A publication of the SABLE POINT SAIL & POWER SQUADRON A unit of UNITED STATES POWER SQUADRONS® Sail & Power Boating

else who helped make this award possible. These, as well as the Cooperative Charting awards handed to our Chair, COMMANDERS MESSAGE P/R/C Shirley Van Rhee, JN, at the conference represent a

good measure of success for our small squadron. Give Cdr CharlesVanAmeyden, SN yourselves a pat on the back!

We were all saddened to learn that Trust you all have a good winter season wherever you Tom Rau, an active member of Sable spend it. I will be in Texas hoping to do some ocean Point Sail & Power Squadron, passed away on 3 fishing off South Padre Island. See you in the spring. November 2010 after a year-long battle with cancer. He was a past Senior Chief for the US Coast Guard, an active auxiliarist, and authored a Boat Smart newspaper column D/9 COMMANDERS CUP for 25 years as well as his book, ―Boat Smart Chronicles- Lake Michigan Devours its Wounded.‖ Four members from Sable Point attended Tom's memorial service held at Coast Guard Station-Manistee on Monday, 8 November, and a donation to the USPS Educational Fund from our squadron was submitted in Tom's memory.

Eleven of our members were recommended to receive a merit mark. The report was approved; and, assuming your commander also earned his merit mark (which is submitted separately), brings our squadron's merit mark total to twelve.

Have you checked out our website lately? Evaluators from National have, and they gave Sable Point Sail & Power Squadron a great overall rating--good job, Roger!

Four of us participated in the D/9 Fall Conference co- hosted with D/29 in Perrysburg, OH. During the Saturday business meeting, I was honored to accept on behalf of all our members ―D/9's Commander's Cup‖ trophy. This award is presented to the squadron with the highest The VIEWPOINTS is published quarterly by the Sable Point Sail & Power Squadron, a unit of the United States Power Squadrons. Material is percentage of active membership based on the number of welcomed from ALL SPSPS members on any boating topic. Publications members who received a merit mark for the previous year. are scheduled for March, May, September & November. Deadlines will We also received the ―National Boating Federation/USPS be announced in sufficient time for anyone to contribute. Preferably, Excellence in Recreational Boating Education Award‖ for submit materials by e-mail at [email protected] but can be submitted in any other form as well. Articles and opinions do not 2010 which is based on squadron membership to the necessarily reflect USPS policy or endorsement unless so designated. number of students taught. Many thanks to Lt/C Sid McKnight, AP; P/C Roger Thompson, SN; and everyone

SQUADRON EDUCATIONAL REPORT SEO Sidney A. McKnight, Jr., AP

Last issue, I wrote about ways of ―armchair boating‖ and using the winter months to increase skills and pass the time until spring commissioning. ―Tempus fugit‖ is a fairly common boat name—we have one in Harbor View—and we all can identify with the cliché that time does fly. This should remind us to check the currency of charts (and chips) that we have on board. I recently went through and discarded a number of old charts and a fair amount of dead weight and replaced them with new charts and chart books which I ordered. I remembered at decommissioning to take home plotting tools from the boat just to amuse myself and keep skills fresh over the winter. If you have a handheld GPS with the appropriate software or have it in your computer, one can plan cruises, log lat/lon waypoints for trips, calculate time and distance and literally be using the winter down time to familiarize yourself further with the waters that you customarily cruise. I have already done this for my spring return from Spring Lake back to Ludington next May. It gives me hope for a boating future and that spring will ultimately come because tempus fugit! December 2 Gene Van Rhee 14 Carol McKnight 20 Sid McKnight YOUR 2010 BRIDGE

Cdr Charles VanAmeyden, SN 231 845-2094 January 10 Joanne Van [email protected] Ameyden

Exc. Shirley Van Rhee, JN 231 266-8149 February 4 Thad Kosnikowski [email protected] 12 Dixilee Lockwood SEO Sidney McKnight, Jr. AP MI 231 843-4145 24 Phyllis Thompson KS 913 898-2413 26 Ernest Wenger [email protected] March 8 Sherry Skridulis Asst. SEO Phyllis Thompson, SN 231 757-4332 [email protected] 30 Del Miller

Adm. William Tufts, AP 231 861 2720 [email protected]

Sec. Joanne VanAmeyden, AP 231 845-2094 [email protected]

Treas. Adrianne Slaymaker, AP 231 873-8473 [email protected]

Addresses can be found in the roster sent

to you periodically. Please call anyone of your bridge members if you have any questions, problems or suggestions.

