Editorial Opinion:
John Kennedy said in his famous inauguration speech, “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”*. I’m going to change it just a little and say to all our members, “ask not what your post can do for you, but what you can do for your post”. Some members want the post to be open 7 days a week from 11:00 AM until 11:00 PM or whenever they are ready to go home even if it is 1:30 AM and they are the only ones in the place. They want the post to sponsor events with free live band entertainment, have dinners at reduced prices and be able to assist them with any veteran related issues. They want someone else to take care of all the details of running the post, manning BINGO and all the other things that must be done. Because we were force to move to Post 676, BINGO has no money this year. If it were not for Gary Bockman and Larry Tuck finding a refund of taxes, we would be in trouble. Most civic groups charge $100 or more per year for membership, ours is $30 with more benefits. Please help your post by working, spending money at the post or making contributions until we can get BINGO back on track. For all those that do support the post; Thank You Very Much. *I’ll put a video of the speech on the Web Site.
Bill Roark
Thursday, September 30, 2010
September Editorial Opinion
Editorial Opinion: Membership & Brothers
Well, here we go with my monthly ranting. “We are all brothers, why can’t we get along better”? I was talking with Greg in the Rose Garden about 2:00 AM on a Friday night after the post had closed. Greg had a couple of drinks and was in a very verbal mood. The one point he was trying to make was that our Post was a brotherhood and we should get along better. I guess he was right to a large degree since, we are a band of brothers that you are either part of, or you don’t understand. I see our post pulled somewhat by 2 factions, one from the past that remembers “the good ole days” when we had few rules and a lot of members didn’t even pay attention to those rules. The second faction are the ones that have been in charge of the post for the past few years that realize “we can never go back to those days” because the world has changed since then and we must move into the 21st Century. This group realizes that the post must be run more like a business and that means we must consider more rules and restrictions than was enjoyed by the original membership. The biggest change is that we no longer have the automatic revenue stream from Bingo which is much less today than in the past. Without these rules and more controls in place on spending and other considerations, the post will not be here for us “old timers” to enjoy in our “golden years”. This brings up the 3rd faction that still is somewhat overlooked by our general membership, the IFF soldiers that have been in the military starting in the early 1990s. We should have 1/3 or more of our membership made up of this new group of veterans and we are nowhere close to that number. Our post needs to make a lot of changes to actively recruit that group of veterans. That was made clear when Jeremiah came up and became part of the discussion. He feels our post may be dying because we have not attracted younger vets and it may be too late to change it. Jeremiah has been a positive force in attracting a lot of the younger group that we have at the post, but his job may take him away from Springfield as he improves his career path. I agree, we should be doing more to attract the younger groups, but really don’t know how to go about it. Should we be recruiting from our existing active units in Springfield? Should we be seeking out young veterans that are not part of the active units? Should we be doing things at the post to make it more attractive to the young veteran? The answer to me is yes to all the above questions. How do we go about it? The answer is YOU. We all need to do what we can to find our target group and invite them to our post. Offer to buy them a drink, or even pay the first years dues to get them started (I have done this and a lot of other members have also). When you see younger people in the bar, ask them if they are in the military now or if they were ever in the military and find out if they would like to join our post. We are in a good position compared to other veterans groups, since we are open 7 days a week and almost 365 days a year. We are also debt-free and have a great wait staff and the bar business is starting to improve. I have one more point before I shut-up. We are brothers and like real blood brothers we argue and fight among ourselves. We can’t agree on how to run the post or how the post should be run, but this is really a good thing. Different opinions are important and make our post stronger, not weaker. But remember that we are brothers and if something on the outside threatens us (be it individuals, government entities or groups) we will still stand together and fight for each other because we are still brothers. Oh well, it’s just my opinion.
