tbeauchemin001@sc.rr.com Navigational Services Joe Fleming joeflemingjr@comcast.net Public Education Chuck Chirila cchirila@sc.rr.com Operations Joe Fleming joeflemingjr@comcast.net RBS Visitor Rick Miller rick.mllr@gmail.com

Marine Safety Member Training Bob Orenstein Bob Mathewes bandjorenstein@bellsouth.net rhmathewes@comcast.net Public Affairs Publications Barbara Thibodeaux Bob Mathewes barbara.thibodeaux@gmail.com rhmathewes@comcast.net Secretary Records Pamela Bray pamelagbray@gmail.com

Vessel Examination Paul Berka phberka@comcast.net

IPFC Joe Fleming joeflemingjr@comcast.net