Podcasts about coast guard auxiliary

Rob Henson of the Coast Guard Auxiliary is on hand with lots of great advice on how to have fun but stay save on the water this weekend and summer! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hydration takes center stage with Mark Husen with Emplify - Bellin Sports Medicine. Mark emphasizes the importance of drinking water well before engaging in physical activities. While discussing the evolution of healthy drinks, they humorously debunk myths about orange juice and praise chocolate milk's post-workout benefits. Then John Craemer and Kevin Osgood, with the Coast Guard Auxiliary, join the chat, stressing life jacket safety amidst a backdrop of boating mishaps and outdated water safety beliefs. This coming week is Boater Safety Week, so this is a great time for safety reminders. As the hosts juggle coffee spills and giveaways, they remind listeners to stay safe and stay hydrated! Maino and the Mayor is a part of the Civic Media radio network and airs Monday through Friday from 6-9 am on WGBW in Green Bay and on WISS in Appleton/Oshkosh. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast lineup. Follow the show on Facebook and X to keep up with Maino and the Mayor! Guests: Mark Husen, John Craemer, Kevin Osgood

In this episode, we will be joined by Don Anderson (District Captain for the District 11 Northern Region) and Susan Webb (Commander for the Greater Sacramento America's Boating Club-US Power Squadrons) and we'll be talking about the origin of each of these organizations, their mission, roles and services they provided to recreational boaters and water enthusiasts. Websites   America's Boating Club (US Power Squadrons) www.usps.org US Coast Guard Auxiliary: https://www.cgaux.org/  

Join this for week's episode of the Paddling the Blue podcast as we take you to the 30th annual Quiet Adventures Symposium in Lansing, Michigan. This episode features conversations with show exhibitors and enthusiasts in the world of Great Lakes paddling, including representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Michigan Sea Grant, the BOAT Bus, the Wolf Moose Foundation, The Connected Paddler, and Woods and Waters Adventures. Discover initiatives focused on paddle safety, environmental education, and community enrichment.    Join us on an adventure! I am very excited to be partnering with Woods and Waters Adventures to lead a fantastic skills weekend September 18-21, 2025. Beautiful Lake Huron and the Eastern UP will be our playground to gain confidence, develop personal and group skills, and work on risk management strategies to stay safe and best enjoy time on the water. This weekend is about the willingness to play, learn, and try new things while enjoying camaraderie among a small group of outdoor friends. Over the 4 days, participants will learn and improve their outdoor skills while paddling premium P&H sea kayaks and enjoy chef-curated meals by a Les Cheneaux Culinary School graduate. Details, pricing, and registration is available at woodsandwaters.eco.     Resources from today's episode: US Coast Guard Auxiliary Air Station Traverse City US Coast Guard AUXPAD program Michigan Sea Grant The BOAT Bus Wolf Moose Foundation Isle Royale Wolf Moose Study The Connected Paddler Great Lakes Sea Kayak Symposium Quiet Adventures Symposium

Geoff Meeker says he can't get any help from Facebook after his popular 'Best Fish and Chips' Facebook page was taken over by someone + Jim Chidley and Maurice O'Brien tell us about the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary.

The FFAW's Jason Sullivan says the union's inshore council needs to weigh in on lobster licence issue on Northern Peninsula + The life raft that saved the lives of the Elite Navigator crew is now being used for safety training by the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Tony Ashdon (left) with Light Hearted host Jeremy D'Entremont. Photo by John Lopez The guest in this episode, Tony Ashdon, spent 22 years in the Coast Guard including some time as a lighthouse keeper. Tony spent some years on an aids to navigation team that serviced lighthouses and other aids in District One, in the northeastern U.S. He was also part of an inspection team for a while. He spent a few years as the keeper of the old Deer Island Light in Boston Harbor, a spark plug type lighthouse that no longer stands, and also some time at Plymouth, or Gurnet Light, in Massachusetts. Tony is also an accomplished model boat builder. This interview was facilitated by John Lopez of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. John also takes part in the interview, which was conducted at Tony Ashdon's home in Rockport, Massachusetts. Right: This painting of Deer Island Lighthouse in Boston Harbor was done by Tony Ashdon's wife, Margo.

[00:00:00] David Gyerston: What motivates her or him to want to be the Chair of the Board? Some Board Chairs are shadow presidents. They really want to run the institution. And other Board Chairs are too disconnected. They want the title but they don't want to have to deal with anything on an ongoing basis. Call me if the place is on fire, but other than that, let's not have a relationship. ++++++++++++++++++ [00:00:21] Tommy Thomas: Today, we're continuing the conversation we began last week with Dr. David Gyerston. In addition to his many other accomplishments, David has been the president of three different universities, Regent University, Asbury University, and Taylor University. Each of these schools were in a different stage of the institutional life cycle when David arrived. These three experiences have honed his senior leadership skills. Additionally, when one is president of three different universities, one gets a lot of Board Governance experience. That's where our focus will be today. You mentioned earlier, the board, the CEO-Board Chair relationship. I'm going to segue over into board service because you've probably had as much experience in board service in the nonprofit sector as most of the guests that I've interviewed. And let's just ask a basic question. What is the function or the role of the Board Chair? The Board Chair serves as the linkage between the President and the Board of Trustees [00:01:23] David Gyerston: The Board Chair really serves as the linkage between the President and the Board of Trustees. And that relationship is probably one of the most important in terms of successful executive leadership and board governance. And right now, I have several clients where I'm coaching both the new president and the board chair together. In helping them think through and work through their relationships. It used to be that boards of trustees met a couple of times a year, and they heard a bunch of reports, and if everything was going well, they had a wonderful reunion time, and ate well, and then went home. Now Boardsmanship is 24/7. And much more is expected of board members and the challenges facing our nonprofit faith-based boards have never been greater. As a result, then the understanding of how the board works with the CEO and the senior leadership team and particularly how that relationship supports that between the board chair and the CEO has never been more important. So in my three university presidencies to this day, my board chairs are still my best friends. Because we became even though technically he represented my boss, we essentially walked this together and became - he was my sounding board to say, I think given the executive parameters that the Board has given me, I have the authority to do such and such, but I just want to bounce that off of you. Is this something that you think maybe the board should be informed about? Before I actually take the action, or do you think I should seek counsel from the board or a committee of the board before I take this action? Or do you think this is an action that the board itself, even though it hasn't defined that I must report back to them before making this decision? A lot of times this is stuff that, you build this railroad laying the track in front of the oncoming locomotive. You don't always know if you've got the right track laid out there. And so, I think that relationship of partners together, collaborators together.  Too many CEOs see boards as something they have to overcome or manage and that's just the wrong attitude. Boards are there to collaborate with you as the CEO in achieving the mission and holding you accountable and empowering and supporting and enabling you for you to lead in the basic achievement of that mission. And so, I had weekly calls with my board chairs. I recommend that now that every board chair and president touch base at least for half an hour every week, just as an update.  And it's more than just operational. It's also spiritual. In terms of mutual support. [00:04:23] Tommy Thomas: Give me some words and phrases that would describe the ideal board chair. I know it can be situational, but there are probably four or five that you just need, period. [00:04:33] David Gyerston: As I said earlier, motivation and character are everything for me. And while there are lots of competencies and capacities you need in a board chair, and I'll mention some of those in a moment, so much of it has to do with, who is the Board Chair? What motivates her or him to want to be the Chair of the Board? And are they motivated for the correct reason? Some Board Chairs are shadow Presidents.  They really want to run the institution.  Others are too disconnected.  They want the title but none of the responsibilities. Some Board Chairs are shadow Presidents. They really want to run the institution. And other Board Chairs are too disconnected. They want the title, but they don't want to have to deal with anything on an ongoing basis. Call me if the place is on fire, but other than that, let's not have a relationship. So there's a relational component anchored to character and motivation that I think is so critical that I think the board chair needs to represent in character, in motivation, in spiritual commitment the highest ideals of the institution that the board basically is guiding and guarding so and then there are other competencies, of course, that are needed. I think effective communication skills. This person has got to be a transparent communicator and a clear communicator person who can manage conflict and crisis is really important. I'm seeing more and more faith-based boards in division now than they've ever been before. And it's often over social, cultural, and political issues more than missional or organizational issues. Masks, no masks, vaccine, no vaccines, Trump, no Trump. On and on the list goes. And good board chairs have to be very capable of managing the divisions and the increasing level of conflict that exists and even the best of faith-based boards. I think a person who can encourage the full involvement of every board member. Some Board members are overly involved, and a Board Chair must be able to reign them in with grace, but firmness. You have some board members that are overly involved, and a Board Chair needs to be able to reign them in with grace, but with firmness. There are other board members that are wallflowers. They're going to sit and say nothing. And you need the full council, the whole council of the whole counselors so that the board can effectively function. I think that the competency, particularly in institutional viability, I'm seeing more and more of the importance of board chairs knowing how to read a balance sheet and understand, but also in reading that balance sheet, understanding the core deliverables in higher education. Obviously, it's somebody who understands the very unique nature of colleges and universities. They're not corporations. One of the problems I find with successful corporate leaders who become Board Chairs is that they don't often see that the business of education is very different than the business of producing X number of widgets an hour at a specified cost. And so understanding the complexity of how higher education operates particularly and the industry, whether that's, a hospital board understanding the nature of hospitals, whether it's a nonprofit social service board, understanding the challenges that the clients are facing, those become competencies and then capacity is really critical. This is, I hinted at earlier, is not a few hours a year, and this is now multiple hours a month, and depending on the state of crisis, it could easily be 10 hours a week. And I'm working with a couple of boards right now whose executive committee is having to meet three to five hours on average a week because of the strategies and the tragedies that the institution is facing and the dangers the institution is facing. So those are just a checklist of things that, when I'm coaching a new board. As a matter of fact, one of the things I just went through, which was really interesting, is I was hired as a consultant to a board of trustees that wanted me to vet two or three of their board chair candidates and to look at the strengths and weaknesses of each and then help them select the best board member for this moment in the institution's history, because much like we said earlier about executive leadership, what are the big rocks that boy, this board has got to pay attention to right now or the rocks are going to fall on them if they don't move them. A good Board Chair must create an atmosphere where differing opinions can be heard. [00:09:08] Tommy Thomas: Respond to this quote, “You need a director on the board who will be a pleasant irritant. Someone who will force people to think a little differently. That's what a good board does.” [00:09:21] David Gyerston: Yeah, I think you always want to create, and this is the role of the Board Chair, a context where differing opinions can be respectfully heard. And that people can be encouraged to have differences of opinion. There are some personalities that enjoy thinking otherwise all the time. And they're always going to be the gadfly, and that's their sense of personal mission and on the boards where I have served and on, on the boards that have supervised me, there have been on occasion a board member or two who felt their primary mission was to stick a pin in every balloon, and so you've got to find a balance there. You want people with differing points of view, and that means that how you build a board in terms of its diversity - diversity in culture, diversity in racial identification, men and women, different professions, most good board practices now have board profiles, where they've identified the 20 most strategic skill sets in industry that they feel they need on the board to staff committees effectively, but also to bring those varying perspectives from their industries to what I think are important. I'm always hesitant to suggest that we recruit a board member whose primary mission is to be the gadfly. But I do think you create a context in which even if a board agrees 90% of the time and 95% of them agree 90% of the time the 5% feel free because again, they're there. I like Scott Rodin's idea that board members are stewards of the mission and they're there under divine appointment. And so if they've got a caution or a hesitation, I'll give you a quick illustration. I had a situation where one board member just felt that a decision was not correct, but he didn't want to be the gadfly. And so out of respect for the majority who thought it was, he did not share his opinion. Two years later, it turned out that the majority of opinion of the board cost that board over 20 million dollars of unnecessary expense, and the very thing that board member felt a twinge in his spirit about was the cause that resulted in that $20 million loss. And he is now kicking himself that he did not speak up sooner and raise the concern it wasn't that he felt he couldn't it was just he felt like he didn't want to be the bother, the guy throwing the wet blanket on what everybody else was so enthusiastic about and so creating a context where people genuinely are prayerfully trying to discern what's the right decision and then having a context where if they deeply feel and are motivated correctly for expressing what they deeply feel, not just to be heard because that's their role but really feel the prompting and the twinge of the spirit in our faith-based settings. The chair then and the president both are responsible for ensuring that all hearts are clear. I love that phrase. Are all hearts clear? And if they aren't, then let's stop before we make the decision and find out why your heart, Dave or Joan, isn't clear. And is it something that we need to delay decision on, something we need more information on, or is it just something that fundamentally it's a disagreement that doesn't really have at its heart the danger to the mission that we then move forward and say Dave, appreciate your position on this but as a majority, we think this is the right way to go and as a good board member in those situations, I would say all right, I support that because again, one of the basic principles is that you don't go out of a board meeting and not support the whole the decision of the board, even though you may have disagreed with it. And you always want to be able to have your heart clear that you've been heard. Even if you haven't been agreed with. [00:13:54] Tommy Thomas: You and I are old enough to remember Enron and for those that aren't, all they have to do is read the paper recently and see about the bank failures in Northern California. And although these organizations aren't nonprofits I'm sure there are lessons we can learn. One guy did some writing after Enron, and he said that the board was just guilty of not asking hard questions. Which they didn't. They didn't dig deep into the finances. How does a board ensure themselves that they've got people asking the questions, and people are comfortable asking the questions, which goes to your last few comments. [00:14:35] David Gyerston: Yeah I think, again, in terms of best practices, there are elements of information that every board should be looking at routinely. And so those get identified and then the administration is expected to provide those reports and that information honestly, fully, and transparently. I think that's really critical. The Board needs to know what information it needs in order to ensure that they're fulfilling their legal fiduciary and moral obligations to the people the organization serves. And so, the Board needs to know and figure out what information does it need in order to ensure that they're fulfilling their legal fiduciary. And moral obligations to the people the organization serves and then, the boards tend to ask how to questions more than why to questions, often there were looking at how are we doing? Is it efficient? The effective side of it often is not as much focused on in terms of probing and questioning, and it's back to, when an organization puts out a mission statement, that's a promise. And by the way, there's been a lot of litigation now by beneficiaries of the institution feeling that the promise was not delivered on. And again, as we said earlier, with faith-based and non-profits, it's hard to actually measure the effectiveness of the delivery of promises. But I think the board should be always asking with every decision, why are we doing this? And how are we sure that this is basically delivering on the promises we've made to our donors, our students, our clients our constituencies that are out there? And so, a lot of times it takes a great deal of energy. And the good news is that there are a lot of great organizations doing this very well. And the danger I find with a lot of nonprofits is they're very siloed. They think, nobody else is like us. The reality is 90% of other organizations are just like you and there's something you can learn from them in terms of getting out with best practices. And so again, one of the things I do in coaching new presidents and new board chairs is to connect them to some other presidents and board chairs that they could be a part of in terms of a list, sharing together from time to time, identify about 10 organizations similar to you get to know their CEO and their board chair and bounce ideas off of each other and see who else has wrestled with this and how they've wrestled with it. A lot of times you'll find out what you should not do, but I think, again, getting accurate information and knowing what information to ask for becomes one of the biggest challenges of being an effective board in these settings. ++++++++++++++++= [00:17:30] Tommy Thomas: One of your colleagues, Dr. Sandra Gray, whom I interviewed very early in my podcast, we were talking about risk management, and one of her thoughts was that probably nonprofit boards didn't pay enough attention to risk management.  Any thoughts that you have there? [00:17:46] David Gyerston: Yeah I think that we sometimes, because of the spiritual nature of what we do we know God is in control and God historically has bailed us out in the past that we've not paid as much attention to what are the emerging threats and risks that the institution is facing in this day and age. And so much of the emerging risks right now have to do with personnel-related issues. And government delineations of personnel and the LGBTQ agendas, the Title IX agendas a lot of things like that are finding more and more, I think students and parents in higher education are more likely to litigate over disciplinary issues over other things that they view as a threat. Typically, most of us, most of our organizations are insured and good insurance companies will come in and do a risk mitigation assessment before they actually issue you a policy. Because if you've got a lot of broken sidewalks and railings that are ready to fall off of buildings obviously they're going to want those fixed. So we're used to risk management in those areas. But right now, it's missional risk management. What are the things that are likely going to cause us to not be able to continue to deliver on our mission? I'm working with one university that took a position a few years ago as it related to the broadening of Title IX to include sexual orientation as a protected category in that state, who said, if that is what is required of us, we'll close the institution and move to a different state. And I think risk mitigation has to move to that missional centric. What are the things that, if something changes, would make it very difficult and perhaps impossible for us to maintain integrity with our mission, to be Christ-centered, and biblically anchored in all that we do, and if we're required by the government, local, state, national, to compromise on those, at what point do we compromise? And we've got a lot of our Christian colleges and universities right now, Tommy, as you know well, that are right in the middle of that kind of decision-making. And they didn't in advance anticipate that they would ever get to the point where they could lose their 501c3 status. Because they didn't let people, faculty members switch gender or something like that. And I think risk management has to be more concentrated on missional risk as opposed to operational risk, which is where we've been in the past. [00:20:41] Tommy Thomas: I recently heard a nonprofit CEO say when they want you to stay is the best time to leave. When should a board or a CEO begin to address succession planning? The day the new CEO is hired is the time you put a succession plan in place. Because if you decide to do something two or three years into the CEO's tenure, that can be a real threat. [00:20:54] David Gyerston: I think the day the new CEO is hired is the time you put a succession plan in place. Because if you decide to do something two or three years into the CEO's tenure, that can be a real threat. What's the board trying to tell me? One of the areas that I work on is board policy manual reviews and assessments. And one of the things that I look at right up front has to do with whether there is a succession plan. And so that's done independent of the current leadership. And how is succession going to occur? In these kinds of situations, you have a planned succession, or you've got somebody who's going to retire in two years, or somebody who has decided they want to leave the CEO role and step into a different vocational calling at that point. There's a specific way you go about doing that, and other times there are unplanned succession realities where the CEO is incapacitated and they haven't had a plan in place to say, should our CEO be unable to serve? How do we manage and handle that? And then there are the most difficult, which are the ones when a CEO has to be immediately dismissed for incompetency or immorality or some other egregious situation. And succession planning basically falls into three big categories in terms of how you do that particular planning, for a CEO, when is it time for a CEO to start thinking about maybe it's time to move on? And, I've done that probably more than I should have in my career. Some of it was for legitimate reasons, some less than legitimate. Because of my own personal struggles and issues, but I think that when you wake up in the morning and you're no longer excited by the challenge, the mission doesn't burn in your bones anymore. And if that feeling persists over several weeks, then it may be time as we say in Charismatic and Pentecostal settings, maybe the anointing has lifted, and it's time to think seriously about moving on to something else. Boards essentially, if they're doing a regular annual evaluation should be identifying those areas of the CEO's function that are effective and successful and those where improvement is needed. And that helps a board then know, when, because the reality is that institutions at different points in their history need different leadership. I've been a part of the Coast Guard Auxiliary for several years, and one of the things that I learned in working with the Coast Guard, same with the Navy, is that there are captains for different purposes at different times in a ship's history. There are mission captains when you're at war, there are captains who are skilled at maintaining the fleet. There are other captains whose specialty is to bring the boat into dry dock and to sound the hulls and refit the thing so it can be ready for mission. And I think a lot of times it's very hard to find a new CEO in this day and age. I know in the searches that you do. Like the ones I've been involved in. There is no shortage of people who think they can do the job. And so you get a hundred applicants and maybe there are five out of them that maybe have the skill sets that are needed at this moment in the institution's history and need. And so, a board needs to discern, we've had Dave as our president for the last 15 years and it's been wonderful. But the institution has changed. And the needs of the institution have changed. And the opportunities for the institution have changed and bless your heart, your little heart, Dave, as we say here in the South, bless your little heart you're not changing as quickly as or even should you change who you are in order to accomplish the next season. And I think that dialogue when it's healthy happens between a board and a president have been a part of a few in the last decade where the board and the president came to a mutual understanding that, yeah, that the institution needed different leadership at this point, so let's plan a transition process and move forward. [00:25:18] Tommy Thomas: My experience has been that's hard for boards. Most of the searches we do, CEO searches, the board says, find us somebody to be here 15 to 20 years. And I'm saying, I think in our, and I remember, and you knew him well, Dr. Clyde Cook at Biola. Clyde was a 25-year president. I tell people there probably won't be many more 25-year presidents. There may not be many more 15, nor should they be. I think you have to look at it situationally, and law boards don't want to do that.  [00:25:51] David Gyerston: The most recent statistic, which you may have seen, says that the average university president across all sectors serves 5 - 9 years. So that's the reality. [00:26:03] Tommy Thomas: Yeah, if they're lucky. [00:26:04] David Gyerston: Yeah, if they survive the first year. The reality is that institutional succession planning needs to be driven by the emerging needs of the institution. As best as can be defined, because so much of it is unpredictable and undefinable now that you're probably looking at a president for a five-year to 10-year term in faith-based settings would be realistic for most presidents, assuming they have the, and this is one of the keys I know you look for as well, is, can they adapt? Are they able to change? Do they, can they innovate? Can they manage change? Can they manage the conflict of change? And then you can see somebody lasting a little longer. Barry Corey has been at Biola for 15 years now. Tim Tennant's been at Asbury Theological Seminary for 15, going on 16 years. And each of them has demonstrated the ability to adapt to the changing realities of their institutions. And those are rare birds. As you've suggested, I doubt we're going to see that happening much in the future. [00:27:14] Tommy Thomas: Let me close with this question, because we see it all the time, and I'm sure you do. The experience of the outgoing CEO sticking around in some sort of an advisory capacity. Can you argue both sides of that? [00:27:28] David Gyerston: Again, it's institutionally specific. I think one of the things I have found and I don't know what your experience has been at the search process, is that it's hard to get really good candidates when they know the previous CEO is going to be around in some capacity, as a chancellor, often why I see this title being thrown around as a chancellor, he's there basically with the mission to help the new president on board. Often there's the board is worried about, major donors leaving, etc. And so maybe if they keep the former president around, they can maybe preserve, also they're hedging their bets. Because often if the new president isn't somebody that's already known to them, isn't an internal promotion, then they don't know fully who they're getting. And so sometimes keeping, assuming they want them around, I had that experience at Taylor where they board had decided to keep Dr. Kessler in a Chancellor's role and they were two years trying to find a new president and were unsuccessful because who wanted to follow Jay Kessler. And Jay and I had been friends for years. They came back to me three different times over about an 18-month period and said, Dave, we just would really like you to consider this. And Nancy and I felt like our work at Asbury was wrapping up and we did give it consideration. But what the board had done is they were very wise, and they said basically the Chancellor serves at the pleasure of the President. And if you want to use him, go ahead and use him any way you want to. If you don't want to, then he can stay home and we'll pay his Chancellor's stipend to him for the period that we've agreed to. And so Jay and I were able to work it out, in terms of, Jay is an externally focused person. He loves the roar of the crowd, and the smell of the grease paint, and presidents get invited to, a hundred different things a month. And Jay was my ambassador on my behalf, and he presented himself that way. I'm here on behalf of President Gyerston. One of the dangers is that when the new president has to start making changes, and I did at Taylor, the old president can feel somewhat threatened by that. And Jay managed those threats extremely well. And particularly when people would do an end run around me, and would go to Jay and say, you know what that Gyerston guy is doing? And it may be something that he maybe wouldn't have agreed with. He always shut them down and sent them. He said, no, Dave's the President. Very few former Presidents can remain connected to the institution and serve a positive and constructive role. You go back and talk to him. Jay Kessler is a rare bird. Very few former presidents are able to remain connected to the institution and serve a positive, constructive role. So I normally say that to boards that want to honor the title of President Emeritus, and offerto buy him a home 500 miles away from campus. And what has happened with me, which I've appreciated, is that I have said to the new president coming in, because it was said to me by the outgoing presidents, if you need counsel, I'm available to you. And so Taylor's had three presidents since I left. Each of them have picked up the phone and called me on occasion, basically to get a historical perspective, not to get my opinion about what they should do, but to get the context of what exists and why it exists so they know better what to propose as a plan to deal with whatever now had emerged. And so I normally discourage keeping the former CEO around in any official capacity, definitely not have him on the board, definitely not have him reporting to the board. I've seen that happen and that's a disaster because the new president doesn't last more than a couple of years. Because the new president will have to make changes, the old president, now as a board member, or someone reporting directly to the board doesn't agree with and the undermining occurs very quickly. +++++++++++++++ [00:31:35] Tommy Thomas: Thank you for joining us today. If you are a first-time listener, I hope you will subscribe and become a regular. You can find links to all the episodes on our website: www.jobfitmatters.com/podcast.  If there are topics you'd like for me to explore my email address is tthomas@jobfitmatters.com.   Word of mouth has been identified as the most valuable form of marketing. Surveys tell us that consumers believe recommendations from friends and family over all other forms of advertising. If you've heard something today that's worth passing on, please share it with others. You're already helping me make something special for the next generation of nonprofit leaders. I'll be back next week with a new episode. Until then, stay the course on our journey to help make the nonprofit sector more effective and sustainable.   Links & Resources JobfitMatters Website Next Gen Nonprofit Leadership with Tommy Thomas The Perfect Search – What every board needs to know about hiring their next CEO   Connect tthomas@jobfitmatters.com Follow Tommy on LinkedIn

