| A Super-Spectacular
Centennial Year
Fanning Reelected as NLUS National President;
Sheila M. McNeill Elected Senior Vice President;
Councils Gear Up for a Second Century of Service
By DAVID VERGUN
Production Editor
The year 2002 was
a year of sharp contrasts. Even as the Navy League was vigorously supporting
the U.S.-led global war on terrorism, it was celebrating its own Centennial
year of support for the U.S. sea services--and planning for a second century
of service.
In January 2002,
President George W. Bush congratulated the Navy League on its 100th anniversary:
"The Navy League's proud mission of serving the U.S. sea services
at home and throughout the world is as important today as it was 100 years
ago," he stated in a warm letter of appreciation to the NLUS membership.
"During these extraordinary times," he continued, "I commend
your support of the men and women of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Coast
Guard, and the Merchant Marine. I also applaud you for informing American
citizens and elected officials about the vital role our sea services play
in protecting our national security and economic interests."
NLUS National President
Timothy O. Fanning spoke for all Navy Leaguers around the world when he
stated, in his President's Message in the September 2002 issue of Sea
Power--which marked the one-year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks--that
"the most important weapon in the war against international terrorism
is the American people. Sixty years ago Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan
learned that there is no force on Earth as powerful as the cold fury of
an aroused democracy. It is time for our nation's elected leaders, in
Congress as well as in the White House, to call on a new generation of
Americans to join together in defeating an implacable and hate-filled
enemy whose criminal actions endanger not just the United States, but
the peace and stability of the entire world."
During the League's Centennial Celebration Convention (held at the New
York Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City, 28 June to 2 July) more
than 600 Navy Leaguers and guests had the opportunity to hear personally
from senior leaders of all of the sea services--as well as other key speakers--about
the new programs and policies put into place since the terrorist attacks.
Among the principal speakers at the convention were Secretary of the Navy
Gordon R. England, Maritime Administrator William G. Schubert, Deputy
New York Mayor Carol Robles-Roman, Vice Adm. Albert H. Konetzni Jr., deputy
commander in chief of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet; Lt. Gen. Robert Magnus,
deputy Marine Corps commandant for programs and resources; and Coast Guard
Chief of Staff Vice Adm. Thad W. Allen.
During the convention, Fanning was reelected for a second one-year term
as national president by the Navy League's new (2002-2003) Board of Directors,
which also reelected nine national vice presidents and National Treasurer
Richard H. Kennedy. The Board also elected three new national officers:
Bradley W. Nemeth, a new national vice president; W. Eugene Proctor, the
Navy League's new corporate secretary (succeeding Jerome Rapkin, who served
as a member of the Navy League's Steering Committee for 15 consecutive
years in three different leadership posts); and John E. "Ted"
Gordon, the new national judge advocate.
Fanning congratulated
"the entire New York Council, particularly Vic Gainor [Convention
Chairman Victor T. Gainor Jr.] and Bob Ravitz [Council President Robert
A. Ravitz]," for hosting the 2002 National Convention, "and
closing our first century with a truly spectacular program that was as
productive as it was enjoyable."
The Navy League's
Centennial Convention celebration, Fanning added, "was extremely
well-planned and well-executed and a fitting tribute not only to the members
of today's Navy League but to the tens of thousands who have served before
us and made the organization what it is today.
"It is our
duty," he continued, "to carry on the tradition of Pride, Service,
and Patriotism that has characterized our great organization for the past
one hundred years, and to pass on to our successors a Navy League of the
21st century that is even more effective, more productive, and more capable
in every way of continuing our programs of support for the sea services,
and for a strong overall defense program in general. At this time of maximum
crisis in our nation's history, America's sea services, and the United
States itself, need the support of the Navy League and other patriotic
organizations more than ever before."
In other convention
highlights, Fanning presented the Navy League's Distinguished Service
Award to John W. Barry and inducted two longtime members--former National
Judge Advocate Ward A. Shanahan and former National Vice President Paul
E. Baldridge--into the Navy League Hall of Fame.
Seven Navy Leaguers
were selected last year to receive Department of the Navy awards, and
three had been named to receive Department of Transportation Meritorious
Public Service awards, in recognition of their outstanding support of
the nation's sea services. The Department of the Navy awardees were Victor
T. Gainor Jr. and Richard H. Kennedy (Superior Public Service Awards)
and Grandis Lenken, John W. Lockwood, Steven W. McGanka, Kristina Peterman,
and Connie O'Shaughnessy-Los (Meritorious Public Service Awards). The
recipients of the Coast Guard awards were Albert H. Herberger, Randy W.
