Welcome to District 21

This is much longer than anything I usually write but it is going to take a few extra lines to say all that needs to be covered.

During our D/C-D/XO meeting Friday morning in Jacksonville, the Chief presented a plan for reorganizing USPS into a more functional, efficient and responsive organization reviewing with you how our present By-laws had evolved over the past 97 year, why we needed to come to the membership with a “new USPS”, and the problems created because your Operating Committee has to go to the membership twice a year to get permission to accomplish or do many activities that were just routine business decisions, since OCom lacked the authority to make a determination without the GB approval.

The Committee on Rules has prepared a “Interim Report” to the membership and new By-laws for our members consideration in line with the reorganization changes ComRules recommend.

Because of the time problem which ComRules explain in their “Interim Report”, they are recommending voting to approved the changes in Norfolk and implement the changes at the annual meeting in Dallas, otherwise, we will have a 12 month delay to the next annual meeting.

Please distribute the information and discuss these ideas and changes with your Bridge, Squadron Commanders and membership.

Your thoughts and comments are very important to me and the ComRules so if you thoughts, please let us know.

V/C Creighton Maynard, SN

Click here for May 2007 Interim Report to the Governing Board (pdf 31 kb)
Click here for USPS Bylaws Draft for Restructuring (pdf 216kb)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Walk into the crowd at any San Antonio Sail & Power Squadron event and that's what happens. New members have bright green fluorescent name tags! The may not look nautical - but they sure catch your attention. Members immediately know they haven't met this person they don't recognize. It makes it easy to go up to a "stranger" and say hi, introduce yourself, and start a conversation: "Where are you from?" or "When did you join?" "Married, single, kids?" "Got a boat?" "Want one?"
What a cool idea!

Around Memorial Day – just when most members are receiving their dues notices – Austin Power Squadron hosts their annual Surf & Turf event: serving lobster tails, brisket, corn on the cob, and boiled potatoes, coupled with a predicted log event…, plus this year they held a Boat Rodeo (how Texas cool is that). At the Boat Rodeo, members participate in predicted log, docking, marlinspike, and navigation on land contests.

A great Member Involvement event!
Might attract some cowboy members!
…with apologies to those east of the Sabine!

What to do with all those old flares? Sebastian Inlet (D/8) SPS holds a “Picnic with a Flare.” Fancy invitations request members and their guests to a posh affair on the water…with safety* and appropriate disposal** in mind! Attendees learn*** how to use the many different flare types available. Naturally, good food and beverage**** are in plentiful supply.

*Recreational Boating Safety (ExecDept)
**Environmental (ExecDept)
***Basic Boat Handling (EdDept)
****Recruiting/Retention (AdminDept)

• Your national organization at work …have you checked out the great membership tools available on the national website?

• National Myths & Legends or “that’s the way we’ve always done it.”

At the Spring Tri-District conference in the Town Hall meeting with the C/C, a member asked, “I was told we can’t do on-the-water training, we could really attract a lot more people to our classes if we could do some practical teaching on boats. Can someone look into this?”

This is a typical example of what is still prevalent in our organization. We’ve been able to teach on-the-water for several years now. There have been many changes in USPS and change will be ongoing. Don’t depend on hearsay for your information – get it from the source!

• HSPS Big Buoy Challenge What is attracting all these potential new members to the HSPS boat show booth?

HSPS members have created a life-sized version of the Boating course buoy exercise. It is very effective in attracting a large crowd. The challenge also seems to “trip up” a lot of self-proclaimed experienced boaters which helps demonstrate the need for additional boating education – a great membership recruiting tool!

Download the exercise (pdf format - 153Kb) and customize it for your squadron.
(If you prefer to have this file in Word format contact Jean Hamilton.)

Grand Lake Sail & Power Squadron (D/31) recently received a $2250 grant from the Grand River Dam Authority. The funds will be used to purchase BoatSmart books so GLSPS can teach BoatSmart to the community absolutely free of charge. Many new members come from our boating classes – what a great recruiting tool! Have you investigated your local organizations, agencies and private companies for funding opportunities?

Distribute your PR material & Boating course information outside the traditional Boat Shows…

Sebastian Inlet Sail & Power Squadron (D/8) is an Earth Day sponsor in Indian River County, FL. They have a display at the annual Earth Day festival where they recruit many new members each year.

Not to be stereotyping or exhibiting a politically incorrect attitude, but most of the time… guys buy the boats! Macho guys at the dealership indicate they know all they need to know about boating and that’s that. It is the wife who has the common sense to recognize the risks her family might face on the water! Recognizing this trait, Tar River Sail & Power Squadron (D/27) has focused boating class recruiting efforts on the family. By putting their boating class information in grocery stores, community libraries, and other places where “Mom” hangs out, they have waiting lists for their classes and have increased membership, with whole families joining together.

