Awards were  shared at the reception as well.

Sailor of the  Quarter for 1st Quarter 2013 was awarded to YN1 (SS) Michael Alsbrooks. A  former Sea Cadet, Alsbrooks said he loves what he was doing in his current role  on USS Georgia.

Capt. Jaehn,  on behalf of the officers and crew of   USS Georgia (SSGN 729), presented a plaque to the Atlanta Council for  their support and sponsorship.         And on a  lighter note, Capt. Jaehn also awarded to new Atlanta Council Navy League  President Jeff Alexander “Honorary Crewmember of the USS Georgia”. Capt. Jaehn  came to Atlanta to participate the next day in the “Georgia Institute of  Technology Day” at the capitol with Governor Nathan Deal and Georgia Tech  President Dr. G. P. “Bud” Peterson.

Capt. Jaehn, a  native of Ohio, is a graduate of Georgia Tech and was honored for his work and  long service to the Navy. While at the Capitol building Capt. Jaehn introduced  his attending crew and answered questions from the Senate and House of  Representives about the USS Georgia. Capt. Jaehn took command of the USS  Georgia on May 18, 2012 and to its credit,   USS Georgia is one of four submarines to first have female crew members.  An Atlanta Council sponsored boat, USS Georgia recently was awarded the coveted  Battle Efficiency, or Battle “E” award for 2012.

Later Wednesday  afternoon, The Georgia Military Affinity Group of Georgia Tech hosted a  reception for Tech Alumnus CAPT Rhett Jaehn where he delivered a presentation  about USS Georgia to faculty, staff, and students.

The Department “Impact Award” ( Gold  Trophy Cup and Plaque) was given this year to the Morale Department.

Pictured in the photos at right, in the  top photograph from left to right are: Joe Daigneault, BOD Tampa Council NLUS,  Awardee YN1 Luther D. Hammett, Awardee AETC Samuel W. Pulliam, Awardee Lt.  Thomas J. Huntley, and  Jose Gutierrez,  President Tampa Council NLUS.

At  bottom,  from left to right are: Bill  Horne Clearwater City Manager, Paul Gibson Vice Mayor city of Clearwater, Joe  Daigneault BOD Tampa Council NLUS, Awardee YNI Luther D. Hammett, George  Cretekos Mayor city of Clearwater, Awardee AETC   Samuel W. Pulliam, Awardee Lt. Thomas J. Huntley, Mary Scott Hardwick  representing Pinellas County Commissioner Janet Long, Jose Gutierrez President  Tampa Council NLUS, Kathleen Peters Vice President Clearwater Regional Chamber  of Commerce, Bill Morris Director Marine/Aviation Department city of  Clearwater.

Massive across the  board cuts to the defense budget began on March 1 making the job of keeping our  seas safe more difficult.  Further  complicating the matter is the postponed passage of a budget, which has  resulted in an ongoing Continuing Resolution.   As a result of this combination, we have seen the cancelled deployments  of USS Harry S. Truman and guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, delayed  midlife maintenance of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and cancelled  third and fourth quarter ship maintenance in private yards.  According to the Secretary of the Navy,  future cuts will include shutting down Carrier Air Wing Two in April; gradually  standing down or reducing flying time in five additional air wings by the end  of the year; canceling or deferring deployments of up to six ships in April and  laying up four Pacific Command support ships starting in April.  And this is just to name a few!  If we remain on this track, the effects on  our sea services will be devastating!

These cuts will also have serious adverse  effects on millions of civilians who support the Department of Defense as part  of the industrial base.   With government  civilians facing furloughs and industry being forced to downsize, the effects  will be felt far outside of our active duty military and long after the budget  crises has ended.  The implications of  these cuts will continue to be apparent after funding is restored and we  struggle to find enough technically qualified workers.

There is much on the line  for our military, and it is therefore essential that each and every one of us  communicate to the American public and our elected officials the essential  importance of our sea services. We are assisting you in this important role in  several ways.  One of these is through  Community Service Organization Presentations (CSOPs).    If you haven’t already done so, take time  to review them at the following website: www.navyleague.org/councils/csop.html.   It has never been more important for us to  be out in our communities explaining why we need strong sea services.