Hollstein, and Connie O'Shaughnessy-Los. John A. Panneton, NLUS National
Vice President (Sea Services Liaison), was the recipient of the 2002 National
President's Award.
The League's annual Outstanding and Meritorious Council Awards were presented
at the convention to councils that have demonstrated exceptional achievements
in numerous areas and various types of activities, including: membership
recruitment and retention, community education, youth activities, general
council activities, legislative education and/or public affairs activities,
and support to sea-service recruiting efforts.
The councils designated
as "Outstanding" for their 2001 activities and events (presidents'
names in parentheses) were, in alphabetical order: Atlanta Metropolitan,
Ga. (Albert V. Mota); Cape Canaveral, Fla. (Fred D. Carl); Eastern Connecticut
(Debbie Clough); Hampton Roads, Va. (David H. Adams); Lakehurst, N.J.
(Linda Ashbey); National Capital, D.C. (Randy W. Hollstein); New York,
N.Y. (Robert A. Ravitz); Oak Harbor, Wash. (Barbara F. Bailey); Pittsburgh,
Pa. (Stewart A. Shannon); Reno, Nev. (Albert G. Moe); and San Francisco,
Calif. (Stanley E. Ellexson Jr.).
The councils designated
as "Meritorious" for their 2001 activities and events were:
Bremerton-Olympic Peninsula, Wash. (Carol A. Meteney); Charleston, S.C.
(James H. Flatley III); Chicago, Ill. (William C. Glynn); Golden Isles,
Ga. (Franklin A. Hart Jr.); Massachusetts Bay, Mass. (Eric L. Lekberg);
Newport County, R.I. (Shirley A. Hill); Philadelphia, Pa. (Russell K.
Schulz); Portsmouth, N.H. (Anne R. Shaw); San Diego, Calif. (Ray Roth);
and San Diego Women, Calif. (Hazel A. Saffell).
The councils accorded
"Honorable Mention" status for their 2001 activities and events
were: Broward County, Fla. (Martin I. Lipnak); Stockton, Calif. (John
W. Stovall); Tampa, Fla. (Robert E. Adams); Tri-County, Mich. (Michael
J. Kegley); and Ventura County Women, Calif. (Arlene Fraser).
Scores of other councils throughout the United States and overseas also
contributed to support of the U.S. sea services in numerous ways, including
ship adoptions and commissionings; working with military family service
centers and other base activities; donating care packages to Sailors and
Marines on deployment; assisting the families of deployed service members;
sponsoring the sea-service birthday balls; and participating in other
civic and patriotic celebrations such as Navy Day, Fleet Week, and Veterans
Day.
During the League's
2002 Winter Meeting (1-3 November at the Marriott Crystal Gateway Hotel
in Arlington, Va.), Sheila M. McNeill, a life member of the Navy League
from Brunswick, Ga., was elected senior vice president at the Board of
Directors Meeting. In accordance with the NLUS custom of recent years,
she is expected to succeed Fanning at the next National Convention (18-22
June 2003 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu, Hawaii). McNeill,
the first woman to be elected senior vice president in the Navy League's
100-year history, is a long-time national director who also has served
at various times as president of the Camden-Kings Bay Council, as Georgia
State President, as Region President for the South Atlantic Coast Region,
and, most recently, as the League's National Vice President for Legislative
Affairs.
In other Winter
Meeting highlights, the proposed 2003 budget was approved. "The approval,"
Fanning said, "solidifies the Navy League's financial position and
puts us in good position to continue and expand our programs of support
for the sea services."
Demolition of the
League's former Headquarters Building (at 2300 Wilson Boulevard in Arlington,
Va.), Fanning said, will start "in the near future." The next
major milestone on the construction schedule, he said, will be a formal
groundbreaking "sometime next spring [2003]."
The new building,
which is expected to be completed sometime in late 2004, Fanning said,
"will provide a steady stream of revenue for many years and decades
to come and will give the Navy League the resources needed not only to
continue but to substantially expand its sea-service support programs."
