[1SR-L] New Year Memo - 001/07

[Announcement List for First Southern District]

To:	ALAUXDIST1SR
Frm:	COMO Venezio, DCO
Subj:	New Year Memo - 001/07


1. Dear Fellow 1SR members:

Let me first offer my best wishes for a safe, healthy and happy New Year!
As I begin my term as the District Commodore, I wanted to share a few brief
thoughts.

First, I want to extend my most sincere appreciation to Immediate Past
Commodore Charles Sferra.  Commodore Sferra and I worked very closely during
the past two years so, this transition has been seamless.  In addition, his
leadership has left the District in good shape and in a strong position to
move forward.  

I would also like to extend hearty congratulations to all of the members of
First Southern.  We have again had a banner year with approximately 40,000
hours in operations, approximately 30,000 hours in other mission support,
over 8600 vessel safety checks, 400 multi-lesson public education courses (a
23% increase over 2005), 6500 program visits (a 13% increase), 230
commercial fishing vessel exams (a 700% increase) and nearly 3,000 member
training hours.  BRAVO ZULU!

As we look to the year ahead, I would like to share with you some of the
goals for the District.

-	We will maintain a focus on the cornerstone missions and work to
balance those missions.  We must continue to support our operational
programs but, ensure that we don't lose our focus on Recreational Boating
Safety (RBS).  The RBS programs in public education, vessel safety checks
and program visits are absolutely essential.   In addition, fellowship
remains an important fourth cornerstone.  When members have an opportunity
to meet and socialize, they build strong bonds of friendship and trust.
That builds a strong organization! 

-	We will continue to build on our emergency response capability.  We
have put in place a number of good structures including developing databases
and implementing mapping software of facilities and member skills,
strengthening our radio communications capacity and implementing response
drills.  In the coming year, we hope to expand our AuxNet and HF radio
capacity even further, we will hold at least one major, district-wide
incident response drill and we will deploy a new Mobile Command Center
trailer for use throughout the District.  Training is the key to success in
this area.  A great place to start is to get the ICS 100, ICS 200, IS 700
and IS 800 incident command courses.

-	Finally, communications is critical to a healthy organization.
Working with the Director and the Executive Committee (EXCOM), we will
strive to provide clear and timely communications both up and down the
"chain".  Communications, however, is everyone's responsibility.  Please
help us share accurate information with all of our shipmates while
minimizing negative comments and unnecessary gossip.

I look forward to an outstanding year ahead in our work together.  I am
proud to stand with you as part of this nation's finest volunteer service
and I am honored and humbled to serve as the District Commodore.  Semper
Paratus!


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Southern abreast of current developments, policies, manuals, etc. 

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4. COMO Venezio, Sends