Upcoming Event Reminders

Here are reminders of some upcoming events for early July.

Kirkland Independence Day Parade

Ready to go at last year's Kirkland Parade

Seattle Base will be participating in the Kirkland parade on the 4th of July. Seattle Base member and World War II veteran Ralph Sterley will be the Grand Marshall for this year's parade.

Plans for the 2019 parade are similar to previous years. We will meet near Kirkland’s Heritage Hall in the morning. The Kirkland Police will block the roads near the parade route at 9:30, so you will need to be there early or come in from the north. Parking is available to our group exclusively, to the north of Heritage Hall and along Waverly Park. Lunch will be served around 11:00, the we'll take a few photos, and the parade will start at Noon. We will talk about the parade at the June meeting, but also remember to check the blog and newsletter for more details. We hope to see you there.

Smokey Point Event
Seattle Base members will be manning the coffee booth at the south-bound Smokey Point rest stop on July 12 – 15. Steve will have the sign-up sheet at the June meeting. Be sure to mark your calendar and sign-up to help out with this important fund-raising event. Be sure to bring any questions to the June meeting.

Western Region District Commander Elections
It is election time for Western Region District Commanders. Seattle Base is part of Western District 4 and our current District Commander, Jim DeMott, is running for re-election.

WD4 Commander Jim DeMott at a recent Seattle Base meeting

Voting is open from June 15, 2019 until close of business on July 15, 2019. Emailed ballots must be received by close of business on July 15th and mailed ballots must be postmarked no later than July 15th to be counted.

You can download a PDF or Word version of the ballot. The ballot has instructions for returning it by email or regular mail.

You can read the District Commander duties and requirements for office in this Word document. 

2014 USSVI Award Winners and Election Results

Here are the results of the 2014 USSVI National Election and Awards. It is a long list and we want to congratulate all the winners.

First up are the 2014 USSVI Award Winners.

Joe Negri Award : Dennis P. Gilbert Redfish Base

District Commander of the Year: James Irwin Albany Saratoga Base

Robert Link National Commander’s Award: (recipients are listed alphabetically)
Edwin F. ‘ Bud ‘ Atkins Groton Base
O. Gordon Banks Tarheel Base
John C. Barr Razorback Base
Donald D. Bassler Bremerton Base
Daryl E. Brock Bonefish Base
Orem A. ‘ Soupy ‘ Campbell Nautilus Base
Joseph H. Clark Nathanael Greene Base
Tomas M. Conlon New Jersey North Base
Daniel K. Craw Tang Base
James R. Denzien Perch Base
Amos Goldsberry Cuttlefish Base
Kenneth C. Henry San Diego Base
Norm Hosking Cuttlefish Base
Gilbert F. Houston Cuttlefish Base
Gene E. Kellar Rocky Mountain Base
Charles T. Key Tang Base
Charles J. Mueller Rhode Island Base
Michael M. Munhall Groton Base
Richard N. Nelson Cowtown Base
Richard M. “Ozzie” Osentoski P. C Stryker Jr Base
John F. Rupertus Carolina Piedmont Base
Thomas M. Russell Groton Base
Robert E. Saenz Hampton Roads Base
John S. Starbird, Jr. Maine Base
Kenneth L. Tupman USS Chicago Base
Donald M. Ulmer Seattle Base
Raymond M. Ward Cuttlefish Base
Richard J. Williamson Chesapeake Base

Meritorious Award (Individual)
Charles J. Mueller Rhode Island Base
 Patrick F. Householder Seattle Base
Leonard D. Stefanelli Mare Island Base

Meritorious Award (Base)
USS Chicago Base
Carolina Piedmont Base
Albany-Saratoga Base

Golden Anchor Award
Class One - Seattle Base
Class Two - Central Texas Base
Class Three - South Florida Base
Class Four - USS Asheville Base

Silver Anchor Award
Frederick Weilminster Razorback Base
Alan D. Cole Mare Island Base
Thomas S. Beach USS Asheville Base

Ben Bastura Award
Leonard L. Hill Iowa Base

Newsletter Awards 
Class I Charleston Base -- Torpedo Alley
Class II Carolina Piedmont Base -- Piedmont Periscope
Class III Coastal Carolina Base -- The Below Decks Watch
Class IV Polaris Base -- Polaris Fire

Overall Winner -- Carolina Piedmont Base – Piedmont Periscope

Here are the election results for 2014 from USSVI Elections Master Tom Conlon. We had 2174 members vote in this year’s election (a 17% turnout).

