ABMA NEWSLETTER
April 30, 2014 Volume 44 Issue 2
President
Warriors around the world, retirees and friends,
It is awesome to have the opportunity to address you all once again. There is not a day that goes by in which I am not thankful to be an AB and part of one of the greatest organizations in the entire world! Your unique skills and can-do attitude is necessary and vital to continue the ABMA legacy.
The 2014 ABMA Working Group Symposium is right around the corner and it is our responsibility to plan accordingly. The San Diego Chapter is gearing up for an awesome event from 11-15 August 2014. Let’s start planning now and work towards submitting agenda items, AB of the Year packages, ABMA Regina P. Mills Leadership Award packages, Scholarship packages as well as Posthumous and Living Legend packages.
We must understand that this event is contingent upon our success and safety as an organization. Let’s start submitting agenda items today to ensure that we are prepared for tomorrow. I would like to thank you all in advance for submitting relevant and timely agenda items to your Chain of Command which will ultimately be vetted to your respective Type Commanders. Your faithful participation in carrying out this task will maintain a high level of effectiveness and efficiency throughout the Aviation Enterprise. I would also like to thank the vendors that have signed up to participate in the upcoming event as they continue to go above and beyond in their quest to provide the most innovative and user-friendly gear, equipment and valuable accessories.
You all are doing a wonderful job in your many important positions around the world. I am very proud to be an AB and help make a positive impact at the command, throughout the Navy and even the world! I am confident that you will maintain the professionalism and motivation needed as Stewards of the AB rate by operating safely and efficiently throughout your area of expertise. Thanks and keep up the great work! ONE TEAM…ONE FIGHT!!!
LCDR Erick Stroud
ABMA President
Greetings Fellow AB’s;
I hope this Newsletter is finding you and your family in the very best of health and doing quite well!
I have conducted a turnover with Donna Dodson as our ABMA Secretary and I want to commend Donna for an absolutely awesome job she has done over the past seven years. I know I have some very big shoes to fill, but I’ll give it my best effort. Donna will still continue to assist me and will still be a major part of the ABMA. Thank you Donna for all you have done as our ABMA Secretary! Job well done!
I know the AB’s of the San Diego Chapter are very busy getting things ready for this year’s Symposium/ Professional Working Group Conference in San Diego, California. The FORTY-THIRD AVIATION BOATSWAIN’S MATES ASSOCIATION (ABMA) SPONSORED SYMPOSIUM/ PROFESSIONAL WORKING GROUP CONFERENCE will be held at the Handlery Hotel, 950 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, California August 11th through the 15th, 2014. Reservations can be made through the Handlery Hotel group reservation department at (619) 298-0511 or 1(800) 676-6567. Reservation hours are Monday-Friday 7:00 AM -8:00 PM, and Saturday-Sunday from 9:00 AM-5:30 PM. Refer to the group name of “Aviation Boatswain’s Mate Association” to book the group rates. Reservations requests received after Friday, July 11, 2014 will be accepted on hotel and rate availability basis.
I’d like to welcome our newest ABMA Chapter- “The Mid-South Millington, Tennessee Chapter”. The AB’s in the Millington TN area have hit the deck running and have donated $500.00 to the San Diego Chapter for the Forty-third ABMA Symposium/Professional Working Group Conference and are challenging other ABMA Chapters to match their donation.
In Florida, the annual SPRING JAMBOREE will be held Thursday, May 1st-Sunday, May 4th, 2014 at the Blue Angel Naval recreation Area in Pensacola, Florida. Reservations can be made for RV sites, or cabins by calling Blue Angel recreation Area at (850) 453-9435. Or you can check out their website at:
. For more information contact Tim Knauber at (850) 995-9717 or email .
In Virginia, the annual GOLF TOURNAMENT HRANA/TAILHOOK/ABMA CHARITY FUNDRAISER will be held on Friday, May 2nd, 2014 at the Aero Pines Golf Course at NAS Oceana. The format will be “Florida Best Ball”. Check in is 6:30 AM, Shotgun start at 8:00AM and lunch at 1:00 PM. The Entry fee per person is $70.00 and this includes green fees, golf cart, practice balls and lunch. Contact Jim Flaherty at (757) 631-2179, Jim Joyner at (757) 470-6049, Rich Johnson at (757) 688-4006 or Tim Smith at (757) 560-6681 for more information or if interested in playing. The proceeds from this event are divided based on the participation of the three organizations.
In North Carolina, the annual CAROLINA CONNECTION is going to have its spring campout on May 15th-18th, 2014 at the home of Walt and Teresa Eli. If you need moreinformation, or if you are planning on attending contact the Eli’s at (828) 466-1378 or Donna Dodson at (336) 376-9782.
