THE SCUTTLEBUTT

U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY FLOTILLA 12-8, 7TH DISTRICT CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA VOL 27, NO 12, DECEMBER 2001 FLOTILLA WEB SITE: http://www.uscgauxcharleston.org
FLOTILLA COMMANDER COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS MATERIALS PUBLIC EDUCATION

Dean B. Creed . . . . 843-971-1541 Brett J. Grooms . . . . . . . . 553-216 Richard R. Clarke . . . . . . 953-6853 Richard Daniel . . . . . . . . 556-8453 rdaniel@awod.com dbcreed@netzero.net brettg101@home.com clarker@citadel.edu

VICE COMMANDER

FINANCE

MEMBER TRAINING

PUBLICATIONS

Brett J. Grooms . . . . . . . 553-2168 Dominick Zito . . . . . . . . 795-1012 Bob Kreiling . . . . . . . . . . 559-5221 John Sikes . . . . . . . . . . . 569-0994 jsikes@aux.uscg.net brettg101@home.com dzito@viperlink.net bobk@dycon.com

AIDS TO NAVIGATION

INFORMATION SYSTEMS

OPERATIONS

SECRETARY/RECORDS

803-829-2608 Mark E. Ratliff . . . . . . . . 757-3819 Jerome J. Bishop . . . . . . 766-1741 Bob Kreiling . . . . . . . . . . 559-5221 James L. Tindall mar-jer-bishop@msn.com mratliff@hargray.com bobk@dycon.com revtind@hotmail.com

CAREER COUNSELOR

MARINE SAFETY LIAISON

PERSONNEL SERVICES

VESSEL EXAMINATION

W. Brent Hepburn . . . . . 884-6625 Robert Orenstein . . . . . . 821-0233 James E. Curran . . . . . . . 216-7546 Bob Orenstein . . . . . . . . . 821-0233 orenstn@dycon.com bhepburn@worldnet.att.net jamesecurran@hotmail.com orenstn@dycon.com

COMMUNICATIONS

MARINE VISITOR

PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Marguerite Bishop . . . . . 766-1741 Barbara J. Yeatman . . . . 795-4149 Bob Carpenter . . . . . . . . 402-0351 Dick Clarke . . . . . . . . . . 849-9216 doberdoody@netzero.net mar-jer-bishop@msn.com bcarpe94@aol.com clarker@citadel.edu

IMMEDIATE PAST FC

FROM THE COMMANDER

Dean Creed, FC Congratulations and welcome aboard to our newest member, Sam Beavon, who was sworn in at the November membership meeting. Please be sure to personally extend a warm welcome to Sam as he helps accomplish the Auxiliarys mission. We expect to have five graduates of the current new member course, and plan on swearing them in at the January, 2002 membership meeting. Its wonderful to see our flotilla continue to expand! A big thank-you to Sgt. Donnie Pritcher of the SC Department of Natural Resources for providing such an informative talk at our November meeting, The topic was how SCDNR boating officers are trained for a wide variety of law enforcement responsibilities. Thanks also to our Station Charleston Auxiliary Liaison, BM3 John Allen, for his remarks. If you havent been attending the membership meetings, youve been

missing out. I want to extend my deepest thanks in being asked to serve as your Flotilla Commander in 2002. Brett and I appreciate your votes of confidence, and will work to make you proud of your Auxiliary membership, and your association with 12-8. Its difficult to believe 2001 is drawing to a close, yet we have accomplished a great deal this year. I am proud of how weve supported the Gold Side and each other on the water, in the classroom, in the administrative offices, through the vessel exams, at the marine dealers, in the schools and in several other ways. Our role in responding to the disasters of September 11th has been and continues to be appreciated by Group Charleston. It was the efforts of so many people, in so many ways, both big and small, that made this all happen. With your help and personal involvement, we will have a fantastic 2002 on many fronts! In terms of getting together, two big events are right around the corner. First, its time for our annual holiday party: Saturday 15 DEC 2001 at Bob & Ellen Kreilings home. Please RSVP to our new Division Captain, Ellen, at 559-5221.

