LATEST ISSUE OF BEACON and Prevention Department Website has moved

LATEST ISSUE OF BEACON
The most recent issue of BEACON is now available for viewing. Click here to view SPRING BEACON
[Posted: Mar 17, 2010. Source: Martin L. Phillips, Executive Director, CGAuxA]


Prevention Department Website has moved
The Prevention Department website, which serves both the Marine Safety and Navigation Systems programs, has moved. The new URL is http://pdept.cgaux.org. Please update your links.
[Posted: Mar 17, 2010. Source: Karel Kester, DVC-PO]

Paddlesports America - Now Available and For Safety's Sake, Volume II - 2010

• Paddlesports America - Now Available: :Celebrate the arrival of spring by launching the 2010 boating season teaching the new Paddlesports America course to our newest budding audience – novice canoeists and kayakers. It is NOW ready and available for ORDER as an Auxiliary approved course. Materials may NOW be ordered through the District’s normal ordering procedure. The order number is 1PA-10150. Supporting materials – PowerPoint Presentations and Chapter Summaries – are available for download on the E-Library Resource Center. The course has been added to the 7023 Form – Intent to Teach as code – PA. When submitting the final Course Completion on Form 7030, the mission code for Paddlesports America is 14J. Reach out and help save the lives of all recreational boaters by including the kayakers and canoeists. Click here for the PowerPoint presentations.[Posted: Mar 16, 2010. Source: Anne R. Lockwood, DIR-E]
• For Safety's Sake, Volume II - 2010: The newest edition of For Safety's Sake, Volume II - 2010 has been released. This new issue was released on March 15th and is available for downloading from the V Departments Newsletter page at http://safetyseal.net/Newsletters/. In this issue is: 2009 Performance, Boating Safety Resource Center, Digital Select Calling Radios, Recreational Boating Safety Visitation Program Guide, Opportunities with Sea Scouts and Boy Scouts of America, VSC Mega Weeks and more. Download your copy and pass it on to your associates after you've read it. [Posted: Mar 15, 2010. Source: P. Urgola, Director V-Dept] via USCGAUX What's new!

I Department Teams with CTO Department to Provide Technical Services

Information Technology Department is now aligned with the CTO Department to provide greater technology services. The I Department Member Services Division is now the primary support for  unit websites as the Unit Web Support Division with only minor alignment of positions.  Web Presence, Hosting Services, and Legacy Divisions remain as established.   The Application Development Division now resides in the CTO Department and Project Management Division is reorganized with new roles. 

Jointly, I Department and CTO Department form a strong team under the CIO umbrella for technical project development and implementation.  There is now a plan in place for the two departments to work together in providing products which will be well planned, tested, and provide user support.   CIO Team customers are those within the Auxiliary: membership, units, and national entities.   I Department is responsible for the technical services and will move forward to provide smooth sailing with new technical development.

To that end, there are two new divisions  within I Department.  User Support  Division does the initial project planning, beta testing, and  maintains a Help Desk.  The second new division is Data Base Administration to establish and maintain data bases which will provide functionality of data now and in the future.  We will need new staff to provide these services.  This new project protocol will create an environment for moving technology forward in the Auxiliary.   

Additional Information: Technical Project Planning and Project Planning Graphic Display

Reporting National Testing Center ( NTC) Problems and About Boating Safely Test

• Reporting National Testing Center ( NTC) Problems!
  If you experience any technical difficulty in using NTC or you are in need of help from the National Testing Center you should direct your request to the e-mail link below. This should be the only link you use. We want all requests to go to one location only! This will allow everyone at the National level to see all issues and track how these requests are being handled and how quickly they are being resolved. Help Desk for National Training Center is: admin@ntc.cgaux.org
  [Posted: Mar 12, 2010. Source: Gail Venezio, DIR-T]
• About Boating Safely Test
  The About Boating Safely test has now been translated into Spanish. It is available from AUXCEN upon request.
  [Posted: Mar 11, 2010. Source: Anne R. Lockwood, DIR-E]

Uniform Distribution Center (UDC) shipping update

Auxiliary members may at the present time still order one set of ODU’s from the UDC in Woodbine, NJ. 
Some members have requested FED EX shipping. This is not available. 
UDC ships no charge and we must follow their shipping procedures.

[Posted: Mar 7, 2010. Source: Joseph G. O'Leary Director of Human Resources] from USCGAUX What's New!

New e-mail for National Testing Center Help Desk- and Proctor info;and Interpreter Corps Newsletter Released

• New e-mail for National Testing Center Help Desk- and Proctor info!
  If you are needing help from the National Testing Center-please do not use the ntchelp@auxtdept.org e-mail address. If you use this old address you will not get any help. This link is no longer in use as we do not have access to this old e-mail account. Help Desk for National Training Center The correct one is admin@ntc.cgaux.org . Also Note: Send all PROCTOR REQUESTS to admin@ntc.cgaux.org
  [Posted: Mar 5, 2010. Source: Gail Venezio-DIR-T]
• Interpreter Corps Newsletter Released
  The March 2010 issue of the Interpreter Corps Newsletter is now available
  [Posted: Mar 5, 2010. Source: Wayne Spivak, Chief Comms International Affairs]

Welcome our new National USCG Auxiliary I Department Director

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Irene Wetzel as the Director of the ‘I” Department as of March 3, 2010. Irene brings a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to the Directorship just as she has for the past several years while serving in various positions on the National Staff. She has been acting Director for the past several weeks while the Department was going through staffing changes and reassignment. The newly designed Department is fortune to have her leadership.

[Posted: Mar 5, 2010. Source: COMO Bruce Miller, ANACO-CIO by Direction COMO Ste] "Source USCGAUX What's New"