THE THESCUTTLEBUTT SCUTTLEBUTT

Nov. 2010 U.S. U.S. Coast Coast Guard Guard Auxiliary Auxiliary Scuttlebutt Flotilla Flotilla 12-8, 12-8, 7th 7th District District Charleston, South Carolina Vol. Vol. 36, 35, No. No. 11-November 3-March 2009 2010
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Flotilla Web Site: http://www.uscgauxcharleston.org

Commanders Corner
Alan Miles, FC 12-8
Welcome to the October issue of the Scuttlebutt, the printed voice of Flotilla 12-8 in Charleston, SC. With All Hallows Eve just behind us , there is a lot to be afraid of! Aside from the usual ghosts, ghouls, and goblins, we should all be fearful of getting our dues paid in time. I can promise you that 2011 will be a blue ribbon year and you will want to be a part of it. Our dues are now due. I know my last sentence had due due in it, buts its really that important. Please send your payments to Frank Leister the FSO-FN (the finance guy). Do not delay any longer. Another fear we should have is the submission of documented hours on 7029s (member activity report), 7030s (mission activity report), 7038s (VE report), and 7046s (RBS visitation reports). Its time to get all your paperwork submitted to FSO-IS Bob Mathewes for the hard work you have done throughout the year. Failure to document your hours not only hurts the flotilla, but also the division and beyond. Please take the time to get caught up. Dont let us down in this very important task. During the October 13th Flotilla meeting we celebrated in fellowship at our
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Vice Commander
Richard Daniel, VFC 12-8
November is transition time for our flotilla. We wind down 2010 as we look and plan ahead for 2011. We have a good group of Staff Officers that want to continue to serve in Inside their positions in 2011 FC ............. 1 but we do indeed have some staff VFC .......... 1 openings for the upcoming year. CM ........... 4 That leads us to the big question, CS ............. 5 WHY DID YOU JOIN THE FN ............ n/a AUXILIARY? We should pause HR............ n/a at this transition time and review IS .............. 2 MA ........... n/a why we joined in the first place, MS ............ 6 what we have done with our NS ............ n/a membership and where would we MT............ 2 like to go. Another really big OP ............ 6 question is what activities desper- PA ............. 5 ately need our help and are we PB ............. 2 willing to step out of our comfort PE ............. 4 zone, learn new skills and offer PV ........... n/a our services to Flotilla 12-8. SR ............. 5 Please do not wait for 2011 to be- VE ............ 3 gin. Let the Bridge and Staff Offi- Calendar... 7 Trivia........ 8 cers know you would like to help. ElCid..6 You dont have to run the show, just be part of the worthwhile activities... And most importantly, keep in mind we have lots of outstanding people in our group so fellowship is most important as
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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 AUXACN class is now history. I wish I could give you a report on the results of the exams but that wont be determined until after this issue is released. I can tell you that Tom Beauchemin, Michael Cardwell, Chuck Chirila, Dan Cowley, Tom Jerussi and Frederick Schultz of this flotilla put in a lot of time and effort over the last five months. James Andrews, Karen Andrews and Be Moore of 1212 and James Valenzia of 12-6 were also part of the class. The Andrews, Dan Cowley, Tom Jerussi and Frederick made every one of the fifteen class sessions. This effort would not have been possible without the efforts of John Sikes who was my co-instructor through the whole course. The prospects look good that our FSO-CM, Dean Creed, and I will team up to offer the newly revised AUXCOM course sometime shortly after the start of the new year. You will hear more about that later. Bob Mathewes, SO-MT

Information Services
Bob Mathewes, FSO-IS

Publications
Bob Mathewes, FSO-PB
e didnt quite make 100% this month but there were some unusual extenuating circumstances for some of the staff. One was on vacation and two others were dealing with family emergencies. Dont forget that we will have an earlier deadline next month. Bob Mathewes, FSO-PB

ome of the newest members are sending in hours. It is good to see that. Some old timers could take a lesson from that. I would like to ask, once again, that Vessel Examiners indicate the location and start time for your VEs. I know there is no place on the 7038 but the information would help in the entry process. The big news this month is the Web Based version of the notorious 7029. This does not require Adobe Acrobat of and of the similar programs. You only need access to the Internet and a password. Go to http://webforms.cgaux.org/ forms/beta/index.php. Log in with your member number and the same password you use for the e-Directory. If you dont have a password or have forgotten yours scroll down under the sign in block and click on Obtain Password. Once you are logged in your name will appear where the sign in block was. Scroll down and click on 7029 Form Access. Next scroll down the left side bar and click on 7029 - Beta 0.3. If this is your first time you will see a block labeled New. Click on that and it takes you to the form. There are copious directions on each page to guide you through the process. You may click save to save the form and have it readily available to work on through the month. At the end of the month just click on the submit button after checking the box next to my name and you are done. It couldnt be easier. I understand that this is probably the precursor for other web based forms in the future. Next up will probably be the 7030. Bob Mathewes, FSO-IS