Second, the Division 12 meeting and change of watch are Friday & Saturday 25 & 26 JAN 2002, in Myrtle Beach. Complete information was provided in the October Pelorus. Briefly, you must contact Donald Mollenhauer of Grand Strand Flotilla 12-2 at 843-249-8782 by 14 December to reserve your place at the meetings. Then, contact the Beach Colony Resort at 800-222-2141 to reserve your room. You must contact the resort by 14 December to receive the discounted Coast Guard Auxiliary rate.

COOPER RIVER MOVEMENTS IN THE SECURITY ZONE

Ensign William Walsh, Group OPs If you have an AUX patrol scheduled in the Cooper River security zone ensure you contact the Incident Command Post at 843-724-7654 at least one day prior to the patrol. It is permissible to conduct a mission up there, but unless it is SAR related you must gain clearance one day in advance. continued on next page

Information contained in this newsletter is for official US Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary use only under the Privacy Act of 1974. The Auxiliary is guided by the current equal opportunity policies of the Commandant of the Coast Guard. No person shall be subject to discrimination in the Auxiliary or its programs because of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, or disability.

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The day of the patrol you must check in with the patrol commander of the Cooper River security zone via VHF radio prior to approaching the zone. Your vessel may be subject to a verification of identification and purpose of trip by CG boarding Officers.

The Scuttlebutt
For instance, my boats number is SC 737 BD. My RADIO call sign is 25 [two numbers], 12 [two numbers],08 [two numbers], 031[ three numbers], so on the paperwork that you have to send in to report a mission, your boat identification is your REGISTRATION number. Any questions? Contact me by phone, email or in person and Ill help you.

December 2001

OPERATIONS
Bob Kreiling, FSO-OP There are many months that I sit to write my article and my mind is as blank as the computer screen. But praise be, this month is not one of those times. I have a bunch of stuff to tell you. Patrols As of the most recent AUXMIS Report, which is only for the period ending in October, our Flotilla conducted 150 Patrols, for a total of 740 hours. WOW! Way To Go! New AUXOPFACS We now have two beautiful brand new vessels in our flotillas fleet. Dean Creeds CHINA CAT and Tom Schmidts TOMS CAT. As you can surmise from the names, both are twin hull graft, so they are very stable in rougher seas. Both of these vessels have been doing a terrific job. Also regarding Patrols, the Coast Guard is asking us to provide boats and crews to stand by at the base on Weekends as Response Boats. This could give their Crews some much needed time off, Anyone interested can call me for details. Auxiliary Facility Annual Offer for Use Putting on my Division Operations hat for a moment, I am asking (pleading) with each and every facility owner to get their boat reinspected for 2002 RIGHT NOW! Folks, we cannot put this off until next year. We must have our boats ready to go on 1 January. Christmas Parade of Boats The Charleston Yacht Club will once again host this event. The Coast Guard will handle the Safety Zone around the Fireworks Barge, however they are looking to us to provide patrol boats for the entire Parade Route. I have been asked, by Group to attend their Law Enforcement Meeting and will report back to any interested parties. Please call or email me if you wish to use your boat, or serve as Coxswain or Crew for this event. Computer Viruses - Those who have received e-mail messages from me recently may have noticed that I show my initials, RLK, at the beginning of the subject line. I have been doing this ever since I was hit with a History Virus. Do Not Open Any Attachment From Me That Does Not

ACTIVITY REPORT MISSION FORM SUBMISSION POLICY

Members of flotilla 12-8 are expected to adhere to the following policy regarding who submits the ANSC 7030 Activity Report Mission in the following instances when more than one person participates in the mission: 1. 2. 3. On-water Operations: Operational Facility owner the

INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Jerome Bishop, FSO-IS Now that we have memb e r s ma king electronic submission of forms directly to Don Davis, our Division IS Officer, it is imperative that your forms contain the correct information. During the past several months, there have been quite a few errors on forms submitted. Some examples of these errors have been; Radio call sign entered as the vessel I.D.; the submitting members I.D. number wrong; incorrect total hours on ANSC 7029; 72 hours on duty claimed for a three day period; and all of these by persons with several years experience in the Flotilla. It appears that the newer members are reading the instructions that are listed on the forms, while some of the more experienced members, after spending all day on the water, consider this an unnecessary waste of time. If you use e-submission, please keep a copy of the instructions for each form you use and review them from time to time while youre filling in the forms. You may be making the same mistakes on every form you submit and not realize it because no one else has caught your errors. Finally, as a member of any military or quasi-military organization, you must remember that The Mission Isnt Over Until The Paperwork Is Done!

