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Re: State of the Association

Nick and others,
I too check the site regularly to see what is being talked about or who has died. There are a number of things that can be done and many of the ideas are ones that others have all ready posted.

Randy's idea of more frequent "casual" reunions is spot on. This could be on a rotational basis every 2 years on both west and east coast. This brings up the subject people willing to put forth the effort to plan, organize and conduct these events. Every 5 years, Jim and a core group have worked diligently to make these reunions what they are. I personally get more out of the Friday night get together as I do with the banquet except there are those who only go to the banquet. With the group aging as it is, I think more frequent reunions are the way to go.

I would love to have a page of the site to post "Where is so and so and what are they doing". Nick your post about Fred Schwanz what a classic example of people who I think of and wonder how they are doing and what is happening. Uncle Nick is another and there are many more. Just a thought.

Nick, I think with your enthusiasm and background we can bring this effort to positive conclusion. Best of luck and I am willing to help.

Sandy

Re: State of the Association

A stroke of genius Nick. The most stimulating discussion I've seen on here in a long time and many commenters whose names I don't recognize. I agree with your analysis. There are so many of us who are members and so few who routinely comment. I am as guilty as anyone. I do however spend time on Facebook and immediately check this site if I find something important or interesting. I would like to point out though that there are a lot fewer of us maintainers than you analysts. I do however love this site and have been a member since I don't know when.
That may not be significant since my memory is not nearly as sharp as it once was. But I do remember our time together in Antigua. That was a wonderful tour professionally and socially.
I do hope we stay active as an Association.

Re: State of the Association

Nick: just my two cents. We started the Association as a result of having attended Change of Commands and Memorial services. Conversations would center on where people where, who talked to whom, who might have passed, what people were doing. So in 1993 I started sending out requests for membership and publishing the Cable (Ellis Sutter coined the name). By today’s standards we were back in the dark ages as every thing was by and labor intensive. The Association grew due to Jack Holdzkom, Rick Mathews, Ellis, and others from 27 members to over 900 at one point. BUT, then there was no Facebook, Twitter, etc. I think social media is the culprit for any decline in interest; plus other adjunct sites popping up. Just my thoughts. EKD

Re: State of the Association

Ed, You're right. Facebook has revolutionized the way we communicate with one another in ways difficult if not impossible to replicate. Each NAVFAC, Headquarters, SOSUS, IUSS, OTs and OTAs/OTMs etc. have their own discussion boards on FB with hundreds of members.

In one example, the SOSUS Facebook page administered by John Glass and Bob Brown recently eclipsed 1,000 members from all SOSUS/IUSS generations from the 1950s to present. In the last week alone there have been 17 new members and 24 main posts, many with lengthy follow on discussion involving dozens of members. It is refreshing to see current ASW issues and solutions being discussed among current active duty Sonar Techs and seasoned OTs.

Here's a sample of just a few of the 24 discussions on the SOSUS page from last week:

- USS THRESHER Disaster
- UUVs with Bistatic SONAR for US Navy
- International Spy Museum
- Japan launches first lithium-ion battery powered submarine JS Oryu
- Soviet B-59 submarine operating off south east US coast in 1962
- How to build your own hydrophone with SoundFly
- Operation IVY BELLS

Nick, Thank you for taking on this effort. The IUSSCAA database containing our membership information, photographs, messages, articles, newsletters and Memorial listing alone is irreplaceable. That said, the Message Boards have been in decline for several years. That won't change. I still check the Boards on a daily basis as has become my habit over the last 20 plus years. I guess similar to my habit of scanning the obituaries for familiar names every morning in the Virginia Pilot here in Virginia Beach.


In the meantime I'll post a link to the IUSSCAA Website on the two pages I manage (NAVFAC Keflavik and OTs and OTA/OTMs). I'll ask John Glass to do the same on the SOSUS page. Peggy Chadwick at CUS manages the IUSS page.

Good discussions above by all; especially from Dave Williams.

Best of luck, Jim

Re: State of the Association

Jim I have to agree. Actually I've looked at the SOSUS Facebook page and the IUSSCAA message boards as one and the same. I just figured that's where everything is posted now. Two other things I've kind of noticed as well are:

1. Young people are not joiners in traditional organizations as us Boomers. Everything has suffered as a result from bowling leagues to the Fleet Reserve Association.

2. People in the Pacific Northwest and the Norfolk area do seem to hold the advantage in participation simply because of location. Having more frequent togethers unfortunately isn't going to do anything for those of us outside of Virginia and Washington State.

Re: State of the Association

To be frank, I rarely check this site as most of my updates germane to “the system” I get from Facebook. In several IUSS groups. Along those lines, I joined this organization twice now over the last few years and have been removed from the membership list both times. I see folks on that listing who haven’t updated or made any contribution in almost a decade. Not sure how that’s happens but I’d be lying if I said this hasnt soared me in joining or contributing.

Re: State of the Association

Hello Robert,

I checked the database and I found you in the archive members table with a membership expiration of 2010. I do not know why you were moved to archive. It definitely has nothing to do with your activity level on the board.

The only thing I can think of is that the association tried to contact you when your membership expired in order to get you to renew and that contact failed. The attempt would have been made multiple times. There is a note on the record from June 2009 indicating an invalid email address. I do not know if attempts were being made by snail mail still in 2010 or not. I was involved with the association back then but I was not the webmaster or the record keeper.

I do apologize for the association if you were moved to the archives and should not have been.

For the past couple of years, the association has not had a dues requirement. There is no longer an expiration date associated with a member.

I have sent an email request to Mike Kilpatrick, our current database wizard to please move you from the archives to the active rolls. That should happen with this month's update.

Please go to the membership update form at http://www.iusscaa.org/mcuform.htm to update any details that may have changed, such as email or home address.

Again, my apologies on behalf of the association. I hope you continue to use the board and website.

Sincerely,

Russ Lownie
IUSSCAA Webmaster

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