National Officers 
National Commander: 
Al Singleman 1188 Votes 55%
Wayne Standerfer 941 Votes 43%
Elected: Al Singleman

National Senior Vice-Commander (Unopposed)
John Markiewicz 2045 Votes 94%
Elected: John Markiewicz

National Junior Vice-Commander (Unopposed)
William Andrea 2055 Votes 95%
Elected: Wiliam Andrea

National Treasurer
Paul Hiser 1095 Votes 50%
Byron Stratton 973 Votes 45%
Elected: Paul Hiser

National Secretary
Harold Kenneth Recoy 958 Votes 44%
Raymond Paul Wewers 1104 Votes 51%
Elected: Raymond Paul Wewers

Regional Directors
Northeast Region Director (Unopposed)
Michael Naughton 427 Votes 97%
Elected: Michael Naughton

Southeast Regional Director
Diederick (Dick) E. Kanning 336 Votes 61%
Brian Steffen 210 Votes 38%
Elected: Diederick (Dick) Kanning

Central Region Director
David L. Farran 311 Votes 52%
James A. Fox 276 Votes 47%
Elected: David L. Farran

Western Region Director (Unopposed)
Robert J. Bissonnett 432 Votes 98%
Elected: Robert J. Bissonnett Proposed

Amendments 
PA 2014-1: Amends USSVI Constitution Article XII, Section 1 (Conventions). Requires two-thirds (2/3) majority of votes cast to pass (greater than 66%).
YES 1486 Votes 68%
NO 688 Votes 32%
The Proposed Amendment is adopted

PA 2014-2: Amends USSVI Constitution Article XI, Section 1 and USSVI Bylaws, Article V, Sections 2 and 5 (Prerequisites and Duties for National Senior Vice-Commander and National Treasurer). Requires two-thirds (2/3) majority of votes cast to pass (greater than 66%).
YES 1860 Votes 86%
NO 314 Votes 14%
The Proposed Amendment is adopted

PA 2014-3: Amends USSVI bylaws Article V, Section 3 (Duties of National Junior Vice-Commander). Requires a simple majority of votes cast to pass.
YES 1957 Votes 90%
NO 217 Votes 10%
The Proposed Amendment is adopted

PA 2014-4: Amends USSVI Bylaws Article VI, Section 18 (Disciplinary Committee). Requires a simple majority of votes cast to pass.
YES 1951 Votes 90%
NO 223 Votes 10%
The Proposed Amendment is adopted

PA 2014-5: Amends USSVI Bylaws Article XVI (Policies and Procedures Manual). Requires a simple majority of votes cast to pass.
YES 1712 Votes 79%
NO 462 Votes 21%
The Proposed Amendment is adopted

PA 2014-9: Clarify Process for New Business at National General Business Meeting. Requires a simple majority of votes cast to pass.
YES 1959 Votes 90%
NO 215 Votes 10%
The Proposed Amendment is adopted

Please join me in congratulating our new National Officers. We wish them a successful tenure in their new offices.

I want to thank National Commander Michael Bircumshaw for appointing me as USSVI Election Master. I also want to thank NE District 2 Commander/NJ North Base Commander Les Altschuler for his invaluable assistance in tallying the vote. Thanks, too, to Les’s wife Joyce Altschuler for her hospitality and “patience” while Les and I were “camped out” in his computer space and at their summer campground.

Tom Conlon, PNC
USSVI Elections Master

July 2014 Meeting Notes

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

Old and New Business: 
Smokey Point Rest Stop Event – We had a fun time at the Smokey Point Rest Stop handing out coffee and telling sea stories. After tallying up the donations and deducting expenses, it looks like the Base made around $700 over the weekend. Thanks to all the volunteers that helped out and BZ to Steve Shelton for organizing and running the event. We will be getting pictures from the event up soon.