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annual cook-out at the USCG Station. VFC Richard Daniel and Fellow Members Dean Creed, David Beaudrot, and Marguerite Bishop all made significant contributions to the successful dinner. Bob Kreiling attended representing both himself and his lovely wife Ellen as they retired from the USCG Auxiliary. Both Ellen and Bob dedicated many years to this organization since their first introduction to the Auxiliary in the spring of 1982 in Long Island Sound. Combined, they have contributed more than 56 years to being Auxiliary Guardians. Each was presented with a Certificate, Retirement pin and Soaring Eagle statue for their faithful service. Recent transferee from 12-8, Allen James, (Flotilla 12-10) gave a few sentiments regarding the Kreilings. Its noteworthy that even at their own retirement ceremony the Kreilings insisted on donating the beverages for the event. Please join me in wishing them Fair Winds and Following Seas during their retirement. They will be greatly missed. Yet another significant event during the October 13th cookout was two new members receiving the Auxiliary Oath of Membership. Congratulations to both Robert Dyer and Steve Nall. We welcome you and hope to spend many hours serving together. During the cook out FSO-HR Paul Thomas received two additional applications from Steve Bunch, and Samuel Mervosh. 12-8 is glad to have you join us as well. The following day, on Oct 14th, I attended a recruiting event at the Citadel along with members Bill Riley, Paul Thomas, Harry Westall, and Greg Battenfield. During the event we received applications from 7 new cadets. Welcome aboard Cadet Birenbaum, Cadet Bueltel, Cadet McLaughlin, Cadet G.W. Puckett, Cadet J.D. Puckett, Cadet Watson and Cadet Zeller.

Our next flotilla meeting will be on November 10th at the Brass Buckle at 7 pm. It is time once again for the general elections to select the new Flotilla Commander and Vice Flotilla Commander for calendar year 2011. Next month on 13 November, I have requested a QE for coxswains and crew members. I have not received a confirmation yet but when it arrives I will get the word out to everyone. On Saturday, December 4th, there will be a Boating Safety Class at the Citadel. Bill Riley will be leading the class. All new members and any current members not having completed it are required to attend to receive this important training. Please mark it on your calendars. The times will be announced when available. Semper Paratus, Alan J.P. Miles, FC

Vessel Examinations
Paul Berka, FSO-VE

ive of the twelve VE's have not completed their required five vessel examinations for 2010. Our next planned blitz will be on Saturday November 13, 2010 at the Leads Ave. County Farm Landing from 1000 to 1300. On October 10, 2010 Richard Morgan and Paul Berka completed 7 vessel safety checks at the Folly Landing. Two vessels received decals. Paul H. Berka, FSO-VE

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you look into your areas of interest. Special thanks go out to Dave Beaudrot and Dean Creed for the wonderful Fish Fry. The fellowship was wonderful along with the great food. Well done gentlemen. See you at our November meeting! Richard Daniel, VFC

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ARRRG Thar be TREASURE!!!

Thar will be an AUCTION of treasures at the next Flotilla Meeting. We will be auctioning off the following BOOTYto the fellow pirates of 12-08. Bring your gold coin, checks or Promissory notes to the meeting. One Buck Stainless Dive Knife & Sheath. Ive never encountered a buck whilst diving! One sharp Tusa 420 Stainless Dive Knife in case yer keel hauled! Or maybe its for Does One New USCG AUX Equipment survival vest. Fur getting where ya going when walking the plank. One ACR Rescue vest light. Candles dont work when yer floatin adrift. One west Marine Portable (submersible) VHF 150 hand held marine two way radio with charger and remote microphone to call the auto club or call the HR department to file a complaint. One pair of neoprene gloves with finger holes to shoot yer muskets. Three knit watch caps to protect yer noggin in the winterrrrr. One full face knit cold weather mask to hide yer face if youre the shy type! One neck warmer. Could prevent unsightly rope burn when yer the guest of honor at a lynching. OUCH!.... Or cover yer hickies when yer returnin from libert. One Aux Ball Cap. Get it for a back-up, its an Auxiliary ball cap. One 50 Ft Heaving line. Yah, at sea some of us have to heave. Please dont ask! One pair of 10 Wide Chukka boots One pair of 10 Med Steel towed boots. Towed is funny right? Okay then.Toed Capn Alan Bloody Al Miles

