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To our great SITREP team,
Now that SITREP has published its last article and I’ve had a few weeks to meander mentally over the past twelve years of our existence, I thought it would be beneficial to us all to look over some of our accomplishments.
SITREP started with the 2000 “Parade of Tall Ships” in New York harbor. Then Department Chief (as they were known in those days) Fred Gates and a member of the technical staff of the A department, Gregg Trask, thought it would be a great idea to publicize the fact that the Auxiliary was participating in the event. Their distribution was very limited but they felt that the then newer idea of on-line publications had a future.
A few months after the event Fred placed a call to me with the idea of an on-line magazine and would I be interested in taking up the challenge. I was not new to the publications field, having published District 5th Northern’s TOPSIDE magazine for over six years (winning top honors over four of the six). Fred and Gregg allowed me to formulate a plan and start publication.
From the onset, my goal was to publish an e-magazine that the deck-plate Auxiliarist would take pleasure in reading and at the same time find useful ideas for their units to utilize. I realized that such a magazine should be about our Auxiliarists doing “stuff” and not about the Auxiliary organization itself. Aside from covering major events, that is how SITREP started and how it evolved.
I received a large boost from our initial “benefactor,” Commodore Carol Urgola. With her backing of our project and her influence with the National Board, SITREP was off and running. I spoke with Commodore Urgola at last year’s National Conference and she complimented us on the quality of our publication. She was very proud of the fact that she was a part of our infancy. We found it hard to believe that SITREP, at that time, was in existence eleven years and still going strong.
I remember covering NACON in 2001 a few weeks prior to 9/11 and then flying out to Vancouver, BC, a few weeks later to cover one of the first of many ISARs (International Search & Rescue competition). My first efforts were a bit meager but with the direction of Fred and Gregg we steadily improved.
A year or so later, Gregg, an independent business man, very active in the formation of a new flotilla and new tasks at the National level suggested he be replaced with a skilled IT person who could take over the technical aspects of SITREP. I placed a “want ad” for the position and Jim D’Errico was one of the responders. I was impressed with his credentials and his eagerness to assume the task. Needless to say, Jim and I were a “marriage” made in IT heaven. His ability to produce crisp and highly professional weekly e-magazines helped us to establish ourselves a publication by and for the deck-plate Auxiliarists.
As we gained experience in major event coverage, our e-magazine provided an in-depth look at the goings on at National conferences, competitions (ISAR) and training (NTrain) that the average Auxiliarist would never otherwise be privy to see. Early on, to publicize the existence of SITREP, I provided CDs of the photos I took at the events and provided them to the participants… usually over 75 CDs were sent out after each event with a cover letter directing the recipient to tune into SITREP each week and we would make the “visit” worthwhile. I was proud to walk around those events with a SITREP placard hung on a chain around my neck. It was a pretty good publicity ploy.
A great thrill was to “hob-nob” with some very important people over the years. NACOs and Admirals for sure, but meeting many, many deck-plate Auxiliarists at major events, talking with them and sharing “sea stories” was the greatest honor my job provided.
A few years into our venture Jim suggested that the work on the technical side of the production was becoming a task that should and could be spread out over a few willing, highly professional, assistants. The call went out, formal Auxiliary want ads, and we received a few resumes. Jim put together a test to determine qualifications and some passed and were “hired” to become Branch Assistants. Names like Sanjay Kapur and others come to mind, all contributed to the mid-life of SITREP.
As with most things with a volunteer operation, volunteers, for many reasons, come and go. SITREP has been blessed with a remarkable, highly professional team with who we have had the pleasure working these past few years. Dr. Mary Gibbons was very instrumental in designing our current SITREP front page and she has continued to be a highly productive team member even though her other activities, in and out of the Auxiliary, constantly grab at her shirt sleeves. Auxiliarists Cecil Claspell, Ed Lapham and Gerard Andrews rounded out our production team. Each of them was always eager and ready to take on any task put before them. Cecil stated that his work with SITREP was one of his most rewarding “jobs” he has had in the Auxiliary. Gerard always found time in his busy schedule to “loan” some of his busy hours to our production. Ed, the newest member of the team, worked diligently for the team even though he had some serious medical problems to look after.
The membership of the Auxiliary always came through. Over the past twelve years we published over 1,000 articles and photos, one each and every week. Almost all of that production came from submissions from the deckplate members. Some of the most interesting stuff came from near and far. We published material from Alaska and Puerto Rico, and almost every State in between. Some entertaining, some educational and all of the material “highlighted the activities of the members of our great organization.”
My only regret is that with the exception of Jim and Mary, I never got an opportunity to personally thank you face-to-face and get to know you on a more personal basis. I guess that was one of the beauties of our SITREP team, each of you working in far reaching places, yet able to coordinate effectively throughout the years.
I close by offering my eternal thanks for a job well done. We can hold our heads up high knowing that over the past twelve years we made a difference in many Auxiliarists’ lives.
Bravo Zulu.
Semper Paratus,
Much thanks,
Mel
~mg 08-24-12