REFLECTIONS ON THE PAST 2007 P/C R. Stephen Boshart, P

Year 2007 Overview

MONTHLY COMMANDER'S MESSAGES

February 2007

This will be my last message as Commander. At the change of watch I will join the elite group of Past Commanders and eagerly begin my new assignment as the Assistant Administration Officer working alongside Lorraine Ryan.

This past year was a busy one for the Educational Department having held two Safe Boating courses, an Advanced Piloting and a Junior Navigation class. I might add that nine of our members passed Advanced Piloting two of which tied for the highest score in the District. We also have two new Junior Navigators in our group.

Twenty four of our members received merit marks while our six capable vessel examiners performed forty-one vessel safety examinations with P/C Al Paetzel leading the way once again.

Rocky Mount was recognized by National by receiving the Bowsprit Award for 2006-07 as well as making the Co-operative Charting Honor roll for the 29^th time ranking 18^th nationally.  Our Co-op Charting Chairman P/C Phil Benson scheduled three co-op charting events garnering 2879 credits. This places us second in the District right behind Greensboro.

Our annual Christmas party was held at Something Different in Wilson and the new bridge was elected as well. The event was an arousing success due to the concentrated effort of Lorraine Ryan. Many thanks Lorraine.

The winter council was held in Durham on 4-5 January. The new bridge officers attended training sessions to  prepare for their new positions.

The Annual District Change Of Watch is scheduled for 15 March in Greensboro. A number of our members are planning to attend. The theme for the hospitality room is pirates and Henry Avery is the pirate that has been assigned to Rocky Mount, Tar River, Pamlico and Albemarle Squadrons.  Henry Avery seems to be rather obscure. Anyone with any information on him would be welcome to give me a call.

Our Squadron Change of Watch is to be held once again at Something Different on 16 February at 1900. Reservation forms are enclosed in this issue and if you haven’t made plans to attend please do so. The food is always good and Kendall Cranston, the new Commander will need everyone’s support.

It has been a priviledge and an honor to serve as your Commander. 

January 2007

There is a lot going on these next few months and Boat Safety Inspections give us a chance to introduce the public to the Rocky Mount Power Squadron. They also provide an avenue to promote our Boating Safety courses and give us a chance to try to recruit new members. For 2008 let our goal be to have every member of our Squadron get his or her boat inspected by one of our inspectors.

Our annual Christmas party was held 08 December at “Something Different “and the new Bridge was elected that night as well. The Change of Watch is on 16 February this year and will be held at the same facility with D/C Mack Gordy in attendance to swear in the new officers and retire the old.

The winter Council meeting will take place in Durham on 4 & 5 January. This is a great opportunity for the incoming bridge to attend the conference and get an overview of their new jobs.

Congratulations  to P/C Phil Benson, JN and P/C Clay Helm, JN for passing the Junior Navigation course taught by P/C Jim Dugan.

District Change of Watch will take place in Greensboro, 14-16 March, 2008. The hospitality room theme is “Pirates” and will be hosted by the Rocky Mount, Tar River, Albemarle and Pamlico Power Squadrons.

Now is the time to become a player in this organization and have a say in the changes going on within the Squadron. I’ve found that getting involved  in any activity or becoming a committee member is a great way to get to know other Squadron members and to make a difference in the boating community in our area.  The Administration Department is looking for folks to help lead the membership committee or work on programs for the coming year. As a prospective Past Commander, and in 2008, the Assistant Activities Chairman I’ll be on the lookout for members who would like to play an active role as Vessel Safety Examiners, Cooperative Charting participants, and attend public relations events. Remember, this is your Squadron.

P/C Al Paetzell AP is the new Vessel Safety Check Chairman in Rocky Mount.  If you are interested in becoming a vessel examiner contact Al at 252-823-2469. 

December 2007

Christmas is quickly approaching and so is our annual Christmas Party which will be held at “Something Different” again this year. They do a great job of catering our event and the food is always outstanding. Please try to attend this important gathering, not only do we have a great time, but we also nominate our officers for the upcoming year.