Public Education
Chuck Chirila, FSO-PE

s you read this, a presentation of the ABS About Boating Safety is being arranged for this fall. Notices have been sent to the local newspapers. Presentations will be made on consecutive Tuesday evenings 7:00~9:00pm, on November 23, 30, December 7 and 14. The location will be the Doty Park Community Center, 320 N. Laurel St., in Summerville. The logic behind this change of venue is to make it more accessible to those novice and experienced boaters who find that the CG Base is too long a drive. Attention new members, this program will meet the prerequisite requirement for BQ (Basic Qualified) if you plan to become Crew. Instructors: I will present two of the chapters. Instructors will be needed for the remaining 5 chapters. Please let me know ASAP if you can provide your expertise in presenting one of the chapters. Semper Paratus. Chuck Chirila, FSO-PE

Communications
Dean Creed, FSO-CM

f you have a Radio Facility, I invite you (actually, I strongly encourage you) to participate in our Flotilla's VHF Radio Net on Wednesday 17 NOV at 1900 hours. Please let me know if you would like to join in on "the call." It will be a great opportunity to see how our Flotilla can establish a communications web over the Charleston airwaves Dean Creed, FSO-CM

Happy Thanksgiving

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Public Affairs
Barbara Thibodeaux,
ublic Affairs had a quiet month as we usually do this time of year. We were represented and participated in the Safety Fair that Home Depot, North Charleston, organized the first Saturday of the month. We had a real good turn out and the weather was great for the event. I look forward to doing some other activities with Home Depot in the future. You couldn't have asked for nicer people! There were quiet a few children interested in the helicopter display and the boat. I had a lot of adults asking water safety related questions while the children were doing their thing. Thank you to the two members that assisted in making this day a successful venture, FC Miles and IPFC Fleming! We have a number of things coming up in the next several months, so PLEASE, PLEASE volunteer to assist with PA projects! Public Affairs activities are usually the first time the public comes into contact with us, and the majority know nothing about us. Get in touch with me and volunteer your time and help with OUR projects. After all, isn't that what we signed up for? Stay safe! Barbara Thibodeaux, FSO-PA

Communication Services John Sikes, FSO-CS

hanks to Bob Mathewes, man of many hats, we are updating the AUXINFO pages on the flotilla's website weekly. Everyone who is Boat Crew, VE, or IT qualified should keep up with their hours posted to make sure that all of their efforts are credited to them. Also, several members are REYR on their qualifications and are subject to losing their qualifications. While it may not be too late to catch up, the year is rapidly coming to an end, as are the possibilities of retaining those hard-to-earn quals. Check out the flotilla's website at www.uscgauxcharleston.org , click on Members, then go down to AUXINFO. Take a look around while you're on the site and let us know if you see any changes that need to made. After all, it's our site and we all need to help keep it up. John Sikes, FSO-CS

Secretary Records
Pam Bray, FSO-SR

Cadet Captain, Harry C. Westall, gives prospective detachment members an Introduction to the Coast Guard. Looks like a tough leader.

here are no minutes since there was no business meeting in October. Instead a good time was had by all at the annual Fall Cookout.
Pam Bray, FSO-SR

Have you filed your 7029 for October? If not, why not?

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Citadel Detachment
s temperatures start to cool down in the Lowcountry, Citadel cadets are working feverishly towards midterms. With Parents Weekend under their belts, the knobs are now allowed to join various campus groups; such as The Citadel Detachment. Thus, the training and enrollment period has begun for all hands. Commander Westall will be instructing the Basic Introduction to The Coast Guard course, thus matriculating the new recruits into The Detachment. During this semester, members of The Detachment will have the opportunity to attend an ABS class. Sophomores are preparing for Boat Crew training and standing at the ready until an instructor can be secured. Furthermore, The Detachment is looking forward to field training exercises. These exercises are meant to provide hands- on experience, education and training for cadets. Physical Training, led by Cadet Crawford, is going to be rigorous and beneficial this year. The Citadel Detachments PT consists of two parts. There is swim PT on Tuesday mornings, and cardio PT on Thursday afternoons. Both of these training periods are designed to strengthen the individual as well as promote teamwork. The Detachment is headed towards a very successful year. Cadet William Singletary
When you sit down in your comfortable home, with your family around to enjoy your roast turkey and all that goes with it on Thanksgiving, as you give thanks remember those Guardsmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen who are eating MREs and buying you the freedoms you enjoy.