The schedule for the League's future national meetings is as follows:
2003 Sea-Air-Space (SAS) Exposition (Washington, D.C.; 15-17 April); 2003
National Convention (Honolulu, Hawaii; 18 June-22 June); 2003 Winter Meeting
(Arlington, Va.; date to be determined); 2004 SAS Expo (Washington, D.C.;
6-8 April); 2004 National Convention (San Diego, Calif.; date to be determined);
2004 Winter Meeting (Phoenix, Ariz.; date to be determined); 2005 National
Convention (Hampton Roads, Va.; date to be determined); and 2005 Winter
Meeting (Arlington, Va.; date to be determined).
Sea-Air-Space Exposition
The Navy League's
2002 Sea-Air-Space Exposition (SAS) attracted approximately 10,000 active-duty,
civilian, and industry attendees, who viewed the latest in technological
innovations by more than 130 defense contractors. There also were a large
number of manufacturers of new and/or experimental homeland-defense and
force-protection technologies. The theme of the 2002 exposition, the largest
of its kind in the world, was "America's Best." The exposition
also featured an extensive seminar program led by senior Navy, Marine
Corps, and Coast Guard officials, who discussed the directions their services
will be taking in the new century. Speakers included: Gordon R. England,
secretary of the Navy; Adm. Vern Clark, USN, chief of Naval Operations;
Susan M. Livingstone, under secretary of the Navy; John J. Young Jr.,
assistant secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition;
Gen. Peter Pace, USMC, vice chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; Adm. William
J. Fallon, USN, vice chief of Naval Operations; Gen. Michael J. Williams,
USMC, assistant commandant of the Marine Corps; Vice Adm. Joseph W. Dyer
Jr., USN, commander, Naval Air Systems Command; Vice Adm. Richard W. Mayo,
USN, director, Space Information Warfare, Command and Control; Vice Adm.
Dennis V. McGinn, USN, deputy chief of naval operations, Warfare Requirements
and Programs; Vice Adm. Michael G. Mullen, USN, deputy chief of naval
operations, Resources, Requirements, and Assessments; Vice Adm. George
P. Nanos Jr., USN, commander, Naval Sea Systems Command; Lt. Gen. Edward
Hanlon Jr., USMC, commanding general, Marine Corps Combat Development
Command; Lt. Gen. Robert Magnus, USMC, deputy commandant for Programs
and Resources; Vice Adm. Timothy W. Josiah, USCG, chief of staff of the
Coast Guard; Rear Adm. Larry D. Newsome, USN, director, Navy International
Programs Office; Rear Adm. Kenneth D. Slaght, USN, commander, Space and
Naval Warfare Systems Command; Rear Adm. Hugo G. Blackwood, USNR, deputy
vice commander, Maritime Defense Zone Atlantic; Rear Adm. Thomas W. Steffens,
USN, director, Force Protection/Anti-Terrorism Division, commander Atlantic
Fleet; and Rear Adm. Jeffrey J. Hathaway, USCG, director, Operations and
Interagency Support.
The SAS exhibits showcased new developments designed to address dramatic
changes in the rapidly evolving sea-service missions and the Navy and
Marine Corps teams' visions regarding the future mission and shape of
the Navy and Marine Corps in the 21st century. Coast Guard officials discussed
their increased responsibilities in the areas of homeland defense, the
new Deepwater recapitalization program, and other future challenges. The
SAS Exposition provided, as it does each year, a neutral forum and meeting
place in which sea-service leaders could meet with industry representatives
to renew acquaintances, discuss recent technological developments, and
address mutual concerns.
The Navy League
presents its annual Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Award during the SAS
to honor an industry leader who has made an outstanding contribution to
the nation's maritime strength and/or has otherwise enhanced national
security. Kent Kresa, chairman of the board, president, and chief executive
officer of Northrop Grumman Corporation, was honored as the 2002 recipient.
Corporate Affairs
In 2002, the Navy
League gained two new Corporate Gold Members, 20 new Corporate Members,
and seven new Business Associate Members. The Navy League currently has
10 Corporate Gold Members, 146 Corporate Members, and 16 Business Associate
Members.
