David F. Bock was elected as the thirty-eighth Squadron Commander.  Our SEO Clay Helm did a great job at coordinating our squadron’s education activities which included two public boating classes, one in the spring and one in the fall and a Marine Electronics course.  In addition 3 instructors were re-certified and 2 new instructors were certified to support our education programs.  Three of our members received the Certification of Education Awards; recipients included Kendal Cranston, Nelson Gainey, and Scott Turner. RMPS was on the USPS Educational Honour Roll.  We had 2 new members join from our spring boating class.  Our social activities included 8 Family Nights and 12 Bridge meetings which were arranged by Chris Payne, Steve Boshart, and Lorraine Ryan.  Family nights included special guest from NASA, and NOAA, as well as presentations from our members which include presentations on their personal cruise stories as well as Power Squadron Seminars.  In addition to Family Nights the Past Commanders of the Squadron put on a great Past Commander’s Pig Pickin in October for the RMPS members.  The Annual Meeting / Christmas party was held at The Legacy in Elm City were our 2010 Bridge was voted.  Our membership participated in various district events including the District’s Winter Training in Raleigh, District 27 COW in Raleigh, Combined D27 / D5 Summer Rendezvous, and the Fall Conference in New Bern.  RMPS had 5 Vessel Examiners this year who conducted 36 Vessel Safety Checks.  Phil Benson led our squadron to a successful year in co-operative charting with our Squadron Ranking 4th in the Nation.  The Rocky Mount Power Squadron was the recipient of W. T Casey Award from District, which is for the most improved Squadron as it relates to Squadron Member participation in Co-Op Charting as well as the number of points the squadron earned.  We had 11 members on the National Co-Op Charting Honor Roll.  Our web site managed by Phil Benson earned the USPS Web Site Award for 2009.

Back to Reflections on the Past

With fall well underway our weather has started to make some changes, a few weeks ago many of us were impacted by the tail end of Hurricane Ida, which turned into a Nor'easter as it hit North Carolina.  We saw a lot of rain and a lot of wind, we could have used the rain in the summer months to help our lawns and raise water levels in our local waterways but it’s hard to predict mother nature.  For those of you that came out to our Weather Seminar we held in November as our family night you will be looking to the sky and watching the news casts more often.
 
With Holiday Season around the corner we have scheduled our annual Christmas Party for 05 December at the Legacy.  It will be a great way to start the holiday season with your boating friends as we enjoy fine dining and great company.  As winter approaches I hope you all have taken the time to properly prepare your boat for storage if you don’t use it year long.  There are some simple things you can do yourself such as flushing the motor with antifreeze, fogging the engine, ensuring the interior of your boat is well ventalated to prevent mold, and applying a fresh coat of wax to protect the exterior.  If you aren’t inclined to do these things yourself, local Marine Shops are more than willing to look after all your winterizing needs.  A few dollars towards properly winterizing can prevent costly repairs and lost time on the water when spring arrives.
 
In January the District will have their Winter Training on 16 January 2010, I encourage new members and bridge members to attend this function, as it will provide an opporutunity for you to learn more about USPS and the roles within the organization.  This year’s training will be held on one day with a late start and early finish to support people that will only drive in for the day.
 
As this will be the last newsletter prior to Christmas, I would like to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!   Please have a safe holiday season.

The weather is getting cooler, the leaves are changing, fall is finally here which also means the Commander's Pig Pickin has come and gone.  Our past commanders put on a wonderful meal on 18 Oct. 2009 at the Sharpesburg Exchange club, which included fresh BBQ Pork and Chicken.  Everyone had a great time socializing and enjoying the fine food cooked by our past commanders.   As part of the activities, I presented a number of Co-Op Honor roles to individuals that participated in Co-Op Charting during 2009; as well, we had three recipients of the Certificate of Education Proficiency who were Kendal Cranston, Nelson Gainey, and Scott Turner.  To earn this award a member must completed Advanced Piloting and three elective courses.   In addition to these individual awards, I was pleased to announce Rocky Mount Power Squadron took home the largest trophy at the Fall District Conference, the Wm. T. Casey Award, which is for the most improved Squadron as it relates to Squadron Member participation in Co-Op Charting as well as the number of points the squadron in total earned.  Rocky Mount Power Squadron was ranked fourth in the Nation, which is a great achievement for a small squadron.  Congratulations to all members who participated in 2008-2009, you just set the bar higher for 2009-2010.