Sally Snowman and her husband Jay Thomson on the occasion of Sally's retirement on December 15, 2023. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont. At the end of this year, Sally Snowman will retire after 20 years as keeper of Boston Light in Massachusetts, America's oldest light station. As a civilian employee of the Coast Guard, she oversaw tours and managed the Boston Light Augmentation Program, under which members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary perform various functions at Boston Light. She also has represented Boston Light in numerous interviews and TV shows. She is the last lighthouse keeper in the United States still employed by the federal government, a legacy that goes back 234 years. Boston Light, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont. The wedding of Sally Snowman and Jay Thomson at Boston Light in October 1994 In 2018, Sally was the recipient of a “Keeper of the Light” award from the American Lighthouse Foundation for "her sustained dedication and outstanding achievement at historic Boston Light Station – and for perpetuating our great nation's time-honored lightkeeping heritage" Sally's husband, Jay Thomson, who is a civil engineer, also took part in this interview.

In this episode of Veteran On the Move, Joe is joined by two guests committed to setting up Veterans for success; Alicia Boddy and Tim Taylor. Tim is the co-founder and President of America Succeeds; a non-profit engaging business leaders in modernizing education systems to drive equity and opportunity. A part of America Succeeds' mission is linking durable skills (also known as soft skills) to what employers are looking for in potential employees. Alicia is the founder of the VET TEC working group. VET TEC is currently a pilot program through the VA, connecting training providers and Veterans looking to learn high tech skills. VET TEC goes beyond education and supports job placement. Listen today as they discuss the importance of combining durable and technical skills, and resources available to help you succeed.    Episode Resources:  America Succeeds Veterans Technology Education Courses | Veterans Affairs Durable Skills Mission43 Course Report Code Platoon     About Our Guest    Tim Taylor is the Co-Founder and President of America Succeeds, bringing a unique background of executive, nonprofit, and public policy experience to the organization. Prior to launching America Succeeds, he served as the founding President of Colorado Succeeds. Tim began his career on Capitol Hill as a Senior Legislative Assistant. After relocating to Colorado in 1998, he served as an independent political consultant, Director of Public Relations and Government Affairs for the Colorado Health Care Association, and founder of Open Fairways. Tim is a fellow of the 14th class of the Aspen- Pahara Education Fellowship and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. Alicia Boddy is the Founder of the VET TEC Working Group, a technical assistance group of training providers approved by The Department of Veterans Affairs. She hosts monthly calls between VET TEC providers and the VA, creating opportunities for open communication, real time updates, and positive change. Alicia collaborates with industry leaders and legislators to develop and influence policies related to workforce development, technology hiring initiatives, and the importance of supporting veterans in civilian careers. Alicia has contributed to several legislative sessions, working closely with House Veterans Affairs and Senate Veterans Affairs to draft, edit, and pass new bills. Alicia is the proud daughter of two Navy Veterans and step-daughter to the Deputy National Commodore, Atlantic West and Operations in the Coast Guard Auxiliary.   Join the conversation on Facebook! Check out Veteran on the Move on Facebook to connect with our guests and other listeners. A place where you can network with other like-minded veterans who are transitioning to entrepreneurship and get updates on people, programs and resources to help you in YOUR transition to entrepreneurship.   About Our Sponsors Navy Federal Credit Union   As a member-owned not-for-profit, Navy Federal puts members at the heart of every single thing that they do. With low fees and great rates, resources to help you crush your financial goals, and 24/7 access to stateside member service representatives with award-winning customer service. Members could enjoy: -Earning and savings of $473 per year by banking with us  -An average credit card APR that's 6% lower than the industry average  -A market-leading regular savings rate nearly two times the industry average Learn more: www.navyfederal.org/offers At Navy Federal, our members are the mission.      4Patriots Survival Food Create your own stockpile of the best-selling 4Patriots Survival Food Kits. Handpacked in the U.S.A.  The kits are compact and stack easily. They have different delicious breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. And their 5-star reviews on the website rave about the flavor and taste And right now, you can go to 4Patriots.com and use code VETERAN to get 10% off your first...

Welcome back to Your Drone Questions Answered! In today's episode, John Dickow dives into the fascinating world of using drones in search and rescue operations. Joined by First Lieutenant Martin Lessem from the Massachusetts Wing, DOU, and the Civil Air Patrol in the US Air Force Auxiliary, they unravel the intricacies of this critical application of drone technology.

We're marking National Disability Employment Awareness Month with a conversation with James LeBrecht and Day Al-Mohamed—two founding members of FWD-Doc-- a global, intersectional community of disabled creators and allies working in media to build a more inclusive, accessible, and equitable entertainment industry that cultivates and champions disabled media-makers, and elevates stories by, for, and about people with disabilities.   James LeBrecht is a film and theater sound designer and mixer, author, disability rights activist, and filmmaker who with Nicole Newnham produced and directed  Crip Camp-the story of Camp Jened which ignited a community of people with disabilities to fight for their rights. Day Al-Mohamed  is an author, filmmaker, disability policy strategist, and a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary.  The Invalid Corps, a documentary about disabled veterans' contributions during the Civil War, was her first documentary as a blind filmmaker. In this podcast, Jim and Day detail the mission of FWD-Doc and the issues that it is addressing: the lack of access and opportunity for people with disabilities in filmmaking, and the dearth of stories by and for people with disabilities. They discuss the many resources they offer on their website including their robust “Toolkit for Inclusion & Accessibility: Changing the Narrative of Disability in Documentary Film,” and their partnership with the International Documentary Association to establish the Nonfiction Access Initiative (NAI),  a fund for nonfiction storytellers and media makers from the disability community. Al-Mohamed and LeBrecht also talk about their career trajectories, the difference between compliance and best practices,  and the need for access to be recognized as essential to diversity.

