New Page 1

First of all, I would like to extend my sincerest congratulations to Timothy Switzer as the elected Vice Commander for Division 16 9CR. I am looking forward to working with him as we approach the next months ahead.

Where did the summer go? Did we have summer? The calendar said it is summer, but the weather sure didn’t feel like summer. In fact, July was the coldest ever in Michigan history. But no matter what, it has been a busy and fast few months.

There are still some busy months still ahead. Fall Conference is knocking at the door. It will be held at the Kewadin Hotel & Convention Center in Sault Ste. Marie on 11-13 Sept 2009. The District elections will be held, as well as many training sessions. Check out the schedule on the District website at: http://www.a091.uscgaux.info/

The next meeting for Division 16 is on 24 Oct 09 at Audie’s in Mackinaw City. The Division elections will be held at that meeting. Anyone interested in the Division Commander or Vice Division Commander position need to submit their letter of intent to the nominating committee members - Charles Feldman, SO-PV and Cynthia Shutt, SO-FN – by 1 Sept 09.

Just a reminder for those involved with the operations at USCG Station St Ignace, that the operating frequency has been changed from 21A to 23A for official use only.

I would like to thank all of you for giving me this opportunity to be your Division Vice Commander. I am looking forward to the challenges ahead. With the experience we gain by fullfilling missions in the field and our continued training, we should have a good head start on our missions for next season. To complement this training and experience, we have our Public Affairs officers who are keeping the public aware of us, our activities and our mission. With a little commitment from all our members, we have had a great end to this current boating season. I hope to see you all at your Division Meeting on the 24^th of October at Audie’s Restaurant in Mackinaw City

24 October

Division 16 Meeting/Election

Audie’s Restaurant, Mackinaw City, MI

5 December

Division 16 Change of Watch

Audie’s Restaurant, Mackinaw City, MI

Flotilla 16-01 members participated in 9CR Boat Days at Station Charlevoix and completed some of their Coxswain requirements there. Through early July there have been 82.9 patrol hours. 39.5 Operational Support hours, and 24.3 SAR hours have been recorded

Members patrolled in support of the Traverse City Air Show. An Operations Class was conducted with demonstrations of inspection, inflation and re-arming of inflatable PFDs.

Dora conducted a class on Personnel Services. Also Dora and Terry Reigler put on a”Coastie” show for the children of Onaway emphasizing water safety. The class was a big hit.

The Mackinaw has invited 16-01 to a picnic to help celebrate “Coast Guard Days”. The event is scheduled at the Moorings on 4 Aug at 1300.

Aviation- There was 9 missions flown this month including the Observations and 2 were cancelled due to weather. We have also lost one of our aviation facilities due to an accident

Member Training- We have completed training on Sexual Harassment and Blood Borne Pathogens. We have one person training for Pilot status and one new member who is training for an air observer. 4 members continue their work on coxswain qualification.

Public Affairs We had a booth at the AuSable River Festival and booths at the Car Show and the RV and Boat Show at South Higgins Lake State Park. We have had articles on two of our SAR operations and on The Vessel Exam program in both of the local newspapers. We also had a booth at the County Fair and gave a presentation to the local Retired School Employees Group One of our members, Chuck Feldman, gave an intensive interview with the Roscommon County Herald News on cold weather boating techniques.

Public Education We gave a boating safety program for the after school program in Houghton Lake. We also have monitored the exams for 4 on-line students in the state boating safety program.

Operations. We have had 4 SAR’s (two to which we called by the sheriff one a call from Station Saint Ignace and one which one of our patrol boats happened upon) We have had 4 training missions and have had 3 milfoil perimeter patrols. We provided a safety perimeter patrol at the July 4^th Boat parade on Houghton Lake. We have requested to help with other milfoil patrols and to provide assistance to boaters on Houghton Lake to free up the Law enforcement/ Marine officers who were otherwise occupied. the August 1 Bud Bash.

Personnel Services We have had one person, Jeff Gaberiel, who recently achieved IQ member status... Another, Matt Thompson, completed his paperwork and it has been sent in. Two more people, Ernie and Marilyn Stuart have completed their paperwork and are currently in AP status. They both have been involved in PA activities with other flotilla members and Ernie has been a “ride along” on Training patrols and is studying to become crew qualified as soon as he is able. Also we have our Summer Guest member, Gary Jurkovich, transferring officially into our flotilla.