Marine Safety
Bob Orenstein, FSO-MS

read Gary's e-mail finally after having my computer "off-line" for 5 days. Allen James has spent time at Seahawk with Gary and is close to completing his sign-offs for PI. Gary also asks that the last "chunk" of the office sign-offs has to be done by contacting him and setting it up (either through Gary or myself). His phone number at Seahawk is 740-7076. He wants everyone to complete the PI course before we move on to Waterways Management which pertains to the Auxiliary on a high degree. So please call Gary, set up a time with him and complete the course! Bob Orenstein, FSO-MS

Operations
Joe Fleming, FSO-OP

s summer winds down so does the boating traffic that we are so familiar with. Snow birds are flocking through our waterways heading south. Operations on the water are going strong with the temperature change. Crew and Coxswains needing to have a QE check this year should be getting on the water to practice before the time comes for requal. Check your calendars for upcoming patrols. New members wanting to get on the water and see what we do, give me a call, so we can set up getting together. As the weather changes, we need to adjust our requirements, be sure to keep hydrated and stay warm. Joe Fleming, FSO-OP

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Nautical Trivia

he question last month was almost a freebie. I just took a shortcut and grabbed something that was easy to find. To make it even easier there was a letter to the editor the day after the Scuttlebutt was released that mentioned the answer. To substantiate that it was easy we had the greatest number of correct answers this year. Ten people identified the nickname of the US Laffey as The Ship that Would Not Die. They were James & Karen Andrews of Flotilla 12-12, MST3 Jeanette Bouch of the Gold Side, Reggie Hollar of Flotilla 12-10, and our own Chuck Chirila, Joe Fleming, Dick McLaren, Alan Miles, John Sikes and Agnes Wright. Our friends on Folly Beach refer to it as The Edge of America Technically it is a small portion of that. It sits on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. Those of us who have lived for years on the edge of the Atlantic know what terrible storms that body can bring during the hurricane season. On the Great Lakes the storms come later but with a fury of their own. Many a ship has disappeared into the cold depths of those lakes during the storms of November There are three storms they still talk about. The storm of 1913 clamed twelve ships and 250 lives. The storm of 1940 claimed two ships and 100 lives. The storm of 1975 claimed only one ship. Since commercial shipping began on the Great Lakes there have been 6,000 shipwrecks. Half of those have never been found. The victim of the 1975 storm left Superior, Wisconsin on 9 November 1975 with a cargo of 26,116 tons of taconite (an

iron ore) and a crew of twenty-nine. The destination was a steel mill on Zug Island, near Detroit. Less than thirty hours later she disappeared from radar never to be seen again. Hurricane force winds and ten foot seas were recorded during the storm. This tragedy was immortalized in song by a Canadian singer/songwriter a year later. In November of 1976, a year after the disaster, the song made it to number two on the charts. What was the name of the bulb carrier that sank in Lake Superior on that storm tossed night and who was the person who immortalized her in song?

Bob Kreiling views gift from the members on occasion of his and Ellens retirement from Auxiliary after many years of service. They will be missed.

The skipper leaves the ship with all the members as sideboys. We all wish him and Ellen fair winds and following seas.

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November 2010
SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT

2
Election Day

6
New Moon

7Daylight Sav- 8
ings Time ends @0200

10
Flotilla Meeting Election

11
Veterans Day

12

13

14 21
Full Moon

15 22 29

16 23 30

17 24

18 25
Thanksgiving

19 26

20 27

28

Flotilla Officers
Flotilla Commander Alan Miles [email protected] Finance Frank Leister [email protected] Flotilla Vice Commander Richard Daniel [email protected] Human Resources Paul Thomas [email protected] Communications Dean Creed [email protected] Communication Systems John Sikes [email protected] Information Services Materials Bob Mathewes Tom Beauchemin [email protected] [email protected] Navigational Services Joe Fleming [email protected] Public Education Chuck Chirila Operations Joe Fleming [email protected] RBS Visitor Rick Miller [email protected] [email protected] IPFC Joe Fleming

Marine Safety Member Training Bob Orenstein Bob Mathewes [email protected] [email protected] Public Affairs Publications Barbara Thibodeaux Bob Mathewes [email protected] [email protected] Secretary Records Pamela Bray

Vessel Examination Paul Berka