P a ge 6 t opside V olume 79 , I s s u e 1
J . Douglas Willwerth , DCAPT-W
Greetings from the Western Area ! I am very honored and humbled to be one of your District representatives in the 5 th Northern Region . I want to thank Jeff Kuhn for his dedication , service , and outstanding leadership as your Western Area District Captain for the last 2 years . Jeff has been extremely helpful with the change in leadership , and I truly appreciate his help in this transition . Now that the baton has been passed , I look forward in working with all of you as a team during 2021 .
COVID , COVID , COVID . Are you as tired of hearing those words as I am ? I am looking forward to the return of some form of “ normal ” beyond masks and social distancing . Maybe once the vaccines have had a chance to penetrate the population , it will start to fade away . Much like the flu , it will still have a place and probably never be totally eradicated . As Auxiliarists and despite the challenges , you have adapted well in the face of the pandemic . Do we miss the activities and fellowship afforded to us in the past ? Of course we do ! Most of our resilient members have found other meaningful ways to continue on with our missions .
Folks , as we move into a new year , it will be important to stay ahead of any training concerns . Your Flotilla Commander and Information Services Officer will be able to provide you with an update on your core modules and whether they need to be updated . Also , are there an operational items that need renewed , changed , or updated ? R & SS items still need to be checked , and the PLB ’ s continue to be serviced . I say all of this and more in thinking about what the summer season will give us in activities . Now is the time to be Proactive in staying ahead so we can hit the ground running , and not be reactive in realizing all of the things that weren ’ t done when we had the time . Keep your eyes and ears open because there are always new opportunities and changes around the corner !
In February of 2021 , I will have been a member for 30 years ! There are still a handful of us that remember “ carbon ” transmittal forms for communication ( before email ), overhead projectors and slides for PE classes , and paper manuals for every course that was taken by an Auxiliarist . Have I stirred any memories ? Okay , maybe there was a moment of nostalgia . However and probably the most important , the why and what we do have not changed , despite the change in technology . Think back to what sparked your interest to become a member in one of the best volunteer organizations in the world . Are you able to remember and recite the four cornerstones ?
Continued on the next page …
J . Douglas Willwerth District Captain — West
U . S . Coast Guard Auxiliary 5th District-Northern Region