Inside This Issue Official Publication of District 4 - A Unit of United States Power Squadrons Fall / Winter 2019 UNITED STATES POWER SQUADRONS Commander’s Message 1 Commander’s Farewell Message 3 Gourmet Your Way 4 LSPS Clam Bake 8 District 4 Conference 10 Massive Ship Stranded on Rocks at Niagara Falls for 101 Years 14 DanBoater 15 Barnegat Bay Sail & Power Squadron to Join with Shrewsbury Power Squadron 16 Holiday Parties 17 Last Horizon 24 Save the Date 25 Commander’s Message D/C Chris Windeler, SN-ON Commander’s Message D/C Chris Windeler I have not heard of any D4 member who has caught the virus. I am hoping we all stay well. It is nice being considered non-essential sometimes. The word for today is change. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome is insanity according to Einstein. We keep hearing the buzzword Membership. To become a new member that person needs to buy into what we have to offer. What do we have to offer: Member Benefits which all organizations have, Civic Opportunities like VSC and beach clean-up, we need some more? Mostly what we have is Knowledge which we have tried to impart through our face to face classes, seminars and on the water teaching. As an experienced group of boaters most of our current members have enjoyed the classes that interested them. Our new students will most likely be from the boating public. We frequently talk about the cost of the course as the dollars paid. (please see following page)
Transcript
Inside This Issue
Official Publication of District 4 - A Unit of United States Power Squadrons
Fall / Winter 2019
UNITED STATES POWER SQUADRONS
Commander’s Message 1
Commander’s Farewell Message 3
Gourmet Your Way 4
LSPS Clam Bake 8
District 4 Conference 10
Massive Ship Stranded on Rocks at
Niagara Falls for 101 Years14
DanBoater 15
Barnegat Bay Sail & Power
Squadron to Join with
Shrewsbury Power Squadron
16
Holiday Parties 17
Last Horizon 24
Save the Date 25
Commander’s Message
D/C Chris Windeler, SN-ON
Commander’s MessageD/C Chris Windeler
I have not heard of any D4 member who has
caught the virus. I am hoping we all stay well. It
is nice being considered non-essential
sometimes.
The word for today is change. Doing the same
thing over and over again and expecting a
different outcome is insanity according to
Einstein. We keep hearing the buzzword
Membership. To become a new member that
person needs to buy into what we have to offer.
What do we have to offer: Member Benefits
which all organizations have, Civic Opportunities
like VSC and beach clean-up, we need some
more? Mostly what we have is Knowledge which
we have tried to impart through our face to face
classes, seminars and on the water teaching.
As an experienced group of boaters most of our
current members have enjoyed the classes that
interested them. Our new students will most
likely be from the boating public. We frequently
talk about the cost of the course as the dollars
paid.
(please see following page)
United States Power Squadron District 4 Page 2
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Today the cost of the course includes the fee as always but includes the convenience of
getting to class, the location of the class, the frequency the class is given, the class size,
etc. So, one of the changes we need to make is to add online to face to face classroom
instruction. Those who will travel will continue to appreciate the classroom and those who
cannot will be on-line. Part of this change will be teaching the instructors virtual skills. A
recent PowerPoint for virtual meeting was recently sent to all squadron commanders.
As a group we have significant knowledge in actual boat handling and OTW skills. We have
talked about it for years but haven’t emphasized it sufficiently to our advantage: BOC, Jump
Start, OTW training. I hope we can take advantage of this knowledge and engage with the
public.
We need the participation of all our members, with and without boats, to make these
programs go forward. If your participation has diminished over the years, this is a time to
renew your activity.
D/C Chris Windeler SN-ON
Commander’s Message
D/C Chris Windeler, SN-ON
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I am writing to thank you all for the great honor of serving as the Commander of District 4
over the past year. Throughout the year I have visited most of our squadrons and learned
about the different ways each squadron does business. I have made new friendships that
will endure for the rest of my life. We changed the way we do business by moving our
district council meetings from weeknights to Saturday. The response to this has been
overwhelming as the number of attendees has increased significantly.
The Covid-19 virus has changed the way that we do business. Meetings, social activities,
boating safety operations such as cooperative charting and vessel safety checks have been
put on hold to safeguard our greatest asset, our membership. I urge you to take whatever
steps are necessary for you to protect yourselves and your loved ones. This virus will not
last forever. In time, we shall resume the business of the United States Power Squadrons
(America’s Boating Club) by teaching boating safety to the public and to the members. Stay
the course.
I wish our new Commander Chris Windeler and his bridge the best of luck in the ensuing
year. Finally, thank you to my bridge officers, committee chairs, and members for the hard
work they have contributed to our organization.