The Corporate Affairs
program also expanded the Special Topic Breakfast Series in 2002 to include
seven meetings. The speakers for these events included the following:
* Paul A. Schneider,
principal deputy assistant secretary of the Navy (Research, Development,
& Acquisition) (January 2002)
* Rear Adm. Richard E. Bennis, USCG (Ret.), deputy director, Transportation
Security Administration (March 2002)
* Rear Adm. John D. Butler, deputy commander for Undersea Technology and
commander, Undersea Warfare Center, Naval Sea Systems Command (May 2002)
* Peter F. Verga, special assistant to the secretary of defense for Homeland
Security (July 2002)
* John J. Garstka, assistant director for Concepts and Operations, Office
of Force Transformation, Office of the Secretary of Defense (September
2002)
* Adm. James M. Loy, USCG (Ret.), acting undersecretary of Transportation
for Security, Transportation Security Administration (October 2002)
* Charles Cook, political analyst and editor and publisher, The Cook Political
Report (December 2002).
Legislative Affairs
The Navy League's
Office of Legislative Affairs (OLA) worked tirelessly during the past
year advocating the legislative priorities of the sea services. The Legislative
Affairs staff continues to provide timely information on current legislation
to Navy League members, and to give members more opportunities to use
the World Wide Web to inform their elected officials in Washington, D.C.,
about their views.
In June, Rep. Ed
Schrock (R-Va.) and 55 cosponsors introduced a concurrent resolution (H.Con.Res.
416) in the House of Representatives congratulating the Navy League on
its 100th anniversary. The full House of Representatives unanimously approved
the resolution just before the annual convention in New York.
The Navy League is represented daily on Capitol Hill. Through visits with
members of Congress and their staffs--and with the professional staffs
of key House and Senate committees--and by attending and sponsoring defense
briefings and seminars--the NLUS legislative staff has been able to articulate
the Navy League's legislative priorities to congressional leaders. The
Navy League continued to advocate an increase in shipbuilding funds and
to restore funding for readiness and other key programs.
Among the other
issues of concern addressed were: further development of the Navy-Marine
Corps Intranet (NMCI); the need for full funding for three key Marine
Corps programs (the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, the 155mm light howitzer,
and the C-130J replacement aircraft); support for the Coast Guard's Deepwater
project; increased shipbuilding; and procurement of funds for the SSGN
(nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine) conversion, DD(X), and operations
and maintenance. These legislative efforts by the Navy League staff have
been timely, on target, and effective--as was demonstrated by the addition
of $30 million for the Littoral Combat Ship in the defense appropriations
bill for fiscal year 2003.
OLA hosted congressional
staff members at the 2002 SAS Exposition, briefing attendees on the acquisition
priorities of the sea services. The Navy League joined several other associations
in co-hosting Navy/Marine Corps and Coast Guard Caucus briefings on Capitol
Hill covering important legislative priorities of all of the nation's
armed services.
Throughout the year,
the Navy League joined with the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Offices
of Legislative Affairs in hosting several events on Capitol Hill involving
members of Congress and their staffs--thanking them for their support
of the sea services.
The Navy League's
advocacy efforts include membership in The Military Coalition, a consortium
of nationally prominent uniformed services and veterans' organizations
representing nearly six million members. Coalition members meet regularly
to share information, discuss issues of common interest, and advocate
a coordinated legislative agenda. The Coalition provides expanded opportunities
for the Navy League to help not only active-duty personnel but also military
retirees and their families.
The Legislative
Affairs Office publishes monthly Legislative Updates on legislation progressing
through Congress and bills that have been signed into law. The Updates
are emailed to council, region, and state presidents, National Committee
chairs, members of the Steering and Executive Committees, members of the
Legislative Affairs Committee, and members of the Navy League's Legislative
Network. In addition, a Legislative Update page has been added to Sea
Power magazine to broaden the legislative message to the general public.
The Updates also
appear on the Navy League's website--which also provides an orientation
to the congressional legislative process as well as guidelines for corresponding
as effectively as possible with members of Congress. The website is: http://www.navyleague.org/legislative_affairs/.
Also posted on the
website are: (a) a search-engine capability that allows NLUS members to
find their senators and representatives, and congressional districts,
by nine-digit zip code; and (b) a daily schedule of important House, Senate,
and committee activities.
The Congressional
Contact Center also enables NLUS members to send emails directly to their
senators and representatives, and provides draft letters on many of the
Navy League's principal legislative concerns. This is a powerful new tool
which was successfully employed in 2002 in conjunction with the Navy League's
campaign to help the USMC receive sufficient funds to acquire the test
aircraft necessary to complete its testing on the V-22 and to secure permanent
legislation authorizing a significant increase in end strength for the
U.S. Coast Guard. Both of those advocacy efforts met with complete success
during the 107th Congress.