Last month we chartered  a new council in Tallahassee.  It is  gratifying to see the expansion of the Navy League to the Florida state  capital.  As the sea services and  industry that supports them enter this challenging new time, this extended  reach will be important for the education of the American public and our  elected officials.

The headquarters staff  and National Capital Council are busy preparing for the Sea-Air-Space  Exposition (SAS) to be held April 8-10.   SAS remains America’s largest maritime exposition with more than 180  industry exhibiters.  Throughout the  course of the three days there are more than thirty forums and educational  sessions that connect senior military leaders with industry and individual Navy  Leaguers.  As a reminder, attendance is  free for all Navy League members.

This year the national  Navy League convention will be held in Long Beach, California from June  19-23.  We have been working with the  Long Beach Council to make sure all is in place for a successful event.  The sessions will include topics relating to  council strategies, new ideas for long-term success, and educational sessions  on legislative and public affairs.   As  you are undoubtedly aware, this will also be when we welcome Jim Offutt as the  new president of the Navy League.  Jim  and I have been working closely to ensure a seamless transition come June.  I can assure you he is ready and anxious to  assume the position as your president.   Please consult the convention website for information on accommodations,  the events schedule and registration at www.navyleagueconvention.org.

Every member, get a  member involved,

Philip L Dunmire         National President       Navy League of the United States

Supporting youth programs is an important part of the Navy League’s mission.  As such, the Navy League established the Naval Sea Cadet Corps, which have continuously encouraged and aided American youth to develop patriotism, courage, self-reliance, kindred virtues and seagoing skills for over fifty years.  Inherent in seagoing skills are STEM topics.  To formally introduce youth STEM support into the Navy League’s signature programs through another avenue, we have developed the Engineering Room and the Bridge Portal as components of the Navy League STEM Institute.

In the Engineering Room, informal, hands-on curriculum will focus on ship and submersible object (or submarine) design, displacement, propulsion, mechanics, robotics, thermo-fluids, modeling, simulation, vectors, circuits and switches, design, depth measurement, and attenuation of light, among other topics.  Students learn these design and engineering principles by building an underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV).

The creation of the underwater ROV, a SeaPerch design, provides opportunities for mentoring throughout the build since students are participating in a hands-on quest to engineer and design their vehicle.  The Engineering Room includes USNA along with SeaPerch designed curriculum tailored and developed for grades five through 12 and reinforces concepts taught in formal classroom study such as chemistry, buoyancy, ocean dynamics, biological sampling, physics and design.

Students will build the underwater ROV in teams of three.  Teams will compete in a yearly underwater obstacle course using their ROV mimicked after the National SeaPerch Challenge.  Winners of the challenge will be chosen to participate in STEM immersion activities with our partnered affiliates for a chance to learn about other STEM topic areas.

The Bridge Portal is an online mentoring website.  After registering on the Bridge Portal, students will obtain a mentor with whom they will set goals and practice problem solving techniques online.  Once registered, students become protégés and build their online profile by answering basic questions about their educational interests, background and future goals.  Adult volunteers, once registered, become mentors after answering specific questions about their background, employment and future goals as well as submitting to a background check for security purposes.

Once registered in the bridge portal, protégés may browse through the pre-populated list of mentors and choose an individual who has the protégé’s dream job, obtained a degree in a specified field, or has a similar background.  Protégés may have the Bridge Portal Administrator match a mentor to the protégé based on multiple matching criteria.  Once matched, protégés and mentors will create time sensitive goals for their progress and work towards those goals through online communications in a discussion or question/answer format.  All communications between mentors and protégés will be same-time delivered to the protégé’s parent or guardian for oversight.  At no time will a mentor choose his or her protégé.

The Bridge Portal will also serve as a medium to deliver online STEM learning modules to mentors and protégés.  These STEM learning modules will serve as computer simulations that cover a large assortment of STEM topics.  The STEM learning modules are interactive web based games that guide protégés through inquiry based learning through the manipulation of variables, generating and testing hypotheses and engaging in extensive “what if” experimentation all in their own timeframe.