SAFETY Specifically, the new law amends the federal Controlled P/C Phyllis Thompson, SN Substances Act to give the U.S. Attorney General authority to promulgate regulations allowing patients to deliver FIRST AID KITS unused prescription drugs to ―appropriate entities‖ for safe disposal. The law also allows for the authorization of The key words in preparing a First Aid Kit are ―common pharmaceutical drug disposal by long-term health care sense.‖ The kits available for purchase can differ facilities on behalf of their patients. considerably so you should pick one that you would be The Alliance supported the law’s passage in light of recent comfortable using based on your medical skills. Then testing showing low levels of pharmaceuticals in Great make sure the kit is large enough to add medical needs that Lakes waters near major metropolitan areas. Though little members of your crew might need. is known about the long-term effects of these drugs on people and how they might degrade or interact with other Before preparing your First Aid Kit, ask yourself some chemicals in the water, the findings raised concerns about basic questions: the potential health threats to wildlife and to anyone What kind of boating will you be doing? Day drawing drinking water from the Great Lakes. sailing? Cruising? Long distance? ―This new law is an important step forward in encouraging How long will you be out of contact with people to properly dispose of their unused and left-over professional medical care? medicines in a way that keeps them out of the Great Lakes Do you have any chronic medical problems and out of our drinking water,‖ said Lyman Welch, requiring regular medication? Alliance Water Quality Program manager. ―Eliminating Have you had any First Aid training and how pharmaceutical pollution at the source is much easier than comfortable are you using the training or CPR? using expensive water treatment.‖ Before the new law, drug take-back programs often Most medical problems are not life-threatening. Certainly, couldn’t dispose of pharmaceuticals because federal law individuals may have cardiac arrest due to heart attack, barred such programs from accepting such drugs without electrocution, drowning, etc. This is where CPR training specific permission from the U.S. Drug Enforcement is put to use. Try to stay calm and do not panic. Don’t Administration. These programs were also required to endanger others by rushing wildly and heedlessly for help. arrange for full-time police officers to be on hand to collect the drugs directly from public. Other emergencies such as lacerations with bleeding can Great Lakes Reps. Louise Slaughter (N.Y.), Bart Stupak generally be handled with a simple pressure procedure (Mich.) and Mike Quigley (Ill.) co-sponsored the bill, dressing. We do this instinctively when we grab a cut which was passed by the House. Great Lake Senators. finger with the other hand. After dressing the wound, put Sherrod Brown (Ohio), Dick Durbin (Ill.), Russ Feingold pressure on it and wait at least 5 minutes before removing (Wis.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), the dressing to check on the wound. Herb Kohl (Wis.) and Charles Schumer (N.Y.) co- sponsored a similar bill that passed the Senate. If a fracture occurs, it should be supported well above and below the fracture site with splints to minimize damaging any tissue around the broken bone.

Great Lakes to Benefit from New Federal Drug Disposal Law From the Alliance for the Great Lakes …

Fewer pharmaceutical drugs may be washing into the Great Lakes and the water-ways that feed them thanks to a new law making it easier for people to return -- not flush -- unused medicines. The Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, Center pieces designed and built by associate member Pat signed by President Obama in October, is meant to Jarmon. The theme for the entire conference was PAIRS. encourage voluntary take-back programs – programs Squadrons paired up with another squadron for hospitality hindered in the past by federal drug enforcement and rooms. Sable Point paired with Birmingham. Sable Point hazardous waste disposal laws that failed to differentiate furnished cake and Birmingham furnished ice cream for a between pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs. cake and ice cream treat. We made a nice pair.

Executive Officer Report P/R/C Shirley, JN

Knowledge is the key to a safe and enjoyable boating experience. SPSPS, as part of United States Power Squadrons, helps to increase the knowledge level of squadron member and the boating public through our public boating courses, advanced courses and seminars. Every day, we work hard to ensure safety on the water, and boaters should not underestimate the importance of operating their vessels safely and having the proper safety equipment on board. Boating safety is paramount and it's about more than just equipment; it's also about behavior and responsibility. For those of us who regularly boat with family members aboard, we may be missing an excellent chance if we do not have each of family passengers involved in a specific assignment aboard the boat. Not only does it become an occasion that is fun and education, but it also makes every boating outing from the marina a possibility to strengthen family ties through teamwork and shared responsibility. You should be able to find some duties that are specific to your own boat and manner of boating. Of course, do not assign too many duties to any one family member. Make sure your ―crew‖ knows that you are there to help when necessary. So, on your next boating adventure with your CO-OP CHARTING CERTIFICATES PRESENTED family next spring or summer, whether a week-end cruise TO 7 OF OUR MEMBERS or just a day one the lake, get everyone involved. This shared duties concept can be the unique input you have been looking for to get the family more interested and Alas involved in your love of the boating experience. You and your family will discover that the boating experience can The boats are being put away for the winter. Follow be more fun than ever as a family event!! Share the that checklist as you button up for those cold winter knowledge, share the fun! months. You will be glad you did when spring comes The above article was written by P/C Jan Klumpp, and you are ready to get out on the lake again! Mount Clemens Sail and Power Squadron, but it fits so very well with our squadron that I felt it was deserving of having a spot under the Executive Officer. Winterize properly It was noted at the D9, D29 combined fall conference that the Brunswick Boat Group has partnered with USPS to promote Boater Safety Education and Safety and conduct boating classes at their facilities. At present there are about 60 dealers participating and Skipper Buds’s from our side of the state is one of them. Brunswick Boat Group includes numerous boat brands from Boston Whalers to Hatteras Yachts. Further information regarding this program can be found on USPS website under new information. SPSPS can once again brag about the number of participants, seven in all on the honor roll for Cooperative Charting for the 2010 year. Our squadron ranked eleventh in the nation and ten years on the honor roll. Keep up the good work everyone. We need to try and beat Saginaw again for first place in the district. As our squadron is more inactive for the winter months with a number of members not in the area I challenge each and every one of you to come up with an education, safety and fun program or outing for the year 2011. It takes every one of us and no one person is more important than another one. LIGHTHOUSE AT SOUTH HAVEN