ANCHOR - Sarasota-Manatee Council
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ANCHOR LINE
SARASOTA – MANATEE COUNCIL OF THE NAVY LEAGUE
FEBRUARY 2022-APRIL 20222
Visit us at: http://www.navyleague-sarasota-manatee.org/
Like us on Facebook at: Sarasota-Manatee Council-Navy League of the US
https://www.facebook.com/nlsarasota
Editors Al Burda alburda3@verizon.net
Matt Wooddall mwooddall@gmail.com
Jerry St. Germain gstgermain@comcast.net
HONORING COAST GUARDSMEN WHO PERISHED ABOARD USCGC
BLACKTHORN
On January 28, 2022, Council President Carl Cramb joined many USCG members and Tampa Bay civic leaders to honor
the 23 crewmen who perished when the buoy tender USCGC Blackthorn sank in 1980 in a collision near the Tampa Bay
Sunshine Skyway Bridge. It was a solemn ceremony. The Keynote speaker was VADM Steven D. Poulin USCG (Atlantic
Area Commander) who gave a solemn speech honoring the crew of Blackthorn. Carl laid a wreath at the Memorial on
behalf of the Council.
Our Wreath The Blackthorn Memorial
VADM Poulin Speaks Coast Guardsmen laid individual roses
At the Memorial
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JANUARY DINNER MEETING FEATURING THE MERCHANT MARINE
The Sarasota-Manatee Council of the Navy League of the U.S. held their monthly membership meeting on Wednesday,
January 26, 2022. The Sea Service advocates returned to their home port at Bird Key Yacht Club for the first meeting of
the year. After the 5:45 PM social hour, council president Carl Cramb convened the meeting at 6:30 PM. This was the
first membership meeting that the Annapolis graduate presided over since being elected council president in December of
last year. The council received a presentation by Mr. Charles Tillotson, Chief Commercial Officer of Port Manatee. Mr.
Tillotson reported on a wide array of activities that involve Port Manatee and related issues. Supply line concerns were
addressed as well as capital improvements and continued expansion goals of Port Manatee. The port leader also discussed
current efforts to meet the needs of the existing customer base at the deep-water port. The council also received a
presentation from Mr. Matty Appice, President of the Port Manatee Propeller Club. Mr. Appice spoke about the mission
and purpose of the club. The Port Manatee Propeller Club is a non-profit organization that seeks to advance sea trade
and the professionals in that industry. The Sarasota-Manatee Council of the Navy League of the U.S. will hold a Joint
Meeting on February 16, 2022, at Gold Coast Eagle Distributing.
Matty Appice Charles Tillotson
DECEMBER ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
On December 15 at the venerable Sara Bay Country Club where Bobby Jones once played Walter Hagen in match play,
the Sarasota Manatee Council held its Annual Meeting with thirty-two crew members of the USCGC Resolute (WMEC-
620) as guests. After being welcomed by Council President Tim Rocklein, the meeting was kicked off with a blessing by
Chaplain Don Roser, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. The Club served its “World Famous Italian Buffet” which all
attendees loved. The purpose of the meeting was to elect Officers for 2022 and to recognize the accomplishments of the
Resolute one of our adopted units. To start things off the Resolute presented an outstanding overview of the ship and its
operations, including its two most recent patrols, expertly presented by Ensign Davis, BM3 Kelley and MK1 Mills. The
Commanding Officer of the Resolute Commander Justin Vanden Heuvel USCG followed with his remarks, thanking the
Sarasota Manatee Council for its support, and concluding by presenting the Ship’s Plaque to Tim Rocklein and Jerry St.
Germain. Then, President Tim Rocklein presented the Resolute Sailor of the Quarter award to CS3 Oscar Vasquez USCG.
Next, President Rocklein conducted the Council’s Annual Meeting to elect next year’s officers. Carl Cramb was elected
President, Steve Bartek Vice President, Jerry St. Germain Treasurer, Don Roser Secretary and Steve Horton Judge
Advocate. The officers present were sworn in to assume their offices and our new President presented Tim Rocklein with
a gavel plaque for his six years of service as Council President. The meeting was concluded and adjourned.