A big THANK YOU goes to P/C George Howell for all of the time and effort he has put into the past commanders pig pickings every year. This year’s pig pickin was held on November 11 at the Sharpsburg Exchange Club with about forty members and guests in attendance.

P/C Jim Dugan was honored with a gift and a plaque for the many years of dedicated service to the Rocky Mount Power Squadron. Jim and Terre are relocating to New Bern at the end of November and while it will be our loss, Fort Macon will be gaining a couple of good ones. Jim has, for the past twenty six years worn many hats and his shoes will be hard to fill. Jim and Terre we will miss you!

P/C Phil Benson has taken over the newsletter and the website duties while P/C Al Paetzel will assume the role of chairperson for the V.S.C.

For anyone interested, Fort Macon Squadron is setting up a cruise to Alaska in June of 2008. The cruise will include sightseeing on both land and sea and will be approximately two weeks long. Details are on Fort Macon’s website.  

P/C Bob Glaser and his wife, Millie are relocating to their new home on the White Oak river  in Stella, NC sometime before Christmas.  Bob’s email address will remain the same.

District 27’s winter council meeting is on January 5^th at the Hilton Inn. Anyone interested in attending can email me at vagabond@simflex.com so we can make reservations for lunch and travel arrangements.

November 2007

October 2007

The hurricane season is well underway. Check with your insurance company to see if they offer “Hurricane Pull Out Coverage.” It will help ease the bill should you have to bring your boat ashore. Boats brought ashore usually fend better if tied down and secured. For more information on this topic on the web boatus.completeinformation.com. USPS® is offering an emergency communications website (for hurricanes and other disasters) at www.usps.org/national/natsec/stormcentrat.html.

The Labor Day Cruise at Holden Beach was a great success. We were joined by Bobby Brown’s sister and brother-in-law Linda Chuck Sawyer for the second year and I’m sure this rendezvous would not be as much fun without them. After a delicious breakfast made by Lynda Brown on Saturday, three boats cruised to Bald Head Island. On Sunday, we cruised down the ICW and visited Barefoot landing in Myrtle Beach for some shopping and of course, eating.  Lynda & Linda stayed behind to rustle up a seafood boil for dinner that was absolutely wonderful. To say those two can cook is an understatement! I think I gained ten pounds. Bobby and Lynda went out of their way to make everyone feel at home as always. Thank You Bobby and Lynda!  See article inside for photos and more details.

Don’t forget about Fort Macon’s annual “Aids To Navigation” cruise on 13 October 2007. See inside for details.

We have a great program lined up for our October meeting (see article at left), as anyone who attended the “The Lost Light: The Mystery of the Missing Cape Hatteras Fresnel Lens” presentation by Kevin Duffus at our April 2006 Family Night will attest. See you there!

September 2007

It’s  almost September and time for our Annual Labor Day weekend cruise to Holden Beach at the home of our gracious hosts Bobby & Lynda Brown. If you have never attended this event you are missing a really good time, so try to make this year your first. Bobby and Lynda’s “low country boil” is too good to miss. Last year, P/C’s Chris Payne and Phil Benson cruised from Holiday Island all the way to Holden Beach aboard Yes Dear, putting to use all of the skills they have learned in the USPS® boating courses.

This year, the plan is to trailer boats to Holden Beach and launch at a local marina. To date, we have three boats planning to make the trip as well as the two boats of Bobby & Lynda. Anyone who would like to come is welcome. You don’t have to bring a boat, as we will have plenty of room for anyone that would like to ride along.

The Gray Gull Motel in Holden Beach is approximately one mile from the launch ramp. It is boater friendly and has an area reserved for trailer parking. Make your reservations today as it books up early.

The National Governing Board meeting will be held on 5-9 September 2007 in Norfolk, VA. This is open to any member interested in attending. P/C Chris Payne, Lt/C Kendall Cranston, and I are planning to make the trip.