Our next family night is scheduled for Nov. 2/09 at the Rib Hut in Wilson where Robert Bruner will be conducting the weather seminar.   Please the evening of Dec. 5/09 for our annual Christmas Party, which will be held at the Legacy Restaurant this year.
 For many of us just because the weather has cooled down it has not stopped our on the water fun, but with cooler weather comes colder water.  Boating in cold weather can be as much fun as boating in summer months , however personal safety becomes a much more critical factor during colder seasons  as the risk of exposure and hypothermia are greatly increased. Falling overboard into cold water is life threatening, and the onset of hypothermia  can be very rapid. Survival times vary by person and by the amount of time spent in certain water temperatures. Below is rough guideline to expected survival times by temperature of water:
-        70–80° F (21–27° C): 3 hours – indefinitely
-        60–70° F (16–21° C): 2–40 hours
-        50–60° F (10–16° C): 1–6 hours
-        40–50° F (4–10° C): 1–3 hours
-        32.5–40° F (0–4° C): 30–90 minutes
-        <32° F (<0° C): Under 15–45 minutes

 Hopefully we never see water temperatures below 32° in North Carolina waterways!  If you do plan on being out on the water during the fall or winter months please ensure you always file a float plan with neighbors or friends, check the weather in advance, wear gear appropriate to the conditions you will face, and ALWAYS wear your life jacket.  As indicated above, a short time in the water during the cooler months could be life threatening.
Hope everyone is enjoying the fall colors as they enjoy a cruise down your favorite waterway.
 

Fall is in the air…. It is the time of year when for many of us that our days on the water become shorter and less frequent.  It also means the start of our fall public boating class.  As many of you are aware, our fall boating class started on 15 September 2009 and we currently have four students taking that course.  Unfortunately, the news of the new bill 43 has not been promoted very much since it was passed this past summer.  I hope that it will hit the news and be promoted so that our younger boaters are not surprised when they are out on the water next spring when the bill takes affect.  Just as a reminder, anyone under the age of 26 that wishes to operate a boat with over 10 hp will be required to have successfully taken a safe boating course.  If you know of any family or friends that are in the age category, please direct them to our website to get more information on the bill, and to stay tuned for our next boating public boating class.

 Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending a district meeting held in New Bern, NC.  A few of our squadron members were in attendance, and our own Phil Benson hosted a break out session on Co-Operative Charting.  I was very pleased that Rocky Mount Power Squadron had a number of people that made the national honor roll for Co-Op charting, and our squadron also one a very special award in relation to Co-Op charting.  More
details to come at our annual Past Commander’s Pig Pickin.

 Just as a reminder to all, our Past Commander’s Pig Pickin will be held on 18 October 2009 at the Sharpsburg Exchange Club. Please come and enjoy the feast our past commander’s will prepare for you.  In addition to the Pig Pickin, we are planning our next family night to be in the beginning of November at which Robert Brunner will present the USPS Weather Seminar. Stay tuned for more details!
 I hope to see everyone at the Pig Pickin!  Enjoy the cooler fall days on the water…

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer activities out on the water this summer.  As many of you know, NC Legislature passed a bill that introduced mandatory boating education.  Bill 43 makes it illegal for anyone under 26 as of May 2010 to operate a boat over 10 hp without a certified boating class.  USPS’s safe boating class meets all requirements for the certified boating class where as many of the online boating safety classes do not, since there must be proctored exam.   As many of us have been boating for years now and are likely not affected, but we likely know friends and family that could be impacted by this new bill. Even if you are not impacted due to the age restriction, you may be in the future as this is likely the first step in introducing mandatory boating education in NC.  If you know people that currently are in this age category please tell them about this new bill, and that RMPS will be offering the America’s Boating Course starting at 1900 on 15 September at Edgecombe Community College.  There has not been a lot of media attention on this bill so I imagine in the spring many boaters in this age category will get a surprise when they are out enjoying a day on the water and are pulled over by the Coast Guard or a NC Wildlife officer.
 
In addition to offering the America’s Boating Course, RMPS will also be delivering the Piloting course as this fall starting on 16 September.  Please contact Clay or Wilma Helm if you are interested in taking either course.
 
The participants of the Marine Electronics course have received the results on their exams and are looking forward to the next class in order to fulfill the requirements for their Inland Boat Operators Certification.   Thank you Chris Payne for the time you took to teach the class!!
 
The District’s fall conference is scheduled for 18-20 September in New Bern, NC.  All members are welcome and if you have never been to a district meeting now is the time to go and learn more about the inter-workings of the power squadron.  The agenda for this conference is enclosed in this newsletter.
 