Kirkland Independence Day Parade – We had around 40 submarine veterans, including the Silent Service Motorcycle Club, at the Kirkland Independence Day Parade. The crowd was very enthusiastic, the parade organizers provided a pizza lunch for all the veterans, and everyone had a good time. You can see photos from the parade in a previous blog entry.

Seattle Base Tolling the Boats Ceremony – The annual Tolling the Boats ceremony and picnic is set for August 16 at the Kirkland Marina Park. Set up will start around 10 AM, with the picnic starting around 11:30 and the ceremony getting underway between 1:15 and 1:30. We will have more information on the start time as we get closer to the event, but be sure to mark it on your calendar.

August Meeting Cancelled – Due to the timing of the Tolling the Boats Ceremony, we voted to cancel the August business meeting. The next regular business meeting will be September 17.

2014 Holland Club Inductees – We added five new members to the Holland Club roll this year. Doug Abramson and Karl ‘Dutch’ Krompholz were at the meeting to pick up their certificates and patches. We mailed the certificates and patches out to Romeo Delarosa, Jim Kingman, and John Soth. Congratulations to all the new Holland Club members.

Karl 'Dutch' Krompholz and Doug Abramson receive their Holland Club certificates and patches from Base Commander Dick Gonzales

2014 USSVI Elections – Don’t forget that the last day to vote in the National USSVI elections is August 28 (paper ballots must arrive by August 28). The ballot was included in the latest issue of The American Submariner and can be filled out and mailed to the Election Master. You can also vote online through the USSVI website by clicking the Vote Nat Election button in the upper left, entering your login information (if you haven’t used the website before, just follow the on-screen instructions) and make your vote.

Challenge Coins – Ken Murray presented all the meeting attendees with a special Veterans Day challenge coin he received from a friend that works at Boeing.

July Program: 

Lt. Matt Boehm answering a few questions

Our speaker for July was Lt. Matt Boehm USN. Lt. Boehm is an assistant Professor of Naval Science at the University of Washington, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, and the University of Texas at Dallas. Lt. Boehm qualified on USS Connecticut (SSN-22) and talked to us about life aboard a state-of-the-art attack submarine. He talked about life aboard Connecticut, including operations in the western Pacific and Arctic. He had some great sea stories and pictures to share from his time at sea. He also shared information about his current work at the University of Washington in teaching, with the ROTC unit, and trying to get new volunteers for the submarine service. After his talk, Lt. Boehm was happy to answer questions for us about his naval experiences and the current submarine fleet. The presentation and Q & A provided us with insight into today’s submarine force. Thanks to our shipmate Don Ulmer for facilitating Lt Boehm’s appearance.

Base Commander Dick Gonzales presents a Certificate of Appreciation to Lt Boehm at the July meeting.

June 2014 Meeting Notes

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

Old and New Business:

Smokey Point Rest Stop Event – We will be back at Smokey Point Rest stop this year. We are scheduled to cover the north bound rest stop on June 27, 28, 29, and 30. There are still a few openings available to man the coffee booth and it is always good to have multiple people at the booth. If you are interested in in lending a hand, contact Steve Shelton.

Independence Day Parade – We will be in the Kirkland parade on July 4. We will muster near Heritage Hall, the large white two-story building on the north side of the street, at the corner of Central Way and Market Street. The float will be in place around 10:00 and all members should be in place by 10:30. The parade starts at noon. This is becoming a tradition with our group and we hope we can count on you to be there too. Details for the parade will be in the next newsletter and posted to the blog.

Seattle Base Tolling the Boats Ceremony – The annual Tolling the Boats ceremony and picnic is set for August 16 at the Kirkland Marina Park. The picnic will probably start around 11:00 with the ceremony starting around 1:30. We will have more information on the start time as we get closer to the event, but be sure to mark it on your calendar.

2014 Holiday Luncheon – Our holiday luncheon is booked for December 20 at the Meydenbauer Bay Yacht Club in Bellevue. We will have more details including cost per person (which will be less than last year) menu selection, maps, and a sign-up sheet in a few months.

