Chronicles of a Newly Elected District Captain: The First Hundred Days By Robert Sherman, District Captain-East
In late December 2019, I contacted the 2020 District 7 East leadership team to understand their thoughts and goals for 2020. Only one Division Commander (DCDR) was in their second term, and the remaining five were star ng their first term in office, as was I. They were enthusias c, idealis c and their morale was high.
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2020 is a precedent-se ng year for the Auxiliary. We are now working our way through a global pandemic while s ll striving to be effec ve Auxiliarists, and in my case, an effec ve leader. I have wri en down some goals, experiences, thoughts, and guidance that has helped me through the first 100 days in office.
Bravo Zulu to our members of Flo lla 32 Fort Lauderdale who were awarded the Presiden al Volunteer Service Award. This award honors individuals whose service posi vely impacts communi es in every corner of the na on and inspires others to serve as well. Auxiliary photo-credit District 7 Facebook page
The first month involved ge ng to know each DCDR and their unique leadership styles. Each division had its own set of accomplishments and challenges, and no two DCDRs were alike in their style, goals or personality. I soon found out that I had to become adaptable to each one to be an effec ve leader. The three Auxiliary Sector Coordinators were different as well; each of them was in their second term and had established a rapport with their Sector, and each had a dis nc ve rela onship and role in Sector opera ons I decided to take the same leadership approach as District Captain that had served me well as a DCDR. In every conversa on, every email message and every report, I tried to include the words, “One Team, One Mission.” In essence, it means that although we are very different in our backgrounds, personali es, cultures, skills sets and personal goals, our shared goal is to provide excellent service to the United BREEZE
Issue 1 2020
States Coast Guard, the public and our members. This is reflected in our mission statement to which the en re District 7 East leadership team contributed: “District 7 East is comprised of three sectors, six divisions, 34 flo llas and 1,557 members. It is my goal to provide excellent service to the District Commodore, District Chief of Staff, District 7 East Division Commanders, Auxiliary Sector Coordinators and members by being responsive, transparent, innovave and effec ve. District 7 East provides excellent administra ve and opera onal support to the Coast Guard by using the best prac ces and the best qualified personnel to be proficient and safe. We provide honest, accurate, and mely communica on and responses. We support our members by engaging them through meaningful and effec ve training and educa onal opportuni es. We recognize members who provide superior services and take the me to (Con nued on page 26)
Newsletter for District 7 USCG Auxiliary
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