We're marking National Disability Employment Awareness Month with a conversation with James LeBrecht and Day Al-Mohamed—two founding members of FWD-Doc-- a global, intersectional community of disabled creators and allies working in media to build a more inclusive, accessible, and equitable entertainment industry that cultivates and champions disabled media-makers, and elevates stories by, for, and about people with disabilities.   James LeBrecht is a film and theater sound designer and mixer, author, disability rights activist, and filmmaker who with Nicole Newnham produced and directed  Crip Camp-the story of Camp Jened which ignited a community of people with disabilities to fight for their rights. Day Al-Mohamed  is an author, filmmaker, disability policy strategist, and a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary.  The Invalid Corps, a documentary about disabled veterans' contributions during the Civil War, was her first documentary as a blind filmmaker. In this podcast, Jim and Day detail the mission of FWD-Doc and the issues that it is addressing: the lack of access and opportunity for people with disabilities in filmmaking, and the dearth of stories by and for people with disabilities. They discuss the many resources they offer on their website including their robust “Toolkit for Inclusion & Accessibility: Changing the Narrative of Disability in Documentary Film,” and their partnership with the International Documentary Association to establish the Nonfiction Access Initiative (NAI),  a fund for nonfiction storytellers and media makers from the disability community. Al-Mohamed and LeBrecht also talk about their career trajectories, the difference between compliance and best practices,  and the need for access to be recognized as essential to diversity.

The call to ministry outside of a conventional congregational setting is growing. Chaplaincy within the military is among the vocations that is attracting the attention of seminarians as well as seasoned clergy. Season 3 begins with a series of podcasts on military chaplaincy. In this episode, I have the honor of speaking with Rev. Dr. Sarah Lammert, Ministry and Faith Development co-director and Ecclesiastical Endorser at the Unitarian Universalist Association. What is an ecclesiastical endorsement? Many professional work and volunteer environments require endorsement from a denomination or faith group affirming that a member is in good standing and qualified for that ministry. Chaplains who work in federal systems: military, veteran's administration, and federal prisons all require ecclesiastical endorsement. Rev. Lammert brings great information on chaplaincy not only in the military but also at the Veteran's Administration (VA), the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and auxiliary military chaplaincy with the Civil Air Patrol and Coast Guard Auxiliary. Notes from the episode:Dept of Defense Endorsers list: https://prhome.defense.gov/M-RA/MPP/AFCB/Endorsements/Information on ecclesiastical endorsement from the UUA: https://www.uua.org/careers/ministers/militaryUU Military Ministry at Great Lakes https://uummgl.org/ Fantastic organization that brings UU worship services each week to trainees attending the Navy's Recruit Training Command (boot camp) at Naval Station Great Lakes.Many Windows: Conversations on Ministry is a production of Meadville Lombard Theological School. Theme music is “Destination” by Justhea. This episode is produced by Jules Taylor and as always, a special thank you to Tomo Hilbo.

The Rare Disease Advisory Council, (RDAC) has passed in at least 25 states so far.  This is a bi-partisan effort to give voice to people and their families who are living with a rare disease.  We're talking about 7 thousand plus rare diseases, which include cystic fibrosis. The RDAC would be housed in Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The Bonnell Foundation, along with MichBio, National Organization of Rare Disorders, RDII and a coalition of rare disease advocates (in Michigan)  have been working to get the RDAC passed for years.  A broad overview: In 2020 the RDAC began as Bill 5465, and didn't make it very far.  Then in 2021 the coalition, The Bonnell Foundation, RDII, NORD and Dr. Rapundalo of MichBio our bill sponsor, Representative Cara Clemente, attempted to get Bill 4654 passed, but it didn't make it through the Senate Health Policy Committee due in part to some misunderstanding about the RDAC.  Our thanks to Rep. Clemente for getting us started. The bipartisan bill, 4167, got new life when Rep. Jason Morgan became the bill's sponsor. A first time Representative, Jason Morgan has come with enthusiasm, knowledge, and his personal story of life with Becker's Muscular Dystrophy. We're very hopeful this bill will pass the Senate Health Policy committee in the Fall, continue to the entire Senate, and get to the Governor's desk to be signed. The appropriation for this bill is $200,000.RDAC will simply give us a voice. It will include 21 people who represent the insurance companies, pharma, social workers, doctors, patients, nonprofits, geneticists, nurses, and the bio industry.We encourage you to contact your members in the Senate (on the Senate Health Policy Committee) and encourage them to pass this bill. Contact members of the Senate Health Policy Committee: https://committees.senate.michigan.gov/details?com=HLTHP&sessionId=15To contact Rep. Jason Morgan:  jasonmorgan@house.mi.govTo contact Dr. Stephen Rapundalo at Michbio: Stephen@michbio.orgContact and thank Rep. Christine Morse for getting the appropriations of $200,000 for RDAC: ChristineMorse@house.mi.govPlease consider making a donation: https://thebonnellfoundation.org/donate/The Bonnell Foundation website: https://thebonnellfoundation.orgBonnell Foundation email: thebonnellfoundation@gmail.comThanks to our sponsors:Vertex:  https://www.vrtx.comGenentech: https://www.gene.comViatris: https://www.viatris.com/enRep, Jason Morgan's bio:State Rep. Jason Morgan is serving his first term representing the 23rd House District, which comprises Ann Arbor, the city of South Lyon, Superior Township, Salem Township, and parts of Plymouth, Northville, Lyon, and Ann Arbor Townships.The son of a commercial fisherman and school lunch aide, Rep. Morgan was raised in Pinconning. By working part-time and thanks to state and federal student aid, Rep. Morgan worked his way through college as a first-generation college student, earning a bachelor's degree in political science from Northern Michigan University. He later earned a master of public administration degree from the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan.Rep. Morgan served as a Washtenaw County Commissioner, representing Burns Park and Central Ann Arbor. He was elected chair of the board in 2019 and served as the county's first-ever LGBTQ chair. In addition to his leadership in Washtenaw County, he served as a Northern Michigan University trustee, having been appointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and is a service member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.Over the last 10 years, Rep. Morgan has worked in various leadership positions in the community. He worked as the constituent services director to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, district director to Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, special advisor to Congresswoman Haley Stevens, transition director to Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin, director of government and community relations at Washtenaw Community College, aide to Congressman John Dingell, working as the congressman's liaison to Washtenaw County and managing education-related casework for Michigan's 12th District, and aide to Congressman Bart Stupak and Michigan Senate Minority Leader Michael Prusi.Rep. Morgan's passion is serving the community, with a particular focus on addressing economic and social inequality, LGBTQ rights, access to quality public education, transportation and infrastructure, and protecting the health of our environment. He brings these passions with him to Lansing as he serves his district. 

Jack is joined by Nick McManus and Carl Winerick from the Coast Guard Auxiliary and Marcus Bowling from Kentucky Fish and Wildlife to talk about boating safety on Kentucky's waterways on #LExington.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today

Elliott Bay, on Puget Sound in the state of Washington, extends southeastward between West Point in the north and Alki Point in the south. The city of Seattle was founded on the bay and the city now surrounds it completely. The bay has served as a key element of the local economy, enabling the Port of Seattle to become one of the busiest ports in the United States. The first navigational light at Alki Point was a kerosene lantern hung on the side of a barn in the 1870s by the property owner. Alki Point Lighthouse, Washington. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont. The Lighthouse Board eventually recognized the need for something more substantial, and a lens lantern was installed on a wooden post at the point. In 1913, the present lighthouse building was completed. It consists of a 37-foot-tall octagonal brick tower attached to a fog signal building. Two residences were also constructed for the keepers and their families. The two keepers' houses at Alki Point. The station was automated in 1984, and the principal keeper's quarters became the home of the commander of the Thirteenth Coast Guard District. Today, Coast Guard Auxiliarists provide public tours on most Sunday afternoons between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend. Debra Alderman serves as the Coast Guard Auxiliary's project officer for public tours at Alki Point Lighthouse. She has also been instrumental in outreach events for the Auxiliary across South Seattle. A fourth-order Fresnel lens on display inside the lighthouse. Information on tours at Alki Point Lighthouse Facebook page for Alki Point Lighthouse Email address for information on Alki Point Lighthouse

A rural hospital's closure dramatically affects the overall health of the community it serves. Our next guest has first-hand experience with how detrimental these closures are, and a strong ambition to keep rural hospitals open. This week we are talking with Kyle Kopec, the Chief Medical Compliance Officer for Braden Health. Kyle will discuss his work to restore rural hospitals and the lessons learned along the way. “The fewer hospitals that closed, the more likely we are going to be able to help preserve the system and then build it into something that we would be proud of for future generations.” -Kyle Kopec Kyle Kopec has established himself as a healthcare innovator. Currently, the Chief Medical Compliance Officer and Vice President of Government Affairs for Braden Health, his prior experience includes an internship through the White House Internship Program in addition to holding a Branch Chief position in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. He worked through college at Braden Health clinic in Ave Maria, Florida, and became a protégé of Dr. Beau Braden, the company founder.

-Recorded on 09.19.2022. Admiral Linda L. Fagan assumed the duties as the 27th Commandant of the United States Coast Guard on June 1st, 2022. As Commandant, she oversees all global Coast Guard operations and 42,000 active-duty, 7,000 reserve, and 8,700 civilian personnel, as well as the support of 21,000 Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteers. She previously served as the 32nd Vice Commandant. Prior flag assignments include Commander, Pacific Area, and Commander, Coast Guard Defense Force West; Deputy Commandant for Operations, Policy, and Capability; Commander, First Coast Guard District; and a joint assignment as Deputy Director of Operations for Headquarters, United States Northern Command. Admiral Fagan has served on all seven continents, from the snows of Ross Island, Antarctica to the heart of Africa, from Tokyo to Geneva, and in many ports along the way. Operational tours include Commander, Sector New York, more than 15 years as a Marine Inspector, and sea duty in USCGC POLAR STAR, a 399 ft heavy polar icebreaker. Staff assignments include Executive Assistant to the Commandant and Vice Commandant, and Division Chief of the Foreign and Offshore Compliance Office. Possessing extensive interagency as well as intergovernmental experience, Admiral Fagan has worked with both the International Maritime Organization and International Labor Organization on flag state and port state issues. This work includes the development of the International Ship and Port Security Code (ISPS), and the Consolidated Maritime Labor Convention. Admiral Fagan holds a Bachelor of Science in Marine Science degree from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, a Master of Science in Marine Affairs degree from the University of Washington, and a Master in National Resource Strategy degree from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. She has earned numerous personal and team awards during her 37 years of Coast Guard service. Admiral Fagan is the longest serving active duty Marine Safety Officer and holds the distinction of being the Coast Guard's first-ever Gold Ancient Trident. Our guest host was our Class 61 President, USCG CDR Amanda Ramassini. Produced and Edited by Frieda Garcia Castellanos

In this episode of the "Coast To Coasties" Podcast, I have the privilege of sitting down with long time Coast Guard Auxiliary member and United States Navy Veteran Mr. Scott Campbell. Mr. Campbell tells us the vast amount of roles and opportunities people can partake in by volunteering in the Coast Guard Auxiliary along with some of his personal experiences he has had with his time apart of it. This is a component of the U.S Coast Guard that plays a vital role in maritime safety as well as search and rescue and I am delighted to produce and share an episode with the audience detailing this group of outstanding people who not everyone has heard about. Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy our discussion!

Jack talks to Nick McManus District Commander for the US Coast Guard Auxiliary about his new role as District Staff Officer for Aviation for the Coast Guard Auxiliary on #Lexington.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This show aired on Friday, August 5th, 2022 on 107.9 and 980 The WAAV in Wilmington, NC. Guests include Mark Willis and member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Inflation Reduction Act, Project Grace Update, and Atlantic Hurricane Outlook.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Barry Denton, the Division Chief of Marketing for the Coast Guard Auxiliary, and John Saran, the Division Chief of Publication joined PartsVu Xchange Talks Boating. USCG is one of the oldest organizations within the federal government and is the US military's oldest maritime defense branch. The US Coast Guard Auxiliary is an important part of Team Coast Guard!We discussed:The fascinating history of the US Coast Guard and The US Coast Guard AuxiliaryThe work the US Coast Guard Auxiliary doesResources for recreational boatersOpportunities to become a member of the US Coast Guard AuxiliaryHow the Auxiliary is organized and led**Correction** Within this episode, it was shared (7:26) that there are currently 26,000 auxiliarists in the USCG Auxiliary. There are, in fact, currently 21,000 auxiliarists.Explore Joining the US Coast Guard AuxiliaryThe Auxiliary is an incredible organization and an essential part of the function of the United States Coast Guard. Getting involved is easy – check us out at join.cgaux.org.Special Discount from PartsVu for Listeners of This EpisodeFinally, PartsVu is here to support all of your boating cleaning, polishing, and waxing needs.Use coupon code PVTALKSSHINE for free shipping for your next www.partsvu.com order.Follow PartsVu on Facebook and Instagram (@partsvu4u)

Please wear your lifejackets! Francene Marie interviewed Stephen C. McCann - District Staff Officer for Public Affairs for 5th District, Southern Region for the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.   Tips when boating: Wearing life jackets Float plans Boater education Vessel safety checks According to 2020 U.S. Coast Guard statistics, boating fatalities increased 25% over the previous year, as more people are on the water.  

On this week's episode of the Great Loop Radio podcast, Dave Fuller, Director of Education for the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, is back to provide details on the proper usage of the VHF radio while on the Great Loop.  He'll include which channels to use for which purposes, the correct procedure for hailing another vessel and much more.

“Good Morning, Good News” Part 1 - News Director Greg Taylor talks with the two leads, Derek Achen and Tayler Butenschoen in the Red Wing High School production of Music Man at the Sheldon Theatre this month. We talked about their characters and the plot of the play. Part 2 - News Director Greg Taylor talks with Chris Warrington with the Winona Flotilla of the Coast Guard Auxiliary about safety tips and dos and don'ts of cold-water boating, fishing and recreation.