The Fort Macon Squadron Aids to Navigation Cruise will be held starting in mid-afternoon on 13 October. More information should soon be posted at www.rtpnet.org/fmsps.

Two new seminar series are now available. They are Sail Trim and Power Boat Handling. The Sail Trim and Rig Tuning seminar shows in clear and simple terms how to use and adjust sails for optimum performance under a wide range of conditions. The Boat Handling under Power seminar comes with a waterproof USPS® Captain’s Quick Guide and shows boaters how to depart and dock under a variety of conditions as well as all about trimming the boat underway. If any member is interested, contact L/C Suzanne Zolas at zolas@hotmail.com.

                The fall Boating Course started 21 August 2007 at Edgecombe Community College.  Classes will meet at 1900 (7:00pm) each Tuesday in Room 256. Please let all your boating friends know about the class! It is not too late to join in; contact Suzanne at zolas@hotmail.com.

August 2007

The District Rendezvous was held 22 & 23 June at the Sheraton Marina in New Bern. On Saturday, the meeting room had standing room only. D/C Mack Gordy broke out a one-string guitar to use as a trophy for the conch-blowing contest. This will be a perpetual trophy and will be given each year to the winning squadron. The New River Squadron cleaned house in the Safe Boating student poster contest. A tremendous effort was made by all. Check out the pictures on the District website under “Rendezvous”.

The July family day was held at Holiday Island and the home of P/C Chris and P/C Cathy Payne. The activities included a cruise on the Albemarle and a visit to a swimming beach that can only be reached by boat. The group then returned to the Payne’s residence for a spaghetti dinner accompanied by Wilma Helm’s special ice cream sandwich cake for dessert.

The family day was extra special for P/C Chris Payne as his brother Joe was able to attend after spending the past year on deployment in Iraq. Happy Birthday Joe!

Joe told many of us about the living conditions for the soldiers in Bagdad. If you know anyone on deployment, you may want to send him or her a care package of toiletries, as they are hard to get in Iraq.

As usual, Lt/C Dave Brock and P/Lt/C Lorraine Ryan did a great job of putting the family day together.

Thanks again to Chris and Cathy for the use of their home on Holiday Island.  

The Summer Squadron Boating Course ^SM will begin at 1900 (7:00pm), Tuesday, 21 August 2007, in Room 256, Edgecombe Community College, Rocky Mount Campus. Please let all your boating friends know about the class!

July 2007

P/C Phil Benson and his crew managed to get a great cooperative charting season off the ground in spite of the spring weather. Phil, Clay and Wilma Helm, Lorraine Ryan, and Greg and Suzanne Zolas (with their NEW boat!) went to Belhaven and were able to get 300 waypoints. Thanks guys.

Summer is here and we are starting to get good boating weather.

Safe Boating week was 19 May thru 25 May.  P/C Al Paetzell and I attended a Safety Fair at Purdue Pharmaceuticals in Wilson on 31 May. The slogan for this year’s fair was “Salute to Safety” so Al demonstrated “Right-Of-Way” or how to correctly pass another boat on the water and avoid collisions.

If your boat is not sporting a 2007 Vessel Safety Check Decal, call one of our six Vessel Examiners for a FREE Vessel Safety Check today! Names and contact information are in the VSC article inside.

The National Governing meeting will be held on 4-8 September in Norfolk, VA. The Ensign has all of the details.

We had a wonderful time in Edenton over Memorial Day weekend. Thank you again Chris and Cathy for your never-ending hospitality! There were four boats in attendance and we did quite a bit of cruising in perfect weather. Saturday we cruised to Plymouth and attempted to visit the Port O’ Plymouth Roanoke River Museum, but it was closed. (This appears to be routine when Chris Payne comes to visit. Rumor has it that when they see him approach the door they hang a closed sign up and run.) Sunday we left Holiday Island and visited Columbia and the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. [The refuge is near Columbia, south of US 64, and west of NC 94. The lakes are Pungo, Phelps, and Alligator. Ed.] While at the refuge, we were visited by a very large and aggressive water moccasin that tried to join us for lunch.

