Aroostook Valley Poop Sheet

 

THE AVSPS BRIDGE

 

  Commander: Cdr. William F. Bergen, P

   wbergen@ainop.com / 207-764-3723

 

  Executive Officer: Lt. Cdr. Joseph A. Mack, P

   drj101847@maine.rr.com / 207-762-6027

 

  Education Officer: Lt. Cdr. William A. Smythe, P

   wsmythe@ainop.com / 207-7643207

 

  Administration Officer: Lt. Cdr.Frederick A. Bowker, P

   kalb@wmconnect.com / 207-473-4032

 

  Treasurer: Lt. Cdr. Ivan N. Pratt, P

   ipratt@ainop.com / 207-764-6085

 

  Secretary: Lt. Cdr. Mary B. Bergen, P

   wbergen@ainop.com / 207-764-3723

___________________________________________

 

  AVPS Editor: Lt. Norman W. Johnson, P

 

Commander’s Corner

 

Thanks to the efforts of several, but especially Lt. Norman Johnson, P and Lt. Russell Mount, P, we have seven persons taking the Squadron Boating course.  We expect the future courses to be held as part of the Presque Isle High School Adult Ed program and will continue to use the Mark and Emily Turner Library in Presque Isle for our advanced courses that are too big for the Squadron Classroom.

 

Mary and I attended the annual meeting of the United States Power Squadrons in Orlando in January and had a very nice stay in Orlando.  We had a great room, at a reduced price for the USPS.  There were excellent exhibits on teaching aids submitted by squadrons from all over the country, an EXPO with about fifty booths to help individual squadrons with activities and benefits, and workshops on various subjects of interest to Power Squadron members and free-lance boaters as well.  We had fun, learned some, met new friends, and ate lots of delicious food.  It was, once again, a good experience.  And while there I learned about programs available to us through which the national headquarters will assist the local squadron financially.

 

AVSPS recently has gained another level of recognition in Aroostook County.  Debora Rhome, S  spoke to the Limestone Rotary Club about safety afloat and especially the need to wear personal floating devices.  Cdr. Bergen, P addressed about one hundred persons at the PI Rotary about the three major missions of the United States Power Squadrons, viz. boating safety education, cooperative charting and vessel safety check. 

 

Remember to keep squadron members in your prayers:  Cathy Bowker who has been fighting an illness for several months, but is doing much better; and Dimsie Clark’s daughter, Andrea, who is recovering from a post partum intracranial bleed.

 

Election of Officers will be held at the April 12^th squadron meeting with Change Of Watch and Induction of new members to be held as part of a barbeque on May 21^st.  We will be honored by the presence of District Commander William Maloy, AP at our Change Of Watch.  Lt/C Ivan Pratt has again volunteered to serve as our Chef. Also, a D19 overnight Regatta is planned on the Scotia Prince out of Portland.  It will be an evening sail, returning the next evening with the event sponsored by our District 19.  Those who have participated in the past, praise the event as a great enjoyment.  Tickets will be available at reduced rates for members of District 19  (That’s us!).

 

Are you willing to serve at a District level post?  I have been nominated to be the next District 19 Administrative Officer and really look forward to the challenge.  I believe we do a great deal for our community and nation, and feel we are serving our country through the USPS missions.  District Commander Maloy has expressed his hope that AVSPS will get more involved at the District 19 level.  He needs someone to be the Property Officer for the District.  Anyone interested, please get in touch with me; I will let you know just what is involved.  Consider attending the April 2-3 D19 Conference!!! 

 

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

 

The second Tue. of each month is a Squadron meeting, with every other month having a program. March and May are program months.

March 16th	Seamanship 101 & 102.
April 1-3	District Conference, South Portland.
April 9th and 10th	Sportsman’s Show.P.I.
April 12th	Annual Meeting Election of Officers.
April 21st	Engine Maintenance.
April 23rd	OTC.
May 21st	Induction of New Members and Change of Watch.
June 17th	District 19 Regatta, Portland.
July 16th & 17th	Penobscot Bay Regatta, Belfast.

 

 

EDUCATION

 

Your education committee has been very busy this winter. We are finishing up on our Squadron Boating Course that is being taught at the PI Public Library. We have six students and several seem interested in joining our Squadron after they complete the course. Many thanks to our instructors: Russell Mount, Ivan Pratt and Bill Bergen.

 

We had a Bridge Planning Meeting on January 22, 2005 and came up with some changes to our course schedule:

 

1.  We will only offer one Squadron Boating Course per year and we will do it again next spring. Apparently there is not enough interest to offer it twice a year. After much discussion it was decided to try to relocate our classroom back at Presque Isle High School under their Adult Education department. Bill Smythe will talk to John Graves, who is running that department, to see if we can fit in again with their schedule they felt that we might reach more potential students by being listed in their booklet.

 

2.   We will offer one Seamanship course a year that will be taught in the fall. Seamanship is the next course after Boating and needs to be taken before going on to other courses.