Talk about someone who really gets it when it comes to blindness, accessibility and inclusion, meet Ollie Cantos. It took some time, but Ollie made his way through school, college and then law school. Ollie has been an extremely and unstoppable lawyer spending now many years in government service in the United States.   Ollie will tell you his life story in this episode. He then will go on to discuss a truly positive life dedicated to proving that blindness is not the myth we believe. I know you will be enthralled by Ollie and what he has to say. Some directories do not show full show notes. For the complete transcription please visit https://michaelhingson.com/podcast About the Guest: Olegario “Ollie” D. Cantos VII, Esq., has served in various senior roles under both Republican and Democratic administrations. He has worked in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education since 2013. Past leadership roles include Staff Attorney and Director of Outreach and Education at the Disability Rights Legal Center in California, General Counsel and Director of Programs for the American Association of People with Disabilities, Special Assistant and later Special Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice, Vice Chair of the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, and Associate Director for Domestic Policy at the White House. He is Chairman of the Board of RespectAbility, a national nonprofit nonpartisan cross-disability advocacy organization. He is also immediate past Vice President of the Virginia Organization of parents of Blind Children, affiliated with the National Federation of the Blind.   Prior leadership posts include Vice President of the Virginia Organization of Parents of Blind Children, Legal Officer for the Coast Guard Auxiliary, Vice President of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, Chairman of the Board for Scholarships for Eagles, President of the California Association of Blind Students and the National Association of Blind Students, and member of the boards of directors of the ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia, the Blind Children's Center, Community Lodgings, the California Association to Promote the Use of Braille, the National Federation of the Blind of California, Loyola Marymount University Alumni Association, and Loyola Law School Alumni Association.   Ollie's life story, along with how he adopted three blind triplet boys, was covered by national media outlets including National Public Radio, People Magazine, The Washingtonian Magazine, and ABC's World News Tonight with David Muir in 2017 and in 2020.   Just a few weeks ago, he received the Marc Gold Employment Award by TASH, a National disability advocacy organization, for his years of leadership to promote internship, employment, and entrepreneurship opportunities for people with all types of disabilities.    To connect with Ollie on social media, those in the United States may text “Ollie” to 313131. About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app. Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes Michael Hingson  00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i  capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Michael Hingson  01:23 Welcome to another edition of the unstoppable mindset podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. And our guest today Ollie cantos is a little of all of those, especially the unexpected, as I think you'll see, Ollie is a fascinating soul who's been around for a while has a lot of interesting stories to tell. And, and on top of everything else. He's a lawyer is scary. At least he has a law degree but but he hasn't tried to sue me yet. So I think we're in good shape, but only Welcome to unstoppable mindset.   Ollie Cantos  01:58 Thank you, Mike. It's a pleasure to be here.   Michael Hingson  02:00 So I should say from the outset and talking about only that he is he is also blind as I we've known each other for quite a while. And we've been trying to get him on unstoppable mindset for quite a while, but his schedule is incredibly rigorous. So it has been a little bit of a challenge. But he confessed that he has actually been on vacation for a week. And so now we are able to get him and have him here. So I'd love you to talk a little bit about you and tell me a little bit about your life growing up as a as a blind person and anything that you'd like people to know about that.   Ollie Cantos  02:37 Sure my Well, I was born two months premature. And as the result of medical complications, I was blind from birth from a condition called retinopathy of prematurity. And so in my particular case, I had that resulted in my being totally blind in my left eye, and having partial residual vision in my right. And until about two years ago, it was pretty stable until some things that ended up happening because of an accident, with being hit by a car. But that's a whole other story. But basically, when I was growing up, life was pretty intense, because I was victimized by bullying a lot. And my, my parents really urged me to do everything I could to make sure to work hard and to achieve high results. And at the time, when I was younger, I honestly didn't think that I could pretty much do much of anything. And I that's just being very transparent and honest with you. I just I just didn't think that there was much that was really possible because of having a limited vision. And so what ended up happening was, there was a struggle between what my parents believed I could do what I believed I could do. And so I tried to get out of chores, I tried to pretty much leverage my my visual impairment to the best extent possible, so I wouldn't have to do stuff but it didn't work. It didn't work. My My mom, she insisted that I do chores to the same degree of efficiency as kids who can see. And she also had me make sure to wash after my baby sister and clean up after her with stuff she leaves around, etc. And I really found it very just it was just a tough, tough existence. But not because my my parents were awful to me but more because I cried to just get out of stuff because I just didn't believe that it was really possible to do things to the same degree of efficiency. And as I grew up, it was quite a struggle because I read large print, and then when fourth grade hit, I ended up being in a position where the print got smaller than it was harder to read, and so forth. But because I wasn't taught Braille in school I just strained with what musical vision that I had. And that was a mistake, because it meant that I was far more far more inefficient in comparison to other kids. Because I wasn't taught Braille. And so growing up and, and working through all of my challenges I ended up doing, okay academically, but it was not without a cost. I hardly had any social life and so forth. But I did work to get involved eventually, with extracurricular activities and everything. But things were so much more of a struggle, because I didn't, I didn't know braille. And I, at the time had a very negative attitude about being thought of as, quote, blind, close quote, I felt that if I were thought of that way that I would be segregated, and I didn't want to look be different in, in comparison to everybody else. And I actually would say, well, at least I'm not one of those blind people. And I look back now and think about those attitudes. But that's the way that I was taught and, and that's what I came to believe, like, Well, hey, at least I'm not totally blind. So at least I have some vision. So at least, you know, I'm not one of them. And I don't have to use one of those canes. And yet, at the same time, it was tough, because, because I would feel like I was closeted all the time, where I tried to hide not being able to see well. And I was ashamed of who I was inside. And I always felt like I was hiding. And whenever I would get into some accident, I clip on something, or I would I would bump into something or bumping into someone, I'd say, oh, sorry, I wasn't paying attention. And I just downplayed it. But the whole time, I just felt like oh my gosh, this is, you know, well, at least they don't know, because I'm not using a cane. And then later, after starting to, to get involved with with different organizations, I eventually   Ollie Cantos  06:57 came to know people in the National Federation of the Blind. And they're the ones who taught me very directly that it is respectable to be blind, that it's okay to use a cane. And because of that, I use a cane for the first time in my life. And eventually I, I learned braille as an adult, I'm not nearly as fast as as my children, which we'll get to later, but, but I still recognize the valuable importance of Braille. And I'm astonished Braille advocate. And I really believe that even if people have some residual vision, the key is to recognize if if Braille is more efficient than straining one's eye to reprint. And so because of my life and the way things are, to this day, I'm literally I am actually functionally illiterate. In that sense. I can't pick up a book and read it straight through, like my son's can, I'm not able to just read from a speech, I have to memorize things. So I continue to face those sorts of challenges because of, of how I learned braille as an adult, which meant that it's just hard for me to read as quickly. That doesn't mean it's impossible. But for me, that was an ongoing challenge. But in spite of all of that, I still eventually became an attorney. And I've been involved in the in the disability rights movement now for 30 years.   Michael Hingson  08:14 And tell me how old were you when you started to use a cane?   Ollie Cantos  08:20 I was 20 years old I was I was a sophomore, I was a junior in college, or between the summer between my sophomore and junior year is when I went to the National Convention. And so I left not using a cane I came back using one. So that was a that's, that's a whole series of stories in and of itself.   Michael Hingson  08:37 Sure. Did you go through any formal orientation training? Or did you kind of teach yourself or how did you really learn to be effective with it?   Ollie Cantos  08:46 Well, it took a while. And then I went to the Louisiana Center for the Blind in college and, and have between the end of my college years and the beginning of law school. So that's the time that I that I'm within that setting. And I learned of the blindness skills based on being put under sleep shade. And so everything I did cook, clean, read, walk, travel does anything any any very skills, I learned through the alternative text techniques of blindness. And it was the best thing because it really was a confidence builder. Because then after that I knew that I would still be able to function and that that it really is true that when refining alternative techniques, then we can be as as efficient or at least at a very minimum, far more efficient than we would have been if we just simply strangled what little we can see. If people want to be able to use a residual vision that's absolutely fine. Provided that is not at the cost of efficiency. And so that's that's what I've I've come to realize and that's why to this very day. I really push hard for for Braille for kids as well as adults. and because of the value of that, and of course, technology these days, has, has undergone such significant innovations. And concurrent with that, though, we still need to know the bit of the fundamentals of Braille, because it really can be a real a real booster of efficiency in the long run after after learning.   Michael Hingson  10:23 There's a general consensus that the literacy rate in terms of Braille for buying people has dropped. Why is that?   Ollie Cantos  10:32 Well, it's dropped, because historically, the 40s, the literacy rate among blind people was 99 0%. And that was when, when kids were in schools for the blind across the country. And then, with the advent of the new, newer special education laws over the more recent decades, kids started learning in school, alongside their their peers without disabilities, and that is an important and valuable historical step. The difficulty was that because of how spread out various of us work, there wasn't necessarily access to quality Braille instruction, because because we are what's called, we have what's called low incidence disability. And so as a result of that, there isn't necessarily a lot of people to meet the demand for Braille instruction or providing Braille education. And so even though the law to the state presumes that a blind person should a blind students shouldn't should learn braille. Having actual access is another story in many instances.   Michael Hingson  11:35 Well, of course, the other part of that is that the general attitude, and it's kind of self fulfilling, but the general attitude is, well, blind people don't need Braille, because their books recorded or other ways of doing it. And so the literacy rate has gone down. And now people use the argument. Well, very few people 10% read Braille. And so it clearly isn't the way to go. But the reality is that it does involve in part, the educational system, not learning that Braille is the true reading and writing method for blind people. Which gets back to the whole issue of attitudes about blindness in the educational world, much less elsewhere.   Ollie Cantos  12:17 Yeah, absolutely, Mike. And so if people will fundamentally believe that it is not either respectable to be blind, or that blindness somehow means that somebody has lower ability than, of course, at all costs, they will try to avoid anything associated with techniques that are utilized by people who are totally blind. That was literally my attitude for the first 20 years of my life. And, and I just, I remember, the very first day of first grade, they put Braille in my hands, but literally the next day it was gone. But that's the only time ever, ever that I had been exposed to Braille writer and so forth. And so it really does come down to attitudes about blindness. And it also it also means that we need to look at take an honest look at what we ourselves think about blinds, including people who are blind themselves. And they say, Well, you know, there's a difference between between totally blind and, and well, maybe I'm legally blind, you know, that sort of thing, at least, the way that I now believe, when it comes to blindness, it's just fine to use the word. I mean, it's not a matter of merely changing the word or trying to say some other word about it. But it's actually more a matter of what we think about it, or what we think about blindness. So if if, if the community can come to a place where they recognize that, regardless of the degree to which somebody cannot see that, they still will be able to compete on terms of equality, if given the proper training, basic skills and the opportunity to succeed, then that's what will be really of significant help with with not only expecting more of blind children, but also blind children expecting more of themselves blind parents expecting more of them, the educational system, expecting more of them. And ultimately, when they grow up them rising to those higher expectations, as opposed to when members of our community end up having lower expectations, they don't do as much so then therefore, it's self fulfilling prophecy. And because of that, they say, see, look at how most people these days who are blind don't read Braille, or their the unemployment rate is very, very high. And so we just have to look at there's always a societal aside a societal tension between the way things used to be and the way things are, and, and things can either get gradually worse or gradually better, but they're always these constant forces that that that come up against each other. And so from everything that I have seen in my life and from raising my kids, the key philosophically is to believe that our children can grow up to be whatever they want, and that whatever They do achieve things that are the source of inspiration would be that because they work hard and just like anybody else, but we have got to be careful about being inspired by people with disabilities who just do average things. So let's say for example, Mike, I don't know if this has happened to you probably has where, where I've crossed the street with my cane, you know, I cross at the green light. And then somebody literally comes up and says, Wow, the way you cross that street, you're so inspiring. Well, I mean, I'm, I'm a full fledged adult, you know, I don't know what is inspiring about crossing the street. Like if, if a person without a disability could do that, why is it inspiring for me to cross the street, but let's say for example, there's a fellow person with a disability, right? Like, like a gentleman in California, who just got a got the MacArthur Fellowship, I think it's like half a million dollars or something, he's totally blind. That totally inspires me, not because he's blind, but because doggone he, he just got a MacArthur Fellowship. He's a, he's a Mensa member, he has in his IQ and intelligence are off the charts. And he continues to do well, with with his life that inspires me whether he's blind or not, that inspires me. And that's the kind of thing that we have to be on the lookout for. Because what happens is, if we're not careful about that, then the message in finding blind people inspiring or any other person is really inspiring is that if the thing is, well, at least I don't have to go through that, or my life could be worse, or Wow, they made it in spite of how awful that disability is to have etc. As opposed to well, you know what, they work hard, they really busted their tail and they got it all done. That's inspiring, because anyone who works hard should be an inspiration to anybody, regardless of whether they have a disability or not.   Michael Hingson  16:44 That's right, exactly the way it should be in blind people who do the average sorts of things, do it daily, are good at it and are successful, to me are just as inspiring as sighted people who do it because of the fact that they have found an equilibrium and they are able to, to maintain and move forward. Tell me do you do you think overall, thinking back on the your parents had a positive attitude about blindness? They did.   Ollie Cantos  17:11 Because they didn't phrase it that way that they didn't want me originally to associate with with blindness, because they were afraid of what other people would think, because they originally didn't want me to use a cane. Because they said first of all, you can see a little bit. And second, if people think of you as blind they won't give you the kind of opportunities and they will expect of you what we expect to view. So so it was sort of a different take on a blindness philosophy thing. And then once I started using a cane, it was it really was met with some major resistance by my parents at first. And then when they realized how much more confident I became because I was taught by my mentors how to use a cane, then I was better and then then they accepted it and now it's nothing I mean, now it's it's a matter of course of course you're when you're blind, you use a cane. So they underwent an evolution of sorts themselves as as well.   Michael Hingson  18:04 And as you visit them of course, you still have to do the chores, right? Because now you're the son and you got to support them in the manner they want to become accustomed right?   Ollie Cantos  18:13 That's right, I still have to do the chores I still have to you know like like right now with this podcast that I'm with I'm this is all being recorded while I'm at my sister's house, but my parents and I are here with my shirt with my sister and her family as our house is being renovated and so it's just nice to be with them whenever we go back to our place because we've had that same house that I grew up in for 46 years we've had that house whenever I go back Zack only can you take out the trash clean the pool work on this do that clean this up it's the same you know because I'm always my we're all for all of us we're always our parents children when whether we're adults or not. And so I love the fact that that they stuck with me and that they they do demand high and the awesome thing is they demand they demand Hi of my children to   Michael Hingson  19:04 Mom, I can't clean the pool. It's frozen over California. Yeah, yeah. Well, that's true when you're in California, it's a different story. But you know, it's it's interesting to, to hear your stories, how similar in a lot of ways they are to mine, but in some ways different. My parents never cared about the fact that I was blind. They just said you can do whatever he wants. He's going to be able to do things like everyone else, and there was never a discussion about it. I actually got a guide dog before I got a cane, because there was nobody around teaching cane travel but we met someone who used a cane. You You've I think met her no of her sharing gold who lived near where we lived. movement right when I was growing up, and so I met guide dogs as it were through her and ended up getting a guide dog going into high school. But my parents actually initiated that recognizing that we needed to do something to and enhance my ability, as opposed to just walking to school or walking around a school. And being able to hear it in a in a much smaller environment than a high school would be. And it was the right time.   Ollie Cantos  20:21 Yeah, absolutely. Sharon gold was a force of nature. I still miss her to this day. And she spent 20 years of her life working full time building the National Federation of Vita, California, she has touched the lives of countless people who have gone on to touch the lives of others, because she, she basically built a leadership factory, and I continue to revere her to this day, even though she has left us, I strive always to to emulate the qualities of life of Sharon gold, that's for sure. And   Michael Hingson  20:51 you can't do better than that. Right? That's right. So what, um, you know, an interesting thought that that comes to mind is we've talked about people with disabilities and, and the fact that we need to educate people in society, what role whether you're a person with a disability or not, but if you're especially familiar with disabilities, what role should we have in dealing with people who are blind or have disabilities in society?   Ollie Cantos  21:23 Well, that's a really good question. Because the fact is that we all have a role to play when it comes to making a difference. The fact is that when it comes to the disability community, there are more than 61 million persons with disabilities, including children and adults in this country. And because of that, that means disability touches the lives of all of us. And because it touches the lives of each and every one of us, that means that we need to really be mindful, because 90% of all disabilities are invisible to the naked eye. People may have depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, dyslexia, other forms of learning disability, as well as dysgraphia, dyscalculia. They can, they can have an intellectual disability, they just all sorts of things that you don't see, they can have epilepsy, etc. And so therefore, what is really important for all of us, is always to be open to what it means to have a disability. There are some of us who, let's say, you've had our disability our whole life, and to us, it's just a characteristic. And, and even even within that, there could be some changes, like in my case, I was used to what I could see as limited as limited as it was. And then when I was hit by a car, and then the lens detached and then now I see even less, I had to go through a major adjustment period, even as someone who lived with my blindness my whole life, and people say, Well blind, well, you can see, well, just to clarify, blindness is blindness, including people who have some residual vision, but my my degree of residual vision dramatically dropped. And it's, it's beyond repair at this point. And I had to go through, and I'm still going through some adjustments with that. And, and it's something that so when I'm talking about this, I'm saying that as not as a part of a theoretical construct, but as somebody who myself am going through a lot of changes that that that have occurred, because it's not that the disability is the problem. It's it's that this is this level is of disability was just something to which I wasn't not accustom. So it doesn't mean that that various of us who either acquire a disability or who acquire a disability to a greater degree of significance, can't live full and productive lives. But there is an adjustment period that's required. And there there are additional challenges with that, does that mean that we have lives of unhappiness and struggle and, and necessarily having loads of depression? No. But what it does mean is, is that we have got to recognize that we are all on this journey. There's actually Mike another example, where, as I mentioned earlier, I've been involved in this in the Civil Rights world within the disability and other contexts for for three decades, roughly about four or five years ago or so. The boys that I Leo, Nick and Steven, my sons, we spontaneously decided to take a trip to New York. And while we were up there, one morning, we were at breakfast, and then and then somebody, somebody dropped a utensil. And so I say well, hey guys, whichever one of you dropped, that you should pick it up, you know, and my thought was, hey, well, just because they're blind, they should leave it for other people to pick up. But here's the catch. What happened at once I said that somebody to the table to my right, sheepishly tapped my shoulder and said, Sir, I'm sorry to interrupt but actually That was not your one of your sons. That was me. So here I was thinking, Yeah, I know about civil rights and about equality of opportunity and how we have to really think well, people disabilities, what was it? What was my assumption? In all transparency, I assumed that it was one of my son's drama. I completely assumed so what I'm all for that, but it's, we all have growth to do.   Michael Hingson  25:22 Go back to your other example, though, you're crossing the street, you get to the other side, and somebody comes up to you and says, Oh, that you're just amazing. You cross that street all by yourself and how independent you are. What should your job be? Or how do you react? Or how do you think we should react? When that kind of thing happens?   Ollie Cantos  25:41 Well, I think it's an opportunity to be to educate people, if we get mad at them and get mad and say, What do you mean, you know, or if somebody offers offers help, and we say, I don't need help, I'm fine. You know, like that. I mean, then, then all they're gonna walk away is stuff think, dang, those people disabilities are pretty bitter, aren't they? And the thing is, by nature, all of us, we, we tend to, to, to judge, either people or classifications of people, based on the negative characteristic that sets that person apart as different from ourselves. So in this instance, if if they have that sort of negative interaction with us, they've never interacted with a blind person before they'll say one thing, you know, you're I'm trying to help somebody, and then they bite my head off. I'm just trying to help, you know. So I think that it's an opportunity for us to educate people about who we are and what we can do and say, Well, gosh, thank you for offering to help me cross the street, but I'm okay. But But how are you doing? You know, that focus on on that on them? Or if people say, Well, gosh, you know, you're so inspiring for, for what you did, and and then the stuff that I like to say is, well, you know, all of us are inspiring to each other. And to the extent that you optimize your life, you would inspire me. And then that's it. You know, because, because I'm sure everybody has a life story that can inspire me, you know, as the way we can inspire them, but it has nothing to do with disability.   