Loren Page posted on July 01, 2010 00:11
July 2010 Navy
by CAPT Loren Page, USN (Ret)
Our Association has a long and storied past with members testifying before Congressional committees and influencing Navy leadership with sage advice and outstanding performance. We also have given many achievement awards to midshipmen, Sailors and junior officers.
We each have personal memories of guiding or coaching a young friend, relative or coworker on topics of his/her choices in military service. Watching him/her advance in rank or rate can be a source of pride and a part of your own legacy.
This month’s column about membership provides some details of how you can give a membership to someone that is serving in the U. S. Navy. When guiding and coaching, it is often face-to-face. Well, once your “legacy” is far away, it is difficult to maintain frequent contact. Using the monthly magazine, the AUSN Web site (ausn.org) and the newsletter that is sent to his/her e-mail address is a new channel of communication. You can use a topic from AUSN materials of common interest to reach out and maintain contact with him/her. By putting current information from Navy leaders and other resources across the U. S. Navy in front of him/her, you have greatly increased his/her knowledge and awareness that could help him/her in his/her own military career.
I am asking you to give it a try. For only forty dollars ($40), you can be indirectly touching lives many times in the coming year. If you agree that this is a powerful way to engage in an additional channel of communication and you want it to last for a long time, consider gifting a life membership and encourage your “legacy” to give a gift of membership to one or more of his/her shipmates.
This idea is one of socializing the many ways that Navy people serve our country. A membership gift is also an excellent award that an individual, AUSN Chapter or AUSN Region can award a deserving midshipman, Sailor or junior officer. The cost is modest and the benefit to them and our Association has a multiplier effect.
Use the membership form that is in last month’s issue to mail in your membership gift or submit the membership information on-line by going to the AUSN Web site (www.ausn.org) and click on “Join AUSN Today!” Be sure to put your name as the “Sponsor.”
I truly believe that the young people in the U. S. Navy will benefit greatly when you share our Association’s work with them.