September 7, 2012
Welcome back, Navy Leaguers! I hope you were able to relax over the holiday weekend, as most council prepare to start their fall schedule of events. This will be the last Council Alert since, as previously announced, next month we will begin incorporating the Council Alert information into a redesigned Navy Leaguer ! If you have comments about the information below, please contact the Member Service Center at service@navyleague.org or call 1.800.356.5760. Thanks! Bill Waylett Featured Sections:
Invitations to candidates to speak at council events are allowed only if all candidates are invited. Politicians who are members of the council can certainly attend council events, but cannot be allowed to make a campaign speech unless their opponent(s) are also invited and, if in attendance, allowed to speak. Council communications, particularly emails, must be closely monitored for objectionable political activity, since emails can be easily circulated with unintended consequences. In general, the “blackout” period for speaking engagements by members of Congress running for re-election should be the 90 days before the General Election. We are in this restricted period now, so please plan accordingly. The Navy League is an educational non-profit which must remain apolitical. Legislative Affairs Sequestration Additional Training for Legislative Affairs Website Grassroots Legislative Initiative Update Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Expo (Thanks to Grant Ivey, past Greater Los Angeles Area President and Chairman, Navy Days-LA) The Sixteenth Navy Days-LA was held August 14-19, 2012 at the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach in San Pedro, CA. A new feature of Navy Days-LA was a STEM Expo. The purpose of this event was to educate students, parents, and the public at large about the importance of staying in school and pursuing STEM courses to improve employability. The STEM Expo was arranged as a pre-ship tour in the Port’s cruise terminal building. The USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) and USCGC George Cobb (WLM 564) were available for public tours during Navy Days-LA. Up to 400 visitors per hour were guided through presentations emphasizing the importance of STEM courses to managing our high-tech Navy and industry. Wednesday and Thursday were restricted to youth from various organizations, such as Sea Cadets, Junior ROTC cadets, Boy and Girl Scouts, Boys and Girls Clubs, Police Activities League (PAL), YMCA and CYA/CYL participants. Friday through Sunday tours were open to the public; Naval Sea Cadet Corps cadets were the tour guides for the STEM Expo on the weekend. Exhibitors included defense contractors, the CyberPatriot high school competition (sponsored by the USAF), Dow Chemical, ONR’s Sea Perch, Naval Sea Cadet Corps, and Navy League. Most presentations were short video presentations from the sponsor. Navy Days-LA was founded after 2000 at the request of the Third Fleet Public Affairs office; Los Angeles/Long Beach was one of the few major port cities with no Navy ship visits at that time. Grant Ivey, Santa Barbara Council, volunteered to organize the event and recruit a Board of Directors to manage the planned annual event. The first Navy Days-LA was held in April, 2001 (see http://navydaysla.org/history). There have been more than annual events since. Thanks to Grant Ivey and the Navy Days-LA Board of Directors for organizing a well-attended event that emphasizes the importance of 1) staying in school, and 2) taking courses in STEM curricula. America’s future depends on gaining traction with this message, and Grant Ivey is leading the way! Membership Navy League Annual Report We have produced a Navy League Annual report for 2011 that briefly describes the activities and accomplishments of both the councils and headquarters during 2011. Click on this link www.navyleague.org/files/aboutus/annual_report.pdf if you would like to view the report online. There is also a direct link on the home page of our website. Deceased Members and Retention Rates Several Councils have asked if the death of member counts against their retention rate. The answer is no, reporting the death of a member does not affect the Council’s retention rate. We believe we have deceased Life Members that have not been reported. Please help us clean up our membership records. As part of our Seapower magazine audit process this year, we will soon be sending a notification to all Life Members asking them to verify their membership and subscription. You can report deceased members to the membership team by sending an email to service@navyleague.org. Member Email Addresses We continue to have only about 33% of our member’s email addresses. Please ask your members to provide their email to us so they can receive important announcements and updates on opportunities to support our maritime service members and their families. Remember, every Navy League member in a leadership position should update their contact information at least annually. We appreciate your cooperation. Public Relations Navy Leaguer posted. The latest edition of the Navy Leaguer, a publication featuring council events and activities, is available at: www.navyleague.org/files/communications/navyleaguer/201206.pdf. CSOP Update. The Community Service Organization Presentations have all been updated and are posted on the Navy League website at www.navyleague.org/councils/csop.html. The new Marine Corps CSOP has been videotaped so that the presenter can deliver the information without having to speak to the audience; questions must still be handled by the presenting team. We have also videotaped the Navy League introduction