If you have some ideas on a Co-Op charting outing, please let Phil know.  He is always looking for opportunities to organize a co-op charting event.
 
I hope all of you enjoy your final summer days on the water, as fall will soon be here.  

I hope everyone is enjoying his or her summer so far.  The cooler weather the last few weeks has been a nice break from the heat we normally experience this time of year making it more comfortable to be lounging out on your favorite river or lake.  If you are like me, you have likely been out on the water and enjoying reasonable gas prices this year.  Last year was not much of a boating year for my family as our 27’ cabin cruiser could go through gas faster than you could pump it in.   Luckily, we have a smaller boat this summer, which is much more, fuel efficient so we are enjoying spending time riding up and down the Pamlico River.  For those of you not aware, the State or North Carolina has a rebate program for the gas you use in your boat, or other non-highway use.  The link to obtain information about this rebate and the required form can be obtained at:
 http://www.dor.state.nc.us/downloads/motor.html

 Look for the non-highway use form, remember save your receipts!

 The Marine Electronics course is ending and students are preparing for their exam the last week in July.  We are looking at starting a public boating course and running the Piloting course in September.  If you would like to take the public boating course, or expand your skills with the Piloting course please let Clay or Wilma Helm know.  The Piloting course is a member’s only course; however, the boating course will be open to the public so encourage your friends and family to take it.

 If you have some ideas on a Co-Op charting outing, please let Phil know.  I was not able to attend the last co-op charting, however Phil advised me of other ways I was not aware of to earn points, which I have already started in my local boating area. 
 Enjoy your summer on the water, and remember be safe!

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer out on the water.  Back on land the Rocky Mount Power Squadron has a number of activities planned for the summer.

 At our recent family night The Nelson's shared with us pictures of their winter trip down to the Keys and back aboard their sailboat.  They shared some great pictures and some of their experiences they had during their journey.  They also shared with us what they had learned from boating such a great distance.  For our August Family event we are planning on providing one of the Power Squadron seminars which covers information related to preparing your boat for a hurricane.  This event will be open to the public and can go towards your Boat Operators Certificate.

 The Education department launched the Marine Electronics course at the beginning of June with a great turn out.  They are also planning fall course activities which will include a public boating course.  For those of you which would like to become involved in teaching one of our courses and don't have Instructor Development, please let me know since I would like to re-certify and certify a few more people to help support our education delivery.

 We are also planning a cooperative charting event in July; please contact Phil if you are interested in participating (with or without boat).
I hope everyone enjoys a safe fun summer.

I hope everyone enjoyed a safe Memorial Day weekend out on the water while promoting safe boating by proudly wearing a life jacket (PFD) in support of safe boating week (May 12 – 22).

We had another great family night this month as Jeff Orrock from NOAA provided an overview on the weather information available through NOAA.  He demonstrated how to navigate through the NOAA web site and explain some useful tools we could all use prior to heading out on the water.  We also initiated two new Power Squadron members, Jarvis and Samantha Edmunson who learned about the RMPS through taking the spring safe boating course.  Welcome to the Edmundson’s!!

Summer is finally here and most of your have already have spent many hours out on our waterways, but have you been following the rules of the water that you have learned through past courses?  Clay Helm is introducing the Boaters Operator’s Certification program, which is a series of courses, and seminar’s that will enable our members to earn this new certification.  Our first course, Marine Electronics will be offered starting 02 June, so if you would like to sign up, please let Clay or Wilma so they can order enough books.  One of our Past Commander’s (Chris Payne) will be the instructor for the first course.

Hope to see everyone at our next family night on 01 June 2009!

Enjoy your time out on the water and remember to boat safely!

Spring has finally made it to North Carolina!  It is time to dust off the boat or PWC and head out to the waters to enjoy some fun filled times.  I hope you all have contacted one of our Vessel Safety Check officers to arrange a FREE boat inspection before you head out on the on the water.
 National Safe Boating week is May 16-22, in support of making boating safer in NC I encourage all of your to refer you friends to our friendly VSC Officers.  Their contact information is available on our website and in our monthly newsletter.  Please check the website later in the month to see the RMPS activities planned to support National Safe Boating week.  To get more information on National Safe Boating week you can visit their website at http://www.safeboatingcampaign.com/

 For those of you that did not make it out to our family night in April at the Rib Hut in Wilson you missed a great presentation from Ed Summers who worked at NASA.  He provided a great insight on what it takes to have a successful space program and had a number of great pictures to share with us.
 