Public Education: the FSO-PE Public Affairs (formal events, such as boat shows): the FSOPA

With Public Education & Public Affairs, there may be instances where the respective FSO will not submit the form. This exception should be understood by all involved parties.

COMMUNICATIONS
Marguerite Bishop, FSO-CM Its time to check and recheck your communicatio ns equipment used on vessels, vehicles or base stations. Make sure it works! Contact another Communications facility owner and set a time to check your facility and theirs. Make sure that you also have any necessary paperwork at hand. Now, lets clear up the many misconceptions as to your vessels number and call sign!! The vessel number is the SC [state] number or the documentation number. These are the numbers which are on your BOAT registration papers. When you are under orders on your boat, your RADIO call sign is: (1) Boat length, (2) Division, (3) Flotilla, (4) your member number.

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Have My Initials In The Subject Box. This was a virus that got into my computer memory and sent out an excerpt with an attachment signed Bob K. Anyone opening the attachment would turn the virus loose in their computer. John Sikes called me and told me about this particular incident. I quickly activated my Norton Anti Virus (which I had been lax in not doing monthly ) immediately. You may want to consider doing something similar. New FSO-OP As I said in my Member Training column, I have taken on a new job as 7th District Operations/Qualifications Examiner - North. I will be responsible for all QEs from the North Carolina border down to Jacksonville Florida, as well as Eastern Georgia. Accordingly, while I intend to continue as Division 12 OPs, I am giving up my slot as 12-8 OPs officer. I have enjoyed working with all you Boat People. Thank you for your support. Thats all folks, give yourself a pat on the back, you all did great. May Santa bring each of you the boat of your choice.

The Scuttlebutt
I hope I can still be involved, although on a lesser scale. I can teach a class, go on an occasional patrol, attend a social event, etc. Additionally, I would like to offer each of you an invitation to come visit us. We have plenty of room a three bedroom house on an isolated 6-acre plot of land located on a tidal salt-water creek. However, you will have to share with lots of wildlife, including two large but unobtrusive cats. If you want to relax, explore or shop, we are located only ten minutes from Hilton Head, 20 minutes from Savannah, and 30 minutes from Beaufort. Please consider a visit. Were going to miss you! Thanks for everything. Mark and Mary Ratliff 50 Stoney Creek Drive Bluffton, SC 29910-6803 mratliff@hargray.com (843)757-3819

December 2001
For all of you VEs, you will receive regular credit for having completed an examination upon submission to DIRAUX. I can be reached at 843-821-0233 or orenstn@dycon.com

MEMBER TRAINING
Bob Kreiling, FSO-MT Yes, It WAS A Very Good Year. Frank Sinatras song title is most appropriate at this time of year. I believe I used that as an opening line last December in this column. I recall that I also mentioned how the year flew by. Well this year went by so fast that I expect to hear a sonic boom at any moment. Looking at the year from a Member Training point of view, we spent a lot of time and we accomplished a lot. I am most proud of the fact that a number of you took the time and made the effort to increase your professionalism in the Auxiliary. I am the first to admit that it is no easy task to qualigy as a Crew member or Coxswain. The end results, I feel, are most impressive. I wish to congratulate three new Auxiliary Coxswains Bob Mathewes, Tom Schmidt and Larry Moran from 12-6 who trained with us. They worked hard and got their well deserved reward. Furthermore as of this writing we still have a bunch of people who are only one or two steps from completing their Crew or Coxswain requirements. With any luck we will be able to get them qualified by year end, as well. In closing I want to thank all those who gave their time to serve as Coxswains and/or crew members, as well as those who so willingly offered the use of their boats in order to train these people. I also want you all to know that in the new year you will no longer see my name on this column. Yes I am handing over the reins to another. However, I am not riding off into the Sunset. I have been asked to take over as District Operations/Qualification Examiner North (thats D7 ADSO OP/QE N, for you folks that like to use initials). My wish for all is to have the Happiest of Holidays and a Healthy, Prosperous, New Year and TOTAL VICTORY For Us All!!

