Cooperative Charting credits for mileage eliminated

Effective for the remaining 2011-2012 Cooperative Charting year, the national Cooperative Charting Committee, in conjunction with NOAA, has removed all program credits obtained for mileage.

The committee found that a disproportionately large number of program credits were being issued for mileage compared with those issued for information in the report. The committee believes that mileage credits should not exceed credits earned for reported information.

This change affects all reports except those already processed by NOAA as of 1 May 2011.

The committee believes this decision will allow all reports to be evaluated on the quality of the information they contain.

To maintain the credit level necessary to achieve Honor Roll recognition, the base report credits have been increased by an amount that should counterbalance the average number of credits lost by eliminating mileage.

Area representatives will closely monitor the amount of time spent on reports. In general, the amount of time per report will be limited to a maximum of 14 hours, allowing for a maximum of 8 hours’ field time and 6 hours’ processing time. For now, exceptions would be granted only if a district chairman, national committee member or NOAA requests additional field data to verify a questionable area of a depth survey. However, this additional time should not exceed the original time spent.

To encourage their participation and compensate for the removal of mileage credits, inland squadrons can receive additional credits for reports found to meet specified criteria.

The committee did not come to this decision lightly. After discussing and reviewing different ideas, we determined that this was the best, most practical method to make the adjustments.

The Cooperative Charting Program’s main goal is to provide NOAA with quality data to keep our nautical charts updated while recognizing everyone for their participation. The committee continues to look for ways to refine the credit system to achieve this goal. –Jim Strothers

BOC small craft boat size

The USPS Boat Operator Certification program starts out with single-engine, small (under 26 feet) boats with the boat size getting larger as you progress through the program.

The program was specifically designed to start out with single-engine small boats regardless of the boat typically used by the operator because:
1. Most skills and knowledge that are used in a small boat will transfer to a larger craft.
2. A smaller boat alows one person to do the maneuvers.
3. Smaller boats allow the operators to feel the maneuvers and to see the results immediately.
4. Single engines take more skill to maneuver in tight quarters; the use of twin engines and bow thrusters relies too much on the boat and not on the abilities of the operator to do the maneuvers
5. Small craft generally have less gear and equipment on board to worry about during high-speed maneuvers, allowing the operator and instructor to concentrate on the training and spend less time worrying about the operation of the larger boat.
6. The certification is to demonstrate you understand the forces acting on a boat and the resultant responses. This will stay with you as you change the type of boat you use.

 

Chris Windeler

Fly Your Ensign Proudly

As we all know, “USPS” does not stand for the “United States Postal Service.” It is the abbreviation for the “United States Power Squadrons”, a proud organization that will shortly celebrate its 100^th anniversary. Like Coca Cola, UPS, and most other entities, we have our own logo, the USPS Ensign. 

          For our Centennial Anniversary in 2014, a special Ensign is being designed. As we prepare for that event, we want to increase our display of pride and to advertise it to our fellow boaters. Too many have no idea what we are about.

          In my last two years of cruising in our sailboat around the New Jersey, New York and New England waters (the home base of four districts with more than 5,000 members), I SPOTTED ONLY 3 ENSIGNS.  ARE THE REST OF YOU HIDING?

1)   ARE YOU PROUD TO FLY THE ENSIGN?

2)   ARE YOU TRYING TO GROW OUR MEMBERSHIP?

3)   DO YOU NEED NEW MEMBERS TO HELP IN CARRYING OUT OUR IMPORTANT MISSION?

4)   DO YOU SUPPORT THE USPS, ITS AIMS AND OBJECTIVES?

 

Hopefully these all apply, and it is just a matter of an oversight that has to be addressed.

          To encourage the display of the ensign on our member boats, District 4 ran a “Spot the Ensign” competition and raffle. When spotting a boat flying the Ensign, a member would hail that boat and gather details concerning the vessel’s name, its captain and the sighting location. This data was reported to the District and entered in a raffle, with a winner drawn and a $100 prize awarded at the annual conference. The reporting boat, if flying also flying the Ensign, was also entered. An additional $25 was added if the entrant was actually present at the conference.