Michael Hingson  27:04 No, one of the things I love to say to people, when they come up and do that is, you know, I gotta tell you that you inspire me all the more, because you are getting around without a guide dog or a cane, isn't that amazing?   Ollie Cantos  27:21 That's the best.   Michael Hingson  27:22 And then I then use that to go and say, I'm not trying to be sarcastic, or anything but but the reality is, it's just another way or we each have other ways of doing the same thing. And although there are more of you than there are of I and I understand and appreciate the inspiration, but the reality is, it's no different. And it would be so much nicer if people would recognize that, that just because I happen to be blind, and you're not the fact that we both can do the same thing. And that's what's really important. Sometimes you get into really good discussions about that. But yeah, I love I love to say that, well, I'm just amazed that you get around without a dog or a cane, and you do so well. But I but I do make sure I mitigate that immediately and say I'm not trying to be sarcastic. There's a reason I say that. Let me explain. And most people stay around and listen, which is which is pretty good.   Ollie Cantos  28:22 I absolutely love that. And you know, actually, this reminds me of another illustration where, you know, some people say, Well, why do we have to make our these businesses open to people who use wheelchairs? Or why do we have to, you know, like, sometimes businesses are other people, they say, Why do I have to spend this money to make places accessible, you know, like, they get all mad. And then I actually, this is borrowing from what a talk I I heard from the late Susan Daniels once where let's say for example, people say, hey, you know, we have to make all these places wheelchair accessible? Well, you know, whenever it think about how much the the world spends on chairs, chairs, literally, they're everywhere. They're chairs everywhere. But what the wheelchair users do they bring their own. Imagine how much money would be saved if businesses wouldn't have to pay for all of those chairs. Because imagine if more people use chairs in the business, he wouldn't have to pay for them because people brought their own. Well, what about another possibility? I love this what Susan said, as well, what about oh, actually, Dr. Jurgen said this where where you know if we really want it to be good, good with everything. Well, what about accommodating sighted people? Well, they say what do you mean? Well, if we instead with all of our office buildings and houses and everywhere, what if instead of having windows for people to see out? Why don't we just why don't we have no windows? Because it actually optimizes energy efficiency. It keeps the houses cool or warm or whichever, but instead to accommodate people who can see there are windows everywhere. That's it. People can look out they can feel the sun, all that kind of stuff for us, we're fine with this, if you know we're fine if there isn't any of that stuff. So it's all a matter of perspective for one person might, what might seem like, oh, well, you're accommodating their people. Well, what about them? You know, we accommodate them. There was literally a time in Moscow when the fire alarm went off, or no fire it was the power went off to in one of the buildings there. And I literally had somebody hold me by the shoulder, so I could guide them out, because I was fine with using my cane to walk out of the building. So I would say, Okay, put your hand on my shoulder, and I'll lead you out. And they were completely frank. They're like, I don't know how to get out of here. I'm like, well, I'll help you out. And so now all of a sudden things were turned because that's our world, right? Yeah.   Michael Hingson  30:48 Well, there's so many examples of that. And look, what, what is it? That's so different about providing coffee machines, in buildings for employees and accompany or electric lights? They're all reasonable accommodations. And one of the things I love to say, when I speak to, to audiences, is, let's really get the whole concept of reasonable accommodation down to the basics. Thomas Edison invented the electric light bulb as a reasonable accommodation for light dependent people. And that's all it is. Yeah. And, you know, it, we we make a lot of accommodations for people. So why should it be different, just because some of us are in a legitimate minority. And the problem is, people haven't made the transition. And it is something that that we need to really address a lot more than we do as a society overall. And hopefully, we'll make some strides in that regard over time, but it is one of the biggest issues that we we face. I want to switch gears a little bit. You've talked about your sons, tell me about them. Tell us all about them?   Ollie Cantos  32:01 Well, I just absolutely love my sons, Leo, Nick, and Steven. They weren't originally my son's, though. I actually learned about them because a man, a fellow member of my faith community heard about them, because his coworker had a sister who worked as a school secretary at the elementary school where they were. And so he didn't know them, either. But he heard that there are these three blind troupe of boys. And he, he literally came to me and called me one day. And and he had this on his mind, but he kept putting it off putting it off. So one night, he woke me up, and he's like, Hey, Ollie, I need to I need to talk talk, oh, I just need to touch base with you. And I'm like, Oh, really? What's up? He said, Well, I haven't been able to sleep. And because he just woke me up. I said, Well, let me help you with that. Good night's talk to you tomorrow. He's like, don't hang up, don't hang up. And and so so he said, there are these boys that I've, I just feel like I need to introduce you to them. Because, you know, in light of your having worked at the White House and your being attorney, et cetera. I just feel like you'd be a good role model for them. And I don't know them. But I'm wondering if you would mind letting me set this up between you guys. And the family or whoever said that way, you could just be of support and mentoring them? I said, Yeah, sure what, I'll be happy to do that. And that's fine. And that's how it all started. But quickly, it became apparent that, that we we felt closer to one another than just mentor mentee. And they they just do we just had such a closeness. So a really long story short, I ended up adopting them as my own name and everything, you know, and they were, they were isolated. They were originally from Colombia. And then they came to this country. And he came to United States when they were three years old. And then they were isolated in their house from age three to 10, where they would only go outside to go to the church and go to school. That was it. They stayed in the house sat on the couch the rest of the time. Here I was I came along I got them out of the house, and got them to to expose be exposed to skills. But what happened was philosophically they went from being victims of bullying, to having no and and having little to no self esteem, to then really believing in themselves, getting involved with extracurricular activities, doing a lot, a lot of stuff with local nonprofits and eventually becoming Eagle Scouts. And so if they're the same kids, but the only difference was belief was poured into them along with a positive philosophy about blindness or disability more generally. And that positive belief is what carried the day. It did not create an over there was not an overnight success. That happened. It happened gradually. There were a lot of stops, stops and starts a lot of disappointing moments. But eventually they just they just kept Got it. And now they're, they're all in college and doing great. So I mean, I just love my sons. And we're the four of us. It's the four of us against the world, basically,   Michael Hingson  35:09 what happened? What happened to their parents? Well,   Ollie Cantos  35:13 the mother had a hard time taking care of them. And the father left to go back to Colombia and said he never came back. And so the abandonment issues with in that regard to, and ironically, after, you know, as the boys grew up, they dedicated their time, and we dedicate our family, we dedicate our time to talking about adoption, and also talking about how important it is for kids of all ages to be involved in their communities. From literally, when they were age 10 and 11 years old, we rang the bell up the you know, the goodwill Bell, you know, the bell, red, I think it's red, a red thing. I don't know what the container is where you put money. And we literally rang the bell there to raise money for Goodwill, which provided school supplies for kids from low income families. We did that because we wanted to make a difference. And then we just kept going from there just doing more and more stuff. And then now, they are just, they've continued to be active and involved. And they've they've touted the message of how we as people with disabilities of every age, we're an untapped resource. And we should be, we should really work hard. And so that's why they become even now they've all worked. They all work before age 18 for pay, and now Leo himself, he's been working for five years, he gets paid like, you know, he's young, but he gets paid 2257 An hour right now, and keeps keeps doing better, and keeps getting accolades from the very top of his company, and just lots of stuff. And Nick, Nick wants to go into real estate, and he's getting ready to take your real estate exam. Stephen is wanting to support organizations by writing grants to help build up resources. All of them have have done different things. And it's all because of the role of attitude and high expectations. And then now they're passing that along to other people. So it's just really fun to watch.   Michael Hingson  37:10 Well, I'm going to tell you right now, it will be necessary and helpful. I think if we do another podcast sometime in the relatively near future and bring them on with you. We have lots to talk about being an Eagle Scout myself and vigil in the Order of the Arrow. There's nothing   Ollie Cantos  37:25 like wow. Oh, wow. That is so cool.   Michael Hingson  37:30 We'll have to we'll have to come now. Did you do anything in scouting?   Ollie Cantos  37:33 I tried when I was in sixth grade, I asked to be involved with scouts and the Scoutmaster said, Hey, buddy, I know, I know you want to do this stuff, but it's kind of not safe. And we don't really know how we support and everything but thanks for wanting to be involved. And then that was it. I had   Michael Hingson  37:50 a Scoutmaster. I was in Cub Scout some, but really got involved when I went into the Boy Scouts. And I had a Scoutmaster and worked with a number of leaders who were really like my parents, I guess is the best way to put it, then care about being blind. I remember when I went to my first order of the arrow function, as you know, and started down that path. And part of the the thing is that you can't talk for 24 hours, you you follow directions, you do stuff but you don't talk. And it's a time of contemplation. But I remember one of the the leaders, the the actually the person who was coordinating that particular event, said, Come on, let's go talk. And I remember saying to him, but but I'm not supposed to talk he says okay, I'm giving you permission, but I remember Mr. Ness talking about the fact that it was great that I was was there, and they want to make sure that I get to participate in in every way and that it's going to be a learning experience for all of us. But he was really pleased that I stepped up and decided to try to join the Order of the Arrow and then eventually of course went off and and went through the whole program and became vigil and and got to know him all the way through and all number of our scout leaders were were the same and they all had that attitude, which was such a blessing. Wow, that they didn't put limitations.   Ollie Cantos  39:28 That's how it should be and and so that's the same with with my son to their scouting. I was tradition whenever it was a first of something I would go but after that, other than that they went on their own with with the leaders and they built their own friendships and everything and I got out of the way, you know, yeah, the thing as a parent as I did not want I'm still I'm not the type of parent to hover. I feel like they should make their mistakes. And they should learn and get guidance, of course, but if they make A mistake and it's a wrong mistake. And that leads to consequences. They have to feel that, you know, like, like they want. I bought one of them a cell phone, a brand new self iPhone, he lost it. So I'm like, Well, that's it. That's it, you're gonna have to find a way to earn the money to get that back. Yeah, you know, and then he had to find a way to work and he got it back eventually.   Michael Hingson  40:19 Well, and the point is that you are there. And I would intuit that. They know they can come and talk to you about anything and that you will be helpful and advice. But you don't. You don't hover a helicopter. Ah,   Ollie Cantos  40:36 the only time I like to hover is if I'm in a helicopter, which I love.   Michael Hingson  40:39 Oh, there you know, there there is. I have not I have flown an airplane but I've not flown a helicopter. Yeah. Oh, it's it's a whole different feeling. It's I've been in a helicopter, but I've never flown one.   Ollie Cantos  40:51 Oh, I I'm not planning on flying one myself. Oh, so okay.   Michael Hingson  40:55 Yeah, I don't know that. I want to do that. I have flown an airplane. I've been in a couple of different aircraft where I sat in the copilot seat. And the pilot said you want to try it? I said, Sure. You know, we're not near anymore.   Ollie Cantos  41:10 Yeah, one of my friends have been to that too. It's a blast. Oh, it's so much fun. But I didn't want to do it for long.   Michael Hingson  41:17 Yeah, well, we actually doubled the last time I did it. No, no, not the last time. The second time the last time I did it, we decided that we would try to imitate the aircraft they called the vomit comment where we got weightless and was a prop plane. So we couldn't go up nearly as high. But we actually did do a little bit of a parabola and parabola and had about 10 or 12 seconds of weightlessness. It was a lot of fun. And, and I actually did that and did it more by field than anything else. But we made sure we stayed way above the ground.   Ollie Cantos  41:48 Okay, well, that's that's good. And obviously, it turned out well, that we   Michael Hingson  41:51 were still here, which is, which is really good. You know, it's, it's important, I think, to talk about all this, that we're that we're dealing with about blindness and so on. It's, I think, extremely necessary for people to understand that we're people like everyone else. And I can tell you right now, I know we're not going to finish this today. And I'm going to definitely want you back to to continue the discussions. But what I would like to do a little bit, is get into some of the things that you've done, since you got your law degree, you've been involved in a number of government activities, and so on. Tell us a little bit about that. And some of the adventures, if you will, that you've had along the way. Well,   Ollie Cantos  42:33 I'm originally I had no intention of doing work in the disability rights world, I had other thoughts about what I wanted to do. I wanted to go into family law. But that was just too gut wrenching, and I just I went home crying every day. So I'm like, I just can't do this. And then eventually, I got involved with the disability rights world by working in California, at the Disability Rights Legal Center for three years and built a program there that drew the attention of folks in Washington and I got recruited to become general counsel and Director of Programs for the American Association of People with Disabilities that had a membership at the time of 70,000. And so Andy Imperato changed my life by bringing me there. And I directed what's called Disability Mentoring Day, and at the time that I took it over it, it had participation of 1600 students, within three years, with no funding increase, I increased it to 10,000 mentees and 10,000 mentors, and involved people of not only the United States, but in 19 foreign countries all around the world. And so that can some other attention. And then I eventually I became a next I became a special assistant to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the US Department of Justice, and special counsel. And I also worked for work at the White House as Associate Director for domestic policy covering disability issues. That was a blast. Oh my gosh, it was so much fun, a lot of work a lot of fun. Then eventually I came back from that went back to Justice Department. And somewhere in between there. I also had appointments to the as Vice Chair of the President's Committee for people with intellectual disabilities, and then later I served as a member of the committee to and then I then went to the Department of Education. And I've been there as special assistant in the office of the assistant secretary for civil rights. So I've been around this all this for 17 years. And I've built relationships with with literally 1000s of nonprofit leaders across the country. And I've been literally by this point to 41 states or 42 states by this point and gotten to speak to more than 58,000 people all across the country and I just really have loved it. And that's in addition to the businesses that we have, as well as other things. So so we have a really, really, really full life with a lot going on.   Michael Hingson  44:59 How about decided to run for Congress yet? Hmm.   Ollie Cantos  45:03 running for office is coming.   Michael Hingson  45:06 That would be an interesting experience. It's, you know, Washington has its own challenge, of course, especially right now, what do you think? And I'm not talking about taking political sides. But in a sense, it's probably relevant to ask, given how people view disabilities and so on, but what, what do you think about the whole fact that there is such a schism and no room for discussion or really interaction anymore in the Washington in the whole political arena? And again, I don't it's not an issue of sides, but it's just all around us now.   Ollie Cantos  45:43 Yeah. And there's actually a phenomenon behind all that. It is the social media of what Facebook and Twitter or Facebook did is, they added the like button, I think it was back in 2009. And so what ended up happening is it started to, to, to drive people wanting to get likes. And so what ended up happening is it created over time, a polarization effect, where people would just start start taking positions in anybody who felt adverse to those positions, they would block them, etc. Something happened to me relatively recently, where I just stayed in opinion to try to be helpful, and somebody threatened to block me. And I just thought, well, heck, forget this, I'm just gonna just do it myself. If you're gonna throw acid on me, forget it, you know, yeah. And it's tough. And the thing is, I'm very bipartisan, and I, I really believe that that the secret secret to our power as a community is to really find ways truly to come together, not just in by talking about it, but by finding things that we can do in collaboration with one another. If we even focus just on that alone, that's more than enough work that we have lifetimes to get done. And if we were to focus on those areas of commonality, we really could find a way to move forward together. And I found that to be the case. And so, you know, I really choose to be not only bipartisan, but but very proudly. So where just because somebody has a political affiliation different from mine, doesn't mean that they're the enemy, or it doesn't mean that they're, they have all bad ideas or not. I mean, it's more of a whole comp, construct of how there's an idea, then there's another idea, then together dialectically, then it creates something brand new, then that's the becomes the new idea, and we just repeat the process. And I and collaboration has been at the heart of how I've operated my personal life, professional life every part of my life. And it's just been the biggest blessing to really just to respect people for whatever differences and not to attack them for having differences. And then to find ways that we could work together and to build on that   Michael Hingson  47:49 we, we just don't know the art of conversation anymore, which is a real challenge. And it's extremely unfortunate that we have forgotten or choose not to remember how to talk to other people and have respectful disagreements. I just before we started this podcast, I'm shifting gears, again, just a little bit as part of this discussion. But I had a conversation with the homeowners association where I live. And I called to say, your internet, your website is inaccessible. And what's one of the things that's occurring is that there is a move on a good one to purchase. The country club that the association with the Association does not own it, it's owned by a private company, but they want to sell it there outside concerns, who want to buy the property, and so on and tear it down and build more homes. They also get the water rights to Spring Valley lake where we live, which none of us want. And then there are a lot of us in the association who want the association to buy it. And the association is actually working toward that. They put out a website that has a survey that's been dealt with. And now there is a way that you can go on the website and solicit or request a a proxy ballot or a ballot to vote, and it's not accessible. So I called and talked to the general manager, and he said, Well, I'm going to have to call our attorney, because you said we're violating the law. And he said, What law are we violating? I said, you are familiar with the Americans with Disabilities Act, aren't you? And he really isn't. But you're violating the law. I'm not talking about suing you. I'm just wanting you to make the website accessible. But even there, the defenses go up. And it's so very difficult to get anybody to communicate about anything. And it's not magical and the most logical and sensible thing in the world to want to make your website accessible. But the big defense that he used is I've been here 14 years. Nobody's ever complained about it before. What and I said, Why should that matter?   Ollie Cantos  50:10 Yeah, I've heard that before. Like businesses complaints, say, I've never had a wheelchair user try to come into my restaurant. Well, did it occur to them that because that accessible?   Michael Hingson  50:19 Yeah. Yeah. It's it's really unfortunate. But it's all part of the educational system. And we do need to be part of the solution. Not be part of the problem.   Ollie Cantos  50:32 Oh, yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And And that actually brings to mind all of these different efforts, that that the accessiBe has been engaging in the especially from everything that I've read and seen and from having a spent time with your with the team and everything. So many things are happening at a proactive level, I mean, the way that accessiBe makes its services available to nonprofits for free, the way that that companies have jumped on board with with really pushing for, for access, accessibility in a way that never has been done in mass, the way it's being done. Now, the partnership opportunities that are between accessibility and different stakeholders, and how there's always an effort to engage in dialogue. And though and the way that the company grows as as, as it learns, the community, and so forth, I mean, I just love that. I mean, that to me, whenever we look at efforts for all of us, as we grow, we just need to keep working on getting better and better and better and better every day, every day. If we ever think that we know it all that we don't that that's proof that we don't if ever, we ever think that. And so I really I just really think that the efforts of accessibility to continually to grow, just like is just as is true with other companies who strive to grow, that if there's always that commitment to ongoing improvement, then that's that's truly how the disability community will benefit. It's how businesses will benefit and how it's a win win for all of us. Speaking of unity, so we've been talking about that, because then everybody can gain better access. That means that people can purchase products and services that companies offer, it means that nonprofits can be more accessible to people who otherwise wouldn't have the same access to information, it means that it helps them to advance compliance with the law, but even beyond compliance, just the spirit of inclusion. And so I mean, this world is changing, and it's changing really fast. And in a good way, it seems,   Michael Hingson  52:33 you know, we could go on forever. But I'm going to go ahead and suggest that we stop because we have now been talking for an hour. But why would or can you believe it? No. But I would like to have you back on again soon. Because I'd like to continue exactly where we left off. And there's so much more to talk about, and so many stories to tell. So would you be willing to come back? Sure. I'd be happy to Great, then. But I will ask this though, if, if people want to reach out to you and communicate with you. How do they do that? Oh, thank   Ollie Cantos  53:08 you. If people in the United States send a text to 3131 31. And in the body of the put the message type in my nickname, Oli o l l IE and send it that'll be a way that you will have, you'll be able to reach me every way social media, telephone, email, and so forth. So I really would love to get to hear from you. And as your listeners reach out because of this podcast, I love for them to let me know that that they heard of that they're reaching out because of having heard of, of this conversation here. And and I just I will do whatever I can to be a support to whoever needs it.   Michael Hingson  53:49 Well, and of course that leads right into for those who are listening, we hope that you'll go to wherever you're getting the podcast, and rate us and give us a five star rating. And you will tell other people about it. We will have Ollie back on again soon. I promise. We'll work on schedules and see how quickly we can get it done since I know he's around for a little while before he leaves California. And he admitted he's on vacation. So you haven't heard the last of me in the next couple of days. But I want to thank everyone for listening to unstoppable mindset and clearly, only as is unstoppable as it gets. And I'm really also looking forward to meeting your three boys. I think that'll be a hoot. Oh, that'll   Ollie Cantos  54:33 be a blast. Thank you, Mike.   Michael Hingson  54:35 Well, thank you and hope, I hope Ollie, thank you very much for being here. Hope he's on my mind helped me whether there was another person we interviewed, you know, Hoby No, he's a blind chemist. Wow. And and, again, a really dynamic and incredibly powerful individual and a lot of good stories. But only thank you very much for being with us. Thank you all for listening and tune again next week for another edition of unstoppable mindset. And who knows if we get it done in time. Maybe it'll be early. Thank you all for listening   Michael Hingson  55:15 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com. accessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