Through the STEM Institute, Navy League seeks to advance the discussion on what motivates students to choose STEM degrees and careers by determining what role STEM-focused mentorship plays in inspiring youth to pursue STEM pathways.  NLUS has contracted with a reputable, independent, outside evaluator to provide formative and summative evaluation services focused on identifying how STEM and non-STEM trained professionals affect youth interest in STEM education and future career goals.

The Navy League can only provide these types of programs thanks to our loyal leadership and volunteers!  If you are interested in facilitating an Engineering Room in your area or participating in the Bridge Portal as an online mentor, please contact Stacy McFarland, Staff Vice President for Development and Programs, or Ryan Donaldson, Director of Programs and Executive Counsel, at STEM@navyleague.org or 703.528.1775 for more information.  (If you wish to help support the STEM Institute financially, and funding for this program is vital, please contact Mike Carter, Director of Development, at development@navyleague.org or 703.528.1775) We look forward to working with you on this wonderful program to increase the pipeline of American youth interested in STEM topics and careers!

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Elizabeth, three children Peter Goodman of Ridgewood, N.J., married to Ellen Goodman, Stephen Goodman of Johnson City, Tenn., Nancy Thomas of Marietta, Ga., married to John Thomas, five grandchildren, James, Elizabeth, Caitlin, Catherine and Peter, as well as by his brother L.C. Goodman III and other beloved family members in Oklahoma.

The intent of our Navy League Reef Points is to enrich your experience as a Navy League member by providing you with information that may inspire you into action in support of our Sea Services and our Navy League mission.  In coordination with our communications team, we firmly believe that a well-informed Navy League membership is a vital ingredient for our Sea Services to remain the strongest and most-viable arm of National Security.

Those of you who spend time on our Navy League website, read our Seapower Magazine, attend Sea-Air-Space and other national and local Navy League events know this all-too-well.

We also know that the explosion of media make it more difficult than ever to be well-informed on matters relating to Maritime Security.  Newspapers, magazines, news shows, talking heads, website postings, blogs, tweets, et al, provide an almost overwhelming cacophony of chatter and data, making it virtually impossible to separate the signal from the noise, the wheat from the chaff.

While we encourage all of you to continue to use all-source information to remain well-informed, we are dedicated to making this website an essential source of information for all Navy Leaguers.  The web site analytics report shows we have received over 3300 page views [since 1 Feb 2013] of the Reef Points postings from 13 countries.

I hope that sharing these Reef Points will provide you talking points to share with your friends and neighbors – all future Navy Leaguers!

In support of our Sea Services –

National Executive Director         Navy League of the         United States

navyleaguereefpoints.blogspot.com

Information for Councils / Council Alert

Upcoming Region Events – Important!

Spring is the time of year when Region Nominating Committees and Region Meetings convene.  Membership participation is critical for these events.  Council Presidents usually participate in Region Nominating Committee meetings, when the region selects candidates for national positions (officers and National Directors); all councils must approve the slate before it is submitted to the National Nominating Committee for approval at our National Convention in Long Beach June 19-23.         Region meetings are important for council officers and interested members because these meetings provide the following benefits:

• Meet region leaders and council peers;
• Receive updates on NLUS priorities and programs;
• Receive a “state of the region” report; and
• Receive training for council officers and board members.

Please attend you region meeting and bring other officers along so they can get ready to assume greater leadership in your council.

The Council Annual Report

Council Annual Reports were due March 4, 2013; if your council has not yet submitted this report, your council can still receive its first quarter rebates if the report if filed by March 31.  Here are guidelines:

• These reports are used to prepare and publish the Navy League’s Annual Report.  You can download a copy at www.navyleague.org/files/aboutus/annual_report.pdf.
• On page 2, the “Reporting Officers” are from 2012, not 2013.
• Page 3 and 4 are your elected officers for 2013, and only those officers with an * next to their position title have access to your rosters and reports on the Online Community.
• Your annual report needs to be sent to service@navyleague.org as well as your region and area president. The fastest, easiest and cheapest way to submit your report is by email. One email from you sent to all three email addresses is all it would take to submit your report, and it is much easier to track and not get lost in the postal system

The Annual Report form from HQ shows members what the Navy League accomplishes every day in support of the mission.  It is also an excellent tool for recruiting members, community affiliates, and for giving to your state and local memebrs of Conngress.

