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Philadelphia Ship Preservation Guild Newsletter
Small Stuff
January 2006
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in this issue: PR Highlights,Volunteer Coordinator News, Training for new and experienced crew
-- PR: One of our most active committees!!
-- New Volunteer Coordinator: Lenore Khan
-- Webmaster Photo News
-- External Education -- Crew Training -- Survey Results -- Jupiter's Santa Run -- Weekly Work and Spring Work Update -- Misc......
Although the weather has finally turned cold as winter should be, we are looking ahead already to spring and those warm days of sailing. Included in this issue you'll find news on training, recruitment and our annual dinner. Don't miss any of these important events!! One of the most important concerns in good COMMUNICATION in the guild. PLEASE REMEMBER TO USE THE MESSAGE BOARD!! There are only about 40 signed up on this and we have many more members than that. It is the best way to see what is going on and how you can help. Log onto:www.gazela.org and go to "Message Board" and sign up. THANKS!! |
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PR: One of our most active committees!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Publicity Committee is making amazing strides
with our PR efforts. We are particularly proud of the
coverage we received of the Jupiter Santa Run on
December 21st from Channels 6 , 10 and 29. Bobby
Fleming, Kevin McKinney and Robert Conroy really did
us proud. Thanks to Steve Nikazy for a crash course
in media pitching. We had our first meeting of 2006
on January 10th. Minutes are posted on the Message
Board on the www.gazela.org web site under Public
Relations. We have a Video Team who will be
creating a short video on the Guild for promotional
use. Jim Marko, Phil Beck and a filmmaking student
from Lasalle, Nick Smalarz will be working on this
project. If you are interested in helping and know
how to write a storyboard, voice-over copy or shoot
video, please contact us. This is a great group and
the ideas we are generating are amazing. Please join
us at a meeting and share your ideas or post them to
the message board. Our goal is to get this city to
know who we are and where to find us. We need
more volunteers and of course, donations. We look
forward to seeing you.
pert.
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New Volunteer Coordinator: Lenore Khan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was great to be aboard Gazela on January 7 and
see so many people working together to complete the
winter cover. Thanks to all who supported my offer
to become volunteer coordinator for the 2006 sailing
season. John Yeagley will be working closely with me
and I hope he (or one of those reading this) will take
on the job in 2007. It is going to be an exciting year,
with plenty of opportunities to train a great crew in
preparation for ASTA returning to the East Coast in
2007.
In an effort to increase our volunteers, the Gazela will hold an "OPEN SHIP" the second Sat. of each month from 3pm - 5pm. We will need a volunteer to be on hand for each of these to show new volunteers around and discuss our mission. Let Lenore know if you can be there for one. Each member of the guild should make try and bring at least one new face to one of these open ships...we need lots of volunteers to keep going. PLease help.
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Webmaster Photo News ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For all of those would be Gazela & Jupiter
photographers ? I?m always looking for photos for
the web as well as other uses (Calendars, Posters
etc.). They should be digital and maybe emailed to
Webmaster@Gazela.org or put on a CD and snail
mailed to the office. A couple of things to remember;
Not everyone wants their picture on the web ? so
pictures with lots of people in them or are
embarrassing in anyway are probably NOT going to
make it to the web site. I need pictures during the
work season as well as the sailing season. If the
pictures are put up in the various albums ? you will
be given credit for the photo.
Still Pictures should be Landscape (the camera held in
the normal horizontal position) as these photos show
up better. Also I?m looking for short digital videos of
either of the vessels as these can be placed on the
Web as well, however they need to be family oriented
(No salty language or embarrassing footage ? please)
and reasonably focused for the entire length of the
footage.
Thanks
Norm
Norm would also like to remind you to: SIGN ON TO THE MESSAGE BOARD!
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External Education ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Classes have begun for this year's Girard cadets and
we have an enthusiastic class of 15 cadets. Ross
Hunter is the Girard teacher who helps head this up
and he had over 70 students who expressed an
interest in becoming a cadet this year. As you can
see, having a more active group of educators who
help this program meet the need for more cadet
classes.
In an effort to make the education program meet PA State standards, I have reviewed the text that Naomi had so wonderfully put together and made it into lessons with activities to match. We now have a 16 week curriculum that can meet the standards and be taught for classes of students from 4- 8th grade. The Girard cadets will be down at the ship on: Wed. Feb. 1 (skating and ship's visit) 1:30PM -3PM Sea Scouts 3PM -4:30PM Wed. Feb. 22 1:30 -3PM (Sea Scouts 4PM-5PM) Wed. March 22 1:30PM - 3PM work day Wed. April 5 Nomenclature test Overnight Thurs.-Fri. May 4-5 (tentatively) We need a volunteer to help on days when Lynn or Norm cannot make it. If you are interested please contact Lynn at : foretekyonally@aol.com or through the message board. I am currently looking for help on Feb. 22.
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Crew Training ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nick Horvath has put together a detailed list of what
will be taking place each Sat. morning for training.
During Jan. he and others will be assessing the skills
of the "current" crew in an effort to identify needs for
future classes and to help during the sailing season
with experienced crew on board each sail. If you
have not made it down to be evaluated, contact us
through the message board if you expect to sail this
year.He will be putting together a weekend
evaluation for our distant crew.
