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What is The United States Power Squadrons?
United
States Power Squadrons (USPS®) is a private, non-profit, non-governmental, and non-military organization of men and women who have a common love and appreciation of boating. The national organization
comprises some 50,000 members in approximately 450 Squadrons in most states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and other areas. Organized in 1914, USPS is the world's largest private boating organization and
has been honored by three US presidents for its civic contributions.
Balboa Sail & Power Squadron
The Squadron is a unit of District 28. It was founded in July,
1940 with 12 charter members transferring from the Los Angeles Power Squadron. Annual dues at that time were $1 plus National dues of $2! The Squadron´s territory lies in southern Orange County,
California, reaching to Newport Beach and Costa Mesa in the north and San Clemente in the south. Headquarters are at 1714 West Balboa Boulevard, Newport Beach, California. Contact our Executive Officer, Dave
Thomas at (949) 233-8987 for more information.
What do we offer?
Like other
squadrons, Balboa offers boating safety courses on a regular basis to boaters in our communities. These courses are open to the public and there is no age limit for participants. USPS squadrons have offered
these courses for over half a century and have educated more than 3 million boaters to date. Successful completing a USPS boating safety course meets the educational requirements for boat operation in all
states and is a requirement for squadron membership.
We also offer many carefully planned courses in subjects like Seamanship, Piloting, Plotting
and Position Finding, Celestial Navigation, Cruise Planning, Engine Maintenance, Marine Electronics, Sailing, and much more. These courses are taught by experienced member instructors, and members who complete
them are recognized. Call our Squadron Educational Officer, Peter Barbour, at (714) 963-5271, for more information.
Participating both on-the-water and off with fellow members who are skilled in boating is a rewarding and
enjoyable experience. On-the-water activities include cruises, rendezvous, sail races, navigation contests and even fishing derbies.
General Membership Meetings
Each month we hold a general membership meeting at a local restaurant, often with keynote speakers, and usually
with a raffle. Our April GMM is scheduled for Thursday, April 18. This month we will be holding our meeting at a new location. We will be at Le Bistro, 3446 Via Oporto, Newport Beach, (949) 675-9747, near the
Elks Lodge. Cocktails will be at 1800 with dinner following at 1900 and the cost is our usual $20 per person. There will be three menu items to choose from for dinner. Metered street parking is available and in
the red brick parking structure. We will be holding a raffle this month so if anyone has any items to donate to the raffle please contact me. Thank you very much. I'm looking forward to seeing you all for
our first meeting of spring at Le Bistro.
Call AO Denise Erwin for reservations.
The Trident
Our in-house news magazine
is the Trident, published quarterly. Click here to see the March 2013 issue.
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