Public Relations
During the 2002
Centennial Convention in New York City, National President Fanning and
several Sea Cadets appeared on the morning TV news program "Good
Morning America." Congratulatory messages were received from Sen.
John McCain (R-Ariz.), Secretary of the Navy Gordon R. England, Maritime
Administrator William G. Schubert, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Vern
Clark, Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James L. Jones, and Commandant
of the Coast Guard Adm. Thomas H. Collins. In addition, McCain and NBC
TV News Anchor Tom Brokaw recorded "Centennial" videos thanking
members of the Navy League for their tireless support of the men and women
of the sea services.
The 2002 Sea-Air-Space
Exposition generated positive coverage in the media. Nearly 150 trade-press
and military media representatives attended. The Navy League's website
provided up-to-the-minute information for those planning to visit the
SAS exhibits and attend any of the accompanying seminars. The NLUS public
relations staff worked with the companies exhibiting at the SAS to provide
journalists with the information they would need to report on the programs
and equipment showcased during the three-day event. This partnering with
corporations to publicize the exposition generated greater visibility
and public awareness not only for the exhibitors but also for the Navy
League and the sea services.
The Navy League's
quarterly newsletter, The Navy Leaguer, was redesigned and provided Navy
League members a broad spectrum of news and pictures about NLUS council
activities throughout the world. To increase the speed at which information
is being disseminated to the membership, an "online edition"
of The Navy Leaguer is under development to supplement the printed edition.
The good works of
the Navy League in direct support of Operation Enduring Freedom have garnered
substantial public recognition. Operation Interdependence (OI), sponsored
by Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and the Tri-City Council (Calif.),
gained national recognition because of the efforts of OI volunteers who
amassed nearly seven tons of care packages which were gathered and provided
free of charge to deployed U.S. forces in Afghanistan. The Navy League
also distributed nearly $60,000 in contributions to support the families
of sea-service members who were killed in the attack on the Pentagon on
11 September 2001.
The Public Affairs Recognition Program and the Donald M. Mackie Newsletter
Excellence Awards generated the enthusiastic involvement of a number of
councils. Their participation in these and other programs demonstrates
again that effective communication to audiences both external and internal
is key to the continued success of the Navy League.
Membership Services
The membership staff
focused on several major initiatives in 2002 involving the use of technology
to provide a meaningful exchange with NLUS members. In September, the
Online Community (OLC) was launched. Over a year in the making, councils
now have their own web pages within the OLC, featuring council information,
news, and calendars of events. Region, state, and council presidents,
council treasurers, and council contacts can now view, sort, and print
council rosters and labels at their convenience.
Early in 2002 the
staff set about identifying ways to significantly reduce the processing
time for renewals and applications. It had been taking 35 days from date
of postmark to fully process a member's transaction. Today, that time
has been shrunk to 15 days and the staff continues to look for new ways
to improve the process.
The online membership
application was completely redesigned to make it much more user-friendly.
Additionally, the staff began providing "real-time" credit card
processing for both online and telephone transactions.
In September the
Membership Department began a pilot program for sending the first dues
notices by email. This speeds up delivery and cuts costs in paper and
postage. The results have been impressive and "ebills" will
continue to be sent in 2003.
The staff replaced
the fourth paper dues notice with a magazine tip-on card to let members
know when their memberships have expired and that they are receiving their
last issue of Sea Power if they don't renew. A large number of members
have responded and this program will continue.
The Membership Department created a central email address for the Member
Service Center: service@navyleague.org. This address is receiving more
than 400 member emails monthly. Lastly, membership cards were upgraded
and redesigned offering a new look.
Information Technology
Initiatives
In 2002, the Navy
League's Information Technology Department vastly expanded the Navy League's
Internet presence by coordinating and managing its website redesign project
and the Online Community project. The new website is robust and offers
features that include current and back issues of Sea Power magazine and
The Almanac of Seapower, online membership processing, and the ability
to register for events such as the annual National Convention, Winter
Meeting, and Sea-Air-Space Exposition. The Online Community, a web-based
tool, offers features to registered Navy League members that include news,
local council websites, membership directory, and calendar of events.
