March 2014 Meeting Notes

We started off the March meeting with Tolling the Boats lost in March, followed by birthday wishes for our members, introductions, and officer reports.

Old and New Business:
Cabelas Event – We are planning an event at the Cabelas Tulalip store (9810 Quil Ceda Blvd Tulalip WA 98271) on April 5 and 6, between 8:30 and 9:00. We will have the base float in the parking lot both days and will need volunteers to help out. You don't have to be there all day, but every little but helps out. If you would like to help, please contact Doug Abramson by email or phone (360-652-9709) if you are interested in participating. It will be “Ladies’ Day Out" weekend, so bring the ladies out too. 

Seattle VA Volunteers – The Seattle VA hospital having construction work done in and around the hospital and VA Volunteer Services is still looking for volunteers to help out our fellow veterans and their families during the major construction project at the hospital. They would like the volunteers to commit to helping out for 6 months or about 100 hours (that is around 4 hours per week). Here is a list of the priority volunteer needs.

• Parking Lot Golf Cart Shuttle Drivers: To transport Veterans and visitors who ride Metro buses from an on-campus pick-up point to and from the facility main entrance. (Because of the construction project bus routes 50 and 60 are no longer able to drive on the campus.) 
• Puget Sound NaVAgators: Frontline customer services - meet and greet, provide assistance to appointments, find wheelchairs for Veterans to use during their appointments, help with check-in on the new self-service kiosks, answer questions, etc. This is considered a very mobile assignment. 
• Patient Information Representatives: This assignment requires access to VA computer systems, so there is a bit more training and processing required. Because of the construction a new information desk needing to be staffed by volunteers will be located in the basement of Building 1 – where the new temporary main entrance will be located. Volunteers are expected to continue staffing the current Information Desk near the Emergency Department. 
• Volunteer Transportation Network (VTN) Drivers: Use a7 or 12 passenger government vehicle to transport Veterans to and from their VA facility destinations. Must have a good driving record and pass an occupational health examination. Some of these vans are based out of Seattle; others are coming in from outlying communities. 

All of these assignments occur during weekdays, generally between the hours of 7am and 5-m. If you are interested in helping out, you can talk with Base Commander Dick Gonzales, John Roberts, or contact Jeff Honeycutt at VA Volunteer Services: 206-277-1005.

Base Picnic – At the meeting we passed out surveys about having a base picnic sometime in July. This would be in addition to the picnic we have before the Tolling the Boats ceremony. Plans are for Seattle Base to supply the basic entrée and each of us would bring a ‘pot luck’ dish to share. Four different areas are being proposed for the picnic (click on the More Information link to learn more about the area).

• Rattlesnake Lake Recreation Area – North Bend (More Information) 
• O.O. Denny Park – Kirkland (More Information)  
• Luther Burbank Park- Mercer Island WA (More Information) 
• Lake Sammamish State Park – Issaquah (More Information) 

We would love to hear your feedback on the idea. Please email your comments to Base Commander Dick Gonzales (rvgon1938@gmail.com) or talk with him at the next meeting. Tolling the Boats Ceremony – The tolling ceremony and picnic is set for Saturday, August 16 at the Kirkland Marina Pavilion. Be sure to mark this date on your calendar.

Boat Sponsorship Program – Seattle Base currently provides funds to have copies of The American Submariner magazine sent to USS Henry M Jackson and USS Seawolf. Each year we have to vote to renew this expenditure. At the March meeting it was moved and passed to make this a standing budget item, so that we do not have to keep renewing it each year.

Kap(ss) 4 Kids Donations – Seattle Base Kaps 4 Kids chairman John Roberts is looking for a way to raise a little money to purchase the hats that are handed out to the kids. He has a number of Navy shipboard coffee cups that he is willing to part with for a donation to the Kaps 4 Kids fund. If you would like to buy a cup or donate some funds to the program, please contact John at the next meeting (or speak to one of the Base Officers). 

Remember this cup? It could be yours, just contact John Roberts

March Program: 

Doug Bristol talking about the Nike missile system

The March program was a presentation on the Nike missile system and bases around the Puget Sound area by Army veteran Doug Bristol (Doug was assisted by his son Jason, who is in the Navy and recently was serving on the carrier USS George Washington). Doug talked to us about the early days of the Cold War and the development of rockets technology and guided missiles. Nike missile installations were placed all around the United States. The missile was developed to stop Soviet nuclear armed bombers, but because of its short range (only 25 miles) and limited explosive power, it was considered more of ‘political’ defensive measure than something that would really stop the Soviets. Doug covered the good and bad aspects of the Nike system. He also talked in-depth about the building and organization of the missile site and facilities around the Cougar Mountain area. It was an interesting presentation on some Cold War and local history.

Good of the Order:
Terri Robertson sent a Thank You note to the Base, thanking us for our support.

Ervin Schmidt’s family let us know that there will be a memorial for Ervin in the summer. They will let us know the exact date as we get closer to the service.