PATRON H.R.H. THE PRINCE PHILIP DUKE OF EDINBURGH THE NAVAL ASSOCIATION OF CANADA - OTTAWA Box 505, Station B, Ottawa, ON K1P 5P6 “To make all levels of Government and the general public clearly aware of the vital need for, and value of adequate and effective Maritime security forces to protect and further the interests of Canada.” (Branch Constitution, Article III.) 47.02 “Trying the depth of the water and the quality of the bottom line.…” November 2011 HMCS OTTAWA PACIFIC DEPLOYMENT HMCS Ottawa makes her approach to Sydney, Australia on July 3rd, 2011. See the cover story on Ottawa‟s Pacific deployment starting on page 8. Photo Credit: Mr. Chris Sattler Soundings November 2011 1 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ From the President By Jim Carruthers The first few months of my occupying the exalted position of your President have The Ottawa Branch moves that NOAC been busy and exciting. While the Branch establish a Member Support normally goes dormant following our May organization nationally. AGM we extended our speakers‟ nights to include a June meeting, then followed with As you know the National meetings ran monthly Board meetings throughout the from the Executive Committee meeting summer to discuss and implement decisions Wednesday 8 June 11, through the Board taken at our May meeting. meeting on Thursday, conference on Friday, NATIONAL MEETINGS In this Edition…. At our May AGM the membership overwhelmingly approved five motions which I was asked to table at the June National From the President P.2 meetings at Niagara-on-the-Lake. The motions were: Poem P.6 The Ottawa Branch moves that any additional funding required to support 2012 AGM and Conference P.7 expansion and repositioning of the NOAC be obtained by fundraising HMCS Ottawa Report P.8 instead of raising member dues. Further that Corporate and Patron Sea Memories Part Two P.12 membership classes be established. The Ottawa Branch moves that NOAC, Remember P.16 on a national basis, summarize the extent of its financial support of the Tug Model P.17 naval-affiliated groups by all Branches and consider whether this is money ALS Walk D’Feet P.17 well spent. Super Wednesday! P.18 The Ottawa Branch moves that NOAC National identify all scholarships currently supported by NOAC From SLt Down Part 17 P.19 [nationwide and branches] and that it take steps to redirect funding to the Guest Speaker P.20 Royal Canadian Sea Cadets Education Fund. HMCS Calgary Model P.21 In light of the revised basis of 9/11 Flashback P.22 Association membership and with a view to expanding both the membership and the appeal to the Officers and Directors P.23 public the Ottawa Branch moves that the name of the Association be Branch Info P.24 changed to the Naval Association of Canada. 2 Soundings November 2011 __________________________________________________________________________________________________ AGM and dinner on Saturday with a close organization, and I can report that good out on Sunday. Four Ottawa Branch progress is being made. Stay tuned. Jay members were present for most of the Plante has acted quickly and with great functions including Ken Lait as the National success to revamp our Spring and Fall ED, Denny Boyle to speak on the Member Receptions, which he reports on in this Support motion, Richard Archer as incoming issue. Richard Gimblett our Membership Naval Affairs Director and myself. Director has also reported to the Board on The five motions put forward by our the significant membership progress over the Branch were well received. Denny's ideas summer, in the order of some 20 new regarding member support enjoyed strong persons. Richard Archer as National Director support and Denny was appointed as of Naval Affairs is coordinating development National Coordinator. The motion on of a national approach to advocacy and will changing the name of the Association be reporting on progress at a later date. engendered the most discussion as you no Denny Boyle has actioned several member doubt expected it would. The motion was support requirements through the summer approved subject to Branch approval. A letter and will be meeting with the Legion in the was sent to all Branches outlining what had next week or so to coordinate his efforts with transpired at the meeting and asking they those of other national groups. Good work discuss the name change in their branches all! and be prepared to vote on a National name An immediate effect of the changes we change by mid-October. This vote took place have made was evidenced by the RCN senior on Tuesday 11 October with a strong folk present at our Fall Reception on 28th majority voting in favour (as a Branch, we September. As noted above, we have also had voted at the Branch AGM in May to change the largest surge in new members ever - new our name and we are now known as „Naval members range from a retired Admiral to a Association of Canada - Ottawa‟). former