Como. Ted Neale, Jr. DC-A ----- Vol 97. MAY, 1997 No. 6 ----- Otis W. Littleton, BC-ANN
Como. Ted Neale, Jr. DC-A ----- Vol 97. MAY, 1997 No. 6 ----- Otis W. Littleton, BC-ANN
At the request of Como. Ted Neale, Jr., DC-A, public affairs officers will no longer be obliged to keep track of the category 10 missions in the traditional manner, that is, that the articles must be published and TV/Radio programs be aired in order for the member to claim the effort as a category 1O mission. This change was published in the February 1997 missions definitions list.
Category 10 missions are now defined as: "Hours spent promoting the Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary or Coast Guard Reserve. CME stations and Boating safety booths are reported in this category. Also includes time spent writing news stories, magazine articles, advertisements, radio and television announcements and programs; placing posters; arranging for promotional messages on outdoor signs, milk cartons, ice and shopping bags, and place mats."
In short, all PA time of the kinds enumerated in the new definition are to be reported as a category 10 PA mission.
Under this new method, you should still keep track of the quantity of activities to report under the Unit Monthly Public Affairs Activity report, CGAUX-37 (1-97)
The IS Department has informed us that PA officers have either not seen or are ignoring the new definition, that it is incorrect and that articles must be published before the member can claim category 10 mission time.
"Boatworks" is the name of a new boating and water life program airing on PBS stations around the country.
Veteran TV actor, Robert Urich is featured in the:show. A thirteen part series, the series seeks to portray the different kinds of relationships different people have with their boats. The producer, Stephen Reverand spent more than four years preparing for the program.
Urich, recovering from a serious bout with cancer, has expressed very favorable comments for the show and found it to be a positive experience.
The times scheduled for "Boatworks" varies with the PBS station. Not all PBS stations are as yet scheduled to carry the program. If you are interested, you should call your local PBS station to find out their broadcast schedule. If you prefer, you could check it out on the Internet by visiting the PBS website at www.pbs.org/.
Back home in Harrisburg, we have found the local PBS station to be in dire need of volunteer help (sound familiar?). We often send in volunteers to help answer the phones and do other chores during their fund raising efforts. It counts as a PA mission and helps a very worthwhile organization.
It would not be surprising, if you were to contact your local PBS@ station about the series, to find them receptive to some concept of support from the local unit(s) of the Auxiliary for the series. This could include a brief series of interviews on boating safety or a "boating hotline" in which questions from viewers would be answered.
You have nothing to lose and plenty to gain by contacting your local PBS station to see if you or your unit can help make the series a better success.
It's too soon to give any kind of a report at this time on National Safe Boating week activities. We do hear many good things and are looking forward to reviewing the many innovative and clever efforts introduced to bring the public's attention to this years efforts.
Because we now look to NSBW as a full boating season in duration rather than just a single week, we are holding our commentary until the October issue in which we believe we can provide you with a more detailed and interesting account of your efforts. Get the reports into Harriet Howard so that we can prepare a nationwide summary.
It's true, for all of you Internet surfers, there is now a genuine, official web site for the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. Bruce Tetzlaff has really been working hard to get the site "on line". So many individuals, flotillas, divisions and districts had already made their own arrangements to establish their individual web pages.
The new address for the Auxiliary is:
http://www.cgaux.org/cgauxweb/
The creation of the web site carries with it a responsibility to keep it up to date with useful, accurate and reliable information. For those that may have an interest in participating in this program, I'm sure Bruce will be recruiting volunteers who are willing to help him and take on the responsibilities. Drop Bruce a line and sooner or later he will get back to you.
Another neat web site address is that of "Fred's Place" which can also be easily reached at:
http://www.fredsplace.org
This site has some great clipart available. For a chance to view some great photographs of Coast Guard facilities in operation, you might want to log onto the Coast Guard Homepage at:
http://www.dot.gov.uscg
Many of the color photos can be printed out. If you have a quality printer and the glossy finish paper.
The are a total of 322 Auxiliarists who are logged on to Fred's Place.
With all the fuss the media made this spring about the summit meeting in Philadelphia on volunteerism, an observer would have thought that there was a great new discovery. The tradition of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is volunteedsm. All of our members not only volunteer their time, but they also volunteer their personal resources.
The objective of this volunteerism is to promote marine safety and to save lives in the recreational boating field.
In March of 1997, Commodore Everette L. Tucker, Jr. testified before the Subcommiftee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
COMO Tucker informed the House members about the new direction of the Auxiliary with the passage of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1996. He pointed out that we are developing and implementing programs that will assist the Coast Guard in communications, safety and security patrols, remote area inspections, vessel factory visits, licensing exam administration, spill reconnaissance and sampling, small commercial vessel safety and public affairs. Note that Public Affairs was included in the list of expanded services we will be providing the Coast Guard.
In 1996, the Auxiliary instructed over 550,000 students with a force of 10,251 trained volunteer instructors. Approximately 228,000 of those taught were youth. We have also developed a new one lesson personal watercraft course to help the young people become more aware of the hazards of their new craft and to operate in a safer manner.
In 1996, 7800 trained volunteer vessel examiners conducted courtesy safety examinations on more than 175,000 recreational boats, including personal watercraft. Our volunteers also conducted more than 33,500 safety, regatta and ATON patrols as well as more than 38,000 operational support missions. Volunteers in the air enhanced security at the 1996 Olympics in Georgia and provided substantial support in the air, on the water and on the land following the disaster of TWA flight 800.
The 34,000 men and women volunteers gave more than 460,000 hours patrolling our nation's waterways, provided approximately 5,900 operational watercraft, 133 aircraft and 2,200 radio stations to support various Coast Guard missions. This volunteer effort resulted in 484 lives saved, 14,581 persons assisted, and over $350,000,000 worth of property saved or assisted.
With the passage of the new Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1996, the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is indeed an integral part of TEAM COAST GUARD and is standing shoulder to shoulder with the Coast Guard into the 21 st century. As a Team Coast Guard Public Affair's Staff Officer, we have a great responsibility to keep the public informed of our missions and what we have done as volunteers.
It is also our objective as PA Officers to motivate other willing and able volunteers to join with us in the Auxiliary membership to further enhance our value to our citizens. Let's promote the work of the Auxiliary with vigor.
 | The clipart shown above and below is an example of the kind and quality of clipart that is available on the Internet free of cost. The hoist clipart on the front page is another. |
| The Mackinaw |  |
 | CGC BEAR 1874 |
| Helicopter 3F Pelican |  |
| Hatteras Light House |  |
 | New London Light House |
Note: The clip-art below are examples found on the web page of Ron West. Flotilla 12-02 (05S) -- BLT, BC-IEW