Today's TMOS Talking Head is a Coast Guard Auxiliary. Plus: Kaleb dirty D, and Who the F is it?

Summer is a great time to be on the water.  For this episode of Extension Out Loud we talked with David White, of New York Sea Grant, about the basics of boating safety. Learn how you can help insure a safe and family friendly experience on the great waterways of New York State.   Transcript: Paul Treadwell  Welcome to extension out loud, a podcast from Cornell Cooperative Extension. I'm Paul Treadwell. And here we are in the middle of summer, seemed like a good time to talk about boating and boat safety. And for our conversation today I talked to David White is with New York City grant. He's the recreation and tourism specialist and Associate Director of the Great Lakes Research Consortium. Dave, when we talk about boats, that's a pretty large term. I mean, I think of tugboats, I think of ocean liners. But when we talk about boat safety in New York State, what kind of boats are we talking about? David White  You know, what I always refer to people is if you can ride on it, or in it, you should consider it a boat. In that way, you just start right off from whether it's a paddleboard paddle, paddle board, kayak, canoe, power boat, pontoon boat up to a yacht, you know, those are all forms of boats. We have them all in New York throughout the Finger Lakes in Great Lakes across the state. We just have awesome vessels and each one of them has a different set of safety requirements, but there's a lot of basics and you always got to start with like jackets. Paul Treadwell  Okay, so even if you're on a paddleboard, just paddling around in your pond, you should have a life jacket. David White  Absolutely. In fact, if you're on a paddleboard, we'll start with a requirement you're required to have a lake check onboard every vessel, the right size, the right shape, US Coast Guard approved. I always remind people it has to say US Coast Guard approved on it because there's a lot of places where you can get them from overseas that they are not US Coast Guard approved under the age of 12 have to have it on at all times when they're underway. If you're on a personal watercraft, you're being pulled behind. You have to have a life jacket on, so there's some confusion. But when it comes to paddle safety, you don't have to wear it but there's no place else to put it. You know, I've got a paddle board. I have a pedal paddle board I got a kayak if you don't have it, I do have it strapped someplace and the whole concept is it has to be accessible. So if you're on a paddleboard kayak one thing to be looking at maybe is an inflatable, especially trying to paddleboard inflatables are great I'm a huge fan of inflatables, you know, they don't mess with your tan you can get them to back all the important stuff that people think about when they're out on the boat. So baseline requirement of life jackets really there for us. Paul Treadwell  Okay, so when you say inflatable, I was think of, you know, airline safety and you can reach under your seat and pull that is that same thing. Are we talking about a different beast? David White  It kind of looks like that. I mean, it's all folded up. I mean, I have one that's a fanny pack. It's all folded up looks a fanny pack, or the around the collar, of course you can but you know, they're in clothes, they look really nice. But when you pull the lever, it is the same as if you were on an airplane, it really gets the same basic concept. It's got a co2 cartridge on it and it inflates. Paul Treadwell  So whenever you go out if you're going to set foot on a paddleboard or kayak your rowboat any kind of boat you're on, you should have a lifejacket that's Coast Guard approved. Yes, absolutely. So that's baseline for every watercraft. David White  Absolutely, it's what will provide everybody the safety and security they need to have as I say to you're going to survive until your rescued and that's what having a good life jacket on board. And then every vessel has to have a sound producing device. So all those vessels I just talked about every life jacket I own I have a whistle on so Wherever I am, I have a sound. And that again is just so you can get people's attention if you're in the water. And then depending on the type of vessel, we start talking about flares and fire extinguishers and flags and all the other requirements and recommended equipment you have to have on board and the more intense your boat is, if you will or the more product you have on board then the more safety equipment you have to have for yourself and everybody else. Paul Treadwell  Okay, so kayak, I should have my lifejacket and my whistle. David White  Absolutely. Paul Treadwell  Let's jump into, what are the most common boating accidents that people have. What are we protecting ourselves against? David White  Couple of things. One is just lack of attention. boating is family friendly fun, you always have to go there. I mean, that's what we want, like about boating, we have great waterways across New York State. So it is just a fun thing to do with the family, with your friends, or even if you're just out for your own solo day. And it's easy to lose track of attention into what's going on around you so its being attentive being prepared. And I always remind people take 15 minutes to prepare yourself before you go out. Make sure you've got all the safety gear to make your mind is in the right place. If you're going to be out having an adult beverage Do you have someone who's going to be able to drive the boat in your place, everybody's going to need to be certified and have taken the course by 2025. So you know if you've got some young kids, and you get them certified to operate the boat, you've got a designated driver with you at all time. Paul Treadwell  So what is the certification that you're speaking of? David White  In New York state boaters have to take an eight hour course they can take it online or in person from all of our friends in blue Coast Guard Auxiliary sheriff. I'm a volunteer instructor with the state of New York by 2025. It's called Brianna's law, everybody who operates a motorized vessel in the state of New York will have to have taken the course and passed it and have their certificate. Paul Treadwell  So if I have a kayak and I put a little electric motor on it to putter around for fishing, I'd would still have to take the course. David White  Yeah, you make a great point because a lot of people were now doing that. They'll put it Engine, you know, back in the day you put an engine on a canoe, there were actually mechanisms to do that, you'll see a lot of people putting in electric motor. And as I always say, when people go, Well, that's not really a boat, it's not, you know, I go, well, it's a motor on a boat. So it is whether it's propane, electric gas, or diesel or solar, they are all motor. So as soon as you take and put, any kind of propulsion on sailboat, paddle craft, you've turned it into a powerboat. And you actually have to register as a power boat. And you have to have all the required equipment of a power boat, because now you have power propulsion. So you've actually changed from a paddle craft, or sail craft to a power craft. So you have to now conform to all requirements of a power craft. Paul Treadwell I'm not a big voter. So is it just my ignorance that makes all this surprising to me? Or is it is common knowledge across the boating community? David White I'm loving hearing it in your voice, because it's just something that again, I hear from a lot of folks, well, no, I don't need to have that. Because I'm just putting a small electric motor on, there's really no difference than a two and a half electric motor from a two and a half gas powered motor except how it's propelled, you still have all of the same issues of you're now in a moving craft. Got to be prepared for that. Now I got a battery on board. So you've added a whole different dimension to the paddle craft and turning it into a power craft. So you have to be prepared for that. It's those kinds of things. And sure we take it for granted. We really don't think about it. But then once you do you begin to think Well, yeah, because I am now under power. Paul Treadwell So on my kayak I go from from needing to have on life jacket and a whistle. I put my electric motor on it. Now what do I need, David White depending on the size of your kayak, you might need a fire extinguisher, you might need a flare, you might need a rescue flag. So again, you begin to ranch it up because now you're under power, and you become a power boat. So actually then the guy paddling by you, he has the right away over you. So you've changed the entire tenor of that vessel. It's now become a motorized vessel. And it's just something that a lot of us haven't thought about because these are small engine, like you say to putter around, but you've added some different dimensions to that vessel that you just have to be prepared for. Paul Treadwell Do you have any idea what are the proportion of how do I say non powered versus powered boats? are most people do they own powered boats or do they own like kayaks, canoes, things like that, David White the numbers vary region by region, body of water by body of water, but I will tell you the wonderful thing is because of the proliferation of paddleboards and kayaks, paddleboards pedal kayaks into the industry. We brought a whole new group of folks into the family of boating and I just think it's fabulous. I have a inflatable paddleboard and an inflatable kayak that would easily fit in the front trunk of a Volkswagen Beetle. And a very small percentage of the audience that's listening to this understands what I mean by that. For the rest of the world. It's the size of a tent or a small backpack. So if you get folding paddles with it, you can have your inflatable lifejacket. So all of a sudden you've opened boating to the entire society, which I think is just fabulous because great opportunity to take advantage of the wonderful waterways whether you're up in the Adirondacks, the Catskills, the fingerlings out west, across the state of New York being able to participate in it. And, you know, I keep telling him for what a great way to welcome folks into the family of boating but to get him started on a paddleboard or kayak. Paul Treadwell Just to get ridiculous here if I took my tube and I was going to be tubing, and I put a motor on it. David White number one, you can't do that. Because a tube if you look at it and says this is a port, okay, most of those products, if you look at them, say this is a toy. Now let's transfer that over and now you're going to be towed by a boat on that toy. That toy is no different than a surfboard pair of skis, or anything else that you want to be pulled on behind the boat, you need to have a life jacket on. And we'll take it one step further. If it's let's say a personal watercraft, if you are towing someone behind a personal watercraft, it has to be a three person, personal watercraft because you need to have room for the operator to spotter and in case something happens to that person in the water behind you. You need to be able to rescue them and bring them back to shore. So you know a lot of folks will have a two seater jet ski in a pulling somebody behind it. Well, if something happens to that person, they can't get them back to shore. Or a lot of times you'll see a two or 3% jet ski. And they're pulling like four or five people on a raft behind it. And again, it's fun, as we always say, Oh, nothing can go wrong. And they're correct. nothing goes wrong until it does. Paul Treadwell So if I'm going to water ski, I just can't go out with my buddy Fred and jump on the skis. Well, I can, but I'm not doing it safely or legally correct. Is it legal? Or is it just a matter of safety? Is there a law that says this has to be Yeah, the way? Okay, yeah. What laws do dictate what small boat owners have to adhere to? I mean, how do you find out about those things? David White Yeah, we're fortunate in New York, our partners in New York state parks have an awesome website. It has all The boating information it has all the information on getting your certificate boating is family friendly fun what we're talking about is all the prep time so that when you're out on the water you're just having a good time you can go online there's online boating safety classes you can take your registered for it they have the voter guide that tells you for the type of boat you have, what kind of equipment you need to have on board I got an A great discussion yesterday with one of the neighbors that you know he was going to be going out Lake fishing and I said you have to have a white all around light on board and he goes what for and like so people can see you night. We don't have headlights. So you know it's different. That booklet is online tells you all the things in it tells you about the type of craft you have. So it will tell you if you have a paddle craft, what safety gear Do you need to have? What are the rules of the road? Again, if you take that pallet craft and put in engine, what do you need to have? If you're in a 15 foot boat? What do you need to have if you're in a 26 foot power boat? So all of that's listed so it's all right there. I say to folks, your safety equipment just I travel with my boat safety kit. And I'm doing demonstrations and in that small Tupperware container is all the safety gear I need. I check it at the beginning of the year. I make sure it's all correct. It's you know the flares are not outdated, the fire extinguisher works. And I just have it all right there and it says right on both safety kit. So if there's ever a problem, there it is. I hope I never have to open it but I'm well prepared in case I do insurance. That's good to know. Paul Treadwell If people want to find out more about your work at Sea Grant, check the website is that how they would do it and David White the best way is to check our website you know, use your favorite search engine if you want to find out more about laws. Again, state parks has a great website US Coast Guard Auxiliary, our partners there have a great website Dec has a great website with a lot of the launch ramps. If you are a paddle craft person, here's a challenge to you is we're coming out of COVID pick a different body of water every weekend to go to find a launch ramp, launch your kayak make sure you're cleaning it before you go out to remove any invasive species. We got our clean green drying program going on. So make sure you're not transporting any invasive species. But New York has a wealth of water based resource and we have canals, rivers, streams, ponds, lakes, big lakes, little lakes. What a great thing to do with your family. If you're getting into paddle craft pick a different location to go every weekend. And I would guess within an hour drive everybody in New York, they could go someplace different every weekend during the summer. Paul Treadwell Thanks Dave for taking your time out. I know it's a busy time of year for you. We appreciate your Sage wisdom and advice here. hope everybody has an enjoyable time out on the water and stay safe. David White Absolutely. Thanks for having me and have a fun family friendly time out on New York water. Paul Treadwell Thanks for listening to this episode. Extension out loud was produced and edited by Paul Treadwell. Katie For more about this episode including show notes and more visit extension outloud dot com, and be sure to subscribe to extension outloud on your favorite podcast directory.