Vessel Examinations - Four facility exams and 30 Vessel examines have been done and we were at the Boat Launched on Memorial Day weekend and on May 30 for Vessel Exams. We as well as on June 6 & 13 at S. Higgins Lake State Park. We also provided the Vessel Safety checks for the AuSable Canoe Marathon

Aviation We now have a certified pilot, Robert Currier and another qualified Air Observer, Matt Mousseau. We are going to be utilizing his skills as much as possible in the near future since he is moving downstate.

25 Defender Training The boat went into the water for its first ‘full power’ test on 12 May 2009. Unfortunately, it lost a water pump on the starboard engine and is now in Charlie Status with some doubt as to when repairs may be made. We do have the 23 boat as back-up. Four members have passed the major portion of the physical test and are allowed on the boat and all twelve continue to train on 255005.

PE Twenty eight youngsters and two adults attended a ‘Water & Kids’ and PWC/DNR Boating Safety Class we held at the Alpena County Library on 2 May 2009. Flotilla 16-04 was very busy in July as we participated in many events The Flotilla was represented in the Alpena City 4^th of July Parade with a float featuring “Coastie’ and our District 9CR Captain, Russ Marshall in the truck. Later “Coastie” appeared at the N.O.A.A. Center for the Maritime Festival to the delight of hundreds of children and adults. We also had a Boating Safety Booth set up by the River. In the late afternoon the entire flotilla and the gold side had a picnic cookout at the station . After the cookout we went on Fireworks Patrol on Thunder Bay for a great Show.

New CG Station Almost all of our files and materials have been moved into the new Station. The radio is working. The boat has a ‘big’ garage to keep it warm in the winter. The facility is very, very nice! The ‘Grand Opening’ (by Invitation Only) will be 27 May 2009 and another Open House for the public with over 200 in attendance A ‘Fellowship’ picnic was held for the membership after the Open House.

Operations We ‘lost’ 2 Auxiliary surface facilities with one member leaving the Auxiliary and one member selling his boat. We are down to 3 AUX facilities. The flotilla participated in the Brown Trout Festival. Patrols of the fishing event included monitoring three “shotgun” starts on three different mornings of the ten day event which required that our crews be on the water at 0500.

Team Coast Guard We were “hosts” to a visit from DIRAUX, Commander Karl Willis, USCG on 20 July 2009. While here CDR Willis enjoyed a ride on our 25 Defender.

Member Training John Walters, FSO-CS is one of our most capable watch standers. He has now been holding a Watchstander class every Thursday from 1300 hours to 1600 hours at the station with Power Point, reading materials, and “lab” time in the Comms Room for those interested in becoming a Watchstander at Station Alpena.

Crew and Coxswain Training continue on the 25 Defender. Great strides have been made in the number of members qualified. So much so that the training has been opened up to other flotillas. See Ken Larson, SO-OP for more details.

Program Visitor - Members of the Flotilla worked on the Valley Camp Display, making it easier for the Boy Scouts to get their boating safety course. LSSU Spring Show booth manned by the Auxiliary and Active duty Coast Guard personnel. 21 MDV

Vessel Examiner - VSC Blitz which we had planned in May had to be rescheduled due to poor weather. We were able to have it in mid June and had 52 VSC’s and inspected 4 facilities.

Public education - We Planned and had to cancel 2 Boating Safety classes due to lack of public participation

– We had 2 boat training with Gold side. Our regular operations included a tow off the rocks and safety patrols for the Tug Boat Races

Member Training - 1 Coxswain and 1 Crew went to Boat Camp in Charlevoix, Three members attended the ATON Class in St Ignace this Spring.

Communications - The Flotilla has had 1 Mobile Radio Facility inspected. The facility has passed and has been put into operation

Personnel Services – We have 3 prospective members and 1 new member in AP status

We were very busy in May getting facilities ready for the season. We took time to teach the state “Boating Safety” course to the seventh graders at DeTour School.

We have planned a VE Blitz on the 19^th of June at the boat launches in Hessel, Detour and Cedarville but this effort was not as successful as we had hoped. But we had a cookout following the event which was attended by our members and five members of the Gold side from St. Ignace Station.