What Do Volunteers Want?

Most council leaders are always on the lookout for new volunteers.  Many surveys on what attracts and drives away volunteers have been completed with consistent results.  The most cited reason for volunteers quitting (72% responded to this choice) is poor management/leadership of volunteers.  In the spirit of being positive, let’s look at what studies have shown volunteers want from their volunteer work.

12 Basic Needs of Every Volunteer

1. A specific manageable task with a beginning and an end.
2. A task that matches interests and reasons for volunteering.
3. A good reason for doing the task.
4. Written instructions.
5. A reasonable deadline for doing the task.
6. Freedom to complete the task when and where it is most convenient for the volunteer.
7. Everything necessary to complete the task without interruption.
8. Adequate training.
9. A safe, comfortable, and friendly working environment.
10. .  Follow-up to see that the task is   completed.
11. .  An opportunity to provide feedback when the task is finished.
12. .  Appreciation, recognition, and rewards that match the effort and the reason for volunteering.

Source: Volunteers: How to Get Them, How to Keep Them, by Helen Little

Final thought – Volunteers want to be passionate about and proud of their work.  Match people with their passion and recognize them for meaningful work and you will have an abundance of volunteers!

Recognizing Key Sea Service Spouses

Who is the most important person that a service member consults when deciding to stay on active duty?  Right, …the spouse!  One council has taken this important insight and used it to it to create a special award – the Key Military Spouse Award.  Since 2004, Honolulu Council has been recognizing key military spouses of the eight military services in Hawaii – Navy, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Air Force, Army, Pacific Command, Hawaii Army National Guard and Hawaii Air National Guard.  The award ceremony, held annually during the Aloha Bowl, includes recognition by the council, military commanders and civilian leaders, including the Mayor of Honolulu. Spouses are civilian members whose military spouse is deployed in support of our country.  Each spouse receives a cash award for their efforts “as the glue that holds it together for everyone, the one to whom others turn for counsel, sympathy and comfort while their deployed spouse serves abroad”.  Congratulations to the Honolulu Council!        Subsequent to publishing this Best Practice in 2007, several council have initiated a Key Spouse Recognition Award process.  In all cases, an independent award committee selects the honoree from candidates submitted by their service.

IRS Information

Register for upcoming workshops for small and  medium-sized charities.

Take a moment  to register for one of our upcoming workshops for small and medium-sized  501(c)(3) organizations.  Each one-day  workshop, presented by experienced Exempt Organizations specialists, will  explain what 501(c)(3) organizations must do to keep their tax-exempt status  and comply with tax obligations.

• April 30 – St. Louis, Mo.         Hosted by University of Missouri St. Louis
• May 2 – Springfield, Mo.         Hosted by Missouri State University

This popular  introductory workshop is especially designed for administrators or volunteers  who are responsible for an organization’s tax compliance as well as tax  professionals who work with the organizations.

Registration  is now available for the following workshop dates and locations at  www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Upcoming-Workshops-for-Small-and-Medium-Sized-501%28c%29%283%29-Organizations

The IRS Nationwide Tax Forums offer three full days of seminars with the latest word from IRS leaders and experts in the fields of tax law, compliance and ethics.

Attendees can:

• Select from more than 40 seminars and workshops
• Earn up to 18 continuing professional education credits
• Explore the expo for the latest tax professional products and services

The first forum in 2013 is in Orlando Fla. on July 9-11.

The complete list and registration information is at https://www.irstaxforum.com/index.

The IRS also has a  special section for questions and information about 501.c.3 organizations and  management at www.stayexempt.irs.gov.