2014 USSVI Elections – Pat Householder provided an overview of the National USSVI election process and an opportunity to vote at the meeting. The ballot was included in the latest issue of The American Submariner and can be filled out and mailed to the Election Master. You can also vote online through the USSVI website by clicking the Vote Nat Election button in the upper left, entering your login information (if you haven’t used the website before, just follow the on-screen instructions) and make your vote. The last day to vote is August 28 (paper ballot must arrive by August 28).

Good of the Order:
The Canadian Submarine Force is celebrating its 100 anniversary this year and they have invited all submariners from around the world to join in their celebration. The West Coast celebration is being held in Victoria BC on August 5 – 8, 2014. You can find out more at the West Coast Submarine Week website.

June Program:
Our June presentation was by former Base Commander Keith Watson. Keith did a splendid job providing us with a view of Puget Sound at turn of the century history combining area history, early development of coal and oil, and submarines. Black Diamond was historically a major contributor to Puget Sound’s growth during this era and a focal point of the Keith’s presentation. Keith is a valued and active member of his community. We are fortunate to Keith in our ranks, as he typifies one our best.

2012 USSVI National Election Results and Award Winners

Here are the election results and National Awards winners, as announced at the USSVI Convention annual business meeting.

Election Results

2012-2014 National Officers
Commander: Michael Bircumshaw
Sr Vice Commander: Carl Schmidt
Jr Vice Commander: Al Singleman, Jr
Secretary: Tom Conlon
Treasurer: Richard McPherson

2012-2014 Region Directors
Northeast Director: Michael Naughton
Southeast Director: Dick Kanning
Central Director: Wayne Standerfer
Western Director: John Mansfield

All the proposed amendments were accepted.

Upcoming Convention Locations
2013 Convention: Rochester MN
2014 Convention: Burlingame CA (SFO Area)

You can see the voting result charts and Base member participation charts on the USSVI website. To see these charts, go to www.ussvi.org, then click the DOCUMENTS Button. Then click the ELECTIONS button and the links are there to see (click here for a direct link).

2012 USSVI Awards: 

Joe Negri “Shipmate of the Year” Award
This is the top award in USSVI and is presented to the member who, by his personal individual efforts and participation during the preceding year contributed most to the advancement and embodiment of the USSVI creed and purpose.
2012 Winner: Wayne Standerfer - Dallas Base

Robert Link Awards:
This award is the National Commander’s Letter of Commendation.
2012 Winners:
Steven D. Bell – Carolina Piedmont Base
Harold W. Dixon Jr. – Tarheel Base
William C. Dornik – Mare Island Base
James W. Gibson – Cuttlefish Base
Gerald F. Leppart – Tarheel Base
John E. Markiewicz – Cyberspace Base
Joseph R. Mathis – Razorback Base
Raymond Moore – Nathanael Greene Base
James R. Myers III – Nathanael Greene Base
Robert A. Perritt – Groton Base
Terry L. Schmidt – USS Maine Base
Hampton Roads Base

District Commander of the Year:
Awarded to the one District Commander that exemplifies and demonstrates an outstanding example to his peers, and through his efforts and performance of duties in service to his Base Commanders, provides guidance, organization and assistance within his District and establishes new Bases as needed to serve the needs of the membership.
2012-2013 Winner: Vic Van Horn

Meritorious Award:
This award is presented to the member or Base that most exemplifies the motto, 'Pride Runs Deep' as demonstrated by their participation in local veteran affairs, parades and school activities.
Base Award: USS Chicago Base
Individual Award: Paul L. Grammer – Groton Base

The Ben Bastura Award:
This award is given to the person who has demonstrated their understanding and commitment to our creed in perpetuating the memory of submariners and submarines by gathering, creating, or in other ways preserving a significant amount of submarine history.
Winner: John A. McMichael – USS Cavalla Base

Golden Anchor Award:
This award is a base award, presented to the base that has demonstrated a leading role in developing and promoting creative membership renewals, including development of successful recruiting tools.
Class One (Large-Sized) Base: Bremerton Base*
Class Two (Medium-Sized) Base: USS Haddo Base
Class Three (Small-Sized) Base: Coastal Carolina Base
Class Four Base: Yakima Base*

* Note from District 4 Commander/Western Region Director John Mansfield: I am extremely proud that Bremerton Base and Yakima Base were rewarded for their hard work, dedication and enthusiasm by receiving the USSVI Golden Anchor Award in their respective divisions. You are all to be congratulated for a job well done.

