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Commander's Report

This year is the 50^th anniversary of the Canadian Power Squadrons, Pacific Mainland District, and Sur-Del Squadron has the honor of hosting the AGM and the Change of Watch. This is a two day event held May 30 and 31.

The celebration will start with an informal Social on Friday night – SHIPWRECK SHENANIGANS. Attire is old clothes that are worse for wear. Saturday will start  with morning coffee at 0800 hrs followed by the AGM at 0900 hrs. Lunch will be served at 1230 hrs and the seminars will follow after lunch. The evening will finish with the Commander’s Ball and Change of Watch starting at 1930 hrs.

This is an annual event hosted by a different Squadron each year. It is usually very informative as to the structure and operation of CPS. I will be attending both days and would welcome a strong representation from the Alouette Squadron to join me. The Squadron will pay for anyone wishing to attend the Saturday lunch and seminars. The price of the Friday night Party is $30 before May 10^th , and the price of the Commanders Ball is  $60 before May 10^th.  For more information I have attached the information flyer, and if you are interested in attending, please let me know as soon as possible in order to order the tickets.

This is usually the time of year that Squadrons put out the call for new Bridge members. We are no exception. Even though the Alouette Squadron has a very enthusiastic group on the Bridge right now, we have to promote new members to allow existing members to advance to a new position on the Bridge or retire. If you are interested in getting more involved in our squadron and becoming a Bridge member, please contact me or any member of the Bridge.

Alan Slater

Membership

 - at this writing we have 165 members and 2 associate members.

It's that time of year again - renew your membership now before you forget! You can renew on line and if you do before March14 you can save a tree - you will not get a renewal reminder sent by snail mail! Renewing online is secure and so convenient.

Please send me any changes of address, status, or boat names.  I will be revising the roster for the Pacific Yachting Magazine and it's nice to have everything up to date. The deadline for this is March31/08.  Please also let me know if you're NOT getting your 6 issues of Pacific Yachting and the membership roster - I can determine why you're not on the list and put you on it.

Lorena Brady, Membership

Social Committee Report

	2008
	HAS ONE EXTRA DAY TO GO BOATING

Alouette Squadron celebrated the extra day in 2008, February 29^th, with a salute to the Leap Year.  We leaped off to a great evening with a bean bag frog toss with prizes going to all who could make their frogs jump accurately.  Although our scheduled guest speaker was unable to attend at the last moment because of illness, the slack was picked up by members who provided high lights of the past Bridge meeting and PMD news.  A short demonstration of the new training tools using the computer and projector (Power Point) was given.  As well, Mike Dixon (Past Commander) entertained us with stories of past recipients who received the Bent Prop Award.  We also heard several rebuttals of why the award was never deserved and how it was usually someone elses fault.  If you know of any nominees for this year’s award, forward all details to Al Slater for presentation at the Change of Watch on May 2^nd. Similar to “Crime Stoppers”, your name will not be divulged for your protection.

Upcoming Dates:

April 4, 2008 - AGM 1930 hrs. ECRA Centre

An evening to show your support for the past executive and elect the executive for the upcoming year. There are several positions on the Bridge that need to be filled.  If you think that you would like to take on the role of Treasurer or the Editor of the “Hailer” let Al Slater know.  Again, there will be a guest speaker, great food, fantastic door prizes and fellow boaters to chat, commiserate, and make plans with for the upcoming boating season.  

May 2, 2008 - Change of Watch

Happy Hour begins at 1830hrs.   Dinner will be served at 1930 hrs. We will be having a catered dinner to celebrate the installation of the new Bridge and the Graduation of the Spring 2008 Boating Class.

Preparing for Boating Season

Here are a few tips to help get you ready for heading out on your boat this Spring (Just in case you’ve forgotten what boating really feels like)

• Sleep on the shelf in your closet. Replace the closet door with a curtain. Six hours after you go to bed, have your spouse whip open the curtain, shine a flashlight in your eyes, and mumble “Sorry, wrong rack” 

• Renovate your bathroom. Build a wall across the middle of your bathtub and move the shower head down to chest level. When you take showers, make sure you shut off the shower while soaping up.

•  Leave the lawnmower running in your living room six hours a day for proper noise level.

• Put machine oil in your humidifier instead of water and set it to “High”.

• Once a month, take every major appliance completely apart and then put them back together.

