VSC - Whistle and ABC3 flyer program for District 14 Vessel Examiners in 2009
We realize that Vessel Examiners are often the only contact that a boat owner may have with USPS and the subject of boating safety, and in particular, those with small boats.
John Robinson, our National VSC Committee representative, this spring alerted us to a Massachusetts supplier of whistles that could be appropriately and reasonably imprinted. National Educational Officer Bob Sweet, at our D14 Spring Conference, spoke of the availability, at headquarters, of new tri-folds which promote the America’s Boating Course, third edition.
A decision was made to order 250 imprinted orange whistles and 500 ABC3-2009-2 flyers. The whistles have been imprinted:
United States Power Squadrons®
District 14
Sail & Power Boating
www.usps.org/localusps/d14
boating is fun…we’ll show you how®
The flyers have a space for the Vessel Examiner to stamp or affix a label with their individual or squadron information. As part of the flyer there is a post card which the recipient can mail to headquarters for more information. Promotional information, phone numbers and web addresses abound on this attractive, informative and colorful brochure.
A whistle has been tied with a 36” colored nylon cord to each of the 250 flyers which have had a hole punched in the top left corner. Then 5 flyers with whistles and 5 flyers without are placed in a zip lock type plastic bag. It is this plastic bag which has been distributed to the D14 Vessel Examiners.
At the 18 April Annual D14 Vessel Safety Check Class, this year held in Mattapoisett, MA, this program was explained to the VEs and the supplies distributed. These flyers and whistles are tools for their use. For examples: when the boat owner has no sound making device, give them a whistle with the flyer attached. When the boat owner needs to take a boating course, give them a flyer without the whistle. When an interested youth is around give them the whistle and flyer explaining that they could take the course and perhaps bring a parent or friend . . . and that the whistle should be attached to their personal life jacket.
As the completed VSCs come in this year and we speak with VEs, we will determine the value of this program. For those VEs who act promptly there are a few plastic bags of whistles and flyers left to be distributed. It is too early in the season to evaluate the effectiveness of the whistles and flyers program. Personally, I have given out a few and like the idea of having them available as tools for the promotion of USPS, the boating course and safe boating.
P/D/C W. Lee Blackburn, SN,
District 14 Chairman
Vessel Safety Check Program
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