Silver Anchor Award:
This award is presented to a member in recognition of his support of meetings, projects and events including recruiting and retention in the base.
Winner: Dominick M. “Dom“ Boncore – Mare Island Base

Newsletter of the Year Awards
Base communications are vital to member involvement. In order to recognize the value of base communications and encourage that process, the Newsletter of the Year Award was created. The award serves as a tool to encourage bases to first develop their own membership newsletters and then to improve them sufficiently to be competitive with their peer bases and those of other Veterans' organizations and to recognize those that were superior to their peers.

The newsletter awards are divided into three classes for each region. Large Bases (100+ members) are referred to as Class One, Medium Size Bases (51-100 members) are Class Two, and Small Bases (up to 50 members) are Class Three.

Northeast Region
Class One:
Winner: QUALSFORMS - NJ North Base
First runner up: BUFFALO BASE NL: – Buffalo Base
Second runner up: STEEL VALLEY DOLPHINS -- Requin Base

Class Two:
Winner: 1 MC - Marblehead Base
First runner up: TRI STATE DECK LOG - Tri State Base
Second runner up: MID ATLANTIC BASE SUBMARINER - Mid Atlantic Base
Honorable Mention:
CLEAR THE BRIDGE - Reading Base
UP PERISCOPE - Southern Tier NY Base

Class Three:
Winner: THE LEHIGH VALLEY BASE NEWS - Lehigh Valley Base

Southeast Region
Class One:
Winner: ALL CLEAR - Tarheel Base
First runner up: RIDING THE VENTS - Tang Base
Second runner up: HAMPTON ROADS NL - Hampton Roads Base

Class Two:
Winner: PIEDMONT PERISCOPE - Carolina Piedmont Base
First runner up: PERISCOPE - Central Florida Base
Second runner up: DENIZENS of the DEEP NL - Denizens of the Deep Base
Honorable Mention:
THE SILENT SENTINEL - Barb Base
SEADRAGON BASE NL - Seadragon Base

Class Three:
Winner: OOGA OOGA - Palmetto Base
First runner up: DIVE – DIVE - South Florida Base
Second runner up: THE SHIPS BELL - Nautilus Base
Honorable Mention:
SIGNAL EJECTOR - Mobile Bay Base

Central Region
Class One: No entries this year

Class Two:
Winner: UP SCOPE - Dallas Base
First runner up: BROTHERS of the "PHIN" - Volunteer Base
Second Runner up: SCUTTLEBUTT - USS Haddo Base

Class Three:
Winner: DECK LOG - Central Texas Base
First runner up: THE TRIM PUMP - Nebraska Base
Second Runner up: STRYKER SIGNALS - P.C. Stryker Base
Honorable Mention:
GATEWAY NEWS - USS Springfield Base

Western Region
Class One:
Winner: PUGET SOUNDINGS - Bremerton Base
First runner up: THE MIDWATCH - Perch Base
Second runner up: THE DOLPHIN BROTHERHOOD - Seattle Base
Honorable Mention:
SCUTTLEBUTT - USS Holland/Gold Country Base
THE SILENT SENTINEL - San Diego Base
SCAMP – GRAM - USS Scamp Base

Class Two:
Winner: CORVINA BASE NL - Corvina Base
First runner up: THE BLOWHOLE - Dolphin Base
Second runner up: CAVITATION - Rocky Mountain Base

Class Three:
Winner: GOONEY NEWS - USS Parche Base
First runner up: THE TAUTOG TIMES - Tautog Base
Second runner up: THE SNORKEL - Yakima Base
Honorable Mention:
POLARIS FIRE - Polaris Base

Congratulations to all the winners!

