July 2017 Meeting Notes

The July meeting started off with Tolling the Boats lost in July, followed by birthday wishes for our members, introductions, and the officer reports. We got the final report for the Smokey Point Rest Stop event and, after expenses, we had $411.57 in donations. BZ to everyone involved with the event.

Old and New Business:
SSMC Award -  Steve Lewis, President of the Thresher Chapter of the Silent Service Motorcycle Club (SSMC) was on hand to share news with us about the Thresher Chapter winning the SSMC Community Award for all the great work they do in the community and with Veteran outreach.

Steve showing the SSMC Community Award

Membership – Kerry Ryan gave a quick update on his efforts to get out the word about USSVI. But he is still looking for help and ideas (mostly for help) on how to bring in new members.

December Holiday Luncheon – Earlier in July we received a letter from the Meydenbauer Yacht Club letting us know that we would be unable to hold our Holiday Luncheon at the club this year. The club is cutting back on outside events and we were caught up in that change. Past-Base Commander Dick Gonzales is looking for a new venue for our annual holiday gathering. If you would like to help with the event, please contact one of the Base Officers or contact Dick directly.

2017 Tolling the Boats Ceremony – The Tolling the boats ceremony is set for August 19, 2017. It will be at the Kirkland Marina Pavilion and start at noon. There will be light snacks and drinks at the event, but we will not be doing a picnic this year. We will send out reminders as the date gets closer, but be sure to mark it on your calendar. The Tolling ceremony is an important part of our organization's creed. It is also an opportunity to honor our shipmates on Eternal Patrol.

Seattle Base Float Home – We are still looking for a new home for the Seattle Base float. If you know of a place or have some storage ideas, please contact one of the Base Officers. We really need to find a place to put the float or we might have to think about giving it up.

Ling Donation – We voted to donate $50 to the Go Fund Me campaign for the USS Ling (SS-297). Ling is currently stuck in the Hackensack River and donations are needed to save her. You can read more about the campaign, the current plight of Ling, and donate at this website: https://www.gofundme.com/uss-ling.

Photo of Ling from the WeirdNJ.com website

July Program:
The July program was a talk by DeFord Cochrane. DeFord served in the surface Navy for 24 years. He started off by talking about his family’s past. His father was on the battleship Nevada during the attack on Pearl Harbor and stayed in the Navy until 1968, retiring as a Chief. DeFord was the first of seven sons that went on to serve in the U.S. Military. He talked about his joining Navy ROTC at the University of Washington and his time with the surface Navy. He shared stories about all the good and bad leaders he served under in the Navy and talked about the lessons he learned. He has 8 children, 7 of which also serve in the U.S. military.

DeFord Cochrane being presented with a certificate of appreciation for his program

Good of The Order :
We received a thank you card for our donation to the Salmon for Soldiers event. Be sure to check their website for more information about the organization.

Reminder - the Navy Exchange has posted more information about the Veteran Online Shopping Benefit (VOSB) on their website. The benefits start on November 11, 2017, but you need to register before you can use the benefit. You can check your eligibility through a website called VetVerify.org. To use the website, your records must have been digitized by the DoD. If your records have not been digitized or you don't want to register online, you can call 1-844-868-8672 to get information on what you need to do. Be sure to check the information and Frequently Asked Questions on the Navy Exchange site. If you have questions that aren't covered on the site, you can contact the Navy Exchange program at email: VOSB@nexweb.org or phone 888-343-8672.