Stay well and best wishes,
P/D/C Bennett D. Schneider, P
Commander’s Farewell Message
Raritan Bay Family Barbeque
“Gourmet Your Way”
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Alvin P. Williams Memorial Park
Sewaren, NJ
United States Power Squadron District 4 Page 4
Raritan Bay Family Barbeque
“Gourmet Your Way”
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Alvin P. Williams Memorial Park
Sewaren, NJ
United States Power Squadron District 4 Page 5
Raritan Bay Family Barbeque
“Gourmet Your Way”
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Alvin P. Williams Memorial Park
Sewaren, NJ
United States Power Squadron District 4 Page 6
Raritan Bay Family Barbeque
“Gourmet Your Way”
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Alvin P. Williams Memorial Park
Sewaren, NJ
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Lackawanna Sail and
Power Squadron’s
Clam Bake September 28th
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Lackawanna Sail and Power
Squadron’s
Clam Bake
September 28th
District 4 Fall Conference
2019
By Cdr. Ted Wallace, AP-IN
November 9, 2019, District 4 held its Fall Conference at the San Carlos Restaurant in
Lyndhurst, N.J. There were 34 members of District 4, 7 members of District 3 and 2 guest
speakers in attendance.
District Commander Bennett Schneider, P, called the meeting to order and after the colors
were posted by the honor guard which consisted of past district commanders, District 4
Chaplain Joel Jones delivered a beautiful Grace.
After the Grace, the commander introduced the bridge officers, the past district
commanders who were present, the past district education officers who were present, the
squadron commanders who were present and our District 3 Honored Guests
Upon completion of the introductions, D/C Schneider made a few brief remarks and then
proceeded to deliver the chief commander’s remarks to the district.
Next up was R/C Richard Zucchi, who serves on the USPS National Rules Committee,
who presented an explanation on the upcoming changes to the national by-laws and their
impact on the district and our local squadrons. During his presentation, he asked for a
motion to follow the national guidelines that the district only hold one conference per year
unless a fall conference is deemed necessary. The motion was made and passed,
eliminating further fall conferences.
P/R/C Christopher Windeler, SN, next presented national’s “Introduction to Jump Start”,
followed by an open forum for questions.
Upon the conclusion of the forum, awards were presented for 50 years of membership,
the District 4 Educational Achievement Award, and the District 4 Nominee for the USPS
Chapman Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Those members of District 4 who were awarded their 50 year membership plaques were:
Carlton E. Lee, Jr., Delius E. Wilson, William C. Harvey, Alan R. Cooper, Richard V.
Fiorentini, Anthony Pintauro, Jr., Jack I. Appel, James W. Ulrich, Philip A. Costello, Richard
Swackhamer, and Robert D. Verkouille. The winner of the District 4 Educational
Achievement Award and the USPS Chapman Award District 4 Nominee was P/C Gary
Mandarano, SN from City Island Sail and Power Squadron.
D4 Educational Officer Richard Pfaff gave a short introduction and explanation of Share
File, a system that allows members to store and retrieve files stored by others.
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District 4 Fall Conference
2019
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After the awards were presented, pictures taken, and presentations given, the commander
recessed the meeting for a buffet lunch.
After lunch there was a presentation from our guest speakers, Steve and Maureen
Langevin, who are PADI Certified Dive Instructors. The program presented was “Diving off
the Northeast Coast” and “Professional Women Divers”. The presentation was excellent.
After the guest speakers completed their presentation, the commander reconvened the
meeting and called for the bridge officer reports. D/Lt/C Ted Wallace reported that the
district is planning on a cruise from Bayonne, N.J. to Bermuda and back in May of 2020 and
that the flyer and further information will be coming out shortly.
D/Lt/C Robert Phillips gave his financial report and presented the D4 Budget for 2020,
then called for a motion to approve. After an explanation of the budget, a motion was made
to accept and approve the budget.
Upon completion of the business meeting and having no further business to discuss, the
commander thanked all of the members present, the members from District 3 for their
participation, and gave a special thank you to the meetings committee for their hard work in
making the conference a success.
The colors were then retired, Chaplain Jones presented a Benediction prayer, and the
commander adjourned the meeting.
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District 4 Fall Conference
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District 4 Fall Conference
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For more than a century, the dumping scow was considered an unmovable landmark —
then it shifted Thursday, Nov. 3, 2019. Severe rain and wind have managed to move a
massive iron scow that has been stuck on a rocky perch near Niagara Falls since 1918.
For 101 years, the scow was considered to be an unmovable landmark — until it was
dislodged Thursday, according to Niagara Parks. The ship, which has deteriorated over the
last century, appeared to have flipped over and spun on its side. The scow originally broke
loose from its tow during a dredging expedition in Canada's Niagara River on Aug. 6, 1918,
about a mile from the Horseshoe Falls, and drifted into the river’s midstream near the
border of Ontario and New York state. Two men were on board as the ship began to move
along toward the edge of the falls.
Gustav Lofberg, 51, and James Harris, 53, opened the scow’s bottom dumping doors to
flood its compartments and slow the ship down before they plunged over the falls,
according to Niagara Parks. The men were marooned in the middle of the river's rapids
after the scow got stuck on rocks in the stream.
The U.S. Coast Guard and Canadian authorities managed to rescue Harris and Lofberg by
the next morning, but salvaging the scow seemed impossible. The old iron boat has
remained in the river for more than 101 years before this Halloween (2019)