• “IT’S TIME TO REPLACE WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO WITH WHAT YOU WANT TO DO”

Check out the National Marine Manufacturers Association “Discover Boating” advertising campaign. Like the Tar River strategy, the NMMA is targeting families, and non-boaters. This website has great material you may want to incorporate into some of your classes, including: Getting Started, Why Boating?, Buying a Boat, Owing and Operating, and more. Look at their Top Reasons to go Boating…

“Work. School. Music lessons. Sports practice. Ever feel like your family is being pulled in a million different directions? Bring them back together with recreational boating.

Time spent on a boat is quality time. Whether you're fishing, swimming, tubing or just cruising along taking in the scenery, you're having fun together. You're not waiting in long lines, under the hot sun, bickering about what ride to go on next.

Out on the water there are no distractions. You can focus on each other. You can have conversations. Share stories. Laugh. Reconnect and create memories that will last a lifetime. “

		District 21 Departmental Pages Administrative

	D21 Home Page Bridge Departments Squadrons About D21 Newsletter & Photos Public Classes Calendar Members Only D21 PDCs Star Sqdn Worksheet D21 Mailing List Coop Charting Vessel Safety www.USPS.org	~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Note from VC Maynard on plans for reorganization of USPS... Ladies and Gentlemen: This is much longer than anything I usually write but it is going to take a few extra lines to say all that needs to be covered. During our D/C-D/XO meeting Friday morning in Jacksonville, the Chief presented a plan for reorganizing USPS into a more functional, efficient and responsive organization reviewing with you how our present By-laws had evolved over the past 97 year, why we needed to come to the membership with a “new USPS”, and the problems created because your Operating Committee has to go to the membership twice a year to get permission to accomplish or do many activities that were just routine business decisions, since OCom lacked the authority to make a determination without the GB approval. The Committee on Rules has prepared a “Interim Report” to the membership and new By-laws for our members consideration in line with the reorganization changes ComRules recommend. Because of the time problem which ComRules explain in their “Interim Report”, they are recommending voting to approved the changes in Norfolk and implement the changes at the annual meeting in Dallas, otherwise, we will have a 12 month delay to the next annual meeting. Please distribute the information and discuss these ideas and changes with your Bridge, Squadron Commanders and membership. Your thoughts and comments are very important to me and the ComRules so if you thoughts, please let us know. V/C Creighton Maynard, SN Click here for May 2007 Interim Report to the Governing Board (pdf 31 kb) Click here for USPS Bylaws Draft for Restructuring (pdf 216kb) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *Membership Exam Waiver Information* *(2007 Jacksonville Annual Meeting Vote)* Click for info PDF (16kb) or Word (34kb) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Host a Safe Boating Course at a local Business ! Dallas hosted a Safe Boating Course at Bass Pro Shops, and students received a 10% in-store discount! Great idea for potential Membership Growth and they also did VSCs at the event. Click here to see the great flyer used for advertisment. (pdf 432kb) At Dues Paying Time - Have a Really Fun Event ! Click here to see a flyer that Austin sent out regarding their Annual Surf and Turf. They do this every year as a Member Involvement Event and time it at dues-paying time to remind all members why they are members!! (pdf 144kb) Seeing Green! Walk into the crowd at any San Antonio Sail & Power Squadron event and that's what happens. New members have bright green fluorescent name tags! The may not look nautical - but they sure catch your attention. Members immediately know they haven't met this person they don't recognize. It makes it easy to go up to a "stranger" and say hi, introduce yourself, and start a conversation: "Where are you from?" or "When did you join?" "Married, single, kids?" "Got a boat?" "Want one?" What a cool idea! D/21 Surf & Turf & Rodeo Season? Around Memorial Day – just when most members are receiving their dues notices – Austin Power Squadron hosts their annual Surf & Turf event: serving lobster tails, brisket, corn on the cob, and boiled potatoes, coupled with a predicted log event…, plus this year they held a Boat Rodeo (how Texas cool is that). At the Boat Rodeo, members participate in predicted log, docking, marlinspike, and navigation on land contests. A great Member Involvement event! Might attract some cowboy members! …with apologies to those east of the Sabine! SISPS Picnic with a Flare ! What to do with all those old flares? Sebastian Inlet (D/8) SPS holds a “Picnic with a Flare.” Fancy invitations request members and their guests to a posh affair on the water…with safety* and appropriate disposal in mind! Attendees learn* how to use the many different flare types available. Naturally, good food and beverage**** are in plentiful supply. Recreational Boating Safety (ExecDept) Environmental (ExecDept) Basic Boat Handling (EdDept) Recruiting/Retention (AdminDept) • Your national organization at work …have you checked out the great membership tools available on the national website? ..for recruiting http://www.usps.org/national/membership/recruitment.htm ..for retention http://www.usps.org/national/membership/meminv/index.htm USPS 4 Kids http://www.usps4kids.org/ (great games, coloring books & activities) Youth Activities & Outreach http://www.usps.org/national/membership/youth/index.htm Membership Manuals & Presentations http://www.usps.org/national/membership/manuals_and_presentations.htm (includes recruiting, retention & orientation PowerPoints) • National Myths & Legends** or “that’s the way we’ve always done it.” At the Spring Tri-District conference in the Town Hall meeting with the C/C, a member asked, “I was told we can’t do on-the-water training, we could really attract a lot more people to our classes if we could do some practical teaching on boats. Can someone look into this?” This is a typical example of what is still prevalent in our organization. We’ve been able to teach on-the-water for several years now. There have been many changes in USPS and change will be ongoing. Don’t depend on hearsay for your information – get it from the source! The OT manual is a living document, are you still using the one you got 5 years ago? You can access and download the latest version anytime from the USPS website – including a changes since the last update page: http://www.usps.org/national/om/ The national committee chair for the project or course you have questions about is an excellent resource. Their names, addresses, and emails are on the inside back cover of every edition of The Ensign; usually a link directly to their email is available on the national website. If they didn’t want to hear from you, this information wouldn’t be there – Use It! Surf the national website – there is a wealth of information - many useful tools and ideas. Who’s one of the most direct & truthful sources of info in D/21? Your DAO! • HSPS Big Buoy Challenge What is attracting all these potential new members to the HSPS boat show booth? HSPS members have created a life-sized version of the Boating course buoy exercise. It is very effective in attracting a large crowd. The challenge also seems to “trip up” a lot of self-proclaimed experienced boaters which helps demonstrate the need for additional boating education – a great membership recruiting tool! Download the exercise (pdf format - 153Kb) and customize it for your squadron. (If you prefer to have this file in Word format contact Jean Hamilton.) • Totally Free Boating Course? Grand Lake Sail & Power Squadron (D/31) recently received a $2250 grant from the Grand River Dam Authority. The funds will be used to purchase BoatSmart books so GLSPS can teach BoatSmart to the community absolutely free of charge. Many new members come from our boating classes – what a great recruiting tool! Have you investigated your local organizations, agencies and private companies for funding opportunities? • Think Outside the Boat Show! Distribute your PR material & Boating course information outside the traditional Boat Shows… Sebastian Inlet Sail & Power Squadron (D/8) is an Earth Day sponsor in Indian River County, FL. They have a display at the annual Earth Day festival where they recruit many new members each year. Not to be stereotyping or exhibiting a politically incorrect attitude, but most of the time… guys buy the boats! Macho guys at the dealership indicate they know all they need to know about boating and that’s that. It is the wife who has the common sense to recognize the risks her family might face on the water! Recognizing this trait, Tar River Sail & Power Squadron (D/27) has focused boating class recruiting efforts on the family. By putting their boating class information in grocery stores, community libraries, and other places where “Mom” hangs out, they have waiting lists for their classes and have increased membership, with whole families joining together. • “IT’S TIME TO REPLACE WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO WITH WHAT YOU WANT TO DO” Check out the National Marine Manufacturers Association “Discover Boating” advertising campaign. Like the Tar River strategy, the NMMA is targeting families, and non-boaters. This website has great material you may want to incorporate into some of your classes, including: Getting Started, Why Boating?, Buying a Boat, Owing and Operating, and more. Look at their Top Reasons to go Boating… “Work. School. Music lessons. Sports practice. Ever feel like your family is being pulled in a million different directions? Bring them back together with recreational boating. Time spent on a boat is quality time. Whether you're fishing, swimming, tubing or just cruising along taking in the scenery, you're having fun together. You're not waiting in long lines, under the hot sun, bickering about what ride to go on next. Out on the water there are no distractions. You can focus on each other. You can have conversations. Share stories. Laugh. Reconnect and create memories that will last a lifetime. “ “Life really is better on a boat.” http://www.discoverboating.com/ Could this message help your squadron recruit new members? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~		Commander Executive Educational Administrative Secretary Treasurer

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