In June the ATON‘s in our area were checked and the report was turned in by SO-OP Davey Crockett.

In July we patrolled for the Fireworks in Cedarville Bay. The Channels through the Cheneaux can be a bit tricky in the daylight but they are even more difficult at midnight.

Our July meeting was an organizing one for the Hessel Boat show which was successful in spite of some bad weather on the day of the event.

We are working on National Marina Day, and we are looking forward to a successful event working with Station St. Ignace and the St. Ignace marina. We also worked on the Chicago and Port Huron to Mackinac sailboat races. We also had at least one facility on the water to provide a safety zone for the Saturday evening fire works which occurred every Saturday evening through Labor Day weekend in St. Ignace.

Our VFC Billy Mueller has been appointed to the District Staff as our Auxiliary Sector Coordinator. We are very proud of him and wish him the best. Auxiliarist Mueller also attended the change of Command at C.G. Station Portage on July 21st.

The Biscayne Bay stationed in St. Ignace was open for tours during the St.Ignace car show. We had several members of our flotilla assist the crew over the three day event. The crew was very happy that we assisted with the tours. Approximately 40 people toured Friday afternoon and around 1040 during the day Saturday. Sunday was a slow day as many people started their trip home.

Our C.G. Station deserves a Bravo Zulu as their MK1 and MK2 assisted in correcting some mechanical problems on two of our facilities.

Computer Services Information on the Division web page continues to be updated.

The website for Paradise has been changed, and Kathy Rubin will be inputting Additional Changes to the website.

Bert Crockett of 16-07 Reports that he has updated the website Flotilla Officers to include Jim Adams as our new FSO-PV Partner Visitor. He has also corrected an error on our events calendar year to read 2009.

Recently hackers have been attacking some of the Flotilla Websites and the Sites were shut down for one weekend to update the security provisions on the sites. They have been installed and can now accept changes from the appropriate officers.

I have entered all the missions I have received to date and have sent all flotillas a Training Status report. I would hope that everyone reviews it and pay particular attention to members needing to complete activities in order to stay qualified and not go into REYR. Such activities include the 1 Hour TCT class and QE check rides.

16-01 has conducted classes in Operations, Vessel Exams, Personnel Services,and Communications. They have had "on the water "training for all their Coxswains and all but one crew member.

16-03 has 4 members working on their coxswain and one new member ready to start qualifying for crew. They also have two members working on Air Observer status and other member building hours for his pilot rating. All of their operational people have completed their 1 hr TCT requirement. We have held training on Blood Borne Pathogens and Sexual Harassment. We have reviewed Operations protocols.

They have plans to hold training sessions on Radio, GPS, Uniforms, Search Patterns and First Aid.

16-08 completed -Equipment/PPE safety checks. In May they completed TCT Refresher. In .July, they held Heavy Weather operation training .

Flotilla 16-03 Agnes Feldman has developed a Power Point presentation on Water Pollution and Invasive Species which was presented at the Flotilla BS & S class on Thursday Mary 7.

Flotilla 16-06 handed out Water Way watch Boating Safety and Environmental pamphlets during the local Spring Show; during all Vessel Safety inspections throughout the summer und during their ABC class. This same material will be distributed through the RBS program and at the Valley Camp display.

As of 30 July AUXINFO reflects the following hours reported for operations for Division 16 in 2009.

· Flotilla Members participated in the Dist. 9WR June Boat Camp at Station Charlevoix and completed currency maintenance.

· The 2009 Operations Refresher Course training was conducted to the flotilla members along with a demonstration on inspection, inflation and re-arming of inflatable PFD’s

· July 7&9 held two on-the water training session where six members had Currency maintenance tasks signed off.

· Supported the “Brown Trout Festival and fishing tournament” for three days, July 23,25,& 26.

· Two coxswain and three are now qualified on the USCG 25’ Defender. With one more in training.

