Beginning with the March, 2006 District Board Meeting, Division Captain Reports will be available as PDF files. This prevents a duplication of effort on the part of the CS Staff in presenting the reports.

Larry West - DSO-CS

DCP 5 report to the District Commodore for June, 2007 (PDF will open in a new window).
DCP 5 report to the District Commodore for January, 2007 (PDF will open in a new window).
DCP 5 report to the District Commodore for September, 2006 (PDF will open in a new window).
DCP 5 report to the District Commodore for March, 2006 (130k PDF will open in a new window).

Date: February 28, 2005

From: Donald W. Reilly, DCP-05

To: 1st Southern Region District Board

Subject: Division 5 Report

PUBLIC EDUCATION

- Flotilla 5-2 started BS&S class in February.

- Flotilla 5-3 will be presenting the ABC course starting in March with an additional four more ABC courses planned for the year. The GPS course will also be offered to the public this year.

- Flotilla 5-10 has commenced its 14 week BS&S class at Hunter College.

MEMBER TRAINING

- Ralph Irizarry, SO-VE, of Flotilla 5-4, will be conducting a mandatory VE Workshop in combination with the IT Workshop in City Island at the end of March.

- Ed Donovan, SO-OP, of Flotilla 5-2, will be presenting the AUXWEA course.

- Pete Rodriguez, SO-MT, of Flotilla 5-4 is currently presenting AUXSEA.

- Boat Crew and Coxswain Training will start March 10th at the Ossining Boat Club thanks to Vinny Stafford of Division 6. We have 12 trainees signed up so far.

- Lt. St Jeanos will be setting up ICS-200 training in the early spring at ACTNY.

- We are actively recruiting Aviation Trainees and facilitating the qualification process of current trainees.

FACILTIES

We have two new approved radio facilities, one in Flotilla 5-4 and the other in Flotilla
5-2. To date Division 5 has 6 mobile land facilities and 3 fixed land radio facilities.

CAREER COUNSELING
We are actively contacting and visiting area high schools and distributing AIM recruiting material.

Respectfully submitted,
Donald W. Reilly
Division 5 Captain, 1st (SR)

Date: January 09, 2005

From: Donald W. Reilly, DCP-05

To: 1st Southern Region District Board
Subject: Goals for Division 5, 1st District (SR) for 2005.

Division 5 will strive to secure an operational base on the Hudson at one of several points and will continue efforts to secure a similar situation at Governors Island. An operational base is needed for the successful conduct of Auxiliary endeavors and considerable effort will be directed at its creation, hopefully by the end of 2005. The addition of facilities, of several types, to allow expanded operational capabilities will be sought.

We will move quickly and decisively in the area of member retention, development and training.

All divisions seem to suffer from a steady loss of members who, for whatever reason, merely fade away. DCP Reilly and VCP Cohen are of the firmly held belief that erosion of the membership base can successfully be treated. We intend to focus remedial attention on two factors, inclusion and motivation. Both points will be addressed through a variety of means which will help FCs, VFCs and Flotilla Staff Officers improve their sense of what is needed and by whom.

We intend to offer substantive opportunities in many categories of training for those who already have, or will have, expressed interest. For those who have not voiced such interest, we intend to develop it through direct and frequent offers of program participation. Members cannot be expected to express interest in programs about which they have no knowledge.

Some people are shy or reluctant to approach us. We will approach them. Others may have at one time or another expressed a desire to do something or, indicated something that disappointed them. We will revisit these issues. If we pay attention, perhaps we can cause them to do so as well. Individuals join the Coast Guard Auxiliary for a reason. To help them grow we need to know what makes them go!

Our training program now includes elements that may not have before existed.
• In-Door Winter Boat Crew/Coxswain Training
• On-the-Water Crew/Coxswain Training (April/May)
• Basic Boating and Seamanship Classes
Boating Safely Classes (short term )
• Inter-Divisional Training opportunities.

Training soon to come will include:
• ICS – Certification in the Incident Command System
• Team Coordination Training, Winter/Spring
• ATON Training for Division 5, and perhaps other Divisions, Winter/Spring
• PWC, GPS, and other courses, planned for Spring/Summer
• Air Observer Workshop Summer/Fall
• SAR Training planned for Summer/Fall

One of our goals is to help assure that “qualified” members will not loose their certification. Ample opportunities for currency maintenance will be provided. Our plans for the year also include the targeting of members, new, old, and prospective, for the purpose of securing additional operating facilities, of which we have precious few. We also intend to target our friends on the gold side to provide us with the tools and equipment to sustain our activities in the air, on land, and sea. We don’t mind working for free but we need, at very least, the right stuff to work with!