 

3.   The Piloting course will be offered in the spring if there is sufficient interest.

 

4.   Operations Training will be offered in April and November to any who are interested. It will be held on a Saturday and if interested, please contact Cmdr. Bill Bergen. The course is very informative on USPS protocol and where they are at on National and District levels.

 

5   .We still would like to offer the following courses but no firm dates have been established:  Cruise Planning, Marine Electronics, Radio and GPS.  Bill Smythe will contact Garmin to see if there is a program to get sample machines so all course participants are looking at the same information.

 

6.  Stuart Gelder will be offering a course on Vessel Safety Check as well as a refresher course sometime this spring.

 

Finally, we will be having a meeting of the Education Committee in the near future to firm up the schedule.

 

OUT AND ABOUT

 

THE PARADE OF LIGHTS

 

Once again this year, for the fourth consecutive time, the Aroostook Valley Sail and Power Squadron, the northern most squadron east of the Mississippi, entered their float into the Christmas parade in Presque Isle, Maine.  With snow on the ground and temperatures in the teens, they wore their life jackets and promoted safety and education to the thousands of local citizens who braved the cold to watch the Parade of Lights on December fourth.  The group, chartered in November of 2003, is offering twelve courses to the public and its members this year.

 

AVSPS GUEST AT LOCAL ROTARY CLUBS

 

The Aroostook Valley Sail and Power Squadron has recently gained another level of recognition in The County, having been the invited guest of two local Rotary Clubs.  Debbie Rhome spoke to the Limestone Club in November, stressing the importance of vessel safety and, particularly the wearing of personal floatation devices.  On January 10 Commander Bergen was the guest speaker at the Presque Isle Rotary Club and told an audience of about one hundred of the three major missions of the United States Power Squadrons, boating safety education, cooperative charting and vessel safety check.

 

WEATHER OR NOT!

 

Fifteen of our members have not only completed the Basic Weather Course, but have had the opportunity to attend a lecture by Tony Mignon of the National Wether Service who spoke at our last “Program Meeting” on January 11^th.  Tony had been the official weatherman for the Australian at the America’s Cup sailing race in1983 at Newport, Rhode Island.  That was the year and the team that took the America’s Cup away from the United States for the first time.  Tony treated the Squadron to a series of slides from the race and a discussion of his experience with the Australian team.  He also discussed some of the remarkable products now available to the public from the Weather Service.

 

Then, on January 26^th, the Class had the opportunity to visit the Weather Service Station in Caribou, hosted by Tony Sturey.  There they listened to his presentation on the what, when and how of the Weather Service’s many responsibilities, not just in daily prediction of the weather, but in public warnings of weather related disasters, in contributing to the safety and efficiency of air travel, in the efforts of space exploration and many other facets of their work. We were able to witness the launching of a weather balloon, one of two that they launch every day and subsequently toured the operations center of the station where multiple computers track our weather twenty-four hours a day.  It was a very impressive and informative visit.

 

Tony Sturey agreed to conduct another tour for our members who were ubable to make the first one, and to make a presentation, to those Squadron members who are interested, on functions and duties of being a volunteer weather observer for the National Weather Service. 

 

VESSEL SAFETY CHECK CORNER

By Lt. Stuart R. Gelder P

 

THE ABC OF FIRE EXTINGUISHERS – What you really need to know

 

The first thing to consider is what fire extinguisher system does the law require me to have for my vessel?  The good news; whatever the answer is, it is going to be the same for both the U.S. Coast Guard and the State of Maine on both inland and offshore waters.

 

All vessels with an inboard or in/outboard engine must have a fire extinguisher aboard.  Outboard engine-fitted vessels are included only if they have enclosed spaces where gas vapors can build-up. For most boaters the question is, not should I have one, but how many?  This depends largely on the length of the boat.

 

Less than 16’ - one “BI” fire extinguisher.

16’ to 26’ - one “BI” fire extinguisher.

26’ to 40’ - two “BI”s or one “BII”.

 

ONLY extinguishers carrying the B in their combination are legally acceptable for boats. The  Roman numeral I or II refers to the amount of agent in the container.  The simple translation is “BI” small and “BII” big.  Most boaters opt for convenience and so their choice of extinguishing agent is the DRY CHEMICAL type, and the only one discussed here.  A “BI” contains a minimum of 2 lbs and squirts for about 6 seconds and a “BII” holds 10 lbs and lasts for about 20 seconds.  How lucky do you feel with a full 30+ gallon gas tank and your legal BI somewhere in the cabin?  Think about it now, not later.

 

Now for the demystification of the ABC.  The letters simple represent the types of material on fire. Why is “B” so important?  Because it represents flammable liquids. “C” refers to electrical fires while “A” covers anything that will leave an ash, for example wood or paper.  When you look more closely at the ABC you will see they are preceded by Arabic numbers (we’ve moved on from Roman’s).  Very simply these numbers are calculated on what size fire of the three types will a total discharge extinguish (on your lucky day).  That’s nice but what should I buy?