16-01 The paperwork has been sent in for one new member, Ethan A. Passalacqua. Packet of information on the care and maintenance of uniforms was handed out to members at the April meeting. Information on protocol for boarding/departing military ships and saluting were distributed to flotilla members at the May meeting. Report was given about some members who haven't been at recent meetings in June. A training session on Personnel Services was presented by me (Dora) in July to flotilla members

16-03 Recruiting: I have re-contacted the two individuals who requested information by e-mail and invited each to attend our meeting on 28 May) I am continuing to pursue a friend who is a pilot with his own plane. One of our students from last year’s BS&S class has expressed interest in joining the Auxiliary when he turns 17. He will contact us in the fall. Uniform Issues: We are reminded that a flotilla or region ball cap is considered to be a uniform item and should not be worn without a uniform. The service dress blue uniform is no longer authorized as an Auxiliary uniform. A hot weather uniform has been approved as follows: The shirt approved for the hot weather uniform was clarified by Steve Minutolo (Chief, Administrative Branch, Coast Guard Office of Auxiliary and Boating Safety, Auxiliary Division)

16-04 We currently have one new candidate, whose paper work is in the system and will hopefully get on board, another candidate who will be completing all his paperwork this week and another interested party who will start his paperwork this week. We have two qualified crews for the 25 and several other members in the process of their qualifications.

16 -06 We have a few interested new members. A PSI has been sent in for Bev Osborn, A new member packet is being sent to for Robert Leigh.

I am still processing ID cards for our division and most of the western half of 9CR. Please be reminded that if a card is processed with the Initially Qualified “IQ” status and then the member completes a Boating Safety class Cleveland will not make a new card for that member with the “BQ” status on it until the card expires (in 5 years). Although this status does not make a difference in the normal uses for the ID card some members would like the BQ on it so make sure that they are advised of this fact. Also when you take a picture for an ID card makes sure that the person is in a proper uniform. Lately I have been getting them with a lot of black t-shirts and visible gold chains. Cleveland will not accept these pictures as these items are not part of the uniform.

Other than the classes that were reported in May, I have not received any information on pending classes. A couple of the flotilla PE officers have told me that they have tried to organize classes, but due to lack of response the classes were not held.

It is unfortunate that with all the summer visitor to our areas we have so much difficulty geting them interested in taking a boating safety class. It appears that many of them seem to be so sadly lacking in knowledge of boating rules of the road and other boating safety issues. These uninformed boaters also seem to comprise the majority of the SARs during our season.

16-01 CHEBOYGAN - 22 16-06 SAULT ST MARIE 6 16-03 ROSCOMMON 78 16-07 Les Cheneaux 21 16-04 ALPENA 46 16-08 St. Ignace 65

Flotilla 16-01 reported that their Marine Dealer Visitor Program Visitor effort is under way for the summer season. Four active PV qualified members have made 22 contacts. Initial contacts have been made at two Michigan State Parks gate houses with encouraging results. Display materials have been requested from Materials Officer. One Partner has terminated business, and others report continuing slow season traffic.

Congratulations to flotilla 16-04. I show that their efforts have increased this year.

Our National officers have indicated that they think it is too easy to qualify as a Program Visitor and would like to eliminate the paper test. The on line test is more difficult because it has a random pattern and is harder to prepare for. If you have any members that that would like to become a program visitor, I would like to urge them to do so now.

The Coast Guard toll free Boating Safety Hot Line Number 1-800-368-5647 has been discontinued. Make sure that it has been deleted from all your materials.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The role of our RBS partner visitors has become more important. The Coast Guard is no longer sending mailings to our partners. That information will be posted on the Coast Guard web site www.uscgboating.org.

	COMMUNICATIONS – MIKE RUBIN	OPERATIONS - KEN LARSON
	COMPUTER SERVICES - AGNES FELDMAN	PUBLIC AFFAIRS – MARK GINGERICK
	FINANCE - CYNTHIA SHUTT	PUBLICATION – AGNES FELDMAN
	INFORMATION SERVICES – NANCY MCKEE-MARSHALL	PERSONNEL SERVICES – TIM SWITZER
	MATERIAL – SARAH SOULE	PUBLIC EDUCATION – LAVONNE BAUER
	MARINE SAFETY – TAMMY CASTLE	PROGRAM VISITOR – CHUCK FELDMAN
	MEMBER TRAINING – DAVID SOULE	SECRETARY OF RECORDS – DAVID HANSEN
	NAVIGATION SERVICES – HOWARD COX	VESSEL EXAMINATION - JAMES KETCHUM