[Psml] What's in a name? -- Boating School & Club!

[John & Judy Gill]

Rich and list,

There are lots of Captains License Schools who promote their products  
at the boat shows.  I really do not think that USPS would be well  
served to compete with them.  Why, because we go far beyond what they  
offer for those who want a USCG 6-pack license.  Also because holders  
of a USCG License are held to a higher standard and in many cases  
their boat insurance is increased as a result of their "professional  
status".

I am also personally opposed to the USPS UNIVERSITY Seminar Series  
name which denotes that this excellent lecture series is of "college  
or university level learning" and not for the "average middle class  
boater" who joins their local Yacht Club for boating friendships.   
That said, my wife Judy and I have contributed to both  the USPS  
University  "Trailering Your Boat" and "Inland Boating / Navigation"  
seminars to be released in the near future as well as writing and  
producing our "Locking Through" lesson for the USPS Cruise Planning  
Course.

The problem that USPS is having as you will learn from this thread  
which is brought up every couple of years is simply this:

United States Power Squadrons does not know what they are are or what  
they want to be.  Marketing a product which has no clear use or  
benefit is virtually an impossible task.  Before we can begin to come  
up with a "modern name that the public will understand and accept" we  
must first define who we are, who we want to be -- or become; define  
our mission; our vision for the future.  Then and only then, can we  
properly define our target audience and who are potential customers /  
members are.

Presently, USPS does no National advertising or Marketing  
Communications, but instead relies on the "Power of One" which simply  
put means "Word of Mouth Advertising" -- this means that there are  
more than 50,000 different views of what USPS is all about -- no  
wonder the public is confused with that many conflicting messages  
being told - some new and some very old!

If you ask any of your Life Members, many whom have gotten out of  
boating because of advanced age, why they remained in the Squadrons  
and ACTIVE for so long, you will hear from many, like myself, that  
the primary reason is simply FRIENDSHIPS.  A great many of my best  
friends are Power Squadron members who I believe would think less of  
me if I didn't renew my membership and remain active.

Bottom Line -- if you want to increase membership, the name of the  
organization is not nearly as important as are the Friendships  
Developed between members - work on that!

D/Lt John R. Gill, AP
Pennsway Power Squadron, D/5
a Life Member and
Ch/Mem/Com, Ch/VSC, Ch/ABC, Ch/CP

Members of the Orillia Power Squadron, CPS-ECP
America's Great Loop Cruisers Association - LOOPERS

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


On Apr 19, 2008, at 4:28 PM, RichTerry at aol.com wrote:

> The name United States Boating School & Club states exactly who and  
> what we are from the day the idea for this organization was  
> conceived. Other contributors in this current discussion have  
> suggested the used of the word "school". We should seriously  
> consider this name.
>
> P/C Richard J. Terry, JN
> Great Blue Hill Sail & Power
> D/12
>
>
> In a message dated 4/19/2008 12:56:26 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
> bbair at msn.com writes:
> Our current 94-year-old name really becomes silly when one checks  
> the (American Heritage Dictionary) definition of the word "Squadron":
>
> squad·ron (skwod?r?n) noun
>
> 1. A naval unit consisting of two or more divisions of a fleet.
> 2. An armored cavalry unit subordinate to a regiment and consisting  
> of two or more troops.
> 3. A basic tactical air force unit, subordinate to a group and  
> consisting of two or more flights.
> 4. An organized multitude: “Squadrons of flies like particles of  
> dust danced up and do
>
> P/R/C Robert D. Bair, AP
> P.S. Why does the tag, "America's Boating Club" no longer appear on  
> the cover of The Ensign?
>
>
>
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