Along with the "current" crew assessments, Nick is also holding Sat. morning classes for new volunteers and crew. These will start Sat. Feb. 4. Make an effort to get some new faces down on the ship on these days to train and get us up to the level of expertise we are capable of. REMEMBER ALL CLASSES START AT 9AM. BE ON TIME OR...........!!! Feb.4: Intro to Knots And in following weeks (every other Sat.) Behavior/Orders/Manners/Customs Helmsmanship Firewatch(and practice) Docklines/Linehandling (practice and drill) Lookout/anchor&Harbor Watch Climbing/Work Aloft/Deck Support (practice) Knots (Review&Practice) Sail Handing (Practice/Drill) Emergency Drills
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Survey Results ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Included on our web site was a pole of our volunteer
program and communication. Here are the results:
Overall Satisfaction with volunteer program:
Satisfied: 20/41
Volunteer in the past:
yes:30/41
Rate Ease of access:
online: overall satisfied
with Program Leader:difficult
Over the phone:Very difficult
Satisfaction with:
Level of Communication:
Satisfied
Quality of Communcation:
Dissatisfied
Leadership:
Satisfied--neutral
Training:
neutral-dissatisfied
Weekend work partied:
neutral-dissatisfied
Social Events:
dissatisfied
As you can see there are areas that need an
improvement. there were also lots of interesting
comments and suggestions too numerous to list.
Would you like to see more poles? You can send your suggestions via the message board. (Remember...you signed up??)
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Jupiter's Santa Run ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First of all...the big if...the weather, it was awesome.
Thank you Mother Nature!
Then for engineering: by the time Gretchen and I get
to Penn's Landing, the Jup was up and running and
warm...and through the day she purred like an old,
and I mean old kitten...thank you Jesse Lebovics and
John Gerry.
Now for line handlers...Gerry, Cahill, Moatz et
all...absolute poetry in motion.
The boat handlers, from leaving the dock to tying up
on the outside to going from ship to ship to a perfect
by the numbers docking at the end of the day, thank
you Captains Norm Meshaw and Keven
McKinney...sheer perfection.
To River Associates Captain Scott Cointot without
whom the awesome shots from a far vantage point
would not have been possible...Kudos skipper!
To Seaman's Church Institute, Father Von Dreele et
al, the gifts were there, the list of ships was on the
money, and each ship visit went without a hitch.
And speaking of gift deliveries, To Mr. and Mrs.
Clause, Bill and Elizabeth McKeon...wow what
costumes and presence, and our elves Mary and
Sue...the North Pole is having a bout of schizophrenia
this day, I just know it. They all looked so much the
part...I may just have to rethink my beliefs and get
down to writing that letter...hey who knows...could
be!
To the crew that visited Jup on Saturday...all I can
say is...what an awesome prep job. you should have
seen her. She looked like Santa's sleigh built for the
waves. From the garland to the lighted tree atop the
wheel house...festive is not enough to describe her
holiday regalia.
To Donna Vito, Bobby Fleming, and Robert
Conroy...what can I say. Channels 29, 10, and 6
were there through the entire event shooting and
interviewing...what a PR job. Thanks to Steve Nikazy
for the terrific coaching...it worked.
To the PSPG office for holding down the fort, keeping
the thread going, and maintaining a cohesiveness
without which stuff like this just doesn't happen...and
they're volunteers.
To Jim Marko for all the video taken from River
Associates boat and Jupiter. This will make great file
footage.
To Webmaster Norm Meshaw for getting out all the
information on the new message
board...communications is the key.
To the Coast Guard for their constant vigilance. I
can't speak for all, but for me it brought about an air
of confidence knowing they were there...don't
worry...we fed them.
Which brings me to Chef Gretchen. If you were there,
and you didn't stay for lunch...sorry for you. She
cooked up a storm from French Toast and Strata and
bagels to two kinds of chili and corn bread, all the
coffee, tea, cocoa, and cider one could consume.
Loves to Gretchen and so sorry for the extra pounds.
To all members of the PSPG, whether you could make
it there or not...we felt your spirit and suppport...it
moved us toward out goal.
If I missed anyone, blame my newness to this
awesome organization.
I was the coordinator, but I was driving a well oiled
machine on auto pilot.R. Conroy
Remember, we are a two-ship Guild. there is always work to be done on the Jupiter and separate events that need volunteers.
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Weekly Work and Spring Work Update ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Weekly Updates can be found on the web site.
The following individuals have taken responsibility for
specific projects:
Marcus Brandt: Deck Leak Repairs
Ted Pollard: Salon Painting
Rich Foretek: Block Repair (off site in
Allentown)
Chris Simmons: Fo'c'sle Prep
Rob Rustchak: Radar Move
Bruno/Rich/Eddie:Build New Donkey Engine
Bearing
You can contact these people directly if you wish to
assist or if you are interested in leading other work
such as:
Exposing Keelson/Moving Ballast
Caulking Galley
Mast Boots
Painting Deck Houses
Cabinetry in Salon
Installing Deck Prisms
Foreman Training: Since we now have Project Leaders the role of the foreman has sequined to one of coordination and safety. Nick Horvath has prepared a two hour training class on the scope and responsibilities of a foreman. This training takes place Jan. 21 after lunch.Peopl willing to take on this role should have sailed at least once, know the ship systems, knots, nomenclature, and can take responsibility of the ship for at least one full day each month. If you are interested call the office.
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Misc...... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1.Don't forget to sign up and pay for the Holiday
Party Sat. Feb. 4 at Finnegan's Wake.
2. Thanks to all the cooks who have volunteered to
keep the crew happy on weekends. If you are
interested in cooking or even just bringing a meal
contact: the cook's site on the message board or
Lynn at : foretekyonally@aol.com
3.there is a Skill's Survey in the galley that each
member should fill out. These will help with future
event planning and when help is needed for specific
jobs. ALL CREW SHOULD FILL ONE OUT PLEASE
SO YOU CAN BE ADDED TO THE DATE BASE!!
4.Send your ideas for merchandise items to the
message board...we are beginning tto think ahead to
what we should sell this summer.
Personal News can be found on the web site under Crew News or Alumni. If you are crew at a different port...let us know how you are!
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Contact Information ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email:
office@gazela.org
phone:
215-238-0280
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