January Meeting Notes

After the delay due to the snow and ice storm that rolled through the area, we finally held our January meeting. We started out with the Tolling of the Boats for January and introductions, and then moved on to business. Here is the important information that was shared at the meeting.

Officer Reports:
Treasurer Jim Harper provided the year-end totals for the Base funds and let us know that we are pretty much breaking even on total receipts and expenses. He fielded a few questions from those at the meeting and wanted to make sure everyone knows that if they have any questions about base finances, they can contact him with the questions.

Base Storekeeper Bill Giese let us know that he still has a few 2012 USSVI calendars. However, if you want one contact him as soon as possible, since he is planning on returning any extras to the USSVI National office soon. On a related subject, 'Dutch' Krompholz asked members to bring any old submarine calendars to him, so that the pictures can be 'recycled' for other purposes.

He is also getting some of the new Holland Club rocker arm patches for adding to your Holland Club patch noting begin qualified for 55, 60, 65, 70, and 75 years.

Old and New Business:

Pat Householder (right) swear in the new Seattle Base Officers

Base Elections: The call was put out for nominations for officers and a vote was taken. The 2012 Seattle Base Officers are: Base Commander - Doug Abramson, Sr. Vice Commander - Art Thompson, Jr. Vice Commander - Tim Floersch, Secretary - Bill Giese, and Treasurer - Jim Harper.
We also want to thank outgoing Base Commander Keith Watson for all the work he has done for the base.

Pat thanks Keith for his work as Base Commander

Base Float: The trailer for the float needs a lot of refurbishing to get it ready for this year's parade season. Several places on the trailer and the cradles that hold the submarine have cracks that need to be repaired. Depending on the extent of the damage, we might need to purchase a new trailer. We will keep you informed on how things look and if we are going to have a float work-party.

Donation: Loma Taylor, Ted Taylor's widow, was at the meeting to present a donation in Ted's name of $1,000 to help out with the Base float. She also let us know that a family friend donated $5,000 to the USSVI Scholarship Fund for a scholarship in Ted's name. Scholarship applicants from the northwest will get first priority for the funds.

Outgoing Base Commander Keith Watson accepts the donation check from Loma Taylor

Because the business meeting went long, we decided to skip this month's program. It will be presented at a later meeting.

Binnacle List Update:
As many of you know, Base Chaplin Andrea Geisler has been struggling with an eye infection. She let us know that she finally had the damaged eye removed and had a false eye implanted. The false eye looks very natural and she said she is officially off the Binnacle list.

2010 USSVI Election Results and Awards

Here are the election results and a list of the National Awards winners as announced at the USSVI Convention.

USSVI Election Results:
National Commander: T Michael Bircumshaw
Senior Vice Commander: Jon Jaques
Junior Vice Commander: Al Singleman
Secretary: Tom Conlon
Treasurer: John Markiewicz
NE Region: Paul Orstad
SE Region: Bill Andrea
Central Region: Wayne Standerfer
Western Region: Jim Dunn
Proposed Amendments: all passed
Note: The 2013 Convention will be held in Rochester, MN. Starting in 2014, the conventions will be held in the even numbered years.

USSVI Awards:
Joe Negri "Shipmate of the Year" Award:
Gilbert ‘Gil’ P. Shaddock – Snug Harbor Base

Robert Link "National Commander Commendation" Awards:
James Irwin – Albany/Saratoga Base
Thomas M. Bowser – Mobile Bay Base
Lance Dean – Lockwood Internet Base
Leonard Stefanelli – Mare Island Base
John Clear – Olympic Peninsula Base
John Dudas – USS Gudgeon Base
Frederick ‘Fred‘ W. Borgmann - Bremerton Base
Robert Dromerhauser – Buffalo Base

Meritorious Award:
Base - USS Florida Base
Individual – Edgar T. Brooks - USS Gudgeon Base

District Commander of the Year Award:
Dick Kanning - Tarheel Base

Ben Bastura Award:
Charles R. Hinman - Bowfin Base

Golden Anchor Award:
Class One - Razorback Base
Class Two - Sea Dragon Base
Class Three – Central Texas Base

