National Public Affairs, Publications, Photo and Video Contest

Shipmates,
Get out your photos since June 2012 and take your cameras with you as you participate in Auxiliary activities -- the National Public Affairs, Publications, Photo and Video Contest closes in six weeks. Here are the details:

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2012 – 2013 National Public Affairs, Publications, Photo and Video Contest Guidelines

DEADLINE:   31 MAY 13 – NO EXCEPTIONS

TIMEFRAME:  01JUN12 - 31MAY13

AWARDS:  Each first place winner will be announced and presented with a 7X9 inch plaque at the Coast Guard Auxiliary National Meeting (NACON) in San Diego, California in August 2013. Winners may also be recognized in member communication vehicles from the national public affairs directorate.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONTEST
This contest recognizes Coast Guard Auxiliary units who have successfully executed a robust public affairs program and or portfolio of a public affairs mission that attracted attention of the media and/or the general public. Each DSO-PA shall nominate no more than three (3) flotillas, two (2) divisions and their own district for this award.

Contest entries should be submitted electronically to pfritchie.uscgauxiliary@aol.com and should consist of no more than two pages summarizing the accomplishments of the unit during the  specified time frame. Submissions shall be received on or before 31-May-13 without exception. A judging panel of certified Auxiliary Public Affairs Specialists shall be convened to evaluate the entries and select the winners.

PUBLICATION CONTEST
This contest recognizes Coast Guard Auxiliary units who have successfully published three or more issues of a unit publication during the specified timeframe. Each DSO-PB shall nominate no more than one (1) flotilla, one (1) division and their own district for this award.

Nominations consisting of a copy of exactly three (3) separate issues of the unit publication should be submitted electronically to pfritchie.uscgauxiliary@aol.com using free Dropbox file sharing software (http://dropbox.com).  Each entry shall be identified with the name of the publication’s editor and the unit’s number.

Submission shall be received no later than 31-May-13 without exception.  A judging panel of certified Auxiliary Public Affairs Specialists shall be convened to evaluate the entries and select the winners. Entries will be evaluated on several categories including design, layout, writing quality, photojournalism, and use of Associated Press Style Book, Coast Guard Style Guide, and Coast Guard Auxiliary Public Affairs Publications Officers Guide and USCG Auxiliary Public Affairs Guide.


PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST
This contest recognizes Coast Guard Auxiliary Photographers who have successfully captured interesting and compelling images of Auxiliary members and assets in action across specified program categories.  Each Coast Guard Auxiliary member may submit up to two photographs per category. Contest entries should be submitted electronically to joetasio@verizon.net using free Dropbox file sharing software.  (Free download via:http://dropbox.com)

Each photograph must be labeled using current Coast Guard file naming protocol and contain a proper photo caption and credit information as per the Coast Guard PA Stylebook.  In addition each photograph should clearly identify the category it is being entered into.

Photo Categories are:
•       Fellowship
•       Marine Safety
•       Member Services
•       Operations
•       Public Affairs
•       Public Education
•       Vessel Examination

Submissions shall be received no later than 31-May-13 without exception.  A judging panel of certified Auxiliary Public Affairs Specialists will be convened to evaluate the entries and select the winners.  It should also be noted that no photographs containing identifiable minors (persons under 18 years) may be submitted without being accompanied by a model release form signed by the minor’s parents.  Submit on U.S. Coast Guard form ANSC 7020 (01-13).

VIDEO CONTEST
This contest recognizes Coast Guard Auxiliary videographers who have successfully captured images of Auxiliary members and assets in action and/or edited them into an interesting and compelling video segment. Each Coast Guard Auxiliary member may submit one (1) video to this contest.

The video must contain a proper video slate as specified in the Coast Guard PA Stylebook.  Contest entries should be no longer than 5 minutes in length and submitted electronically to itsrusty@me.com using free Dropbox file sharing software (http://dropbox.com)

Submissions must be received no later than 31-May-13 without exception. A judging panel of certified Auxiliary Public Affairs Specialists will be convened to evaluate the entries and select the winners.  It should also be noted that no videos containing identifiable minors (persons under 18 years) may be submitted without being accompanied by a model release form signed by the minor’s parents.  Submit on U.S. Coast Guard form ANSC 7020 (01-13).


ADDITIONAL RULES FOR ALL NATIONAL CONTESTS
1.)  DIR-A and DIR-AD are not eligible to participate in these contests.

