Squadron Public Contact Update

Since our last broadcast, 13 of our districts have reduced the number of squadrons without a Public Contact. The result is an improvement from 37% to 32% nationwide. We still have a ways to go but we are making progress.

		19-Oct-09		14-Nov-09
District	Squadrons	w/o Contact		w/o Contact
1	12	7	58%	7	58%
2	19	5	26%	4	21%
3	18	6	33%	0	0%
4	16	6	38%	0	0%
5	36	18	50%	15	42%
6	17	10	59%	9	53%
7	13	8	62%	6	46%
8	15	3	20%	2	13%
9	22	9	41%	9	41%
10	11	2	18%	3	27%
11	6	2	33%	2	33%
12	8	4	50%	5	63%
13	13	4	31%	4	31%
14	8	2	25%	2	25%
15	11	6	55%	6	55%
16	16	5	31%	4	25%
17	13	3	23%	3	23%
18	4	1	25%	1	25%
19	10	5	50%	4	40%
20	18	7	39%	7	39%
21	14	5	36%	4	29%
22	18	5	28%	3	17%
23	11	4	36%	3	27%
24	9	4	44%	4	44%
25	9	2	22%	1	11%
26	13	4	31%	4	31%
27	20	5	25%	5	25%
28	6	0	0%	0	0%
29	8	1	13%	1	13%
30	8	2	25%	3	38%
31	5	1	20%	1	20%
32	6	5	83%	5	83%
33	7	5	71%	6	86%
Total	420	156	37%	133	32%

 

Visit http://www.usps.org/php/DHinders/membership/contactInfo.php to see if your squadron has a contact.

 

Dave Hinders

National Secretary

What's Best For You?

SailAngle.com will begin hosting a series of Webinars (online seminars) to help educate USPS Members on the functionality of the website and Groups.We need to know what day and time of the week will be most convenient for you. Please fill out the short survey at http://www.sailangle.com/index/survey?usps and let us know what works best for you.

Redistricting!

“There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction.” –Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill.

 

Fact: some USPS districts are in trouble. Issues: 1. Are a lot of districts in trouble or just a few? 2. Does size matter? 3. What role does geography play? 4. Is state alignment important? 5. Does one size fit all? 6. What should the purpose of mid-level governance be? 7. What are the national budget costs related to districts? 8. How do we preserve traditions? (Should we?)

 

Fact: Changes will be made–YOU will make sure it is in the right direction. How? District and squadron commanders are strongly encouraged, urged, begged, and implored to provide input via the questionnaire and material provided in the Member Redistricting Feedback Group File Cabinet on SailAngle.com. Other interested members are also invited to participate.

 

The questionnaire is not a quick and easy check-the-box format, because the redistricting process needs to be an intelligent, well-thought-out effort. District and squadron commanders need to let us know what their members want, keeping in mind the objectives of our organization and what is best for all. How can we be more efficient and have more fun?

 

Maps showing current squadron locations and sizes (with and without district lines), a graph with squadron and district membership statistics, the presentation made to District Commanders in Kansas City and other useful documents can be downloaded from the file cabinet. From your SailAngle home page, go to "USPS Groups." Click "Member Created Groups" at the bottom left of the page. Next, click the "ad hoc Redistricting" group and click "Join This Group!" — R/C Jean L. Hamilton, SN

Squadron Public Contacts

Each squadron should have a “Public Contact”. Someone to answer enquiries from the boating public about membership, course, and squadron activities. If that position is not filled, someone looking for that squadron will have no way to contact them. In the near future, if a squadron does not have someone in that position the Administrative Officer will be displayed. If the Admin Officer does not have email, the Commander will be displayed. If the Commander does not have email, that squadron will be “out of touch”. Visit http://www.usps.org/php/DHinders/membership/contactInfo.php to see if your squadron has a contact. Here’s a District Summary:

District	Squadrons	w/o Contact	% w/o Contact
1	12	7	58%
2	19	5	26%
3	18	6	33%
4	16	6	38%
5	36	18	50%
6	17	10	59%
7	13	8	62%
8	15	3	20%
9	22	9	41%
10	11	2	18%
11	6	2	33%
12	8	4	50%
13	13	4	31%
14	8	2	25%
15	11	6	55%
16	16	5	31%
17	13	3	23%
18	4	1	25%
19	10	5	50%
20	18	7	39%
21	14	5	36%
22	18	5	28%
23	11	4	36%
24	9	4	44%
25	9	2	22%
26	13	4	31%
27	20	5	25%
28	6	0	0%
29	8	1	13%
30	8	2	25%
31	5	1	20%
32	6	5	83%
33	7	5	71%
Total	420	156	37%

37% of our squadrons do not provide a way for interested parties to contact them.

Dave Hinders

National Secretary

Cyber Squadron Update

The response to our program to sign up members via the internet has been very positive. In our first 33 days of operation, we have added 48 new members.

We have 16 individual members and 10 family units with a total of 22 additional family members.

These members have come from 12 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Each new Cyber Squadron member presents an opportunity for a number of squadrons to add a member to their roster. If your squadron is one of those, be sure to

Seize the Opportunity

¡ Be sure that your squadron has one of the following:

§ Public Contact

§ Membership Chair

§ Commander

¡ With a valid email address

¡ Be sure that that they know to make contact and to “sell” what your squadron has to offer

§ Send the new member a copy of your newsletter

§ Invite them to a meeting

§ Find out why they joined

§ Be creative

Internet/Public Event Membership

We are now offering USPS membership on the internet.  Visitors to our web site click on the “Join Us” button and can join by completing an application and paying with their credit card.  These new members will have unattached status and will be placed into the Cyber Squadron (6404).  This same process can be used for public events such as boat shows.

 

Internet Membership Charges	Individual	Family
Initiation Fee	$ 25.00	$  25.00
National Dues	$ 37.20	$  55.80
District Assessment	$   5.00	$    7.50
Squadron Assessment	$ 27.80	$  41.70
Total	$ 95.00	$130.00

 

The district and squadron assessments will be credited to the district and squadron when the new member transfers from the Cyber Squadron to a real squadron.  To aid in this process, the new member will be advised of the four closest squadrons and these squadrons will be asked to make contact and tell the new member about their squadron.  The message will look like the following:

 

Public Contact Paul Carter,

 

Bob Boater is a new unattached member and will be looking for a squadron to join. Podunk Squadron is 8 miles from the new members zip code. Contact information for the new member is:

 

Name: Bob Boater

Email: BBoat@aol.com

Phone: (234)567-8901

Contact Time: ASAP

Location: Anytown, FL 32958

 

Please make contact and answer any questions about your squadron. Let us know that you have made contact by clicking on the following:

http://www.usps.org/php/DHinders/membership/cl.php?ID=NEWMEM4a9ece3ab9994

 

Thanks,

 

Dave Hinders

National Secretary

 

If your squadron receives such a message, please be sure to introduce your squadron to the new member.