We had a good group of members and friends at our Change of Watch on February 20.
Cdr L. Jack Stemple, AP
Full Year Ahead
We had a busy time at the Executive Committee meeting on February 23 discussing the schedule for the year. We are working on the following special activities:
June 6 - Work with the Sea Scouts on a display at the Morgantown Public Safety Fair
July 17 - Visit Deep Creek and the sailing club
August 21 - Joint meeting with Ten Mile at Green Cove Yacht Club
September 18 - Cheat Lake Rendezvous
Joe Silbaugh reported on implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between USPS and the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. We plan to have our instructors complete DNR training so our class graduates can receive a WV-DNR endorsed certificate.
We are hosting the District 7 Spring Conference to be held March 31- April 2, 2000 at Lakeview. This means we must do a lot of planning work this year.
Treasurer Tom Keech reported that all invoices had been paid. Ship's Store netted $80.36 at Change of Watch. Our Wesbanco checking account balance is $733.05. The memorial fund at United National has a balance of $1,042.16. Our One Valley certificate of deposit was renewed, and its value was $3,139.11.
Editor Wally Venable reported we had been awarded the Publications Committee's Excellence in Journalism Award for 1998.
James F. Allen Dead
We are saddened by the loss of another Mountaineer. Jim Allen died in
January. He joined the squadron in 1986. His construction firm, J. F. Allen, was
involved in the construction of Stonewall Dam.
Lt/C Alan Smith, JNOur spring Boat Smart class will begin on Wednesday, 14 April. We will meet at the YWCA in Fairmont. Keep telling your friends and neighbors.
We are also planning a class at Two Rivers Marina later in the spring. This may be Jet Smart.
Electronic Updates
P/C Wallace Venable, AP
Radio Technical Officer
Since 1993 the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention has required big ships to carry NAVTEX receivers. This is an acronym for NAVigational TEXt. Messages consist of "notices to mariners," and may include weather information as well as other safety data. I find it interesting to note that very little attention has been paid to NAVTEX in American "yachting" circles, and receivers are not listed in boating catalogs.
All over the world NAVTEX information is transmitted on one frequency, 518 kHz. Marine Safety Information (MSI) is transmitted for coastal areas, and stations have a range of 200 to 400 miles. The radio signal is decoded into plain text, and displayed on a screen, printed, or saved in a computer. "Hams" (Amateur Radio Operators) have been reading NAVTEX with relatively simple radio-computer hookups. Yachtsman's sets are already available in Britain for under $400 US. Expect to see them promoted here within a few years.
Orchestrated by Jean Leeper,
I'd say we had a wonderful time.
She made it look so easy,
(not like this, if it's going to rhyme)
yet I know she worked really hard,
for with precision the affair flowed,
giving us a happy feeling.
(So glad it hadn't snowed!)
The social time was a pile of joyful confusion
as people started coming in,
and greeted each other with smiles and laughter,
adding to the chattering din.
Eventually we had to find where we were sitting,
looking for our own place tags,
she'd gathered congenial groups together
where conversation never lags....
The food was superb
and the "New commander" cake was cute.
Then our entertainment came,
they deserved a great salute;
madrigal singers of the renaissance,
from a local high school in authentic dress,
a sight and sound to really enjoy,
relieved our inward, hidden stress.
Then the business of the evening,
our genial M.C. was David Milne that night,
and things got rolling,
Cathleen Hedgecough with utter delight
presented the "Bent Prop" award
to Jeff Stalnecker with a grin!
Then Commander Martin installed new members,
(our group sure has an in!)
he then dismissed his bridge,
we were all sorry to see them go.
Then district Lt. Commander Stark
installed our new commander just so.
Jack Stemple then graciously
introduced the new bridge to all,
which Stark ably installed.
Then Jack, our commander talked sweet and small...
Finished the evening with dancing to "Catch A Wave".
You know what? We all had a ball!