2.)  No public affairs national staff member may enter a contest for which their respective division and/or branch has contest oversight responsibility. (e.g. photo branch members may not enter national photo contest.)

3.)  The judging panel may, at their sole discretion, choose not to award a winner for any specific contest and/or category if it is their opinion that none of the entries for said contest/category meet the minimum Coast Guard Auxiliary standards for excellence.

4.)  Each national contest coordinator may prescribe an alternative method of transferring/receiving contest entries as needed within reason.

5.)  All DSO-PA’s, DSO-PBs and DCO’s have been advised of this contest via email prior to 15-APL-13. Contest notice and guidelines were also disseminated via AUXDIRECT email list to all subscribing members.

6.) No contest entries will be accepted for any contest/category after 23:59 PST on 31-May-13.



Patricia P Fritchie,
Deputy Director Public Affairs - A Directorate
U S Coast Guard Auxiliary
                
Life Jacket, Wear It, the name says it all!

Public Affairs Opportunity: May 22 - Columbia Crossing

Shipmates,

Josh Sharkey, FL76, has taken the lead on a Public Affairs event on 22MAY2010 and is looking for some assistance. There will be a Station Portland crew with an RBS-S to work with.

Columbia Crossing PA Event. Saturday May 22nd in the old Zupans parking lot across from Safeway on Jantzen Beach.

Set up starts at 0800 and there is a free pancake breakfast for those working the event at 0930. Event runs from 1100 to 1600.

I am in need of at least two more people to work alongside the active duty crew that will be in attendance and I am still looking for a trailer-able facility to be on display.

You can find Josh's contact information in the Division directory - or email me and I will forward your email. Should be a fun event!

Qualifications: Public Affairs Specialist I & II and Coast Guard Public Affairs Support Specialist

We are all Public Affairs specialists in the Auxiliary. Each of us, in the course of our duties, interacts with the public and represents the Auxiliary and the Coast Guard. We rely on the skills we've picked up over the years to make these interactions successful. Few of us have any formal PA/PR training or significant PA/PR business experience. Over the last few years the Auxiliary leadership has recognized the need to provide training for, and formal recognition of, our public affairs specialists.

There are three levels of Auxiliary Public Affairs Specialist (+1 since we are all PA)

• Auxiliary Public Affairs Specialist
• Auxiliary Public Affairs Specialist II
• Coast Guard Public Affairs Support Specialist

Auxiliary Public Affairs Specialist (I)
There are two tracks to gain recognition as a PA Specialist (I).

1) Take the Auxiliary C-School AUX-12. [Definition: C-Schools are resident classes of 2-4 days with travel, food and lodging provided by the Coast Guard]  The current C-School schedule can be found here: http://cschool.auxservices.org/

For 2010 these classes will be held in:

• CGAS Clearwater - February
• CGAS Mobile - March
• CG Yard-Baltimore - April
• ISC Alameda - June 

2) Use the self-study method with online courses through followed by an oral board. Full details of this approach can be found at http://www.auxpa.org/parecog.html. There are four Auxiliary classes and you must also take ICS-100 through FEMA. The Auxiliary classes are:

• Introduction to Coast Guard Auxiliary Public Affairs (AUX-20)
• Coast Guard Public Affairs Specialist 2nd Class (AUX-22)
• Journalism Basic (AUX-24)
• Introduction to Digital Photography (AUX-26)

Links to these classes can be found on the National Testing Center website (you will need to create and account to take the classes): http://ntc.cgaux.org/TrainingCourses.htm

For ICS-100a see this post: http://www.flotilla76.org/2009/08/member-training-fema-incident.html

There is a study guide and a Personnel Qualifications Standard (PQS) for the PA Specialist qualification [Definition: A PQS is a manual which lays out the requirements for a qualification and tracks mentoring and your progress - this is the standard Coast Guard approach to qualifications and is being increasingly adopted by the Auxiliary for our qualifications]


Beyond PA(I)
Once you have completed the Auxiliary Public Affairs Specialist qualification you may pursue the Auxiliary Public Affairs Specialist II qualification followed by the Coast Guard Public Affairs Support Specialist qualification. These are also detailed at http://www.auxpa.org/parecog.html

These are great programs and I encourage you to consider pursing the first, or all of the qualifications. Attendance at AUX-12 would be particularly useful as this prepares you to participate as a mentor and oral board member for future members seeking the qualification.