National Publications
Sea Power Magazine
and The Almanac of Seapower continued to disseminate the Navy League's
message on the importance of sea power, naval and commercial, to U.S.
national security and America's economic well-being. The global war on
terrorism brought this message into sharper focus than ever before.
Sea Power continued its practice of including more but shorter and more
timely articles on major defense issues, current national-security legislation,
the development of new weapons systems and technologies, and other topics
of particular relevance to the sea services.
Among the senior
U.S. and allied sea-service leaders and public officials interviewed last
year were: Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), chairman of the Seapower
Subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee; Rep. Mark Steven
Kirk (R-Ill.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee; Chief of
Naval Operations Adm. Vern Clark; Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen.
James L. Jones; Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thomas H. Collins; Commander,
U.S. Central Command Gen. Tommy R. Franks; Maritime Administrator William
G. Schubert; Deputy Secretary of the Navy (Reserve Affairs) Harvey C.
Barnum Jr.; Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/Commander, U.S.
Fifth Fleet Vice Adm. Charles W. Moore Jr.; and Deputy Director, Surface
Ships, Surface Warfare Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations
Rear Adm. Donald P. Loren.
Among the senior
U.S. and allied sea-service leaders who contributed articles last year
were: Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Vern Clark; Chief of Staff, Japan
Maritime Self Defense Force Adm. Toru Ishikawa; Commander in Chief, U.S.
Pacific Fleet Adm. Thomas B. Fargo; Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic
Fleet/U.S. Fleet Forces Command Adm. Robert J. Natter; Commander, U.S.
Marine Corps Forces, Atlantic Lt. Gen. Martin R. Berndt; Commander, U.S.
Second Fleet/NATO Striking Fleet Atlantic Vice Adm. James Cutler Dawson
Jr.; Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development Command Lt. Gen.
Edward Hanlon Jr.; Commander, Naval Surface Force Vice Adm. Timothy W.
LaFleur; Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfare Requirements and
Programs Vice Adm. Dennis V. McGinn; Commander, Military Sealift Command
Rear Adm. David L. Brewer III; Program Executive Officer, Integrated Deepwater
System Rear Adm. Patrick M. Stillman; and Deputy Commander, Logistics,
Maintenance, and Industrial Operations Directorate, Naval Sea Systems
Command, Rear Adm. William R. Klemm.
Marketing and Regional
Activities
Much effort was
given to increasing public awareness of the Navy League--especially as
the NLUS Centennial was celebrated and events related to the global war
on terrorism highlighted the importance of the nation's military.
Councils made increasing
use of backdrops for booth displays developed for council participation
in NLUS Centennial events such as Navy Day celebrations, county fairs,
and Fleet Week. The displays depict Sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen,
and Sea Cadets in various action scenes, as well as a Navy League Centennial
scene.
Recruiting new NLUS
members was one of the most important goals of the Marketing Department--which
last year was incorporated into the Council Development Department. A
direct mail program, which started in 2000, continued through August 2002
and met with considerable success. Plans are underway to bring this function
in-house for 2003.
The Council Development
team has produced seven workshops, available to any council that requests
them. The workshops are: Recruiting Community Affiliate Members, Leadership
in a Volunteer Organization, How to Run Effective Meetings, Revitalizing
Inactive Councils, Council Retention Workshop, Council Officer and Board
Member Training. The Council Development team delivered 26 workshops and
attended more than 50 council, state, and region meetings.
Additionally, the team compiled a list of adopted ships, units, and youth
groups and posted the list on the NLUS website. Councils hosting the commissioning
of both Navy ships and Coast Guard cutters were identified and the list
was posted on the NLUS website: www.navyleague.org/councils/ship_commissioning.php.
A major focus for councils was the recruiting of new Community Affiliate
members. The Council Development team developed a workshop based on the
successful San Diego Council program and started delivering it in March
2002. During 2002, NLUS Community Affiliate membership increased by 50
percent and by the end of the year there were nearly 300 Community Affiliate
members. The number of councils recruiting Community Affiliate members
doubled during 2002.
The Council Development
team completed a needs assessment survey with council, state, and region
leadership. As a result of the survey, the Regional Activities Team has
focused on these areas: communicate--keep the field advised about happenings
at the national level and in other regions; advocate--take field issues
to NLUS headquarters and the national leadership and push for resolution
and/or disposition; and train--provide training workshops delivered at
national meetings and in the field at region and state meetings and for
individual councils.