VESSEL EXAMINATION
Bob Orenstein, FSO-VE Because of the national emergency, the gold side has many uses fo r us and o ur facilities. As most of you aware, for the first few weeks after September 11th, we were called upon to run many Harbor Security Patrols, which we did. This enabled the CG to space their efforts, giving their personnel some down time. Though for the moment our services are not being used for that duty due to the danger aspect for us (as civilians), there are other more classic uses of our facilities and people which will assist them equally. We will be needed to stand by as SAR platforms. Since this seems to be just the start of our initial involvement, it behooves all members with vessels to have them inspected as facilities as soon as possible. I am awaiting a supply of the necessary paper forms. Please contact me and Ill arrange to have one of our VEs examine your boat. In this way everyone will be prepared for the 2002 season and the current emergency.

AIDS TO NAVIGATION
Mark Ratliff, FSO-AN My, how time flies! Just a scant ten years ago I became a member of Flotilla 12-08. Although I was quite excited at the time, I was painfully aware of how much I had yet to learn. The old salts of the flotilla seemed to have so much to teach me. As with most new members, things started to happen slowly. Soon I realized that if you wanted to participate, and made it known, there was more than enough to do. In my case, FSO-AN, instructor, crewman, paton verifier, courses in administrative procedure, navigation, and communication, SO-AN, Vice Flotilla Commander, etc. This will be my last article as a member of 12-8. As most of you know, Mary and I have retired after a combined total 56 years of public school teaching in South Carolina. Since we have made our new home in Bluffton, I will be transferring my membership to Flotilla 10-11 at Hilton Head. Although no longer an official member of 12-8, I will always be a member at heart. As I am only a two hour drive away,

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The Scuttlebutt
As weve said before, a first-place publication is not necessarily the best looking, but one that serves the flotilla, notifying members of whats going on at flotilla, division and national levels.

December 2001
North America, (see atch), we spent the first night at anchor in the South Nation River. The next morning thru the Carillon lock then into St Anne again for our exploration of Montreal. We took the afternoon train to Montreal and saw the suburbs from the land side. We started out on a double-deck bus tour and got off in Old Port, the old downtown port area, and checked out the marina. We then explored the area around Old Port, shopped, and had dinner. The train got us back to St Anne late, but we sipped wine, reviewed the day and planned the next. We cast off early the next day for the marina at Old Port arriving mid afternoon after the final two St Lawrence locks and a short run against a 4-5 kt current. Don and Gillian bade farewell and jumped on the bus back to Ottawa. They had been delightful guests--they packed light, used little water, shared the chores and left the stateroom cleaner than when they came aboard. We finished exploring/shopping, ate ice cream, and prepared to leave the next day. Montreal had been a great stop--wonderful and varied architecture, splendid restaurants, and scores of activities for every taste. The run to Sorel on September 1 was quick and easy with the current at our backs and the wide, well marked seaway. We turned into the Richelieu River and made it to the first lock at St Ours in the early afternoon. The Richelieu locks are older and smaller than the others, but the traffic was light considering it was the beginning of Labor Day weekend which even the Canadians observe. The river is wide and well marked, but shallow and weedy so the depth alarm is once again becoming a big part of our lives. The next day brought us to St Jean sur Richelieu and the last of the system's locks (number 162 since we bought Serendipity). We stayed an extra day tied to the dock wall as Lake Champlain was blowing to 25 kts with 2-3 foot waves. We cooked and cleaned and planned and departed the Richelieu and Canada having had a most enjoyable summer. We cleared customs and proceeded to Plattsburgh for our mail drop and to prepare for the lake and the last of the canal systems--the NYChamplain canal to Waterford. Como Dios manda the last leg will be as enjoyable as the first. Later.

