Let me begin by thanking all the staff officers who served last year. Staff officers administer the various departments that enable the flotilla to provide the many programs to our members. They also make it possible for Flotilla 96 to perform its missions in support of the Coast Guard.
However, many others are equally important to the success of the flotilla. These are the members who make things happen. They perform the VSCs, make the program visitations with our many safe boating partners, teach the classes, crew our patrols, verify ATONS, participate in trade shows and public speaking events, stuff envelopes, serve on committees, answer the phone and take the messages, stand radio watch, pick materials up – the list goes on. These are the most important members in any flotilla. They get the job done!
We also need to thank the spouses and family members of our flotilla. Every hour a member donates to the Auxiliary is one hour less spent with the family. This is a big deal and should never be overlooked. We owe the families of our members our gratitude and sincere thanks for their sacrifice.
It was my pleasure to work with all of our staff officers and members last year. They're exceptional people with a wide variety of skills and a rich mix of personalities. It was great fun. It’s not often you can serve your country, learn new skills and at the same time make new friends. Hard work has its benefits! It was a privilege to work with each of you.
Now we begin again with a new team. Like last year, we are fortunate to stand on a strong foundation from the work of those who preceded us. We are part of a long line of success.
The first step in our work for 2011 is setting our goals and the strategies to achieve those goals. All of our staff officers are working on their plans for this year. Collectively, those plans become the master plan for the flotilla. I can tell you we’re putting together solid planning and an aggressive agenda. At its core, however, our plan will include one of the four guiding principles articulated by the Commandant, Admiral Papp -- to follow a course that “steadies the service”.
What this means is that we have seen a great deal of change over the past few years. The Auxiliary and our flotilla have met that challenge. Now it’s time to settle down and concentrate on our core missions, and to thoroughly plan our activities as we move forward.
I am working on this now in my role as chief of staff. Adequate planning is essential to executing our missions well, particularly our recreational boating safety mission. This is where we interact with the public. We only have one chance to make a good first impression.
None of this will happen without the members who make it happen. We need more of you, many more. We are still performing our work with a minority of the membership. When we join the Auxiliary we accept certain responsibilities. At the top of that short list is enthusiastic participation. That’s why we all join. The level of your participation is up to you, but we do need you. So please volunteer just a couple of hours more each month to help support a great cause. Let’s get off to a good start and make this another successful year.
Like most families, we don’t always agree and we fuss with each other from time to time about the best way to get it done. However, we should always keep in mind the Coast Guard’s core values: honor, respect, and devotion to duty.
Honor: Integrity is our standard and we’re accountable to the public we serve.
Respect: We value our diversity and treat each other fairly. We’re tolerant of honest mistakes. We work as a team.
Devotion to Duty: We are professionals, military and civilian, who accept responsibility and accountability, and are committed to our organizational goals. We exist to serve. We serve with pride.
We have the tools; we just need your help to get the job done.
As always, we are Semper Paratus.
