To: ALAUX
From: CHDIRAUX
Subj: CHIEF DIRECTOR FINAL ACTION ON NATIONAL BOARD RECOMMENDATIONS -53/09


1. At the 2009 Auxiliary National Conference, five recommendations were placed before the National Board for vote. The following summarizes the recommendations, the vote of the National Board, and the Chief Director's final action:

a. Recommendation: That new members be required to take a
boating safety course as part of their new member recruiting process (this can be extended to the first three months of membership).

National Board vote: Opposed.

Chief Director final action: Concur, no further action.

b. Recommendation: That the requirement for the 3-year surface
operations requalification conducted by a Qualification Examiner be changed to 5-years. Require an annual sign-off of tasks by an elected leader, coxswain, at any level within the member's chain of leadership.

National Board vote: Opposed.

Chief Director final action: Concur, no further action.

c. Recommendation: That the acronym for Division Vice
Commander be changed from DVCDR to VCDR.

National Board vote: For.

Chief Director final action: Concur, now effective.
Associated AUXDATA modification targeted for completion at start of CY 2010.

d. Recommendation: That the Working Blue and Undress
Blue-Summer uniforms be discontinued for Auxiliarists as of December 31, 2012.

National Board vote: For.

Chief Director final action: Concur, discontinuance of these uniforms for Auxiliarists effective December 31, 2012.

e. Recommendation: That any Personal Water Craft Operator
(PWO) who is current in the PWC program, and is also current as an Auxiliary coxswain, would need only 6 hours of PWO underway time to remain current in PWO. This would be subject to the following:

- PWO is a secondary qualification to coxswain.
- 12 hours (or such amount as may be required from
time to time) of coxswain underway hours would be required in that year.
- The PWO must be current in both qualifications
during the calendar year.
- The requirement for periodic recertification, as
then prescribed, is required for each discipline.

National Board vote: For.

Chief Director final action: Concur, effective commencing 2010.
Associated AUXDATA modification targeted for completion at start of CY 2010.

2. The purpose of this list is to keep Auxiliarists as well as all other interested parties abreast of current developments, policies, manuals, etc.
All information contained herein and linked is OFFICIAL policy and information.

3. Internet Release and Distribution is Authorized.

4. CG-54211, sends

Glad to see our Gnational officers being so productive.

Pack up all the Gumby suits,
Buy some outlawed ODUs,
Bye, Bye, Boat Crew...

Give away your PFDs
cause they say Auxiliary,
Bye, Bye, Boat Crew...

It looks like the brass wants Surface Ops to go away. In this AOR, we do not tow anymore, so our "leaders" are always coming up with some cockamamie "support" missions for us to do to justify our existence. When no one responds they threaten to take away our choice of when and where to do a patrol. Some fun!

What's the big deal about re-qualing every 3 years?

In this AOR, it is a big hassle to get two OPFACs, crews, and a QE. The fact that we do not tow in this AOR, makes requals by towing a waste of time.

quote:

Originally posted by baloo0136:
What's the big deal about re-qualing every 3 years?

Having enough QEs and getting the bosses off of their josses to arrange actual "boats and crews in the water" seems beyond the capabilities of our District.
If the Aux wee really interested in SO prospective and requalifying crew/cox'ns wouldn't have to travel overnight all over the AOR just to find out that the soiree was cancelled by a dead battery or POed QE.
Once upon a time we got training and QE signoffs by real-live U.S. Coast Guard Active Duty personnel.
That got cancelled because they "didn't have as good a safety record as the Auxies". Well NO SIERRA, Wilbur. The real CG does rescues and takes real risks, of course they are "risky business"!

In the long run it's about empire building and power trips.

I too have fond memories of the "Golden Age" of Surface Ops. We were more "yacht clubby" then with all the comaraderie that entails. We used our own boat names and wore sensible uniforms with non-marking boat shoes. Now we are "one" with the Gold side to the detriment of the bilge mice that are actually out on the water.
Is it any wonder that Surface Ops is going downhill?