Flotilla Health Checkup

ARTICLES OF INTEREST

Flotilla Health Checkup

By Roy Cri�enden, Past Division Captain* 2

(*This office is now called Past Division Commander)

Flo�lla Morale

• How is a�endance at flo�lla mee�ngs? Do at least 35-50% of your members a�end regularly?

• Have you chosen the best day of the week? Some people don’t like to give up their weekends since that may be the only �me they have to spend with their family. Patrols and radio watchstanding already take up some of their �me away from home on weekends.

• Have you chosen the best loca�on for your flo�lla mee�ngs? Does it offer quality food at a reasonable price? Remember that this is a great opportunity to par�cipate in the fourth cornerstone of flo�lla ac�vi�es, Fellowship. The meetings should cover Auxiliary business but should also offer the opportunity for some levity on the part of the membership. Mee�ngs should be fun to a�end so people will look forward to coming. Think for a minute how such a pleasant atmosphere affects visitors or prospec�ve members.

• How well a�ended are flo�lla par�es and Change of Watch ceremonies? Is proper a�en- �on given to planning and adver�sing to the membership?

• Is the elected leadership actually leading by example or simply going through the mo�ons? The flo�lla membership knows the difference.

• Does your flo�lla have a monthly newsle�er? The purpose of newsle�ers is to report to the membership the ac�vi�es of each department and is especially helpful to members who may miss a flo�lla mee�ng. Newsle�ers are also published records of flo�lla ac�vity.

• Do a vast majority of the flo�lla staff officers submit ar�cles to the newsle�er regularly? If they don’t, they may not be doing anything produc�ve for the flo�lla or, even worse, it may be an indica�on that they do not care or take seriously the job they pledged to support.

• In the selec�on of staff officers, is a conscious effort made to match the skills and interests of an individual to the job? The officer is put at a disadvantage if the match is not a good one.

• Every effort should be made to incorporate new members into the flo�lla as soon as possible by helping them achieve a qualifica�on whereby they can contribute to flo�lla goals. Specialty courses for personal development can come later.

• Is �me being set aside at flo�lla mee�ngs for training or some educa�onal experience? Attendance increases if members think they may learn something if they a�end.

(Con�nued on page 9)BREEZE Issue 2 2019 Newsletter for District 7 USCG Auxiliary 8

ARTICLES OF INTEREST

(Con�nued from page 8)Community Out-Reach Programs

• Do you have an effec�ve Public Affairs and Marke�ng program? This is more than a one-person program. The Public Affairs (PA) Officer needs help in ge�ng announcements posted throughout the community for public educa�on courses. If the PA Officer needs assistance in wri�ng ar�cles for publica�on, is there someone with that skill to help?

• Do you have an effec�ve Recrea�onal Boa�ng Safety Program Visitor program? These people are invaluable when it comes to establishing rela�onships with boa�ng supply outlets, marinas, boat dealers, marine repair shops, bait shops and the like. These people should go where the recrea�onal boater goes. There’s an old adage that states “if you want eggs, you go to the henhouse.”

• Do you have an effec�ve Vessel Examiner program? What a great opportunity to discuss safe boa�ng techniques, boa�ng laws and the Auxiliary (who we are and what we do). A�er the discussion, invite them to a�end a flo�lla mee�ng to get a be�er idea of the ac�vi�es of the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

• Do you have an effec�ve and far-reaching Public Educa�on (PE) program? The PE Officer has a big job ordering material, arranging a mee�ng place, doing the necessary paperwork and many other chores only they know. In my opinion, the Public Affairs Officer should work closely with the PE Officer, since they are responsible for all adver- �sing of courses. The Public Affairs Officer could handle the phone calls and registra�on of class par�cipants by placing their name on all adver- �sing as the point of contact. Remember that many of our present members first met us in our safe boa�ng classes.

• Does the flo�lla have an updated and ac�ve recrui�ng program up and running? We will need to replace the members we have lost. True, many of the members we lost were nonpar�cipa�ng members, but we had a few surprises as well. One of our major problems in many flo�llas is that too few members are doing far too much work. One needs only to glance at the

Flo�lla Staff Officer rosters to see that it is not uncommon to see a single member holding two or more staff posi�ons. This overload can and does lead to early “burnout,” sapping the very life out of our best and most ac�ve members. Remember, too that many of these officers are also holding division, district or na�onal posi�ons.

• Does the flo�lla have a website that is kept current? More and more of our customers are computer literate and rely on the Internet for informa�on about the Auxiliary and its programs.

• In areas where there are Coast Guard Recrui�ng Offices, has contact been made to establish a working rela�onship? Many inquiries about the Auxiliary are made through the recrui�ng office simply because their phone number is easier to find.

Opera�onal Ac�vity

• Does your flo�lla have enough surface vessels, coxswain and crew to func�on on the water as the public would expect of an arm of the U.S. Coast Guard? If not, this reflects on the lack of recrui�ng members who are boat owners. It may call for a special recrui�ng program aimed at boat owners. This is accomplished by targeting places where boat owners hang out, such as marinas, lake neighborhoods, etc. It takes a minimum of two facili�es to do training of crew and coxswain and to perform the currency maintenance evolu�ons.

So, how did your flo�lla do on its annual “Health Checkup”? If you find, a�er an honest and thorough evalua�on that you have opportuni�es for improvement, remember that you don’t have to steer the course alone. It is the business of Division Staff Officers to assist Flo�lla Staff Officers in the performance of their du�es. Also, this self-examina�on should offer a star�ng point for your annual flo�lla goals.

Let’s make the organiza�on func�on as it is supposed to func�on. Everyone wants to be a part of a successful flo�lla, just like they want to be a part of a successful business. This whole Coast Guard Auxiliary organiza�on is no stronger or effec�ve than the flo�llas that make it up. The flo�lla is the basic opera�ng unit of the Auxiliary, and it is our responsibility to see that it func�ons as effec�vely as possible. Ω

BREEZE Issue 2 2019 Newsletter er for District 7 USCG Auxiliary 9