• Have a fluorescent light installed under your coffee table and lie under it to read books.

• Raise the thresholds and lower the sills on your front and back doors so that you either trip over the threshold or hit your head on the sill every time you pass through one of them.

• Set the alarm clock to go off at random times during the night.  When it goes off, jump out of bed, get dressed as fast as you can, then run out into the yard and break out the garden hose.

  Now you’re all set. Happy Boating!

  Peggy Roberts, Social Director  

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  Editors Desk

  This is my last Hailer and I will miss doing the job.  It is time to let someone else add their imagination and ideas to the Hailer.  This Editors position is a very important one as it gets information of the Clubs doings out to its members.  I am hoping that one of you will take up the challenge and come forward at the AGM.

  I have started the Piloting Course and am finding it challenging and interesting.  I now realize how much I have forgotten from the boating course that I took 10 years ago.  If you plan to take further boating courses I suggest that you go into piloting ASAP after the boating course.

  Please take note of the AGM April 4^th and the Change of Watch May 2^nd.  These are important meetings and social as well.

  Just a reminder, if you are disposing of a Roster please ensure that it is not passed on to someone other than a CPS member.  The information  in the Roster is personal and should not be distributed outside the CPS.

  Thank you for your support and input for the Hailer and I will be seeing you at the Socials and on the water.

  Ann Wright, Editor

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  Training Report

  Well the Spring Boating Course got off to a roaring start on January 16^th with 22 students attending. Unfortunately the following week we had to cancel as the school was closed due to snow and then the next week as we prepared to catch up, the lights went out. However, the night was not lost as Richard Robinson who lives close by quickly got his inverter and battery connected to the computer and projector allowing the class to continue (until the battery went dead).  Catch-up has been the name of the game, as of this writing we are going into week 9 and are pretty well back on track.

  This is the first class that was given a course CD which has been prepared by CPS, this is an added tool which supports the course material even providing the course cruises which can be accessed by the students after they have completed the chart work by giving them a password for that particular cruise. There is also an instructors CD which covers the whole course section by section, including all the cruises. The graphics and other animation aspects are well received by the class. However some of the PowerPoint presentations that have been done by instructors especially Mike Dixon are even better.

  Picked up at the boat show at the Environment Canada booth is a CD called “Coastal Weather for British Columbia Mariners”. This CD is an excellent source of information for anyone interested in weather along our coast.

  Doug Roberts, Training Officer

   

  VHF Course

  VHF - next 3 week course will run April 28/08, May5/08 & May12/08 if enough people want to take it. Please call Lorena @604-463-9258 or email @ brenlor@telus.net if you are interested.

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  MAREP:

  We are planning a trip to the Canadian Hydrographic and Coast Guard for April 19^th.  

  If you would like to  join us Please reply to us at Power Squadron with your name, phone number, and number of people interested so that we can return your call, with the costs and confirmation of details for this tour.

  C_Steeves@hotmail.com or 604-466-5353

  Details:

  Meet at Tsawwassen ferry terminal between 8-8:30 for the 9:00 Ferry

  Tour onboard of “Bridge” of B.C. Ferries.  (Note: not open to general public)

  A bus will be chartered to pick us up on the Swartz-Bay side, to take us to Sydney where the Canadian Hydrographic Service is located.  At 11:00 we then can have a Tour of Canadian Hydrographic Service:  

  Tour will end at approximately 1:30pm

  Lunch to follow at a nearby pub.  (Cost of lunch is your expense)

  Only the Reservations for us to attend are to be made.  

  After lunch the chartered bus will take us to Swartz-Bay for the ferry back to Tsawwassen. 

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  Supply Officer

  Last call everyone, final orders for short sleeved golf shirts, sweat shirt with a quarter zipper or full zipper and hood,  and or hats, all with our Alouette logo, will be placed on May 5th.  I will be accepting orders at our AGM on April 4, and our Change of watch on May 2^nd  Hope to see you there. 

  Jeanette Westerink, Supply Officer  

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  Thinking About our Members

  A hearty GET WELL SOON Connie who is recovering from surgery and doing very well.  Connie sends her thank you to all the Alouette Members for the lovely fruit basket.

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   A Laugh or Two Never Hurts

  A picture of a man with seconds to live

  

  Chilling, isn't it?