MARINE VISITOR
Barbara Yeatman, FSO-MV We have almost reached the end of a most tumultuous year in the history of the United States. I shall not belabor the fine points of the tragedy, which befell our great nation. I will, however, commend my fellow Auxiliarists for stepping forth and rising to the challenges presented this past year. Kudos to all. After the September 77th disaster, it seemed rather moot to me to continue to disseminate literature to the boating public a rather mundane job when there were so many serious issues needing attention. It was brought to my attention that some things will never change, and that the boating public would continue to do just that Go Boating! Even though our talents and willingness to help are/were needed in many other capacities, the information my able assistant Don Smith, full-fledged MV, and I have continued to place in the various Auxiliary racks in the county has continued to be DEVOURED!!!! It has been most rewarding to continue to be of service to both the US Coast Guard and to boating America. We have established a solid Visitor program in this area; one which I hope will continue to grow. An aside of interest: My assistant has informed me that several places he visits now have DNR pamphlet holders alongside ours! Could it be that we have inspired them? Hmmm, just a thought! My hopes for next year certainly include the one really good thing of this past season NO HURRICANES! My hopes for the boating dealers are that they have a more lucrative year than the past. My GRAND HOPE is certainly that the information we Marine Visitors provide will save at least one life.

GOD BLESS AMERICA

TALES OF THE SERENDIP
Ken Krause We are back home!! We crossed into US territory today on Lake Champlain and into the marina at Plattsburgh NY. We departed Cornwall and passed thru two locks at Beauharnois and crossed Lake St. Louis to the village of St. Anne de Bellevue at the mouth of the Ottawa River. She is a suburb of Montreal and very French although we had a wonderful dinner at an Italian restaurant. The next day, we departed thru her lock and started up the Ottawa River. By day's end, we had passed thru the two-lock flight at Carillon and arrived below the Ottawa locks. We spent an extra day at the marina there cleaning and catching up on laundry since we planned to pick up Canadian friends, Don and Gillian, for the return to Montreal. Ottawa is a delightful city. The architecture is varied and gorgeous, green spaces are abundant, and the people are friendly and helpful. After locking thru the flight of eight locks, we tied up along the canal wall right in the heart of the city (free with our season mooring pass) and had most government buildings, including the Parliament buildings, all within an easy walk. On Saturday, we saw the season's last Changing of the Guard and on Sunday, we viewed the Trooping of the Colors--all the participants resplendent in their crimson uniforms and tall bearskin headgear, The tours of Parliament and the ministers offices were well done and we received a dose of history from the Canadian perspective. When Don and Gillian joined us, they squired us around town to see some of the other sights then took us for the night to their summer cottage at a nearby lake. After refueling, we locked back down the flight and we four were on our way to Montreal. After a quick stop at Le Chateau Montebello, the largest log structure in

FROM THE EDITOR

John Sikes, FSO-PB I would like to thank all our staff officers for their submissions to this, our monthly newsletter. This issue wraps up another year, and we will be submitting copies of the twelve issues to the DSO-PB for judging in D7 competition.

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The Scuttlebutt
in the United States. Hundreds of ships move in and out of these ports each day. Some contain millions of gallons of volatile fuels or hazardous chemicals that could become a powerful bomb in the hands of a determined terrorist. Other ships carry hundreds of large shipping containers , any one of which could carry chemical or biological devices, or even a nuclear weapon. We as a nation are terribly vulnerable and yet our maritime trade is critical to our nations economic strength. A terrorist attack on our ports and shipping would have devastating effects. However, we cannot wait until terrorists or weapons of mass destruction are on our doorsteps (ports) to interdict them. Our strategy must be more comprehensive than that it must be a maritime security strategy, of which port security is one important subset. The strategy must also include aggressive intelligence and ocean/port surveillance. We need to know what ships are approaching our shores and what is on those ships. The Coast Guard has to have enough modern aircraft, ships and trained people to detect and intercept threats far out at sea. We simply must protect the sea-borne approaches to our country with a layered defense. Our port security efforts must be our last line of defense not our first. In the days and weeks before September 11, the Coast Guard was already stretched thin meeting its responsibilities providing search and rescue, drug enforcement, protection of American fisheries, preventing illegal immigration and providing port security. Since September 11, the Coast Guard has engaged in a massive effort to protect our ports and maritime infrastructure. Just about every cutter and boat in the Coast Guard has been assigned to counterterrorism duties. Ships are being boarded at sea and having their cargoes inspected. Ships crews are being run through the national crime computer and ships are being escorted to their piers. Coast Guard Port Security Units are patrolling keep-out zones around Navy warships and key facilities, including nuclear power plants. In order to do this, the Coast Guard has called up more than 2,700 reservists and