 

Can’t answer that but let me put some perspective into your decision. The smallest “BI” (2 lbs) is rated at 5-B:C and the largest (5 lbs) at 3-A;40-B:C. A “BII” starts at 10 lbs and is rated at 4-A;60-B:C. Remember, the legal minimum will keep the VE happy but if you need an extinguisher will yours save the people aboard and possibly the boat?  As skipper, you are responsible as we remember Ted B. pointing out repeatedly.

 

This short note will keep you legal, but the safe bit depends on you.  I don’t  give advice, but I only listen to someone who’s put a fire out.  One last thing, if it doesn’t say “Marine type USCG approved” somewhere on the extinguisher, you’re in trouble!

 

(Information sources used included the USCG booklet and West Marine supply catalog).

 

District 19 Happenings

 

Regatta

District 19 has announced its 2005 District Regatta—it will be a repeat, by popular demand of the 2004 regatta, an overnight cruise aboard the Scotia Prince!

These are the tentative arrangements:  the ship will leave Portland, ME at 2000 on June 17, 2005, sail to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and return to Portland at 1900 on June 18.  Cost is $82.00 per person in a double cabin with toilet and shower.  Price includes breakfast and afternoon buffets, Casino, live band, dancing, floorshow, full service bar, duty free shopping and whale watching.  Other food service is available for additional cost.  For more information contact Bill Bergen, or District Commander Bill Maloy, AP at (207) 878-5653 or email at wilibi2@maine.rr.com.  Fair winds, and smooth sailing!!!

 

District Spring Conference

 

PROGRAM FOR DISTRICT 19 SPRING CONFERENCE      1 - 3 April 2005        

South Portland, Maine.

 

Saturday, 2 April 2005

Educational Seminar

 

 

Another auction is set for this year. Bring your wallets.

 

Non Member’s Program TBA. 

 

Sunday, 3 April 2005

District 19 Conference

 

0730	Commander’s Down East Complete Buffet.
0900	Introduction of R/C Gerald Grofman, SN, and guests The Chief message presented by R/C G. Grofman,SN followed by an Open Forum, a chance to converse with National Representative. Prepared questions suggested.
1000	Coffee break.
1015	District Business Meeting.             1)         Presentation of Colors             2)         Invocation             3)         Roll Call of Delegates             4)         Reading of minutes of Fall Confeence             5)         Other Business             6)         Presentation of Awards             7)         Old Business             8)         New Business             9)         District 19 Change of Watch             10)      New District Commander’s remarks             11)      Retire the Colors             12)      Benediction

 

Uniforms of the Day

Suitable civilian attire may be worn at any function.

 

 

Classified and The Galley

FROM THE HAPPY CHEF

 

A very active Dr. member of our squadron, after tasting this concoction, urged me to submit this. I venture to say that he feels that it is worth the slight elevation of cholesterol that you might gain

 

PORK SAUSAGE:

 

Ground sage: 1 oz. Or 23 tsp.

Ground pepper: 1 1/2 oz. or 17 tsp.

Salt:  4 1/2 oz. Or 21 tsp.

Rosemary: 10 tsp.

Mix all the spices well and use the mix as follows in cut up meat.

 

2 pounds...3.25 Tsp

4 pounds...4 Tbsp

6 pounds...7.75 Tbsp

8 pounds...9.25 Tbsp

 

Sausage meat (use pork butts) should have 20‑25% fat. This may sound like a lot. However, you will find that this is a nice amount for frying and it gives good flavor. Ever wonder what the fat content must be in that store brand that floats in a 1/2 inch of fat in the pan? Cut the meat into 1 inch strips that will feed nicely into the grinder. Mix the spices evenly and thoroughly into the cut up meat. This step is very important so that there will be no "hot spots" in the sausage.

 

Grind the meat. Form into small round loaves 1/2 to 1 pound each, depending on your needs.  Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for later use. Sausage will keep well for 5‑6 weeks. Due to the salt content, the quality will deteriorate after that period of time. One last tip for easy slicing for frying… take frozen roll and microwave for 20‑30 seconds til partially thawed. Sausage slices much more easily this way than fully thawed. Enjoy! The happy chef has been known to give out samples.

 

No Classified this Month.

 

DUES UPDATE 1 JUNE 2005 - 31 MAY 2006

From Ivan Pratt, Treasurer

 

We have 38 members in the squadron. With the hope of more from the graduating class of "basic boating".

 

A little different method of collecting dues this year.  Your treasurer will not be collecting from the members. National will bill each of you individually. There are no increases in the dues for this coming year. You should receive your bill quite a few weeks before the June 1 renewal. I urge each and every one of you to be diligent with renewing

 

Don’t forget to visit our web site,  www.avsps.org

 

Please check your name, phone, address, and e-mail for correctness, and let us know if there are any errors.

                                                           

 

         LET US ALL PRACTICE WHAT WE PREACH

REMEMBER TO ALWAYS WEAR YOUR LIFE JACKET

AND

SAFE BOATING