U.S. COAST GUARD ACADEMY PARENT’S ASSOCIATION Chesapeake & Potomac Chapter News April 2010 WELCOME TO ALL OUR NEW MEMBERS! C & P Chapter Officers: President’s Ponderings & Committee Chairmen 2009-2010 Another year has just about passed us in CGA time. Our cadets will President—Carroll Chase sport new shoulder boards soon, and some will have earned the new title of officer. Thank you to so many of you who have contributed to the [email protected] strength of our organization by your volunteer efforts. (Matthew 2011) We look forward to meeting future members of the class of 2014 next Vice President—Steve Troch month at our Appointee’s Picnic on May 22. I encourage all of you and [email protected] any cadets who are home to attend. Remember those nervous days as R-day loomed before you and your future swab? For them, meeting (Sarah 2012) others who have been through it all is so helpful. Please also consider Treasurer—Dale Langston volunteering for one of our open positions. Remember – “many hands [email protected] make light the work”. (Daniel 2010) Carroll Ways & Means—Don Hager [email protected] (Steve 2011) Membership—Debbie Velencia [email protected] (Craig 2010) Webmaster—Lou Hepp [email protected] U.S. Coast Guard Photo (Christopher 2010) Newsletter— Larry Costolo APPOINTEES PICNIC—SATURDAY MAY 22—1PM-4PM [email protected] US Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay, 2401 Hawkins Point Road, Baltimore, MD 21226- 1797 (410) 789-1600 Carroll Chase is organizing this event to welcome the Class of (Bobby 2012) 2014. Please join us, and if your cadet is home encourage her or him to join us also Joint Service Academies Ball — Bernie so that parents and appointee’s can hear first –hand what the beginning of this journey Hyland is all about. Please bring your own main dish (grills available) and a dish to share. This is the first impression we make as a group on our future, so please be a part of it [email protected] and make it a good one! (Brittany 2013) Last names A - G -> appetizer Last names H –N -> side dish Chapter Name Tags—John & Rose Link Last names O – Z -> dessert [email protected] Drinks, paper goods and plastic wear will be provided. (Kenneth 2012) NOTE: IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A DOD OR COAST GUARD STICKER ON YOUR VEHICLE, PLEASE GO TO THE FOLLOWING LINK AND ENTER YOUR VEHICLE INFORMATION BY WEDNESDAY MAY 19. WITHOUT IT, YOUR VEHICLE WILL NOT BE ON THE LIST OF VEHICLES TO ADMIT TO CURTIS BAY THAT DAY. Vehicle Registration Link U.S. COAST GUARD ACADEMY PARENT’S ASSOCIATION Page 2 C& P Chapter News Thanks to the following parents who met in February for brunch and filled goodie boxes to sustain our cadets through the Dark Ages of winter: Charlie and Carol Toll Steve Zablotny Don Hager Lynda English David and Lisa Ray Mike and Victoria Piantedosi Judith Fitch Steve Troch Brad and Michelle Kidwell Ray and Debbie Velencia Carroll Chase Special Opportunity! The USCGC James Rankin in Baltimore invites representatives from the C & P Parent’s group to attend the commissioning of the Francis Scott Key Buoy on Monday May 24th at 10:00 am. Invitees go onboard for a short cruise to the spot near the Key Bridge where Francis Scott Key wrote the Anthem. While there, a ceremony is held before the buoy is returned to the water after having been refurbished. If you are interested in more information, please contact Debbie Velencia no later than April 18th. US Coast Guard Photo Guard US Coast U.S. COAST GUARD ACADEMY PARENT’S ASSOCIATION Page 3 STILL SEEKING VOLUNTEERS! Time to Step Up! Share your time and talent! Several volunteers will be departing our group in a few months as their cadets graduate. We are looking for a web master and a newsletter publisher. Don Hager, our Ways and Means chairperson will be around for 1 more year but would like a volunteer to step forward now so that he or she can work with Don this year to become familiar with the process. When we each do a little, a lot gets accomplished. CHAPTER WEB MASTER Role - Responsible for maintaining and updating the chapter web site. Also responsible for maintaining two pages on the National Parents Association web site. CHAPTER NEWSLETTER Role – Responsible for assembling and publishing the quarterly C & P Chapter newsletter, as well as submitting it to the National USCGA PA for inclusion in the national newsletter. CHAPTER WAYS & MEANS Role – Responsible for organizing, inventory and ordering Coast Guard/Coast Guard Academy merchandise and setting up the Chapter sales table twice a year at the Academy (R-Day and Parent’s Weekend). This is a key job in the financial support to the Chapter and our cadets. Please Consider How You Can Assist Our Chapter! Thank You! A big shout out goes to Lisa Ray and Victoria Piantedosi. Lisa has stepped up to replace Dale Langston as treasurer next year and Victoria will now handle the parent’s nametag fund raiser. Thank you to Dale who has fulfilled the treasurer duties for the last 3 years and to John and Rose Link who have taken care of ordering and shipping nametags for the last year. Also, thanks to Larry Costolo who volunteered to replace Debbie Velencia as membership chairperson, so the newsletter position is now open. Page 4 CHESAPEAKE & POTOMAC CHAPTER UNITED STATES COAST GUARD ACADEMY PARENTS ASSOCIATION Wishes “Fair Winds and Following Seas” To the following local cadets at their new billets after graduation BILLET NIGHT FOR 2010 In a time-honored tradition, the Coast Guard Academy’s Class of 2010 were informed of their initial billets as officers during Billet Night. The soon-to-be Ensigns found out which Coast Guard units they will report to when they graduate in May. NAME HOMETOWN CUTTER CUTTER HOME PORT William Veilleux Berryville, VA USCGC ACTIVE Port Angeles, WA Jason Helsabeck Chesapeake, VA USCGC ALEX HALEY Kodiak, AK Peter Zience Reston, VA USCGC BEAR Portsmouth, VA Craig Velencia Columbia, MD USCGC DALLAS Charleston, SC Jay Shirey Hanover, PA USCGC DALLAS Charleston, SC Josh Kitenko Williamsburg, VA USCGC FORWARD Portsmouth, VA Leslie Hunt Poquoson, VA USCGC FORWARD Portsmouth, VA Chris Hepp Bethesda, MD USCGC HICKORY Homer, AK Anthony Burley Virginia Beach, VA USCGC MACKINAW Cheboygan, MI Jacqueline Fitch Catonsville, MD USCGC SENECA Boston, MA James Phillips Round Hill, VA USCGC THETIS Key West, FL Dan Langston Manassas, VA USCGC VALIANT Miami, FL Joe DiRenzo Suffolk, VA USCGS VIGILANT Cape Canaveral, FL Prior to Billet Night, Cadets ranked their preferred assignments, which ranged from cutter assignments, shore stations, and flight school. Locations for each assignment range from Alaska to Florida, and all shore points in between. Approximately 93% of the class received an assignment aboard a Coast Guard cutter, 4% were assigned to flight school, and 3% received a shore assignment. .