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Resolute Caps Resolute “Coasties”
Ensign Davis Commander Vanden Heuvel
Jerry and Tim Accept Plaque Sailor of the Quarter Tim Accepts Gavel Plaque
Tim swears in New Officers(from left) Don Roser, Jerry St Germain, and Carl Cramb
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I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday season and was able to enjoy some quality time with family and friends. The past two
years have been a very challenging time for everyone as we all dealt with the difficulties resulting from the COVID
pandemic. As we enter the Council’s 66th year, we are looking to move forward and establish ourselves as a beacon in the
community.
A little about myself, I moved back to Florida after being away for 40 years just three years ago. While away I was very
fortunate to have a wonderful career in the US Navy, commanding a Frigate and Destroyer Squadron, serving four tours
in the Pentagon working Navy budgets and being assigned to several operational staffs at critical periods in our nation’s
history. I then spent 12 years performing business development in the defense industry before deciding to return to the
warmth of Florida.
I have set three simple but very challenging priorities for 2022 and the entire Board has quickly embraced them. First, we
must focus on increasing our membership and retention by bringing in a younger, energetic group of individuals; second,
increase our fundraising ability through individual and joint fundraising activities and third, enhance our support to our
youth programs and improve our scholarship process. As you can see from page 4, we have assembled a strong, focused,
and energetic group of individuals on the Board to work these priorities.
To further these priorities, we will be hosting a Recruitment/Fundraising tent at the LECOM Suncoast Classic golf
tournament on 17-20 February. John Osterweil has graciously donated some memorabilia that we will be
raffling/auctioning off during the four-day event. We have agreed to partner with the Propellor Club to conduct a
fundraising event on 16 February and look forward to working in greater depth with the Propellor Club throughout the
year. Al Burda put together a committee that has developed a much broader and inclusive scholarship program that was
approved unanimously by the Board in January. Also, Al Burda has started all the work behind the scenes to ensure we
are ready for the Giving Challenge on 26-27 April. Please mark your calendars for these events and our regular dinner
meetings. We have contacted several Navy unit commanders in the Jacksonville/Mayport area who have graciously agreed
to speak in the coming months.
The ability of the Council to Advocate, Educate and Support requires all members of the Council pulling together to help
us meet our stated priorities. Whether you recruit a new member, participate in a fundraising event, actively support a
committee, or provide actionable ideas you are helping to make the Sarasota-Manatee Council a beacon in our community.
We are looking forward to a successful year and I personally look forward to working with our entire membership to
make 2022 a great year.
Carl Cramb, President
Sarasota Manatee Council NLUS
NAVY LEAGUE BENEFITS
NLUS has been working hard to increase member benefits. Many of you are unaware of your NAVY League benefits.
Here is a link to the member benefits page https://www.navyleague.org/member-
resources/login?bm=1163047980
OUR FIRST COMMUNITY AFFILIATE
We welcome our first Community Affiliate in many years, Venice Olive Oil Company. Venice Olive Oil Company features
many types of olive oils and balsamic vinegars as well as a whole host of culinary products that will enhance your palate
and brighten up your meals. Venice Olive Oil has two locations: 101 W Venice Ave #5, Venice, FL and 8459 S Tamiami
Trail, Sarasota, FL Please stop by to offer your patronage!
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UPCOMING EVENTS—MARK YOUR CALENDAR (WATCH FOR FLYERS)
Month Day and Theme/Subject Speaker Venue and other
Time
February 16th @ 545 State of Port Manatee Carlos Boquera Gold Coast Eagle
pm Executive Director Port Distributing 7051 Wireless
Manatee Court, Sarasota, FL 34240
March 18th through 86th Annual Sarasota None Our Council will “man” a
27th all day County Fair gate at the Sarasota
Fairgrounds to raise funds
(Volunteers needed.)
