SCUTTLEBUTT January - February 2015

PO Box 71 Gabriola BC V0R 1X0

http://powersquadron.gabriola.org/

Canadian Power and Sail SquadronsGabriola Island Squadron

“Gabriola Power Squadron”

http://www.vind.caA Squadron in Vancouver Island North District

Calm waters and fair winds in the New Year

MEMBERSHIP REMINDER

Many of you have been notified by Headquarters regarding your membership renewals. It is easy to renew on-line. Just go to CPS-ECP and click on membership. On-line renewal and rejoin is a great way to go. It is so quick and easy. And have a look at the CPS benefits of being a member.

For more info call our Membership Officer, Elaine Pearce 247-7538

POSITION NAME PHONECommander Ralph Hagen, AP 250 247-8491Past Commander Robert Derksen 250 247-9792Executive Officer Mike Hoeinghaus, AP 250 247-8799Education Officer Bob Weenk 250 247-0267Secretary Robert Derksen 250 247-9792Financial Officer Jude Briscoe 250 247-8600Membership Officer Elaine Pearce 250 247-7538PRO Bert terHart 250 247-9301MAREP Bill Kalbfleisch 250 247-8027Webmasters Robert Derksen

Bill Kalbfleisch250 247-9792 250 247-8027

Communications Officer &Scuttlebutt Editor

Don Butt, AP 250 247-7804

Member at Large Steve Kitchen 250 247-9240Member at Large Jean-Pierre van Praet 250 2473064Privacy Officer Don Butt, AP 250 247-7804

Your Squadron Bridge 2014 - 2015

Christmas Party Jude and the perfectly roast-ed turkeys

Hiromi and Mary select-ing the songs from the carol sheets

The crowd enjoying best potluck ever

Life Member Rufus, Mary and Bee

Hiromi brought the family - thanks for playing for our carol singing

The 50-50 draw - that’s a long line of tickets!

The year in review The Social Program - a busy year

Sunday, January 12, 2014: Doug Harrison, Gabriola artist and authority on the logging history of Van-couver Island, presented The History of Railroad Logging on the BC Coast. See Doug’s poster. The proceeds of the this evening went to help equip the Ladysmith & District Royal Marine Search and Rescue Society’s new vessel to equip the vessel with necessary electronic gear.

Sunday, February 9, 2014: Paul Giffen of the Coast Emergency Communications Associa-tion presented on the emergency preparedness communications systems that are in place, ready to be activated when an emergency strikes our region.

Sunday, March 9, 2014: Bert terHart showed his awesome pictures and described some harrowing details about his 2013 sailing trip with Christine to the Aleutian Islands and the Bering Sea.

The Social Program - cont.

Saturday, October 11 2014: Mike Phillips of the marine division gave us an insightful presentation of the RCMP’s Coast Watch program.

The Cruising Program

Saturday June 14: In spite of showers Wake’s Cove echoed with our laughter. Good food, and spectacular walk through the huge trees in the park topped it off. A picnic in the rain is OK after all.

The Cruising Program - cont.

End of July we cruised to the Burrard Inlet for two days to view the amazing fireworks, not to mention delicious goodies at the happy hour.

The Courtesy Safety Check

Program Two of the volunteers, Bill Kalbfleisch and Bob Derksen, checking out one of the boats, A Cappella, at the beginning of the summer

The Education Program - what we are really all about

Boating Basics

Boating Essentials

Gabriola Squadron earned the top marks in this course in the Vancouver Island District

Seamanship

Fall 2014

Radio

Lil’ Gabe made her presence known around town

T he Awards and AGM

Cdr Ralph presents the Windchime Award to Olver Woolcock

The Graduating Class

Oliver presents the Arthur J. Nielsen Award to Cheryl Bailey, 100% in both PCOC and Essentials!

Service to MembersBoat for sale

A 28-foot Chris Craft Express for sale - Serenity.She has been used carefully and is well maintained ....Vintage fiberglass hullMake an offer.. Russ or Elaine Pearce, 250 247-7538

Decorations on our daughter’s Christmas tree in Ottawa..Ed.

From the WheelhouseRalph Hagen, AP - Commander

2014. That was a good year. In quiet contemplation I review the year and I am satisfied. Elsewhere here I expect you will see Don Butt’s pictorial review of the year which, as I write this, I have not seen.

Throughout the year we met new people in our various classes which Bob Weenk will review. We have continued to welcome new people to the executive to recharge the enthusiasm and bring new energy. We had our Sunday series events last winter and were able to aid our

friends in RCM SAR29 Ladysmith in outfitting their new vessel. We had on the water activities with a picnic at Wakes Cove and an overnighter to one of the fireworks celebration in Vancou-ver. We got acquainted through Mike Reid with the RCMP Marine section even though they do not tell us what they really do. Our AGM event and our Christmas dinner were both happy events. For all of these I am thankful.

The new year 2015 will hopefully see new initiatives and meet the challenges of changing times. Our current operational year ending 31 March will have our winter session classes and then our AGM which will expectedly see a new Commander and new faces on the executive and others in new roles. I look forward to aiding them as best I can in that comfortable role of Past Com-mander.

I hope that you have had a joyous holiday season and I wish the best for this new year.

Ralph Hagen, Commander

Year Programs at a Glance.. Notices to be emailed, details at the Squadron website.

Boating Basics and Boating Essentials - Wednesdays starting January 14.

2015 Social Program - TBA - The Social Committee is in the midst of planning

Marine Radio - Saturday, April 11. Check our website for info on the one-day course

From the Education DepartmentBob Weenk

The fall activities of the Education (formerly Training) department are wrapping up, with the Seamanship take home exams underway and the written portion scheduled. Considering the small class size, the Seamanship went well, with a healthy give and take among the participants. A long course duration with a class that runs ev-ery week from September to December is bound to run into unplanned and unforeseen disruptions. Our participants’ real lives can get in the way of the orderly instruction schedule. It is hoped that CPS might find a way to allow the process to proceed, mindful of students’ realities of their everyday obligations and the little world we attempt to create every Wednesday evening.

The advertising has begun for the Spring Basics and Essentials courses; Basics to commence on January 14, with Essentials following directly after. At present enrollment is small, but numbers are high enough to allow us to proceed without incurring financial loss. Hopefully, more prospective students will emerge before the opening dates. If you know anyone who might be interested, have them register on-line, or phone me at 250 247-0267.

There is also at least one spring Radio course; however, we are in the process of re establishing a date in order to avoid scheduling conflicts. Stay Tuned.

If anyone is interested, the Victoria Squadron of Vancouver Island South District is holding a Junior Navigator course, beginning in January. Information regarding the composition of the course is available at http://www.victoriasquadron.ca/courses/advanced-courses/junior-naviga-tor.html, but it includes advanced instruction in Navigation and the use of a sextant. Please feel free to contact me for further information.

As a final note, we were informed recently that membership in CPS-ECP is now open to any-one who has passed a PCOC exam, regardless of the location or sponsor of the exam. This is a strategy to bolster membership numbers that have been dropping in the past few years. While I don’t expect this announcement will affect us much to us out here, our education program remains strong and relevant to our boating public, which is our overall mission.

Bob Weenk, Squadron Education Officer

Now Hear This..