Bill Roark
Well, here we go with my monthly ranting. “We are all brothers, why can’t we get along better”? I was talking with Greg in the Rose Garden about 2:00 AM on a Friday night after the post had closed. Greg had a couple of drinks and was in a very verbal mood. The one point he was trying to make was that our Post was a brotherhood and we should get along better. I guess he was right to a large degree since, we are a band of brothers that you are either part of, or you don’t understand. I see our post pulled somewhat by 2 factions, one from the past that remembers “the good ole days” when we had few rules and a lot of members didn’t even pay attention to those rules. The second faction are the ones that have been in charge of the post for the past few years that realize “we can never go back to those days” because the world has changed since then and we must move into the 21st Century. This group realizes that the post must be run more like a business and that means we must consider more rules and restrictions than was enjoyed by the original membership. The biggest change is that we no longer have the automatic revenue stream from Bingo which is much less today than in the past. Without these rules and more controls in place on spending and other considerations, the post will not be here for us “old timers” to enjoy in our “golden years”. This brings up the 3rd faction that still is somewhat overlooked by our general membership, the IFF soldiers that have been in the military starting in the early 1990s. We should have 1/3 or more of our membership made up of this new group of veterans and we are nowhere close to that number. Our post needs to make a lot of changes to actively recruit that group of veterans. That was made clear when Jeremiah came up and became part of the discussion. He feels our post may be dying because we have not attracted younger vets and it may be too late to change it. Jeremiah has been a positive force in attracting a lot of the younger group that we have at the post, but his job may take him away from Springfield as he improves his career path. I agree, we should be doing more to attract the younger groups, but really don’t know how to go about it. Should we be recruiting from our existing active units in Springfield? Should we be seeking out young veterans that are not part of the active units? Should we be doing things at the post to make it more attractive to the young veteran? The answer to me is yes to all the above questions. How do we go about it? The answer is YOU. We all need to do what we can to find our target group and invite them to our post. Offer to buy them a drink, or even pay the first years dues to get them started (I have done this and a lot of other members have also). When you see younger people in the bar, ask them if they are in the military now or if they were ever in the military and find out if they would like to join our post. We are in a good position compared to other veterans groups, since we are open 7 days a week and almost 365 days a year. We are also debt-free and have a great wait staff and the bar business is starting to improve. I have one more point before I shut-up. We are brothers and like real blood brothers we argue and fight among ourselves. We can’t agree on how to run the post or how the post should be run, but this is really a good thing. Different opinions are important and make our post stronger, not weaker. But remember that we are brothers and if something on the outside threatens us (be it individuals, government entities or groups) we will still stand together and fight for each other because we are still brothers. Oh well, it’s just my opinion.
Bill Roark
USS Missouri
USS Missouri Arrives at Submarine Base
GROTON, Conn. - The nation’s newest and most-advanced nuclear-powered attack submarine (Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Missouri (SSN 780) arrived at Naval Submarine Base New London on July 22 in preparation for commissioning. Missouri arrived at the base after completing a material readiness inspection by the Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) team. INSURV is a survey team established by Congress to assess Navy surface ships, aircraft carriers and submarines and ensure they are properly equipped for prompt, reliable and sustained mission readiness at sea.
"Today really marks the first day where the sub starts to become part of that fleet, which will culminate with the commissioning," said Capt. Michael Bernacchi, Commodore of Submarine Squadron Four, which will be Missouri's home squadron. "The crew has done an unbelievable job over the past five months, just a tremendous amount of work getting the ship ready. They are clearly ahead of the game, and we're very excited to have them here at sub base and part of squadron four."
Cmdr. Timothy Rexrode is the commanding officer of Missouri, the seventh ship of the Virginia Class.
"This really is the biggest honor I've had in my professional career," said Rexrode. "I'm proud to bear the name Missouri and to get out to the fleet and work for the Navy and the nation."
Missouri, which completed sea trials earlier this month, officially joins the fleet during a commissioning ceremony on July 31, 2010 at 11 am at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Conn.
There are five Missouri natives among the submarine's crew. They are Electronics Technician 1st Class John M. Tyhurst, a Joplin, Mo., native; Sonar Technician Seaman Benjamin A. Bowers, a Green Ridge native; Lt. Patrick Donovan, a Springfield, Mo. native; Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class Nicholas C. Koblick, a St. Louis native; and, Fire Control Technician 2nd Class Ryan J. Thruston, a Jefferson City, Mo. native.
Construction on Missouri began in December 2004; the submarine's keel was authenticated during a ceremony on Sept. 27, 2008 at the Electric Boat facility in North Kingstown, R.I.; and, she was christened during a late morning ceremony at Electric Boat on Dec. 5, 2009.
Another milestone occurred on April 16 during "In Service Day," when crew members moved aboard the submarine, bringing her systems to life, beginning general day-to-day operations and preparing for sea-trials, work-ups and commissioning.
Rexrode leads a crew of about 134 officers and enlisted personnel. A native of Spencer, W.Va., Rexrode graduated with honors in 1990 from West Virginia University, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering. In addition, Rexrode is a distinguished graduate of the United States Marine Corps Command and Staff College, holding a Master's in Military Studies. He also received a Master's of Arts degree in Administration from Central Michigan University.