AB [who these days is a distinguished Ottawa Branch members elected to lawyer] including a serving Chief Petty Officer National positions were: and a retired Chief Petty Officer; importantly many of the new One-Year Honorary Jim Carruthers as Vice-President members (recently retired serving officers) Denny Boyle as National Coordinator have commented that their willingness to of Member Services, and join is motivated by the “democratizing” of Richard Archer as Director Naval the Association by dropping of the “Officer” Affairs. label, which they saw as excluding many potential contributors. We have also enjoyed SUMMER PROGRESS an influx of new “out-of-town” members from Your Board has worked diligently the Regina Branch, which unfortunately had throughout the summer to discuss and, closed earlier this year, leaving their where possible, put in place policies and members “homeless”. As agreed at the programs in the areas of our National 2012 National AGM, any such persons without a Conference, member recruitment, social local branch could seek Branch membership events, admission of a wider range of with us in Ottawa. The local hi-tech members, policy for admission of corporate company DRS Technologies has become the members, initial planning on how we might first corporate member and is supporting a cooperate with other naval oriented remake of both the National and Branch organizations and last but perhaps most websites scheduled to go live in November. importantly naval affairs. Papers have been These new members not only increase our written and hundreds of emails exchanged numbers but enhance our association with between Board members and other branches their wide experience and dedication to our as we worked through these issues. cause. Tom DeWolf is in charge of the Ottawa Branch‟s 2012 National meetings Soundings November 2011 3 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ CORPORATE MEMBERSHIPS The NAC as presently constituted is in In the case of corporate memberships we effect an association of associations not have adopted the following approach: unlike the Conference of Defence Associations. Only branches can vote and We offer prospective members speakers, the Board of Directors is composed of branch engagement, access, recognition, nominees plus association officers. This sponsorship, awareness, ability to field structure would seem to be conducive to white papers,... all of course within the accepting other organizations 'into the tent' context of our Association principles and as members of our national organization. controlled by the Branch Board A list of such related associations We charge $2,500 per year per includes [there are perhaps more] CNAG, corporation. SAOC, UNTD, VENTURE, C&POs, RCNA, Each corporate member gets two slots in WHITE ENSIGN, NAVAL VETERANS, terms of attendance, receipt of WRENS, QUART, and NLOC. publications, etc but the company itself Some suggestions as to how this would does not get a vote. work: We encourage other company members will join as individual members Associations such as CNAG would join Corporate members would belong to a the national NAC as members branch. equivalent to our present branches. The branch pays national the equivalent Each member association would have of two members, which is the number of one vote - again identical to existing people national would have to service. branches. Corporate memberships have to clearly As is the case for the Conference of support the aims of the NAC and be Defence Associations, NAC member approved by our Branch Board on a case- associations would pay a set annual by-case basis. fee. Services would only be provided Our branch will retain the funds but we to the association itself rather than commit to spending these funds in individual members, and it would be support of National goals. up to that association to dispense the service -- for example distribution of Ottawa Branch is leading NAC National in STARSHELL. this regard. Other branches are watching and evaluating our progress before This is of course is a work-in-progress. undertaking to sign up Corporate Members. Your ideas are solicited. As for corporate memberships our Branch CREATING A LARGER, UNIFIED TENT is again leading the thinking on this Canada needs an organization, approach. In due course, National will make representing all naval constituencies, which the final decision as to how other can speak with authority in support of our organizations are handled. Navy. At the present time there are a number of naval-oriented organizations spread across OUR SPEAKERS’ PROGRAM the country, each addressing a narrowly Our monthly speaker's night is a specific constituency. In common they share major focus of our program as we try to the characteristics of a declining membership understand where the RCN is going and and limited reach in terms of influencing translate that into how we might help.