Silver Anchor Award:
Glenn E. Harris – Carolina Piedmont Base
Robert G. Medearis – West Tennessee Base

Newsletter of the Year Awards
Class One (Large) Newsletter of the Year:
Winner: Boat Notes - Groton Base
First Runner-Up: All Clear -- Tarheel Base
Second Runner-Up: Up Scope -- Dallas Base

Class Two (Medium) Newsletter of the Year:
Winner: Sea Poacher Base – Sea Poacher Base
First Runner-Up: The Straight Skinny – USS Chicago Base
Second Runner-Up: The Fast Cruise – Cincinnati Base

Class Three (Small) Newsletter of the Year:
Winner: The Dive Log – Trieste Base
First Runner-Up: Blow & Go – First Coast Base
Second Runner-Up: Dive-Dive – South Florida Base

Congratulations to  all the winners!

You can see all the award descriptions and winners on the USSVI National Website.

USSVI National Elections Reminder

Hey Shipmates,

I really need your help with your USSVI vote. Only 14 of us have voted so far!  

Please take some time to make your voice heard. The process of voting on line is very streamlined.  Just go on line and log in at www.ussvi.org and then click on the ELECTION 2010 button (just below Member Login). The men running have devoted a lot of time and effort to the USSVI and would really appreciate your support and so would I. 

There are also some important potential revisions to our national constitution and bylaws under consideration which many of our shipmates have devoted time and energy to bring before you.

Please take some time to vote as soon as possible.  

If you can't vote online or it you know a shipmate that can't vote online, you can download and print out a paper ballot by clicking: USSVI Paper Ballot.

This completed ballot must then be mailed to the National Election master, who will enter the information into the online voting system for the voter. (The system only allows one ballot per member, whatever the source)
John Peters Election Master
P.O. BOX 2911
AIEA, HI 96701- 8411

The closing date for submitting votes is August 24, 201.

Fraternally, 

Keith Watson
Commander Seattle Base USSVI 

More Election Information

In each on-line election season there will be members who, for various reasons, cannot vote using the on-line tool.

To accommodate these shipmates, there is a ballot available for downloading at: Paper Ballot

If you know of someone that cannot vote using the on-line tool, you may want to print out a ballot for them.

It is critical that the voter put their name legibly on the ballot, because that is the only way he can validate the legitimacy of the submitted ballot.

If a legible name does not appear, or if the submitted name does not appear in our member tracking system as a regular (SS) member, the ballot must be discarded.

This completed ballot must then be mailed to the National Election master, who will enter the information into the online voting system for the voter. (The system only allows one ballot per member, whatever the source)

John Peters Election Master
P.O. BOX 2911
AIEA, HI 96701- 8411

The ballot will appear in the next issue of American Submariner. This will be in time sufficient for them to submit their vote prior to the August 24, 2010 closing date of the election.

The candidate statements and proposed amendments were also printed in the 2010 Issue #2 of American Submariner magazine.

USSVI National Elections

USSVI National Online Voting

The 2010 USSVI National Elections online voting started on Saturday June 5th, 2010 and will end on August 24th, 2010 at midnight. You may need to sign in to the USSVI website to access some of the options below.

You can get the 2010 Online Voting Directions on the USSVI website at: Online Voting Instructions

The 2010 Online Ballot is located at: Online Ballot

The online ballot also includes links to candidate statements and proposed amendments. The candidate statements and proposed amendments were also printed in the 2010 Issue #2 of American Submariner magazine.

If you would prefer to mail in a ballot, you can get a ballot at: Paper Ballot

Below are links to the candidate statements of our three shipmates running for National Commander. Please give them your widest possible distribution within your base, and read them over carefully.

All three are good men, all retired USN, with the best interests of USSVI at heart, and their approaches to National Leadership and the future direction of USSVI are somewhat different. Our national organization no longer is a small sub-club and it needs experienced business oriented leadership on the board if we are to insure our survival as an organization for the future submariners of the US Navy so that USSVI can continue to carry out its memorial and fraternal purposes.

So read carefully, ask your questions of the candidates if you have any, then vote using your best judgment.

Michael Bircumshaw

John Carcioppolo

Carl Schmidt