Greetings shipmates to the fall 2024 Division 6 newsletter, a collaboration of our division and its six flotillas.
First, I want to thank everyone who volunteered and who made our division great this year. Your willingness to devote your time, energy, and talents in support of the Auxiliary allows us to fulfill our missions supporting the Coast Guard and educating the boating public.
Division 6 has been active in most area missions, and a leader in many.
Our accomplishments are many. Some of the highlights:
⚓ Division 6 is consistently the leader among the nine divisions in our district, 11SR.
⚓ Our mission activity hours are 31% of the district’s total – 44,574 hours. That’s 206 hours for every member in the division. (That includes every member, whether contributing hours or not.)
⚓ Our 216 members are 17% of the total district membership of 1,150.
⚓ Our flotillas have all made impressive gains in adding new members, with 18 this year and more to come.
⚓ We contributed 2,665 marine dealer visits this year, a record-breaking high. And two members are in the top 10 nationwide.
⚓ Members worked 1,776 public affairs hours this year, including many high-profile events with press coverage: Armed Forces Day, Fleet Week, USCGC Narwhal public tours, Pacific Airshow, Ocean Institute Maritime Festival and tall ships, and National Safe Boating Week events, to name a few.
⚓ Comms team hours this year are 723, including working Auxnet, radio guard/support for Aux patrols and events such as the tall ships regatta and the Huntington Beach air show.
⚓ Public education classes have surged this year with 549 teaching hours, and are once again offered throughout Orange County.
⚓ Culinary assistants activities have increased tremendously to 1,106 hours providing support to the galley at LA/LB and at many underway missions on cutters.
⚓ We even contributed 1,019 interpreter hours, in large part through just one member’s Coast Guard deployment.
Meanwhile, Coastie the remote controlled robot cutter has been popular at our public affairs events, even among adults.
Our publications have been tremendous this year as evidenced by this and earlier professionally produced internet newsletters.
Communication preferences of division members were researched and propelled changes to the ways Division 6 and its flotillas communicate with members. More than 70% of members now open emailed division publications.
Websites are regularly populated with events and photos featuring our members.
Our vessel examiners performed 1,189 vessel exams, including some at Santa Catalina Island.
Even with our limited number of surface facilities and crews (5 boats, 3 coxswains, and 7 certified boat crew), several patrols throughout the division were conducted, including boat crew training and requalifications, OPTREX, annual currency maintenance task certification, PATON verifications, Coast Guard air and cutter training support, and regattas.
We also completed half of our navigation systems verifications.
And let’s not forget our division and flotilla staff officers who support our work.
Our flotilla websites have never been better. We achieved the Auxiliary’s 3-star diversity award. Our financial position is strong, financial reporting is compliant, and we achieved a midyear transition in FN officers.
With the increase in hours, our data approvals and entries have been robust but always up to date. Assisting flotillas and members with IS and training, providing reports to division and our FC’s member hours, certifications, REYR, uniform and personal protective equipment inspections.
A huge amount of materiel has been supplied supporting our PA activities this year, and the obtaining new and replacement personal protective equipment for members.
Member training has kept flotillas up to date with courses, certification requirements and early warning of upcoming REYR. Planning and class construction has been completed with operations to offer a boat crew class.
Our division minutes are always on time, accurate and compliant.
As we continue to strive for alignment with the regular duty Coast Guard, our uniform inspection program is an important measure. We are 82% completed and compare favorably with the district’s 56% overall compliance.
Take pride in the fact that it’s you who did the work, and it’s you who achieved the results.
Upcoming Events:
Our division will have a new commander and vice commander next year. Rudy Lopez and Rick Latronico were elected DCDR and VCDR, respectively.
As they assume their new duties, I know they can count on your support and engagement as they lead our division forward.
Of our six 2024 flotilla commanders, five have continued into 2025.
As we approach the end of 2024, this is a time to thank our flotilla commanders and the 17 division staff officers (see photo below) who have served our division so well. They all come from your flotillas, and I encourage you to thank them for what they do for you.
I have been privileged to work with them and be a part of the outstanding results they have led and helped to create with you, our 216 members.
Look through the pages on this web site and see your accomplishments. So, thanks for all you do.
With appreciation and respect,
Garry
*A special thanks to Walt Baranger, Division 6 SO-PB, for producing this newsletter.
