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Information Services
Communication Within the Auxiliary By Harry Dyer , DSO-IS
Communication – the thread that binds and keeps an organization from unraveling at the seams . Without a strong thread , an organization will unravel , break apart , and in time will completely disintegrate . To prevent this from occurring , the thread must pass through and bind all organizational levels to insure a tight knit working community .
The Coast Guard Auxiliary has the guidelines / policy for a strong thread to pass through and bind all levels in the “ Chain of Communication .” Unfortunately , in some areas , the thread is broken and the Auxiliary , in those areas , is starting to unravel . We must re-evaluate our commitments and take a good look at ourselves . Are we communicating with fellow Auxiliarists , to the degree that we need to sustain a strong organization ? The answer is obvious – not to the degree that we could .
Harry Dyer District Staff Officer - IS
The main seam in the Auxiliary is the Flotilla . Communication must start there and wind its way up through the “ chain .” Members must express their needs to their Flotilla Commanders and staff officers . In turn , the Flotilla Commanders and staff officers must pass this information up to the next level , their division officers . Consequentially , the information must then go the district officers and then on to national officers . It is the duty of the Flotilla Commanders to provide the “ needle ” to start the information winding its way up through the “ chain .” The next step requires the thread to reverse itself and wind its way back down from National to Districts to Divisions to Flotillas .
As you know , there are two different paths the thread must bind - the elected officers ’ path and the appointed staff officers ’ path . If the information flow follows these paths , we will have a tight knit organization that is held together at the seams by a strong thread .
How can we stop the unraveling that is occurring ? First , the elected officers must provide proper guidance . In some instances , there is a need for improvement so members do not become discouraged by not receiving all the information that is available . Flotilla elected officers , in many instances , need to fulfill the commitments of their office . They need to improve the dissemination of available information to their membership and they need to submit reports to their Division Commanders . This they must do to set an example for their staff officers and insist that the staff officers follow their example . The next steps , at the division and district levels , the same procedure must be followed . As at the flotilla level , in many instances , there is a need for improvement . A strong leadership is needed to insure the “ Chain of Communication ” is not broken .
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