As the summer winds down and kids/adults are going back to school, families are wrapping up vacation and the heat is abating (NOT!), it is time to start focusing on the remainder of 2011 for Navy League events. We have a full fall schedule with a lot of activities for everyone to enjoy but we also need many volunteers. I know I have been pleading for new faces to come join us at these events – and we have had some new faces helping to put smiles on Navy faces! All I ask is that you look at your calendar and ask if you can please find a little time to help provide support for our military families and Sea Cadets as we all struggle in this trying period. A smile and thank you from a child or ser-vice member, for sharing a little kindness, is often worth more than money can buy.

Since I am on my soapbox, I wanted to discuss membership and retention. We have some Navy League members who are on the fence regarding renewing their membership. The majority of the reasons for not renewing are financial or members are getting too old and no longer can attend functions.

Our Navy League performs two great tasks – one at the national level and one at the local level:

1. Advocating for strong Sea Services

2. Supporting the active duty Sea Service members and their families.

Both of these undertakings depend on our total membership in order to have significant impact. Some undertakings do require some of our time and effort.

At the National level – the impact of the Navy League is in part directly related to how large an organization we are. When we go to our elected officials to advocate for the Sea Services, we must have a strong and large voice, in addition to a well thought out message. For most, this does not require our time or attendance – just our support by being a Navy League member.

The dues from the membership – both national and local - are a reflection of the strength of the organization and allow us to work at the national level and, importantly, provide direct, local sup-port to our Sea Services.

As we grow older – we are not able to undertake all the same activities we once could – it is sure true of many of us! The fact that we no longer can attend or participate in an activity does not mean that we have lost our interest in the inherent goals of the organization that we once actively supported and participated in. If the goals of the Navy League were solid and important in the past, they are even more important now – when the economy is forcing some very hard choices on the American people.

This is truly important when only about 25% of the elected officials have ever served our nation in any branch of the service.

With that being said, before you decide to let your membership lapse, please think about what impact your membership had on our Armed Services and Youth programs. Your dues and support are truly appreciated and will continue to be used to ensure our Maritime Services are strong and to support those who choose to defend this great country. I encourage you to attend some of our events and you will see smiles and appreciation that will melt your heart.

With the year over half way gone, I wanted to review and provide a status of the 3 major goals for 2011:

(1) Increase membership to 500 ----we have declined to about 430.

(2) Increase retention to 80%--- we are hovering around 70%

(3) Increase funds so we can provide scholarships, fund No-Dough dinners, purchase flags for families for homecomings, etc. and we are heading in the wrong direction.

So I plead for your help and ideas on how we can use the remaining 4 months to right the ship.

There are numerous events approaching this fall that will interest you. First and foremost is the September dinner. This event is very special in that we will honor our Sea Cadets and staff. The Sea Cadets typically perform a routine or provide a slide presentation to show how much they have learned over the months. We will also present two Theodore Roosevelt medals to the outstanding Sea Cadet and Navy League Cadet. These young people are starting off life on a solid path – they are our leaders for tomorrow – and it is because of the support that the Navy League and the Mayport Council provides them – and that really is you! This is also a great opportunity to show friends and neighbors what the Navy League is all about as they see these young men and women become molded into great Americans. We also have a cookout mixer that will be held at the Coast Guard base to show our support to our brave Coasties who protect our ports.

I normally send out an email a few times a month with a detailed schedule of events that are approaching. If you are not on the email distribution list, please let me know and I will ensure you are included. It would be nice to see more smiling Navy Leaguers at these events. Hope to see you at some of these events.

Finally, I hope everyone has had a safe and enjoyable summer and I hope to see some of you at future events. We do need help so if you are looking for something to do, whether it is assisting with the SOY dinners or becoming the interface between our new NJROTC units, I certainly can use your assistance. So please consider joining us as we continue to promote public awareness on the importance of our Sea Services, to support our men and women in uniform and to help our Sea Cadets grow.

Cheers.

John Vargo