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Lake Murray Leadership Meets to Plan for 2010by P/C Debra Allen, P The leadership of Lake Murray Power Squadron gathered at
Flotilla Island on 16 November to continue planning for the new bridge year.
Forty-five officers and committee chairs met over a delicious dinner of chicken
bog prepared by Cdr Andy Hyman, SN. The evening served to communicate and solicit support and
commitment for the coming year’s initiatives. Work also was continued on
finalizing the squadron’s 2010 calendar of events and activities; and an
overview of the various job responsibilities was presented.
The squadron’s 2010 initiatives fall into four categories: responsible financial management, growth and membership retention, educate and involve all members, and expansion of the facilities at Flotilla Island. “Today, we are in good financial shape,” the commander said. “But we have threats that must be managed.” He warned the leadership that it must guard against the declining membership that was affecting USPS on a national level, especially with the continued down-turn in the economy. Andy noted that through 31 August 2009, District 26 had lost 236
members. While Lake Murray only contributed toward 11 percent of that number,
“we must become more appealing to those who consider membership and we must
learn to better retain those who join beyond their first year. I want to
challenge our Administrative Officer and his Membership Committee to become
creative as they work to recruit and keep our members actively involved in the
Lake Murray Power Squadron.” Why do members leave, Andy questioned those in attendance. “We
need to treat our members with dignity and respect, to get them involved, to
listen to them and to reward them with responsibility.
Education is and will continue to be a vital benefit of membership, he said. “USPS educational materials are first class and the quality and number of educational products available to use is increasing. We must capitalize on this opportunity by getting more members to participate in our educational offerings and by using these educational offerings to attract new members. I challenge you are the squadron’s leadership to become role models by signing up for new classes this year.”
“Every one of us is now in a leadership role,” the commander
said. “As such, I challenge you to take command. Accept your responsibilities
seriously. Look at what has been done in the past and ask yourself, ‘How can I
make this position more accountable and successful?’ “We are limited only by constraints we place on ourselves, so I encourage you to stretch the boundaries. Join me and reach far and high for our membership. You are already involved so get on board and commit to the team! Together, we can lead Lake Murray Power Squadron to the next level.” |
Updated
22 January 2010
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We must work with them to
make a positive impact on our organization.” 
The
commander’s fourth initiative involves Flotilla Island, for which Andy noted “we
need to develop long-term and immediate strategies to beautify the grounds and
have a facility that supports our membership. In determining how best to
increase the facility’s footprint to meet our needs, we must build a stronger
relationship with our Flotilla partner, the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.
