Scappoose Detachment update

We had our first onsite detachment (pre)meeting at Multnomah Channel Yacht Club on Friday evening. [Why Friday? Because your FC fouled up and asked the Division Commander to request a Wednesday based on the June, not the July calendar, so we got Wednesday, July 17.... which was in fact a Friday] Our intent was to look at the meeting space and the parking ahead of a formal Detachment meeting. The MCYC facility is a great waterside venue and will be perfect for meetings and classes.

Based on our very positive assessment of the location we will ask the MCYC board to allow us the use of their facilities on a monthly basis for detachment meetings and as yet to be determined times for classes. We hope to see MCYC members become new Auxiliarists and, as these are symbiotic relationships, for existing Auxiliarists to consider pursuing membership in MCYC. We have a number of members who live on Multnomah Channel within a mile of MCYC so it should prove a very good fit in an area that has been without a Flotilla for a number of years (Todd Mains of FL73 arrived via boat this evening, his wife's boat).

One of the primary goals of this effort is to reinvigorate the USCG presence on Multnomah Channel by adding new members, new facilities, and recreational boating safety (VE and education) opportunities in this critical portion of our area of responsibility. We are very happy to have MCYC as our partner.

We are still in the planning stages but we anticipate requesting the fourth Wednesday of each month as our meeting time and we have a tentative schedule of member/public training for August to October:

August: An introduction to the USCG, USCG Auxiliary and our Surface Operations Program (with 222051 dockside as an example Auxiliary facility)

September: Cold Water Immersion Awareness (based on Murrianna's great work)

October: Basics of VHF-FM operation for mariners and a brief introduction to Auxiliary Communications Operations.