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J U LY 2 0 2 3 GUNTERSVILLE CURRENTS A PUBLICATION OF FLOTILLA 082 24 02 WHAT S INSIDE WANT TO BE A MASCOT NEW GET INVOLVED MEMBER WITH OUR SPOTLIGHT VE TEAM Also Hydrofest Highlights D Train Details and more

DO YOU WANT TO BE A MASCOT We have two Mascot training sessions that we are planning this Summer Sammy the Safety Otter and Coastie the Robotic Boat We have many opportunities for these Mascots but we need some members to perform as Sammy and operate Coastie If you re interested let VFC Lynn Miles or FC Stephen Yancey know and lets go and have some fun 2024 USCG AUXILIARY DUES 2024 USCGAUX dues for National District and Division levels are due at the end of September in the amount of 36 per member Please deliver to VFC Lynn Miles no later than the September Flotilla meeting Shannon Hipp became the newest member of Flotilla 24 02 at our May meeting Shannon was previously an Auxiliary member in the Eighth District Coastal Region He lives in the Cullman area with his wife and three sons We are looking forward to getting Shannon involved with many of our missions and fellowship NEW MEMBER Q What prompted you to rejoin the Auxiliary A I decided to rejoin because I really love being on the water and meeting new people SPOTLIGHT Q What activities do you want to achieve first A I would love to become an instructor and to be a Sea Scouts leader Q What is a personal goal you would like to achieve as an Auxiliarist A I want to help build up our Flotilla membership and become a coxswain Q What extra talents or hobbies do you bring to the Auxiliary A I am a scuba diver a fire fighter EMT a fire fighter Chaplain and a cowboy SHANNON HIPP WELCOME TO OUR FLOTILLA SHANNON

GUNTERSVILLE LAKE HYDROFEST 2023 FC STEPHEN YANCEY Guntersville recently hosted the 2023 Guntersville Lake HydroFest and Flotilla 24 02 contributed heavily to the Auxiliary s presence over the weekend In addition to our members helping to crew boats for the event and for movement operations before and after we also contributed shore side support to surface operations as well as planning support in the months leading up to the event I want to thank everyone who participated and I would like to encourage even more Flotilla participation next year

FLOTILLA 24 02 ASPIRING LEADERS FSO HR LYNN MILES Each Spring our Eighth District Eastern Region holds District Training During the winter months Flotilla Commanders are asked to select one member from their Flotilla as a potential candidate to attend Spring D Train on government orders The Division Commander then selects one member out of the Flotillas candidates to attend There are usually only 12 paid slots District wide for students to be on government orders Flotilla 24 02 s Rhoni Young was selected this year as our Division s candidate to attend the Flotilla Leadership Course at Spring D Train Over the course of the weekend Rhoni enjoyed the Flotilla Leadership Class and was able to meet many members from across our District which spans twelve states Rhoni also got to meet Vice National Commodore Mary Kirkwood Commodore Kirkwood visited the Flotilla Leadership Class and spoke with the students for a while At the Commodore s Banquet on Saturday evening each student from the Flotilla Leadership Course was individually recognized and given a certificate certifying completion of the course Congratulations to Rhoni Young We look forward to having you as one of our next Flotilla Leaders Eighth District Eastern Region 2023 Fall District Training REGISTRATION IS OPEN for Fall DTRAIN at the Holiday Inn Eastgate 4501 Eastgate Blvd Cincinnati OH 45245 Join us for the full event 22 23 SEPT or just the training on Saturday 23 SEPT 2023 Register now on our DTRAIN Portal at the following link https www uscgauxiliaryd8er info If you plan to stay at the Holiday Inn Eastgate be sure to use the link on the portal to book your room BOATING SAFETY TIP OF THE MONTH The heat of summer is upon us making it easy to dehydrate and overheat when on the water Before you put in check the weather forecast for temperature sun and heat index Wear sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher and have shade on board if posible or at the very least wear a hat Make sure you drink water frequently and do not rely on electrolyte drinks as your sole source of hydration water is best Finally always file a float plan to ensure your safety

Time to Get Involved Become an RBS Program Visitor The Recreational Boating Safety Program Visitor mission involves making periodic visits to places where boaters may be exposed to boating safety literature A Program Visitor becomes a point of contact and source of information at boating supply stores marinas and other places where boaters may be contacted These visits are an ideal way to promote our boating safety classes membership in the Auxiliary and boating safety in general To become a Program Visitor you may either take the class in person or online in the CG Auxiliary Classroom The RBS Program Visitor online course can be found on the Vessel Examination and Partner Visitation page You must have a login for the CG Auxiliary Online Classroom site to take the course directions are on the landing page for obtaining a login if you do not already have one There are complete instructions and online manuals for completing the class online After your class is complete two supervised visits must be completed with any current PV supervising and an additional four visits for the year and each subsequent year are required to stay in the green Click here to navigate to the USCG Auxiliary Classroom https classroom2 cgaux org moodle Join our Vessel Examiner Team Over the past eight weeks our seven Vessel Examiners have been working with many of our local boat and paddle craft rentals and with two different yacht clubs Guntersville Yacht Club and Holiday Shores Yacht Club We are hoping to increase our team this year by adding five new Vessel Examiners Our Flotilla has one of the larges areas of working marinas marine dealers campgrounds and boat ramps and our Flotilla can really make a difference in educating our large boating community but only with your help What do Vessel Examiners do Vessel Safety Checks VSCs Below is a sample of what our Vessel Examiners check on a boat 1 Display of Numbers 11 MARPOL Trash Placard 2 Registration Documentation 12 Current Marine Sanitation Device sticker 3 Personal Flotation Devices Life Jackets 13 Navigation Rules 4 Visual Distress Signals VDS 14 State and or Local Requirements 5 Fire Extinguishers less than 12 years old 15 Overall Vessel Condition as applies 6 Ventilation a Deck Free of Hazards Clean Bilge 7 Backfire Flame Arrester b Electrical Fuel Systems 8 Sound Producing Devices Bell c Galley Heating Systems 9 Navigation Lights 16 Kill switch 10 Pollution Placard 17 Battery cover and connections are clean Please contact VFC Lynn Miles if you are interested in taking the next step to become a Vessel Examiner for our Flotilla

CALENDAR OF EVENTS SATURDAY 15 JULY 082 24 02 FLOTILLA MEETING PAT ISBELL BUILDING GUNTERSVILLE AL SATURDAY 5 AUG DIVISION BOARD STAFF COOKOUT DITTO LANDING 21 AUG HOSTILE ACTION DRILL FLORENCE AL 22 23 SEPT DISTRICT EIGHTH EASTERN REGION DTRAIN CINCINATTI OH GUNTERSVILLE CURRENTS Designer Editor FSO PB Emily Yancey Article Contributions FC Stephen Yancey VFC Lynn Miles FSO PB Emily Yancey Photo Contributions FSO PB Emily Yancey VFC Lynn M iles Did you take a photograph that deserves to be seen Were you part of an event that you want to write about Do you have tips and tricks to share with our Flotilla JOIN US Contact FSO PB Emily Yancey to be part of the next issue of Guntersville Currents