Member-Training Website

The member-training website known as the “U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Virtual Classroom” has moved to a new location, and is now called the “Coast Guard Auxiliary – Online Classroom”. The new link (URL) to the Online Classroom is http://classroom.cgaux.org.Members, member training officers, and unit webmasters should change all bookmarks, links, or other references to the old Virtual Classroom to the new site and address. 

All courses previously available in the Virtual Classroom should immediately be available at the new Online Classroom. Old user accounts and course completion history have been retired, as the new site uses automatically provides members with new and permanent accounts based upon the same Member Zone Credentials used for AuxDirectory, NTC, Webforms, etc. 

All Auxiliary members are encouraged to use the new Online Classroom. Support is available via the National Help Desk athttp://help.cgaux.org. 

Members should note that the on-hold “Auxiliary Mandated Training Program” courses as most recently referenced in ALAUX 011/11 (“Suicide Prevention”, “Privacy Awareness”, et. al.) will not be available on this new platform. 

Elected leaders: please forward this alert to your members, or refer them to the "What's New!" on the National Website (cgaux.org). 

[Source: Bruce Miller, CIO]

There will be an 8 hr TCT class on June 9^th from 0800 till 1700.

Location will be;

               American Legend Post #21

               126 N Atlantic

               McMinnville, OR 97128

 

Instructor is Danny Dail contact him @ 503-508-5020 and let him know if you are going to attend.

Or send an email to  Danny Eugene Dail<dcp6ddail@juno.com>

 

Journalism and Photography Workshop—12 May

Journalism and Photography Workshop—12 May

Who Should Attend the Four Sections?

PA, SR, CS, FC

You are Cordially Invited to Attend The First Annual

Division Seven Journalism and Photography Workshop

On Saturday, May 12, 2012

In the Conference Room (Training Deck)

Of Marine Safety Unit Portland

Beginning at 0830 - What You Need to Know about Publishing

At 1000 - How To Write Good...

At 1300 - How to See

At 1445 - You and Your Camera

Who uses writing in the Auxiliary? Everybody!

We all read and write emails, reports, letters, newsletter and blog articles, participate in

classes, etc.. Who could benefit from that writing being easier to do and more effective to

boot? Everybody, of course!

If you don’t have a position of responsibility just now, you will have one sooner or later, and how cool would it be if you

already had the tools to write when you first needed them.

Who uses a camera? Again, just about Everybody. How many of us have ever taken photographs at an Auxiliary activity? 

In time, that will be just about Everybody.

Pop Quiz!: Which is more fun, writing a good paragraph or taking a good photo? Easy, the photo. If I offer training to improve everybody’s photography. Our program should appeal to just about every Auxiliarist who hears about it, and our attendance should soar. If some of them also pick up the writing sessions all the better.

So, the First Session — What You Need to Know About Publishing will cover the technical aspects of writing for Auxiliary blogs, publications, etc.; including publishing and image processing software, legal issues such as copyright, model releases, personal data restrictions and operational security issues.

The Second, or Late Morning Session is titled:

“How to Write Good…” Here you will find good recipes for staff and leadership reports, newsletter articles, emails, blog and website pieces will be quite liberally sprinkled with writing hints and tricks to make anybody’s life easier. Still challenged by the title above?

Come and see. You’ll also learn which key on the keyboard is absolutely the most useful.

The Third, or Early Afternoon Session is: “How to See” and it begins the shutterbug’s sessions with lots of tricks and rules to improve what the photographer sees and can then capture in his image. The Auxiliarist/shutterbug will discover why and how in the past some of their photos looked better than others and how to improve all their images.

The Fourth, or Last Session is: “You and Your Camera” where we delve into all the technology, jargon, myths and voodoo of selecting and operating a modern digital camera. We will have on hand a number of experts, including many accomplished and published professionals in fields from videographer to camera repair, and a number

of highly advanced amateur photographers with some amazing talents to discuss. Practical information will be available to unravel the mysteries of shutter speeds, f/stops, ‘film’ speeds (or ISO) and Exposure Value (or EV); focal length, focus, depth of field and autofocus; spot, center weighted and field metering regions and how to get an incident meter

reading; automatic, programmed, aperture priority, shutter priority and manual exposure settings; telephoto, normal, wide angle and macro lenses; fill, bounce and direct automatic or manual flash; accessories like tripods, the chain-pod and hand-clamping; sunshades, UV, IR and Polarizing filters, and as much more as anybody can stand. We will have at least two professional level videographers on hand to offer insight on video do’s and don’ts. We’ll suggest how to safely clean your optics. We’ll even reveal the best, and also the cheapest camera accessory to make all your photos look better.

You can pre-order a paper copy of the entire presentation, with definitions of all the above terms, priced to cover the cost of printing.

Opening Day.

By Jonathan James, VFC 76

Today was the Opening Day regatta on the Columbia River. The weather held enough and did not rain which we all were thankful for. We had six vessels participate in the safety zone, led by Ken Babick as the Patrol Commander who did an outstanding job of coordinating our efforts. Our primary tasking was to keep station at specific locations to keep a watch on spectator craft and to stand by if help was needed. The regatta was conducted without any serious issues and all vessels finished the parade without any mechanical failures. This was great as this was the first time out all season for a lot of the participants. The regatta was concluded with the pass and review of Auxiliary vessels who, of course, looked great.

Here is a slide show of the parade. Hope you all enjoy.  

                                   

Here is the link to the photo page so that you may download as you like. Remember, when taking pictures while conducting auxiliary activities these photos are public domain and may be used and reproduced without permission or fee.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/20448908@N07/sets/72157629974134457/with/7146539133/