Our Division goals also include efforts directed at bridge-building between Division 5 and other adjacent Divisions. Efforts to date have generated very positive reactions from responsible individuals within several Divisions. We will extend an open hand of friendship and offers of cooperation to all interested parties.

It becomes immediately clear to anyone examining the potential for Auxiliarists to act effectively in any kind of national or local emergency that an Incident Command System (ICS) is necessary. For whatever reason, the Auxiliary has not moved on this. But our Division will. We plan to offer an ICS certification program to prepare our members for proper and effective reaction to any circumstance.

Respectfully submitted,
Donald W. Reilly,
Captain-Division 5

February 19, 2002
From: Paul Zucker DCP-5
To: COMO W. Huling
Subject: March 3, 2002 Captain's Report

1. The new Division 5 Board met in January and set our focus on three major goals for 2002, The Three R's. Our key objectives are to Recruit new members, Re-train existing members and Rebuild two weak flotilla's, while expanding sharing of facilities and training between Divisions in our area.

2. In terms of our first objective to Recruit new members, we have BQ'd 23 new members and are on the way to adding another 10 in March. We seem to be attracting younger members with an active sense of purpose. Our Public Service recruiting announcements on three local Hispanic Radio stations, have drawn half-a -dozen interested parties, and a new Flotilla spanish-based Web-site is expected to be up by mid-March, aimed at further recruiting.

3. Training of members is underway, with a Division-wide Operations recruiting program having sparked the interest of eleven members interested in crew training. Required Workshops have been scheduled for March and April, and we have agreed with Division 6, to allow their members to attend our Workshops, if their people are unable to make a Division 6 scheduled date, and our members will attend a Division 6 Workshop if unable to attend our scheduled date.

4. All of our Flotilla's , save one, have completed Internet Web sites and we will begin the development of a Division site in the Spring.

5. An operational vessel and crews is (are?) on standby at Ft Totten for winter duty. We are still awaiting past-due delivery of Coast Guard winter outer ware from Station NY, prior to going on patrol. Two coxswains attended a Port Security training program at station NY, in February.

6. Our Change of Watch was held on February 3 and was attended by 100 plus people, the largest number ever. Admiral Bennis was the guest speaker, as was RCO-N Tom Venezio and other Station NY/Ft Totten and Diraux representatives.

7. Public Education courses began in February with very strong attendance turnout. Despite the fact that our Division is bordered on all sides by water--the Hudson, the Battery, the East River, the Harlem River and the Long Island Sound, there are few "affordable" marina's in Manhattan for member's to keep boats....hence, a major concentration of our Division is on Public Education for the Manhattan flotilla's, and our typical class sizes run 30 to 60 people per class.

8. We have had a long-standing problem maintaining two Flotilla's on City Island, which is an Island about one mile long by two blocks wide, part of the the Bronx. The two flotilla's compete with a strong Power Squadron unit on the island, and also with each other for PE course attendees and new members. The "island" is just not large enough to support three units.

At one time a few years ago, there was a flotilla, associated with Div 6, in New Rochelle, that was abandoned for lack of membership. New Rochelle is just over the border of our two flotilla's on City Island, and I have reached an agreement with the Division 6 DCP about re-establishing a Flotilla in New Rochelle (about a mile from our City Island Flotillas) by re-organizing our two City Island units into one unit, and transferring some of our City Island members into a New , New Rochelle Flotilla. The Board of the Huguenot Yacht Club in New Rochelle is favorable to our basing a Flotilla out of their marina. Due to the geography of the shoreline, the City Island and New Rochelle marina's are at essentially the same lat/long, with an arbitrary dotted line separating Division 5 from Division 6 on the Long Island shoreline.We currently unofficially patrol their waters, which is few hundred yards from our docks, and respond with the only fireboat Auxiliary vessel in the area. It is our strong belief that this small adjustment to the current Division 5/Division 6 borderline will off-load the overtaxed competitive problem on City Island, and attempt again to revitalize a marginally serviced area. June Haymon, the Div 5 IPDCP, and Dan Cavaluzzi, the former FC of the defunct New Rochelle Flotilla, will put their best efforts toward reorganizing and establishing this new Flotilla. RCO-N Tom Venezio supports this action and is expected to bring the matter to your attention.

9. Look forward to seeing you and the District staff at the March conference.


--- Paul Zucker
--- pjzucker@earthlink.net

December 26, 2001
From: Paul Zucker, DCP-5 Elect
To: Judy Romanowski, D-AA
Subject: January 19 2002, Captain's Report
1. The Division 5 and related Flotilla's completed elections of Officers. Staff Officer appointments have been made at all levels and the Division will be initiating its 2002 efforts at its January 2 Division meeting at the MIO building.

2. We have established our major goals for 2002, which are consistent with those established by the RCO-ACTNY -N elect. Our key objectives are to Recruit new members, Re-Train existing members, and Rebuild two weak Flotilla's, while expanding the sharing of facilities/training between Divisions in our area.

