“Lighting the Way” This is my theme for this Squadron Year. For many centuries, before the Advent of GPS, Loran, or any of the other High Tech methods that we have grown used to, Mariners all over the world looked to the horizon for the beacon on the shore to guide them to their destinations.

Our “Destination”, if you will, is Safe Boating. We may soon see a pick up in the economy, and if we do, recreational boating will follow. We have all been out on the various waterways in this state and elsewhere and witnessed the effects of new boaters crowding onto the water without even the basic skill set to get out of each other’s way. USPS has the most comprehensive boating safety education program in the country, and Everett Squadron has, in my admittedly biased opinion, some of the best instructors to bring that program to the public. So we are in the best position to reach out to those new boaters. So I want us to be that BEACON, to light the way to safe, fun, and interesting recreational boating.