[Psml] What's in a name?

[Uspsd3ronf at aol.com]

I have been mulling over the idea of proposing that we change our name to  
"United States Sail and Power Squadrons". I have come to this conclusion for  
several reasons:
1) When someone who doesn't know us hears our name, they either think we  are 
a flying club or somehow work with the electric company.
2) When we use the initials "USPS", we are perceived as the folks that  
deliver the mail.
3) Our neighbors to the north, who have apparently been bucking the trend  of 
falling membership have recently changed their name. According to their  
website, although initially known as the Canadian Power Squadrons, "The  name was 
later changed to Canadian Power & Sail Squadrons to reflect the  broadening 
interests of all boaters".
4) Even those folks who are not boaters will recognize that with "Sail and  
Power" in our name, we must have something to do with boating and not providing 
 electricity.
5) A large number of our members are sailors.
6) Individual squadrons can change their name to "Sail and Power" - my  
squadron is now known as the "Neptune Sail and Power Squadron". While we were  
discussing the name change, one of our members brought up the point: "Why  should 
we change our name if National hasn't?"
 
I know that we were formed to be distinct from sailors after showing that  
power craft were indeed a viable and safe conveyance, and our history is steeped 
 in that tradition. However, most yacht clubs now have a mix of sail and  
power boats, with most larger sailing craft having auxiliary engines. Here on  
the Long Island Sound, most sailboats become power boats in late August due to  
the lack of wind. I think that we can attract a larger cross section of the  
boating public if we were known as a boating group from the get-go i.e.  from 
our name.
What do you think?
 
P/D/C Ron Friedmann, AP
D3
 



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