Vol.=20 3, No. 10 &nbs= p; = ; = &= nbsp; &n= bsp; &nb= sp; &nbs= p; = ; = &= nbsp; &n= bsp; =20 October 2007

Newsletter of Charleston Base, United = States=20 Submarine Veterans,=20 Inc.

&nbs= p; = ; = &= nbsp; &n= bsp; &nb= sp; =20 &nbs= p; = ; = &= nbsp; &n= bsp; =20

&nbs= p; = ; = =20 USSVI=20 Creed

=93To=20 perpetuate the memory of our shipmates who gave their lives
in = the=20 pursuit of their duties while serving their country. That their dedication, = deeds, and=20 supreme sacrifice be a constant source of motivation toward = greater=20 accomplishments. = Pledge=20 loyalty and patriotism to the United States = Government=94

Base web = page: = http://www.ussvicb.org/

National web = page: www.ussvi.org

Base = Meeting:=20

Thursday, = October 11,=20 2007

Social hour = 1800,=20 General Meeting 1900

Location:

Fleet = Reserve=20 Association Branch 269, Low Country Home

99 Wisteria=20 Rd.

Goose Creek, = South=20 Carolina. Phone=20 843-569-2962

Base=20 Officers

Phone=20 Number

Commander

Steve=20 Nelms

843-563-7115

Vice=20 Commander

Carl=20 Chinn

843-875-3098

Secretary

Ronnie = Kerstetter

843-367-1026

Treasurer

George = Lisle

843-559-4242

Special=20 Officers

Phone=20 Number

Chief = of the=20 Boat

Marty=20 Sessler

843-871-1536

Public = Affairs

Richard=20 Cleeve

843-899-4563

Publicity

Larry=20 Starland

843-863-8474

Sub = Vets=20 WWII

Barnwell=20 Chaplin

843-762-6945

Nuclear=20 Historian

Rick=20 Carlson

843-875-4030

Veterans=20 Affairs

John=20 Nichols

843-873-5897

Chaplain

John=20 Nichols

843-873-5897

Membership

Carl=20 Chinn

843-875-3098

Holland=20 Club

Bob=20 Lowe

843-573-9045

Little = David=20 Project

Rick=20 Wise

843-875-5559

Roving = Reporter

Rick=20 Wise

843-875-5559

Scholarship

Jim=20 Yates

843-873-0246

Newsletter

Carl=20 Chinn

843-875-3098

Storekeeper

Paul=20 Viering

843-797-2623

Alcohol &=20 Gaming

Dave=20 Mueller

843-553-2775

Minutes=20 of the September 2007 meeting

Opening = Ceremony: Base Commander, Steve = Nelms,=20 called the meeting to order. =20 A Quorum was present and the meeting was commenced at = 1900.

Introductions: Tim Esch, Thomas Timm, = Bob=20 Shipman, Bobby Grassman. =20 Welcome aboard.

Secretary: Secretary Ronnie = Kerstetter asked=20 for a motion to approve the meeting minutes from last month. A motion was made and = seconded.=20 Minutes = approved.

Chaplain: Nick Nichols presented = the=20 binnacle list and said, =93Thank ya=92ll, this month.=94 (another = slow=20 month)

Mike=20 Smith has radical prostrate surgery scheduled for November 2 and = as he=20 told us will be in dry-dock for roughly 3 weeks. The base sent a card = wishing him=20 well in his surgery.

Arthur = O=92Meally had brain=20 surgery in January and now he has shingles he is trying to get rid = of. The base sent a = get-well=20 card (No one had previously reported this).

Several = follow-ups were=20 made on those who=92ve had surgery or illnesses in the last couple = of months=20 along with the base sending additional cards.

Let=20 Nick know if anything happens. =20 If you know of someone who needs help let us know. Preferably contact the = Chaplain,=20 the COB may be busy with other matters.

Scholarship: Jim Yates was not = here. Julian Villegas and Carl = Chinn=20 from the committee were present. =20 Carl said that we will have a fun raiser that will probably = start=20 next meeting that I think everyone will like. It is something that = will benefit=20 everyone and also add some money to our scholarship fund. We are kind of keeping = it a little=20 bit in secrecy right now because that is the way we want to do = it.

Public=20 Affairs: = Larry=20 Starland submitted a newspaper article, =94Veterans group gives = scholarship=20 award=94 describing Charleston Base Sub Vets Carl Chinn and Julian = Villegas=20 presenting a $500 scholarship to Summerville High graduate Gregory = Stabler=20 during our July 12th meeting. =20 This was printed in The Summerville Journal Scene August = 8th=20 edition. Larry will = help us=20 to get the word out promoting the Charleston Base. Hats will be presented = next=20 Thursday for the Caps4Kids program.

Sub Vets = WWII: Lee Allison invited = everyone to=20 the next Swamp Fox Chapter meeting at Ryan's Family Steak House = 1314 North=20 Main Street in Summerville on Thursday October 18th, at 1200 = (noon). Any Sub Vets, Inc. = member can join=20 the Sub Vets WWII as an associate member and are encouraged to do = so. They hold a lunch = meeting every=20 other month on the third Thursday at Ryan=92s.

Veteran=92s = Affairs: Nick passed out papers = for=20 navy.togetherweserved.com / usn website.

The=20 Pentagon is phasing out social security numbers on ID cards, VA = pension=20 for vets for in-home care or nursing home care for vets or = surviving=20 spouse, this is very underused. =20 Information will be posted on the website as soon as = Richard Cleeve=20 gets back from the cruise with national.

John=20 Wall is the VA affairs officer for Dorchester County, if you need = help=20 with claims and help with the VA John is a good contact.

VA=20 local access on the web article (yellow pages directory for VA = services).

Membership: Carl reports Charleston = Base now=20 has 280 members, same as last month because this is the time of = the year=20 that membership slows down because we are getting toward the next=20 year. Anyone that = signs up=20 after the first of October it goes toward 2008. I have 5 or 6 = applications that=20 will go in in two weeks, so we are growing. That will give us 285 = (assuming=20 everyone renews their dues). =20 Charleston Base is still #3 in the number of members of any = base in=20 the country. We are = still=20 only 50 members away from San Diego (the #2 slot). We signed up between 50 = and 60 new=20 members in 2007, and should be able to top San Diego in 2008. Pay your dues by 1 = October if you=20 have not done so, we have 8-15 people lost every year because they = did not=20 renew their dues.

The=20 executive board recommends that all members of Charleston Base = that are=20 Sub Vets WWII be granted gratis life members into Charleston Base = Sub=20 Vets, Inc. We = can=92t do=20 anything about national. =20 Motion was made, seconded and approved to grant lifetime = membership=20 gratis to Sub Vets WWII into Charleston Base as lifetime = members.

Newsletter: Give Carl Chinn all the = updates on=20 your address, phone number, e-mail so he can keep you updated with = the=20 national database and local base happenings. If you have anything to = submit to=20 the newsletter let Carl know.