As we approach the midpoint in the year the Board of Directors has formed a Nominating Committee to select candidates for the 2004 Naval Institute Board of Directors. The members of this committee are: Vice Admiral Robert Dunn, U.S. Navy (Retired)-naval aviator and member since 1952; Commander Steve Davis, U.S. Navy-surface warfare officer and member since 1998; and Commander Mark Gorenflo, U.S. Navy-submarine and member since 1989. These officers have been published in Proceedings, and Admiral Dunn and Commander Gorenflo have served on the Board of Directors. The Nominating Committee's goal is to assemble a slate of 16 candidates for director to include the present incumbents who are available to serve in 2004. Those eligible are members on active duty, in the reserves, or retired from the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.
The Nominating Committee is looking for individuals who have broad operational experience and who embrace the Naval Institute's mission. Generally, a candidate should have been a member of the Naval Institute for five years, be serving in the greater Washington, D.C., area (to include Tidewater), and be available to attend monthly meetings (third Thursday; no meeting in August) at Naval Institute's headquarters in Annapolis.
If you are interested in being considered for the Naval Institute's Board of Directors/Editorial Board, please send your contact information, a brief biography, and any amplifying information to me by 1 August, and I will forward these materials to the committee.
Members in good standing who secure 25 signatures of current members are assured placement on the ballot. Members undertaking this approach can check the membership status of their signatories with us. We must receive such petitions by 1 September.
At the end of May, we launched our online reunion service to replace the listing of reunions in Proceedings and Naval History. This Web-based database will allow all of our members and nonmembers to post and modify reunion notices, search for reunions and shipmates, and sign up as attendees. The reunions service can be found on the Naval Institute Web site at www.navalinstitute.org or by entering this URL into your browser: http://www.usni.org/reunions/reunions.html.
All those who sent reunion notices and an e-mail address for forthcoming reunions will have their reunions transferred from our previous database to the online service. Those who sent notices without an e-mail address will receive a letter encouraging them to use our online service to post their reunion. If you have any problems using the service, please contact Ann Hassinger at 410-295-1023/[email protected].
To enter a new reunion as a reunion organizer, you must be a registered user of our Web site, which requires only a name, an e-mail address, and a password. You will be prompted to register the first time you attempt to enter a reunion. Through the online service, you may enter a new reunion, update reunion information as needed, and e-mail all attendees simultaneously with updates or communications. You also can create a simple reunion program, listing events, dates, and start and end times.
You may search and browse reunions in our database without registering with the site. To begin your search, simply enter a ship name or search word, or click on one of the service medallions. Attendees wishing to register for a reunion and interact with reunion organizers must register with our Web site. Your information will not be viewable by anyone not signed up for your reunion.
We are excited about this new service, and we hope you put it to use in making contact with your shipmates. Stay tuned for more innovations.