[Psml] What's in a name?

[John & Judy Gill]

Mark and list,

Actually the preface USS stands for "United States Ship" which means  
that it is a government vessel or can be used by the government in a  
time of need.  This is just as the preface "HMS" stands for Her/His  
Magisty's Ship which means that it can be used by the Queen or King  
at any time deemed necessary for government defense or other military  
need.

Also, do we really want to be known as a BIG YACHT (Ship) club? or an  
organization for all boaters, from paddle boats, sail boats,  
runabouts, fishing / hunting boats up to and including long range  
cruisers, etc.

I also have a big problem with the name for our new two hour public  
boating seminars called "USPS University Seminars" which gives the  
public the impression that they are a lecture series geared to the  
College, University or Elite Prep School level learning.  I have  
actually had people say "do you think that my middle school or high  
school age son / daughter would be able understand the material  
presented?"  It is obvious to one trained in Advertising and  
Marketing Communications that no research has been done to determine  
public impression or reaction to any of the names used (the Chevrolet  
NOVA meant No Go in many Pacific Rim countries - the thumb and  
forefinger touching in what we consider the OK symbol means means the  
same to Latin Americans as the raised middle finger does in the  
United States).

BTW, I learned at the D/5 Spring Conference that the new name for the  
revised Squadron BOATING COURSE will be the "America's Boating  
Course".  Students will buy the whole course and Squadrons can teach  
both sections (the First being the present ABC course or old Boat  
Smart course) and the Second being the remainder of the old BOATING  
COURSE.  It was also announced that the USCGAux has opted out of  
supporting the ABC self, home-study and/or classroom ABC courses.

Bottom Line.  What is perceived by the Customer is REAL in his/her mind.

D/Lt John R. Gill, AP
Pennsway Power Squadron, D/5
Orillia Power Squadron, CPS-ECP
An AGLCA Looper

===========================================

On Apr 18, 2008, at 1:28 PM, MARK RICHEY wrote:

> I had actaully liked the "Americas Boating Club" we tried
> awhile back and still use on some of the PR stuff. It was
> more friendly and upbeat. However, in keeping with our
> charter, maybe it should be "Americas Boating School"
> which actually closer represents who we are.
>
> If we must stick with the "Squadron" name, I would suggest
> we put Sail first only because it seems to flow better and
> it would move the intials to look like USS which is
> indicative of a ship.
>
> DC Mark Richey, JN
> District 16
>
>
> On Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:20:55 EDT
>   RichTerry at aol.com wrote:
>> Yes, we should consider a name change. since so few
>> people know who we are,
>> a name change will not have a significant impact on us
>> as a group. As you
>> stated  many squadrons have changed their names to
>> include Sail & Power. The
>> sooner  we make the change the better. We might even
>> consider changing the squadron
>> part  also since most people associate the word squadron
>> with planes during
>> World War  II.
>>
>> P/C Richard J. Terry, JN
>> Great Blue Hill Sail & Power D12
>>
>>
>> In a message dated 4/18/2008 12:39:00 P.M. Eastern
>> Daylight Time,
>> Uspsd3ronf at aol.com writes:
>>
>> 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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