For all ABMA Chapters: Please forward me a list of all your officers and their contact information including address, phone number and email address. You can contact me at (619) 578-1523 or email . Also I will need a copy of your chapter’s By-laws. Thank you!
Let’s continue to bring in the junior AB’s and get them involved.
Keep your head on a swivel and stay safe! God bless each and every one of you and may God bless America. Looking forward to seeing you in San Diego, California this year!
A Fellow AB;
Doug Thornton
Secretary/Public Affairs Officer
Chaplain
Warriors around the World,
I greet you in the name of the Most High! Let’s spread the good news and keep our spirits up during this season. Remember the ones that are out at the tip of the spear and keep them in our thoughts and prayers.
Spring is in the air and this is the time to conduct “Spring Cleaning”. This is not the normal spring cleaning that you have dreaded for years! This is spring cleaning for the Soul. It is time to dig deep within and clean out unnecessary hatred, clean out laziness, clean out negative thinking and other things that can occupy your mind and keep you from focusing on His goodness.
When you finish spring cleaning, put a “spring” in your step. You should be a lot lighter now since you got rid of some things that were holding you down. Now you can spring towards a Shipmate that may need your help, spring into work with a smile and other things that will motivate you and your Shipmates on a daily basis. Let’s enjoy this season and remember “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”. (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
As we defend freedom and democracy around the world, I challenge you all to continue to lift one another up in prayer and commit a special prayer for our brothers and sisters in harm’s way and currently on watch. Do the right thing and make the right decisions and you will get the right results!!!! Feed the faith and starve the doubt!!! "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever." (Jude 1:24-25)
LCDR Erick C. Stroud
ABMA Chaplain
Greetings from the Jacksonville Chapter
Everything here in North East Florida is going along nicely. There is expansion and new construction,due to several new projects at NAS JAX as well as NAVSTA Mayport. We look forward to seeing our fellow AB's in Pensacolaat their Spring Jam in a few weeks.
If you are planning on being in North East Florida late this yearthere are a couple of notes of interest, First off the Blue Angels flight demonstration Air Showwill take place at NAS JAX 25-26 October 2104,and last but not least,the dates for the Jacksonville Chapter Fall Jam. Due to the overwhelming positive comments and overall good time it was an obvious choice to return to Grassy Pond for this year’s event. The Fall Jam will take place 02-05 October 2014 at Grassy Pond. Contact the chapter for further details,and don't delay in making reservationsas it is first come first serve.
Until next timemake a ready deck.
Michael J. Rotes
Treasurer/Membership Chairman
Hello to All.
Things have been up and down since our Conference in Chesapeake. My health has taken a beating since Chesapeake, in that; I was bedridden until January 2014, with leg problems. I had leg surgery on January 24th and am on the mend. Had some veins removed, disabled and re-routed. My legs and feet have not felt this good in many years. The mending will probably take a few more months and the ultimate bottom line is to get them to the stage where I can fly to San Diego for this year’s event at the Handlery Hotel from 11-15 August. Many Thanks to all who have prayed sent cards; e-mail’s and called to wish me a speedy recovery. Plans are coming together in San Diego, and I want to be there.
Let’s talk Membership……….a lot of folks do membership on-line, at the ABMA Website. That effort is only one-half of the process as paying for membership being the other half. A lot of folks have joined but have not paid. I have of stack of non-payee’s. The Association uses PayPal as their pay agent to get funds to the Treasurer and Financial Assistant for items bought on the website. You as the buyer DO NOT have to join PayPal to make a purchase; you just have to use it so that the payment goes to the Treasurer, Aviation Boatswain’s Mates Association (ABMA). Some folks reproduce Membership applications and send them to me with a check or money order, which is OK. Either way works. By the way, we do not send out renewal requests as the cost of postage would put us in the poor farm.
Also, when you transfer, or otherwise move, remember the ABMA. The Master roster is maintained by me (it’s not the roster on the website), that roster is a list of those who visit the website. I am sure a majority of addresses that I have on the Master are incorrect due to moves, retirements etc.
Again, looking forward to making it to San Diego………..hope to see you all there.
Stoney Burke
The next page is a Proxy for members who won’t be able to attend the Symposium. You may complete and give to any member to vote on your behalf. Please note your membership has to be current. If you have any questions you may contact Doug Thornton via email or Donna Dodson via email .
Aviation Boatswain’s Mates Association
Authorization to vote by proxy
2014 Working Group Conference
San Diego, California
I, ______ABMA Member #______,
do hereby give my proxy vote to______,
ABMA Member #______, to vote on my behalf as he/she deems
beneficial to the Aviation Boatswain’s Mates Association.
______,2014
Signature Date
Received by: ______
Date Received: ______
Doug Thornton
ABMA
5765 Jade Moon Circle
Milton, FL 32583