December 2001
just about every Coast Guardsman is working 12-hour days seven days a week. The Coast Guard is doing the best it can with the limited resources available. The question is how long can Americas guardians of the sea sustain this pace? With the increased counterterrorism duties, most of the other assignments have been getting little or no attention. According to the commandant of the Coast Guard, Adm. James Loy, enforcement of the 200-mile limit and other fisheriesprotection laws is down close to zero. Counter-drug operations have been reduced as much as 75 percent and efforts to prevent illegal immigration are near zero as well. The Coast Guard cant keep up this pace without a substantial infusion of money and equipment. Its vessels are old several saw service in World War II and in need of maintenance, as are its aircraft. The Coast Guard ranks are at the lowest number since the 1960s due to severe budget constraints imposed by the Clinton administration and the Congress during the past decade. In short, like all of our other military services, they are continually asked to do more and more with less and less in terms of resources. In the aftermath of September 11, Congress is looking at the world in a new way and substantial increases in defense spending that were out of the question only a few weeks ago are now a real possibility. The Defense Department is, in fact, getting plenty of attention and funding increases are on the way. Billions of dollars are now being devoted to homeland security, the new catchphrase. As new efforts are made to strengthen and transform the military to deal with 21st century asymmetrical threats, the administration and Congress also need to provide more resources to the nations original homeland defense agency the Coast Guard. They have a critical role to play in this new world we live in, and they need more resources to get the job done. Now more than ever, we need the Coast Guard to be semper paratus always ready as its motto proclaims. Christopher Lehman served as a special assistant for national security affairs to President Reagan. Scott Truver is group vice president of the Anteon Corp.

COAST GUARD MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER

from the Washington Times, 13NOV01 The September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon made Americans painfully and tragically aware that airliners can become powerful weapons in the hands of suicidal terrorists. The reality of those attacks also forced some people to realize that our nations seaports and marine transportation systems are also highly vulnerable to sabotage and suicide missions. A fuelladen oil tanker exploding in an American port could be just as devastating as the attack on the World Trade Center. One can only imagine how devastating would be a ship filled with gasoline or liquid natural gas exploding in the Houston Ship Channel next to the largest petrochemical complex in the United States or in the Port of Los Angeles or Philadelphia. Or, as was the case in the Red Sea in 1984, a commercial vessel could clandestinely put in place naval mines that would indiscriminately attack U.S. and foreign-flag shipping calling at America s ports. We dont need an overactive imagination to think what would or could happen. In the late 1940s in Texas City, Texas, a ship loaded with ammonium nitrate caught fire and exploded, causing massive damage. Before it was over, 600 people were dead. Thirty years earlier, a ship fire in the port of Halifax caused massive damage, with more than 1,900 people killed and more than 9,000 injured. Such port disasters remain a very real possibility and the recent terrorist attacks in New York and Washington have heightened concerns about rogue ships on a suicide mission. For more than 200 years, the U. S. Coast Guard the fifth and smallest of the U.S. Armed Services has had a major responsibility for port security in the United States. However, since September 11, the mission has taken on a new importance. Osama bin Laden has promised more terrorist attacks on the United States and Americas seaports would make inviting targets. Ninety-five percent of Americas overseas trade moves by sea and there are more than 360 ports

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December 2001

FLOTILLA 12-8 MEMBERSHIP MEETING MINUTES 14 NOVEMBER 2001

The meeting was called to order at 1900 by FC Dean Creed. Tom Schmidt led the Pledge of Allegiance. Members present: Tom Beauchmin David Beaudrot Sam Beavon Jerry Benson Marguerite Bishop Jerome Bishop Dick Clarke Dan Cowley Dean Creed Richard Daniel Ralph Doolin Brett Grooms Frank Leister Robert Lovinger Bob Mathewes Lou Mintz Robert Orenstein Thomas Schmidt Guests: Allen James Donnie Pritcher, SCDNR John Allen, AUXLO