On a more pleasant note, Wilma helm is home from the hospital following surgery and doing great. We wish her well.

June 2007

Featured below is a letter to the USPS® membership from our National Executive Officer, V/C Creighton Maynard, SN:

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, C/C Marshburn presented a plan for reorganizing USPS into a more functional, efficient and responsive organizatio. The Chief also reviewed how our present By-laws evolved over the past 97 years and why we needed to come to the membership with a “new USPS®”. He related the problems created because the 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.  This is because the OCom lacks the authority to make a determination without GB approval. 

The Committee on Rules has prepared an “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 that ComRules explain in their “Interim Report”, they are recommending voting to approve 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.

May 2007

The days have gotten longer but not much warmer and the wind just keeps blowing. I am sure that I am not the only one who would like to be on the water.

North Carolina now has a permanent license plate for not just boat trailers, but trailers of all kinds. The new plates will cost you $75.00 but are well worth the money if you are planing to keep your trailer for more than four years. You must ask for these plates at the motor vehicle office.                                                 

The Coast Guard has issued a recall on fire extinguishers made by “Strike First”. There is more information on this recall under safety in this issue.

The district cruise will be held at the Sheraton Hotel & dockside in New Bern on June 22-24. If nothing else come on down and watch the boat docking and conch blowing contests. These my prove interesting.      

April 2007

The district change of watch has taken place and your new district Commander is Matt Gordy from Greensboro. Rocky Mount had six members attending, Cmdr R.S. Boshart, Bonnie Boshart, P/C’s Chris and Cathy Payne, P/RC Glen Daughtry, Lt Lorraine Ryan.

Lake Norman hosted the change of watch and had a great line up of things to do. Friday afternoons activities consisted of a tour of the Hendricks and Rouse NASCAR  racing team garages as well as a trip to Lowes Motor Speedway. We learned that the paint schemes on the cars are not paint at all but one big decal that can be changed as needed in about four hours time.

Saturday’s activies included a wonderful narrated tour of Lake Norman with lunch served aboard the boat.

The main topic of discussion at district was member retention as well as a mentor program. They feel that a mentor program will assist new members in becoming comfortable with attending functions within  the organization.

Our spring boating class is about half over with seven students in attendance. LtC Suzanne Zolas is awaiting materials for the new J. N. Course. They should be available in mid April so anyone interested please contact her.

The VSC Examiners are ready to go is your boat? Let’s get a jump start this year and try to increase our boat inspections by 25%. Call today for an appointment.

Safe boating week is May 20-26th 2007. Let’s get involved.

For those of you that haven’t heard, Bob Sitton is recovering from open heart surgery. I’m sure he would love to hear from us. Send get well wishes to the following address: 801 Beechtree Drive, Nashville, NC 27856.

March 2007

Spring is right around the corner and boating is not far behind. The vessel examiners are ready to go. Is your boat? While vessel safety checks will not prevent the authorities from stopping you on that pretty spring afternoon  you will have peace of mind that everything is in order.

SEO Suzanne Zolas has put together a list of classes to be offered starting with the spring “Safe Boating Course” beginning on February 20^th at Edgecombe Community College. It is not too late to sign up if you know anyone who might be interested.

P/C Chris Payne and his committee are arranging the boating activities for the squadron this year. If anyone has any suggestions please contact Chris.

Lt/C Dave Bock has planned a family night to be held at the MudCats Stadium on June the 8^th at 6:30p.m. Come join us for a night of fun and food at the ball game and bring a friend. Let Dave know how many tickets you will need.

Cooperative charting for 2006 does not end until March 31^st and is not too late to make the honor roll.

Anyone interested in being on any committees or with any ideas can reach me by phone at (252)205-5197 or email at vagabond@simflex.com. 

Details of all these activities are presented in articles throughout this website and in our monthly newsletter, The Coastal Plains Signal.

Page updated 17 February 2008.

Please send comments to P/C Phillip A. Benson, JN, Webmaster, at:  philbenson.phil@gmail.com

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