I hope to see everyone out at our family night in May as we have another exciting speaker who is representing NOAA. 

Enjoy your time out on the water and remember to boat safely!

Spring is almost here! Well, at least I hope it’s almost here so that we can all get out on the water and enjoy our North Carolina waterways! 

We are having a great success with our spring public boating class which is currently underway with 11 students attending.  As our squadron members walk them through the course content and address their questions, they will gain the required knowledge to take the final exam on 07 April. I encourage all of your to come out one night to see our education program in action!

During the month of March, we had a warm weekend with weather in the 80’s.  I decided to take advantage of the unusually high temperatures and take my first ride of the season on my PWC.  The weather was beautiful and in the low 80’s as I prepared to head out to the Tar River Reservoir. I did a quick check to make sure I had all my safety equipment and started up the engine to ensure everything was operating fine.  On boarding my PWC and heading away from the dock, I was surprised to see my water temperature gauge only showed the water being 51° F, I was glad I wore my wetsuit just in case I happened to fall in.  As I made my way around the reservoir there were many people out enjoying an afternoon cruising and fishing, which many were not wearing the proper safety equipment especially with the water being so cold.  Just a reminder to all those spring boaters, even though the air temperature can be warm, it takes time for the water to warm up.  Ensure you always wear a PFD in case you do end up in the water as it takes very little time for hypothermia to kick in.

As many of you prepare for your first voyage of the season it, is important to thoroughly check you boat before you head out to the water.  I would suggest you do the following:

• Ensure your boat will start before you head to the water.  Since your boat may have been stored over the winter the battery may not have a full charge or may need to be replaced.
• Perform the proper maintenance to your boat (i.e. change / check fluids, change fuel filter, wash, wax, etc).
• Ensure you boat will run properly.  It is a good idea to start your boat and let it run for a bit to ensure everything is in proper working order before putting it in the water.  Inspect the engine for any small leaks, for strange noises as well make sure your electrical systems work properly (i.e. lights, horn, VHF radio, etc.).
• Ensure you have the proper safety equipment.  The flares you had on the boat last season may have expired. Check to make sure life jackets are in good shape, and all safety equipment is in good working order.
• Check your trailer to ensure the tires are properly inflated and all lights and other safety equipment are operating correctly.  If your trailer fails you may not make it to the water!

I would also suggest you contact one of our vessel safety examiners.  Even though you may have taken boating education, you may inadvertently miss something you require.  A vessel safety check is just a phone call away and one of our examiners will come out and ensure your boat complies with state regulations before you head out on the water.  This service is free of charge to both squadron members and the public, so even if you don’t own a boat you can refer your friends and family to one of our examiners.

Hope your first boat ride of the seasons is fun filled and safe!

It is my honor to serve the Rocky Mount Power Squadron as the 38th Commander for 2009.  

My wife Kelly and I joined the squadron after taking our first boating course back in 2004.  I had previous experience in boating since my parents were active boaters so I grew up boating on various waterways in Canada including Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and the Ottawa River.  Kelly on the other hand had limited boating experience and was reluctant to purchase our first boat, which was a 27' Cabin Cruiser.  Luckily, the RMPS was offering a safe boating class so we both took the course together and quickly learned about all the things we were doing wrong.  In taking the course, we were introduced to a great group of people and decided to join the squadron for the fellowship and to gain insight to the waterways of North Carolina. 

Since joining, we have taken many of the Power Squadron's courses and have enjoyed the fellowship the squadron offers. I think the RMPS has a lot to offer to the boating community and I hope increase our profile within Rocky Mount and the surrounding area in the coming year.
In 2009, our squadron will need to focus on both increasing membership and retaining current members as we enter a year with a challenged economy ahead of us. Boating in general has decreased over the past couple years due the increased cost of fuel.  In 2008, we all experienced record high gas prices as they reached $4.50 in some areas.   Although gas prices are surprisingly low, right now with the country in a recession, I hope we can show the public what a great recreational activity boating is and get a few more people out on the water with us.  Being out on the water gives us time with our family and lets us escape the day-to-day stress in our hectic lives.  In order to increase our membership and retain our current members the bridge will need support from all our members.  I encourage you to bring your friends and family to our family nights and to our special events such as co-operative charting and squadron cruises.

I look forward to serving you as commander this year, which will be exciting and challenging.  We have a great bridge assembled to ensure our success and I look forward to creating new memories with all of your on the water in 2009.