presentation. The following presentations are approved for use at this time: A Sequestration CSOP is in development and will be available shortly for field use. Navy Week. The Navy Week events for 2012 have been announced and are posted on the website www.navyweek.org. The 2012 Calendar for America is posted at www.navy.mil/navco/display.asp?page=cfa.html. The Calendar for America includes all Navy Outreach activities, including Navy Weeks, Blue Angel Demonstration Flights at air shows, and the War of 1812 Events that began in New Orleans, LA on April 16-22 (more below). Navy Week events are conducted to raise awareness and bring the Navy to communities across America. Navy Week is also an excellent opportunity for your council to raise visibility in your community by getting involved with the planning and execution of a local Navy Week. Each Navy Week has a coordinator who wants local council assistance and guidance. To locate your local coordinator’s name and contact information OR to offer assistance, please contact John Daniels, Navy League Senior Director of Communications, at jdaniels@navyleague.org. Here are Navy Weeks and Fleet Weeks scheduled for the remainder of the 2012 year that need support from local councils:
War of 1812 Bicentennial Events Upcoming events in 2012 that include NLUS participation in the US:
For more information on these bicentennial events, go to www.history.navy.mil/commemorations/1812/1812-index.htm. Local events that have councils in the area of the event are listed for the next 2 months. The full schedule is at www.visit1812.com/. Events the Navy is involved with are at ourflagwasstillthere.org/events.html. Here are local events planned for August-September, 2012: Mississenawa 1812, October 12-14, Mississinewa Battlefield, Marion, ID Development President’s Circle Membership Currently we have 110 members of the President’s Circle. Members of the President’s Circle contribute a minimum of $1000 for unrestricted support of Navy League mission-focused operations. Members also receive VIP status at Navy League events, including special receptions at most National events and invitations to Ship Commissioning Ceremonies. Application can be made online at www.navyleague.org, or by contacting Mike Carter, Director of Development, Development@navyleague.org, or call 1-800-357-5760, x1585. Back to top1. Naval Sea Cadet Corps Month. National President Phil Dunmire has proclaimed September Naval Sea Cadet Corps Month in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the Sea Cadets being chartered by the US Congress on September 10, 1962. Council leaders should plan appropriate birthday celebrations to honor America’s Best Youth Group!
These recommendations will be reviewed for approval at the National Board of Directors Meeting in October. B. Board of Directors Meeting. The National Board of Directors will be meeting at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Crystal City, VA on October 17-21. The deadline for early registration and hotel reservations at the NLUS discounted rate is September 26; register at www.navyleague.org/bod/. Events of interest to council leaders include:
Please plan to attend and support your elected officers and directors. 4. Seapower. The September edition of Seapower can be found online by visiting www.seapowermagazine.org and clicking on the cover of the current issue — “U.S. Marine Corps.” The special report kicks off with an interview with the Vice Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr, USMC. Other articles discuss the Corps efforts to refocus on amphibious warfare, unmanned options, lightening the load for individual Marines, and Marine Corps logistics strategy. The National President’s message is “Happy Anniversary, Sea Cadets” and Navy League News features an article on the 50th anniversary of the Sea Cadets being chartered by the U.S. Congress on Sept. 10, 1962. Other articles include an update on seabed mining activities under the Law of the Sea Treaty and a pickup in port activity. The Council News Digest includes council support of visits by foreign warships, Sacramento Council’s support of Navy Week Sacramento, International Sea Cadets visiting Naval Station, Newport, RI, Sea Cadet attendance at the Senior Enlisted Academy Graduation in Newport, RI, Granby High School (Norfolk, VA) NJROTC recognized as the Outstanding Unit in Naval Service Training Command Area Five, and San Diego Council’s recognition of Marine Drill Instructors. “In My Own Words” features USCG Cmdr. Christian A. Lee, Commanding Officer, Fast Response Cutter Richard Etheridge, the second ship of the Sentinel class cutter program. Want to introduce your local high school students and others in your community to the Navy League? You can do that by giving the gift of a subscription to Seapower to your local school and public libraries. Many councils have taken advantage of this great value. A one-year subscription for schools and libraries cost just $25! Contact Editor-in-Chief Amy Wittman for more information at awittman@navyleague.org. 5. IRS Notices and Assistance Pittsburgh, PA, hosted by Robert Morris University - Sept. 11 6. Upcoming Dates, Deadlines and Events In September, councils should celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the chartering of the Naval Sea Cadet Corps and should also be planning birthday celebrations for the US Navy and the US Marine Corps.
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In November we support morale-enhancing efforts for service members and their families. Celebrate Military Family Appreciation Week activities in your community. The NLUS Council Alert is prepared by Bill Waylett, Sr. Dir. for Regional Activities |