You're listening to the Westerly Sun's podcast, where we talk about news, the best local events, new job postings, obituaries, and more. First, a bit of Rhode Island trivia. Today's trivia is brought to you by Perennial.  Perennial's new plant-based drink “Daily Gut & Brain” is a blend of easily digestible nutrients crafted for gut and brain health. A convenient mini-meal, Daily Gut & Brain” is available now at the CVS Pharmacy in Wakefield. Now for some trivia. Did you know that Rhode Island is home to the famed pirate, Thomas Tew? Also known as the Rhode Island Pirate, he was a 17th-century English privateer-turned pirate. He embarked on two major pirate voyages and met a bloody death on the second, and he pioneered the route which became known as the Pirate Round which involved traveling from the Western Atlantic, to the Southern tip of Africa, stopping at Madagascar and then up to Yemen and India. Many other infamous pirates followed in his path, including Henry Every and William Kidd. Now, we turn our feature story…. We start off the week with bittersweet news in Rhode Island. The pandemic in America is ending and a Rhode Island factory once praised by former President Donald Trump for ramping up production of N95 face masks in the early days of the pandemic is laying off nearly 500 workers as the pandemic eases and demand for the face coverings wanes. A spokesperson for Honeywell International told WPRI-TV on Wednesday that about 470 jobs at the Smithfield facility are being cut. Employees are being urged to apply for other jobs at the company and some eligible workers will receive severance, he said. “We are now seeing a dramatic reduction in demand for N95s in the U.S. as many states are ending or scaling back mask mandates and vaccinations are being widely distributed,” Eric Krantz said in a statement. “For these reasons, Honeywell is adjusting its N95 operations and ceasing manual production of N95s at our facility in Smithfield.” The company is shifting production of N95s to “more efficient, automated production lines” that were created during the pandemic. The disposable were a critical piece of safety equipment for health care workers and others. “We appreciate the hard work and dedication these employees displayed in helping to protect American frontline workers battling the pandemic,” Krantz said. The Smithfield facility also produces eye protection products, including safety glasses, goggles and face shields. For more on the pandemic, and all things Southern Rhode Island, head over to westerlysun.com There are a lot of businesses in our community that are hiring right now, so we're excited to tell you about some new job listings. Today's Job posting comes from ALDI in Westerly. They're looking for part-time floor associates. You'll be responsible for merchandising and stocking product, cashiering, and cleaning up the store. Pay is up $14.30 per hour. If you're interested and think you'd be a good fit for the role you can apply using the link in our episode description. https://www.indeed.com/l-Westerly,-RI-jobs.html?vjk=29ee93bf88f3a0fe Today we're remembering the life of Dwight Miner Cornell, 85, who passed away in West Palm Beach. Dwight was born in Westerly in 1936 and attended Westerly Public Schools. He graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a BS degree in Civil Engineering and was a registered Professional Engineer in several states. After working for several organizations in New York City, Mr. Cornell moved to the Maryland suburb of Damascus where he was employed by Bechtel from 1965 until his retirement in 1993. Most of his work was in the field of design for large nuclear power facilities. Upon retirement he divided his time between West Palm Beach and a summer home in Weekapaug. In Florida, he became involved in the activities of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. While with the Auxiliary, he taught safe boating courses in the Public Education section and was a Vessel Examiner. Mr. Cornell served as a Flotilla Staff Officer in these endeavors. In appreciation for the education he received at WPI, Dwight has made sizable donations of money and property to the Institute and has established a scholarship in his name in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He is survived by his brother, two nieces and a nephew, as well as their children; and several cousins. Thank you for taking a moment today to remember and celebrate Dwight's life. That's it for today, we'll be back next time with more! Also, remember to check out our sponsor Perennial, Daily Gut & Brain, available at the CVS on Main St. in Wakefield! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 23, 2021: Sheriff Wynn Meehan-Broadwater County Montana; Vice Commander Kimo Kalawai-a of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 10-11; Newsletter highlights – Record catches for Walleye, Carp and Tarpon and women shooters prefer the Glock. Capt Bill Wilkerson and James Goughnour.

May 23, 2021: Sheriff Wynn Meehan-Broadwater County Montana; Vice Commander Kimo Kalawai-a of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 10-11; Newsletter highlights – Record catches for Walleye, Carp and Tarpon and women shooters prefer the Glock.  Capt Bill Wilkerson and James Goughnour.

National Safe Boating Week is coming and Mike Craig, the local Division Commander for the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, passes on some info and important water safety tips...

National Safe Boating Week is coming and Mike Craig, the local Division Commander for the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, passes on some info and important water safety tips...

Austin discusses the Clarks Hill Lake drowning incident with Jim of the Coast Guard Auxiliary.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Michelle is back with guest and new #BloomingInspired podcaster, Beverly Flanagan! Beverly continues to walk as a woman of wisdom in all the seasons of her life. She is a woman who wears many hats: wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, advocate, minister and friend. Her career and her faith define the story she tells today as she shares her heart about the podcast she is hosting that will air each week on Thursdays right here on the Blooming Inspired Podcast Network! More about Beverly: Beverly is a graduate of Excelsior College, with certificates & certifications relating to her work in health & human services, which she has been doing for several decades. Currently she is Ombudsman Program Director for Senior Care Inc, out of Gloucester, Massachusetts; ombudsmen are advocates for residents in nursing homes. She looks forward to retirement in the near future, and an encore career as an independent writer and editor, and she is also the up and coming hostess for the podcast IN ALL SEASONS: LIVING WISELY, AGING WELL, on Blooming Inspired Podcast Network. Beverly has been married and divorced twice, never imagining she would meet someone as wonderful as John in this life. John is a graduate of Suffolk University with a BSBA & of the University of Massachusetts/Boston with an MS in Public Affairs; was a professional government auditor for 35+ years. Semi-retired, he is a certified driving instructor for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a Licensed Tour Guide in the City of Salem on the Salem Trolley, a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, currently serving as Division Commander, and a volunteer Money Manager for an elder services agency for clients unable to take care of their finances. John was previously married to his high school sweetheart Patricia for nearly 25 years, when she died of complications due to Muscular Dystrophy, he was widowed for almost a decade prior to meeting Beverly. They married in 2008, and share a blended family . They all live close to one another in the area with three amazing sons, one beautiful daughter, two wonderful daughters-in-law, and three fabulous grandchildren. Both John and Beverly serve their local Catholic parish as Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, and on the Visitation Ministry Team to Catholics who are home-bound or in nursing homes. They currently live in Danvers Massachusetts. Their hope is to someday retire to a quiet community elsewhere in New England. There they plan to continue to volunteer, and serve in parish ministry, as long as possible.

Former Engineman Rick Kunz talks life and service on Lake Ontario’s Galloo Island where the Coast Guard maintained both a station and a lighthouse, four decades of uniform, grooming, and protective equipment advances at Station Oswego, ranking the coasts on a scale of painful seas, picking the right boat for the right weather, taking a 30 footer with him as he left the service, and how the Coast Guard Auxiliary offers boat owners, pilots, and other volunteers a chance to make a difference. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/theyhadtogoout/support

In this episode, I attempt to distill some of my experience on the water down to a few boating safety tips that you can put into practice immediately. Summer is fun, messin around in boats is fun, but let's stay safe out there.

On this week's episode of the Great Loop Radio podcast, we continue our discussion on some of the basic knowledge and skills needed to safely cruise the Great Loop.  If you've been watching our forum and social media discussions, you know that there are varying opinions on how much preparation should be done.  Some say "just do it" while others prefer extensive preparation, knowledge & skills.  We invited Gold Looper Dave Fuller to join us for this discussion.  Dave serves as the Deputy Director of Education for the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary at the national level.  His group is responsible for producing all public education content for the Auxiliary, so he is an ideal person to share his thoughts on this topic. This week's discussion is part 2.  The first part of the discussion aired on December 6th.

On this week's episode of the Great Loop Radio podcast, we discuss some of the basic knowledge and skills needed to safely cruise the Great Loop.  If you've been watching our forum and social media discussions, you know that there are varying opinions on how much preparation should be done.  Some say "just do it" while others prefer extensive preparation, knowledge & skills.  We invited Gold Looper Dave Fuller to join us for this discussion.  Dave serves as the Deputy Director of Education for the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary at the national level.  His group is responsible for producing all public education content for the Auxiliary, so he is an ideal person to share his thoughts on this topic. This week's discussion is part 1.  The rest of the discussion will air on December 13th.

Tonight's special guest is Patrick L Hogan from Salem, Oregon, a survivor and retired computer analyst now working as a Coast Guard Auxiliary, a homecare worker, and the volunteer NW Regional Director for NAASCA's Ambassador Program. After his parent's divorced when Patrick was 4, he moved into his grandparent's house with his mother and siblings. Living there was a culture of deep south racism, strict rules, and abuse. Patrick says, “We didn't know anything about, Family, Parenting, or any type of Love. That word was not in our vocabulary.” His grandparents called them, “useless, the worst thing to happen to my mother,” and made them pick out switches to be beaten with. Patrick spent most of childhood alone in his room to avoid trouble. His mother worked two jobs attempting to move 10 times in 12 years, but they always returned. Patrick left home while still a teen and the trauma deeply affected his interpersonal relationships over decades, with five marriages ending in divorce. Patrick says he, “knew nothing about love or being emotional,” and “I was always there financially but never emotionally.” As a survivor still early in recovery, he suffers from PTSD and mostly buried the memories of abuse until in his late 50's when he began regaining some. He says, “I honestly don't know a big portion of my childhood and it frightens me to think something else was really bad and I just don't know it yet.” Patrick is currently in the middle of launching a young adult historical fiction book. He says, "I was told one time that the greatest error a person can make is to not share all of the information they have gathered in their lifetime."