Becky Gates, wife of U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, serves as the submarine's sponsor. She broke the traditional champagne bottle against the boat's sail during the christening ceremony last December. Her initials were welded into a plaque inside the boat during last year's keel laying ceremony.
Missouri is the fifth Navy ship to be named in honor of the people of the "Show Me State." The last USS Missouri, the legendary battleship, was the site where Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, and many other U.S. and Allied officers accepted the unconditional surrender of the Japanese at the end of World War II on Sept. 2, 1945.
Missouri is built to excel in anti-submarine warfare; anti-ship warfare; strike warfare; special operations; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; irregular warfare; and mine warfare missions. Adept at operating in both the world's shallow littoral regions and deep waters, Missouri will directly enable five of the six Navy maritime strategy core capabilities - sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security, and deterrence.
The 7,800-ton submarine Missouri is being built under a teaming arrangement between General Dynamics Electric Boat and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding-Newport News. At 377-feet long, Missouri is slightly longer than a football field. She has a 34-foot beam, will be able to dive to depths greater than 800 feet and will operate at speeds in excess of 25 knots submerged. Missouri is designed with a nuclear reactor plant that will not require refueling during the planned life of the ship, reducing lifecycle costs and increasing underway time.
The USS Missouri Commissioning Committee, an IRS-designated 501(c)3 nonprofit charity, was created to increase awareness of the submarine's commissioning. The Commissioning Committee offers information about the development of the submarine, as well as history on former Navy ships named for the "Show Me State."
GROTON, Conn. - The nation’s newest and most-advanced nuclear-powered attack submarine (Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Missouri (SSN 780) arrived at Naval Submarine Base New London on July 22 in preparation for commissioning. Missouri arrived at the base after completing a material readiness inspection by the Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) team. INSURV is a survey team established by Congress to assess Navy surface ships, aircraft carriers and submarines and ensure they are properly equipped for prompt, reliable and sustained mission readiness at sea.
"Today really marks the first day where the sub starts to become part of that fleet, which will culminate with the commissioning," said Capt. Michael Bernacchi, Commodore of Submarine Squadron Four, which will be Missouri's home squadron. "The crew has done an unbelievable job over the past five months, just a tremendous amount of work getting the ship ready. They are clearly ahead of the game, and we're very excited to have them here at sub base and part of squadron four."
Cmdr. Timothy Rexrode is the commanding officer of Missouri, the seventh ship of the Virginia Class.
"This really is the biggest honor I've had in my professional career," said Rexrode. "I'm proud to bear the name Missouri and to get out to the fleet and work for the Navy and the nation."
Missouri, which completed sea trials earlier this month, officially joins the fleet during a commissioning ceremony on July 31, 2010 at 11 am at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Conn.
There are five Missouri natives among the submarine's crew. They are Electronics Technician 1st Class John M. Tyhurst, a Joplin, Mo., native; Sonar Technician Seaman Benjamin A. Bowers, a Green Ridge native; Lt. Patrick Donovan, a Springfield, Mo. native; Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class Nicholas C. Koblick, a St. Louis native; and, Fire Control Technician 2nd Class Ryan J. Thruston, a Jefferson City, Mo. native.
Construction on Missouri began in December 2004; the submarine's keel was authenticated during a ceremony on Sept. 27, 2008 at the Electric Boat facility in North Kingstown, R.I.; and, she was christened during a late morning ceremony at Electric Boat on Dec. 5, 2009.
Another milestone occurred on April 16 during "In Service Day," when crew members moved aboard the submarine, bringing her systems to life, beginning general day-to-day operations and preparing for sea-trials, work-ups and commissioning.
Rexrode leads a crew of about 134 officers and enlisted personnel. A native of Spencer, W.Va., Rexrode graduated with honors in 1990 from West Virginia University, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering. In addition, Rexrode is a distinguished graduate of the United States Marine Corps Command and Staff College, holding a Master's in Military Studies. He also received a Master's of Arts degree in Administration from Central Michigan University.
Becky Gates, wife of U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, serves as the submarine's sponsor. She broke the traditional champagne bottle against the boat's sail during the christening ceremony last December. Her initials were welded into a plaque inside the boat during last year's keel laying ceremony.
Missouri is the fifth Navy ship to be named in honor of the people of the "Show Me State." The last USS Missouri, the legendary battleship, was the site where Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, and many other U.S. and Allied officers accepted the unconditional surrender of the Japanese at the end of World War II on Sept. 2, 1945.