          The above program could be run on a district or multi-district level. The USPS Marketing Committee will hold a similar program at the national level and welcomes your comments or questions. Contact me, P/D/C David J. Meshulam, AP.

          Flying the ensign should be a privilege and thus sought after by new members looking for the recognition of being part of our elite organization.

 

P/D/C David J. Meshulam, AP

Liaison to Boating Clubs

Marketing and Public Relations Committee

 

ABC3 Classroom Trial Membership A Smashing Success, Has Cutoff Dates

Word is coming in that squadrons are seeing great success recruiting new members using the ABC3 Trial Membership Program. Under the program squadrons may choose to offer students that successfully complete the ABC3 Classroom course membership in their squadron free for six months. The offer is good for the students’ household members as well. Squadrons are regularly reporting over 90% of students joining.

There are a couple of rules:

The squadron must register the class and the students using the online HQ800 program and/or BCA 7.

The new member must complete a MemCom1 and the squadron must submit the membership data electronically.

There is a time limit:

For classes ending before 1 May, the students must accept membership and the online information must be entered prior to 30 May. For classes ending 1 May or later, the cutoff date is 30 days after the class end.

Check out the Membership Committee web site, www.usps.org/national/membership , for more information.

Don’t stop recruiting after signing up the new member. Get them to a meeting, to a rendezvous, and into a class. ABC3 Classroom Trial – the hottest thing going!

V/C Robert A. Baldridge, SN

New Weather Seminars!

A new weather seminar – Basic Weather and Forecasting – will be available for online ordering shortly. The full color seminar guide complete with notes is at the printer now. The new seminar is more comprehensive than the present weather seminar. It is a must for boaters who have not taken a weather course. In addition to the new seminar guide, participants also will receive the QuickGuide – Onboard Weather Forecasting. As a heads-up, a new seminar – Marine Weather Forecasting – will be offered on the internet as a webinar on June 14 at  2000 EDT. With its emphasis on the 500 mb chart, the webinar, a USPS Ed Department first, will particularly appeal to coastal and offshore cruisers.  Watch for details next month.

Marine Environment Committee  

Blast for December

COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE AT EXPO.  At the February 2011 USPS Annual Meeting, there will be space provided at EXPO to display the District and Squadron award winning newsletters.  If your district or squadron newsletter is one of among those so recognized, please hand-carry only 25 copies of it to the meeting for display at our committee tables.  By sharing in this way, others can have an example of what is expected in a newsletter that is presented the Distinctive Communicator Award.  The logo for this award will be on our committee website for editors to pull down and use in the pages of newsletters and on websites.

 

A pin has been created and approved to be worn only by those staff members whose productions are given the "Distinctive Communicator" award for 2010.  These pins are available through the Ship's Store on line (http://www.shopusps.org) or by phone.  Only a small number of these pins will be on hand at the USPS Annual Meeting in February, so order early.  The names of award winning newsletters and websites will be published on the Communications Committee website and in The Ensign early in 2011.

 

R/C Brenda Joyce, P

Communications Committee

bjoyce2000@aol.com

817-292-9549 

 

 

Increase in Ship's Store Shipping Charges

Shipping charges for Ship’s Store purchases have not increased in five years while shipping costs have increased between 4 to 6 percent each year.  Effective 1 Dec. 2010, the following shipping charges will apply for Ship’s Store purchases.

 

Purchase price                                  Shipping charge

$1.00 - $4.99                                       $5.00

$5.00 - $10.00                                     $7.00

$10.01 - $20.00                                  $7.95

$20.01 - $30.00                                  $8.45

$30.01 - $50.00                                  $9.95

$50.01 - $100.00                                $11.95

$100.01 - $200.00                              $13.95

$200.01 - $300.00                              $15.95

$300.01 and up                                  $17.95

 

Mary Catherine Berube

USPS Headquarters Executive Director