First, I would like to thank your Staff Officers for a job well done for another year. I would also like to again ask our members to step up and offer your services as a staff member. You do not have to volunteer to take over as Commanding Officer but I am sure that Hal, Dick, Dolores, Ray, Carol, Fran and Paula, Vince, George, Sel and Bob would either like some help or a relief. As for Doc Helton and Chaplain Bill Thompson, I am not sure that any of our current members are qualified to take over for those two. That also goes for Andy Benjock and Ed Mason who surely know how to improve our cash flow. Thanks again, for being such a great group to work with for so many years.
Second, I want to remind each and every one of you that we need new members to join the Association of Naval Avaition. Although we, as Grampaw Pettibone Squadron, receive none of the dues paid to the national headquarters, the name recognition gives us some power to entice active duty military personnel to brief our group at the monthly luncheons. What also attracts the speakers is the number of folks who are attending the luncheons. The larger the number of attendees, the higher is the likelihood of getting a flag officer to brief our group. It also helps our treasury since we have a small mark-up in the cost of the lunch which helps support the SOQ Awards Program.
And finally, I want to thank all of those members and friends who support our SOQ Awards Program through the Great Guys donations and through the efforts of Ben and Ed. We should be very proud of the support that we give to the personnel who serve at the Weapons Station. Those Sailors work hard to attain those awards and they deserve whatever awards we can give them. With that, I wish you all well and of course I wish you continued good health throughout the coming year. See you soon.