Missouri is built to excel in anti-submarine warfare; anti-ship warfare; strike warfare; special operations; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; irregular warfare; and mine warfare missions. Adept at operating in both the world's shallow littoral regions and deep waters, Missouri will directly enable five of the six Navy maritime strategy core capabilities - sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security, and deterrence.
The 7,800-ton submarine Missouri is being built under a teaming arrangement between General Dynamics Electric Boat and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding-Newport News. At 377-feet long, Missouri is slightly longer than a football field. She has a 34-foot beam, will be able to dive to depths greater than 800 feet and will operate at speeds in excess of 25 knots submerged. Missouri is designed with a nuclear reactor plant that will not require refueling during the planned life of the ship, reducing lifecycle costs and increasing underway time.
The USS Missouri Commissioning Committee, an IRS-designated 501(c)3 nonprofit charity, was created to increase awareness of the submarine's commissioning. The Commissioning Committee offers information about the development of the submarine, as well as history on former Navy ships named for the "Show Me State."
August Editorial
Editorial Opinion
Just a few items of housekeeping before I begin my monthly rant. I would like to thank again one of our members, Ron Kinney for his help. He has donated some additional equipment and supplies for our pool table. It has now been recovered with Simonis championship cloth, re-leveled and repaired and now plays as well as any table in town. I would also like to pass my condolences to Kim Powers and let her know that Al’s friends at the post will not forget.
Well let’s get to the rant. BINGO is the life blood of our post and has been for the past 15 plus years. We were forced to move to Post 676 because the Bennett Street Bingo Hall was closed. We have had very little success in making profits since we moved. Since the beginning of the year, our bar and kitchen has not shown the type of income we need to sustain our commitments to keeping the post open the 12 hours per day, 7 days per week that we all have come to enjoy. They economy is probably playing a big role in those issues. While a lot of our members have spent a great deal of time and money at LZ 639, some members have not spent much time there lately. Please bring your family and friends to our bar and support the post by purchasing the best drinks at the lowest overall prices in Springfield. We now need help with Bingo. If you can’t work Bingo for some reason, please talk with your friends and neighbors and come out and play Bingo. You may find you enjoy our Horse Races that is very reasonable to play and you might win $250 for a winning Red Horse. You may find you enjoy daubing the Bingo cards and maybe getting to shout B-I-N-G-O!!!! Our Big game pays out $500 for just that game if you win. We have 2 progressives that could pay out over $1,000 each (LZ is at $2,200 now), and have a guaranteed payout of $300 each. My rant is simple - don’t ask what your post can do for you, ask what you can do for your post (seems I’ve heard that somewhere). Don’t be apathetic get involved in post activities especially Bingo and support the post by visiting our bar as often as you care to come.
Bill Roark
Just a few items of housekeeping before I begin my monthly rant. I would like to thank again one of our members, Ron Kinney for his help. He has donated some additional equipment and supplies for our pool table. It has now been recovered with Simonis championship cloth, re-leveled and repaired and now plays as well as any table in town. I would also like to pass my condolences to Kim Powers and let her know that Al’s friends at the post will not forget.
Well let’s get to the rant. BINGO is the life blood of our post and has been for the past 15 plus years. We were forced to move to Post 676 because the Bennett Street Bingo Hall was closed. We have had very little success in making profits since we moved. Since the beginning of the year, our bar and kitchen has not shown the type of income we need to sustain our commitments to keeping the post open the 12 hours per day, 7 days per week that we all have come to enjoy. They economy is probably playing a big role in those issues. While a lot of our members have spent a great deal of time and money at LZ 639, some members have not spent much time there lately. Please bring your family and friends to our bar and support the post by purchasing the best drinks at the lowest overall prices in Springfield. We now need help with Bingo. If you can’t work Bingo for some reason, please talk with your friends and neighbors and come out and play Bingo. You may find you enjoy our Horse Races that is very reasonable to play and you might win $250 for a winning Red Horse. You may find you enjoy daubing the Bingo cards and maybe getting to shout B-I-N-G-O!!!! Our Big game pays out $500 for just that game if you win. We have 2 progressives that could pay out over $1,000 each (LZ is at $2,200 now), and have a guaranteed payout of $300 each. My rant is simple - don’t ask what your post can do for you, ask what you can do for your post (seems I’ve heard that somewhere). Don’t be apathetic get involved in post activities especially Bingo and support the post by visiting our bar as often as you care to come.
Bill Roark
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