3. We have increased our recruiting activities in view of the interest in volunteerism since Sept 11. In all, we have attracted more than 20 new members, who have, or are, in the process of being BQ'd. We ran Public Service announcements in Spanish on three NYC Hispanic radio stations, with modest, but disappointing results in December. We are planning on requesting Public Service recruiting announcements on a dozen new radio stations in NYC during January. Cdr Seebald will be recording the spot announcements at Tom Venezio's tape facilities, and we are hopeful of generating a number of new potential candidates.

4. Our Change of Watch is scheduled on February 3 at the American Turners Club at Throgs Neck, NY. Admiral Bennis will be attending, as will Coast Guard members from Activities NY and Ft Totten.

5. An operational vessel and crews are on-standby at Ft Totten for winter-time bridge and port security support of the Coast Guard. We are awaiting delivery of winter outerwear to be loaned by Station NY for crew members.

6. The Division participated in three parades...the Columbus Day parade in Morris Park, the Veteran's Day parade in Throngs Neck and the Nov 11th Veteran's Day Parade in Manhattan.

7. A number of Auxiliary aircraft from 1sst Northern and 1st Southern participated in training and familiarization flights at Groton, Ct in Oct. The purpose was to acquaint the USCG Academy cadets with the area and small craft flight. In November, eleven aircraft with 30 pilots flew in to the Academy again for a luncheon with cadets. Most of the participating cadets expressed interest in Flight School after the initiation flights.

8. A number of new Officers, including myself, attended the Leadership Seminar at the Academy on Dec 1. Everyone found the presentations and the material presented to be of substantial use. We all wished that handouts of the presentations could have been available, since so many of the slides contained a good deal of information for which there was little time to take notes on.

9. As June Haymon, DCP-5, reported in her last report, we are still having difficulty resolving a foul-up in reporting crew ours that could affect the status of at least a half-a-dozen current crew members. It is a shame that some members had to go to another Division to maintain currency hours, and that others may lose their crew status because of the actions of a self-directed Auxiliarists. I believe we have the situation in hand for the future, but the current problem will be continued to be worked on.

10. I am looking forward to taking the reins of Division 5. June Haymon could not have been more helpful and supportive of my learning curve, and I am fortunate to have her example to follow.

Paul Zucker

September 23, 2000

1. Re OPSAIL: We are very proud of Division 5 and the amount of participation given by our members. Outstanding work was done by the PA staff-in particular Kay Larson and Leslie Brown. 50,000 brochures were written and distributed not only to the public, but to all Coast Guard Stations, flotillas and also West Marine locations. Phone lines were manned at the MIO building and interviews, photo shoots, transportation of media on water were arranged. Those who volunteered and used their boats and the crews aboard acting as backfill for the Coast Guard are to be congratulated for a super job. Most members worked from the end of June until July 10th doing a professional job. We know this was a huge operation but without willing and trained personnel this main event would not have been possible. Our division put in over 1000 hours. Not bad for the division with the smallest boundaries.

2. A point I would like to make as Captain; a pat on the back once in a while wouldn't hurt. There are so many unsung heroes who ask for nothing-not even a ribbon or a piece of paper with their name on it. OPSAIL was fine, but there are many other events covered by dedicated members that just pass by unnoticed.What would be nice is someone shaking their hand-saying thank you, you are appreciated. Can't say I have ever seen this done. Why not?

3. My second point is an ongoing one-communications. When do district officers communicate with divisions on a personal basis? Since I have been Captain, exactly two district officers have contacted me. What is wrong with a personal phone call to touch base? E-mail is fine but it's usually sent out to 50 or so others.I work better when you talk to me-Charlie Sferra, RCO knows this and is right there and supportive. Unless info is given to the division, the flotillas are uninformed and that's what's happening.

4, On a positive note, our division ran a well attended Communications course and Fl. 54 ran a VSC class, bringing in 6 more Vessel Examiners.

5. Another plus, we held a very successful Division picnic in July at the South Minneford picnic area in City Island. The food was plentiful and the fellowship splendid. It's times like those that one has a chance to really enjoy getting together, relax and appreciate a great organization and the people who make it that way.

6. Our Division Change of Watch held last year was so successful that we are again going to hold it at the American Turners Club, Throggs Neck, Bronx. It will be on a Sunday, Feb. 4th, 2001 from 1100-1400. This is to serve notice to all interested that you are welcome to join us. Mark your calendar and give a call by Jan. 19th. Are you reading, Commander?

7. By the way, Sat. Aug. 5th-Coast Guard Appreciation Day. How come it was a working day for the Auxiliary? We are not appreciated as Team Coast Guard? Back off as you attack me and think about this.

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