Guests Allen James and Jerry Benson, an Auxiliarist from Washington state transferring into 12-8, were introduced. Sam Beavon was sworn in as a new member. Marguerite Bishop received the 30-year membership service award, and an award for Public Education efforts in 2001. Jerome Bishop received the 15-year membership service award. Bob Lovinger received Master Instructor qualification, as well as his OPFAC certification. VFC Brett Grooms received Crew qualification. Sgt. Donnie Pritcher, SCDNR, spoke about the comprehensive educational program all SCDNR boating officers receive. Station Charleston AUXLO BM3 John Allen gave remarks on stations activities and the Auxiliarys involvement. DCP Bob Mathewes provided brief remarks about the Q3 Division meeting. He stressed that all 12-8 members are encouraged to attend the Division meetings, and particularly the Change of Watch in January 2002. VFC Brett Grooms called for Flotilla Staff Officers to provide their reports (refer to their columns in the Scuttlebutt for details). Brett Grooms was elected as VFC for 2002; Dean Creed was elected as FC for 2002. The meeting was adjourned at 2035.

DONT FORGET TO REGISTER FOR THE ANNUAL CHANGE OF WATCH IN MYRTLE BEACH, 25-26 JANUARY 2002
DAY Friday 1/25 Saturday 1/26 0900 1000 ACTIVITY 1830 NO. PRICE ____ Includes tax & gratuity $15.00 ea

Southern Style Buffet Cash Bar Commanders Call Division Meeting Lunch and Afternoon On Your Own

(Visit Barefoot Landing/Broadway at the Beach/Company Stores on Hwy 501 or at Beach Colony Resort enjoy Racquetball/ Exercise Room/Heated Indoor Pool/Indoor Whirlpool) 1830 1900 Cash Bar Banquet and Change of Watch Please indicate dinner selection. Price includes tax and gratuity. NO. Chicken Cordon Bleu Stuffed Baby Flounder Prime Rib Includes soup, salad, vegetable, dessert, tea or coffee NOTE: If you dont have a registration form and want to go, the deadline for registration is 14 December 2001. A letter from DCP(Elect) Ellen Kreiling was emailed and mailed to all Division 12 members. Contact your Flotilla Commander if you need a copy. ___ ___ ___ PRICE $22.50 ea. $24.00 ea. $26.00 ea.

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December 2001

Flotilla 12-8 Calendar December 2001

Sunday Nov 25 Monday Nov 26 Tuesday Nov 27 BS&S Class at CG Base Chas 2 3 4 BS&S Class at CG Base Chas 9 10 11 BS&S Class & Exam at CG Base Chas 5 Staff Meeting at CG Base, 1900 hrs 12 Membership Meeting at CG Base, 1900 hrs 19 13 6 7 LQ 8 Wednesday Nov 28 Thursday Nov 29 Friday Nov 30 FM 1 Saturday

Pearl Harbor attacked, 41

14 NM 15

16

17

18

20

21

22

FQ

Winter Solstice winter begins

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30 FM

Christmas Day

Cold blows the wind, the frozen rain and fleecy snow descend; for freezing winters come again, and so the year does end.

FINANCE
Dom Zito, FSO-FN It is again with great pleasure that I am able to report that your Flotillas finances are maintaining a healthy cash balance, thanks to our 60 members who paid their dues, and to our Staff Officers who continue to give their precious time in their various respective capacities in fulfilling Coast Guard Auxiliary missions. It is because of our ambitious Staff and its leadership that Flotilla 12-8 enjoys the exemplary status in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, in promoting public awareness in various functions; to name a few, Public Education, Vessel Safety Checks, outstanding Publications, Web Page, and most recently, assisting Coast Guard Patrols.

It should be recognized that most of our new members are recruited through our Public Education Courses essential in generating financial growth and maintaining financial stability. Again thank you one and all for your participation and cooperation in making my job easier.

SOME FAVORITE WEB SITES

USCG Auxiliary National Web Site www.cgaux.org/cgauxweb/memframe.htm Division 12 web site http://www.uscgauxcharleston.org/ US Coast Guard Navigation Center http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/