Youth Programs
The two NLUS-sponsored
youth programs--the Naval Sea Cadet Corps (NSCC) and the Navy League Cadet
Corps (NLCC)--continue to grow and thrive. Over 10,000 Cadets are now
enrolled in 316 NSCC and NLCC units in the United States, Puerto Rico,
and Guam. The training of Cadets by volunteer officers and instructors
continues to be outstanding.
The NSCC was established
in 1958 and chartered by Congress in 1962 as a nonprofit youth-training
organization. Membership in both programs is open to boys and girls--ages
11 through 14 for the NLCC and ages 13 through 17 for NSCC Cadets. The
NLCC is not covered by the federal charter, but both programs are sponsored
by the Navy League. The Navy, Coast Guard, Marine Corps--as well as the
Army, Air Force, and reserve components--provide significant training
and facilities support.
The local training
of Cadets, usually held at the home unit's drill site, includes activities
ranging from classroom instruction in basic military skills to preparation
for summer recruit or advanced training. There are numerous educational
opportunities available locally--e.g., courses in first aid, CPR, swimming,
drug awareness, and participation in local community-service events and
parades. During the summer, first-year Sea Cadets participate in a two-week
recruit-training program--a condensed version of the training provided
to U.S. Navy recruits. Cadets who successfully complete recruit training
are eligible for advanced training in a variety of career fields. Included
in the advanced curriculum are at-sea training, aviation training, submarine
orientation, and specialized training in such fields as health care, music,
construction, and/or law enforcement.
Last year, 2,385
Sea Cadets and 1,104 League Cadets attended recruit and orientation training
sessions at 16 regional military bases or stations; another 3,500 attended
advanced training at more than 50 other bases and stations nationwide.
This represents an increase of approximately 2,000 more Cadets training
in 2002 than in previous years. This was the second year that federal
funding support was available for Cadet training. The funding provided
was used almost exclusively to offset increasingly expensive berthing
and messing costs, and resulted in greatly increased Cadet participation.
The NSCC has for
several years participated in an international exchange program with Sea
Cadet organizations in Australia, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Hong Kong,
Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Each
summer, outstanding NSCC Cadets are competitively selected to serve as
"young ambassadors" and train with their counterparts in those
countries. In exchange, a number of foreign Cadets are provided the opportunity
to visit and train in the United States. Last year, 91 U.S. Cadets--plus
their adult escorts, and 48 foreign Cadets with their escorts--participated
in the international exchange program.
The NSCC's senior
leadership is provided by volunteer officers and instructors who contribute
their time and expertise to the program. Cadet Corps officers can be either
civilians or active-duty, reserve, or retired military personnel. All
must complete the professional development courses specially designed
for NSCC officers and clear a background screening program.
The NSCC's objectives
are to:
* Develop an interest and skill in basic seamanship and other naval specialties;
* Develop in American youth a greater appreciation for the history, customs,
and traditions of the U.S. sea services and their role in national defense;
* Develop individual qualities of patriotism, courage, self-reliance,
and other attributes that contribute to the development of strong moral
character and good citizenship; and
* Provide information to participating Cadets about the advantages and
prestige of pursuing a naval or other military career.
The purpose of the
Navy League Cadet Corps is to use the medium of naval and other instruction
to give young people the mental, moral, and physical training needed to
understand and develop principles of patriotism and good citizenship,
and to instill in the Cadets a sense of duty, discipline, self-respect,
self-confidence, and respect for others. NSCC and NLCC Cadets also are
taught the values of a drug-, alcohol-, and gang-free lifestyle, including
the importance of community service.
Since 1975, more
than 150 Cadets have received NSCC college scholarships ranging in value
from $1,000 to $2,500. Nearly $180,000 has been provided to scholarship
recipients. In addition, many Sea Cadets have been selected for appointment
to one of the nation's service academies or other accession programs,
and/or have received NROTC scholarships. There are more than 30 former
Sea Cadets in the Naval Academy class of 2006; nearly 100 other former
Sea Cadets are members of the classes of 20032005.
Many former Cadets
have gone on to highly successful careers--graduating from service academies
or other universities and serving in responsible positions in government
or in the private sector. Approximately 60 to 80 Cadets receive full ROTC
college scholarships each year. *
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