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Daily Gun Show #595

Local News Chat with WBAY's Kathryn Bracho (0:00)U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary with Mark Scheffler (9:51)The Takeaway: It's Impossible to Argue with Inconsistency (18:08)Pastor Alvin Dupree, Family First Ministries & AASD Board (28:11)Jerry Bader & Kristin Karnitz on Productive Disagreement (58:00)

Steven White has been a photojournalist for the past 17 years working in markets all over the East Coast. Born in Pensacola, FL and growing up in Augusta, GA he developed a love for photography. He is an award winning journalist and loves to travel. He also serves as a Public Affairs officer for the Coast Guard Auxiliary. 

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It was a real pleasure speaking with Barry Berhoff, CEO of Shurhold Industries. Barry is an avid boater who lives and breathes Shurhold everyday not only as a job, but as a lifestyle. Under his direction Shurhold has become the global leader in high quality detailing products. Shurhold was started in 1973 in the garage of William E. Peach. Over the next two decades Shurhold continued to grow and migrated into a 10,000-square-foot facility in City. Barry purchased the company in 1998 and expanded the company into a 20,000 square-foot state of the art manufacturing facility. He’s helped continue to expand the product line and grow it into the international company it is today. Barry and I discussed growing up boating on Lake Michigan, family vacations living aboard their boat in the Bahamas, tips for keeping the boat clean and misconceptions about boat maintenance. I learned a lot and hope you do too, enjoy! On getting started in boating…..I started as a child. My dad got into boating. We started boating on Lake Michigan. Being little it was a lot of safety stuff which I find myself now saying to my kids. We did it every summer and I just loved being on the boat. Everything from tying the knots to running the electronics to learning to drive and take care of it, it was something I was just drawn to. All my learning was through my father. The classes weren’t as prevalent as they are today. You can go to any Coast Guard Auxiliary; they’ve got online courses. It’s a much better environment for learning. On teaching his kids to boat…..I do make an effort to get them learning about navigation, the rules of the road. Florida has an online boater safety course and both my boys have taken that. My older one just finished a two-week camp at Chapman School of Seamanship. They do an amazing kids course and have a whole fleet of little boats. The kids learn how to dock them and anchor them and man overboard drills. On family boating now…..The family boat is a 43’ SeaVee Express model. It’s been a great boat for us. We do a mix of everything. Boats are always a game of compromise. There is no perfect boat because there are so many different styles and one day you want to do one thing, one day another. It’s great cause it’s still outboard so it allows us to still get up on sandbars and treat it like a little center console but being an express we still have a cabin and we still can take summer vacations to the Bahamas and live on the boat as a family. It’s a great time. No electronics allowed. It’s just about being together, being out on the water. On essential gear to have aboard for long trips…..According to my wife the first and foremost thing is sunblock. You can never have enough sunblock down here. Probably the most important is safety gear. We never leave the dock without making sure that we have the Coast Guard required safety gear, and we have additional stuff that we take.  We carry an emergency life raft on board, an EPIRB, and a satellite phone. On meeting like-minded boaters…..Yeah we have our summer cruising family. At each port we tend to bump into the same people around the same time of the year. We didn’t know what we’d run into but we found a lot more families than we expected. One thing that’s always true is that almost every boater you ever meet is friendly. People are out there to have a good time. This is their way of relaxing and kicking back. Not only is everyone friendly but everyone is there to help each other out. Whether I’m giving someone a spare part or someone is helping me fix something on my boat I didn’t know how to do, there’s always someone on the dock that you can help or that is willing to help you. On Shurhold’s education goals…..The first and foremost thing that I hope that we provide is the information and education. It seems daunting if you’ve never done it before and we try to strike a balance. We are advocating that people don’t procrastinate and that they do the basic things on a regular basis. That’s going to serve them well and make their job easier over the long run and make sure the boat is ready for them when they want to use it. On their popular video series…..We get a lot of really good feedback from the basic videos. All the way from what to do when you get back, the fact that you don’t have to scrub the boat every time but rinse it. A good rinse will do you a lot of good. We talk about the proper order in which to wash a boat. Top down, front to back, working with the natural flow of water. And then we do some on oxidation and waxing that have been very popular. A lot of people are afraid to use rotary tools or buffers and we show them how easy they are and how that makes their job easier. We take a lot of the mystique and voodoo out of it. Anyone can maintain and care for a boat. It isn’t that hard if you just do a couple of key things and do them on a consistent basis. On what can be done to keep boats looking new…..There is a protective coat, a lot of people call it wax, we call it a protectant or polish, that your boat should have on it. Depending on whether it is up north or down south, how much sun exposure, is it covered, etc will determine how many times a year that needs to be done. Think of it like sunscreen on your boat. That is what is protecting it and making it look good, making it so that when you get back to the dock you can just rinse it and walk away. A good coat of wax or protection goes a long way, and making sure it is done in the right way. On common maintenance misconceptions…..One of the biggest misconceptions that I can share is people want to know - Should they do two coats, should they do three coats? I’m surprised that people have this idea that more coats is going to do more, it really isn’t. Think of it like sunblock. Get one good coat on and somewhere down the road, do the second coat. The second coat the same day doesn’t do you any good. Putting sunblock on twice in 30 seconds doesn’t make it any better but doing it later in the day does. The other thing is there is definitely a difference between boat soap and dish soap. A lot of people will take products from the home and there are two major issues with it. First, a lot of the home products have degreasers in them and they are going to strip your wax. The other is if you happen to be washing the boat on or near the water, those are not environmentally friendly products. On industry maintenance product advancements…..Our biggest advancements have been in the waxing technologies. Most of the wax today doesn’t have any real wax in it. It is a polymer base. There are little to no fillers in it. When we protect a boat, it is a lot more like putting a sunblock on cause you’re rubbing it in until it disappears and that’s it. There’s no powder, no heavy working to get it off. It’s much more viscus when it goes on so it bonds with the boat better, fills in the seams and pores better. That has made the chore of waxing a boat take half the time and half the work. On industry boat advancements…..As technologies from other industries get cheaper and filter down into our industry you start to see it. We’ve seen it in the last couple years, a lot more advancement in some of the computer animated drafting and robotic mold making that’s really allowed some of the boat builders to do really unique things. You’re seeing a lot more bigger boats with outboards which has changed boating a lot. You’re seeing a lot bigger horsepower outboard boats which really lets the manufacturer focus on building the boat and not the engine. It allows them to get a lot more space and use space better and get much prettier curves and lines. The product and the quality that I’m seeing from the manufacturers over the last couple of years has been really exciting. On boating destinations…..It’s on my bucket list to do the Great Loop as a cruising trip. We do a lot in the Bahamas and I’m really happy with that. We’ve done crossing the state of Florida through the locks and that’s an amazing little trip. I think we’re going to try in the next year to go north a little bit up through Georgia and Hilton Head. On Shurhold’s product philosophy…..Everything that we manufacture is based on a couple simple principals. Everything we do is to help you keep your boat clean and simple. Part of keeping it simple is making products that are multi-purpose. We don’t do 22 different chemicals for 22 different parts of the boat, we do about 5 or 6 chemicals that cover the 22 parts of the boat. All of our handles and brushes and attachments are meant to cut down on storage so you have one handle that covers it all. We decided we could do that for the bucket so we came up with a series of accessories for the bucket. (Editors note: Barry describes the one bucket system in detail and it is phenomenal, check it out here!) On advice for would-be boaters…..The first thing I tell everyone is definitely do it, you’re going to love it! The second thing I tell them is take a lesson. Taking a boater’s safety course, going out with someone to show them a couple basic thing, it really doesn’t take but an afternoon. It’s not a big investment but being comfortable on the boat will do you well.   Barry was great. Listen to the full episode for many more great tips and stories. 

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It’s not just the fish that make a trip epic … Guest Profile Steve Robinson is a man of many talents. One of host John Woodson’s first encounters with Steve was on a fishing trip in the Keys. The guy fishing next to John had a heart attack. However, Steve is both a registered trauma nurse and a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. So, he proceeded not only to help save the man’s life, but also coordinated with the Coast Guard to get him rescued. But his talents don’t stop there – pilot, financial advisor, Rotarian, missionary, the list goes on and on. Oh, and did we mention fisherman? In this story, Steve takes his son Chris on a farewell fishing trip before Chris heads off to Naval officer’s candidate school. It’s a trip neither one will ever forget. Guest Links https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010522446130 Fishing experience Steve tells us about his background fishing in freshwater with his grandparents and father growing up. From the pictures below, you can see that Steve is a bit of an old salt as well. He has also shown host John Woodson that he knows how to bring lots of kingfish and cobia into the boat. Location This episode takes place on Lake Talquin outside of Tallahassee, Florida. Catch of the Day Crappie and Catfish Gear Used Live bait and a hook About TTF Podcast The Tell Tale Fisherman podcast is the place for all avid anglers (not just guides and tournament professionals) to share their fishing story of a lifetime and become fishing legends. Fresh water or salt water, middle of the ocean or middle of a stream, on this fishing podcast we are on a quest to catch the most EPIC fishing adventures from around the world—to inspire yours! If you are an avid angler, we would LOVE to have you as a guest on the show. So, if you love to fish, and find yourself often sharing your fishing pictures or talking fishing with other anglers, then you are EXACTLY the type of guest (and listener!) this show is all about. On this fishing podcast we want to hear from ALL avid anglers – not just pros and guides (although we love them too!). Join us on this quest to catch the greatest fishing stories in the world. To sign up (or to recommend a guest), visit our guest page (http://www.tell.fish/guest). The interview format is super easy – just tell us a little about yourself, and then share with us the story of your most epic day of fishing ever. All you need is a computer, a mic, and 15-20 minutes of time. That’s it! And most importantly, if you enjoy the show, please SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or YouTube – it really helps us a LOT. Thanks – we...

It’s the 2016 Lake of the Ozarks Fall Harbor Hop – the last big event of the boating season. Pick up your poker hand at seven of forty sponsored locations. Boaters win vouchers for a good hand. Todd Wilkinson explains the difference between the US Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Plus, how to book a boat safety check from the US Coastguard. David Kennedy from Boat US is in the studio to talk about ethanol and there’s a good helping of waterfront news too. This is THE radio show about recreational boating plus it’s a terrific slice of life from Missouri’s magnificent Lake of the Ozarks. Captain Bob May rules the airwaves.

During this episode of Fish-Tale Radio we focus on boating safety and hazards during the Spring Break Season. Captain Scott features interviews with – Stuart Spode, Conservation Initiative Officer with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Daniel Eaton, Flotilla Commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary 91, Fort Myers Beach and Lieutenant Larry King, Youth Activities League Coordinator with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. In our “Gone Fishin’ ” Segment we pair the “novice” Captain with the “old salt” for some good fishing advice and our “Ask the Captain” question comes from Jerry visiting our “Dock of the Bay Studio” from Michigan. Have any ideas for future broadcasts? Drop us an email at fishtaleradio@thefishtalemarina.com We hope you enjoy this episode of Fish-Tale Radio!   The post Spring Boating Safety – Fish-Tale Radio appeared first on Fish Tale Marina.

BCB's guest for this podcast is Grant Winther, a life-long boating enthusiast, and a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. Grant is an expert on boating safety and how to navigate the hazards of life on the water.  On Saturday August 8th, he will be the instructor for the Washington State Safe Boating Course -- "About Boating Safely".  It is an 8-hour introduction which includes course material on: boat types, safety equipment, navigating Puget Sound, situational awareness, mechanical difficulties, chart reading, anchoring & docking, and even tying mariners knots. The course will be held at the Eagle Harbor Congregational Church, at 105 Winslow Way West, from 8am-5pm. There will be an hour for lunch. Arrival by 7:45am is required for registration. Sanctioned by the U.S. Coast Guard, the course is required for anyone operating a water craft, and the Safe Boating Certificate may qualify for reduced insurance charges.  Safe boating awareness has proven to reduce accidents and injuries, and to reduce conflicts with shoreline property owners. The charge for the class is $35 per person, or $50 per family (all members are encouraged to attend.) The price includes the course book, test, and Certificate of Completion. For more information, contact Grant Winther by email. Credits:  BCB host: Nancy Soule; BCB audio editor: Finn Mander; BCB social media publisher: Barry Peters.

From BCB... http://bestofbcb.org/wu-154-boaters-fair-june-20/ Dare to test your paddling skills in the Canoe Tug-o-War or the Stand Up Paddleboard Joust! Learn to row, learn to sail, and tour the Seattle Fire Boat, "Chief Seattle!"   In this podcast Bainbridge Island Harbor Master tells BCB host Lyssa Danehy DeHart about all the exciting events planned for the Bainbridge Island Boaters Fair, to be held Saturday, June 20 from 11-3 at Waterfront Park.  Other opportunities offered include: •  Coast Guard Auxiliary boating safety booths to learn knot-tying, cruise planning, vessel inspections, kids activities, and enjoy a free hot dog! •  Come aboard a 45' Coast Guard cutter and watch a live Helicopter rescue! •  Visit the Bainbridge Island Police Department's 33' safe boat "Marine 8." •  Come aboard the 26' Suquamish Tribe Fisheries boat and meet the dive team. •  Meet City staff and get the latest on the City dock improvements, marine water quality and volunteer programs. •  Pick up a Kitsap Water Trails map and learn about the "Paddle Bainbridge" event. •  Get your clean boater swag from Washington Sea Grant. •  And, after all that paddling, make sure to soothe those paddling shoulders with a free chair massage from Living Well.   Credits: BCB host and audio editor Lyssa Danehy DeHart; BCB social media publishers: Chris and Diane Walker.

I am a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, and tonight, I am going to give some information about the Auxiliary, as an encouragement to our society.  Everything about our society is not bad!   There are good things going on every day by good people.   It's just that "good news" doesn't sell!    But I am going to share some good news about some wonderful people. *SEMPER PARATUS*    The Coast Guard Ethos: I am a Coast Guardsman. I serve the people of the United States. I will protect them. I will defend them. I will save them. I am their shield. For them I am Semper Paratus. I live the Coast Guard core values. I am proud to be a Coast Guardsman. We are the United States Coast Guard.       "SOME WILL, SOME WON'T, WE DO! www.marcyann.com www.uscgaux.com    

Our show this week will feature member Dave Fuller, Vessel Safety Check Officer for the United States Power Squadron and the Coast Guard Auxiliary. He is the District Captain-North for the Coast Guard Auxiliary 7th District. We will discuss PERBs, EPIRBs, and AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators). Be safe, not sorry, listen top this show!

We provide an overview of our summer (2012) in Santa Barbara.

The work of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and how it promotes boating safety; guests Bob DeRaio and Don Elmendorf.

The work of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and how it promotes boating safety; guests Bob DeRaio and Don Elmendorf.