March 23rd @ 5:45 US Navy Commodore Anderson Bird Key Yacht Club,
pm Naval Surface Squadron 14 Sarasota
And
CO of USS Sullivans (DDG-
68)
April 20th@ Youth Programs CAPT Long USN Plantation Golf and
11:30 am CO USF NROTC Unit Country Club, Venice
April 26th-27th Giving Challenge NA NA
noon to noon
May 25th @ Navy Air Commodore P-8 Wing Bird Key Yacht Club,
5:45pm NAS JAX Sarasota
June 22nd Sea Service Academy CAPT Dan Gillen USN Sara Bay CC
Appointments and CO Jacksonville NROTC Sarasota
NROTC Scholars Unit
THE 2022 GIVING CHALLENGE
The Sarasota Manatee Council will participate in the Community Foundation of Sarasota’s Giving Challenge on April
26-27, 2022. The Giving Challenge is a 24-hour on-line giving day from noon to noon that brings together more than 700
local nonprofits with their donors and community members to support their causes. We have participated in this giving
day in past years to some success. The minimum donation amount is $25 and it must be made online. The Patterson
Foundation will provide a 1:1 match for all unique donations, up to $100 per donor, per organization. There is no limit to
the number of individual matches from unique donors that a nonprofit organization can receive during the 2022 Giving
Challenge. You will receive more information by email about how to participate as it becomes available. So….Save the
date! And dust off your credit card. We will be very thankful in advance for your generosity!
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SARASOTA MANATEE COUNCIL
OF THE NAVY LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES
OUR VISION STATEMENT
We seek to be a reliable and helpful source of information to the public and governmental leaders about sea service issues
and a known and respected civilian supporter and resource to local active-duty sea service units and organizations and
local sea service youth organizations
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
Our Council’s Mission is to support America’s Sea Services: Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and US - flag Merchant
Marine in Southwest Florida. We do this through: local programs and meetings where our Council provides a voice to
educate the public and local members of Congress on the importance of our Sea Services to our nation’s defense, well-
being and economic prosperity and :to support to our active Sea services personnel such as the U.S. Coast Guard and their
families youth programs such as the Naval Sea Cadet Corps. Junior ROTC and Young Marines, that expose young people
to the values of our sea services.
OUR GOALS 2022 OFFICERS
To enhance the morale of local sea service personnel and President
their families through national and council level Carl Cramb
programs. We: First Vice President & Operations
Steve Bartek
* Educate national leaders and the nation Treasurer
* Support the men & women of the sea services Gerard St. Germain*
* Support youth programs Corresponding and Recording Secretary/Chaplain
* Provide assistance to sea service families Don Roser
Judge Advocate
Steven Horton
DIRECTORS
Monthly Dinner Planning--Tim Rocklein
Fundraising and VIP Speakers- John Osterweil
Youth Programs, Scholarships and Anchor Line-Al Burda
Membership and Retention-Joe Hayden
Public Affairs and Merchant Marine Programs - Bo
Hamrick
Youth and Scholarships, and Anchor Line--- Al Burda
Legislative Affairs and Facebook- Roger Betts**
NJROTC--- Steve Bartek
Golf Tournament and Fundraising - Dr. John Hanna
Sea Cadet Program—Dennis Turner
Coast Guard Support- Marsha Grogan
Marine Corps Coordinator and Marine Corps Youth
Programs-George Hoffmann
*National Delegate & President of Florida Central Area.
** National Director Emeritus
COUNTY FAIR FUNDRAISER
Our Navy League Council will staff an entry gate for the annual Sarasota County Fair from 18 March to 27 March. Our
responsibility will be to keep all posts at our gate staffed during the posted hours of operation, sell admission tickets, (cash
& credit card transactions) & process/receive admission tickets purchased online. Shifts will be in 4-hour increments and
we should have our complete roster filled as soon as possible. Our council will receive a $4,500.00 donation from the
Sarasota County Agricultural Fair Association, Inc. for this project. Contact Matt Wooddall to get on the roster @ 941-
330-6361 or mwooddall@gmail.com. Participation on this project is open to members, friends, and other advocates of our
mission. Staffer minimum age is 16.
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WELCOME ABOARD NEW MEMBERS
Our Council membership is 105 as of 1/31/2022. Although we lost 3 members in the last quarter, we welcome 10 new
members: They are Jim Brengle, Joe Hayden, Dean Krom, Clifton Phalen, Richard Plager, Donald Saba, and Erin
Saba and 3 as yet unnamed members associated with our new Community Affiliate Venice Olive Oil Company.
LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO?
Why not take a pleasant trip to Punta Gorda and spend a day visiting the Military Heritage Museum? The Museum is
located at 900 West Marion Ave. convenient to the many restaurants and shops at Fisherman’s Village. With 30,000-plus
historic artifacts, veteran-led tours and thousands of oral histories, the Military Heritage Museum provides visitors an
opportunity to fully understand and experience military history in an authentic and personal way. By hearing the big
story of military history through small individual stories, visitors learn about well- known events from an entirely new
perspective—and about events and viewpoints they never knew. The second-floor activity areas create a realistic and fun
experience while providing visitors unique hands-on educational opportunities e.g., there are two flight simulators for use
by visitors. The Museum is open TUESDAY – SATURDAY 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. There are capacity limits and
mandatory coronavirus protocols in place for your safety. Admission is $12 per person, $10 for veterans and military
active duty, $9 for youth ages 5-13, $5 for Annual Members and NO fee for children under 5. Questions? Give them a call
at 941.575.9002.
SUPPORTED UNITS
COAST GUARD
USCG Brant is planning her decommissioning event. It will take place on March 17th in St. Petersburg. Cortez
continues normal operations. USCGC Resolute has been extended for another month in dry dock to address some hull
issues.
Resolute in Dry Dock
COAST GUARD STATION CORTEZ
US Coast Guard Station Cortez is participating in the F.E.L.T – Feeding Empty Little Tummies Food Drive and welcomes
the help of our local Navy League Sarasota-Manatee Council members. F.E.L.T’s mission is admirable! They are
dedicated to feeding Manatee County’s most needy students, those that are homeless and food insecure, one backpack at
a time. Sixty-six schools are participating with over 1,000 enrolled kids and so far F.E.L.T. has served over 865,000 meals.
The Station Cortez bin is empty…let’s help them fill it up! Bring some Food Drive Menu Items to our next dinner meeting!
Contact Marsha Grogan at “tobeachtoo@aol.com” for more details.
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YOUTH GROUPS
NORTH PORT HS NJROTC
Over the course of NPHS second quarter, the NJROTC cadet participated in a few different events. In the month of
November, our NJROTC cadets competed in an orienteering competition. The competition took place in Fort Desoto Park
and had about 300 other cadets competing from ten different high schools. On the yellow course cadet PO1 Battle placed
14th, on the orange course cadet PO1 Gardner placed 7th, and on the green course cadet Senior Chief Henries placed 1st.
Our NJROTC cadets showed up and showed out and placed 4th overall out of all the high schools. Let's hope we can come
in the top three next meet. The next event that our cadets participated in was the North Port Poinsettia parade. NPHS
cadets as well as the band and a few other sections in the parade marched a mile where they showed off their pride and
colors to the North Port community. The last event that cadets participated in before the holiday break was their AMI
(annual military inspection). We are starting off our new year with an orienteering event being hosted at Bray Park in
Bradenton. Let’s hope we can bring home some trophies.
NORTH PORT IMAGINE SCHOOL YOUNG MARINES HOST FIELD MEET
On Saturday, January 29, 2022, the Imagine School Young Marines hosted a large Field Meet. Over 110 Young
Marines, Sea Cadets, and SMA Cadets took part in this event. The Field Meet provided all the participants with a wide
range of teamwork-oriented physical challenges. They included: Kettle Bell Relay; Team Relay (litter, ammo cans,
etc.); Team Shuttle Run; Team Obstacle Course; and Team Tug-of-War. Attending were: Gulf Eagle Division Sea
Cadets; Epiphany Cathedral Young Marines; Venice Middle School Young Marines; SMA Prep Cadets; and Imagine
School Young Marines. Almost all organizations fielded more than one team with a total of 17 teams competing.
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VENICE HIGH SCHOOL MCJROTC
VENICE MIDDLE YOUNG MARINES
Recently VMS Young Marines had a hands- on firefighting demonstration on campus, thanks to Venice Fire Dept.. The
Young Marines eventually got some 'hands on experience' with the equipment.
Demos by Venice Fire Dept. with YM’s
Putting out a fire Pulling Fire Hose
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